If we're gonna get called "Socialist" and "Marxist" for bland centrism

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

why not just go ahead and get all real lefty in their faces? The Right has already used up all their scaremongering vocabulary.

If they are campaigning against "government run healthcare" that isn't even being offered as an option, why NOT make "government run healthcare" an option?

They accuse us of serving up "government run healthcare" and then the Dems say "Oh, no, we're not", it's like they're AGREEING that government run healthcare is a bad thing.

The Dems should say, "No, we are not offering up government-run healthcare, we are suggesting a sorry-ass substitute that might be pathetic and inefficient enough to actually get passed just because your psycho family scared you into believing at a young age that government is a bad thing because they read two books by a female Russian hack fake "philosopher" and they listen to paid propagandizing media corporate flacks. Because you all are too ill read and too cowardly to think and read and research for yourself, we can only achieve a wizened drained powerless decentralized corrupt government that you think is your "ideal"."

How do you think that would fly in a debate?

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. It would never fly

but I'd LOVE to hear it.

[leftstreet]

2. K&R for 'female Russian hack fake philosopher'

:rofl:

:thumbsup:

[Romulox]

3. Triangulation requires one to give credence to an opponent's frame--it's a co-opting strategy

It is self-destructive in the long term for just this reason: triangulation by a Dem will NEVER deliver a shift to the Left--it's very nature is to steal the juiciest plums among its ideological opponents positions.

[sui generis]

4. if we're going to get called anything, ask them to define it

in one sentence or less. A real definition, with a subject, object, and other parts of accepted speech. Heck throw in a prepositional or subjunctive phrase if they want to get all crazy.

But it needs to be definition before it can be an accusation. I do this to my American relatives all the time. . . so, what is a "marxist"?

What's a socialist?

:evilgrin:

Any answer that starts with "a social_IST is a _____" is wrong, by the way.

THE CORRECT START TO A REAL ANSWER IS:

"Social_ISM is the..." (your dissertation goes here) Same for Marxism.

Ists are followers of isms.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[merh]

6. I agree.

If Obama is going to be called a socialist even though his policies are centrist, he might as well go ahead and implement the really liberal policies that scare him.

He is a horrible negotiator. You ask for the extreme then when you do reach a compromise it is right where you want it.

And he is not supposed to be a negotiator or a moderator or mediator, he is supposed to be the leader.

He needs to lead and let the others catch up or fall behind.

[begin_within]

7. I prefer to hurt them emotionally

You never really get over emotional wounds. I usually say "God is going to punish you big time for saying that" or something like that, which turns their religion around and smashes it in their faces. Democrats and liberals have been far too nicey-nice in the face of decades of severe brutal attacks by the right. The left prefers to play chess where the right plays war, and to kill. You have to fight fire with fire, and that means very personal attacks, to where they are actually hurt, crying and then depressed, and they don't communicate with you at all any more. That is the only way to defeat them, to get personal and inflict emotional damage on them.

[jaksavage]

8. Agreed

Our party plays so nice it is barely noticable.

[Jester Messiah]

9. It would at least remind them of the dangers of leaving nowhere left to go.

The only way they could escalate their rhetoric at this point would be to call for violence.

[blindpig]

10. fuckin' 'A'

It's the only thing the ruling class fears.

[readmoreoften]

11. K & R, and thank you for calling out that hack.

I used to go into B&N and move all her books from the philosophy section to the humor section just so I could tolerate shopping there.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. I can't understand anyone over the age of seventeen being a devotee

of Rand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectivism_(Ayn_Rand)

[PinkoDonkey]

19. It seems to be a sort of dream of upper middle class youth, which is

the only segment of the population too stupid to realize that (on one end) government power is needed to both prevent the worst abuses of the market and (on the other end of the class structure) is necessary for enforcing the current power structure.

But of course, as you say, some people just don't grow up. They keep believing in Santa and The Market and other such nonsense...

[era veteran]

16. LOL

[Forkboy]

13. "They know who we are, so why not just get worse?"

Jello Biafra

[JoeyT]

14. May as well be hung for sheep as for lambs.

I agree. Democrats are going to be called leftists, so we may as well act like it.

[mmonk]

15. Centrism I believe is a fraudulent term.

[Naturyl]

17. Haha, that was one of the best paragraphs ever

Pure distilled truth. Totally unacceptable in America, but I loved it. Like taking a shower with rose petals.

[DisgustedInMN]

18. There's two things in...

...the middle of the road, roadkill and yellow stripes.

They wanna talk "left?" I'll show 'em LEFT.

:headbang: