Sigh. This is gonna be a rough ride.

Oh, you want to change topics and talk about the environment now? OK. Let's talk about the environment.

Biden oversaw the largest expansion of oil drilling in American history. Have US CO2 emissions declined under Biden's term? He also put up huge tariffs on Chinese EVs, batteries, and solar panels. He chose to put American business interests ahead of helping the environment. A few days ago, as a lame duck, he grabbed headlines by barring oil drilling in a bunch of US waters. But he only banned drilling in areas that the oil industry has no interest in operating in anyway. The coastal areas that actually have a potential for future drilling expansion? He left those alone. All style and no substance; it's the Biden way.

He's taken the exact same kind of market-oriented approaches to climate change that have got us where we are. The core idea of his IRA act was that if we just produce a whole lot of solar panels and batteries, that the magic of the market will sort itself out. No need for taxes on carbon. No need for restrictions on new drilling. Just produce enough EVs, and everything will sort itself out. Instead, what's happening is we're simply using the solar revolution to increase our total energy use as a species. We're paving the desert in solar panels while also continuing to burn fossil fuels at a record pace. Neoliberal environmentalists can't actually help the environment, because they insist on doing everything through market mechanisms. And energy is so useful the market will seek to exploit every energy source possible.

They can't even fathom the idea of outlawing new oil or gas expansion. Banning something profitable? To them that's like trying to visualize a four-dimensional object. They simply cannot comprehend the idea. "Wait, we can just ban something? But what about the corporate donors? What if Republicans use that ban to paint us as liberal extremists?"

Even on environmentalism, the issue you chose precisely because it puts Biden and the other centrist Dems in the best possible light, they have failed miserably.

Behold the environmental record of neoliberalism, like the Writing upon the Wall:

The US chart is less damning. It exhibits a slight downward trend as we've outsourced so much of our manufacturing:

But even looking at that graph, I see zero impact of presidential administration on CO2 emissions. Democrat or Republican in power? It has no impact on CO2 emissions. Industry is mostly left to do as it will.

The core philosophical promise of neoliberalism is, "forget fairness, justice, or doing what's 'right.' Instead follow whatever pragmatic market-based solutions will produce the best outcome." And that premise is now its epitaph.

I don't give a damn what a politician says. Democrats certainly talk in big flowery language about the environment. But when actually in office, they turn down opportunity after opportunity to actually improve things. As it is in the environment, so in every other issue.

Buddy, he passed a law called the Inflation Reduction Act whose biggest impact is protectionist policies that make green vehicles and energy harder to access for individuals. It was a corporate subsidy for American corporations only marketed as a Green New Deal.

You fell for the marketing.

I voted for Harris but it felt like a gun to my head because I despise her policies and the time she spent helping cops lock people up. She's a terrible candidate and the worst option for the time for the Dems. But she was the only one of two people who weren't a fascist, at least publicly. Neoliberal business strategy is fascism in a tailored suit and the current DNC and RNC are both pushing it onto us. The RNC at least understands how to ignore the people who won't vote for them.

The DNC needs a deep and thorough cleaning to remove all the neoliberal money grubbing from the party. Progressive politics is the only way to beat fascism at the ballot but business leaders are too scared of not making money.

Because of where I live, my vote literally would not have changed a damn thing in every election since I've been an adult. This includes having moved across the country. My vote has not or wouldn't have mattered in many different ways. It's all pointless.

And before you deflect to whine about local elections. I've done my "research" there before and most of those are wastes of time with little choice voting for small-time versions of the same power hungry losers that don't fix anything.

No they tried to push an obviously senile man and then switched at the last minute. Then she pledged to rule the exact same way as that senile man, while the lower classes are having trouble affording luxuries like food. Turns out Marie Antoinette didn't have a popular position.

Sure. That's a valid way to look at it. I don't personally think there was time logistically, but also in the sense of allowing time for society as a whole to informationally get caught up and begin to change minds.

When people are used to this taking years, cramming it into mere months is kind of unacceptable on short notice.

Those are great examples! Next time you try to convince someone use positive examples instead of just kvetching, it’s much more impactful.

Also I’ll start calling it the Democratic party after DWS and crew stop rigging the primaries.