top: PERCEPTION
a line marked FAR LEFT, LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT, FAR RIGHT
above the line in order from left to right are the following faces: Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden who is above “centre”, Jeb Bush, Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and Stephen Miller
bottom: REALITY
the line is tipped to the right, the faces falling off the right end. Bernie Sanders is now just left of centre and Elizabeth Warren just to the right, the empty space left behind Sanders to the left is labelled “WATCH THIS SPACE”
Is the top bar the result of the Overton window effect?
Both are, it’s always moving more to the right
E: the meme illustrates how it moves to the right by convincing the general public that liberals are really “extreme left” that need to be balanced against
And it all started when Hilary Clinton said “I don’t like to call myself a liberal. I like to call myself a progressive.”
Big ol Republican disguised in hubbies political affiliation, and Democrats ate it up.
Lmfao that you think any of this started with Hillary, that’s adorable…
I mean sure, go back far enough and Democrats were literally the right wing part.
I’m talking about the start of this swap iteration.
Democrats were liberal under at least as far back as Carter. Hilary made them “progressive”.
I don’t think half of those words mean what you think they do lol.
Either way, both teams play for the same manager, always have, call them whatever you want if it makes you feel better, but voting for either is voting for capitalism and maintaining the status quo.
Okay, well, I 100% agree with you here.
Yes, agreed, but claiming that historically both sides were the same I think is doing certain administrations a disservice. The New Deal and Great Society, while obviously working within a capitalist system, were radical and anti-free market. Using make-work to help unemployed workers provide for their families while setting up state-owned hydroelectricity projects (Tennessee Valley Authority, which was not without its problems re use of native lands of course), or setting up Medicare and Medicaid, are both unequivocally schemes that many leftists would support (though obviously like to see go further).
I worry that ‘both sides’ rhetoric results in ‘all or nothing’ style political apathy that allows the overton window to be dragged inexorably right. We have had better leaders, and we can have better leaders in future, than we currently do have, and they do make a material impact on people’s lives when they do get into power.
It is being placated by crumbs like you mentioned that moves the overtone window, not demanding an and to a two puppet system that serves to give us the illusion of choice while it continues to oppress and exploit us.
Liberalism enables fascism.
