Hi

thenoobyorker:

Almost every post about religion that crosses my dashboard reminds me why I’m not religious and yet, they also remind me why I hate New or Nu or Gnu Atheists.

sushigoat:

Over recent twitter debates with vulgar Obamabots, we’ve come across the term “emoprogs” or “emo progressives” a lot. I am not a progressive but I certainly think this is a load of bullshit. Taken from Urban Dictionary:

Note: This term was seen as divisive and has been superseded by Puritopian.

Emo Progressive (or “emoprog”) is a self-described liberal or progressive, often with libertarian leanings, whose political orientation is to be angry, dissatisfied and unhappy with the state of the nation at any given time, because in their view, liberal policies are not being implemented quickly or forcefully enough. They have particular contempt for Democratic presidents.

Emoprogs are ideological purists who disdain compromise and incremental change, which they see as “selling out” liberal ideas like full employment, an end to all wars, state secrets, and liberal social policy.

Because it is. The thought that any of these changes can come through the process of voting, I highly doubt. The problem isn’t that progressive candidates compromise: it’s that the compromise is the end, not the means. I wrote here about how progressive rhetoric on taxation is used as the justification of corporate privilege, and the same is true for most progressive strategies: mask their defense or justification of a thing leftists and liberals dislike as an attack on it.  And compromises are one way of doing that: you justify inequality by shallowly addressing the concern while never really doing anything about it. 

It has been this way since FDR and the New Deal: a political bargain, created to suppress the more efficient methods of labor organizing (among other things), and supported by politically well-connected capitalists, is masked by progressive rhetoric as a way to liberate workers in a time of economic despair. Praise the progressive liberation of labor (Into the hands of a government cartel keeping them from effectively organizing)! Sure, it improved the workers condition, but it also enslaved him even more to the hands of capital by cartelizing his means of bargaining with the employer. 

Emoprogs dislike Republicans but reserve their greatest disdain for Democratic presidents, whom they relentlessly attack for not meeting a set of ideological goal posts that are constantly adjusted to ensure that the president will be deemed a disappointment, “not progressive enough” or “just like a Republican” no matter what policy achievements are made.

This is perfect. This is an example of democracy working, if in a limited way. This is SUPPOSED to happen. Critique of others is relatively worthless if you don’t critique yourself, and if you recognize that your own party is representing what you should oppose, be honest. Your loyalty to the causes should be greater than your loyalty to the party, and if you want to play the “lesser-evilism” card, it only means you’ve bought in to evil. 

Emoprogs routinely dismiss or ignore congress’ role in making or impeding policy, believing presidents can simply “use the bully pulpit” and “fight” in order to overcome constitutional or legislative obstacles.

Emoprogs have a strong affinity for 3rd party politics as a way to punish Democratic presidents. They are especially hostile to President Obama and deem anyone who expresses a lack of ill will toward him to be “Obamabots” and enemies of liberalism.

Because Obama is one of the worst American presidents ever. He not only continued Bush’s imperialist and totalitarian policies, he has started his own little shit-eating projects. He is HORRIBLE on foreign policy, the drug war and other civil liberties, thinks states should be allowed to handle marriage instead of full on marriage equality, and is most of all a fucking crony for Goldman Sachs and others. And you know, the droning children thing. I mean what the fuck.

Example1: After Eric Holder announced congress had blocked the Justice Department from trying 9/11 mastermind KSM in civilian court, social networks lit up with emo progressives complaining that President Obama had broken his campaign promise to end military tribunals. Their criticism did not mention congressional Democrats who helped block Holder.

You’re so EMO there are nice congressional Democrats TOO!!! Why won’t you recognize nice Democrats???? In all honesty, yeah, there were Democrats there, but this bipartisan fucking bullshit drives me insane.

Example2: Emoprogs dismissed healthcare reform as a failure, saying President Obama should have used the bully pulpit to achieve a single payer system, despite the fact that Sen. Harry Reid made it clear that such a plan could not pass the Senate.

Lesser evilism is, again, only a way of proving you’ve bought into evil. Universal health-care wouldn’t pass Senate, so we should settle for the grilled turd that remains? Obamacare is an extremely pro-corporate bill. It does not get the corporate actors out of health-care, it strengthens their monopoly power and legitimizes them through the fiction of “moral capitalism”. Progressives who believe that basic health-care for every being is an inalienable right like free speech and bodily autonomy have every right to be upset at this mess. I’m pretty sure the Obama-administration could’ve figured out a way to exclude at least some of the privileges he grants those already well of. 

In conclusion, this is liberalism most vulgarly realized. The people responsible for the term “emoprog” are the people who will continue to legitimize the system, people who believe that maybe NEXT election, the compromises will fall to our favor, and that we will gradually change the system to our desired future form by being the vulgar defenders of it’s present form. They call themselves realist, but anyone who thinks socioeconomic justice will be achieved through the mechanisms of voting and compromising, are fucking Utopians. They preform the important role in State Capitalism, that is crucial to it’s survival: they sedate a justified revolution.