Comments by "Cinderball" (@cinderball1135) on "Should Dems Take the Moral Highground or Go Low?" video.

  1. I would argue that instead of "go high" or "go low", just build a more robust system. Taking revenge on your political adversaries (and that's exactly what we're talking about here, I think) might feel great, but it does nothing to undo the damage, or to prevent the same offences from happening again. Gerrymandering, the lobbying industry, first past the post, unlimited Senatorial terms, a partisan judicial system - all of these problems need to be addressed. That will accomplish far more than collecting a few scalps.
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  2. There is fault all around - it's certainly true that Establishment Democrats have perpetuated a broken system of power for the benefit of corporate donors. However it's also true that if Progressives don't learn to recruit allies and build bridges, none of their policy proposals stand the slightest chance of making it into law for the next five decades.
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  3.  @ErikDayne  You're sounding a lot like other committed leftists I know here in Britain. Those people, I'm sad to say, have run our Leftwing parties into the ground, and we face a desperate scramble to rebuild between now and the next election. Their unwillingness to compromise led to the installation of the furthest-right, most tyrannical government the UK has had in over a hundred years. A word of advice: Politics is the art of the possible. If you want to change people's lives for the better, you are going to have to accept the prospect of shaking hands with people you don't 100% agree with, for the sake of getting things done. Sometimes you may have to compromise in the short term, because the alternative will be a much worse outcome for everyone. Never surrender your objectives, and always keep an eye on what it is you want to achieve - but be under no illusions that it will be a long struggle to get there, and you will need to make allies, even among your former opponents. You're afraid of being used by centrists - I get that. But why not try thinking about it the other way around. Why don't you use the centrists, for a change? Be part of the coalition that puts a moderate in power - and then make sure to collect on the favour they owe you. That's how you get shiz done, instead of expostulating ineffectually about it online. Enough chest-thumping, it's time to make a difference.
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