They will be let out once they think nobody is watching.

What I don’t get about the CCP shills is why they think I would trust the Chinese government when I don’t even trust my own government.

Who are you to decide what languages are useful?

So its OK then that France did that? You can’t excuse one instance of imperialism and complain about another. All Imperialism is bad, regardless of who is doing it to whom.

Its so cool that we’ve reached the point of collapse where people are openly cheering for their sides naked corruption. The Guardian of Pedos party will be the death of the US.

Oh wow, the party of bad faith arguments made a bad faith argument? Must be a day ending in y.

That’s why people like Talarico and Platner matter. Platner just beat out Mills, the establishment pick for the seat. He shows that democracy works when people are engaged and organized.

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Yes, but they don’t control who YOU vote for

The patron saint of consequences.

Why does he look like a Wallace and Gromit character?

I’ll take that bet

It’s the leftist purity test that has held us back and even furthered the causes of the right wing. When we reject the capacity for personal growth, we effectively stop the deconstruction that is bringing people to us in the first place. Platner is also refreshing because he is taking actual policy, not flowery slogans and zingers at the opposition. He is getting into the minutia of government with citizens instead of just presuming they are stupid rubes and giving them a political theatre show.

He feels authentic in a country that is run for and by grifters.

That and lying to Congress about Roe v Wade being “settled law” the voting to overturn it.

But congress is so moribund and incompetent that the executive branch and judicial just do whatever and know that their bottom bitches in Congress will do as their told from their corpo pig masters.

His net worth is estimated at like 200,000 dollars. I’m pretty sure Susan Collins has more money than he does.

The fetterman comparison is meaningless, the only thing they have in common is some of the staffers that worked on Fettermans campaign now work on Platners, which was before Fetterman turned coat on everyone. It’s an establishment created comparison to pin the traitor on the Millennial Democrats rather than the establishment dems, which Fetterman was.

I believe Platner because he had no political ambitions before running for this office. He doesn’t have the acumen to play politics like it’s played in Washington now. PR campaigns, carefully constructed and prepared statements, lots of flowery, cutesy slogans and catchy jeers and zingers slung at the other side.

I listened to his town halls, and he talks about actual policy and what we should do, what working class people need today, and he emphasizes that he can’t do it alone. He emphasizes the need for organizing labor.

I’m tired of the leftist purity test ruining any chance of actual change. He doesn’t have a perfect past, but his positions indicate personal growth and I think that is the bigger consideration in solving the problems we face, instead of jerking ourselves off about how enlightened we are.

Damn, only early stage?

I am getting tired of it as well. It sustains itself on the circular logic of “Platner isn’t literally perfect in every way, despite clearly advocating pro working class policies, so I guess I’ll just keep voting for the very anti-working class polices of another ancient establishment Dem”.

The fetterman comparison is so hollow on deeper inspection, which the opposition doesn’t want you to do. Fetterman was an establishment dem with an active political career before running for Senate and his opponent was an actual snake oil salesman. Platner had no political ambitions before starting this campaign, and very clearly shows how an actual real person that isn’t a psychopath practices politics.

It finally feels like the working class is waking up from the neocon induced haze shat out by Ronny Rayguns.

Didn’t they find one senator from the south or something in a memory care facility?

Yeah he might have known, but at the same time, does it reflect who he is now and what he stands for?

Briefly circling back to the whole “iconography” topic, I think symbols do hold power, but the nature and scope of that power are determined by individuals. I also think that an effort should be made to reclaim these symbols for a more pro-human message (admittedly difficult to do for a skull and crossbones) because I believe it takes away messaging and in group camaraderie between bigots.

As for Platner, he has a past, but if we can’t look at who he is today and how he has grown as a person, what hope is there for any of us? I won’t make the claim that I haven’t said or believed wrong things, and even failed to grow when first confronted, but eventually I did begin to deconstruct, as I got older and experienced life.

On top of that, the alternative choice is 78 year old Susan Collins or equally decrepit, but Republican, Janet Mills. I think Democrats are having a “Tea Party” moment with the new progressive push by people like Platner and Mamdani.

On a side note: it’s refreshing to have a nuanced conversation online with anothet human, instead of a bot programmed to scream the most extreme position. I just migrated from reddit after being banned from r/Seattle because I suggested that the homeless problem will get worse if we don’t address the glaring structural issues. I got in an argument and got called a junkie, so I abandoned reddit altogether.

The reason I believe his tattoo story is because I spent 8 years in the Navy, and I know how much alcohol is consumed when visiting foreign ports. I can see a very intoxicated group of young marines in a foreign port making a poor decision and getting a cool looking tattoo together without really thinking what it means. And since it’s on his chest, not many people who aren’t family or friends are going to see it that often. Not to mention the Totenkopf predates the Nazi party and was used by imperial Germany in WW 1.

Not excusing it’s use by the Nazis, but I would like to have an honest and frank discussion about how we let bigots appropriate existing and non offensive symbol, which robs the culture that created them of their own heritage.

As for his past comments, being voted most likely to start a revolution in highschool as well wearing communist styled outfits to highschool in the 90s in Maine of all places shows me his convictions lie a little left of center at a minimum.