2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: The Democratic Party has proven what a gutless mess it has become [View all]Armstead
(47,803 posts)We humans are an unfathomable mix of angels and devils and whatever exists between them, i.e. humans.
Labels are handy for characterizing, but not so helpful when they create boxes that don't necessarily exist. People may start to blame the system because they are being personally screwed. But that often can be extended to recognizing that many others are also being screwed, which leads to solidarity and a form of selflessness and collective action that brings positive change.
The motivations, however, matter less than the efforts and outcomes. Most social change is a mix of self interest and collective ideals.
For example, there is a longstanding, small but growing movement called the decentralization movement, that is working to reassert local economics and political power. It grew out of a mix of social-change progressives (lefties) and basic business people and moderates who did not like to see things such as out of town developers messing up their communities, or Wal Marts killing their local businesses, etc. These coalitions are behind things like the shop local movement. It is a mix of self interest and community interest for friends and neighbors.
Those incremental changes have been going on at local; levels for many years. But there has not been national expression of them (except for lip service)) because on the national level the corporations and wealthy and powerful have too much power. In some important respects, that is what the symbolic things in national politics represents.