The right has united around a rejection of government as the solution to social problems. Which means they can generally agree to block new policies and programs. The left is united in its desire for government solutions. But that means they have to face the harder task of agreeing on what to do. 1/ - ThreadSky

jessicacalarco.bsky.social • 39 days ago

The right has united around a rejection of government as the solution to social problems. Which means they can generally agree to block new policies and programs. The left is united in its desire for government solutions. But that means they have to face the harder task of agreeing on what to do. 1/

Reposted from G. Willow Wilson

Real q: why are modern American progressives so bad at building coalitions? The right wing is this ideologically incoherent hodge-podge of unrelated or even oppositional causes, yet they manage to work as a bloc. By contrast, liberals + leftists spend a huge amount of energy fighting w each other.

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sherryreson.bsky.social•37 days ago

/5 - Approx 30 years ago, a significant group of right wing foundations banded together and agreed to fund participants supporting this vision. Which they continue to do. Liberal or left foundations - who commanded more resources - did not. Sally Covington wrote about it in 1997 for NCRP.

fairquestion.com•39 days ago

It’s always easier to break things than to build them.

carlnyberg312.bsky.social•39 days ago

The Democratic Party can't build coalitions for affirmative public policy (beyond war profiteering, more cops, fossil fuel subsidies, privatization and tax cuts for the 1%) because of wealth inequality.

Capitalists expect to get paid off for allowing government to continue to function.

micbi.bsky.social•39 days ago

Mhh, seems like you didn't hear about the NGD, the BBB, our lord and saviour ACA, the stimulus package, the Dodd–Frank act, all the previous months of heavy antitrust activity, union support and last but not least not electing psychopathic grifters as supreme judges.

crissakentavr.bsky.social•38 days ago

The fact is that under Democrats, my rights were protected, and under Republicans they're taking away my passport and in some states, talking about taking away my medical rights - let alone have any civil rights.

This idea Democrats don't do anything is a straight up fascist supporting lie.

drbaseball.bsky.social•10 days ago

Tax the rich!

oxalis24.bsky.social•22 days ago

Good article posted back in February.

porcoesphino.bsky.social•39 days ago

In this framing, why hasn't this been the pattern held by the two party system for most of US history? And why don't we see it as much in other countries and systems (although there is definitely a rise in anti-institutional nationalism, it doesn't seem as strong)?

cfaller96.bsky.social•39 days ago

I’m curious how “raise the minimum wage” fits into this theory.

It’s an understandable, universal policy with sufficient popularity. Yet Dems consistently fail to raise it when given the opportunity. IMO it’s a choice being made by Dems. I don’t believe they are incapable, they just don’t want to.

jessicacalarco.bsky.social•39 days ago

Small businesses make up 99.9% of US businesses and employ almost half of workers. Many struggle to stay open even at current wages. Which makes raising wages seem risky. (With universal healthcare, small business could likely do higher wages, but only if paid for by big corporations/billionaires).

cfaller96.bsky.social•39 days ago

Again, current minimum wage is $7.25.

I defy you to show any business that both *needs* the minimum wage to stay at $7.25, yet is *valuable* to the community/region.

The “small biz will suffer” argument is just dressing up the *choice* being made by Dems. They’re not helpless, they just suck.

jessicacalarco.bsky.social•39 days ago

Childcare providers. Most are small businesses. Most can barely cover wages (let alone provide health insurance or other benefits), at least without setting prices incredibly high (which pushes families who need care out of the market). This is why other countries make childcare a public service.

jessicacalarco.bsky.social•39 days ago

The only sustainable way to solve the US childcare crisis is to increase government subsidies *and* raise wages for childcare workers. Higher wages alone will just force more centers to close (tens of thousands already have). Which pushes moms out of the workforce because they can't find care.

cfaller96.bsky.social•9 days ago

Is it your contention that Big Childcare is lobbying to keep the minimum wage down? Or was that just the best example you could come up with to avoid acknowledging Dems’ fealty to wealth(y donors)?

Again, Dems are making choices. They aren’t being forced to collaborate.

cfaller96.bsky.social•39 days ago

If small businesses are at risk if wages rise to a livable level, then why should those businesses be allowed to survive? Reliance on exploitation is not a good model.

The reality is that small biz owners could raise wages, but don’t want to. And politicians on all sides simply follow those orders.

k2togetherssk.bsky.social•39 days ago

Big business will never help little business as they are viewed as taking away customers and profits

watermia.bsky.social•39 days ago

d add that when the right wing in the U.S. is as radical as it is, it's easy, at a glance, to overlook at the major ideological differences between the left and liberals, that the Dems in most countries would be a center right party. As the far right takes over the GOP, the range of ideologies

watermia.bsky.social•39 days ago

That are included in the opposition is ever widening

jessicacalarco.bsky.social•39 days ago

For related reasons, the right can also unite people around shared enemies. Because even if people don't trust government to solve their problems, they still want someone to blame when they're struggling. And the right gives them scapegoats in spades. 2/

fooddatanerd.com•39 days ago

Yep. See USDA’s news release this morning for an example—cracking down on SNAP eligibility of already ineligible immigrants.

jessicacalarco.bsky.social•39 days ago

Exactly. Creating the appearance of government failure where the failure doesn't actually exist.

jessicacalarco.bsky.social•39 days ago

The right also blocks the left's efforts toward solidarity. Because if the right's default is to block everything, then the left has to make harder choices about what to try to push through. Which means there's only money/time/energy for some factions to get the new programs/policies they want. 3/

fsherman.bsky.social•38 days ago

I've made this point elsewhere. When the left side is the only one fighting for anything good, that leaves us fighting for everyone's good stuff, and like you say, we can't get it all even under the best circumstances.

jessicacalarco.bsky.social•39 days ago

And notably, where the right does agree to implement some new program or policy, it's usually a policy or program that: 1) attacks the scapegoats they've built their solidarity around, and/or 2) pushes the cost onto those least able to fight back. 4/

estarianne.bsky.social•39 days ago

The opposition needs to unite around human rights.

To the extent that anybody in leadership can't see this, they need to be followers.

mcnater.com•39 days ago

100% to all of this. So much easier to tear down than try and build from scratch

frankhghtwr.bsky.social•38 days ago

only new ones? I miss when things were that simple

otispott.bsky.social•39 days ago

We stupid human beings seem condemned to have to learn the same horrible lessons over and over and over.

brianwilcox.bsky.social•39 days ago

Saying no in the legislative arena has always been easier than saying yes. Obstructionists like Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms started using Senate rules to make saying yes harder and harder. Mitch McConnell mastered the technique.

Gridlock is now the norm.

kindraf.bsky.social•39 days ago

I also think there is something to be said for the type of person attracted to the different ideologies. This is big tent Right vs Left with the various factions under each tent talk

eyegah.bsky.social•39 days ago

So what I’m hearing is that it takes more cognitive resources to be progressive or left or whatever, because the choices are harder and people don’t have as much leeway to pretend they know the answers to everything. I had always assumed the opposite but I think you’re right.

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