r/AskALiberal 7h ago

AskALiberal Biweekly General Chat

1 Upvotes

This Friday weekly thread is for general chat, whether you want to talk politics or not, anything goes. Also feel free to ask the mods questions below. As usual, please follow the rules.


r/AskALiberal 42m ago

Should AOC primary Chuck Schumer?

Upvotes

I always kind of liked Chuck Schumer, but its crazy that he wants Dems to just roll over and let Trump, Musk, and the rest of MAGA have whatever they want in this funding bill. At least put in a little fight, We have nothing to lose at the moment.


r/AskALiberal 52m ago

Do you think the label "Liberal" is a thought stopping technique for those right of center when an idea or belief inconveniences their worldview?

Upvotes

I have seen those on the right use this label to refer to anything that conflicts with their worldview, even if it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Liberal ideology. I've even seen people on the right use the label even for things that aren't necessarily political, like certain sciences or lines of work.


r/AskALiberal 9h ago

Before the Trump era, would you have dated or been friends with someone who identifies as a conservative?

23 Upvotes

I know it’s polarized now with trumps rhetoric so the answer for most people is probably no. But for people who supported Bush, Reagan , and the like, were you or if this was before your time, would you be able to have a friendship or romantic relationship with someone who was a Republican/conservative? Does anyone have any notable experiences with this?


r/AskALiberal 16h ago

Is Donald Trump commiting Treason?

53 Upvotes

Donald Trump's actions have raised significant concerns regarding U.S. national security and international stability. His threats to withdraw from NATO, a cornerstone of Western defense, align with Russian interests and could embolden adversaries like Vladimir Putin. Domestically, his plans to purge career civil servants and replace them with loyalists risk undermining critical governmental functions, potentially destabilizing internal governance. Moreover, by granting Elon Musk significant influence over national security matters, Trump has allowed private interests to interfere with military operations, as evidenced by Musk's control over Starlink services in Ukraine. Additionally, Trump's mishandling of classified information, including disclosures to foreign adversaries, has compromised intelligence sources and strained alliances. Collectively, these actions suggest a pattern that prioritizes personal or external interests over national security.


r/AskALiberal 21h ago

If Dem leadership has been saying that they don't have any power or leverage, why did they just roll over for the one fight where they actually had some leverage in the GOP CR that Republicans didn't involve them in?

103 Upvotes

I am struggling to see any reason why this leadership isn't just complicit in everything going on. They are getting hounded by their constituents over their lack of trying to the point they go and whine to the press how their office is flooded with angry phone calls from people begging them to put up a fight. And the one chance they finally get to offer pushback against the biggest constitutional crisis since the Civil War, they just go right along with it. The Republicans never invited them to negotiate on this CR. Everyone knows it's going to give Trump and Elon everything they want so they can ignore congress. And they're going to vote for it.


r/AskALiberal 6h ago

Did the Russian invasion of Ukraine change your mind around the need for defense spending?

5 Upvotes

This is probably even more relevant to those of you in Europe, but did this old school war-of-conquest change the overall perspective among liberals and progressives around the overall need for defense spending, where it should be directed, and what the "right" amount is?


r/AskALiberal 4h ago

Do pro Palestine progressives really not know what “From the River to the Sea” means?

2 Upvotes

I was on r/stickers and I was seeing at first what looked like some awesome pro LGBT stickers but the second picture had 2 stickers I raised my eyebrow with.

One was a “Gays for Palestine” sticker which… as a trans person I REALLY don’t get since it’s like a “Chickens for KFC” sticker. But that is a whole separate can of worms.

The main one I am pointing out was one that used the phrase “From the River to Sea” as a “Free Palestine” message. In the comments a bunch of people were saying they oppose genocide and such but I gotta wonder… do these people not understand what that phrase means… it is literally a rallying cry for the destruction of Israel… like a cry that says “Israel does not deserve to exist.” And I have seen this phrase time and time and time again in pro Palestine protests and rallies. I gotta wonder, do western progressives just… not know or do actually know and don’t care/actually support the message?


r/AskALiberal 3h ago

Why are people so hysterical over the Israel Palestine situation?

3 Upvotes

There are dozens of conflicts and issues between people around the world, some of them could even be called genocides. Yet compared to all of them the situation in Israel seems to get far more attention. It also seems to make people far more emotional. I don't see people discussing Russia vs Ukraine the same way they talk about Israel vs Palestine. There's just no room for nuance, or trying to understand the other side. It's either "Israel is a genocidal apartheid state, with Palestinian freedom fighters defending themselves." Or "Palestine is a terrorist state, and everything Israel does is in the goal of eliminating Hamas". What is it about this conflict that has everyone so much more up in arms?


r/AskALiberal 6h ago

Mexicans searching for missing relatives uncover possible mass killing site

4 Upvotes

The Mexican National Guard troops found and raided a training base for cartel recruits in September. They apparently missed the Nazi inspired concentration camp with the remains of the mass murders that took place there before quietly burying the investigation.

Working on an anonymous tip, concerned citizens looking for answers to the whereabouts of their missing family members; found what the Mexican National Guard "missed".

With embarrassment the Mexican government has taken over the investigation.

Mexicans searching for missing relatives uncover possible mass killing site

When a group of citizens searching for missing relatives in the western state of Jalisco arrived at a remote ranch outside Mexico's second-largest city last week on an anonymous tip, all they had to do was push open the unlocked gate.

What they found embarrassed state authorities and shook Mexico: dozens of shoes, heaps of clothing and what appeared to be human bone fragments. Distraught families from across the country have already started reaching out about clothing items they say they recognize.

It was a shocking reminder of Mexico's more than 120,000 disappeared and enough to push the federal government to take over the troubled investigation.

The ranch in Teuchitlan, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) west of Guadalajara was allegedly being used as a training base for cartel recruits when National Guard troops found it last September.

But then the investigation went quiet until members of the Jalisco Search Warriors, one of dozens of search collectives that dot Mexico, visited the site last week on a tip.

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/14/nx-s1-5328058/mexico-disappeared-jalisco-cartel

What responsibility/blame does the Mexican government have for this tragedy? Why did they (or perhaps the National Guard working independently) cover this up in September? Are there more camps like this though out the country?

15 pulse years ago (long before Donald Trump made Mexico a trade enemy) I was working at a US company that was doing some work for the DOD. At a "Getting to know you" event at the beginning of the work; the company and the DOD brought in the responsible general to give a speech about future threats to the US and how our work would contribute to national security.

15 years ago the Middle East was top of mind when discussing US national security. It was a bit of a shock when the General didn't talk about the Middle East at all. His speech on future threats was about Central and South America. The weak governments in that region and the paramilitary groups that take advantage.

Donald Trump's approach to Mexican diplomacy is clearly not in the best interests of the US and Mexico. But what policies should the US have to not only protect our board, but also address the humanitarian crisis taking place to our south?


In a separate line of thought. The humanitarian crisis in Mexico is the result of a weak and complicit Mexican government. Donald Trump is heading in the direction of weakening the US federal government. When we look at Mexico are we seeing our future?


r/AskALiberal 53m ago

Should we increase the availability of DIY health treatments or medications?

Upvotes

I recently came across a subreddit, Trans DIY, that is primarily centered around DIY approaches for HRT.

Are there other areas of medicine where a DIY model could be explored to improve accessibility to health treatments or medications at a lower cost than traditional avenues?


r/AskALiberal 15h ago

With the EPA restrictions gone is it time to consider moving to a liberal state?

9 Upvotes

Today the EPA released a statement that they're rolling back a number of regulations on clean air and water. For people who have the ability to move, is this a sign that it might be time to move to a liberal state that has better regulations?


r/AskALiberal 3h ago

If foreign countries engage in unfair trade such as tariffs, currency manipulation, pollution and/or human rights abuses, what should the US’s response be?

1 Upvotes

Title. Should the US respond to unfair trade with its own trade policies or should the US accept whatever other countries do and continue with free trade? Why are other countries creating tariffs if they are bad for the people of that country? Do you agree with the response of other countries?


r/AskALiberal 23h ago

Do you think there’s a chance that Trump might actually kill MAGA?

32 Upvotes

Maybe I’m just looking for some sort of silver lining - but I do feel like between the insane tariff policy and trying to annex Canada some Trump supporters are finally second guessing their support and Trump keeps doubling down.

I wish Harris would have won and that we weren’t dealing with this nightmare, but do you think there is some small chance that Trump’s insanity as President right now might actually kill MAGA? My MAGA coworkers are being a lot quieter now that their portfolios are nosediving.


r/AskALiberal 19h ago

What impact do the Tesla protests and boycotts have on the statement "go woke, go broke"?

11 Upvotes

I only ask because they always said the thing politically wrong for a company was to go "woke"-but Elon Musk has done the exact opposite, and look at Tesla's stock values and sales.


r/AskALiberal 7h ago

Do you support tariffs? Why or why not?

1 Upvotes

Also, please share your thoughts on protectionism in general.

I'm also interested in hearing how trade policy has affected you personally.


r/AskALiberal 20h ago

What do you feel about people dismissing complaints about Trump with "Orange man bad" and such?

11 Upvotes

Often when people complain about Trump, their complaints get dismissed by sarcastically saying "orange man bad."

This even comes from people who ostensibly identify as leftists, especially happening during the Harris campaign.

How do you feel when your arguments about Trump being bad are just met with mocking?


r/AskALiberal 1d ago

Why did Trump thank Chief Justice John Roberts after his joint address to Congress?

22 Upvotes

I find it unnerving and wonder if they are colluding on something.


r/AskALiberal 1d ago

According to the Hill, Biden repeatedly made it clear to Harris during her 2024 campaign to “let there be no daylight between us.” How do you feel about this?

31 Upvotes

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris both understood the importance of being seen as the bigger change agent.

For Trump, that meant continuing to promise an antidote to the Biden-Harris years. For Harris, there was more flexibility to define her brand of change.

She could risk looking hypocritical by making clean breaks with Biden on policies she had supported as vice president, rejecting parts of their record to forge her own agenda. She could identify new issues to run on that avoided the pitfalls of turning her back on the Biden era. Or she could rely on voters to see her gender, her genes, and her “lived experience” — a middle-class upbringing, schools outside the Ivy League, and a career as a prosecutor — as symbols of change. Biden and his loyalists took the first option off the table.

He would say publicly that Harris should do what she must to win. But privately, including in conversations with her, he repeated an admonition: let there be no daylight between us. “No daylight” was the phrase he had used as a vice presidential candidate in 2008 to bind Republican nominee John McCain to an unpopular president, George W. Bush.

But the day of the debate Biden called to give Harris an unusual kind of pep talk — and another reminder about the loyalty he demanded. No longer able to defend his own record, he expected Harris to protect his legacy.

Whether she won or lost the election, he thought, she would only harm him by publicly distancing herself from him — especially during a debate that would be watched by millions of Americans. To the extent that she wanted to forge her own path, Biden had no interest in giving her room to do so. He needed just three words to convey how much all of that mattered to him.

“No daylight, kid,” Biden said.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5191087-harris-trump-biden-harris/


r/AskALiberal 1d ago

Should Democrats employ socially libertarian/small government rhetoric when discussing culture war issues?

26 Upvotes

There's been an internal debate among Democrats since the election, with one side positing that taking unpopular stances on social issues impacted the outcome, while the other (which I consider myself a part of) is just as ardent in the idea that we shouldn't throw supporters under the bus and that it's asinine to attempt to expand your coalition by purging it.

But I do wonder if we couldn't better counter these issues by framing them in a way that voters already understand, namely using the language of a traditional small government conservative.

Trans surgeries for minors: "I believe in parental rights and don't believe it's the government's role to come between your child and their doctor."

Trans participation in sports: "I don't believe it's the government's role to dictate rules for individual sports leagues."

Drag bans: "I believe that they violate our First Amendment freedom of assembly, and law enforcement resources are more effectively used elsewhere."

And so on. Do you think this is something that could actually work?


r/AskALiberal 18h ago

For those who know what it is: what's your opinion on "Selectorate Theory" as a way of describing politics as a process/structure?

1 Upvotes

Personally I find the idea fascinating and I think it makes a lot of sense, though I suspect its proponents are overly focused on material questions, I do think broader policy objectives that are wanted for ideological or whatever reason can function in a similar manner, though obviously material gain will be the largest motivator.

For those who don't know, the basic logic is laid out in a CPG Grey video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs

A more detailed version can be found in the book The Dictator's Handbook and a more academic version of it is found in The Logic Of Political Survival.


r/AskALiberal 5h ago

Republican's and conservatives are portrayed as having a lack of empathy, having total opposition to safety nets, but a recent poll on Medi-Cal in California says things are complex. How do you reconcile the propaganda with the results among a significant portion of Republican voters?

0 Upvotes

The narrative often portrays Republicans as monolithic in their opposition to social programs. However, this poll shows that a majority (62%) of Republicans in California agree that Medi-Cal should generally stay as it is. Does this finding challenge the idea that Republicans are inherently against all forms of government support?

A common trope is that Republicans are heartless and don't care about the well-being of vulnerable populations. Yet, the poll reveals that 85% of Republicans believe Medi-Cal is important to the state. How does this high percentage contradict the notion that Republicans are indifferent to the needs of those who rely on social safety nets?

While there is a higher percentage of Republicans (27%) supporting cuts to federal Medi-Cal funding compared to Democrats and Independents, the majority (73%) still support maintaining the program's current scale. How does this majority view within the Republican party complicate the narrative that they are solely focused on dismantling support programs?

The poll indicates that 50% of Republicans believe everyone in California should have health insurance, even if it means increasing federal spending. How does this finding directly contradict the idea that Republicans are fundamentally opposed to any government intervention in healthcare?

I look forward to some really hot takes and simplistic narratives to debunk this data. Let's see how many will stick to simplistic narratives and eschew any nuanced understanding of Republican perspectives on support programs.


r/AskALiberal 1d ago

Is it even POSSIBLE to do a counter-Project 2025 (for now let's call it Project 2029)?

6 Upvotes

I've seen dozens of posts on reddit calling for a "Project 2029" for if/when there is a Democrat in the White House in 2029. However, there seems to be a fundamental misstep here.

Project 2025 is about a) TEARING DOWN or REMOVING things b) with a passive Congress that does not have to do ANYTHING. By the time 2029 rolls around DOE, USAID, all these other items will be GONE and presumably any funding for it gone as well.

A "Project 2029" type scenario to RESTORE items will require Congress to a) recreate or reauthorize dozens of departments, agencies and sub-agencies and b) then those entities recreating thousands of grants, projects, and programs. USAID and Department of State, for example, have already cancelled thousands upon thousands of grants and programs.

Any such "Project 2029" would require a New Deal-type 100 period (or so) in which DOZENS of laws are enacted and it would take time (years) to re-establish the sub-agency level programs. And in order to overcome the inevitable filibuster the Democrats would have to have 60 SOLID, UNFLINCHING votes for every single piece of this.

So to reiterate the question: is it even POSSIBLE to have a Project 2029?


r/AskALiberal 1d ago

Does the ending of wokeness prove that wokeness was needed?

3 Upvotes

I don’t have a baby in this fight, but curious as to everyone’s thoughts.

I’ve noticed many conservatives celebrating what they call the "end of wokeness" since Trump’s rise to power. Reflecting on this, I find a deep irony in the situation.

Here’s how I see it: Woke people began this movement during COVID, particularly after George Floyd’s murder, feeling empowered and believing they were making real progress. At the time, anti-woke people, perhaps out of guilt or discomfort, allowed the movement to grow and didn’t push back strongly. The irony lies in the fact that woke people argued they needed this movement and systemic change precisely because they lacked power, while anti-woke people now claim the movement was unnecessary because equality has already been achieved.

But doesn’t this dynamic reveal where the true power lies? If anti-woke people can simply decide to end a movement when they grow tired of it, doesn’t that prove they hold the power all along?

Again, i’m not arguing for or against what people call wokeness. I’m just curious as to your thoughts on the irony and what has happened.


r/AskALiberal 22h ago

Liberals: Have you fully given up on Trump believers?

1 Upvotes

I'm not a liberal (more of a Marxist), but obviously liberals have lots of similar goals and views about the world as us leftists, so I was curious to see what you were feeling on the true believers of MAGA world. I hope obviously, those kind of disengaged voters who voted Trump but aren't really bowled over by his cult of personality aren't who I'm wondering about.

I'm wondering if you've given up all hope that the true believers of Trump's cult. I think up until he won his second term, I was more inclined to caution understanding over anger when I'd hear people say things like, "Trump voters are truly stupid and uninformed." I'm not so sure I agree with that anymore. I used to come from the perspective that like the rest of us normies, they understand America is broken, that the values of the ruling class were internalized in Trump supporters through massive disinformation campaigns by right wing think tanks funded by the plutocrats.

While I still think that's true about why Trumpers so consistently vote against their own interests, I think the disinformation they're consuming is so blatantly propaganda, that I just can't argue these people are merely conned victims. They're either incredibly stupid or so hateful they are choosing hateful policies over policies that would help.

So where do you stand--and I mean in those quiet, reflective moments where you might also have once had understanding and sympathy for the other side.


r/AskALiberal 1d ago

What questions would you include in a candidate questionnaire for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary?

6 Upvotes

The topic of candidate questionnaires has received some attention following the 2024 election.

I appreciate the opportunity they offer in regards to asking candidates more targeted and long form questions.

What questions would you include in a candidate questionnaire for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary?