Hey everyone.

This may sound a bit rant-y and all over the place, but I was talking with some right-wing coworkers of mine today. I was talking to them about housing, how it is getting so expensive in the United States, and that the supply needs to greatly expand to bring down prices. I was going to talk to them about Red Vienna and how the city was able to make housing stupid affordable with their great supply of decommodified housing.

They then brought up that if I wanted to buy a house that I had to work for it. I wasn't going to dispute the principle (even though I believe housing should be treated as a basic need and right), but I was telling them that owning a home for yourself is getting harder and harder as time goes on. They then went on to say that they too struggled to get the home they wanted, but then I was asking, "Just how much did you struggle exactly? Because if you look at pay during the 1970s till now, pay has stagnated and housing prices kept going up and up." But they insisted that back then was similar to now and that I can still make it work if I work hard enough.

And then it was brought up why I wasn't working more than one day per week. I explained that I am a full-time college student and my grades would likely suffer if I took on more hours (I am also fortunate enough for my mother to let me not help out with rent since I am getting an education). I already worked full-time in the past as a full-time student during my very first semester of college and my grades indeed suffered. They then mentioned my friend who is also a full-time college student who made the dean's list and is currently looking for a second job and asked why I cannot do that. I just learned that he was looking for a second job and do not know all the details such as why he is. I didn't mention to them how my grades suffered when I was working full-time, but I instead half-jokingly said to them, "Are you guys like masochists or something?"

This whole discussion I had with them got me wondering, how come right-wingers think that everyone can overcome obstacles through sheer will alone? The discussion with them made me feel like I was just being lazy.

We lost because a lot of young men felt that the Democratic Party didn’t reflect their feelings and didn’t listen nor see their particular issues. I agree with that assessment. While I’m a HUGE advocate of DEI and representation, I believe that Democrats need to stop focusing solely on identity politics and they need to focus on policy. Ergo, focusing on things that HELP everyone including young men. Things like universal healthcare and initiatives to support young men in universities would be a huge step in the right direction. I think the left needs to actually defend young men and actually hold young women accountable and foster an environment which is welcoming to young men instead of coming from a position of disapproval.

We need better campaigns for men which includes body positivity for men, height positivity for men, and women being criticized for ridiculing men for their appearance as well. I’m saying we need more for the continued support of young men.

Have the majority of senate democrats completely forgotten the stakes?

Surely none of them think moderate/conservative voters will reward them for this??

The Republicans don’t even need their votes to approve him! This isn’t just spinelessness, they’re actively choosing to cosign for a radical right wing administration!

Protesting is undoubtedly a privilege in a democratic society. So is actively participating in politics—connecting with people, engaging in discussions, canvassing neighborhoods, and mobilizing voters who feel that their vote doesn’t make a difference. These actions are accessible to everyone. If individuals choose not to engage in such efforts, they ultimately bear responsibility for the politicians they end up with.

Research by political scientists Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan, in their book Why Civil Resistance Works, has demonstrated that just 3.5% of a population—united in opposition—can bring about substantial change through nonviolent mobilization, protests, and voicing concerns. Their study, based on data from 323 major campaigns between 1900 and 2006, shows that even a small, committed group can make a significant impact.

This leads us to ask: Why do we so often find ourselves passively observing—engrossed in television or online chats, merely commenting on articles and news—without taking real action ourselves? How challenging could it possibly be for us to rally together and make our voices heard?

It’s worth repeating: It only takes about 3.5% of opposition to create a significant impact. So what is stopping us from participating? Why do our voices not resonate the way they could? Why do we sometimes seem to lack the passion, activism, and outrage of those who are working toward causes we might oppose?

This is a serious inquiry: Why do groups like flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, and extreme political movements often exhibit more fervor and dedication to their causes than we do? I understand this may be an uncomfortable question to confront, but it’s one worth considering. Imagine the remarkable achievements we could attain if we expressed our dissatisfaction with the same intensity and commitment as those we view as misguided.

Never forget: We have the potential to make a substantial impact.

as a chilean who's somewhere in the demsoc-socdem spectrum, i honestly feel like his presidency has been a constant repeat of bachelet's terms in office, some socialdemocratic ideas here and there but nothing deviating hard from the neoliberal consensus we've had ever since coming out of the dictatorship

my constitutional law professor keeps repeating that our country is "the north korea of neoliberalism", we heavily rely on a very privatized economy with a plethora of subsidies here and there, but no public enterprise, a middling social security system which only gets somewhat reformed every now and then to appease the population like today's reforms to the pensionary system, but no structural change at all

we heavily protested against neoliberal politics during the 2019 protests (what we call "el estallido social" i.e the social outbreak), but propositions like our first constitutional proposal fell hard due to some overly progressive wording on it which our population didnt like at all, and our second constitutional proposal also fell through due to some overly conservative wording on it which our population, also, didnt like at all

as much as i would like this country to progress past neoliberalism as a thing, it really seems like an inescapable force of nature, and not even a self-proclaimed libertarian socialist as our president can even change that, what gives?

Hello! I was hoping someone well-versed in housing policy could help me out. I lurk in this sub along with a variety of leftist subs, and this seems like a good place to learn about specific policies.

I was reading a book about the US housing crisis-- "Fixer Upper" by Jenny Schuetz-- and the author was advocating for less restrictive zoning laws, allowing for more townhomes, duplexes, and apartments to be built in previously low density areas. That way the land costs would be split up and rents/prices would theoretically be cheaper, which I'm all for. However, I'm not sure this would guarantee lower prices, since in my hometown, developers keep building luxury apartments, pricing old residents out. Are there policies that could prevent this from happening? Book or article recommendations welcome. hopefully this doesn't sound ignorant, I'm not college educated, so just figuring this stuff out by myself. :P

https://preview.redd.it/6s51iofcyzfe1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=66ee003a43167b0932b719df51af5944a1e607c8

And:

https://preview.redd.it/w7t8b43pyzfe1.png?width=1761&format=png&auto=webp&s=55e41db78fe0cf79fb96e942fa32eca8bbd6eab6

And The Laken Riley Act shouldn't have been able to pass the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.

Voter suppression and the Harris/Walz Campaign moving to the Right and becoming more pro-corporate and more conservative during the 2024 Democratic National Convention and after is why the Republicans managed to barely win back The White House and eke out keeping the US House of Representatives.

Leftwing politics is very popular. Inform people of the facts. : r/TheMajorityReport

After massive victories by POTUS Richard Nixon, relatively soon we got the Carter Administration. After massive victories by POTUS Ronald Reagan, it was relatively soon after that we got the Clinton Administration. Which for whatever the Clinton Administration's neoliberal faults managed to raise taxes on the rich, wealthy, and corporations. And did other great things like the Children Health Insurance Plan (CHIP).

2026 is coming up. The Democrats should easily be able to take back the US House of Representatives and have wins across the United States at the national, State, and local level. But maybe not if the Democrats capitulate to and appease the Trump Administration and Republicans.

Progressive policies are popular. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP, free school lunches, etc. etc. etc. are popular. Politically FIGHT.

I’ve been deeply concerned as the events in the United States have unfolded since Trump’s election in 2016. I feel for you all. I’m horrified, but not surprised. From the beginning, I saw his authoritarian tendencies, and now they are fully in bloom. Yet, I remain cautiously optimistic. This is the era of the far-right, sweeping across the globe. But the pendulum will eventually swing back—it always does.

As a Swedish social democrat, I’ve often been labeled by Americans as a radical socialist on the verge of communism. This, in my view, reflects a misunderstanding of both social democracy and communism—and, more importantly, the crucial differences between them. I’m grateful to have found this Reddit group and look forward to seeing it grow in the years ahead.

What gives me hope is witnessing what seems to be a growing movement—an awakening among those who didn’t vote for Trump, now organizing to make their voices heard. Despite everything, you still live in a democracy—albeit one that’s slowly eroding—but you still have the right to assemble, organize, and shape public opinion.

Protest. As often as you can. Gather. Show your dismay—but do so peacefully. Let them reveal their true nature. If they shoot at you, don’t shoot back. If they drag you down and beat you with a baton, cover your head. These violations will be captured on camera and spread like wildfire—no algorithm, not even one from Elon Musk, can stop that.

If you’re not already a member, join a union. And if your employer tries to stop you, fight for your right to organize. If they threaten to fire pro-union employees, document these actions. Keep records of any conversations, threats, or unfair treatment related to union activity.

Online engagement is important, but it’s only one part of the equation. All members of this Reddit group should meet up in person. Online activity can create a false sense of engagement. Real change happens when we come together, build solidarity, and organize for action.

Keep the spirit alive! Never lose hope. Love always conquers hate, and solidarity is the way forward.

I was having this argument with a school friend in my Master’s in Economics program and it seems like nothing I say or show him can convince him that taxing the rich more and closing the loopholes that they use to pay little to nothing in taxes would benefit society more than cracking down on or eliminating entitlements (“handouts”). Is this guy already a lost cause at the young age of 22?

Let's say Trump doesn't run in 2024 either because he actually gets locked up, dies, or develops serious health issues so another Republican is the nominee. Could Harris have won in that scenario? Trump seems to attract normally disengaged voters who show up for him and no one else. This might be why down ballot Democrats in general did better than Harris did.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna189502?espv=1

On March 23rd 1933 Otto Wels gave a fiery speech to the Reichstag on the eve of the Enabling Act that gave Hitler dictatorial powers. He famously declared that "you cannot take our honor". I think about this quote a lot whenever a liberal or a leftist comments about how we are better than the right, how we have morals and principles and value democracy and so on.

Who cares about Otto Wels' honor? So he died with honor. How many Jews did that save?

I'm not gonna preach to you that if they went full tankie they might have stopped OG Hitler.

But I will preach to you all that we gotta figure out how to win. If in 20 years I meet any of you in a camp preaching about how we lost with honor, I'll kick your teeth in.

Realistically there is 2 ways to make a country’s population increase and not become a country full of pensioners immigration or a birth rate of 3 child per family. Problem is that developed nations have had a low birth rates for years which migrations has offset a bit but migrant families drop their birth rates to the country standard within a generation or two.

What would the solution be? The biggest problems lays with cost and time. It’s incredibly expensive to have a kid both when it comes to food inflation now and housing being expensive with other stuff as clothes, activities etc adding up. When it comes to time it’s simple since both parents are more likely/required to have their own careers simultaneously there simply isn’t a lot of time without feeling miserable.

What would hypothetical solutions be? Some suggestions would be cheaper housing/subsides for families or neighbours made for families, shorter work week and potentially subsides for food and clothing.

That is just some suggestions not definite solutions but I would love to hear what you all think

A bit more general question. Are there any new left/SocDem governments that were elected? If yes where could I read more about their goals and policies they’ve implemented or want to implement?

Are there any new ideas, special policies that are new in the SocDem world, things that can help reach a more social democratic world?

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters will not run for reelection | AP News

Rashida Tlaib for Congress | Rooted in Community

I was very disappointed that US Representative Rashida Tlaib didn't run for the open Michigan US Senate seat in 2024.

Now she has another opportunity to run for the US Senate in 2026.

And she might even have a better chance at winning given the reaction to the Trump Administration so far.

Progressives need to prove they can win US Senate seats.

Also:

https://couragetochangepac.org/ (AOC's PAC)

https://justicedemocrats.com/

Candidates - Justice Democrats

https://squadvictoryfund.com/

Run for Office

https://leaderswedeserve.com/ (David Hogg & Kevin Lata founded a group to help young people running for State houses and US Congress)

https://rideshare2vote.com/volunteer/