The Sweetest Thing came off as a pretty saccharine rom-com. It was more like American Pie for late-20s.

Gooood Yogi!

I was maybe around 12 or 13, I think, maybe a little younger. I had a recurring nightmare for about a month where a guy would break into the house I was in (so if I was at a sleepover, he broke into THAT house!) and started brutally killing everyone but me. Not especially unique, but the guy’s head was a perfect chrome sphere, so I could see my reflection in it along with the distorted reflections of his actions. Rough few weeks, there.

Way later, in my early 30s I think, my GF at the time was sleeping next to me, and I dreamt that I was having an argument with my mom about having to kill my GF! Weird thing was neither one of us wanted to do it, but we both agreed it had to be done and that I had to do it - no idea why. This was really strange b/c my mom is the opposite of overbearing, and never had a problem with my GF; so this nightmare version was not at all her.

“ they are granted almost unlimited credit to cover any purchase.”

This is where I feel tax policy should step in, if it hasn’t already. I get that unrealized or non liquid wealth is theoretical based on valuation. But as soon as it’s used as collateral there’s an income aspect that should be taxed. Basically, once you start using that wealth to secure loans, it’s not really “unrealized” anymore and should be taxed.

Adding that both things need to happen for the country to reverse the rightward shift. More liberals need to vote, AND the party needs to recognize, or be shown in primary elections, that they can publicly embrace more liberal stances. On or the other and we wind up with the status quo.

You’re absolutely right about the current Democratic Party, but that party’s been pulled to the right by moderates and former moderate republicans. If the country really is more liberal than our representation would indicate, as put forth by the meme, then a more progressive voting populace will eventually result in more progressive liberal party. Right now everything is skewed to the right because of the oversized influence of moderates and moderate conservatives who don’t want to vote for fascism.

It works the same way the Republicans have been steered further right while not in power. When Democrats have to worry about moderates, they move to the right. If they only have to worry about liberals, they can support and back more progressive positions. If they don’t, they are more likely to be primaried.

See also: the Tea Party takeover of the GOP which pushed them further down the path to the current fascism.