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comment by nothingleftinside
nothingleftinside  ·  2934 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Farewell, America

    They need to bring these people, with all their warts, into the fold.

No. No warts. No racism, no homphobia, no xenophobia, no poor shaming, no science-denying, no anti-education stances. That is the most prescient divide here. Yes, it's partially economics, but it's these very very important things that are at stake here. If these attitudes can't be changed, these people can fuck off. Let them starve and not know why. So far, they have been fractious in the face of any reasonable discussion or compromise.





low_ho_fosho  ·  2933 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I share your outrage at the fact this racist, misogynist pig will now be POTUS. I canvassed for Clinton; I was totally, 100% behind her. But I also don't think we can just get rid of racism and nationalism by extension. That is a slow process that requires re-education over generations, and in the meantime I think there are common ideas both Trump voters and Sanders voters share: anti-establishment, anti-elite, pro-working-poor. We should harness the anger and vitriol of the Trump coalition for our own ends.

I don't think the targets of racism had any illusions that racism wasn't still alive and well in America before the election. I think the people who thought like that were people like me: white liberals.

nothingleftinside  ·  2930 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It doesn't seem to me that Trump voters have anti-elite or pro-poor attitudes based on who they voted for. I just feel like we're beyond the point of compromise. One side is amenable to reason and understand facts; the other is entrenched and "post-truth". I've been hoping for (and calling for) my entire adult life a presidential candidate who's primary issue is poverty. The last time we had that was Jimmy Carter (I think, I wasn't alive). I was very pro-John Edwards in 2008 because that was his signature issue. I dunno. With republican congresses, I have no idea how any positive legislation is going to get passed ever. I'm frustrated to the point of revolt.

snoodog  ·  2934 days ago  ·  link  ·  

This sort of liberal elitism is how/why Clinton lost and how we ended up with Trump. If we as liberals believe that we can rehabilitate the homeless and the drug addicted surely we can educate and rehabilitate those who are afraid of gays blacks and immigrants. That's gotta be easier than trying to rehabilitate someone addicted to heroin.

To give up on half the nation just because they are afraid of people they haven't met is weak and wrong imo.

nothingleftinside  ·  2934 days ago  ·  link  ·  

We've been trying for generations. They just elected a literal fascist who has literal white supremacists in his inner circle. They're going to completely destroy the EPA and actively accelerate climate change. The gloves need to come off.