The last time there was the government made it illegal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Control_Act_of_1954
Communism is something different, that’s not what I’m asking about.
What are you referring to? Something less right wing than Liberalism, but not able to be considered left?
Edit: for clarity, how would you legally distinguish any flavor of anticapitalism based on the nature of the law? The Democrats are already called Communists, if a genuine Socialist party took any meaningful amount of power they could be shut down on the basis of that law, because it’s just a vibe.
Progressivism, I wrote “Progressive” right in the title. I did not write “Communist” which is completely different.
What is progressivism then, and how is it legally distinct from what that law outlaws?
People are downvoting you because capitalism is the biggest obstacle to progress.
Is there anything in the PSL’s mission statement or program that you either disagree with or don’t consider progress?
The defense of the revolutionary government will be organized on the basis of the armed, organized working class. All foreign military bases will be closed immediately.
I have no idea how that would be considered progress. The population of the USA is armed to the teeth already. Giving the same people the role of the defender of the government sound a lot like self-justice or mob-rule.
That was explained earlier in the program:
A state and government “of, by and for” the workers must replace the capitalist state. The foundation of any state power is repressive force—the military, police, prisons, courts and so on. The standing army and police must be disbanded and replaced by the armed people, organized in workers’ defense councils. A critical task of the new socialist order will be defending itself from the displaced capitalist class that would like to return to the days of exploitation. A workers’ government would create an entirely different type of court system, with its basic institutions determined by the democratic organs of workers’ power. Judges would not be required to be lawyers. All public officials, without exception, would be elected and subject to recall at any time by those who elected them.
It’s certainly not self-justice. Mob-rule is just a term liberals use to justify anti-democratic mechanisms to protect their own power.
Thanks. But no thanks for the downvotes. When asking to be questioned, expect to be questioned.
And mob-rule is not a just a term invented by the liberals. But because a group of vigilantes took matters into their own hands - by arming themselves.
Yes it can mean that, but that’s almost never what is referred to when liberals bring it up as a reason for our institutions to be less democratic.
You can go all the way back to the founding fathers for that one.
When asking to be questioned, expect to be questioned.
It wasn’t for questioning, it was because you didn’t at least skim the article for anything pertaining to your question.
But honestly even opening link and scrolling to the bottom of the pamphlet is still better than 99% of exchanges like this so if I was grading on a curve, you’d still get an upvote.
One of the problems is that any party has to register on every fucking state in order to be recognized in the whole country. So you have parties that are stuck in a single state, because they can’t get momentum/people outside in order to expand/exist.
the cold war, probably
There’s tons of progressive parties in America, there’s none in the USA.
For better or worse in the anglosphere America = USA.
FWIW that’s also true in Italian.
It’s only Spanish speakers who make the distinction afaik (maybe also Portuguese but I don’t speak the language so I’m not sure).
And only the kind that also get on everyone else’s nerves by pushing Latinx
Idk about that. EEUU is how you abbreviate USA and Estados Unidenses is how it’s usually written - They drop the “of America” and just say/write United States.
But I only have schooling in Spanish - no real world experience.
Estadounidense is the “progressive” version of “Americanos” or “Norteamericano.” When they translate it to English they usually go with Usians or things of that nature.
Because intellectual coherency in respecting self identity is very, very hard for a certain kind of internet activist.
The country has a name that isn’t America in all languages, it’s just a bad habit that came from the USA and spread all over… and as an American that doesn’t live in the USA, I’m just doing my part to remind people that America isn’t the USA.
I would love to see people’s reaction if France started calling itself Europe or China called itself Asia…
I consider your comment highly offensive. You can’t tell a people what they are allowed to call themselves in their own language just because the same word means something else in another language. In English “America” refers unambiguously to the United States because there is no continent called “America.”
I would love to see people’s reaction if France started calling itself Europe or China called itself Asia
This comparison would work only if “Europe” meant one thing in French, and if the word “China” meant one thing in Chinese, and they both meant something entirely different in other languages.
Funny because all English dictionaries mention that America is also a word that refers to the continent(s) and I find it highly offensive that you guys find it acceptable to appropriate the term to refer to one country that actually has another name (when the “America” in that name actually refers to the continent too).
when the “America” in that name actually refers to the continent too
In English, there is North America and there is South America. Collectively, you can call them the Americas. Just “America” on its own refers to the country. It doesn’t matter what A-M-E-R-I-C-A mean in a different language. Spanish has what is fundamentally a different word, with the same spelling, to refer to something else. In linguistic terms it’s a false friend. The etymological origins are, indeed, the same, but it took on separate meanings in different languages. Nobody is confused about this, however. You’re just being an asshole.
ENGLISH dictionaries mention that America is also a word that refers to the continent(s), it’s as valid IN ENGLISH to use it to refer to the country as it is to refer to the continent(s), only one of the two usages discriminates against people of other countries.
The USA has been named the USA for a long time before America was used to refer to the country so yes, its name refers to States that’s are united on the American continent (in opposition to the other States which aren’t united to them like Canada, Mexico, Chile and so on).
It’s not about confusion, it’s about the US acting like the center of the fucking universe.
it’s as valid IN ENGLISH to use it to refer to the country as it is to refer to the continent(s)
It’s really not but you already know that, just as you know the (s) is incorrect because, in English, there is absolutely no such thing as a continent called America.
It’s not about confusion, it’s about the US acting like the center of the fucking universe.
It’s about you being a hypocrite and accusing a group of people of acting like the center of the universe because they use a word differently in their language than you use it in yours. You are being incredibly disrespectful of other cultures by trying to impose foreign definitions on how people describes themselves.
And literally literally means figuratively.
A teaching my advanced linguistic classes drilled into me is “l’uso fa legge”.
Or, translated, usage makes the rules.
No language is logical, and consensus is how language is derived.
Pedantry is never ingratiating.
Japanese as well. Technically, there are at least two words for the US, one of which is Amerika (so phonetically really close) and the other beikoku (bei here being kinda like ‘bay’ in general US English – neither of these have a stressed syllable like in English) which is typically only used in political contexts in my experience.
You need radical politics - not “progressive” ones. “Progressives” are far too easy to buy - or intimidate.
The only test that exactly no one will ever pass is a progressive purity test.
There’s always something objectionable and it gives them the perfect excuse to do nothing instead of something that’s not perfect.
That’s not exactly good for making a party, let alone a viable one in a first past the post system.
The US is one of the most Capitalistic and Imperialistic countries on the planet, and as such the parties available are the ones that uphold these positions. It’s a positive feedback loop with power.
The same reason there’s no true conservative party. Corporate interests have captured our political institutions.
The are progressive groups, but the best they get is a compromised Democratic Party beholden to corporations if they want to continue being elected. IMO.
What would a true conservative party look like?
Cut spending without cutting taxes; a balanced budget over the long term.
Protect the courts from tampering.
Protect public lands and other public resources.
Mostly avoid making new laws.
Claw back power that should rest with Congress from the Executive Branch, possibly.
Do away with binding Electors.
Revert control to State and local governments when possible.
Protect the First Amendment by keeping religion out of lawmaking.
Less interventionalist foreign policy.
…and so on.
I’m sure there would still be factions within such a party, groups that were more socially liberal vs. socially conservative; those who were more economically right-wing vs. those who favored more regulation on business; those who want to institutionalize some aspects of American culture vs. those who don’t think the government has a role in defining culture.
Basically, a party of doing-as-little-as-necessary and stabiloty, rather than the reactionary, illiberal, often downright regressive, and fiscally-irresponsible mess that has the gall to call themselves the “Grand Ol’ Party”.
Not trying to be a debate bro just genuinely don’t understand everything;
what is with avoiding making new laws? Don’t you need laws for wildlife conservation?
isn’t Congress already more powerful than the president?
What does prevent the courts from tampering mean? How are laws supposed to be enforced/clarified otherwise?
historically Congress was meant to be stronger than the president, but overtime, election of the president became much more impactful, as well as the number of executive actions have increased, so proportionally speaking, the president has gained a lot of power, especially in a time where parties fall in line based on the letter of their party.
Conservative policy theory aims to limit the over reach of the federal government by offloading the governing to smaller legislative bodies with a stronger feel for what needs to be done in a given location.
A good example would be your county managing taxes, laws, and infrastructure within its borders. Your state codifying laws that are embodied in the majority of the counties for the ease of travel between them, and the country doing the same based on states.
The vast majority of regulation would be left in the hands of the people and the community they participate in with the state and federal governments only stepping in for judicial reasons when a lower body can’t come to agreement, if an outside threat moves upon the country as a whole, or if a crime crosses state borders.
While I quite like this model, it doesn’t jive with our current view of politics.
The GOP used to stand for all that before Obama
quite a ways before Obama
They started going off the rails long before, but they didn’t totally abandon those principles until the mid 2000s
While most of their rhetoric was better aligned with this, the rot has been there since at least Regan. Their stance on abortion, big military, and economic policy all lean very far away from these concepts.
Need to start saying “conservative party theory aims…” in these types of statements.
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The structure of the Constitution favors conservative movements because it’s undemocratic and designed to resist change.
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Because too many voters only pay attention every four years and wonder why there is no bespoke candidate for them.
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Same reason there’s no fascist party: the two main parties contain a broader range of the political spectrum than in most countries.
From there the question is does the moderate or radical wing of the party gain more influence. The far-right has won the Republican party years ago while progressives still haven’t gained that much ground in the Democratic party.
there’s no fascist party
You sure about that? There is one that is openly anti-anti-fascist.
Man i wrote two lines, how is that too much to read
I understand what you’re saying but it’s not clearly written and a lot of people are misinterpreting you.
My understanding is you’re saying that political differences in the United States exist within parties (left Democrats vs center-right Democrats), but in other countries those differences would have their own parties. So the political policies of a party reflect which political philosophy is more dominant within the party, rather than a situation where parties with more uniform beliefs are vying for power.
progressives still haven’t gained that much ground
Anyone that poses a threat to the duopoly is never granted any power to disrupt the system. Can’t reform a system built on power and corruption.
Broader range? From my point of view as an outsider, the USA political parties only cover far-right and far-rightest
As representatives, this is absolutely the case. However I’m going to give OP the benefit of the doubt and take it that they’re taking about the voter base. I myself hold very extreme political views, I feel we should move to a democratic technocracy with a heavy socialist lean and a community service focused punitive system, but as a US citizen my ideals aren’t supported let alone championed by my representatives. So I can use my vote 3 ways. I can choose red who actively seek to attack my family and friends. Blue, who will never choose to improve the country, or no one and my vote is meaningless and actively helping whichever side is pressing the most harmful policy.
So alas I am a Democrat. Do they represent me? No. Do they support me? No. Do they want to kill me? No. Out of my very few options, the group that doesn’t wish my death is the absolute best I’ll see in my lifetime.
From the point of view of Saudi Arabia, it’s all godless leftism.
This is why we mainly discuss things happening in a country in the context of that country, not a different country.
The GOP is fascist, and the DNC is center-right. That’s not a broader range of political spectrum, haha.
Because our government has the best propagandists in the world and they are aimed at us and it’s working. Also, intelligence agencies sabotage efforts in their infancy.
What would constitute a political party virtually anywhere political parties are relevant is a political faction or caucus within one of the two establishment parties in the American system.
Progressives are generally a caucus within the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is predominately and increasingly a centre-right party and has consistently thrown its political weight behind incumbent conservatives against its progressive caucus.
These are the major components of there not being an electorally relevant American Progressive Party.
Because conservatives vote, and progressives stay home in droves. Might as well appeal to middle of the road to try to capture some of the people who actually show up.
Which comes first, the progressive candidate or the progressive voter?
Because there’s too many old voters.