Let Freedom Ring
I am but am amateur at this political game. I am what they call a support facilitator. I go into other teacher’s classrooms and work directly with students with disabilities. They could include learning disabilities or developmental disabilities. Occasionally, we deal with students with behavioral issues, but the other two kinds represent the bulk of what I do. So, when asked to come up with a national platform for the Democratic party I can only offer my best guess.
My platform is labeled, “let freedom ring.” Beyond the obvious what exactly does this mean? One of the things we have done as a party is cede way too many arguments to the right. I’ve mentioned these before and I won’t belabor them here. What we are in danger of doing is ceding freedom and liberty to them as well. There is nothing remotely freeing about what the Moms for Liberty are proposing. The so-called Freedom Caucus is anything but about freedom. This needs to be highlighted over and over again.
So, how do we do this? Simply put, take the words from their platform and simply use them against them and their group. Take what Moms for Liberty has to offer and completely tear it apart. At the same time you offer an alternative view of freedom and liberty. I think most of us here (with notable exceptions) would agree that it is the real version of freedom and liberty. Hell, you can bust out a dictionary to prove your point. How does your platform differ from those specific groups and from the Republican party in general? How is our platform closer to the vision of actual freedom and liberty?
One of the things I have talked about in the past is the idea of issue framing. I can’t take credit for it. It came from the book “Cracking the Code” by Thom Hartmann. Essentially, the idea is that rooted in every issue is a common story. Conservatives have just been better at this than we have. Get to the root of every one of their stances and you will see this story. It usually is centered on the idea of rugged individualism. You too can succeed if the damn government will just get out of your way and let you do it.
We need our own competing story. Our story has to have the true definitions of freedom and liberty at its core. Sure, live and let live is a simple offshoot of that. The idea that someone can be religious or not is basic. The idea that someone can be gay or not is basic. The idea that someone can live an alternative lifestyle or not is basic. We need to expand this outward. We need to describe how our health care system actually limits freedom. If the vast majority of bankruptcies in this country are caused by medical costs and debt then that system is antithetical to freedom. We need to free people from the anxiety related to crippling medical care costs.
That’s just one example. You essentially take this model and expand it outwards. It means simplifying issues and making it all about freedom. How does our plan make you more free? How does their plan make you less free? Millions of voters simply don’t understand how they become less free if they vote GOP. They think to themselves that they aren’t immigrants, women, people of color, or LGTBQ+, so why does it matter if those people have less freedom? In fact, wouldn’t that mean that I have more? Life is a zero sum game to them. You won’t catch them all, but you have to repeat the notion that less freedom for them means less freedom for all. Keep repeating that over and over again and give them examples. Then, we have a fighting chance.
You hit the nail on the head, if you will pardon the pun! The Republican Party has done a fantastic job at convincing those of our fellow citizens who reside in that Basket of Deplorables that life is truly a Zero Sum Game. If some ‘undeserving’ individual gets something that they feels that person does not deserve, they are convinced that ‘something’ comes out of the deplaoable’s wallet. That can be the only explanation why the deplorables continue to vote against their own self interest.
I’m currently one year away from my 80th birthday, I will never understand how so many in this country became so stupid, and have lost any ability for critical thinking. Perhaps the war on public education can be blamed for some of this problem.
1No offense Nick, you’re a fine writer, but where is everybody else? I don’t come here for the “Carraway News”.
2Scratching my head a bit, Nick.
“…you have to repeat the notion that less freedom for them means less freedom for all.”
It’s Friday, so I’m already halfway out the door, but isn’t that more freedom for them means less freedom for all?
The reciprocal, less freedom for them means more freedom for all… Tempting as that is… Is not the point.
Happy Friday, all!
3Gresham’s Law applies to ideas as well as to currency. “Freedom” has become a euphemism for unaccountability. As such, it is no longer a legitimate aspiration.
4Interesting point Malarkey. I suppose that always depends on the them in question. My them was how the right would refer to various groups they like to control. However, if your them is the right then I can see that logic.
5I miss the comics on Friday.
6ditto bud. my face to face,screw social media,thats where it hides in the dark. NoDak is a state of 4 walls of noting hets in besides the fox style crap viewed in most every small nook cafe. the conversation ,is when will it spill over and become your problem after electing those who take from another American citizen? its all designed to keep Americans next to poverty in a capitalistic society. wall street is laughing its ass off watching the rich (by design)screw the average joe out of earned wages and power since reagan. propaganda is just that. maybe the maggots should wear j goebbels for prez..or we could start literally shaming the nuts,in public again..
7This doesn’t exactly fit here but I found this crazy even for the maga cult. Not sure how we convince someone like this that the orange moron isn’t fit for office-
8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m30_s4G8W3M
Malarkey and Nick, not to take sides or stir s**t up, but I’ve got what I see as a little different take on it. And I fully acknowledge that I might be missing both your points and this’ll seem kinda simplistic.
To them (Magas) more freedom for them on some level means the freedom of speech. To say whatever they want no matter who it offends or frightens. “Cause we’re only talkin shit amiright?”
And IMHO that’s the biggest reason donald fucking trump has gotten so many people who never gave two shits about politics (BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT NO POLITICIANS GAVE A SHIT ABOUT THEM) to become politically engaged.
Because he spoke their language.
The language of talking shit.
All of the other stuff, the ultranationalism,racism, bigotry, christian nationalism, homophobia, and on and on
9Misogyny
As issues or pursuits always benefitted from the ability to talk shit.
No apologies.
donald fucking trump has provided the base for every right wing movement.thats got the money to take advantage of them.
Folks just aching to talk shit about any grievance that the Cato institute wants to piss em off about.
10Sorry about the break between 5 and 6.
11Apparently I’m either long winded or something because after awhile (admittedly sometimes a long while) the ability to move up and down in the comment box stops. And it’s either submit or delete.
Anyhoo, after “The language of talking shit” at 5 my edit was gonna be adding
“The only language lot’s of em think is heard.”
As always that’s just my opinion and I’m just as full of shit as anybody else.
This article speaks to the subject- WaPo mostly interviewed Rs at recent rallies though.
12https://apple.news/Av0QGw0FnR_63Cd0II9M2CA
So now it’s down to an orange buffoon racist with 91 criminal indictments to brag about and someone that says there’s no race problem in the US. And desantis wants to be the vp. What could possibly be better in the Qgop?
13lol If you want “simple,” Nick, I’m the man for the job. Our 2024 choices are: “freedumb or freedom.” For the women folks that means for them and the men who love them reproductive healthcare in which some forcer birther is NOT denying their legitimate choices they decide with their doctors. For our senior friends maintaining both the Social Security and Medicare they earned/paid for – simply put it is not an “entitlement.” For our children the education they deserve minus the fears of being shot at school or fatally infected by some anti-vaxxers crotch goblin.
Yep. It is that simple. In the great political divide voting R=freedumb while D=freedom. Or, simply make a list of all the reasons people need to STOP voting against their own interests.
14I resent how the manga’s have spun the word entitled. It really means earned/deserved/ owed. Now it’s connotation is an alms gift to the lazy unworthy.
15