• Weedian [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    65
    ·
    3 days ago

    just because people may have “changed” doesn’t mean they should be anywhere near a leadership position. I don’t believe he has changed one bit but if he has why is he instantly running for senate and not volunteering at a soup kitchen or something like that

    • Hexamerous [none/use name]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      38
      ·
      3 days ago

      Really takes white guy confidence and entitlement to think he should be running anything after that. It also takes a settler mindset to “see past” all that and voting for this guy.

      • happybadger [he/him]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        48
        ·
        3 days ago

        With the judgement of the people who chose the former path and nothing done to change that. You trust someone who has a Nazi skull on them? That means they’re the baddy.

      • quarrk [he/him]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        3 days ago

        It’s not about choice but entitlement. If he’s changed, why does he think he is the right person for office? If he is truly altruistic, then it should not matter that he wants or chooses this or the other path. He would do what is best for society.

        White male leftists are supposed to figure out, through engagement with the masses (in particular those more marginalized, so basically anybody else), that nobody’s fucking asking what they have to say, or begging that they impose themselves. Sometimes you have to sit one out. You’ll survive.

    • Lussy [he/him, des/pair]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      38
      ·
      3 days ago

      The revolution needs militants, militancy, people with military experience, yes, nobody said ‘ a warcrime enjoyer with a nazi tattoo’. I didn’t ask for this, nobody asked for this

    • Dimmer06 [he/him,comrade/them]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      40
      ·
      3 days ago

      Nah he belongs in a prison for war criminals. A bloodthirsty guy like him is exactly who a revolutionary army does not want on the front lines because they’re going to hurt working people who’s support we need. Also his only experience in war is against poorly armed militias he could call airstrikes onto so I doubt he’s really all that talented of a military man.

    • Kefla [she/her, they/them]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      21
      ·
      3 days ago

      Exactly. I mean of course if you’re going to war, having people with war experience help you through common pitfalls is a benefit. I’d absolutely listen to Graham Platner’s advice/leadership if I had a gun in my hand and a gang of fash mercenaries on the horizon. But in any other context he should shut the fuck up and/or die.

      • 秦始皇帝@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        41
        ·
        3 days ago

        gang of fash mercenaries on the horizon.

        I don’t know if I’d be trusting the nazi tattoo guy in that specific instance. Maybe if it was a group of unarmed Muslim families it might be more in his area of expertise.

  • ConcreteHalloween [none/use name]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    3 days ago

    I’m frankly a bit confused about what this guy’s deal is.

    Like is he trying to do Nazi entryism into left? If he is you’d think he’d do a better job covering up all the Nazi shit he did. Is he a CIA plant? Same issue as the last one, you’d think they’d pick a dude with a cleaner resume. Is his current stated progressive views genuine and he just had some kind of epiphany? If that’s his story you’d think he’d run on that, “I used to be a violent CHUD but now I’ve seen the light!” but nah he downplays it. Does he not see any contradiction between his past actions and his current politics?

    • bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      3 days ago

      Maybe he’s just a typical liberal opportunist who is a little more honest about his fascism than most.

    • thelastaxolotl [he/him]@hexbear.netOPM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      3 days ago

      My theory is that he used to be an actual nazi, but then turned into a lib but he was ashamed of his nazi past so instead of owning up to it, he keep making up lies like he was edgy or he didnt know he got a nazi tatoo in order to save face

      • john_brown [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        18
        ·
        3 days ago

        I don’t think he’s ashamed of it because he would have gotten that death’s head removed or covered long ago if he had even the slightest shame. He’s genuinely the perfect DNC candidate, he’s a liberal who is comfortable slipping into the fascist defense of capitalism when it suits him without any ideological change or shift needed.

        • CyborgMarx [any, any]@hexbear.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          3 days ago

          He’s genuinely the perfect DNC candidate

          This really doesn’t make sense when you account for his anti-Zionist rhetoric. Why would the DNC normalize a candidate who just yesterday during a NYT interview said AIPAC money is disqualifying and US aid to Israel should be cut off completely?

          The DNC would not do that

          • Juice@midwest.social
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            10
            ·
            edit-2
            3 days ago

            Its just politics.

            Susan Collins is a literal dragon, Platner has the best run on her. Keep in mind, the DNC varies in strength and organization. I think it shows Platner’s campaign is willing to “play ball” in order to, however unlikely, make a good run at that senate seat. I’d say its more likely the DC consultant class that defines the national org (a class that is objectively on the back-foot, as the left is gaining nationally, albeit with mixed outcomes) thinks Platner is their best bet at an already extremely unlikely upset.

            I think they have a read on him that would put him closer to Fetterman in the Senate. I think Platner is kind of dumb but upsetting Collins would be hilarious. And Platner has managed to get national attention, even pretty early on. I think he’s just objectively the best odds in this race.

            But I’m not to the point of even critically supporting him. I don’t think he’s earned a goddamn thing, being a highly problematic ex military pseudo anarchist or whatever doesnt make him qualified to lead our movements. But I think part of Platner’s viability is because of a very weak bench in this race. Maine DNC clearly isn’t creating or recruiting good leadership, which is a persistant problem in many political orgs.

          • john_brown [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            9
            ·
            3 days ago

            Because he will never follow through, he’s an experiment in the new move of distancing from AIPAC while normalizing and taking funds from other Zionist orgs that are less notorious

            • CyborgMarx [any, any]@hexbear.net
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              5
              ·
              3 days ago

              It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t follow through; they would still be normalizing anti-Zionist politics and proving it’s a winning campaign strategy. The DNC and its Israeli allies would never in a million years sign off on that, they don’t want anti-Zionism to be normalized under any circumstance, let alone under the context of a Senate race

              taking funds from other Zionist orgs that are less notorious

              What are these orgs?

              • john_brown [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                3 days ago

                Then why are they backing him? Schumer endorsed. Regarding the Zionist PACs that operate as low key alternatives to AIPAC, I don’t have a list on me but I can pull up some references when I’m back at my desk later.

                • CyborgMarx [any, any]@hexbear.net
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  6
                  ·
                  3 days ago

                  Then why are they backing him?

                  They’re not backing him, he’s winning by unprecedented margins, and their zionist pet Janat Mills ate shit and dropped out, so it’s a mixture of damage control and not giving up the kayfabe and endorsing the Republican candidate. Remember, this is Maine; Schumer can’t hide there behind media noise or silence like he can in other states; it’s too small and white, the Democratic party in that state would implode. So he gave Platner a mealy-mouthed endorsement

                  Also as an irrelevant aside, Platner somehow did the impossible and transformed the r/Maine sub into an anti-Zionist hub, a US STATE SUBREDDIT, I literally said out loud, WTF? I mean if this is the DNC’s plan, I say don’t interrupt the enemy

            • CyborgMarx [any, any]@hexbear.net
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              2 days ago

              None of those people ever normalized anti-zionism or correctly articulated class as a relationship to the means of production; Platner literally did that yesterday in his NYT interview

              It’s like the spirits of the Gravel kids possessed him or something; it was bizarre

      • ConcreteHalloween [none/use name]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        3 days ago

        To what end though? Like is there a particularly vibrant leftist movement in Maine nobody told me about?

        Also seems like there’d be better candidates to do this than the guy with a straight up Nazi tattoo on his chest.

          • ConcreteHalloween [none/use name]@hexbear.net
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            2 days ago

            If that’s the case you’d think there’s be a lot more pro-Israel outlets and figures harping on this guy’s big ass Nazi tattoo.

            Yet I only ever see this guy get talked about in leftist spaces, the right doesn’t even seem to notice him. Are they waiting till if/when he’s elected to go on the attack about it?

  • goferking (he/him)@lemmy.sdf.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    3 days ago

    Again is this a critic of Maine if this is the best they can do to be a progressive or just the only one who said yes to running when asked.

  • DancingBear@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    3 days ago

    He is against funding for israel. That’s basically the only important issue this election cycle. Fuck the Israeli government and anyone who supports them in any capacity.

    • john_brown [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      3 days ago

      football-lucy

      He’ll be against funding for Israel right up until he gets elected. Just like he was opposed to wars and protested them right up until he joined the military so he could go do wars. And how he then protested the wars after he got out of the military, then signed up with Blackwater.

        • john_brown [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          15
          ·
          3 days ago

          To be fair, Platner is an old school type democrat (willing to lie). Kamala and the rest of the longterm Dems have completely abandoned even that simple conceit, they just expect us to vote for them while they sneer at policies they would have felt compelled to pretend to support a scant eight years ago.

      • DancingBear@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        2 days ago

        We’ll see, I hope he’s not a fetterman but at least he is the one speaking the truth in his district at the moment as opposed to the status quo, which is the same.