“If only…” Yes, we all get it and feel you 100%.
“If only Bernie were the nominee, we wouldn’t be in this position.”
You know what else?
“If people had voted for Hillary Clinton, we wouldn’t be in this position either.”
I know you’re tired of hearing lectures from people. Rest assured, so am I. At this point, either we work together, or we perish. It’s that simple.
“If only Bernie had won” = “If only Hillary had won.”
It’s the exact same argument. But with the twist of mass psychology and emotional discourse creating much of the divide. Let the record show that neither Hillary nor Bernie won the presidency.
Thumbs were on the scales in each situation. Bernie had to deal with DNC favoritism. Hillary had to deal with the Electoral College. Bernie didn’t call himself a Democrat until 2015. The DNC played favorites for that reason alone. They sheltered his career by not running a true Democrat contender in Vermont… for 26 years. He rewarded them by openly calling them a corrupt establishment. In fitting with modern trends, I’d ask you to consider that scenario before suggesting “you’ll never guess what happens next…”
If only people had voted for Bernie, we would’ve won the election. Much like how if people would have voted for Hillary Clinton, the SCOTUS wouldn’t be in jeopardy…
If only people had voted for Bernie, we would be looking at the possibility of a free college education. Much like how if people would have voted for Hillary, planned parenthood might stand a chance...
If only people had voted for Bernie, we would be looking at a real possibility of $15/hr minimum wage. Much like how if people would have just voted for Hillary, Obamacare could continue on it’s journey towards a universal health care system...
“If only,” huh?
Yeah, there’s plenty of that to go around.
If only people had voted for left-leaning candidates in down ballot races in 2010, we wouldn’t have wound up with a gridlocked congress with an 11% approval rating. It is currently full of Republicans AGAIN, and will stay that way for yet another next cycle.
If only people knew that there was a 24-year long witch hunt against Hillary Clinton, and therefore ample ammunition to wage false attack after false attack against her...
If only people informed themselves and used the power of critical thinking instead of snap judgment, they’d know the difference between truth and propaganda…
If only people knew the power of direct action instead of remorseful hindsight, we wouldn’t be looking at a Donald Trump presidency...
“If only” is a deceptively powerful phrase. If only I had won the lottery, I wouldn’t have to work for a living. If only we had voted for Al Gore, we wouldn’t have had to deal with Bush. If only things turned out my way, then I would never be able to say “told you so” when they didn’t.
Another thing you might find particularly interesting is that while Hillary cheated her way into every single position she ever held, she mysteriously failed to do that in 2008, and once again in 2016. If she were the corrupt politician some claim she was, neither of these two events would have occurred. Corrupt, truly powerful people who cheat have a way of winning over and over again. Just take a look at congress and the gerrymandered voting districts they built if you have any doubts about that.
Also, at some point we should probably discuss is that there is a difference between a Liberal and a Socialist. Right now, Liberals and Socialists need each other. Much like how there is a difference between a Conservative and a Nationalist. When they work together, Donald Trump gets elected. Instead, we took the bait of divide and conquer. And in fitting with the climate of irony; because we felt cheated by a person and a system that in the final hour… was discovered to not be cheating.
The continual conflation of things makes it impossible to tell the difference between two different things. So we say things like “both parties are the same.” This is on par with saying Formula One Racing is the exact same thing as NASCAR, and then turning around and declaring yourself an expert (or to even possess basic knowledge) on automotive racing.
“Football and Soccer are both sports, therefore they are the exact same thing.” Yes, I understand the logic here, and that there are pseudo-rational arguments you can make that indeed prove all sports are the same. Yes, I’m well aware that you would like a massive coalition of voters that lean more to the left of the spectrum. I’m also aware that until that desire is paired with an understanding that you get there one step at a time, and not all at once, then we stand zero chance of moving the dials to the left. You will stand no chance at all if you insist that your votes are incapable of making a difference, and there’s no meaningful difference when it comes to finding people to write the rules.
We’re all in this together. I did my part when I stepped into the ballot box on November 8th. Telling me “I told you so” isn’t preaching to the choir, it is creating a circular firing squad. Change comes from US first and foremost. This election isn’t the failure of people who voted for Hillary Clinton, but precisely the failure of those who did not. This is the lesson we completely failed to learn from the 2000 Election, and here we are 16 years later wondering why history has a keen habit of repeating itself.
I know that lectures are not what people want to hear at all. But a country that repeats the same mistake it did 16 years ago? That will be its own lecture, and class hasn’t even started yet.