US democrats are the largest and most successful left party in the world. Our large two party system obfuscates the underlying factionalism within the political parties (progressive cacucus, justice democrats, blue dogs, New Democrat Caucus) kind of reveals this inherent disagreement within our political parties, where members of the progressive caucus and justice democrats can be pretty clearly seen as on the political left.
In the US, social liberalism and political freedom is generally much more popular, as compared to Europe, and seen as being associated with the political left. There is no major socialist political group in the United States, and usually people who claim that there is “no left wing party in the US” want an actual Socialist party, but there are very few examples of successful socialist parties in Western Democracies and tend to be consigned to either being permanent opposition, or forcing themselves to liberalize to the point of not being socialist anymore (think SPD in Germany and Labour in the UK).
I am thankful that the US democrats focus so strongly on issues of social liberalism, think, immigration, abortion, LGBTQ rights, where in Europe these issues are much more controversial especially on issues of abortion and immigration.
This is pretty much propaganda. Left political parties do OK in Europe. The point of this post hides the fact that the Dems are not actually Left, they are just Left of the GOP. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, the base voter in the US is right leaning. The Dems just work with what they’ve got, but that doesn’t make them a party of the Left.
I never once mentioned ‘socialist’ in reference to any political party, because the word is so loaded, particularly for American participants. As to Europe and left leaning political parties, the flavour ebbs and flows as the years change. Sometimes more popular, sometimes less so. Much more so than historical American cases, even with the Dems in charge.
There is a line in US politics that cannot be crossed, even with your ‘centre-left’ party’. The examples are everywhere. Weird wars in third world countries are supported by both the Dems and the GOP (even if softly criticised sometimes by the Dems). Also the rather odd hostility to Cuba which almost the entire world wants ended. Also, the massive mixed messages coming out of the White House on Gaza.
If you are rejoicing in the Liberalism of the US Democratic party as a unique feature in light of the many contradictions I believe that it’s not too far off calling it propperganda on its own terms.
Don’t get me wrong, my own country is another example of faux left. Just as bad, possibly worse?
We have it worse because we are a hegemon. Most countries don’t have to take a stance on imperalism because they lack the resources to actually engage in it and outsource it to us.
Overall, my point is to show that the Democrats are not a monolith and have internal factions, and on a number of issues, we are more left than other issues on the planet. If the main thing you care about is foreign affairs, you are always going to be disappointed, hell, I am. The Deep State is in charge of that and it’s basically outside of the political system.
I agree with much of this post. I’m not complaining about why it is so. You are right about real politic, I just disagree with the suggestion that the Dems are uniquely of the left.
Sorry I deleted my post, I don’t mean to leave it like that where it looks like your talking to yourself. I don’t think dems are uniquely of the left, I just think there are rising left wing factions in the Democratic party and I don’t think the situation is as hopeless as people think it is as a binary choice between center-right and the right wing. And I really don’t think Europe is really much better off in this regard.
There’s a strong part of the European population as a whole who is left leaning but at the same time the EU is a trade union which is center right I’d say
The Dems are more like 4 political parties pretending to be just one. The dems would be split up in any other country.
have ignored doing anything to put abortion rights into law.
But also Democrats have enshrined abortion rights into law at the state level. We are a rather large country.
Leaving health insurance expansion to the states was because of the Supreme Court, not the Democrats. Specifically medicaid expansion with the ACA I assume you are talking about?
It’s as if collapsing politics into one dimension makes it hard to identify distinctions
Liberalism includes the right of private property, which is definitionally at odds with leftist thought. Points for social liberalism I guess, but when social goals are viewed through the narrow lens of individuality it misses giant, glaring social structures that arguably have more impact over individual liberty than state governance does.
“most successful left party in the world” is a contemptible assertion.
US democrats are the largest and most successful left party in the world. Our large two party system obfuscates the underlying factionalism within the political parties (progressive cacucus, justice democrats, blue dogs, New Democrat Caucus) kind of reveals this inherent disagreement within our political parties, where members of the progressive caucus and justice democrats can be pretty clearly seen as on the political left.
In the US, social liberalism and political freedom is generally much more popular, as compared to Europe, and seen as being associated with the political left. There is no major socialist political group in the United States, and usually people who claim that there is “no left wing party in the US” want an actual Socialist party, but there are very few examples of successful socialist parties in Western Democracies and tend to be consigned to either being permanent opposition, or forcing themselves to liberalize to the point of not being socialist anymore (think SPD in Germany and Labour in the UK).
I am thankful that the US democrats focus so strongly on issues of social liberalism, think, immigration, abortion, LGBTQ rights, where in Europe these issues are much more controversial especially on issues of abortion and immigration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Europe#Abortion_laws_by_jurisdiction
This is pretty much propaganda. Left political parties do OK in Europe. The point of this post hides the fact that the Dems are not actually Left, they are just Left of the GOP. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, the base voter in the US is right leaning. The Dems just work with what they’ve got, but that doesn’t make them a party of the Left.
deleted by creator
I never once mentioned ‘socialist’ in reference to any political party, because the word is so loaded, particularly for American participants. As to Europe and left leaning political parties, the flavour ebbs and flows as the years change. Sometimes more popular, sometimes less so. Much more so than historical American cases, even with the Dems in charge.
There is a line in US politics that cannot be crossed, even with your ‘centre-left’ party’. The examples are everywhere. Weird wars in third world countries are supported by both the Dems and the GOP (even if softly criticised sometimes by the Dems). Also the rather odd hostility to Cuba which almost the entire world wants ended. Also, the massive mixed messages coming out of the White House on Gaza.
If you are rejoicing in the Liberalism of the US Democratic party as a unique feature in light of the many contradictions I believe that it’s not too far off calling it propperganda on its own terms.
Don’t get me wrong, my own country is another example of faux left. Just as bad, possibly worse?
We have it worse because we are a hegemon. Most countries don’t have to take a stance on imperalism because they lack the resources to actually engage in it and outsource it to us.
Overall, my point is to show that the Democrats are not a monolith and have internal factions, and on a number of issues, we are more left than other issues on the planet. If the main thing you care about is foreign affairs, you are always going to be disappointed, hell, I am. The Deep State is in charge of that and it’s basically outside of the political system.
I agree with much of this post. I’m not complaining about why it is so. You are right about real politic, I just disagree with the suggestion that the Dems are uniquely of the left.
Sorry I deleted my post, I don’t mean to leave it like that where it looks like your talking to yourself. I don’t think dems are uniquely of the left, I just think there are rising left wing factions in the Democratic party and I don’t think the situation is as hopeless as people think it is as a binary choice between center-right and the right wing. And I really don’t think Europe is really much better off in this regard.
Have an update anyway!
It seems to me that Europe is largely dominated by a largely center right consensus.
There’s a strong part of the European population as a whole who is left leaning but at the same time the EU is a trade union which is center right I’d say
Dems world be one of the right parties in just about any other county.
They’re also currently pushing far right immigration policies and have ignored doing anything to put abortion rights into law.
The Dems are more like 4 political parties pretending to be just one. The dems would be split up in any other country.
Majority of what would be broken up would still be on the right.
Pointless when they needed to do it nationally, just like with leaving health insurance expansion to states
Leaving health insurance expansion to the states was because of the Supreme Court, not the Democrats. Specifically medicaid expansion with the ACA I assume you are talking about?
It’s as if collapsing politics into one dimension makes it hard to identify distinctions
Liberalism includes the right of private property, which is definitionally at odds with leftist thought. Points for social liberalism I guess, but when social goals are viewed through the narrow lens of individuality it misses giant, glaring social structures that arguably have more impact over individual liberty than state governance does.
“most successful left party in the world” is a contemptible assertion.