Good to see this happening, but unless working class politics eventually breaks free of the establishment Democrats, it will not lead to very much. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have been woeful over issues like Israel and Ukraine during the last Biden administration . . .
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/12/bernie-sanders-rally-los-angeles
Follow the money.
Maybe USA needs more daily fix of money injection in Politics?!
Why were they woeful?
@stockwellpete said in #1:
> Good to see this happening, but unless working class politics eventually breaks free of the establishment Democrats, it will not lead to very much. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have been woeful over issues like Israel and Ukraine during the last Biden administration . . .
>
> www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/12/bernie-sanders-rally-los-angeles
@salmon_rushdie said in #3:
> Why were they woeful?
Ocasio-Cortez on Israel - conflating anti-zionism with anti-semitism; supporting two-state solution so that apartheid state of Israel would continue to exist; supported funding for Israeli Iron Dome missile system; opposed to boycott of Zionist institutions; denounced some pro-Palestinian demonstrators as antisemitic. AOC lost endorsement of Democratic Socialists of America over her drift to the right on this subject.
Ocasio-Cortez on Ukraine - frames the conflict as Ukraine defending democracy against authoritarianism and supports funding for Ukraine.
Bernie Sanders on Israel - supporting two state solution (Israel will never allow a viable Palestinian state to exist); opposed to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement; called for a humanitarian pause during the genocide instead of an immediate ceasefire.
Bernie Sanders on Ukraine - also frames it as democracy versus authoritarianism instead of what it really is - a US-backed proxy war against another imperialist power i.e. Russia; described Russian invasion as unprovoked and that Ukraine is trying to do the "right thing", ignoring the complete absence of democracy now in Ukraine and the incorporation of fascist and ultra-nationalist formations into Ukraine's army, police and security apparatus.
As I say, woeful - and that is being kind. On top of all this, what purpose are socialists serving by remaining in the orbit of the pro-imperialist, pro-capitalist establishment Democrats when inequality increased under the Democrats? It is time for independent working class politics focussed primarily on class struggle (in the workplace, community campaigns etc) instead of the 4 year electoral cycle that is completely sewn up by the two main establishment parties.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/12/02/increasing-income-inequality-under-trump-and-the-democrats/
Is AOC even considered a socialist?
If you’re hoping for further left than Bernie Sanders in the U.S., that’s wishful thinking. Capitalism has been good to us, and at least half the country is so proud of capitalism that you can call something “socialist” as an insult.
Hell, our recent anti-free market trends are being billed as “protecting capitalism”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqylROx2n3M
@clousems said in #5:
> Is AOC even considered a socialist?
>
> If you’re hoping for further left than Bernie Sanders in the U.S., that’s wishful thinking. Capitalism has been good to us, and at least half the country is so proud of capitalism that you can call something “socialist” as an insult.
>
> Hell, our recent anti-free market trends are being billed as “protecting capitalism”
There is a very long history of socialist politics in the USA. The USA still has the largest economy in the world, so the working class movement there retains enormous potential to fight for real change. But workers need to break from the Democratic Party and form their own party rooted in everyday struggles in their workplaces and the communities where they live.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_socialist_movement_in_the_United_States
Oh, good, another political thread! Let me put change into some work clothes and put on some boots! I just bought a new shovel, too!
You know what else draws crowds? The running of the bulls! Even, in some places, battling roosters!
I'm unlikely to attend such events though. I hope that doesn't cause our Democrat friends to think less well of me. But it's hard to always follow the crowd, you know?
Oh, by the way, @pawnedge, thank you for drawing my attention to that Youtube. Not only was it entertaining to see Ms. Ocasio-Cortez give her own "interesting" understanding, but it was also very pleasant to see Thomas Sowell speak calmly and well about the subject, as usual.
I hope many will bother to watch -- but it's so hard to get people to risk changing their minds, these days. So, as I've said so often, I won't hold my breath while waiting for that.
I suppose AOC MIGHT draw larger crowds than Thomas Sowell. But I'd rather go for a quiet mountain hike than run with the bulls. Others may have different interests.
Stockwellpete is once again parrotting Russian propaganda and thereby justifying the Russian genocide in Ukraine. Don't believe that crap!
Moderators, put an end to this! Hate speech is a crime in France.
Search for and read up on:
Russian disinformation war
With all due respect, I'm puzzled by your #9, @what_game_is_this .
I seldom find myself agreeing with @stockwellpete , but he isn't causing me to hate anybody. Indeed, I don't see how he could cause me to hate anybody.
I don't hate people merely because they disagree with me. Should anybody find hate merely from disagreement? I think not. But we remain free to decide for ourselves. I hope.
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