i love using linkedin as it was originally intended to be used - to share posts about politics: I am so tired of the current political discourse and its inescapability. I am tired of our two party system that is objectively failing us. I am tired of being told what to think, what to say, what to believe, who to like, who to oppose, what is right, what is wrong, etc. It’s too much. The Republican Party was dismantled with the arrival of Trump and MAGA. Now the Democratic Party, of which I have been a member of my entire voting life, is being dismantled by the far left which consists of socialists, communists, and people who seem to detest the very idea of America. And I get it. Capitalism is failing people and exacerbating wealth inequality. It is leaving people behind. Our education, healthcare, and housing systems are failing people. Our leaders are failing people. The vibes are overwhelmingly negative, pushing people to the extremes and believing that the only solution is a strongman authoritarian country or one where the government embraces a version of socialism or communism. This is not the way. We need a new center—one that lifts the floor for everyone, evolves capitalism, and restores a sense of shared purpose. Capitalism has been a gift to the world and it works marvelously well. But it needs to evolve in order for our democracy to flourish. We need to turn the best ideas from the margins into policy that works for the mainstream. The only way out is through. As Garry Kasparov said, "We need to grow the pie for everyone, not dismantle the bakery." Or as the extremes would have it: have the government seize and operate the bakery and allocate everyone a fixed piece of pie, or detain or deport the immigrant baker. I constantly find myself lamenting Trump and the rise of MAGA on the right or fearing the rise of socialism, communism and antisemitism on the left. I get angry about it. The anger is all consuming. And I end up spending more time stewing in it than thinking about a positive path forward. I believe a lot of people feel that way, too. It sucks. I am trying to change that. I also believe that an overwhelming majority of the country has no political home. We are governed by the extremes of each party, and those extremes, while they are ironically much more similar to one another than dissimilar, are splintering the USA and compromising our ability to create a better future for everyone. And with the emergence of all this turmoil, I have never felt more patriotic than I do today. I love this country. It’s a big mess, but it is our mess. And I know our future can be bright. You can read the rest of this post through the link I shared in the comments...
Is there a CTA for this
Great points. I read your blog too, definitely on board with lifting the floor. Without capitalism, it’s hard to motivate people to build things that move society forward. But unchecked capitalism with no safety net or guardrails eventually leads to anarchy. If people feel like their basic needs aren’t being met, they have no reason to play by the rules or participate. So… how do we build a new party?
Well said Jared. The only thing is that we need leaders and organization for this… sadly don’t see many people lining up to lead this way… How can we start ?
At the risk of being downvoted (not reddit, I know)... I don't think the Democratic party is being dismantled. I also don't think it is filled with ppl who hate the idea of America. I just think they are filled with people who are very militant about 1. Social issues that don't go anywhere and 2. Countering the old capitalism that has landed us in this state (of which the Clinton Democrats were the culprit). Democrats are lost in #1 when #2 should be heavily focused on. Politics is also everywhere because the current format has turned into entertainment. It is meant to stoke anger and division and not solve problems. 24hr news cycle bait clicks allow no nuisance or subtlety and encourage bias. The one person who I saw actively solved problems was drummed out because of his age displayed on camera. We have to keep the faith, or what else is left?
As a Latino, I feel compelled to point out that only one political party is advocating for the deportation of 10+ million Latinos and holding space for violence on the other fifty million of us. That said, I basically agree with you, but I question if you're aware that your six bullet points in your post basically read like democratic socialism, of which I am not even an advocate. I am also deeply concerned by anti-semitism in this country. And I think the left hasn't squared up with that and their failure is abysmal in that and other regards. I do think there is a disconnect, in another vein, however, from the academic humanities and social sciences and tech culture that is really stark when I go on linkedin vs bluesky. Below there is a question from another professor on "how do we start" and I feel compelled to say there are many salient civic organizations with great track records and almost no partisan advocacy that are working in the center. most of these are found in your local community - getting people registered to vote for example. knocking on doors. going to your local party precinct committee meeting.
I really appreciate this perspective Jared and agree wholeheartedly with your diagnosis. We need leadership that inspires hope, and we need effective middle of the road political leadership that builds on what we already know works. We don't need the cynical us vs. them polarization that has pervaded the media landscape lately. That said, it is a bit dissonant to hear this perspective from someone in your position. I know you weren't there at the time, but your firm made massive profits off of the polarization of the media environment you mention. (Twitter -> polarization). And the ripple effects of that polarization have been catastrophic from my perspective. How can citizens or voters trust business leaders when it seems that they often put their own profits in front of the collective good? And how do we incentivize business leaders to put the collective good in front of their own profits?
Well said Jared Hecht...run for office. you got my vote
Jared, your call for evolving capitalism resonates deeply. There are actually many groups and communities working on exactly this challenge - envisioning what comes after our current system while avoiding the extremes you describe. One example is One Project (https://oneproject.org/), which is exploring practical pathways to a more equitable future that doesn't require dismantling everything that works. They're part of a growing movement of people who believe we can transform our economic system without falling into authoritarianism or old-style socialism. For anyone in this thread who's tired of the anger and wants to engage with real solutions, I'd love to connect and share more about these emerging possibilities. The future doesn't have to be a choice between extremes - there are people building the middle path right now. Feel free to message me if you're curious to learn more.
Important to delineate "democratic socialism" as distinct from socialism and communism (and not "mccarthy" democratic socialists). Democratic Socialism exists very successfully in many places... as per the UN’s World Happiness Report, all the top ranked countries are democratic, capitalist, and socially oriented (Finland 🇫🇮, Denmark 🇩🇰, Norway 🇳🇴, Sweden 🇸🇪, Iceland 🇮🇸, Netherlands 🇳🇱, New Zealand 🇳🇿, Canada 🇨🇦, Switzerland 🇨🇭)
investor at union square ventures
1whttps://jared.xyz/a-better-way