Jane Fonda rallies disaffected young US voters: ‘Do not sit this election out’

Peter Link@lemmy.ml to politics @lemmy.world – 237 points – Jane Fonda rallies disaffected young US voters: ‘Do not sit this election out’
theguardian.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/20641619

[Excerpt on #Gaza: "If you really care about Gaza, vote to have a voice, so you can do something about it. And then, be ready to turn out into the streets, in the millions, and fight for it."]

Mark Hertsgaard
Mon 23 Sep 2024 06.00 EDT

33

i would encourage people cracking jokes about the old lady to actually read the article. Turns out she’s pretty cool and has been politically active since her youth. Also proposes a coherent plan for young people who want to make a bigger difference than voting for a 3rd party will ever accomplish.

Cool fact, she's really good friends with Lilly Tomlin. The literal personaifaction of crazy liberal hippie from the 60/70s who is still that crazy liberal hippie today.

Mad respect for Jane Fonda and her activism and the people she surrounds herself with.

I agree with all that, but less so that she's capable of doing anything meaningful with the demographic she's targeting.

She should be targeting younger boomers and older x'ers if she wants to find a group that might want to listen to her.

(I say this as an older x'er)

We know who she is, she hasn't been relevant in decades and even then only barely so.

sure, young people only interested in names aren't going to be swayed here. Taylor Swift has that covered.

her message is to politically active young people who may actually listen to what she has to say.

Do not sit ANY election out, even the local ones. The far right have been building a network of corrupt judges and politicians at the local level with the goal to implement project 2025. No matter what happens this election, they are still absolutely set on that goal and will not stop.

I'm just barely old enough to for Jane Fonda having an opinion to be meaningful for me in any way, and I'm in my 50s. How on earth is she going to rally "disaffected young US voters" when most of them have likely never heard of her?

I'm just barely old enough to recall when Sir Mixalot alleged that Jane Fonda does not have a motor in the back of her Honda. I agree that she is not likely to make strong inroads with Gen Z.

I’m just barely old enough to recall when Sir Mixalot alleged that Jane Fonda does not have a motor in the back of her Honda.

😂

Drawing on more than 50 years of activism, from her anti-Vietnam war and anti-nuclear protests in the 1970s to later agitating for economic democracy, women’s rights and, today, for climate action, Fonda said that: “History shows us that … you need millions of people in the streets, but you [also] need people in the halls of power with ears and a heart to hear the protests, to hear the demands.”

So what do we do when the people in the halls of power don't have a heart? And the barriers put in place prevent anyone with a heart from getting elected?

Well, I am not Jane Fonda, the person writing the article or an expert, however that is probably what revolutions are.

The greatest election of your lives... Every four years. Been doing this since 2004. Yes I'm voting and it's not for the orange shit stain.

okay but 2004 was sort of a wash, i can't picture keery doing much different besides maybe losing the war in Afghanistan faster

🎶Jane Fonda on the screen today,

Convinced the liberals - it's okay!

So let's get dressed and dance away the night,

While they kill kill kill kill kill the poor

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill the poor

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill the poor tonight~🎶

I mean, it's neat that she's trying, but I'm not sure who the intended audience of this endorsement is. Do zoomers know the history of the Vietnam War? To my understanding, she's pretty reviled by boomers for being anti-war.

To my understanding, she's pretty reviled by boomers for being anti-war.

Depends on the boomer. Some people thought what she did was important and brave, but for the people who hate her it wasn't just that she was anti-war. A ton of celebrities were anti-war. It was that she flew out to Vietnam, embedded with the North Vietnamese army, and filmed what a lot of people considered anti-American propaganda.

I used to work in a machine shop where a bunch of the old-timers were Vietnam vets. I made the mistake of talking about Barbarella one day, and ended up with an earful about "Hanoi Jane," and her "crimes" against America. They absolutely despised her. For a long time after that they'd all take turns asking me how my communist girlfriend was doing.

I mean, it really isn't a good look to be photographed on a North Vietnamese Anti-Aircraft gun looking through the sights...

Who is Jane Fonda.

She got canceled before that was a thing for protesting the Vietnam war.

Isn’t she that other lady from that Netflix show my mom loves?

(Which I also love but honestly not the best person for youth outreach.)

She's an actress that's been around for ages and ages. She's gotten a little more fame lately since she was on a TV show on Netflix that had pretty decent reviews.

She's also one of those folks that comes out every 4 years and does some political theater.

Doesn't diminish her message tho.

vote to have a voice

But remember, you can't just say what you want with that voice.

The only voice in America is money, and we don't have it. If our voice mattered we wouldn't be in several proxy wars, there wouldnt be 750k homeless, there wouldn't be 69% living paycheck to paycheck, there wouldnt be marginalized communities

If you deny a party your voice if they oppose your views on fundamental issues, they have to win it back. If you give it to them no matter what, they know they don't have to listen to you.

It is simple logic. But people have been throwing out all matters of logic, like denying Biden to be too senile for another term or saying it is okay to have him just be a puppet, as long as it is not Trump. And big surprise, pushing Biden away from another candidacy turned a sure Trump win into an open race.

Imagine what would happen if the Dems started to listen to the people instead of their AIPAC handlers and stopped the genocide, like the majority of Americans and especially American Jews want. They could win in a landslide. But continuing genocide seems to be more important than stopping Trump.

The only folks who have a voice are the rich donor class and groups like AIPAC.

Because if there's one person young people are just itching to hear from it's 86 year old Jane Fonda...