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Ironically the SCOTUS is partially responsible for why Democrats lost their edge. Citizens United. The moment that corporate cash started flowing in via PAC's, the party shifted dramatically on the Overton window. That's why there's no real "left" here in the sense like there is in France, where Union workers shut off power to wealthy communities when they threatened to raise the retirement age. Real leftist movement here has been pacified with corporate money. But now it's getting worse, look at the States that are giving corporations whatever they want. Lousiana and Alabama passed recent legislation that exempts corporations from pretty much all taxes. Like the future of the State is to become some giant company town with banned abortions, no more child labor protections, and almost no social support. It will literally be work or starve, and all the wealth-worshippers will just give a nice "thank you Daddy" any time they're whipped in hopes of climbing the corporate ladder themselves. Dreams of holding the whip.
I remember working at a large, soul-crushing advertising firm in Florida, my department lead was a guy who was in the building when I got there in the morning, and was the last to leave every day. Wife had left him, kids hardly knew him (but he were gators and drove a Corvette). I asked a long time employee why he went through all that and they said he wanted to make partner in the firm. I said I hope he gets it if he sacrificed that much, and what they said next stayed wor me since then: "Oh he'll NEVER make partner. He's more useful to them where he is. See the more he does for them in the same position, the more they know they can take without giving him that." I worked alongside another guy who never seemed to go home and was there 7 years, found out his pay was the same as mine, I'd been there 2 months. That company ended up firing me because I had to go to class, I told HR I was still in college when they hired me and even changed my schedule so I could go to the latest classes at night available. They said I wasnt being productive enough because staying an hour late every day wasnt enough for my department. Position was salary, of course. No overtime. "Right to work" States, gotta love 'em.
Anyway, before Citizens United the Democrats were the party largely funded and influenced by Unions. This administration has made definitive steps back in that direction, we'll see how that turns out.
