Always remember, both sides are just as bad!

The media is owned by the first group
- Even the independent or non-profit media sources that have a lot of credibility and seem generally pretty chill will fall back on this every now and again.
  You see it anytime you hear people talking about division or hyper partisanship "on the rise" in that clinical, abstract way that sounds objective. It's always in a discussion about the current state of "discourse", and it's nearly always remarked on like the story is the spike in "disagreements", and not about what the disagreements are actually about.This pervasive idea that somehow people being upset about the current state of affairs and the rise of actual fascism is some kind of aberration.
  Like "Gee, people sure are arguing a lot these days. Boy howdy, they're sure a feisty bunch, aren't they?" Women literally had their right to an abortion taken away from them, we had armed fascists storming our God damn capital on the word of a President and current candidate, we had thousands die to a preventable illness because of rampant misinformation and right wing individualist propaganda, and still you hear this tone that people being really angry right now is weird.
  Fucking Kurkusagst, a channel I have a lot of respect for, just the other day dropped a video blaming social media on the mounting political and social divisions in our country, and implying all will be well if we just stopped using big media platforms. Social media is definitely part of it, but anyone seriously acting like it's the primary reason people are fucking pissed right now has to be some well-off straight white man, because the rest of us have some pretty damn good reasons to be pissed. I don't need Twitter or Reddit or Facebook to make me angry, I just need to be paying the fuck attention.
  It's insulting to every women, every LGBT person, every non-white person, and every single person struggling to make a living right now to imply "social media is just getting us riled up."
  
  Can you share that video/channel? I couldn't find Kurkusagst in any searches
- It doesn't really seem that way. I only ever hear about how evil Republicans are and how starving and precious the Democrats are. I think you're all fucking stupid for thinking stances on subjects need to be clumped together in categories. I want universal healthcare, basic income, and the right to carry a gun for the next time police come to wreck my life over a false accusation made by a violent asshole!
  
  Do things typically go well for people who use firearms against police? Is this some sort of crazy shit that I’m too Canadian to understand?
  
  and the right to carry a gun for the next time police come to wreck my life over a false accusation made by a violent asshole!
  "I want the right to execute public officials for doing their lawful jobs (for once) when I am accused of a crime and must go through the processes everyone must in order to ensure some modicum of justice instead of rampant crime or vigilante action"
  Uh, gonna go ahead and say that's the fucking stupidest thing I've heard today.
  
  You ever read one of those heartwarming stories about a woman who paid somebody's medical debt?
  
  The Democrats and the Republicans are both on the side of Capital, the Republicans just want fascism as well. The left is the side that is demonized by the media just as much as the fascists.
  
  I want universal healthcare, basic income, and the right to carry a gun for the next time police come to wreck my life over a false accusation made by a violent asshole!
  The only things Republicans care about in this list is guns. Perhaps you can give us some examples of policy proposals the GOP has made in the last few years that don't involve removing rights from people and consolidate presidential power?
  
  Lol! Sometimes these days I think I'm in, The Truman Show. I mean I have to be, right?.. This can't be what the culmination of human evolution has created. It's all too implausible to be true.

I mean if you're still supporting Republicans you're kind of the problem.
- So do you just wake up as a curmudgeonly dingus, or does it take a few hours of the day for you to get like that?
- What chides me the most is the underlying origin of the Republican Party, the very much needed fiscal conservatism, is now missing. It’s been traded for saboteurs rigging things to fail so they can gut chunks of government.
  
  Was "fiscal conservatism" the origin of the Republican party?
  From wiki:
  The new Republican Party envisioned modernizing the United States, emphasizing expanded banking, more railroads and factories, and giving free western land to farmers ("free soil") as opposed to letting slave owners buy up the best properties. It vigorously argued that free market labor was superior to slavery and was the very foundation of civic virtue and true republicanism; this was the "Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men" ideology.
  Fiscal conservatism is just a GOP invented MacGuffin to give them cover when they employ their advisorial antigovernance strategy. Every time we put a conservative in charge they blow the deficit up and funnel money to their backers.
  Then they cry fiscal conservatism when a DEM takes power and say we need to cut social programs. Fiscal conservatism is a lie people continue to believe in because they hate anyone getting a break that isn't themselves. Themselves or wealthy white men who they project their own ambitions onto.
- If you still believe the Democrats are going to come through on universal healthcare or free college, you're also part of the problem.
  
  Democrats' only real incentive is to be better than Republicans. Since that bar is so low, it makes it easier to make much less progress and still be more electable than the Republican alternative. Also, because it's important to get elected and garnering at least some Republican votes is often necessary, then they have more incentive to play it safe.
  If Republicans got their heads out of their asses and started making progress, instead of pushing for regression, then Democrats would have more incentive to push harder on their policies.
  
  No one is deluding themselves into thinking that will happen. The alternative, voting for Trump, however, is unacceptable.
  
  You mean literally mainstream policy positions for Democrats?
  
  I believe Democrats will at least make proposals to improve healthcare coverage and free college. More importantly, there has been significant progress over the last four years or so.

- Transcontinental high speed trains
  
  Sorry, we only have trans-exclusionary feminist trains. Next one boards at Platform 9-3/4.
  
  I mean, I would love that, but unfortunately it will be easier and cheaper for the US to adopt electric airplanes than trying to build several tens of thousands of miles of high speed rail to create even 2 transcontinental lines.
  
  "I hear those things are awfully loud"
- Those...bastards.

Slavery never went away, read the 13th amendment.
- Sharecropping is not slavery in the same sense as it was in the early days of the US
- Section 1
  Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
  Idk about you but that seems to make it pretty cut and dry that slavery is illegal in the US. Prison is different because when you are convicted, you are stripped of many rights. I don't agree with it, but it is what it is.
  
  If there’s an exception to a rule then it’s not a cut and dry rule. If slavery is illegal except when it affects certain people then it’s not illegal overall.
  
  What happens when you also create or enforce laws mainly against minorities?
  
  Constitution: slavery is legal under certain conditions.
  You: "Idk about you but that seems to make it pretty cut and dry that slavery is illegal in the US"

the media doesn't think they're equal, the media is elevating slavery because they're owned by the people who will end up owning the slaves
- Spoilers: We're already slave-lite. Owned by our landlords, credit bureaus, state and federal government (taxes) and education finance system (immutable loans).
  It's nowhere near as bad as real slavery was. The goal is to make us earn as much as possible for those that own us though under the guise of "freedom". Freedom is dictatorship. Freedom is being controlled. Freedom is doing the right thing as prescribed by those in power and their interpretation of law which always seems to side with those who already have the money and power.
  
  "1984" by George Orwell.
  Key tenets include:
  Big Brother Is Watching You: This is the omnipresent government surveillance.
  War Is Peace: This paradoxical slogan highlights the manipulation of truth.
  Freedom Is Slavery: Suggests that individual freedom is an illusion.
  Ignorance Is Strength: Encourages the populace to accept false narratives.
  Thoughtcrime: The idea that thinking against the Party is criminal.
  Doublethink: Holding two contradictory beliefs simultaneously.
  Newspeak: Language designed to limit freedom of thought.
  The Party's absolute control over truth and reality.
  Seems like a how to guide for the right imo.
  
  The goal is to make us earn as much as possible for those that own us though under the guise of “freedom”. Freedom is dictatorship. Freedom is being controlled. Freedom is doing the right thing as prescribed by those in power and their interpretation of law which always seems to side with those who already have the money and power.
  They keep sayin' we're free, but we're all just loose.
  
  According to the 13th amendment you're already an actual slave state except the slaves are called prisoners.

- This is literally the platform of right-populism. "Wasn't it good in the 50s when a single income for a guy with an associates was enough to support a family in a life of comfort, and a summer job could pay for university? That's why women shouldn't be in the workforce and black people shouldn't have rights."
  
  You forgot the part where they also give these people an easy target for the miseries in their lives.
  "Do you hate your life? Do you wish you were living in a mansion, eating grapes lowered into your mouth by a servant, instead of working 50 hours a week? Well, have we got a deal for you! Just try Blaming A Minority, and all your problems will disappear! But wait, act now, and we'll throw in a second minority, free! Just pay shipping and handling, and vote for our fascist candidate"

Hey that's not fair, as part of fascism they also want healthcare (for the right people) and education (that reinforces their prejudices).

Haha don't forget moderates.
"We should listen to both sides, I mean nazis and fascists had good ideas too!"
- I think it's a mistake to call them moderates. The "moderates" in the US have gone to great lengths to brand themselves this way, but really they are neoliberals who have bought into every aspect of conservatism except maybe the most depraved social views from the alt right, which they excuse as "just an opinion". They love to play both sides and act like they have some moral/intellectual high ground because they consider "both sides" when really they are already waist deep into right-wing ideology.
  
  Exactly. Whenever this conversation comes up I ask for people to give me Republican policies presented and pushed that aimed to help the middle class??
  Other than tax cuts for the rich the Republican party has ZERO ideas on how to tackle anything that would help the average American. Healthcare? Nothing. Gun control? Nothing. Climate change? Nothing. Infrastructure? Nothing. Jobs? Trickle down give tax cuts to the rich that'll solve it! Sure it hasn't worked the last 40 years now but just more tax cuts for billionaires bro!
  
  I propose "interlopers". If you're not against the fascist regime, you ARE the fascist regime.
  
  As a moderate, this isn't true in the least. People like that aren't actually moderate, they are just masking.
  Every moderate I know is currently voting Democrat because it's obvious the Republican party has gone off the rails. The crazy stuff isn't the part we listen to, and they have stopped backing the non-crazy part.
- The moderates are the Democrats.
  There is no left.
  
  Democrats are right-wing. Republicans are now far right.
- If two people disagree, then they are both equally right. Like in the case of rape! There's two sides to it after all...
- Didn’t nazis make the trains run on time? Those Democrats should be all over this
  
  Ironically, despite the common saying, the trains were apparently even worse during the Nazi government than they were before.
  
  At least Mussolini drained a swamp.
  
  They didn't.

I see this sentiment expressed more often by tankies, enlightened centrists, and Krazy Konservative Kommenters than mainstream media sources. Usually in reference to economic policy (and in fairness, the differences there are pretty subtle if we're looking at the mainstream).
What I'm seeing in media is an attempt to listen to "both sides." It's just that one side has grown more and more detached from reality, so airing their crazy unchallenged alongside a more normal perspective makes it look like the sides are on equal rhetorical footing. It's like what you get in a debate with Donny T and Biden.
Biden: Normal liberal policy ideas, maybe we leave the queer folks alone, maybe we do a little something on climate, etc.
SmallHandsOrangeBoy: Incoherent frothing about the immigrants, the gays, the "woke mind virus"
Reporters: And here are the candidate's positions, clearly no further comment or observation is required. Best not question the froth lest we be accused of bias!
Feels like a lot of reporters are either unused to dealing with a rising fascist bloc, hampered by corporate meddling, or complicit.
- The media always wants two people with diametrically opposed ideas and opinions in their tv debates. Like with climate change debates. Instead of inviting 2 people of the 99% of scientist who generally agree about human made climate change but disagree on the details they invite the disgraced 1% “scientist” with a fringe opinion who’s clearly in the pocket of big oil or a professor who isn’t even a climate expert.
  
  So true. And it makes for good TV, plus the ragebait drives engagement on the socials (writing that made me ill).
- It's not the purpose of the media to faithfully report "both sides". That's the problem in a nut shell. The idea that there are always two sides to every issue and that they are equal. That they are always equally legitimate. Media treats it like a sporting event, like a debate club. That is a total warping of journalistic principles.
  The job of journalists is to report truth. To find truth and inform the people.
- Center right Democrats and far right Republicans, if we're talking about how they compare with parties in other countries.

One side wants to break up families, abolish free speech, trans kids and make everyone attention slaves to big companies. The other side just wants freedom and happiness
(I dont accually believe this, just how the opposite side would make the same tweet) You cant believe the world is this black and white 💀
- I honestly thought you were still talking about Republicans who brag about wanting to break up families, abolish free speech and trans kids, and make everyone slaves to corporations
  
  Haha very true, its almost like the isnt any opposition
- But how would banning books equate to free speech? I suppose there aren't straight justifications for everything, that's just part of it.
- ever heard of the story of the two santas?

Out of the loop: what’s there about women not being able to vote or own property? Thanks!
- Women vote Dem more often than men, so it's become an increasing and concerningly earnestly expressed talking point on the far-right that repealing women's right to vote would be Good, Actually
  
  If we took away women's right to vote, we'd never have to worry about another Democrat president. It's kind of a pipe dream, it's a personal fantasy of mine,” [Ann Coulter] said in a 2007 New York Observer interview.
  Holy raging badgerfuck dementia is a terrifying disease
  
  [Missouri State TPUSA President] Rutherford also noted that college campuses are a place where controversial ideas should be heard.
  “Many students on this campus made it clear that her ideas were dangerous and unwelcome here in this pivotal moment in our country — where wrong is right and two plus two is five. When you are threatened with violence for daring to think differently, Ann Coulter is a necessary voice to bring to the table.”
  Who's making fascism and democracy "equal"? The media?
  I don't disagree that it's taken broadcast and print media to finally start calling a spade a spade when it comes to right wing politics in the US - and that they're still not going far enough. Trump himself is being correctly labeled as fascist, authoritarian, dictatorial; the people who fully support him are still managing to avoid those labels.
  But I don't think that's the primary issue. I don't think that "the media" is the problem. Trump and his ilk have done and said fascist, authoritarian, and dictatorial things for a long time, and there are enough people who like that and want that. Chris Christie and Liz Cheney, for example, are very outspoken about the danger Trump poses, but they still carry water for the party that is on track to nominate him for the presidency.
  There are plenty of people in that same situation. That's the problem. The solution is for them to find their conscience and abandon the Republican party. Maybe that will happen once the primaries get underway. Maybe they're waiting to see if someone can unseat Trump's presumptive nomination. If someone does unseat Trump in the primaries, you're still left with a party that's given him an incredible amount of support. You're still embracing that support, and you're still going to be beholden to those supporters - who have shown that they will vote you out if you don't toe their fascist line.
  We can have vigorous differences on policy. We cannot have differences on the core principles of democracy, on the very structure of our government. We must agree on process. The Republican party has shown that at its core, it does not agree with the core principles of democracy, and if you don't abandon it, you are complicit.
  
  The most sensible Republican.
  
  Thanks! And what about property?
- Republicans have begun to resurrect the idea of household head exclusive enfranchisement, IE only the family patriarch can vote
  I'm sure it's just a complete coincidence that this policy mostly disenfranchises women, younger voters, and renters, all of whom lean democrat.
  
  Woah, that’s cringe. Thanks for letting me know!
  
  Wait until they find out about all the single moms who are heads of households

and people like OP think everyone fits neatly into either group.
- You can't support the right without supporting their fascism, regardless of how you try to qualify it
  
  That's not what he said...
  
  Oh yes you "can!" Just you try voting third party (i.e not actually supporting the republicans) and telling anyone about it, dems will say you supported the right, reps will say you supported the left, all the while you supported neither, and somehow simultaneously supported both from the POV of the "you have to do what I want" people.
  Edit: See?
  
  This is the same argument that led to the red scare in the 50s. Want to unionize your workplace? That's not the only union you want! Want to bring an anti consumerism message? Literally communism! It's much easier to group undesirables together so you can marginalize the libertarians, evangelicals and business class in one fell swoop by labeling them Fascist
  
  I don't think I've ever heard someone from the right say they support fascism. However, I've heard plenty on the left say they support communism. Also, the right has plenty of problems to draw upon without acting like the crazy fringe is the norm. This twitter post is insane and really not a convincing argument.
  Go ahead and downvote because you don't like hearing it all you want, but you know it's true.
- I mean who doesnt want the country you live in to provide education and healthcare, other than nazis and fascist? Whats the middle ground you refer too?
  
  No, no, you see, the Republicans who worship a cult of action and engage in strident anti-intellectualism and encourage violence against minorities are definitely not fascist, they're just Economically Anxious or whatever the fuck the in-vogue term is.
  
  because there are more than those two issues. but go ahead and feel the moral high ground you're seeking.
- Nazi say what
- This thread is fucked. Lemmy is worse than reddit when it comes to the "if you don't agree with me 100% then you're a fucking nazi fascist"
  I made a comment about not buying into this hyperbolic strawman shit slinging and most of the replies are "so what do you believe" or "what do you think conservatives believe" and trying to say I'm "not arguing" with them so my words are invalid.
  I just don't think this ITS ACTUALLY FUCKING SALVERY THEYRE ACTUAL FUCKING NAZIS is doing anything but making us look like turds

I assume the title is aimed at that both parties badmouth one another in extreme, cherry-picked and oversimplified ways right?
- I think the title is mocking enlightened centrists. I am not sure if you're implying this and I misunderstood your comment.
- It's basically the whole platform for one party, but sure.
- They're all paid by over-rich exploit everyone else as slaves. Give 'em a little credit. They're not completely racist!

The media cares about one thing: money. Outrage=views, and they'll report whatever they think will generate the most outrage.

I would never want to be a part of a revolution. I would only ask the same things the founding fathers fought for. Representation. Anyway you slice it, my voice will never be heard because I am not a part of the wealthiest people in this country.
No, I am only a part of the majority...
- founding fathers
  Those slave owners and teenagers? Lol they designed the constitution precisely to keep power with the rich, as what's happening right now.
  Representation
  You will never get that in a broken and rigged system without a revolution.
  
  I recently noticed something interesting while reading one of the federalist papers for a US government class:
  "A rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project, will be less apt to pervade the whole body of the union, than a particular member of it" -James Madison, the guy who drafted the constitution

"Democracy" my ass lmao. You only have one choice.
A revolution is long overdue indeed.
- Then make that "choice" a choice for Ranked Choice Voting at the local level. The Constitution allows for this option. The founding fathers didn't have access to the math that proves FPTP is the worst possible voting system, despite England using FPTP since the middle ages, or as much as 600-800 years at that point.
  
  The problem is the American system of democracy as it is currently organized is too geared to protect the interests of the ruling class.
  I compellingly agree that ranked choice or proportional representation would alleviate many of the issues we have, but, unlike many epochs of human history, we are literally running out of time.
- This is such an incredibly privileged stance
  
  Millions must die; this will make things better. /s
  
  If there's one thing Privs hate it's when you point out they just outed themselves having an opinion only a priv would think is a reasonable thing to think.

Image Transcription: Tumblr
mikemaeshiro
[A screenshot of a twitter post which is transcribed below]
Rebekah Jones, @GeoRebekah
Everyone seems to agree that a revolution is long overdue in America
One side wants to bring back slavery, nazis, fascism, and women not being allowed to vote or own property.
The other side just wants healthcare and education.
The media thinks these two things are equal.

Well one side helps the rich and the other hurts them
But one side helps their viewers and the other hurts them
So I can see both sides

The issue is that there are sides. And only 2 at that. Neither serves the people very well or we would have sane healthcare costs, wages, housing, transportation. We would also not have as much pollution in our air, soil, and water. "Both Sides"cater to political campaign donors above all else. That is the problem.

This is very cherry-picked issues they've included here though. Yes, of course no one with a brain is thinking of these issues specifically when they say that. Both sides are bad, both are hypocritical, both break rules and want their rule breaking to be ignored when it's to their advantage. One side is worse, doesn't mean both sides aren't bad.
- Anarchist?

But... But the gays and the deep state? Hollywood elites?

As someone who is not from the US I have to say: this "meme" is very biased and one sided. Most of you do not even understand how one sided it is. You are taking your moderate opinion and comparing it with the most extreme opinion of the other side. If the other side did this they would say:
One side just wants that they stop killing babies
The other side wants to brainwash children into mutilating their own bodies.
- Ok, except the US right literally has an out in the open plan for implementing a fascist dictatorship called project 2025. You can go read it yourself. This is not some small wing of the party. Basically every single Congressperson and senator is backing this.
- The other side wants to brainwash children into mutilating their own bodies.
  "And it's our job to do that when we circumcise them!"
- killing babies Most non-biased description of abortion ever.
  /s
- The OP is a bit exaggerated, you're right, but it not too far from the truth: Trump, the president that started a coup, is running for president stating only he can fix the problems the US has which would include removing all the leftist vermin (extremely fascist). White supremacists and nazis don't make up a majority of his support, but most if not all of them do support him (bringing back nazis and bringing back "slavery" in the form of giving power to white supremacists). Trump likes to use dog whistle showing his support for them, while also not rebuking those same groups of people. The crazy things the far left wants to do is... help trans kids using procedures backed by science and supported by most major countries(and to clarify, by procedures I mean non-permanent hormone treatment, rather than permanent surgeries). We're basically talking about the right trying to prop up a treasonous authoritarian, who utilizes the help of Nazis, white supremacists and religious zealots who want to take away women's rights vs the left that is trying to help kids.
- Except the right is actively pushing to make women property, working with nazis and nazi sympathizers, undermining the education system, undermining social services, undermining workers rights, ect.
  The (by comparison) left certainly doesn't have clean hands, but they aren't brainwashing or mutilating children.
  And it's not like the "just want to stop killing babies". If that were the case they would be supporting social services and social safety nets for families. They would show SOME kind of care for the children AFTER they're born too.
  It isn't biased, it's just accurately describing reality.
- The challenge is, especially in the US, the moderate side of the right arguments don't seem to be made anywhere. All the party is pushing are the extreme views so it does appear to be exactly this in the media (which is where the majority of people are influenced by regardless of it's right or not).
  
  If all they are pushing is the extreme views, perhaps it is because those have become their CORE views
- Then all you have to do is point at scientific evidence showing no children is mutilating their body, nor "babies are being murdered". Right wingers reject empirical evidence. Your example holds no water at all and completely misrepresent what even the left advocates for. And keep in mind that abortion is even popular on both sides of the aisle.
- I personally enjoy killing babies early in the morning and save their blood for the evening, i d hate that to stop
  
  You're missing their point
- Bad faith framing of the issue by utilizing a false equivalency based on half-truths.
- Is it cuz you're only attracted to the cis kids?
- You're comparing a bad faith manipulation of policy descriptions to objectively stated goals of both sides
  Killing babies and brainwashing children are known shock and scare rhetorical isms within the US, in the US the Left wants to institute healthcare, and the Right wants to, in brief, repeal the 20th century and a decent chunk of the 19th too.
  
  You may be right but for Republicans that usually doesn't matter.
- God I hope this is a feeble attempt at sarcasm. Otherwise you likely live in Uganda or Indonesia, in which case, my condolences.

thanks for this screenshot of an instagram post of a screenshot of a tweet
- You're welcome

@kelargo@lemmy.world .

Life is rough on the Rim

IDK what the fuck you guys have been watching for the last two months. I've been watching a genocide unfold with unaninmous bipartisan support. If you can see that and don't think both parties are beyond redemption, you're part of the problem.
I'm assuming we're talking about the actual parties/politicians here, not the people.
- Your elected rep wont be voting on what Israel does in Gaza but they will be voting on whether to accept or throw away your votes and whether to reject fascism or not. Perhaps choose your leaders based on the obvious differences that will directly effect your life.
  
  I see unequivocal fascism from both parties. I reject the idiotic "lesser of two evils" thinking.
- Working within this broken system won't solve anything; it's just gradually shifting further to the right.
- Not voting, or voting for a third party is a vote for the worst party as long as you continue to be satisfied with First Past The Post voting.
  If you want to change this on the local level, I implore you to do so. The Constitution allows for us to change anything we want on the local, state, or federal level. Getting Ranked Choice Voting as the local preference will shove the federal government to adopt the same, eventually. The founding fathers didn't have access to the math that proves how bad FPTP is, but they did acknowledge that they weren't deities, and couldn't know what the US may need in the future. We are allowed to change anything. Hell, The Declaration of Independence says that (sic) "if a government shall decline or refuse to follow the will of the people, then that people is required to abolish or replace the government."
  It's long past due to abolish the kleptocracy that is in place.
  
  Not voting or voting for a third party is not a vote for Republicans, it's not voting or voting for a third party.
  You should be ashamed to vote for any of the major two parties giving their full backing to an ongoing genocide. The myth of Democrats and Republicans as meaningfully separate parties is dead.
  (edit) And to be absolutely clear what I mean here. Their economic policy, the towering administrative state, the military funding, the Federal Reserve, the bailout policy, the surveillance state, the DHS, TSA, ATF, CIA, FBI, all the international imperial meddling, empire building, regime change & overthrowing democratic leaders shit, it's all the same goddamn thing between both parties. They literally only bicker about small fry social issues and hope the gullible people in the public who haven't studied anything won't notice the bipartisan consensus on everything else. It's honestly embarrassing how much people sit around and defend Democrats, you have no idea what 95% of what they actually uphold even is. We were all screaming 2000-2008 about Bush cementing a police state into power, and then Obama came along and literally normalized the entire thing, and now it's like that's all forgotten history.
- Oops! It looks like you've exposed the truth behind the DNC and their "nothing will fundamentally change" platform. Sorry but all the political realistsTM are about to swoop in and accuse you of supporting trump now.
  
  Literally 2 minutes after you posted, they did.

You know people would take her more seriously if her warnings reflected reality
- Warnings don't reflect reality. They prevent one. An effective warning never describes the reality in which it exists. That's what makes it an effective warning.
  A version of the preparedness paradox, I suppose.
  
  I guarantee removing women's right to vote and own property, being literal nazis, and bring back slavery isn't on the legislative agenda. Fascism probably is though. Leader of her party is currently condoning a genocide so she really needs to give her head a shake.
- Good luck, I made a comment about this and I've been called an idiot and ridiculed for saying we should attack reality and not hyperbolic strawman.
  
  But my feelings!

Title seems to contradict the content

The right can be bad without being the 2nd coming of the nazis, whats being said here is so obviously a lie its silly.
- I really don't like that you're getting downvoted for this. There are obviously people on the right who do feel this way - but the political spectrum is called a spectrum for a reason and just tarring every conservative with the same brush leads to people like Trump coming to power.
  
  Nobody votes Trump because they get called out for their bullshit, they vote Trump because they genuinely had those views.

Anyone on the left who actually believes this image is worse, as they're willfully ignorant.

This type of discourse is a symptom and a contribution to the large division, sort of a self fulfilling bullshit prophecy
- So what exactly does the right want in your eyes and what exactly does the other side want
  
  I'm not a conservative, but screaming THEY WANT FUCKING LITERALLY SLAVERY BACK is just asinine. Criticize the actual things they say rather than a hyperbolic strawman.
- Small chnage? The fuck are you on about? Also, hypocrite much

Strong strawman we got here. Weird how these are the only things being fought over and not anything else.
- Seriously. I'm not at all of the opinion that both sides are equivalently bad for our society, but this is just silly.

This is why we can't even get anywhere. Both sides purposely misrepresent the other.
- What would be your description of what both sides want?
  
  Both sides clearly want to say the most extremist strawmans of the other side to rile up support and increase animosity towards the other side.
  
  I love how every response to calling out the tribal shit slinging hyperbolic strawman is "okay so what do they believe" completely missing thr point and side stepping it just to do more tribal shit slinging.
- Right, surely the people who keep doing horrible things and announcing plans to do more horrible are only unpopular with everyone else because of tribalism. Couldn't possibly be their actions.

I mean, we want more than that, we want the basic human right to be free.
- Enigmatic comment, this....
  
  I'm in the second camp in case you think the side with fascism is somehow free.
  If that's not what you're talking about, I'm referring to rights that allow for people to live life pleasantly and unexploitedly

"Both sides" as a definition, before you ever make comparisons, is already a diminutive of reality. The idea that there are only ever two viewpoints, despite the reality of the current American political situation, is naive at best. Even within the two major US parties there are fractious and conflicting personalities.
The "both sides" argument isn't asinine because it equates the two major players, its asinine because it accepts their premise that they're the only ones that matter.
- The "both sides" argument isn't asinine because it equates the two major players, its asinine because it accepts their premise that they're the only ones that matter.
  Can't it be asinine for both reasons?
  
  It could, but the former is predicated on accepting the latter as fact. Argue about the former all you like, you're basically already arguing that your opinion doesn't matter because you only get two options anyways.
- There are only two sides that matter thanks to our shitty voting systems.
  
  If your argument were "There are only two sides that matter when voting" it would still be wrong, but at least it would make sense. Voting matters, but it isn't the only thing that matters.

Ah yes, supporting a Nazi apartheids israeli state to genocide all Palestinians is really a Democrat thing.
Did the Republicans want to bring back Healthcare? This is news to me!
- What makes you think the Democrats automatically represent the interests of the people just because the Republicans are worse? They're in power because while the Democrats are a fully formed turd, the Republicans are blood streaked diarrhea, and given the two options and literally nothing else thanks to first past the post and gerrymandering of voting districts, most people will indeed vote for the turd even if that's not what they actually want out of the government.

When you put it like that, I gotta wonder if you're not just putting the spin on it.
HEY EVERYONE, I'M PERFECT AND MY NEIGHBOR IS EVIL! KILL THEM TO DEATH!
- "Akshually, I don't think you're giving the fascists a fair shake. You have to understand they have Very Good Reasons for hating minorities and pursuing policies that benefit no one but their ultrawealthy donors-"
  Fuck off.
  
  You're agreeing with me then? You just think you're not because you can't see your own side?
- So what exactly does the right want in your eyes and what exactly does the other side want
  
  Why do you think I'm gonna sit here and describe labels when my whole point is to throw the labels out so we can address issues individually and get rid of the two party system that's monopolized by the rich?
- Sometimes a neighbour really is evil.
  
  You have to consider both sides when he's dragging bodies out of his house in black garbage bags every weekend.
  
  My downstairs neighbors are actually my roommate's mom and a mentally handicapped dude who are both raging crazy assholes, but that's not my point, and I don't wish them any harm.