Liz Courtney

Business as a force for good at #bcorp @itsBBMG. Rock @DiehardNYC 🎸. Ex-hotdog entrepreneur @SnapTruck. VT via NYC & Midwest. Views are my own.

[Jason Hickel @jasonhickel]

All the takes are correct and yet they also miss the point.

Yes, it was insane for the Democrats to think they could win by running a soulless candidate, without a shred of progressive policy vision, pursuing endorsements from neocon war-hawks everybody hates, while arming and funding a genocide, and belittling and crushing those who have enough morality to protest it.  It is enraging that the Democrats are so smug and blind to this.

But these are all just symptoms.  The deeper reality is that liberalism has failed, liberalism is dead, and people urgently need to wake up to this fact and respond accordingly. It is a defunct ideology that cannot offer any meaningful solutions to our social and ecological crises and it must be abandoned.

Democrats have proven over and over again that they cannot accept even *basic* steps like public healthcare, affordable housing, and a public job guarantee - things that would dramatically improve the material, social and political conditions of the working classes. And they cannot accept a public finance strategy that would steer production away from fossil fuels and toward green transition to give us a shot at a liveable future.

Why? Because these things run against the objectives of capital accumulation. And for liberals capital is sacrosanct. They will do whatever it takes to ensure elite accumulation, it is their only consistent commitment.  At home, they suppress and demonize progressive and socialist tendencies. Abroad, they engage in endless wars and violence to suppress input prices in the global South and prevent any possibility of sovereign economic development.

The Democrats have done all this purposefully and knowingly, for my whole life, not as some kind of "mistake" but in full consciousness that it is in the interests of capital.

And because liberalism cannot address our crises, and because it crushes socialist alternatives, it inevitably paves the way for right-wing populism.  They know this pattern, and yet they risk it every time - this election being only the most recent example. They did it in 2016, when they actively crushed the Sanders campaign and sent Trump to the White House. They do it because ultimately they (and I mean the liberal ruling class here) don't really mind if fascists take power, so long as the latter too ensure the conditions for capital accumulation. They 100% prefer this to the possibility of a socialist alternative.

So, progressives have to face reality. The dream of "converting" the Democratic party is dead. This is now a fact and it must be accepted. The only option is to build a mass-based movement that can reclaim the working classes and mobilize a political vehicle that can integrate disparate progressive struggles into a unified and formidable political force and achieve substantive transformation. This will take real work, actual organizing, but it must be done and that process must begin now.

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

@SenPeterWelch How can anyone feel calm when america is funding genocide in Gaza? You need to call for a ceasefire now!

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

This is deeply concerning.

[Will Sommer @willsommer]

Media news — Amid media turmoil over the Israel-Gaza war, a new social media policy at Hearst Magazines asks staffers to tell on colleagues who post or fave controversial political content, even on their personal accounts. https://t.co/eakLZaZrtb

[Nina Turner @ninaturner]

If we can afford war, we can afford reparations.

If we can afford war, we can afford Medicare for All.

If we can afford war, we can afford universal childcare.

If we can afford war, we can afford college for all.

If we can afford war, we can afford universal basic income.

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

Want to create true environmental justice? Involve the most impacted people in the process, and compensate them. Every planner and strategist should read this. https://t.co/z2jyNAN4Z1

[BBMG @ItsBBMG]

How to fix the ugly problems in modern #philanthropy | Thank you @FastCompany for picking up our piece on Regenerative Philanthropy!

https://t.co/8B0aK0O6hQ

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

A beautiful story about food and human connection from my neck of the woods. https://t.co/46MBO5mLxe

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

This month BBMG is celebrating 20 years as a biz, and 7 years of having me on the team. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

[BBMG @ItsBBMG]

BBMG is turning 20 this month 🎉. Our founding partner, @rbemporad, reflects on the journey and shares some good advice from his dad. 👉 https://t.co/SfdPnTrWmz

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

My wifi has been down for nearly 24 hours. @starlink has no customer service. Maybe @elonmusk can replace my router? At least when my internet crashes I’m not locked inside to burn alive.

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

A Fundraiser That's Not A Drag 2022
https://t.co/dMTP0CSUTH #GivingTuesday

[BBMG @ItsBBMG]

This #GivingTuesday support HiiiWAV and help black musician-entrepreneurs with education, space, and capital they need to create timeless music and build wealth in the community. Learn more: https://t.co/cIK3Ai6ZKb

[VTDigger @vtdigger]

Vermont becomes the 1st state to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution #vtpoli https://t.co/kdtLjswphs

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

New podcast episode alert. Timely for #Midterms2022 🗳

[BBMG @ItsBBMG]

Making America safe from #gunviolence requires courage on all fronts. From voters, legislators, and brand leaders alike. On BBMG’s #podcast hear from @petermambler of @GiffordsCourage about how radical change is possible one small action at a time. https://t.co/G0RB4nZYil

[BBMG @ItsBBMG]

“Fear, guilt, and shame is antithetical to climate motivation… hope motivates people” -@MollyKawahata on the importance of reframing #seechangesummersummit @seechangesummit

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

In other #fashionnews, I just learned about the “coastal grandmother” trend, which along with “gorpcore” means I’ve never been more on-trend than I accidentally am right now.

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

As a Circular myself, and a co-author of the report, I approve of this message ✅

Thank you @recurate for the partnership 🙌

[BBMG @ItsBBMG]

Circulars both sell and buy used clothing. BBMG & @recurate's new survey suggests they’re reshaping fashion. Is your brand ready for the Circulars? https://t.co/9C5A0fnMky via @Retail_Brew

[Jacobin @jacobin]

Americans could be enjoying some of the best summer vacations on earth. But even when we do get vacation, which US employers are not required to provide at all, our current economic arrangements present many obstacles to its full enjoyment. https://t.co/ukzMf54jsc

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

@cassmarketos Stories like this make me want to riot. And we’re utterly helpless as long as money holds power. The only modicum of retaliation I’ve found is paying the bills as slowly as you can get away with in the hopes that society will crumble before you’ve paid the balance.

[BBMG @ItsBBMG]

We have an exciting #jobopening at BBMG: Finance Director. This is your opportunity to fuel our work with leaders who won’t wait on things that can’t wait.
Details at: https://t.co/UO9dsrQVaI

[Liz Courtney @partyliz]

Oh nothing, just panic-licking Cholula off my baby’s fingers before he touches his eyes. How’s your day going?