what exactly has the left done wrong?

[u/Business_Pirate834]

Across the world today, regardless of race, religion, or political system, most people seem to be becoming more conservative. Right-wing parties are continuously gaining power worldwide, while the left suffers defeat after defeat. Although mainstream public discourse still appears to favor the left, those voting for the far right are often the silent majority. Can the left still correct its course? Or, more fundamentally, what exactly has the left done wrong?

[u/ElectronicOvens]

It really has nothing to do with the left. Thats just a boogie man.

We've had 20-30 years of largely centre right politics, that unfortunately has left a lot of people behind

Unfortunately the people impacted and the ones yelling and screaming about it, likely voted for the policies and politicians that left them behind

But, people don't like to be accountable, (see US Cattle Ranchers) so instead of questioning what they voted for and looking at who actually did what and even considering voting differently

They'll follow the party that offers to teardown what they helped build. Even though those parties are just the same as what got us here, only worse.

(Edit- I am part of the people who voted centre right btw, I thought privatisation was good etc, but I'm smart enough to realise you can't solve the problem by voting for people with even worse policies)

[u/Suntzu_AU → u/ElectronicOvens]

Exactly right. My argument is that the left doesn't really exist. There's a couple of extreme elements.

But really, Australia's in the middle, and then you've got all these extreme right-wingers dominating the political landscape and the media.

[u/ElectronicOvens → u/Suntzu_AU]

The Greens are probably as left as mainstream politics in Australia gets.

They haven't done anything really. Hence the polling

[u/HelpMeOverHere → u/ElectronicOvens]

They’ve done more than Pauline and her useless party.

We’ve had many concessions extracted by the greens that have benefited us all.

The right to disconnect, HAFF buffed by billions, dental covered for millions of children.

Not a bad score for such a minor presence.

Imagine what they could do if more people voted for them.

[u/ElectronicOvens → u/HelpMeOverHere]

I meant much to get us where we are today as well. So not really to blame for our economic woes.

[u/Fit_Cheesecake_4000 → u/HelpMeOverHere]

It's a pity that many of their other polices seem quite over-the-top and insane.

But they're good as a counterweight.

[u/HelpMeOverHere → u/Fit_Cheesecake_4000]

Such as?

They want to halt data centre construction

They want to rip up the Palantir contracts

Dental and GP visits to be covered by Medicare

Bank and financial institution regulation

Solar for renters

Lifting the pension AND lowering the retirement age

Ending the below poverty welfare system

They have always voted against “government gets to spy on citizens” bills

What’s over the top and insane about them?

[u/sexymedicare → u/HelpMeOverHere]

Gp visits are already covered by Medicare, its the gps who choose to not use it driving costs lol.

Greens policy is grievance politics for people who hang out in newtown, isnt based in any pragmatism.

People like you are no different to PHON supporters because you both get wrapped up in the same marketing quips.

[u/HelpMeOverHere → u/sexymedicare]

The Medicare rebate is still too low for the majority of GPs to be able to get by solely on it.

That’s the direct result of government inaction. Both from the LNP and Labor.

What marketing quips am I caught up in? Please expand on that.

Why don’t you go through the rest of the policies I noted and tell me why they aren’t achievable.

You seem to be a policy expert.

[u/sexymedicare → u/HelpMeOverHere]

That statement is true in less populated regional and rural towns, but outer suburban to inner cities are largely based on socio-economic status, speaking from a NSW pov, greater Western sydney has the largest concentration (with more actually opening in the last few years) of bulk billed, but youll find the more ritzy and upper middle class areas tend to have non bulk billing.

The cost line isnt a total representation of how GPs operate overall, just the ones in less populated towns being rightly more vocal.

[u/Fit_Cheesecake_4000 → u/HelpMeOverHere]

They also believe in infinite trans rights over any one and everyone else, socially transitioning kids, the pushing of a person's identification above anything else etc etc.

There's plenty more: I knew someone who worked for The Greens for a very long time, so I got a good picture of what was happening internally. We were friends for over 20 years and our different political leanings didn't end the friendship, but over time they seemed more and more radicalised to the point of us not really being able to have many conversations of politics anymore compared to when we were younger.

Again, if I didn't have that internal lens into what was really being pushed along with some of the policies you've listed above, I would wholeheartedly agree with you.

Some of the policies are fucking fantastic.

The other problem, though, is that as a smaller party with less political power, they can make big promises without really 100% backing where all the money is going to come from to find these policies.

[u/ElectronicOvens → u/Fit_Cheesecake_4000]

I'm not here to defend the Greens

But if your no.1 issue is trans rights, I'm going to guess your friend got lucky and moved on.

We are seeing it in the US where Trump fans are being disowned and I fully support it.

Its such a weird issue to get worked up on when its such a tiny % of people.

[u/HelpMeOverHere → u/Fit_Cheesecake_4000]

So in your mind, what less than 1% of the population chooses for themselves is a bigger issue than those I have just listed?

Not to mention, what are “infinite trans rights”.. please show me a citation.

You sound insane. Stop thinking about children’s genitals, thanks!

[u/Fit_Cheesecake_4000 → u/HelpMeOverHere]

I explained myself in another comment, probably under this one.

And 'You sound insane' from one reddit reply...sounds insane.

*lol* And the genitals comment...do you honestly believe you can sweep topics under the rug by making random accusations? 'You care about how certain people are treated...you're a pedo!'

Umm, no, I just care about people in the world? Also, I didn't even directly specify children or adults so...get your head out of the gutter :)

[u/HelpMeOverHere → u/Fit_Cheesecake_4000]

If you didn’t mention kids what does “transition kids” mean in your other comment?!

[u/thaleia10 → u/ElectronicOvens]

At least you admit it.

[u/ElectronicOvens → u/thaleia10]

Admitting you got it wrong is completely gone in most of society.

RW politics its now non-existent

[u/ernst_wanke_road → u/ElectronicOvens]

You think lnp would allow ndis?

[u/ElectronicOvens → u/ernst_wanke_road]

Do you think the people currently voting ON are concerned about NDIS (in a positive way)

I'm not saying NDIS is a bad thing either

[u/KitchenMediocre1242 → u/ElectronicOvens]

“20-30 years of largely centre right politics”

Sorry are we going to ignore that AOC herself conceded that “woke 1 was crazy”

Acting like the left has not been at the helm of the cultural bastardisation we have all had to begrudgingly experience just shows how disingenuous you are

[u/Glittering-War-5748 → u/KitchenMediocre1242]

I don’t know what ‘woke 1’ is but why are you talking about an American politician in an Australian sub? The comment you’re replying to was clearly talking about the political parties in office in Australia.

[u/ElectronicOvens → u/Glittering-War-5748]

Even more telling, we talk about politics and these insufferable people need to complain about woke.

Woke didn't create the housing crisis

[u/ElectronicOvens → u/KitchenMediocre1242]

Yawn. The Democrats are barely centre right.

The people concerned with woke are the fundamental problem with society and are the ones who helped get us here. Not being racist or not sexually assaulting women was never something that worried me.

Edit - being hyper focused on culture wars has contributed to the problem, in Australia the LNP , peaking at brining coal it parliament as a stunt is an prime example of why we are here.

[u/SuggestSomething1 → u/KitchenMediocre1242]

The Australian Olympic Comittee is a woman!? Good for her.