• Zorque
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      311 months ago

      Except the two party system pits two opposing sides against each other, inevitably leading to them pointing fingers at each other to rile their base and get votes. The extremism comes from frustration, yes, but it is stoked by the “us vs them” mentality that politicians abuse to trick their constituents into voting for them instead of “the other guy”.

      • @whenigrowup356@lemmy.world
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        1011 months ago

        Right wing extremism is a global problem and is manifesting even in parliamentary multi-party systems, though. All they need is a scapegoat to rally around and they’re good to go. Look at anti-immigrant movements in Europe as an example.

        Fighting about things is going to happen in any political system.

        • Zorque
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          111 months ago

          Just because something exists doesn’t mean it exists in the same way. Yes, there is finger pointing and extremism, but not in the same way as the US. And in many situations they’ve devolved into two parties bickering, while any other parties are just coalition bait. The UK is a prime example of that.

    • @dx1@lemmy.world
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      211 months ago

      America could of easily slipped into a fascist Nazi style state. Thankfully we got the greatest president the country has ever seen instead.

      That reads a little funny, doesn’t it…

    • Flying Squid
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      111 months ago

      Thankfully we got the greatest president the country has ever seen instead.

      I hope not. FDR did a lot of great things, but he was also a racist who didn’t give the same benefits to non-white people as white people and, of course, was responsible for the shameful Japanese-American concentration camps.

      If that’s the greatest president, we have never had any hope.

      • @Astroturfed@lemmy.world
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        811 months ago

        Objectively, almost every president is a piece of shit and you need to judge them by the merits of their time. Almost every white dude alive in America was a racist shit bag by today’s standards. FDR accomplished a ton, and it was all for the common man. Please, tell me who you think was a better president?

        • Flying Squid
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          -811 months ago

          I don’t know, any number of the ones who didn’t commit genocide? Or do I need to ignore that because of the antiquated time period of… *checks notes* 80 years ago?

          • @DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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            11 months ago

            FDR didn’t commit genocide. The Japanese internments were a national shame but were not genocidal in nature.

            He is only guilty of it you count segregation itself, which he didn’t start and couldn’t stop, though the New Deal coalition he assembled would evolve and become key to the growing Civil Rights movement even if the New Deal itself wasn’t as fair to black people as it should have been, like everything else in America.

            I personally would choose Lincoln as number one but FDR is definitely a contender for best. Certainly better than you should have expected from a segregation-era liberal.

              • Not that either. A grave injustice that could very easily have become such, one that corrupt local officials certainly abused, but there were no death marches, no mass executions, and no cultural extermination.

                Misuse of the term genocide dilutes the impact of the accusation, and you should just be generally careful of trying to tear down one of the few presidents who tried to make things better for… Well, anyone. We haven’t really had one since before Reagan that did more than talk a good game and then stab labor in the back.

                  • When they say “with the intent of making a region ethnically homogeneous” they do that by actually removing the people from the region instead of forcing them into camps in the region and then letting them out again.

                    That and, you know, mass murder.

            • Flying Squid
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              -111 months ago

              I didn’t really want to get into an argument about another president when we were talking about this one, but if you agree not to argue with me about that president, I’ll name one. Otherwise, forget it. I don’t want to get into two arguments in the same thread.

              • @hypelightfly@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                Doubling down I see. It’s an opinion and while I may not agree with whoever you think is the best president you can’t really be wrong.

                I’m just annoyed at people who rant about other peoples opinions but refuse to offer their own when asked. You aren’t arguing in good faith here.

                For the record I don’t think FDR was the best president but I also disagree with some of your characterizations.

                • Flying Squid
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                  111 months ago

                  Fine. Jimmy Carter. But I’m not interested in discussing why with you, especially considering your attitude.

                  • @hypelightfly@lemmy.world
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                    111 months ago

                    See, that wasn’t so hard and I actually agree with you too. Now why couldn’t you have given the other user the curtesy of answering their question and having a discussion in good faith instead of ranting about their opinion without addressing anything they said?

          • @Astroturfed@lemmy.world
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            211 months ago

            So, you think be cause 80 years doesn’t sound like long enough people weren’t that bad? That’s a really silly argument. 80 years ago they strung black people up from trees for looking at a white woman too long in half the country. This kind of mentality is why we gloss over the huge portion of the country that is still seriously racist. There’s plenty of people alive TODAY that protested integration.

            • Flying Squid
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              -111 months ago

              I’m saying maybe we shouldn’t judge ethnic cleansing by the “merits of the time.”

      • @Eldritch@lemmy.world
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        211 months ago

        That. And when he caught fascists scheming in the Republican party. Instead of investigating and rooting them out. He merely threatened to do it if they blocked his legislation. So in the short term he got his legislation through. And in the long term got it gutted and neutered, saddling us with a now fully fascist Republican party. Thanks FDR.

        He did some short sighted good. But that posturing and playing fast and loose screwed us all over.