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What other things have options where everything is so bad that it's a matter of "what sucks the least" rather than "what's the best"? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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[โ€“] 4 points 1 year ago (6 children)

No they fucking haven't.

The uniparty thing started with like Clinton... Throughout our history, we had choices. Very meaningful ones. Maybe not the ones we wanted, but we had different courses for the county. It was always towards something

Click through some of these. This was the first rise of a fascist movement in the US, one that went on to influence Germany.

Did we hold the line and insist everything is fine? Fuck no, if you click back you'll the Republicans held everything, the other two candidates had zero chance. Click forward and you get the largest wave of progressivism in our history, it took generations to tear down those safety nets, and they're still not completely gone

That's where we are now. Harm reduction doesn't win, movements win.

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  • [โ€“] -3 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Picture the clearest example in human history, where one side was absolute villains and the other a superman-esque obvious good guy.

    Then explain to me how the good guy is not the "least bad" choice.

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  • [โ€“] 6 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    You're missing my point entirely.

    That's loser talk. That's how you lose elections. That's how Trump won, twice. It barely got Biden in the door, because Trump was currently in office

    You don't have to be the less bad choice. You have to be the good choice. You have to stand for something. You have to have a message. You have to fight. You have to make enemies.

    A Democrat will win the next election, no matter what. But in 2028? It very likely will be 4 more years of fascism if all we can muster is "well, it's our guy or another fascist"

    The only way to stop this is to get populist progressive candidates in office. In every office, in every election.

    The Overton window needs to be moved left, or this never ends.

    Quit with the loser talk and get involved with local elections. Go join your local DSA or phone bank with progressive victory. Help pave the way for a good candidate

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  • [โ€“] -1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    So, you are in favor of "my guy or the Nazi" voting? I didn't hear a "no", there.

    It isn't "loser talk" to recognize the rules that elections run by, or to push back against the "both sides" rhetoric that lets the Overton window drift ever rightward.

    Either you show up and vote in every election for the least bad candidate, be they good or great or only "not as bad", or you are doing more harm than good.

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  • [โ€“] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    I didn't say "no"

    I said it's loser talk. It's weak. Just like the Democrats. Which is why they're the enemy - they're in the way, and if we don't sweep out the Schumers and Jefferies the DNC will continue to collaborate with the Nazis against populist progressive candidates

    You can't adopt their framing. Not maga's framing, or the DNC framing. Reject it, just like I reject your premise that voting is just harm reduction.

    If you want to win, you can't talk like that. You can't bet on "safe" candidates. You can't settle for "not a Nazi". You have to demand more, you have to have fire and speak of hope for the future

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  • [โ€“] -2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    That's a hell of a lot of words that aren't either "of course we should vote in every election for the best possible candidate" or "no, we should withhold our votes in the general if the Dems don't nominate someone sufficiently progressive."

    If you mean the latter, say it. If you don't, then say that, too.

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 1 year ago

    I reject that framing. It's a loaded question, it's loser bullshit and I won't have it

    I'm not saying vote every election. I'm saying win every election.

    How do you win? Not by betting on the lesser evil. You do it by putting in the work to have a candidate you believe in. You do it by starting today, so that when the election comes your vote will not be a compromise.

    You should feel proud of each and every vote. And yes, you should vote every time... But now is not the time for voting, it's time to campaign

    So quit with the defeatist bullshit and pitch in. You'll feel less pessimistic when you're surrounded by winners who work for a better tomorrow

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