Democrats are SOCIALISTS/COMMUNISTS! No, really...people actually think this. And it’s not a coincidence. This narrative has been propagated and continually reinforced by BOTH major parties, albeit with supposedly differing goals.
On the surface, it benefits the far right (i.e. Republicans, Libertarians and the like) by striking a huge difference between their sensibilities and those of the “opposing party”. They proclaim they are a sensible voice holding back the extreme policies of “the left”.
Similarly, the ostensible left (i.e. Democrats, Social Democrats and the like) strike their own huge difference with their opposing party. They are the bulwark of sanity against the extremities of the far right which are diametrically opposed to their own beneficent largesse.
Neither of these claims is true, though their adherents will argue until they’re blue in the face of the factual truth of their respective faction. In point of fact, however, these two groups are only perceived as opposite ends of the political spectrum in the United States. In the rest of the world, they are seen as opposite ends of the right wing political spectrum.
One would think that the Democrats and GOP, being the only parties to hold all national (and the overwhelming majority of state and local) seats, would strive mightily against each other and not against much smaller parties that seem to pose very little risk to them. But one would think wrong. In fact, they will tell you that these smaller parties will never have a chance of winning and are not even worth your time. You are to ignore the platforms you may actually support, and vote for what you don't even want, in an effort to get even less of what you want. Both major parties spend thousands of dollars and man-hours to ensure that as few other parties as humanly possible remain any kind of choice. A few examples of the major parties going out of their way to block any parties but the two major ones are listed at the bottom of this page.
This is where lesser-evilism comes into play. Never heard of the word or concept? It means you will vote for whichever party will harm you the least. There is no hope of either main party actually making any changes that will benefit the public in a meaningful way. The trouble with this mindset is that you always get "evil". This is also where you may want to consider the "ratchet effect". Essentially, the Republican Party steadily pulls public policy and acceptable discussion to the right while Democrats, seeking to gain more power moves to the political center, acting as a mechanism that prevents policy and the spectrum of ideas from shifting back. In response to the Democrats moving toward the center, the GOP will move even farther to the right. Lather, rinse, repeat. It's a never ending cycle. Entitled Millennials YouTube channel has a good explanation of how this works. You can watch the video here.
The truth is, both major parties are similar in a myriad of ways. Yes, there are definite social policy differences, but those differences don’t threaten the ideals of their mutual financiers. They do, however, serve to show a difference between the two parties in order to divide citizens, and to ensure their actual actions, as opposed to rhetoric, remain a distant second. Both support capitalism...yes, even the Democrats and Social Democrats. These two parties want to “adjust” capitalism, not dismantle it. The thing is, adjusting capitalism so that it is more just, is a pipe dream that cannot last. As long as capitalists hold power in this country, they will find a way to undo any progress that is made. You want proof? All you have to do is look at what has become of the New Deal. How many of those policies have been continually under attack, if not downright eliminated, since they were implemented? The thing you need to ask yourself is who benefits? As the famous saying goes..."follow the money".
So, who is the conflation of Democrats with Socialists/Communists good for? EVERYONE WHO PROFITS from the narrative. Big Business, Big Pharma, Big Ag, The Military Industrial Complex and others who possess enough money (capital hence capitalism) to make sure they do profit. The big losers are the Socialists and Communists (i.e. the actual left), but even bigger losers are the American people who will continue to be steeped in economic decline, unconscionable surveillance, and the agony of perpetual wars.
If you get your information about something from those who oppose it, understand that you are getting their OPINION, not facts.
or as the old saying goes:
Consider the source.
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