Texas Has the Fewest Personal Freedoms

Salamendacious@lemmy.world to politics @lemmy.world – 895 points –
Texas has the fewest personal freedoms
newsweek.com

Texas was found to be the state with the fewest personal freedoms, according to the Cato Institute's new Freedom Index.

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Only way they'll get any back any time soon is through legislation on the national level.

But since Texas' problems are Red State Problems, Democrats don't give a shit on the national level.

It's why cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. It's why the federal minimum wage wasn't increased. It's why Democrats didn't bother to codify Roe. If it's a Red State Problem, it's not a problem. It's "got mine, fuck you" writ large.

And when everyone who can leave states like Texas does, it will cement Republican majorities in those states. It will make it harder for Democrats to get majorities at the national level. When the same backwards legislation that is just a Red State Problem that Democrats can't be bothered with right now is imposed on blue states, Why shouldn't I do what Democrats in blue states do when people who can't flee red states suffer under Republican policy? Why shouldn't I laugh and act like they deserve it?

But since Texas' problems are Red State Problems, Democrats don't give a shit on the national level.

It's why cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. It's why the federal minimum wage wasn't increased. It's why Democrats didn't bother to codify Roe. If it's a Red State Problem, it's not a problem. It's "got mine, fuck you" writ large.

You’re right that there need to be laws at the federal level, but you’re completely incorrect about democrats not giving a shit about passing legislation. The reality is that there aren’t enough votes to pass any of the legislation you mentioned in the House or the Senate, and the people who are blocking the progress are Republicans.

For example, the Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would massively raise the minimum wage over the next few years. Every single sponsor of the bill is a Democrat. It will not pass because Republicans will probably kill it in committee before it ever gets to a vote.

On abortion, Democrats have been trying to codify protections into law since 2013. Each time, the bills have been killed by Republicans.

The reality is that there aren’t enough votes to pass any of the legislation you mentioned in the House or the Senate, and the people who are blocking the progress are Republicans.

They had majorities in both houses and found excuses to not do it.

For example, the Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would massively raise the minimum wage over the next few years. Every single sponsor of the bill is a Democrat. It will not pass because Republicans will probably kill it in committee before it ever gets to a vote.

They can introduce things they have no intention of ever passing as much as they want. When they get a majority, they'll find the no votes if they reintroduce it at all.

Passing just about anything in the Senate requires 60 votes (a filibuster-proof majority). They currently have 50 members. No Republicans would ever vote for anything that would be perceived as a Democratic victory. Saying that 50<60 is not making excuses, it’s just basic math.

Passing just about anything in the Senate requires 60 votes (a filibuster-proof majority). They currently have 50 members.

They could have done away with the filibuster forever with just 50 votes, but preferred their excuse for inaction to women's rights, workers' wages, and lessening the impact of the racist war on drugs.

Tell us your suggestions for how to address this.

Next time Democrats have a majority, they need to act with the same unity they demand of their voters. None of this rotating villain shit. None of this "we split the bill into the one we like and the one we ran on but don't want to pass" garbage. If the party bills itself as wanting to accomplish something, then gets in its own way, all that tells me is that they were lying about wanting to accomplish it.

Do you understand the basics about the US Senate? Because it seems as if you do not.

Standard centrist gaslighting. Yes, I'm aware of how the Senate works.

If you're going to bring up the filibuster in response, you don't know how the Senate works. Or you like how it currently doesn't.

Republicans: make life shit.

Democrats: fail to stop it.

People: why would the Democrats do this to us?

Well, it's beyond local Democrats in some red states now. Their voters are leaving for other states. If Democrats don't act on the national level while they still can, the trend will continue until it's too late.

Take it seriously or don't. It can get as bad for your state as it is for mine. Republicans aren't hesitant to legislate at the federal level.

Tldr; federalism was an evil long con created by time travelling Democrats

When Republican policies that you don't do anything about now are implemented nationwide and it's too late for you to do anything about it, I'll probably never stop saying I told you so.

And I'll remind you federalism is by design and democrats didn't create it

That doesn't mean they have to do nothing about Red State Problems. Federalism isn't an excuse for letting fascism flourish just because it hasn't spread to your state yet.

Unless you're a Democrat. Then fuck red states, those worthless flyover people deserve it.

This is unadulterated bullshit

I suppose we'll see if my predictions hold true.

Until then, enjoy watching people who can't leave red states suffer.

All one needs to know to sniff out your bullshit is how the aca went down

Oh, you mean how red states decided to opt out of medicare expansion out of spite, and how that was a Red State Problem? How democrats got a majority and didn't even try to fix the bug that let red states do that?

Do tell.

You seem real mad that people are able to govern themselves.

We might even agree on what direction things should go, but your refusal to acknowledge local responsibility for local laws makes it difficult to take you seriously.

I get that you want Democrats to save you from your local Republicans, but that isn't really how the country (or the world) works.

You seem real mad that people are able to govern themselves.

I'm real mad that the only time Democrats show an interest in my state, it's because a progressive is running against a centrist and they want to make sure the centrist wins.

I get that you want Democrats to save you from your local Republicans, but that isn’t really how the country (or the world) works.

Cool. When Democrats have fled the red states and can no longer get a majority in the Senate, the same problems you're happy to ignore because they're limited to the borders of my state and those like it? Those will be implemented nationwide. It'll be too late for all of us then.

Enjoy watching the suffering of poor people in flyover country until then.

No matter how much you hate Democrats, no one outside of trumpets will be able to take you seriously until you recognize how the American government is fundamentally structured... in a way where Republicans are free to obstruct everything ever. You and I both know that is what happens currently

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Yes, the one which was the only significant effort to improve American healthcare ever. The one the dreaded democrats tried to make better and Republicans destroyed. Yes, that one. Thanks for recognizing that

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Thank you for that. I feel bad for we who live in red states and can’t afford to leave, but you brought up a perspective I’d not before considered. Not the voting part, but yes, d/r, good/bad fash still a fash. Afab.

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