He was a helicopter gunner / pilot… Air resistance really matters!!

If left-wing covers all concepts left of center, and many mild left policy still incorporates capitalism, then it can’t be reduced that strictly. I could agree that progressive or far left policy isn’t compatible with capitalism

Edit either way, we disagree on semantics. It’s off topic for the original question now (I’m not sticking that on you, I contributed to this semantic rabbit hole)

To circle it back, I think there’s a way to invite “normies”, maintain left leaning (even very left leaning) positions, and not compromise the platform.

Edit edit and I think that’s possible without purity testing or shotgunning people with theory

When did I suggest that would be a leftist? Maybe reread. Specifically the end.

He may hold left opinions on LGBTQ+ issues but hold completely contracting, non left wing opinions elsewhere. We can be sure that’s true. He’s certainly not a leftist, and likely not a left wing voter either.

Ultimately I’d highlight that you are doing the.thing: you are purity testing very broad language in a completely useless way

To be hyper clear for you:

Left WING is not leftIST

LeftIST is left WING

You’re ina thread authored by an canadian about “normies”. North American concepts matter.

Edit even wherever you’re from “left wing” (the scope of center to far left) exists, just the starting point of center is unique.

Further, your purity test determination leaves no room for the varied mins of people all over the world. For example fiscal centrists who are socially progressive. You may call that a false leftist, but I’d just say they’re a mild left wing voter. I bet if they weren’t purity tested they’d eventually shift their perspective on fiscal matters leftward.

Point being people hold varied political opinions, sometimes in complete contrast to themselves. I bet there’s some completely theory pure fiscal leftists who don’t believe in abortion rights, or some other bizarre combo

10s of millions of “left wing” (read, the entire spectrum from center to marx) folks believe that, for better or worse.

That opinion is entirely valid as “left wing” but certainly isn’t very left, on an absolute scale.

I believe they wrote it so they won’t happen “2 consecutive terms” clause

Seriously people here seem to attach politics to a picture of a sandwich if God forbid the company logo is on the paper to the side.

But an account means nothing, just make a new one on an instance that also aligns with your expectations

Until r/TheDonald you wouldn’t really see right wing concepts on the frontpage.

Left “wing” in normie US is a broad neighborhood.

Left “ism” in normie US is a study of progressive politics with deviation from center exponentially growing as you go “more left”.

Lots of “left wing” folks in the US are low on the leftism deviation curve, but due to the way things work in the US they are definitely “left wing”.

So you absolutely get fiscal centrists with much “lefter” social opinions. And other “left-lite” view combos.

I think to grow Lemmy non combative, but non compromising spaces should exist. Much how some are warped right by spending too much time in the “manosphere” content, folks can be convinced of increasingly progressive politics by being welcomed here. Mind, I’m not saying anyone should cater to anything they don’t agree with, but God damn Lemmy could be less combative. Purity testing mild left folks drives them right. You don’t have to compromise your morals or positions to accomplish this.

So I’d close by saying Americans aren’t “confused” about anything, they’re just less exposed with further left policy / theory, due to being exposed most to milder progressive concepts.

On the right, maga is remarkable because it’s drawing many conservatives quickly up the exponential deviation ladder at a quantity not really seen before.

I think one of the issues is “normies” do not want to learn the lore like:

“don’t bother with anyone with lemmygrad after their name”

“Block these communities on day one”

“Be sure to pick an instance that you researched aligns with your moderation tolerances”

If you have to do setup stuff, many folks are already out. Someone may see that as a feature, but I don’t see Lemmy growing much more with that “feature”.

So if you’re happy with the size of things, mission accomplished. If you want to discuss “how to grow Lemmy” well, the above topics need to be addressed.

Hey you’re doing the thing

Of course but the count is to discuss pronoun use

Between Biden and trump we are in a new era.

Similarly McConnell holding up supreme court nominee hearings for months, the way he did represents the erosion of another “gentleman’s agreement” between the branches of government.

There’s also a branding problem IF you want “normie” widespread adoption.

If the go to image of a Linux user is the fedora m’lady guy saying “so that’s you’re distro,huh”

Or the furry tallsocks wall of text customize to the n-th degree person,

The normie will never align.

You might like that, from a social perspective, but even saying “your knowledge is outdated” is funny because most folks have little to no knowledge of their Mac either, they just know it “just works” for their mainline usage.

“where did Jack leave the forklift”

“HE left it in the warehouse”

No one does the following

“Where did JACK leave the forklift?”

“Jack left the forklift in the warehouse”

The problem is if you go by “she”, the first phrasing is hurtful. But it isn’t common to pop back the person’s name in a reply sentence.

Even more clear is:

“Where did they leave the forklift”

“He left it in the warehouse”

Mind, it may well not be intentional, but a non binary person is made uncomfortable by being misgendered, so in a welcoming and safe workspace they’d want to ask “hey so I actually use she/her, can you please use those in regards to me?”

But in an unsafe or unwelcoming workspace they would either be shamed/retaliated against for that, or (in the case of government offices now) forced to not ask in the first place.

We be prosperin.

Flation be gone

In a perfect system, the pardon is meant to be a “check” on the powers of the other branches. (Legislative and judicial). Each branch is meant to both support AND check the others.

Obviously we are watching it all unwind. Certain things were a “gentleman’s agreement” in that a president normally wouldn’t over do it and just pardon tons of people. We are finding out lots of things were just assumed to be ok, but are easily abused by bad actors