Democratic (Party) Direction

Anything to relieve the suffering of so many of my students is a good thing, but I wonder if it's the meet-the-new-boss-same-as-old-boss scenario.

Might be some instinct to push back against the narrative or hesitance to accept sky is blue reality of “Madura sucks” from some quarters as the right wrongly and repeatedly points to the situation as largely indicative of socialism in broad terms.

Yeah, sure. But for the same reason I'll push back against those trying to make Maduro a cause for the left. There's a difference between socialism and kleptocracy.

Btw, it's all posturing, Maduro likes the US plenty: https://thinkprogress.org/venezuelas-billion-dollar-money-laundering-ring-reaches-the-u-s-1d9fe2c6b59b/

Local news: podcasting Canadian sure knows how, when and who Venezuleans should protest for.

I'm with Fred here (que raro) -- having talked to some Venezuelan left wingers their orientation tends to be "Maduro is shit, but he's *our* shit, and the rest of you get your nose out of our shit"

Wait, Maduro still enjoys leftist support? Damn.

By "our" I suspect hoos was expressing "Venezuala's" more than "the left's".

the takes are rending left twitter as we speak, dyed-in-the-wool communists from california archly shitting on any left player who notes today's developments positively while others stake out more cautious positions xp oh yes, aimless is right, but also, alfred is right

not cheering on a US-backed coup =/= supporting Maduro btw thx

like it's not a secret that he sucks

Local news: podcasting Canadian sure knows how, when and who Venezuleans should protest for.

honestly eat shit VHS I said no such thing and you know it

but hey speaking of Venezuelans' opinions

#Venezuela | "Nobody voted for #JuanGuaido" citizens reject coup plotters. #Venezuela23E pic.twitter.com/rMjJ7LI2iP

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) January 23, 2019

Is it still a coup when the elections to the National Assembly were legitimate, while the presidential election was rigged?

I'm relieved the people of Venezuela, in this time of violence and misery, have a ressource in the form of Simon's expertise and some tweets by Chapo Trap House.

teleSUR does not seem like a very believable news org, and from what I've seen the pro-Maduro demonstrations were dwarfed by the anti-Maduro ones.

plz pick a thread I do not have bookmarked to have this fight in

it's OK I'm out and I already FPd myself

I'm out and I already FPd myself

smart move

Case in point why it’s bad that much of left media has abdicated taking foreign policy seriously

I was wondering how AOC would respond, and eventually she RTd this Ro Khanna statement

With respect Senator Durbin, the US should not anoint the leader of the opposition in Venezuela during an internal, polarized conflict. Let us support Uruguay, Mexico, & the Vatican's efforts for a negotiated settlement & end sanctions that are making the hyperinflation worse. https://t.co/qoAb2ou95g

— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) January 24, 2019

I know that sounds reasonable, but calling off sanctions in a situation like this is completely idiotic. And they're not the cause of hyperinflation anyway.

Look, I respect that she bothered to find a statement on the situation that framed it in terms of anti-US involvement that also wasn’t from a tankie idiot.

Even from a realpolitik POV anyone recognizing the new government is jumping the gun bc they don’t seem to have control of the army or any actual power yet. Generally wait until the coup succeeds before validating it.

I mean she could have retweeted Khanna’s quote tweet of Rania Khalek yesterday so it could have been much worse.

I do think Trump should stay out of it and suspect even Guaido wishes he would shut up. But they should prob just leave it at that.

Btw, isn't there a better thread for this?

The Colombia/Ecuador/Venezuela Mess or Let's Place Bets on How Long Before the U.S. Backs a Colombian War With Venezuela

Wait, idg what's wrong with Ro Khanna

The Representative installed by Silicon Valley tech firms trying to rebrand as a lefty™ will never be not funny to me pic.twitter.com/j2JswksmW4

— accessible price of drinks stan account (@Convolutedname) January 24, 2019

Elizabeth warren used to be a republican.

I used to be a young man.

well, a 'massachusetts republican'

Too long ago to be comparable. Plus he’s retweeted Assadists Like Ben Norton and Rania Khalek fairly recently.

I've retweeted Chris Hayes and he's a shitty liberal. What's your point?

You’re saying Chris Hayes is just as bad as the people who get paid to do propaganda for a genocidal dictator. Okay man, that’s bad ass.

I'm saying on occasion I RT ppl I don't broadly agree with if and when they make a valid point.

Idk who Ben Norton is and I don't claim to know who pays RK

Here's Ilhan Omar expressing the exact same position as Ro btw just for fun

A US backed coup in Venezuela is not a solution to the dire issues they face. Trump's efforts to install a far right opposition will only incite violence and further destabilize the region. We must support Mexico, Uruguay & the Vatican's efforts to facilitate a peaceful dialogue.

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 25, 2019

You sure you don’t want to just say that you don’t care who pays her? It’s not like no one has looked into it.

Tbh I don't really care since I stopped following her when she came out as a Tulsi stan

chris hayes is bad?

That's purely me being petty, by TV newstalker standards I'm sure he's great

what the hell's going on here

appearing on msnbc is a mark of impurity, real progressive cred is earned by reporting via carrier pigeon / smoke signal, never saying the word "Russia"

he actually is pretty great

his good take ratio is p decent for a guy allowed on tv

I don't watch/have MSNBC, it's his Twitter posturing that irks me. It was nice when he put Wallace Shawn on though

Anyway not really the thread for it, Soto sorry I insulted yr TV bf

His Twitter comments are often sharper than his show, and his retweets are often of economic news. He gets that the Russia stuff gives his show ballast, but he uses the ballast to discuss the carceral state, tax policy, etc.

He has the best MSNBC show for sure. He gave more coverage to stuff like the WV teachers strike last year than anyone.

I also think Khanna's rebranding is weird and suspicious tbh