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the american state commands NO legitimacy as a “democracy.” it is a settler-colonial regime founded on the blood+labor of indigenous ppl & MY ppl, as well as women broadly speaking. (1) https://t.co/FkYoBMdLc3
the representative “democracy” we have isn’t representative or democratic.
there isn’t direct democratic oversight of the judicial branch, which is why we always fret about losing what little rights we still have whenever a lifelong, unelected justice dies. (2)
there isn’t direct democratic oversight of the judicial branch, which is why we always fret about losing what little rights we still have whenever a lifelong, unelected justice dies. (2)
NINE PEOPLE unelected ppl with lifetime appointments in a country of about 325,145,963 ppl—far, far less than 1% of the population—can override the desires of the majority of everyone else in the country. (3)
we have an entire branch of the congress (the senate) that was designed to be out of proportion with the population to protect rural slaveowners.
we see that legacy live on today as democrats wrestle with the nigh improbable task of retaking the senate for the long-term. (4)
we see that legacy live on today as democrats wrestle with the nigh improbable task of retaking the senate for the long-term. (4)
the number of actual elected officials in a congress (435) is COMPLETELY out of proportion to the actual population of this country, which further distances them from actual democratic accountability.
this further entrenches the power of the declining white population. (5)
this further entrenches the power of the declining white population. (5)
we have a system that allows politicians themselves to gerrymander districts to their liking which is...free from democratic control of the populace & left to ppl—in both parties—we know are mostly subject to the interests of wealthy individuals & corporations. (6)
also, we know that republicans use gerrymandering to pack + crack black voters into districts to either focus black political power SOLELY in a few area to protect their candidates in other areas or weaken it to protect their candidates...in their areas. (7)
democrats gerrymander as to place black voters in *their* districts in numbers large enough to shore up support for party candidates come election time but not large enough for blacks to develop independent political power wherein they can make real material demands. (8)
also, our presidential electoral system vests its trust in an arcane institution called “the electoral college” with electors that are also not directly accountable to the public or even voted on. (9)
both the democratic & republican parties are legally private organizations that DO NOT have to abide by the wills of their voters. (10)
oh, the anti-democratic tendencies of the system often come to the fore when politicians cannot come to a decision, causing the public to vacillate from political crisis to political crisis where the edifice of the system comes crashing down. (11)
ALSO, the constitution has nigh insurmountable mechanisms to change it.
you need congress to have a two-thirds majority in *both* chambers OR you need two-thirds of all states (34 states, currently) to call a national convention.
sounds easy, but it isn’t. (12)
you need congress to have a two-thirds majority in *both* chambers OR you need two-thirds of all states (34 states, currently) to call a national convention.
sounds easy, but it isn’t. (12)
how difficult is it actually to change the constitution? let’s look at some numbers.
to date, ~ONLY 33~ of the about 11,699 amendments to the constitution proposed in congress have been sent for ratification.
ONLY 27 amendments have ever been accepted. (13)
to date, ~ONLY 33~ of the about 11,699 amendments to the constitution proposed in congress have been sent for ratification.
ONLY 27 amendments have ever been accepted. (13)
you think it is LARPing for me to say it would take a revolution to overcome the institutional challenges endemic to our constitutional framework when ALL the evidence points to the fact that it is YOUR social democratic transition to socialism view that is TRULY LARPing??? (14)
again, you want a gradualist approach when our time horizon is being eclipsed by climate change & fascists + neonazis who are becoming more & more open about their willingness to use the impending chaos to impose pogroms on entire groups of minorities.
how white of you. (15)
how white of you. (15)
okay, let’s say you do get your new constitutional convention.
who is to say that the neofascists + neoliberals in both houses (in both parties) of our legislative body wouldn’t dissolve what few “liberties” we already fought for & still have? (16)
who is to say that the neofascists + neoliberals in both houses (in both parties) of our legislative body wouldn’t dissolve what few “liberties” we already fought for & still have? (16)
you know they would b/c there aren’t enough “radicals” in the legislature to prevent this.
so, no, the “radical” changes you’re talking about under a regime of yang—
—or even a regime of sanders may not even be possible as the american capitalist state currently exists. (17)
so, no, the “radical” changes you’re talking about under a regime of yang—
—or even a regime of sanders may not even be possible as the american capitalist state currently exists. (17)
just because your personal preference—absent of the REAL material circumstances on the ground—are for a reformist approach doesn’t mean that’s the way we are going to get it.
i’m not a revolutionary b/c i want to be—i hate the idea of revolution—i’m one b/c i HAVE to be. (18)
i’m not a revolutionary b/c i want to be—i hate the idea of revolution—i’m one b/c i HAVE to be. (18)
we are 156 years away from the end of slavery (it lasted 244 years) & we are 54 years away from the end of jim crow (it lasted 95 years).
where are black ppl today in america? you think this country is “self-changing”?
you see our rights are being chipped away again? (19)
where are black ppl today in america? you think this country is “self-changing”?
you see our rights are being chipped away again? (19)
it wasn’t until december 19, 2018—about seven months ago—since the senate passed the first federal anti-lynching bill.
as of february 24, 2019, it hadn’t passed the house or been signed by the president.
think about that. (20)
as of february 24, 2019, it hadn’t passed the house or been signed by the president.
think about that. (20)
so, you think THIS capitalist state, even with a “democratic socialist” majority in both houses & with the presidency, can—thru the existing institution—overcome the courts, the police, the prisons, the military, the bureaucracy, & the national security state??? (21)
you really think all these institutions will peacefully cede power when they barely want to comply with liberals? you don’t think THAT is reformist LARPing on twitter??? (22)
you don’t think the capitalists would resist the state in every single way that they are resisting a social democratic to socialist transition in venezuela...a state with a far more developed direct democratic accountability than us???
but i’m a LARPing revolutionary??? (23)
but i’m a LARPing revolutionary??? (23)
the system with over 700,000 federal employees working for the fbi, cia, nsa, ice, homeland security, etc.???
federal employees who regularly employ death squads in other countries attempting socialism will allow socialism on its own turf??? in front of them???
naw. (24)
federal employees who regularly employ death squads in other countries attempting socialism will allow socialism on its own turf??? in front of them???
naw. (24)
we are NOT a democracy & never been.
the founding fathers NEVER wanted democracy & if you look at notes from the constitutional convention, you’ll see how much they fretted about the dēmos.
kill your high school civics class notions about our political system, please. (25)
the founding fathers NEVER wanted democracy & if you look at notes from the constitutional convention, you’ll see how much they fretted about the dēmos.
kill your high school civics class notions about our political system, please. (25)
sources for claims:
“there isn’t direct democratic oversight of the judicial branch” https://jacobinmag.com/2014/06/waiting-for-scotus
“...[(the senate)] was designed to be out of proportion with the population to protect rural slaveowners.” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/how-the-constitution-was-indeed-pro-slavery/406288/
“we see that legacy live on today as democrats wrestle with the nigh improbable task of retaking the senate for the long-term.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/11/07/a-democratic-senate-is-a-long-way-off-thats-a-big-problem/
“the number of actual elected officials in a congress (435) is COMPLETELY out of proportion to the actual population of this country, which further distances them from actual democratic accountability.” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/09/opinion/expanded-house-representatives-size.html
“we have a system that allows politicians themselves to gerrymander districts to their liking.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/04/26/yes-gerrymandering-is-getting-worse-and-will-get-worse-still-this-explains-why/
“we know that republicans use gerrymandering to pack + crack black voters...democrats gerrymander to [prevent] blacks [from developing] independent political power...” https://www.blackagendareport.com/democratic-party-white-supremacist-too
“...democratic & republican parties are legally private organizations that DO NOT have to abide by the wills of their voters.” https://ivn.us/posts/dnc-to-court-we-are-a-private-corporation-with-no-obligation-to-follow-our-rules
...”the public [vacillates] from political crisis to political crisis where the edifice of the system comes crashing down.” https://www.cnn.com/specials/politics/government-shutdown-2019
“ALSO, the constitution has nigh insurmountable mechanisms to change it.” https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/414897-its-very-difficult-to-change-the-constitution-on-purpose
“to date, ~ONLY 33~ of the about 11,699 amendments to the constitution proposed in congress have been sent for ratification.
ONLY 27 amendments have ever been accepted.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/05/amending-the-constitution-is-much-too-hard-blame-the-founders.html
ONLY 27 amendments have ever been accepted.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/05/amending-the-constitution-is-much-too-hard-blame-the-founders.html
“...our time horizon is being eclipsed by climate change & fascists + neonazis who are becoming more & more open about their willingness to use the impending chaos to impose pogroms on entire groups of minorities.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2019/mar/20/eco-fascism-is-undergoing-a-revival-in-the-fetid-culture-of-the-extreme-right
“who is to say that the neofascists + neoliberals in both houses (in both parties) of our legislative body wouldn’t dissolve what few ‘liberties’ we already fought for & still have?” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/11/conservatives-call-for-constitutional-convention-alec
“it wasn’t until december 19, 2018—about seven months ago—since the senate passed the first federal anti-lynching bill.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_for_Victims_of_Lynching_Act
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_for_Victims_of_Lynching_Act
“the system with over 700,000 federal employees working for the fbi, cia, nsa, ice, homeland security, etc.” https://www.governing.com/gov-data/federal-employees-workforce-numbers-by-state.html
“the founding fathers NEVER wanted democracy” https://www.theunion.com/news/twi/our-founding-fathers-wanted-a-republic-not-a-democracy/
@HorrasTim’s paper from @regenerationmag was a HUGE, HUGE source of many of my citations. so thankful for such brilliant, exacting scholarship.
also, @Alysonesque’s post is a wonderful, very well-researched + very insightful, read. https://failingthatinvent.home.blog/2019/06/26/of-ballots-and-democrats-marxism-and-electoral-strategy-in-2019/
