Once you are under dictatorship, you can't vote to hold anyone accountable. Vote for Trump and you won't have a say in what happens to Gaza. Or anything else.
yea, but you get to brag to all the other inmates in the political prison yard that you stood up for your principles by not voting!
They'll be in the same political prisons as their primary enemies, the classic liberal Dems.
LOL i can't wait to get in fistfights with them
Oh Lemmy. Don’t ever change ❤️
Fuck the fist fights, I'll be playing human shield with their corpses while I sneak out in the cadaver wagon.
Am I allowed physical violence to the purported leftist idiots who land us there? I'll piss on their cracked skulls while reminding them we have the same values but I'm practical and trying to survive to fight for them.
Oh hey everybody, it’s the toughest guy on the internet! What’s it like being so damn tough?
Yeah. I'd be enraged at someone for putting my family in an internment camp. How odd of me.
Impotent male rage on the internet is both the funniest and cringiest thing to me. Nothing happens quite as drastically opposite as it’s intended effect as this shit man. I’m here for it.
You'd fight us but not Republicans because we destroy the notion that you're the good guys. You both want to preserve the status quo, with libs preferring marginally less grotesque methods of enforcement, and superficially opposing the fucked up methods Republicans prefer to employ. Good cop vs. bad cop routine, and you hate us because we're pointing out that the good cop wants us imprisoned too.
Let's be real, in actual prison, you'd be making aliances with the skinheads and guards 15 minutes in, then call on them to do your dirty work instead of doing any fighting yourself.
Same dynamic you're employing right now actually: "Fall in line or I'll sic the Republicans on you!" while fantasizing about the left getting sent to the camps for daring to oppose your brand of status quo preservation...just like Republicans, but less honest about your intentions.
Dipshits of both lib and fash varieties fail to recognize themselves as allies in defence of capitalism, imperialism, patriarchy, and white supremacy, yet somehow you always instinctively know who is more important to fight, the left.
The SPD voted for the concentration camps the KPD died in. Same dynamic will play out here.
You defended Biden for not closing the migrant camps, understanding that you would never spend a second inside one. We opposed them the entire time, not caring that they'd eventually be used for us.
Smart fascists understand how useful your brand of performative opposition is to legitimizing the system that keeps the treats flowing, so even if they throw did your ass in prison to appease their base (they won't), you'll be let go. You're too useful an idiot for keeping the real opposition (communists) from taking power.
I deleted a long personal rant. Tldr I've spent decades fighting the right. I am the left. I never fought "the left" until you useful idiots showed up in numbers. Only outcomes in reality matter. There is an objectively better reality for the 99%, out of our two options. Yelling and screaming, and opting into this victim role in an internet stranger's hypothetical about a group responsible for the end of society...dude wtf? Why does that have to be you? Just don't do that to us and you'll have nothing to be defensive about
Same victimhood porn as the right.
"In four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good, you're not gonna have to vote." - Trump
If Harris wants my vote she should at least try the bare minimum to get it. Her campaign wouldn’t let Palestinians endorse her at the DNC. Her entire message to our community is; we make no promises at all but Trump is worse. That’s no comfort to those in my community who had relatives die in bombings by US-supplied weapons. “Trump didn’t kill my relatives. Biden did.”
Why is Harris so bad at this outreach? All she has to do is make some bland comments and it would win more people over, and she can’t even do that because she thinks being a hardliner against our community will win over a few Republican votes. Clinton tried that in 2016 and it failed.
“Gaza is not the only issue” should not be the takeaway here:
“Even on this issue [Gaza], Donald Trump and his right-wing friends are worse,” Sanders said in the six-minute video, which he posted to X. He noted that Republicans have fought to block humanitarian aid to Gaza and that Trump — who has praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — has suggested Gaza would be a great site for beachfront development.
Yeah, when framed that way, it's a reminder we've had to vote for compromise all along... And it's fucking fine and we have a mostly functioning society.
And it’s fucking fine
This is part of the problem with America. Centrists are so self centered that they will condone mass murder of nameless masses to keep their personal gravy train rolling.
I've literally led protests against genocide and violence. You don't know me. You people look for places to grandstand and project your defensiveness because you're either a bad actor or you know deep down your idealism is wrong.
I'm not a centrist. I'm a pragmatist survivor. The opposite of privilege. Academic bullshit costs lives.
You don't know my values besides this one comment.
It’s not fine. It’s such a privilege on your part to claim that the status quo is lovely. I’ve been to funerals for people who had their relatives die in Gaza. It’s tearing apart the community watching bodies of Gazan children on social media and Harris saying she wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Protest voting doesn't work when the candidate you are protesting is the least worst option. Democrats that will not vote out of principle have been conned as badly as MAGA republicans. End of story.
If you want to engage those bad faith accounts, don't respond to the Gaza thing; that's a trap. Instead, ask about other issues like climate issues, housing issues, food insecurity problems, etc. ask them what their third party candidate has planned for that and ask for evidence of these plans. They'll move goalposts and attempt to get back on Gaza. Keep them coming back to those other issues that affect Americans daily. Many of those accounts are here to derail conversation. Derail them in turn and force the conversation back on track.
Or do what I do and downvote then block, then post the occasional reminder that most of those accounts are bad faith at best.
I know. I mean I’m not a huge fan of Harris’ Gaza stance. Honestly I’m not sure why it’s political at all to call what Israel is doing wrong. But come on, Trump will be 100 times worse. And that’s just on the Israel/Gaza thing. I’m not sure how you can look at these two and decide that Harris is wrong enough about the Gaza thing that you come to the conclusion that either a third party or Trump vote is warranted. Which makes me believe is not genuine and likely foreign agent spreading chaos and misinformation.
It's because there is a large, internally-polled segment of the Pennsylvania electorate who are Jewish and sympathetic to Israel.
Harris can't afford to not court them.
I have no doubt she vehemently dislikes Bibi and would wish to cut aid.
Not only that, but AIPAC is a serious force that has demonstrated their willingness to aggressively smear every candidate who speaks out against Israel; they've already done this for a number of races.
Harris is basically trapped here. The best thing she can do is stay vague until after the election, when she might actually have the power to do something about it. No one on Palestine's side has anything to gain from her losing votes over it.
Yeah this is basically my thoughts as well. Stuck between Iraq and a hard place (I had to do the Hot Shots joke here... too fitting).
But seriously, AIPAC has way too much power in American politics. And your comment about Palestine is spot on. She is walking a very thin line, but this is the nature of politics and nuance. That orange fucker has no clue about any of this.
This is the correct reason and the reason why the genocide will continue no matter who is elected.
Aipac has bought enough of american politicians that it has rendered votes worthless.
People should vote on matters other than this for with any outcome US sponsored genocide is inevitable.
It’s fine to debate the idea that Gaza should not be the most important issue this election, but if your plan is to troll people and do fallacious debate then you’re not helping anyone. If you want to sell out Palestinians for personal gain, just be honest about it.
Bernie is such a good guy. The Dems have done him dirty so many times, they are currently continuing to support many harmful policies but he understands what's at stake and he puts all of that aside to do the best he can.
He doesn't have to do this. He's 83 years old and while his cognitive health is outstanding for his age, someone his age doesn't need to be on this grind for us. He probably won't stop until he's forced to due to his health. I love the guy and it's a shame we weren't given the chance to see him take the presidency.
He is a leader.
I remember that old footage of him in Burlington in the 70's, talking to random kids in the mall, asking them what was important to them--drug policy, free speech, good schools--and just talking to them about how they could make a difference. From the bully pulpit, he would have been transformative.
I like one of the comments on that video. Some people do a filibuster in Washington and they read from the phone book or read a recipe book, Bernie talks about the law at issue, straight policy for 8 and 1/2 hours, and it's coherent.
I was a Bernie-or-Bust-er in 2016 because I was confident Hilary was going to win with or without my vote. I deeply regret taking that stance and feel like I let down every woman who's lost rights to their bodily autonomy, every family who was separated at the border, everybody whose life was lost or ruined due to the Trump administration's incompetent response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and everybody else who has been harmed by the Trump administration.
Don't be like me. It sucks having to vote for the lesser of two evils but that's how our system works and not voting or voting third-party isn't going to change that but it does run the risk of things getting a lot worse.
Can I ask what state you were voting from in 2016?
TX at the time. Generally regarded as solidly red. However, looking at the numbers in '16 and '20, I wouldn't be surprised if everybody in the state who had either voted third-party or not at all because of the belief that their vote wouldn't make a difference would have indeed been enough to potentially flip the state.
I'm hoping this will be the year we see Texas flip blue. That would be beautiful.
I'm not sure why people haven't been saying this more.
I have been. It tends to get downvoted by both extremes on Lemmy.
It's a fundamentally uncomfortable position. The people of Gaza matter, and we can be pretty sure that Harris will continue current Biden Admin policies on it. You can't argue for the hundred other policies at stake without knowingly allowing genocide to happen with US approval.
But here's the thing: there are two very prominent Jewish people who don't believe for a second that both sides are the same. One of them is Bernie Sanders. The other is Benjamin Netanyahu.
The fantasy world the zero-tolerance high-ground morality angels live in is as dangerous as the one MAGA lives in, and ironically has the same victims. They proudly polish their halos nice and shiny while they let the world burn.
Don't support genocide, it's as simple as that!
By the way: Voting isn't actually support. The American system is not set up in a way where votes actually add to the power of the Presidential office. On the other hand, making a deliberate choice not to act does mean supporting whatever happens without your action, which could be genocide. This means YOU HAVE TO VOTE HARRIS IN ORDER TO NOT SUPPORT GENOCIDE. The socialism angels are hypocrites.
there are two facts about this election
there are only two outcomes—0.0% chance for a third party win
both candidates have a bad stance on the genocide
so neither outcome will help with the genocide. acting like voting third party helps in any way shape or form is disingenuous at best. so what should you do?
my argument is that you should vote for the person you can hope to convince on this issue. phone calls, protests, social media, whatever means you have... which of these candidates is more likely to respond to any kind of public pressure about this?
Harris might be responsive, and let's be honest, she might not be. but you know for a fact that it's definitely not the fucking orange turd. Natenyahu wants him to win. how can you ignore that?
I came to the Politics community 9 hours after it was posted to find discussion. Nothing.
Personally I feel an exception should be made when the news is literally just a video, why wait for a journalist to regurgitate it in written form?
Anyway
Not voting for a candidate is not the only, nor the most effective way to push a party to change positions on an issue you care about.
People should vote how they want, but should continue to push to replace First past the post voting in their state so people can vote how they want and still count their vote against the republicans.
Electoral reform is such a no brainer, it's a shame the democratic party puts it's desire for easy wins over the security and stability of the nation.
Which one should you prefer slowly genocide by starvation, diseases.
Or
Fast genocide by increased bombing and worse weapons.
I don't think this is a choice anyone would want to choose from.
Then we agree that Gaza isnt a partisan choice, but to answer your rhetorical I would choose slow simply because there will always be an avenue for justice as long as some of Palestine remains.
Gaza is not on ballot I agree. But trying to convince people who don't wish to participate in a genocide by telling them that their concerns don't matter is wrong.
Israel has declared if not by words surely by actions that they won't stop as long as Palestine remains.
If it matters to you then you should be making intelligent choices to reduce harm to an absolute minimum instead of getting angry and stupid enough to supporting NeoHitler, either directly or indirectly.
How different would he be from all the dictators and despots US has propped up elsewhere in the world. World will still turn, sun will still rise. All dictators die, all dictatorship ends. This is not end of the world.
Oh yeah I mean by that logic you might as well also put a cactus in your ass. Why? No need to ask questions, after all, the world will still turn. The sun will still rise tomorrow. Anally insert a cactus right away.
Sure when that strikes my fancy, for now I will pass.
Unfortunately Gaza is a non issue. The situation would only be handled worse under the other candidate. Along with just about every other conceivable thing.
America voting for the lesser evil since 1792.
It's not the time to stop now. But I better see all of you on the streets with signs on November 6th.
For real.
Today, massive supporter for Harris.
Post-election, I shall go back to being a massive critic.
Shitty situation all around. Once heard politics are like public transportation. Won't give me a door-to-door ride to the destination I'm aiming for, so I'll take it to get as close as possible.
Boy just wait until I have zero leverage or voice. Then I'll show em
Lesser-evilism has gotten us to where we find ourselves today: bargaining with genocide. If you don't stop now, I wonder what it would take.
We should have stopped when the alternative was McCain or Romney. We can have a chance to stop again when the alternative is similarly more sane than Trump.
We will never be going back. Lesser-evilism has led to incrementally more evil, not less. Trump and Trumpism are symptoms of the sickness, not the cause. Liberals love Obama, but after eight years of him we got Trump! What has our political leadership --our democracy-- done to address the problems that brought about Trump? Obama before, Biden in the interim, yet here we are. Everyone has moved to the right.
Obama and Biden have actually had the FBI working on right wing extremism. It's just kind of hard when there's effective immunity for it's leadership. And yeah, we might have to fight to change that and fix things. But you don't just do that for shits and giggles. It's not fucking Hollywood. You're not the main character. We don't have plot armor. So we work the problem in the best way we can until we're forced into that stuff.
I can't wait for blue conservatives to blame Bernie Sanders for whatever fuckup they do next.
I'd really like to see someone who has the power to actually do something stand up to Israel and knock them down a peg or 2.
The information that I've seen about Israel's attack on Iran over the weekend has some outrageous levels of discrepancy. Israel claims it crippled all of Iran's air defenses and its ability to produce drones and missiles. Iran claims it intercepted the attack with limited damage (and a few confirmed fatalities). The truth is almost certainly between these 2 points with tons of propaganda and straight-up misinformation, but despite the "Iran Dome" bravado I'm not convinced that Iran's defense was particularly successful.
I am no fan of Iran by any stretch and would prefer a more benign entity to step in and do something, but seeing them keep Israel in check would have been a welcome change. I guess my mindset is that you never really want one group to have too much power over others because being able to act with impunity opens the door for the worst types of behavior.
Gaza is not the only issue? Tell that to the main stream media.
Current Politics can be summarized into 3 things.
Israel
The Opponent
The Election
Anything else doesn't exist in their eyes. My grandfather had his Fubo running last night, I kid you not 10 minutes of ads, and every single one of them was based off one of those 3 categories. I asked him why he's paying 95$ a month to watch smear campaigns and the same 3 topics over and over.
First of all, at this point people in the US should vote against Trump for their safety, and that means in the current political system they have to vote for Harris. That's the reality they have to face. The Trump party has made fascist announcements that are real and people should expect them to be made into real actions.
The problem is that the Democrats frankly have abysmal messaging and are drifting to the right further and further while using Trump as a threat to their voters. They adopt anti-immigrant policies and are distancing themselves from pro-LGBT stances, saying it's the states decision. Both these issues as well as demands for a ceasefire poll exceptionally well, but the Harris campaign seemingly don't want the edge. With all this they are signaling that right wing worries about immigrants and trans people are valid, although that's absolutely not the case, and leave people to decide for example "do I want anti-immigrant light or extra harsh anti-immigrant?" when everybody says immigrants are an issue. This is unacceptably stupid and risking the vote. And that's ignoring the elephant in the room that progressive policy like health care is exceptionally popular and using that as counter messaging would win her voters.
We've seen how popular the Democrats got after Harris took over and Walz got nominated. It signaled change. Now all the Democrats say that it's gonna be the same old as usual treading on and the same bad argument vote us or you'll get a dictatorship. I'm not denying Biden dropping out had nothing to do with the surge of popularity, but back then we also had comments like here, basically declaring any dissent from supporting a decrepit old man as the candidate as heresy. Now there are again, only Yes men here saying if you criticize Harris you're a bot or a Trump ass eater. What is wrong with you?
Finally, I have the creeping suspicion that Democratic establishment people don't fear a fascist Trump administration themselves personally as much as the population has to. Trump announces he will go after his enemies, Latinos and trans people (probably all queer people actually). He has anti women's health and rights messaging all over his campaign. But that doesn't seem to be a risk for people higher up in the party. I suspect that when you're rich you don't have to worry about abortion bans or HRT access. And if Trump threatens them with violence they always have money they can throw at him. It's much more comfortable to run a risky neo liberal and right wing platform against a fascist if you can jump ship later on.
Most of Lemmy thinks you should vote against Kamala on principle against genocide and if Trump gets elected and makes the genocide far worse than it would’ve been under Kamala that that is a preferred outcome and somehow they won’t have blood on their hands.
They think it's better to make things worse if you personally can avoid blame for it on a technicality.
Everyone, including you, has a line, where you will say, "no more, I will not participate in this evil". Maybe for you its having American kids in the US lined up on a wall and shot if they shoplift, or something. For some people its having the Dem candidate openly support mass murder. The fact that your line doesnt match others is natural and is no reason to denigrate those other people.
You'll get to where we are soon enough.
Your actions will produce more harm than good if Trump gets elected. What a privileged life you must live to be able to make a stand on principle — even though that will produce a worse outcome for the people you supposedly care about. The additional blood that will be shed is very much on your hands.
You don’t get to just walk away from the situation absolved of guilt because of your so called principles.
Is it me or Harris who made the choice to support a far right wing war that so many dems are having trouble with? Its Harris. She has people on staff that tell her the odds. She is choosing this.
The focus of her ground game is courting republicans-- not progressives, and going to the right on issues to woo them. She's moving the party right and in doing so she keeps losing ground in the polls. Every day is worse polling for her. But its my fault huh.
Sorry Bernie but after Hillary ousted you and then Biden was shoehorned through the primary in 2020 I voted for Gloria LA riva and now I've written in Claudia de la Cruz / Karina Garcia. I think voting left of center or even a vote for that hack Jill Stein actually would show the DNC they are losing votes based on their continued shift to the right and I am even considering leaving the party on my registration over their antidemocratic primaries and their decisions to fund the campaigns of right wing extremists under the misguided notion that they're easier to beat.
Dont get me wrong, I hope Harris/Walz wins but I do not support them because their positions continue to reinforce the status quo and prop up a system that supports fascism today, right now, at home and abroad.
Otherwise im voting downballot blue except where there is a further left independent which in my area is viable for another statewide position. Thats the most practical support the " at least I'm not the other guy" strategy will get from me, and they didnt even earn it
No, no, no, you see, you should see Gaza as the only issue and ignore all the other issues because . ^Awaiting^ ^check,^ ^komrade.^
The tactic is just about the same as the MAGA side, try to get people emotionally involved without thinking and lock them into a state so emotionally charged they are unwilling to back down.
Nazis used the exact thought terminating cliche, they just used 'Jews' instead of 'Russia'
try to get people emotionally involved without thinking and lock them into a state so emotionally charged they are unwilling to back down.
breathtaking irony
Sorry, I don't speak .ml
what
hoohoooo, all the single-issue "progressives" and Bernie bros who have been screaming at me for saying the same thing have to scream at Bernie now.
that'll be funny.
They screamed at Bernie when he endorsed Clinton after she got the DNC nomination in 2016. They called him "sell out" and such.
Bernie supporters also ended up being one of the most loyal voting blocks for Clinton.
A higher percentage of his voters backed Clinton than her voters backed Obama in 2008
As a Bernie bro that voted for Clinton in 2016, there is this very small number of very voca Bernie supporters that screech the loudest and give everyone else a bad name.
The problem of the US is that you might lose more voters by dumping Israel than you'd gain by supporting Palestine.
Is there actual polling to that effect?
There are some polls that show roughly 35 to 60 percent of US voters backing the sale of arms to Israel, depending on demographics, but there is a very clear divide between Republican and Democrat support so it's disingenuous to say a candidate will lose more support than they gain because that depends on which candidate.
A lot of these polls also use loaded questions like "who is responsible for this conflict" with the two choices being Hamas and Israel, which doesn't really capture any of the nuance of the situation or represent the beliefs of the person answering the question.
I dont have them on hand, but I've seen a few polls in swing states where 5 or so percent more undecided voters would be more likely to vote for Harris if she promised an arms embargo, as opposed to less likely.
No one actually votes with Gaza or Isreal as a core issue outside of NYC, and the state is eternally blue no matter what.
For better or worse the majority of America doesn't even acknowledge(or even care) the conflict as an issue outside of the terminally online.
The problem of the US is that you might lose more voters by dumping Israel than you’d gain by supporting Palestine.
Not really. Jews generally are 1-2 percent of the population, split between dem and repub-- and not all jews beleive in this interpretation of zionism. Much more than half of the 335 million Americans want to at least be neutral in gaza. This would seem to indicate that thered be net votes to be gained by stopping the shipments. The rub is that theres a lot of money behind AIPAC, and usually whoever spends the most wins. It would be rational for Harris to pivot at the last second when money starts to lose its value to the immediate outcome. But it risks the monied donors lining up on the repub side for the next election. AIPAC funds both sides and doesnt care who wins as long as they get to puppet our government.
Your vote only actually matters if you're in a wing state. If you aren't you should be voting PSL or greens.
vote blue to start turning the state into a swing state. Definitely don't vote green as they are on the record of trying to make trump win
How will voting for the Dems make New York into a swing state?
Not doing it might
Maybe the dems should think about that going forward then and fix their platform.
Yea for real the amount of myopic one issue voices must be that of the privileged or Russian propaganda because WE ALL KNOW that hardworking normal Americans struggle with more than one issue that is 5000 miles away.
one issue that is 5000 miles away.
What does distance matter? And are all issues the same? mass murder of innocents vs grazing rights on federal lands, equally important in your eyes? Both "single issues"?
Wish the push was to tell the Democratic party not to engage with genocide not to tell us we have to suck it up to vote for genocide anyway.
He's said this too... but of course you don't actually care about that fact.
Ok... Just saying it's sad. Do you not think it's sad?
Edit: actually no what the fuck is this reply? What fact don't I care about? That Bernie agrees that this is fucked. What did I say that you take issue with?
Jesus Christ. I'm so tired of you genocide minimizers
Once you are under dictatorship, you can't vote to hold anyone accountable. Vote for Trump and you won't have a say in what happens to Gaza. Or anything else.
yea, but you get to brag to all the other inmates in the political prison yard that you stood up for your principles by not voting!
They'll be in the same political prisons as their primary enemies, the classic liberal Dems.
LOL i can't wait to get in fistfights with them
Oh Lemmy. Don’t ever change ❤️
Fuck the fist fights, I'll be playing human shield with their corpses while I sneak out in the cadaver wagon.
Am I allowed physical violence to the purported leftist idiots who land us there? I'll piss on their cracked skulls while reminding them we have the same values but I'm practical and trying to survive to fight for them.
Oh hey everybody, it’s the toughest guy on the internet! What’s it like being so damn tough?
Yeah. I'd be enraged at someone for putting my family in an internment camp. How odd of me.
Impotent male rage on the internet is both the funniest and cringiest thing to me. Nothing happens quite as drastically opposite as it’s intended effect as this shit man. I’m here for it.
You'd fight us but not Republicans because we destroy the notion that you're the good guys. You both want to preserve the status quo, with libs preferring marginally less grotesque methods of enforcement, and superficially opposing the fucked up methods Republicans prefer to employ. Good cop vs. bad cop routine, and you hate us because we're pointing out that the good cop wants us imprisoned too.
Let's be real, in actual prison, you'd be making aliances with the skinheads and guards 15 minutes in, then call on them to do your dirty work instead of doing any fighting yourself.
Same dynamic you're employing right now actually: "Fall in line or I'll sic the Republicans on you!" while fantasizing about the left getting sent to the camps for daring to oppose your brand of status quo preservation...just like Republicans, but less honest about your intentions.
Dipshits of both lib and fash varieties fail to recognize themselves as allies in defence of capitalism, imperialism, patriarchy, and white supremacy, yet somehow you always instinctively know who is more important to fight, the left.
The SPD voted for the concentration camps the KPD died in. Same dynamic will play out here.
You defended Biden for not closing the migrant camps, understanding that you would never spend a second inside one. We opposed them the entire time, not caring that they'd eventually be used for us.
Smart fascists understand how useful your brand of performative opposition is to legitimizing the system that keeps the treats flowing, so even if they throw did your ass in prison to appease their base (they won't), you'll be let go. You're too useful an idiot for keeping the real opposition (communists) from taking power.
I deleted a long personal rant. Tldr I've spent decades fighting the right. I am the left. I never fought "the left" until you useful idiots showed up in numbers. Only outcomes in reality matter. There is an objectively better reality for the 99%, out of our two options. Yelling and screaming, and opting into this victim role in an internet stranger's hypothetical about a group responsible for the end of society...dude wtf? Why does that have to be you? Just don't do that to us and you'll have nothing to be defensive about Same victimhood porn as the right.
Exactly.
If Harris wants my vote she should at least try the bare minimum to get it. Her campaign wouldn’t let Palestinians endorse her at the DNC. Her entire message to our community is; we make no promises at all but Trump is worse. That’s no comfort to those in my community who had relatives die in bombings by US-supplied weapons. “Trump didn’t kill my relatives. Biden did.”
Why is Harris so bad at this outreach? All she has to do is make some bland comments and it would win more people over, and she can’t even do that because she thinks being a hardliner against our community will win over a few Republican votes. Clinton tried that in 2016 and it failed.
“Gaza is not the only issue” should not be the takeaway here:
Yeah, when framed that way, it's a reminder we've had to vote for compromise all along... And it's fucking fine and we have a mostly functioning society.
This is part of the problem with America. Centrists are so self centered that they will condone mass murder of nameless masses to keep their personal gravy train rolling.
I've literally led protests against genocide and violence. You don't know me. You people look for places to grandstand and project your defensiveness because you're either a bad actor or you know deep down your idealism is wrong.
I'm not a centrist. I'm a pragmatist survivor. The opposite of privilege. Academic bullshit costs lives. You don't know my values besides this one comment.
It’s not fine. It’s such a privilege on your part to claim that the status quo is lovely. I’ve been to funerals for people who had their relatives die in Gaza. It’s tearing apart the community watching bodies of Gazan children on social media and Harris saying she wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Protest voting doesn't work when the candidate you are protesting is the least worst option. Democrats that will not vote out of principle have been conned as badly as MAGA republicans. End of story.
If you want to engage those bad faith accounts, don't respond to the Gaza thing; that's a trap. Instead, ask about other issues like climate issues, housing issues, food insecurity problems, etc. ask them what their third party candidate has planned for that and ask for evidence of these plans. They'll move goalposts and attempt to get back on Gaza. Keep them coming back to those other issues that affect Americans daily. Many of those accounts are here to derail conversation. Derail them in turn and force the conversation back on track.
Or do what I do and downvote then block, then post the occasional reminder that most of those accounts are bad faith at best.
I know. I mean I’m not a huge fan of Harris’ Gaza stance. Honestly I’m not sure why it’s political at all to call what Israel is doing wrong. But come on, Trump will be 100 times worse. And that’s just on the Israel/Gaza thing. I’m not sure how you can look at these two and decide that Harris is wrong enough about the Gaza thing that you come to the conclusion that either a third party or Trump vote is warranted. Which makes me believe is not genuine and likely foreign agent spreading chaos and misinformation.
It's because there is a large, internally-polled segment of the Pennsylvania electorate who are Jewish and sympathetic to Israel.
Harris can't afford to not court them.
I have no doubt she vehemently dislikes Bibi and would wish to cut aid.
Not only that, but AIPAC is a serious force that has demonstrated their willingness to aggressively smear every candidate who speaks out against Israel; they've already done this for a number of races.
Harris is basically trapped here. The best thing she can do is stay vague until after the election, when she might actually have the power to do something about it. No one on Palestine's side has anything to gain from her losing votes over it.
Yeah this is basically my thoughts as well. Stuck between Iraq and a hard place (I had to do the Hot Shots joke here... too fitting).
But seriously, AIPAC has way too much power in American politics. And your comment about Palestine is spot on. She is walking a very thin line, but this is the nature of politics and nuance. That orange fucker has no clue about any of this.
This is the correct reason and the reason why the genocide will continue no matter who is elected.
Aipac has bought enough of american politicians that it has rendered votes worthless.
People should vote on matters other than this for with any outcome US sponsored genocide is inevitable.
So you want to argue in bad faith.
It’s fine to debate the idea that Gaza should not be the most important issue this election, but if your plan is to troll people and do fallacious debate then you’re not helping anyone. If you want to sell out Palestinians for personal gain, just be honest about it.
Here come the tankies to call Bernie Sanders BlueMAGA in 3...2...
Somehow 'tankie' now means not wanting to send tanks to commit a genocide
Way to get out in front of them by casting moral consistency as a bad thing though. Devastating.
Bernie is such a good guy. The Dems have done him dirty so many times, they are currently continuing to support many harmful policies but he understands what's at stake and he puts all of that aside to do the best he can.
He doesn't have to do this. He's 83 years old and while his cognitive health is outstanding for his age, someone his age doesn't need to be on this grind for us. He probably won't stop until he's forced to due to his health. I love the guy and it's a shame we weren't given the chance to see him take the presidency.
He is a leader.
I remember that old footage of him in Burlington in the 70's, talking to random kids in the mall, asking them what was important to them--drug policy, free speech, good schools--and just talking to them about how they could make a difference. From the bully pulpit, he would have been transformative.
Got 8 1/2 hours to spare?
I like one of the comments on that video. Some people do a filibuster in Washington and they read from the phone book or read a recipe book, Bernie talks about the law at issue, straight policy for 8 and 1/2 hours, and it's coherent.
I was a Bernie-or-Bust-er in 2016 because I was confident Hilary was going to win with or without my vote. I deeply regret taking that stance and feel like I let down every woman who's lost rights to their bodily autonomy, every family who was separated at the border, everybody whose life was lost or ruined due to the Trump administration's incompetent response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and everybody else who has been harmed by the Trump administration.
Don't be like me. It sucks having to vote for the lesser of two evils but that's how our system works and not voting or voting third-party isn't going to change that but it does run the risk of things getting a lot worse.
Can I ask what state you were voting from in 2016?
TX at the time. Generally regarded as solidly red. However, looking at the numbers in '16 and '20, I wouldn't be surprised if everybody in the state who had either voted third-party or not at all because of the belief that their vote wouldn't make a difference would have indeed been enough to potentially flip the state.
I'm hoping this will be the year we see Texas flip blue. That would be beautiful.
I'm not sure why people haven't been saying this more.
I have been. It tends to get downvoted by both extremes on Lemmy.
It's a fundamentally uncomfortable position. The people of Gaza matter, and we can be pretty sure that Harris will continue current Biden Admin policies on it. You can't argue for the hundred other policies at stake without knowingly allowing genocide to happen with US approval.
But here's the thing: there are two very prominent Jewish people who don't believe for a second that both sides are the same. One of them is Bernie Sanders. The other is Benjamin Netanyahu.
I've been foolishly arguing with people for months on this topic.
We have been, everywhere we can.
The fantasy world the zero-tolerance high-ground morality angels live in is as dangerous as the one MAGA lives in, and ironically has the same victims. They proudly polish their halos nice and shiny while they let the world burn.
Don't support genocide, it's as simple as that!
By the way: Voting isn't actually support. The American system is not set up in a way where votes actually add to the power of the Presidential office. On the other hand, making a deliberate choice not to act does mean supporting whatever happens without your action, which could be genocide. This means YOU HAVE TO VOTE HARRIS IN ORDER TO NOT SUPPORT GENOCIDE. The socialism angels are hypocrites.
there are two facts about this election
so neither outcome will help with the genocide. acting like voting third party helps in any way shape or form is disingenuous at best. so what should you do?
my argument is that you should vote for the person you can hope to convince on this issue. phone calls, protests, social media, whatever means you have... which of these candidates is more likely to respond to any kind of public pressure about this?
Harris might be responsive, and let's be honest, she might not be. but you know for a fact that it's definitely not the fucking orange turd. Natenyahu wants him to win. how can you ignore that?
"Vote for the candidate who will continue to fund a genocide to show you dont support genocide "
Man yall will do anything to avoid a socialist movement.
That's a bad headline. Watch his video, he makes a much more nuanced argument.
Hey look, someone finally posted an article about this so the mods don't remove it!
Here's the link to the actual speech from Sanders: https://youtu.be/Vf5MThSniiY
I came to the Politics community 9 hours after it was posted to find discussion. Nothing.
Personally I feel an exception should be made when the news is literally just a video, why wait for a journalist to regurgitate it in written form?
Anyway
Not voting for a candidate is not the only, nor the most effective way to push a party to change positions on an issue you care about.
People should vote how they want, but should continue to push to replace First past the post voting in their state so people can vote how they want and still count their vote against the republicans.
Electoral reform is such a no brainer, it's a shame the democratic party puts it's desire for easy wins over the security and stability of the nation.
Anybody voting against Harris over Gaza is a moron. Trump may be even more pro Israel...
Ah yes he will give them unlimited weapons and money to bomb children. Oh wait
Gaza is hardly even an issue on the ballot, you're picking between slow genocide and fast genocide.
Slow genocide is better though. We all get that right?
Certainly gives us more time to try to do something about it, yeah.
99 more years at the current rate.
Slow genocide is better
Which one should you prefer slowly genocide by starvation, diseases.
Or
Fast genocide by increased bombing and worse weapons.
I don't think this is a choice anyone would want to choose from.
Then we agree that Gaza isnt a partisan choice, but to answer your rhetorical I would choose slow simply because there will always be an avenue for justice as long as some of Palestine remains.
Gaza is not on ballot I agree. But trying to convince people who don't wish to participate in a genocide by telling them that their concerns don't matter is wrong.
Israel has declared if not by words surely by actions that they won't stop as long as Palestine remains.
If it matters to you then you should be making intelligent choices to reduce harm to an absolute minimum instead of getting angry and stupid enough to supporting NeoHitler, either directly or indirectly.
How different would he be from all the dictators and despots US has propped up elsewhere in the world. World will still turn, sun will still rise. All dictators die, all dictatorship ends. This is not end of the world.
Oh yeah I mean by that logic you might as well also put a cactus in your ass. Why? No need to ask questions, after all, the world will still turn. The sun will still rise tomorrow. Anally insert a cactus right away.
Sure when that strikes my fancy, for now I will pass.
Unfortunately Gaza is a non issue. The situation would only be handled worse under the other candidate. Along with just about every other conceivable thing.
America voting for the lesser evil since 1792.
It's not the time to stop now. But I better see all of you on the streets with signs on November 6th.
For real.
Today, massive supporter for Harris.
Post-election, I shall go back to being a massive critic.
Shitty situation all around. Once heard politics are like public transportation. Won't give me a door-to-door ride to the destination I'm aiming for, so I'll take it to get as close as possible.
Boy just wait until I have zero leverage or voice. Then I'll show em
Lesser-evilism has gotten us to where we find ourselves today: bargaining with genocide. If you don't stop now, I wonder what it would take.
We should have stopped when the alternative was McCain or Romney. We can have a chance to stop again when the alternative is similarly more sane than Trump.
We will never be going back. Lesser-evilism has led to incrementally more evil, not less. Trump and Trumpism are symptoms of the sickness, not the cause. Liberals love Obama, but after eight years of him we got Trump! What has our political leadership --our democracy-- done to address the problems that brought about Trump? Obama before, Biden in the interim, yet here we are. Everyone has moved to the right.
Obama and Biden have actually had the FBI working on right wing extremism. It's just kind of hard when there's effective immunity for it's leadership. And yeah, we might have to fight to change that and fix things. But you don't just do that for shits and giggles. It's not fucking Hollywood. You're not the main character. We don't have plot armor. So we work the problem in the best way we can until we're forced into that stuff.
I can't wait for blue conservatives to blame Bernie Sanders for whatever fuckup they do next.
I'd really like to see someone who has the power to actually do something stand up to Israel and knock them down a peg or 2.
The information that I've seen about Israel's attack on Iran over the weekend has some outrageous levels of discrepancy. Israel claims it crippled all of Iran's air defenses and its ability to produce drones and missiles. Iran claims it intercepted the attack with limited damage (and a few confirmed fatalities). The truth is almost certainly between these 2 points with tons of propaganda and straight-up misinformation, but despite the "Iran Dome" bravado I'm not convinced that Iran's defense was particularly successful.
I am no fan of Iran by any stretch and would prefer a more benign entity to step in and do something, but seeing them keep Israel in check would have been a welcome change. I guess my mindset is that you never really want one group to have too much power over others because being able to act with impunity opens the door for the worst types of behavior.
Gaza is not the only issue? Tell that to the main stream media.
Current Politics can be summarized into 3 things.
Anything else doesn't exist in their eyes. My grandfather had his Fubo running last night, I kid you not 10 minutes of ads, and every single one of them was based off one of those 3 categories. I asked him why he's paying 95$ a month to watch smear campaigns and the same 3 topics over and over.
First of all, at this point people in the US should vote against Trump for their safety, and that means in the current political system they have to vote for Harris. That's the reality they have to face. The Trump party has made fascist announcements that are real and people should expect them to be made into real actions.
The problem is that the Democrats frankly have abysmal messaging and are drifting to the right further and further while using Trump as a threat to their voters. They adopt anti-immigrant policies and are distancing themselves from pro-LGBT stances, saying it's the states decision. Both these issues as well as demands for a ceasefire poll exceptionally well, but the Harris campaign seemingly don't want the edge. With all this they are signaling that right wing worries about immigrants and trans people are valid, although that's absolutely not the case, and leave people to decide for example "do I want anti-immigrant light or extra harsh anti-immigrant?" when everybody says immigrants are an issue. This is unacceptably stupid and risking the vote. And that's ignoring the elephant in the room that progressive policy like health care is exceptionally popular and using that as counter messaging would win her voters.
We've seen how popular the Democrats got after Harris took over and Walz got nominated. It signaled change. Now all the Democrats say that it's gonna be the same old as usual treading on and the same bad argument vote us or you'll get a dictatorship. I'm not denying Biden dropping out had nothing to do with the surge of popularity, but back then we also had comments like here, basically declaring any dissent from supporting a decrepit old man as the candidate as heresy. Now there are again, only Yes men here saying if you criticize Harris you're a bot or a Trump ass eater. What is wrong with you?
Finally, I have the creeping suspicion that Democratic establishment people don't fear a fascist Trump administration themselves personally as much as the population has to. Trump announces he will go after his enemies, Latinos and trans people (probably all queer people actually). He has anti women's health and rights messaging all over his campaign. But that doesn't seem to be a risk for people higher up in the party. I suspect that when you're rich you don't have to worry about abortion bans or HRT access. And if Trump threatens them with violence they always have money they can throw at him. It's much more comfortable to run a risky neo liberal and right wing platform against a fascist if you can jump ship later on.
Most of Lemmy thinks you should vote against Kamala on principle against genocide and if Trump gets elected and makes the genocide far worse than it would’ve been under Kamala that that is a preferred outcome and somehow they won’t have blood on their hands.
They think it's better to make things worse if you personally can avoid blame for it on a technicality.
Everyone, including you, has a line, where you will say, "no more, I will not participate in this evil". Maybe for you its having American kids in the US lined up on a wall and shot if they shoplift, or something. For some people its having the Dem candidate openly support mass murder. The fact that your line doesnt match others is natural and is no reason to denigrate those other people.
You'll get to where we are soon enough.
Your actions will produce more harm than good if Trump gets elected. What a privileged life you must live to be able to make a stand on principle — even though that will produce a worse outcome for the people you supposedly care about. The additional blood that will be shed is very much on your hands.
You don’t get to just walk away from the situation absolved of guilt because of your so called principles.
Sorry Bernie but after Hillary ousted you and then Biden was shoehorned through the primary in 2020 I voted for Gloria LA riva and now I've written in Claudia de la Cruz / Karina Garcia. I think voting left of center or even a vote for that hack Jill Stein actually would show the DNC they are losing votes based on their continued shift to the right and I am even considering leaving the party on my registration over their antidemocratic primaries and their decisions to fund the campaigns of right wing extremists under the misguided notion that they're easier to beat.
Dont get me wrong, I hope Harris/Walz wins but I do not support them because their positions continue to reinforce the status quo and prop up a system that supports fascism today, right now, at home and abroad.
Otherwise im voting downballot blue except where there is a further left independent which in my area is viable for another statewide position. Thats the most practical support the " at least I'm not the other guy" strategy will get from me, and they didnt even earn it
No, no, no, you see, you should see Gaza as the only issue and ignore all the other issues because . ^Awaiting^ ^check,^ ^komrade.^
The tactic is just about the same as the MAGA side, try to get people emotionally involved without thinking and lock them into a state so emotionally charged they are unwilling to back down.
Nazis used the exact thought terminating cliche, they just used 'Jews' instead of 'Russia'
breathtaking irony
Sorry, I don't speak .ml
what
hoohoooo, all the single-issue "progressives" and Bernie bros who have been screaming at me for saying the same thing have to scream at Bernie now.
that'll be funny.
They screamed at Bernie when he endorsed Clinton after she got the DNC nomination in 2016. They called him "sell out" and such.
Bernie supporters also ended up being one of the most loyal voting blocks for Clinton.
From https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/did-bernie-sanders-cost-hillary-clinton-the-presidency/
As a Bernie bro that voted for Clinton in 2016, there is this very small number of very voca Bernie supporters that screech the loudest and give everyone else a bad name.
goofy goofers
As a non-american, I am disguissed by their overt support for genocide and will gladly spit on the face of the next yank tourist I see on the street.
I would avoid international travel for the next few years ahah
not sure you're allowed in the first place
Bernie refused to call it a genocide as late as February. He showed his true colors a long time ago.
"his true colors", like you have a hint of cause to cast aspersions on one of the most consistent, sincere and moral American politicians of all time.
get out of here with your disingenuous vague hints.
The problem of the US is that you might lose more voters by dumping Israel than you'd gain by supporting Palestine.
Is there actual polling to that effect?
There are some polls that show roughly 35 to 60 percent of US voters backing the sale of arms to Israel, depending on demographics, but there is a very clear divide between Republican and Democrat support so it's disingenuous to say a candidate will lose more support than they gain because that depends on which candidate.
A lot of these polls also use loaded questions like "who is responsible for this conflict" with the two choices being Hamas and Israel, which doesn't really capture any of the nuance of the situation or represent the beliefs of the person answering the question.
I dont have them on hand, but I've seen a few polls in swing states where 5 or so percent more undecided voters would be more likely to vote for Harris if she promised an arms embargo, as opposed to less likely.
As of september, 61 percent of 335 million Americans want to stop the shipments. https://theintercept.com/2024/09/10/polls-arms-embargo-israel-weapons-gaza/
No one actually votes with Gaza or Isreal as a core issue outside of NYC, and the state is eternally blue no matter what.
For better or worse the majority of America doesn't even acknowledge(or even care) the conflict as an issue outside of the terminally online.
Not really. Jews generally are 1-2 percent of the population, split between dem and repub-- and not all jews beleive in this interpretation of zionism. Much more than half of the 335 million Americans want to at least be neutral in gaza. This would seem to indicate that thered be net votes to be gained by stopping the shipments. The rub is that theres a lot of money behind AIPAC, and usually whoever spends the most wins. It would be rational for Harris to pivot at the last second when money starts to lose its value to the immediate outcome. But it risks the monied donors lining up on the repub side for the next election. AIPAC funds both sides and doesnt care who wins as long as they get to puppet our government.
Your vote only actually matters if you're in a wing state. If you aren't you should be voting PSL or greens.
vote blue to start turning the state into a swing state. Definitely don't vote green as they are on the record of trying to make trump win
How will voting for the Dems make New York into a swing state?
Not doing it might
Maybe the dems should think about that going forward then and fix their platform.
Yea for real the amount of myopic one issue voices must be that of the privileged or Russian propaganda because WE ALL KNOW that hardworking normal Americans struggle with more than one issue that is 5000 miles away.
What does distance matter? And are all issues the same? mass murder of innocents vs grazing rights on federal lands, equally important in your eyes? Both "single issues"?
Wish the push was to tell the Democratic party not to engage with genocide not to tell us we have to suck it up to vote for genocide anyway.
He's said this too... but of course you don't actually care about that fact.
Ok... Just saying it's sad. Do you not think it's sad?
Edit: actually no what the fuck is this reply? What fact don't I care about? That Bernie agrees that this is fucked. What did I say that you take issue with?
Jesus Christ. I'm so tired of you genocide minimizers