2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBy their own admission, the BLM disruptors aren't even Democrats
In fact, they've pretty much said that they are opposed to the Democratic party.
Therefore, any talk on these forums which actually supports the BLM disruptors should be considered off-limits -- and removed from the site in the usual manner.
You either support the Democratic party (or, at least, not oppose it) and respect its party primaries or you should be drop-kicked from this (Democratic) site.
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stone space
(6,498 posts)
brentspeak
(18,290 posts)Terms of Service
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Democratic Underground is an online community for politically liberal people who understand the importance of working within the system to elect more Democrats and fewer Republicans to all levels of political office. Teabaggers, Neo-cons, Dittoheads, Paulites, Freepers, Birthers, and right-wingers in general are not welcome here. Neither are certain extreme-fringe left-wingers, including advocates of violent political/social change, hard-line communists, terrorist-apologists, America-haters, kooks, crackpots, LaRouchies, and the like.
Vote for Democrats.
Winning elections is important — therefore, advocating in favor of Republican nominees or in favor of third-party spoiler candidates that could split the vote and throw an election to our conservative opponents is never permitted on Democratic Underground. But that does not mean that DU members are required to always be completely supportive of Democrats. During the ups-and-downs of politics and policy-making, it is perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about the Democratic officials we worked hard to help elect. When we are not in the heat of election season, members are permitted to post strong criticism or disappointment with our Democratic elected officials, or to express ambivalence about voting for them. In Democratic primaries, members may support whomever they choose. But when general election season begins, DU members must support Democratic nominees (EXCEPT in rare cases where a non-Democrat is most likely to defeat the conservative alternative, or where there is no possibility of splitting the liberal vote and inadvertently throwing the election to the conservative alternative). For presidential contests, election season begins when both major-party nominees become clear. For non-presidential contests, election season begins on Labor Day. Everyone here on DU needs to work together to elect more Democrats and fewer Republicans to all levels of American government. If you are bashing, trashing, undermining, or depressing turnout for our candidates during election season, we'll assume you are rooting for the other side.
No bigoted hate speech.
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stone space
(6,498 posts)brentspeak
(18,290 posts)At least, for your own sake, I hope you are only pretending to be this dense.
stone space
(6,498 posts)You can use your imagination regarding where you can stuff your Loyalty Oaths.
brentspeak
(18,290 posts)But they can't use the site to undermine the party as a whole or otherwise advocate supporting people who do want to undermine the party as a whole (i.e., BLM).
That explanation I just provided is actually for the benefit of any passerby readers, not for you (who probably wouldn't quite understand it.)
stone space
(6,498 posts)brentspeak
(18,290 posts)to advocate undermining the Democratic party as a whole, you should be unceremoniously picked up by your virtual collar and tossed out into the path of a metaphorical speeding Mack Truck. Figuratively speaking.
If not, what are you complaining about?
stone space
(6,498 posts)For example, I advocated marriage equality when most Democrats were opposed, thereby undermining the Democratic Party as a whole in the eyes of some.
It seems to me that you just want the deck stacked in your favor, McCarthy style. (nt)
brentspeak
(18,290 posts)And only a minority of Democrats oppose gay marriage.
stone space
(6,498 posts)And only a minority of Democrats oppose gay marriage.
And if it is a minority position in the Democratic Party, some will claim that it hurts the Party.
TransitJohn
(6,932 posts)that is pretty unrealistic considering this site's ownership, don't you think? Remember Kendrick Meek?
whatchamacallit
(15,558 posts)
stone space
(6,498 posts)I suppose that is where this OP is taking us in the end.
BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)The BLM disruptors of Sander's Seattle rally have a web trail showing contempt for the Democratic party and one actually supported Sarah Palin. There also appears to be a Nation of Islam connection.
The idea is that since they are working against the Democratic party, anyone on DU who supports the disruptor's actions is also, by association, working against the Democratic party.
stone space
(6,498 posts)I get flack when I post about the Plowshares movement here at DU from anti-religious types here. There are folks who would like to see me kicked to the curb for even bringing up the Berrigans.
If such a rule were actually enforced, Bernie supporters could very well suffer a purge, as he himself has been an independent for ages.
Folks pushing such a rule had better check out carefully every group that they support, because lots of them would be ruled suspect. (You know that talk of Code Pink would be banned, don't you? Some folks really HATE them.)
Activists are not always polite to Democrats.
Sometimes they criticize Democrats.
Whoop-de-do.
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)
Hydra
(14,459 posts)BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)
Hydra
(14,459 posts)
Well, maybe not a whole one.
DashOneBravo
(2,679 posts)I've never seen that.
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)They were not communists. They were members of the Christo-Fascist Zombie Brigade. She even said that she supports Caribou Barbie!
BainsBane
(53,056 posts)because there are a whole lot of folks here pissed off at the Democratic Party and the Democratic President, so much so they are supporting an independent running for the Democratic nomination.
Black Lives Matter is pressing Democrats because African Americans are THE single most reliable Democratic voting block, and they plan to use their voting power to do something about the slaughter of black people. THAT is the issue. They have put Democrats in office for decades, and they have a right to full citizenship, to have their lives treated with dignity rather than being killed. I stand with them 100 percent in that.
Stellar
(5,644 posts)WOW! Someone that gets it! 
stone space
(6,498 posts)
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)fortunately the two main DUers who do that are on vacation.
stone space
(6,498 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)
Bobbie Jo
(14,341 posts)What was left of it, anyway. 
Apparently, you have a touch of amnesia with regard to the last 7 years of the non-stop anti-Democrat campaign.
Non-stop.
btw...did you happen to run this decree by Skinner?
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)
Nope, destroyed mine too.
NuclearDem
(16,184 posts)BooScout
(10,406 posts)Just sayin....
brentspeak
(18,290 posts)As an independent, he caucuses with the Democratic party. He is also running for the Democratic nomination. And though he criticizes the right-ward slant the party has taken, he speaks positively about the Democratic party in general.
BLM are unaffiliated disruptors who are actively trying to harm the Democratic party, its primary election -- and, especially, the independent senator campaigning in the Democratic party election.
BooScout
(10,406 posts)not as I do. Gotcha.
azmom
(5,208 posts)Part of Outside Agitators 26. If you go to their site, you will see a link to this very troubling article concerning BLM and the Democratic Party.
http://blackagendareport.com/democrats_to_bury_black_lives_matter_under_election
To succeed, the Black Lives Matter Movement must transform the politics of Black America. By definition, that means declaring war on the Democratic Party, and forcing Black politicians and activists to choose between the Party and the people’s struggle. The Democrats understand the logic, and have mounted a systematic cooption-repression response that will intensify as the election season – and Black cities – heat up.
AOR
(692 posts)what the Democratic Party needs more than ever - at this point in history - is a kick in the ass and a massive swing to the left if they are to ever be relevant again in the working class struggle. Bernie Sanders and the liberal/progressives/new dealers should be listening to every critique there is from leftists to the left of the Democratic Party. Not sure the women in Seattle qualify under that umbrella but your post is offensive to the struggle on the ground.
brentspeak
(18,290 posts)as "leftists"?
AOR
(692 posts)if you care to discuss issues with me do not play games...
AOR
(692 posts)The Legacy of McCarthyism
--by Ellen Schrecker
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/mccarthy/schrecker6.htm
(Snips)
"Quantification aside, it may be helpful to look at the specific sectors of American society that McCarthyism touched. Such an appraisal, tentative though it must be, may offer some insight into the extent of the damage and into the ways in which the anti-Communist crusade influenced American society, politics, and culture. We should keep in mind, however, that McCarthyism's main impact may well have been in what did not happen rather than in what did the social reforms that were never adopted, the diplomatic initiatives that were not pursued, the workers who were not organized into unions, the books that were not written, and the movies that were never filmed."
"The most obvious casualty was the American left. The institutional toll is clear. The Communist party, already damaged by internal problems, dwindled into insignificance and all the organizations associated with it disappeared. The destruction of the front groups and the left-led unions may well have had a more deleterious impact on American politics than the decline of the party itself. With their demise, the nation lost the institutional network that had created a public space where serious alternatives to the status quo could be presented. Moreover, with the disappearance of a vigorous movement on their left, moderate reform groups were more exposed to right-wing attacks and thus rendered less effective."
"In the realm of social policy, for example, McCarthyism may have aborted much-needed reforms. As the nation's politics swung to the right after World War II, the federal government abandoned the unfinished agenda of the New Deal. Measures like national health insurance, a social reform embraced by the rest of the industrialized world, simply fell by the wayside. The left liberal political coalition that might have supported health reforms and similar projects was torn apart by the anti-Communist crusade. Moderates feared being identified with anything that seemed too radical, and people to the left of them were either unheard or under attack. McCarthyism further contributed to the attenuation of the reform impulse by helping to divert the attention of the labor movement, the strongest institution within the old New Deal coalition, from external organizing to internal politicking."
"The nation's cultural and intellectual life suffered as well. While there were other reasons that TV offered a bland menu of quiz shows and westerns during the late 1950s, McCarthy-era anxieties clearly played a role. Similarly, the blacklist contributed to the reluctance of the film industry to grapple with controversial social or political issues. In the intellectual world, cold war liberals also avoided controversy. They celebrated the "end of ideology," claiming that the United States' uniquely pragmatic approach to politics made the problems that had once concerned left- wing ideologists irrelevant. Consensus historians pushed that formulation into the past and described a nation that had supposedly never experienced serious internal conflict. It took the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War to end this complacency and bring reality back in. "
brentspeak
(18,290 posts)Terms of Service
By registering a Democratic Underground account, you agree to abide by these terms. A single violation of any of these terms could result in your posting privileges being revoked without warning.
The Democratic Underground Administrators have a great deal of confidence in our system of citizen jurors and software tools, but we are well aware that trolls are constantly on the lookout for new ways to cause trouble and therefore on rare occasions it may necessary for us to revoke a member's posting privileges for reasons that are not covered by these Terms of Service. Because of this necessity, we retain the right to revoke any member's posting privileges at any time for any reason.
Don't be a wingnut (right-wing or extreme-fringe).
Democratic Underground is an online community for politically liberal people who understand the importance of working within the system to elect more Democrats and fewer Republicans to all levels of political office. Teabaggers, Neo-cons, Dittoheads, Paulites, Freepers, Birthers, and right-wingers in general are not welcome here. Neither are certain extreme-fringe left-wingers, including advocates of violent political/social change, hard-line communists, terrorist-apologists, America-haters, kooks, crackpots, LaRouchies, and the like.
Vote for Democrats.
Winning elections is important — therefore, advocating in favor of Republican nominees or in favor of third-party spoiler candidates that could split the vote and throw an election to our conservative opponents is never permitted on Democratic Underground. But that does not mean that DU members are required to always be completely supportive of Democrats. During the ups-and-downs of politics and policy-making, it is perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about the Democratic officials we worked hard to help elect. When we are not in the heat of election season, members are permitted to post strong criticism or disappointment with our Democratic elected officials, or to express ambivalence about voting for them. In Democratic primaries, members may support whomever they choose. But when general election season begins, DU members must support Democratic nominees (EXCEPT in rare cases where a non-Democrat is most likely to defeat the conservative alternative, or where there is no possibility of splitting the liberal vote and inadvertently throwing the election to the conservative alternative). For presidential contests, election season begins when both major-party nominees become clear. For non-presidential contests, election season begins on Labor Day. Everyone here on DU needs to work together to elect more Democrats and fewer Republicans to all levels of American government. If you are bashing, trashing, undermining, or depressing turnout for our candidates during election season, we'll assume you are rooting for the other side.
No bigoted hate speech.
Do not post bigotry based on someone's race or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or lack thereof, disability, or other comparable personal characteristic. To be clear: This includes any post which states opposition to full equal rights for gays and lesbians; it also includes any post asserting disloyalty by Jewish Americans, claiming nefarious influence by Jews/Zionists/Israel, advocating the destruction of the state of Israel, or arguing that Holocaust deniers are just misunderstood. In determining what constitutes bigotry, please be aware that we cannot know what is in anyone's heart, and we will give members the benefit of the doubt, when — and only when — such doubt exists.
Don't go overboard with the crazy talk.
Democratic Underground is not intended to be a platform for kooks and crackpots peddling paranoid fantasies with little or no basis in fact. To accommodate our more imaginative members we tolerate some limited discussion of so-called "conspiracy theories" under the following circumstances: First, those discussions are not permitted in our heavily-trafficked Main forums; and second, those discussions cannot stray too far into Crazyland (eg: chemtrails, black helicopters, 9/11 death rays or holograms, the "New World Order," the Bilderbergers, the Illuminati, the Trilateral Commission, the Freemasons, alien abduction, Bigfoot, and the like). In addition, please be aware that many conspiracy theories have roots in racism and anti-semitism, and Democratic Underground has zero tolerance for bigoted hate speech. In short, you take your chances.
AOR
(692 posts)If you are seriously interested in the message of Bernie Sanders and advancing that message and narrative you would listen instead of trying to silence leftists. I understand your disgust at what took place in Seattle but that is no reason to try and silence other leftist viewpoints. The tact you are taking will neither help Bernie's campaign nor the Democratic Party unless your agenda is not the struggling people on the ground. In which there are millions of potential Sanders supporters looking for a new narrative and a new way forward. Without pressure from the leftists the reforms that Bernie hopes to apply will never have a chance to get off the ground.
NanceGreggs
(27,817 posts)... is absolutely O'Henry-esque.
This site has been overrun in the past few years by people who DO NOT support the Democratic Party in any way, shape or form. Their every post is a screed against a Democratic president, elected (D) representatives, and the Party as a whole. And yet they post - day-in, day-out - without interference or consequence. In fact, their anti-Dem rants are often on the Greatest Page with hundreds of recs.
So if you are advocating "drop-kicking" people from this "Democratic" site, I would suggest that you start with the DU disruptors - they've done a lot more damage to DemocraticUnderground than the BLM disruptors have done to anyone.
Do you have any idea how laughable it is to see someone say "any talk on these forums which actually supports the BLM disruptors should be considered off-limits -- and removed from the site in the usual manner" on a site that put a vile screed calling the President "a piece of shit used car salesman" on their Home Page?
Yesterday, this site was full of posts about how Hillary Clinton was behind the disruption of Sanders' appearance, allegedly funded by Soros' money. No facts, no evidence - nothing. And yet those posts were allowed. And now you think that anyone who supports a group you don't like is being a detriment to the party, and in violation of the purpose of this website?
I've been known the cry at the end of an irony-laden O'Henry tale. At the end of this OP, however, my laughter is almost uncontrollable.
brentspeak
(18,290 posts)and admit they are opposed to the Democratic party. That shows your party loyalty, right there.
On a related note: You are the very same "unabashed supporter" of the same President Obama who called Elizabeth Warren and the other Democratic critics of the TPP "dishonest", correct? Obama's vile screed, yes? Anti-Dem rant by Obama, right?
Sounds scary. Are you typing from the safety of a rubber room?
NanceGreggs
(27,817 posts)... for proving my point.
And you did it brilliantly!
My laughter continues - because the irony is that you don't even realize how perfectly demonstrative of my point your little screed was.
DanTex
(20,709 posts) AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)Others don't mind using it as a cudgel to try to beat up Bernie and his supporters regardless of how opportunistic and despicable that is. Bernie's record stands in stark contrast to their false attacks. They are grasping at straws because that's all they've got.
daredtowork
(3,732 posts)The Black Lives Matter movement is not a political party.
The Black Lives Matter movement is not a subsidiary of the Democratic Party.
The Black Lives Matter movement is goal-oriented movement focused on advancing particular goals relevant to assuring black lives matter.
One mistake Democrats may be making in our political calculations is assuming who *must* be viewed as natural allies in accomplishing those issues.
The political process is a long-term process. It's a process of compromise. The BLM movement has short-term goals and uses whatever means it thinks necessary to accomplish those goals now.
The BLM movement does not serve the goals of the Democratic party no matter how much affinity we might think those goals goals may have with the Civil Rights Movement. The BLM movement is not the Civil Rights Movement. They are the BLM movement with their own agenda.
The sooner people on DU wrap their minds around that, the sooner they will be able to understand the actions of the BLM movement and the easier it will be to work with them.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)I will continue to support democrats and BLM on this board.
Skwmom
(12,685 posts)Now that corporate wing, what an ally it has been....
