Agreed, this word needs to be claimed and defended. We need a sane politics that can win and for that we need to start with a rallying cry, in a nation where the median is poor, materialistic, and amoral.
Obviously, rallying around “diversity” or “girlboss” or “degrowth” is not a durable winner. “MAGA” unfortunately might be a durable winner. “Abundance” has a fighting chance, and it’s even morally defensible.
Those can certainly pull tens of thousands of people to the street. But I'm not so sure it's enough to win. See what I said above - materialistic, amoral. I'm afraid that the rallying cry we need must contain an answer to "what's in it for me?" to be a winner.
"Fighting the oligarchy" is the new slogan. "Fighting the deep state" and "Draining the swamp" are the old ones. I see no reason to believe that any of these is more truthful than the others, it's just tail chasing from both ends.
Comments
Agreed, this word needs to be claimed and defended. We need a sane politics that can win and for that we need to start with a rallying cry, in a nation where the median is poor, materialistic, and amoral.
Obviously, rallying around “diversity” or “girlboss” or “degrowth” is not a durable winner. “MAGA” unfortunately might be a durable winner. “Abundance” has a fighting chance, and it’s even morally defensible.
> We need a sane politics that can win and for that we need to start with a rallying cry
The answer is staring us right in the face.
It’s a catchy slogan and pulling tens of thousands even in deep red MAGA country.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/04/13/fighting-oli...
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-04-12/bernie-san...
"Extraordinary danger"? "Fighting the oligarchy"?
Those can certainly pull tens of thousands of people to the street. But I'm not so sure it's enough to win. See what I said above - materialistic, amoral. I'm afraid that the rallying cry we need must contain an answer to "what's in it for me?" to be a winner.
"Fighting the oligarchy" is the new slogan. "Fighting the deep state" and "Draining the swamp" are the old ones. I see no reason to believe that any of these is more truthful than the others, it's just tail chasing from both ends.
Everything that does not confront the rigid beliefs and behaviors that leads to autocracy is distracting the dying patient.
Neoliberalism => Corporatism => Autocracy
People are not thinking about improving the world, they are looking to "own" the enemy, Sado Populism.