Discussion
"BoTh SiDeS tHe SaMe" 🤪
#Democrats suck in many ways but if you don't see a difference with real stakes in your own life, and marginalized communities, you're not a serious person
If you want good, rather than just better in ways that feel inadequate, that requires your participation. Standing on the sideline and judging doesn't help the world in any way. That only helps how you feel about yourself. And how you feel about yourself isn't more important than real world stakes
It matters
"All we have to do is stand up, and their game is over."
i agree wholeheartedly
which is called voting
what you call "standing up," ie, not participating, means "let the government go fascist and stand aside and let it happen": that does indeed "end the game" in terms of complete victory for fascism
but you frame this is as some sort of noble exercise, when very obviously it is working for fascism
why do you work for fascism?
thank you
when you are fighting an enemy, just as you say, you use every tactic you have
in this regard, voting is just another tool, just as you say
organizing, educating, protesting, boycotting, resisting, building community, etc: all of it is good. not in a million years do i say "only vote"
therefore, when we see people arguing for doing nothing, or doing anything *except* voting, this is a tell you're dealing with an agent provocateur or an ineffective fool
"The accident of the place of my birth is my implied consent?"
if you were born somewhere else, you would also have to participate to shape that society
or in a despotic country you do what they want and you shut up
or you're born in antarctica to penguins and life still requires you to *fucking do something* to improve your lot in the world
but you don't want to do anything. that is your only real point, dressed up in sophomoric posturing
you serve a psychological pathology of delusional alienation
the pragmatic effect of this psychology is to aid the rise of fascism. whether you do it on purpose, and hide your motivation, and think you're clever. or if you're genuinely this immature, entitled, and selfish: who knows
but the simple fact is: fascists absolutely adore you. you help them
nonvoters aid fascism
@benroyce "I refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils, because that's still voting for evil!"
Cool, cool.
My grandfather had his leg amputated because the alternative was to die from gangrene. He didn't want his leg amputated! Having a healthy leg is much better than having no leg! But he wasn't presented with a choice between "healthy leg" and "no leg." The choice was between "no leg" and "dying painfully."
He chose the lesser of two evils.
In this election, our choice is between a party that is often feckless and sometimes even reactionary but at least articulates ideals most of us can get behind, like minority rights and economic fairness, versus a party that is full-on supporting fascism, kidnapping people based on skin color, denying women and trans people their freedoms.
You don't have a choice between Social Democrats and Democrats. You have a choice between imperfect Democrats and Republican fascists.
Just as my grandfather would have died of gangrene if he had refused to make the choice altogether, our country will die of fascism if we refuse to make the choice instead of voting for the lesser of two evils. Vote. Choose less evil.
There is one thing missing in "I refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils, because that's still voting for evil!"
If the choice is between very evil and less evil, not voting is not a choice for a third option, but increases the part of the cake, very evil will get.
@Bugspriet @msbellows these nonvoters "on principle" are very immature people. they imagine sitting back and doing nothing but sanctimoniously passing judgment on ridiculous standards rather than striving in what is realistic and possible is some sort of noble sentiment. what a fucking farce. of course such perfectionist do-nothings are just masturbating their holier-than-thou ego. selfish self-regard over making a difference. they are aiding evil in their inaction. entitled, useless losers
@benroyce Worse. I think it is that mentality that rather find someone whose fault it is than getting into action. I know that getting into politics; be someone voteable, make things better ist incredible exhausting. But what is the choice @msbellows
@benroyce On D-Day, Black soldiers were right next to Jewish soldiers who were right next to Republican soldiers who were right next to Democrat soldiers who were right next to Southern racists. Know who they all pointed their rifles at?
The Nazis.
Vote like it's D-Day.
Here, I made it a shareable meme:
@msbellows @benroyce The primaries were the time for a choice between Social Democrats and Centristy Neoliberal Democrats. That time is past. Now it's as you say and sitting it out isn't a real option.
@GenXotaku1971 @benroyce Exactly! The primaries are where we choose how lefty the Democratic Party's nominees will be. Sometimes, that actually works (see: Michigan). Which means, perhaps counterintuitively, that the way lefties can move the Overton window left is by becoming MORE involved in the Democratic Party, not less!
@msbellows @GenXotaku1971 @benroyce
Just be aware that the most senior "volunteers" will be corporatists with sweet, do-nothing jobs for entities with political interests. They are not listed as a lobbyists, and they will gatekeep hard to exclude, sideline, or divide you.
MAGA became powerful by issuing terrorist threats against any "RINO" or "cuck" like this who got in their way (it is harder to get punished for terrorism if you're right-wing). Leftists who try this will get finked on, fast.
