Another disgusting case of Republicans using the country’s well being as a hostage to enact culture war bigotry - but it’s top-tier asshole gamesmanship, that keeps being appeased and rewarded:

• Demands suicidal internal rules that enforce a lame-duck speakership, chaos ensues.
• Demands cuts to previously agreed budgeting, largely cutting liberal spending. Tantrum rewarded, shutdown avoided
• Tries to pull the same trick in the same year, gets snubbed by establishment partisan dealings. Removes McCarthy, installs hardline Speaker.
• Demands ‘impossible’ border controls, Dems agree to deal. Trump putting Trump first like always, kills the deal so that he can wield that club in the general election. Deal avoided, everyone loses

And now this. You cannot deal with these people in good faith, this is the end result of appeasement without consequences. Realpolitik and hard power win when met with milquetoast responses, and the left continues to enable these bold plays. Fuck that, mint the stupid coin and let the court decide to tank the global economy or affirm “yes, spending bills mean spending is authorized” and put this to bed

Tories on a any% speed run to the government from Children of Men, while the left is worried about which way Kier decides to lean that afternoon

Wait, you mean the “genuine concern” for the 15yo who “might regret their decision” was total bullshit that used children as a weapon against a social group they don’t like?

The Arab Spring was kicked off by a Libyan street vendor who was so tired of paying bribes, fees, and ‘fines’ he set himself on fire instead of choosing another day at life. And enough of his countrymen saw that and said “Agreed. There’s no future anymore, let’s burn it all down and get a new government”.

The US has been in trouble for a long while - you have to wonder how long until the body politic is picked clean by capitalism and people are done with this project we call America. When all the political oxygen is consumed by the loudest fringe voices who achieve nothing of substance, while entrenching their power and prestige. There’s only two ‘viable’ parties, and they want it that way, all while we pretend with the illusion of choice.

But please, tell me how I need not give up, that all I have to do is get involved more local politics, or ‘play the game’ and throw campaign elections at my problems. Gerrymandering, dark money, DNC/RNC funding choking out 3rd party candidates, etc etc. the fix is in, and you and I aren’t in on it.