Hard times, The Modern progressive movement.

I'm glad to hear that things are working out Shadowprophet. This probably isn't the politically correct thing to say, but personally I couldn't care less about somebody's sexual orientation or gender identity...and in my mind that's exactly correct: it's a non-issue and nobody should be treated differently over any of it. But that's also why I don't understand the emotional drama of the LGBTQ movement - why isn't it enough to just let everyone do their own thing? I'm all for human equality, but sometimes people expect us to be selectively deferential to their preferences, and I'm not going to do that, because no sexual or gender orientation makes anyone better than anyone else. Integrity is the only thing that sets one person above another, imo.

Anyway, I'm bewildered by the title of this thread "Hard times, The Modern progressive movement." I see "the progressive movement" and "the LGBTQ movement" as totally independent things. Nearly all of the politically progressive/leftist/liberal/whatever people I know, are focused almost exclusively on our rigged economy, the complete loss of political representation for the working class, the endless mass murder operations abroad, the industrial incarceration system, the insane and broken health insurance system, and the high cost of getting a higher education, among other issues of equal and pervasive import. On the rare occasions that the LGBTQ movement comes up, it's a short conversation that usually goes something like: "of course gay couples should have the right to get married, and be free from discrimination just like anyone else," and that's usually the end of it. Conflating "progressive" with "LGBTQ" just seems weird.

I've also noticed that the right-wing corporate freaks running the Democratic Party and by extension about 90% of the corporate news media, keep stealing all of the labels that left-leaning people keep coming up with in order to distinguish themselves from the revolting corporate collaborators running the Democratic Party. Before the Democratic Party completely betrayed the working class and sold them out to Wall Street and Walmart, when people wanted to let you know that they were left-wing, they just called themselves a "Democrat." But then the Democrats moved so far to the right that they're now Reagan-era Republicans, so left-leaning people started using "progressive" instead. Then all the right-wing corporate sociopaths like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton and Neera Tanden started calling themselves "progressives" too, so people started calling themselves "leftists" to get away from the faux-liberal corporate Democrats. Naturally the corporatists are stealing that one now too.

Has anyone else noticed this? It really pisses me off. I think I'm going to try out "populist" for awhile, because the Democratic Party leadership seems to think that a government that responds to the people instead of just the plutocrats is a bad thing, so they haven't rubbed their taint all over it yet.
 

Shadowprophet

Truthiness
I'm glad to hear that things are working out Shadowprophet. This probably isn't the politically correct thing to say, but personally I couldn't care less about somebody's sexual orientation or gender identity...and in my mind that's exactly correct: it's a non-issue and nobody should be treated differently over any of it. But that's also why I don't understand the emotional drama of the LGBTQ movement - why isn't it enough to just let everyone do their own thing? I'm all for human equality, but sometimes people expect us to be selectively deferential to their preferences, and I'm not going to do that, because no sexual or gender orientation makes anyone better than anyone else. Integrity is the only thing that sets one person above another, imo.

Anyway, I'm bewildered by the title of this thread "Hard times, The Modern progressive movement." I see "the progressive movement" and "the LGBTQ movement" as totally independent things. Nearly all of the politically progressive/leftist/liberal/whatever people I know, are focused almost exclusively on our rigged economy, the complete loss of political representation for the working class, the endless mass murder operations abroad, the industrial incarceration system, the insane and broken health insurance system, and the high cost of getting a higher education, among other issues of equal and pervasive import. On the rare occasions that the LGBTQ movement comes up, it's a short conversation that usually goes something like: "of course gay couples should have the right to get married, and be free from discrimination just like anyone else," and that's usually the end of it. Conflating "progressive" with "LGBTQ" just seems weird.

I've also noticed that the right-wing corporate freaks running the Democratic Party and by extension about 90% of the corporate news media, keep stealing all of the labels that left-leaning people keep coming up with in order to distinguish themselves from the revolting corporate collaborators running the Democratic Party. Before the Democratic Party completely betrayed the working class and sold them out to Wall Street and Walmart, when people wanted to let you know that they were left-wing, they just called themselves a "Democrat." But then the Democrats moved so far to the right that they're now Reagan-era Republicans, so left-leaning people started using "progressive" instead. Then all the right-wing corporate sociopaths like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton and Neera Tanden started calling themselves "progressives" too, so people started calling themselves "leftists" to get away from the faux-liberal corporate Democrats. Naturally the corporatists are stealing that one now too.

Has anyone else noticed this? It really pisses me off. I think I'm going to try out "populist" for awhile, because the Democratic Party leadership seems to think that a government that responds to the people instead of just the plutocrats is a bad thing, so they haven't rubbed their taint all over it yet.

You make a really good point here, It never really was about the idea of Sexuality or homosexuality, It's about the political constructs that come with forming these exclusivities in groups while taking a standpoint against other viewpoints. I think that's part of what upsets me with issues like this. I have family that is Gay, I accept their choices perfectly, It's their choice, but the irony is, Some people are so intwined into the political construct around issues like this, That they would be upset that I used the Word Gay, In reference to My Neice and my Stepdaughter, Because, They are female, And Believe it or not, they get mad when the term gay is used because well, Woman can be Lesbian or Bi, But not Gay because that's a term only used to define masculine sexuality., I'm not kidding, that's a whole lecture I've been through on that subject. So sometimes, I feel like, No matter how hard I try to be accepting and shower them with praise and acceptance and love, That I can't do this correctly, because I'm straight. And Sometimes That does seem to be the problem they have with me. I don't like division, I promote unity. It's difficult for a peaceful person who just wants to get along with everyone, To really do that, when there are so many groups and viewpoints that single me out as the problem, Either for being from an older generation that can't possibly understand today's complex social environment. or just Not being part of what defines that group view. The problem is, There is so much exclusion within groupings. And that division is sometimes painful for families.
 

pepe

Celestial
Well I hope these groups are doing the right thing by not teaching them to be intolerant of other sexualities and i'm pretty sure they would in fact promote an inclusive agenda.

Middle age white straight guy syndrome is a myth created in the mind of the beast itself.

Straight pride.
 

Sheltie

Fratty and out of touch.
The day I decide that on the inside I'm actually a potted plant and show up at work dressed as a two hundred and some pound fern the nobody can say one single thing to me ......

Also when it happens, I'd like to see pictures, Pigfarmer!

But seriously, I just try to focus living my life as best I can these days: pay all the bills on time, try to figure out what the hell my SO is angry about now, and stay healthy. You get tired of the people who want to storm the Bastille every five minutes because someone has said or done something that somehow makes them angry.
 

pepe

Celestial
Also when it happens, I'd like to see pictures, Pigfarmer! But seriously, I just try to focus living my life as best I can these days: pay all the bills on time, try to figure out what the hell my SO is angry about now, and stay healthy. You get tired of the people who want to storm the Bastille every five minutes because someone has said or done something that somehow makes them angry.
:...............................
Also when it happens, I'd like to see pictures, Pigfarmer! But seriously, I just try to focus living my life as best I can these days: pay all the bills on time, try to figure out what the hell my SO is angry about now, and stay healthy. You get tired of the people who want to storm the Bastille every five minutes because someone has said or done something that somehow makes them angry.
vafm3.jpg
 
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pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Middle age white straight guy syndrome is a myth created in the mind of the beast itself.

I get it but also have been singled out as the representative of all middle aged white men a couple of times and it wasn't my imagination
 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Also when it happens, I'd like to see pictures, Pigfarmer!

But seriously, I just try to focus living my life as best I can these days: pay all the bills on time, try to figure out what the hell my SO is angry about now, and stay healthy. You get tired of the people who want to storm the Bastille every five minutes because someone has said or done something that somehow makes them angry.

Green Leafy Pride, baby !
 

pepe

Celestial
I get it but also have been singled out as the representative of all middle aged white men a couple of times and it wasn't my imagination

A couple of times for me also, leading to violence on one occasion. Can't help but see them as having the stigma as i'm innocent.
 

Kchoo

At Peace.
The tongue can cut deeper than any sword...
As long as we have had a say, we also sought remedy of its cuts.
 
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