Well, in large swaths of the country, women are literally being denied their basic human rights, such as the right to make decisions about their health care. That’s much fucking worse.
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Access to abortion is the only issue where one could make an argument that progressives have lost some ground in the past 35 years. I get it; to many, that’s not a small thing. But for myself and, probably, AnthonyC, Cory’s statement that “35 years later, even more ground has been lost” seems specious at best. Progressive ideology has had a 50 year winning streak in every aspect of the culture, and only seems to be accelerating. I’m not arguing whether that’s good, bad or indifferent, only that it’s a fact. To claim otherwise, as Cory seems to do, smacks of persecution syndrome, the same as a Christian complaining about the war on Christmas. It just ain’t true.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) there was a lack of seriousness in my post. But it’s an interesting idea right?
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The Postman was a very hopeful novel, for post-apocalyptic literature. Civilized society no longer existed, but one guy convinced just about everyone he met that it did. I only wish I had that much faith in civilization.
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No. It is not. Look at the serious issues facing public education, from K through to college. Public schools are MORE segregated now than in the 90s. Look at how the LBGQT+ community is coming under attack. Look at how women speak out against sexual assault are still being put through the ringer. Wage stagnation. The minuscule number of unions members the private sector, thanks in part to the shift to service work. The proliferation of right work laws. Endless deregulation that has started to reverse all the hard work of the EPA and on worker protections. High rates of medical debt for people who can’t afford proper health care. Wage and wealth inequality are at an all time high.
Things have been getting worse since the 90s.
Maybe it’s okay for YOU, but YOU are not the ONLY person in the world. For many, MANY other people, things are measurable worse. maybe things are fucking hunky dory for you, but don’t tell me it’s better when I have eyes to see what’s happening the world, when I have a life where public policy has shaped any number of aspects of MY life in ways that have NOT been more freeing for ME as an individual.
Even if I was only talking about women’s HUMAN FUCKING RIGHTS, that should be enough for you to care and to be concerned. If you think they’ll stop at taking away rights from me, my daughter and other women, then you need to wake up and look around you. All our rights are deeply interconnected and if mine are vulnerable, you better fucking believe that yours are too.
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i see @Mindysan33 covered the majority of what i was going to say in response to your comment but i find it amazing that you seem so insulated from the reality of what has been going on around this country over this 50 year “winning streak” you talk about. i mean, i live in texas where the day after the obergefell decision a gay couple could get married and then, because they publicly outed themselves to the world, they could be evicted for being gay and losing their jobs for being gay because it’s perfectly legal to discriminate against gays in texas. what kind of a bubble do you live in to be so unaware of reality?
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What would you have the government do that it already hasn’t?
Look at how the LBGQT+ community is coming under attack.
All I see are gains in LBGQT+ rights. I think that’s a good thing. Are 100% of people on board with all of it? Of course not, 100% of people are never on board with anything. Seriously, what aspect of LBGQT+ rights has gotten worse in the past 50 years?
Women are speaking out more, and are being heard more, than ever before. There’s still a long way to go, but are you saying it’s worse than it was 50 years ago?
I agree with you there, this has gotten worse, even as unemployment is at records lows. I admit I wasn’t thinking about economic issues with regards to Atwood’s new book and Cory’s claims, but I agree, I should have been.
Even so, I don’t see how things in general are worse than 50 years ago. In almost every aspect, they are better. Much of the pushback you mention is due to the ever increasing visibility of the communities and issues in question here, which were in the past either hidden, persecuted, or both. With visibility comes conflict, but the arc of the past 50 years is very much in favor of the previously marginalized. Again, there’s still a long way to go, but I just can’t agree that ground has been lost in the past 50 years.
You have no idea what my situation is.
Well, the federal government actually policing states that have a history of segregation in education better would help.
I think I forgot about the recent gutting of the Voting rights act (ending preclearance WILL be a disaster going forward)… and yes, there is very much a strong desire to discriminate against certain communities over others. It’s not coincidence that the longest lines and the biggest problems with voting machines are IN communities of color.
We’ll see what this SC season brings with regards to protections. They have already said that a for-profit company can now discriminate against LBGQT+.
And we still are shut down and harassed in a million different ways, paid less, have more to do at home and at work, and did I mentioned we are still paid less. For the same work on average.
OH. I can’t get fired for getting pregnant now, so I should STFU! Got it! Thanks! Glad you care about my rights so very fucking much.
These impact working class communities of color and women more than white men.
You really think we can’t keep improving things if they are better now? WTF, man.
Much as you have no clue what we’re going through either. So we’d really appreciate it when we bring these issues up you don’t assume that because it’s not like it was 50 years ago, that we have nothing to struggle against.
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I never said that. My initial disagreement was Cory’s statement that we’ve lost ground in the past 50 years. I disagree, progressive causes have advanced greatly in that time. Is there still work to be done? Of course, I never said there wasn’t, nor never said people should STFU.
We have lost ground in the last 30 years at least. Things are indeed measurably worse for many of us. I’m sorry you don’t believe us when we tell you that.
[ETA] I would also argue, with regards to the economy (the very thing you agree with me on) that started in the early 70s (stagflation and eventually wage stagnation that we’ve seen since). That led directly to the Reagan’s election and to him going on a deregulation spree (and endless tax cuts, which has created the current deficit issue). So, on the issue that YOU agree with me, on, @doctorow is most certainly on the mark. The current shift to greater inequality and wage stagnation starts back then and led to all the problems I listed above, which reinforced the ability of the Moral Majority/Christian right to go on the offensive over my rights and blame feminists, civil rights activists, and LBGQT activists for our current woes. So… yeah. I agree with Cory. 50 years sounds about right to me.
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I meant 30 years, based on Cory’s quote. I’ll take your word that things for you are worse now than they would have been 30 years ago. I honestly can’t see how, culturally. Economically, I agree, things are way more uncertain these days, for everybody.
I told you how.
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“Your situation” isn’t relevant, unless you personally can get pregnant.
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I’m aware that conflict makes a good story, and therefore a utopia, almost by definition, is a lousy setting for a story. I was thinking more in terms of stories set at various stages of achieving sone kind of utopia or other, with the ending of the story coinciding with “everyone has all the food, living space, social skills and existential fulfillment they need”.
In other words, “Hopepunk”.
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My faith doesn’t scale up to the civilizationn level very well, perhaps because there is little or no persuasive evidence for a rational assessment of humanity’s future.
On the other hand, I often get good results by placing faith in my future, and that of my family and friends. I know myself and my people pretty well, so it’s relatively easy to buttress faith with reason.
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I love it, and have added it to the Gnomon Chronicles:
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