What should the left's goals be on retaking power?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > What should the left's goals be on retaking power?

T.S. Smelliot: Apr 23, 2010; by FactsAreUseless

"Well uh, see, uh, It's not our policies or our message or anything like that, we just uh, need more outreach to certain unnamed target groups!~"

# ? Nov 26, 2016 02:19

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# ? May 5, 2024 00:43

R. Guyovich: Dec 25, 1991

Sylink posted:

Are there any books that detail how a co-op under socialism actually works? I know there is stuff like Mondragon which is pretty big, but how do you run say, a company of 10-20 people cooperatively ?

Doing everything democratically in such a scenario would probably lead to business failure, and you'd still need the classic hierarchy for most decision making i.e. some guy at the top makes a final decision, even if the profits are not split that way.

EDIT: I should add as whitest management guy, a question I've always had about co-ops was how do you get rid of lazy useless fuckers.

there's a lot of really good info on historical cooperative management in socialist countries. for the ussr i'd recommend "is the red flag flying," for the gdr "socialism with a german face" and for the dprk "socialist korea: a case study in the strategy of economic development"

# ? Nov 26, 2016 02:23

R. Guyovich: Dec 25, 1991

Bad Hat Meter posted:

There was a pretty interesting post in the Jill Stein thread that I would like to share in this thread:

I think the lefties in this thread should give some consideration to Berated Tham's ideas regarding leftist efforts to take power. Thanks very much for your consideration, comrades!

quoting yourself then talking in a very high-pitched voice about how this guy makes a good point is a little transparent when you use anagram generators for usernames, math debater

# ? Nov 26, 2016 02:28

Lord of Pie: Mar 2, 2007

Larry Parrish posted:

Armed demonstrations

I guess that's one way to see how serious the Republicans are about all those open carry laws they've been ramrodding through everywhere :laugh:

# ? Nov 26, 2016 02:58

Terror Sweat: Mar 15, 2009

Homework Explainer posted:

quoting yourself then talking in a very high-pitched voice about how this guy makes a good point is a little transparent when you use anagram generators for usernames, math debater

lmao, thats a pretty pro posting strategy

# ? Nov 26, 2016 03:02

Mao Zedong Thot: Oct 16, 2008

Mental-Rectangle posted:

California has had taxation without fair representation for long enough!

It's tired of holding up all these red states that would fail instantly without its almond flavored teat to suckle from. It's tired of getting less representation for its population in all branches of the federal government. It's had enough!

California, New York, Illinois, Virginia, and the other blue states secede and full civil war commences. The blue states will win again, because the red states suck rear end, and then we implement a new Constitution with a unicameral legislature with party proportional representation, no senate, no electoral college, and a massively expanded bill of rights guaranteeing healthcare, housing, collective bargaining rights, and the ability of voters in any state to initiate a referendum without the help of the legislature to change their state's government if it becomes oppressive and undemocratic.

this, except california is destroyed in a nuclear blast in teh civil war and also

happens just because

# ? Nov 26, 2016 03:04

Crowsbeak: Oct 9, 2012; by Azathoth; Lipstick Apathy

Terror Sweat posted:

lmao, thats a pretty pro posting strategy

Well we do have slavery for Criminals. I just think it should include sociopathic creatures.

# ? Nov 26, 2016 03:49

the bitcoin of weed: Nov 1, 2014

Homework Explainer posted:

quoting yourself then talking in a very high-pitched voice about how this guy makes a good point is a little transparent when you use anagram generators for usernames, math debater

# ? Nov 26, 2016 04:08

R. Guyovich: Dec 25, 1991

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Stf9IQyH7A

# ? Nov 26, 2016 04:20

Trumpenproletariat: Nov 26, 2016; by zen death robot

stop thinking that the democratic party under obama or clinton is "left" for a loving start

# ? Nov 26, 2016 04:40

Trumps Baby Hands: Mar 27, 2016; Silent white light filled the world. And the righteous and unrighteous alike were consumed in that holy fire.

Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
Guide reproduction wisely � improving fitness and diversity.
Unite humanity with a living new language.
Rule passion � faith � tradition � and all things with tempered reason.
Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
Balance personal rights with social duties.
Prize truth � beauty � love � seeking harmony with the infinite.
Be not a cancer on the earth � Leave room for nature � Leave room for nature.

# ? Nov 26, 2016 11:48

Baloogan: Dec 5, 2004; Fun Shoe

death to the new world order

# ? Nov 26, 2016 11:53

jBrereton: May 30, 2013; Grimey Drawer

In the States?

Repeal and replace Taft-Hartley and spend the very rich's money on making things that aren't poo poo for everyone else to do.

# ? Nov 26, 2016 12:57

Victory Position: Mar 16, 2004

Pener Kropoopkin posted:

Overcoming the cultural biases against left wing politics in the United States is the first great hurdle that must be overcome. In that sense, the revolution has to start on a cultural base. We should be holding free concerts featuring local artists, where we can introduce people to our respective parties and the direct services we can offer: food, clothes, shelter, maybe even medical care. A socialist party should be a party. People don't have to believe in it, they just have to see that the project works, that it's fun, and that it's an out from the strict confines of inherited culture. Socialist parties shouldn't seek to rival the church as a locus of community activity, but to create bridges between people of all denominations and creeds so that we can form a real common solidarity. We could create a tangible environment of intersectionality upon which to eventually build a socialist mass movement against capitalism.

Listing off appealing policy bullet points won't accomplish anything. If the planks of any particular socialist party actually mattered, then they would be on the ballot in as many states as the Greens. People need an opportunity to live the alternative, even if it's only for one day a week.

The LGBT community in Buffalo runs a co-op store which sells goods created by people within the community. It's pulled their work off of decentralized platforms like Etsy and back into the local economy. Needless to say, it's working pretty darn well for a volunteer outfit!

# ? Nov 26, 2016 22:24

Tiberius Christ: Mar 4, 2009

Trumpenproletariat posted:

stop thinking that the democratic party under obama or clinton is "left" for a loving start

turns out you can't be pro corporate and pro left you just end up telling working class folks to eat poo poo

elect politicians that refuse to be bribed by lobbyists but fat chance of that, maybe something like crowdsourcing with financial limits and one time donations

Tiberius Christ has issued a correction as of 22:33 on Nov 26, 2016

# ? Nov 26, 2016 22:28

Lastgirl: Sep 7, 1997; Good Morning!
Sunday Morning!

Notorious R.I.M. posted:

guns guns guns guns guns guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuns guns for everyone. Now that leftists want guns, everyone wants guns. We can all unite America under guns. The second amendment is the first amendment in our hearts.

i speak freely

with bullets

# ? Nov 26, 2016 23:23

Kung Food: Dec 11, 2006; PORN WIZARD

Finding likable, relatable and charismatic leadership under the age of 70 seems like a decent start.

# ? Nov 28, 2016 11:06

Fat-Lip-Sum-41.mp3: Nov 15, 2003

Trumps Baby Hands posted:

Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.

Guide reproduction wisely � improving fitness and diversity.

Unite humanity with a living new language.

Rule passion � faith � tradition � and all things with tempered reason.

Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.

Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.

Avoid petty laws and useless officials.

Balance personal rights with social duties.

Prize truth � beauty � love � seeking harmony with the infinite.

Be not a cancer on the earth � Leave room for nature � Leave room for nature.

"We" is a pretty good novel.

# ? Nov 28, 2016 13:06

Darkman Fanpage: Jul 4, 2012

Kung Food posted:

Finding likable, relatable and charismatic leadership under the age of 70 seems like a decent start.

too much to ask for from the left

# ? Nov 28, 2016 13:27

Mad Doctor Cthulhu: Mar 3, 2008

Simple:

Revoke all instances of taxation from everybody making under $100k a year. Increase taxation on everybody over that.

# ? Nov 28, 2016 20:10

Bulgogi Hoagie: Jun 1, 2012; We

Mad Doctor Cthulhu posted:

Simple:

Revoke all instances of taxation from everybody making under $100k a year. Increase taxation on everybody over that.

it'd be easier to just dissolve the government and it would also have the same effect

# ? Nov 28, 2016 20:37

Mad Doctor Cthulhu: Mar 3, 2008

Bulgogi Hoagie posted:

it'd be easier to just dissolve the government and it would also have the same effect

I didn't say it would be easy. Or work. But it's an idea. Be hard for the GOP to bitch about raising taxes when the poor (and most susceptible) aren't even paying in at all.

# ? Nov 28, 2016 21:28

Michael Bayleaf: Jun 4, 2006; Tortured By Flan

Use weapons to kill people

# ? Nov 28, 2016 21:42

Shageletic: Jul 25, 2007

Bad Hat Meter posted:

There was a pretty interesting post in the Jill Stein thread that I would like to share in this thread:

I think the lefties in this thread should give some consideration to Berated Tham's ideas regarding leftist efforts to take power. Thanks very much for your consideration, comrades!

That article is as incurious and naive as Jill Stein is herself. RT is an arm of the Russian government, and as such will amplify any voices or views aimed at destabilizing American politics or policies.

Anyvay, what I would suggest should happen in the unlikely event of a left takeover? Which I 'm supposing is 218 in the House, 60 in the Senate, and 5 in the Court.

1 - Create a bottom up movement of leftist policies and preferences, from cities on up, creating free healthcare (extended Medicare with attendant European style regulation of insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, and other health care players), free schooling through college, free day care, paternal and maternal leave (for up to 2 years), beefing up of education along with axing out charter schools and other privatization efforts in other spheres, all abortion restrictions held to the standard held by NY and California (largely none, with the exception of the third trimester, .01 percent of all abortions I believe), stiff voter access rules, including having people go door to door to sign and allow people to vote if they have to.

2 - New Deal type work programs, private-public partnerships aimed at bridging our 1 trillion infrastructure shortfall, aimed specifically at zeroing at unemployment and men and women without a high degree of educational development. Roads, bridges, water-ways, subsidies to worker owned factories (which is a growing part of the marketplace), subsidies to incentivise employment by private businesses along with attendant restrictions on firing and replacing workers, zero out contractor loophole of many businesses, create a national 401-K or IRA for every American that will travel with them job to job, invest in regulatory agencies like OSHA and transfer regulatory duties of state agencies to federal ones or create a minimum level to avoid things like Texas' constant refinery explosions and Oklahoma increasing earthquakes by 1000 percent. Make the burden on businesses on proving new ventures will not have bad effects, instead of agencies having to do the opposite. Increase pay and protection for federal employees unions, and expand membership and employment by federal agencies aggressively. Impose easier union expansion in the private sphere, and make an effort to increase union membership aggressively in the private sphere, to the extent of creating new types of union like organizations that fulfill the same responsibilities, akin to German style worker councils mandated to have an equal say to executive boards in corporations.

3 - Create a private, powerful, and omnipresent constellation of liberal, left, and progressive entities creating and pushing their legislative agendas. The Republicans have been masterful with this, and have been incredibly patient too, to the result of Koch lobbying groups essentially getting a free ride to write federal leglislation and have it passed in the upcoming Congress. A leftist ALEC, a leftist Americans for Prosperity, a leftist Federalist society (the liberal versions are milquetoasts and naive currently), popping up to corral and use voter support and patron funds judiciously, ruthlessly, and with great effect would do a lot to change the current right-wing domination that is occurring right now.

# ? Nov 28, 2016 21:54

Karl Barks: Jan 21, 1981

what is math debater? some sort of mentally ill guy? government psy op?

# ? Nov 28, 2016 22:19

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

Karl Barks posted:

what is math debater? some sort of mentally ill guy? government psy op?

He just enjoys math. Really enjoys it.

# ? Nov 28, 2016 22:22

Mad Doctor Cthulhu: Mar 3, 2008

Shageletic posted:

That article is as incurious and naive as Jill Stein is herself. RT is an arm of the Russian government, and as such will amplify any voices or views aimed at destabilizing American politics or policies.

Anyvay, what I would suggest should happen in the unlikely event of a left takeover? Which I 'm supposing is 218 in the House, 60 in the Senate, and 5 in the Court.

1 - Create a bottom up movement of leftist policies and preferences, from cities on up, creating free healthcare (extended Medicare with attendant European style regulation of insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, and other health care players), free schooling through college, free day care, paternal and maternal leave (for up to 2 years), beefing up of education along with axing out charter schools and other privatization efforts in other spheres, all abortion restrictions held to the standard held by NY and California (largely none, with the exception of the third trimester, .01 percent of all abortions I believe), stiff voter access rules, including having people go door to door to sign and allow people to vote if they have to.

2 - New Deal type work programs, private-public partnerships aimed at bridging our 1 trillion infrastructure shortfall, aimed specifically at zeroing at unemployment and men and women without a high degree of educational development. Roads, bridges, water-ways, subsidies to worker owned factories (which is a growing part of the marketplace), subsidies to incentivise employment by private businesses along with attendant restrictions on firing and replacing workers, zero out contractor loophole of many businesses, create a national 401-K or IRA for every American that will travel with them job to job, invest in regulatory agencies like OSHA and transfer regulatory duties of state agencies to federal ones or create a minimum level to avoid things like Texas' constant refinery explosions and Oklahoma increasing earthquakes by 1000 percent. Make the burden on businesses on proving new ventures will not have bad effects, instead of agencies having to do the opposite. Increase pay and protection for federal employees unions, and expand membership and employment by federal agencies aggressively. Impose easier union expansion in the private sphere, and make an effort to increase union membership aggressively in the private sphere, to the extent of creating new types of union like organizations that fulfill the same responsibilities, akin to German style worker councils mandated to have an equal say to executive boards in corporations.

3 - Create a private, powerful, and omnipresent constellation of liberal, left, and progressive entities creating and pushing their legislative agendas. The Republicans have been masterful with this, and have been incredibly patient too, to the result of Koch lobbying groups essentially getting a free ride to write federal leglislation and have it passed in the upcoming Congress. A leftist ALEC, a leftist Americans for Prosperity, a leftist Federalist society (the liberal versions are milquetoasts and naive currently), popping up to corral and use voter support and patron funds judiciously, ruthlessly, and with great effect would do a lot to change the current right-wing domination that is occurring right now.

So, in short, people who are proud to be Leftists and not undermining their efforts by talking about 'realistic expectations' and other third-way poo poo. Yeah, this will actually work. In fact, we just need more dedicated people to run it and stand up to this nonsense. Build a wall against the GOP's bullshit, so to speak.

# ? Nov 29, 2016 03:39

TheLightPurges: Sep 24, 2016; by exmarx

I don't think the left should regain power.

# ? Nov 29, 2016 03:51

scuba school sucks: Aug 30, 2012; The brilliance of my posting illuminates the forums like a jar of shining gold when all around is dark

Nationalize Wikileaks Now.

# ? Nov 29, 2016 05:47

fabergay egg: Mar 1, 2012; it's not a rhetorical question, for politely saying 'you are an idiot, you don't know what you are talking about'

The only hope for the future of a left wing in America is for the current left to build the guillotines and promptly lay themselves within them. Hillary Clinton spent half a billion dollars on a campaign that couldn't think of a single message between them. The colossal hubris of the whole thing, god. I hope they're happy with themselves. I'm going to buy a gun and a red hat.

# ? Nov 29, 2016 05:53

Michael Bayleaf: Jun 4, 2006; Tortured By Flan

Best Giraffe posted:

The only hope for the future of a left wing in America is for the current left to build the guillotines and promptly lay themselves within them. Hillary Clinton spent half a billion dollars on a campaign that couldn't think of a single message between them. The colossal hubris of the whole thing, god. I hope they're happy with themselves. I'm going to buy a gun and a red hat.

I'm going to play video games

# ? Nov 29, 2016 06:19

R. Guyovich: Dec 25, 1991

Best Giraffe posted:

The only hope for the future of a left wing in America is for the current left to build the guillotines and promptly lay themselves within them. Hillary Clinton spent half a billion dollars on a campaign that couldn't think of a single message between them. The colossal hubris of the whole thing, god. I hope they're happy with themselves. I'm going to buy a gun and a red hat.

clintonites ain't "left" by any stretch of the imagination. as far as guillotines are concerned, though...i like the way you think

# ? Nov 29, 2016 06:34

fabergay egg: Mar 1, 2012; it's not a rhetorical question, for politely saying 'you are an idiot, you don't know what you are talking about'

Michael Bayleaf posted:

I'm going to play video games

god speed, and amen

# ? Nov 29, 2016 07:18

Baloogan: Dec 5, 2004; Fun Shoe

Michael Bayleaf posted:

I'm going to play video games

WHAT videogames

# ? Nov 29, 2016 07:20

firebeats: May 8, 2016

Trumpenproletariat posted:

stop thinking that the democratic party under obama or clinton is "left" for a loving start

# ? Nov 29, 2016 07:31

Bolton Hairy-Bore: Jul 31, 2013

no party but the raiding party

# ? Nov 29, 2016 08:06

Gizmoduck_5000: Oct 6, 2013; Your superior intellect is no match for our primitive weapons!

I have a FEVER! And the only PRESCRIPTION...is the blood of the bourgeoisie!

# ? Nov 29, 2016 08:15

Dreddout: Oct 1, 2015; You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.

Baloogan posted:

WHAT videogames

Red alert 3

# ? Nov 29, 2016 09:19

The Muppets On PCP: Nov 13, 2016; by Fluffdaddy

Nietzschean posted:

I'm actually pretty curious about what's preventing the Democrats from having something like the '94 Gingrich Revolution and becoming a unified political party rather than a dissociated mess of Blue Dogs, Third Way, etc.

three decades of gotv operation building via direct mail marketing, religious indoctrination, and mass media

# ? Nov 29, 2016 10:40

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# ? May 5, 2024 00:43

Prav: Oct 29, 2011

democrat centralism

# ? Nov 29, 2016 11:28

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