[trompetenaccoun]

The existence of the problem and people denying it are intrinsically linked. You see similar developments in other big cites and it's not just limited to the US either but a phenomenon all over the Western world. Look at Britain and the cover up of those horrific gang rapes for many years.

Ideology is the problem. There are many who base their worldview not on reality but rather what they wish to be true.

[joenot443]

This is precisely the problem. SF is the perfect example of a city where a singular political ideology has remained in control for decades, and what we’re witnessing now is the fallout to that. How can we ever change when it involves admitting that much of what people once championed about SF is exactly what’s killing it now?

It takes a lot to admit you were wrong, and it’s not the kind of thing I typically expect from the kind of folks well invested in ideologically driven politics.

[gjulianm]

What is the ideology? I’m asking honestly because from the perspective of an European, what the US calls “left” would usually be center or even center right here in my country.

[popularrecluse]

You'll never get a straight answer because San Francisco represents nothing more to them than a symbolic confirmation of whatever bias they already had.

They'll ignore mitigating factors that might not fit their narrative - things like the Reagan repeal of MHSA, the bussing of 'problem' citizenry from other states to SF, police 'quiet quitting', among countless others.

Truth is, there's plenty of blame to go around, but one side deals in bad faith because they like it to be this way because it makes them feel right.

[joenot443]

I gave a straight answer to the GP, it's too bad you felt the need to answer for me. It sounds like you've been in a lot of bad faith discussions around this topic, which is unfortunate and I'm sorry for. For the record, I'm a Canadian on visa, so if you were somehow reading my comment as some insidious GOP propaganda, you're sadly mistaken. In my limited opinion, both of your country's parties are broken in their own way, but in my experience living there, neither of them are as broken as the local politics in SF.

[joenot443]

Tim Urban had a great writeup the other day on exactly the ideology I'm referring to here. https://twitter.com/waitbutwhy/status/1643290285760212992

SJF is the political ideology which local governments like SF have embraced. It's one that I personally think is to blame for many of the city's problems, and I believe moderates like myself are ever so slowly being proven right on the topic.

[trompetenaccoun]

The ideology is identity politics. Anti-equality, anti rule of law. There is overlap with traditional left wing ideology but I wouldn't generally classify it as such. Thinking in terms of "left" and "right" does not help to understand political developments.

Also much of it is not grassroots - that's the first mistake many make viewing it as. If you look at both the Democratic Party as well as Republicans there are wealthy elites behind both, funding the campaigns. But their policies and demands can be extremely radical and populist, much more so than in Europe.

Would you consider it far-left or far-right to demand payment of $5 million to every "Black adult" (they don't define what that means), as well as eliminating all their debt AND having them pay no tax AND guaranteed annual income of at least $97,000 for 250 years AND a home in San Francisco for just $1 per family? Might sound insane but that's an actual proposal from San Fransisco, it's not a made-up example.

The same party has been in power for over 20 years. This is actually not so different from some places in Europe. In Berlin for example you can see a similar development, although maybe not with the same level of crime. But the trend is comparable.