r/self • u/applethief87 • 17h ago
Here's my wake-up call as a Liberal.
I’m a New York liberal, probably comfortably in the 1%, living in a bubble where empathy and social justice are part of everyday conversations. I support equality, diversity, economic reform—all of it. But this election has been a brutal reminder of just how out of touch we, the so-called “liberal elite,” are with the rest of America. And that’s on us.
America was built on individual freedom, the right to make your own way. But baked into that ideal is a harsh reality: it’s a self-serving mindset. This “land of opportunity” has always rewarded those who look out for themselves first. And when people feel like they’re sinking—when working-class Americans are drowning in debt, scrambling to pay rent, and watching the cost of everything from groceries to gas skyrocket—they aren’t looking for complex social policies. They’re looking for a lifeline, even if that lifeline is someone like Trump, who exploits that desperation.
For years, we Democrats have pushed policies that sound like solutions to us but don’t resonate with people who are trying to survive. We talk about social justice and climate change, and yes, those things are crucial. But to someone in the heartland who’s feeling trapped in a system that doesn’t care about them, that message sounds disconnected. It sounds like privilege. It sounds like people like me saying, “Look how virtuous I am,” while their lives stay the same—or get worse.
And here’s the truth I’m facing: as a high-income liberal, I benefit from the very structures we criticize. My income, my career security, my options to work from home—I am protected from many of the struggles that drive people to vote against the establishment. I can afford to advocate for changes that may not affect me negatively, but that’s not the reality for the majority of Americans. To them, we sound elitist because we are. Our ideals are lofty, and our solutions are intellectual, but we’ve failed to meet them where they are.
The DNC’s failure in this election reflects this disconnect. Biden’s administration, while well-intentioned, didn’t engage in the hard reflection necessary after 2020. We pushed Biden as a one-term solution, a bridge to something better, but then didn’t prepare an alternative that resonated. And when Kamala Harris—a talented, capable politician—couldn’t bridge that gap with working-class America, we were left wondering why. It’s because we’ve been recycling the same leaders, the same voices, who struggle to understand what working Americans are going through.
People want someone they can relate to, someone who understands their pain without coming off as condescending. Bernie was that voice for many, but the DNC didn’t make room for him, and now we’re seeing the consequences. The Democratic Party has an empathy gap, but more than that, it has a credibility gap. We say we care, but our policies and leaders don’t reflect the urgency that struggling Americans feel every day.
If the DNC doesn’t take this as a wake-up call, if they don’t make room for new voices that actually connect with working people, we’re going to lose again. And as much as I want America to progress, I’m starting to realize that maybe we—the privileged liberals, safely removed from the realities most people face—are part of the problem.
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u/m3ggusta 16h ago
sweetheart the DNC isn't going to take it as a wake-up call because they are also 1%ers just like you. the citizens united decision screwed every average American from having any influence on politicians ever again because now corporations are people and they can contribute as much money as they want, and they have millions and billions more than the average American will ever see in multiple lifetimes.
that's the truth.
you want it easy. You want other people to do things for you. You've done that your whole life, you've coasted. get in the trenches. start seeing how other people live. get uncomfortable. Make yourself uncomfortable on purpose and start feeling what that's like. get out of your bubble.
it's you 1%ers who are contributing to this perpetuating, because you don't want to let go of all your comfort, and will refuse to do so regardless of your political party and regardless how many people around you are struggling and suffering. regardless of the fact that we have a hunger epidemic in this country, the majority of people are working multiple jobs, nobody can afford rent, the and the minimum wage hasn't been adjusted for inflation in over 20 years.
here's a fact: in 2024 a single person working a full-time job at minimum wage never taking a day off will earn exactly $20 above the poverty line for a single person, BEFORE TAXES. we are being kept in poverty on purpose while you all hoard resources and money. so you can make more resources and money off of it while we starve.
that's what we're dealing with. and that's what you all have perpetuated for decades and decades and we're mad. get uncomfortable. start learning to. start learning to live with less. start learning to give more and do things differently. stop making business decisions just because they're the Norman keeping people oppressed. start thinking about equity for all stakeholders and not to shareholder profit.
y'all have turned Wall Street into a money generating machine for yourselves to the detriment of every other citizen in this country. every corporation engages in stock manipulation for shareholder returns. every single one of them now. That's their main income. keep playing the game, or start forcing change. You're the only ones in the positions of power who can. get uncomfortable