this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2024
57 points (100.0% liked)

Socialism

2850 readers
21 users here now

Beehaw's community for socialists, communists, anarchists, and non-authoritarian leftists (this means anti-capitalists) of all stripes. A place for all leftist and labor news and discussion, as long as you're nice about it.


Non-socialists are welcome to come to learn, though it's hard to get to in-depth discussions if the community is constantly fighting over the basics. We ask that non-socialists please be respectful and try not to turn this into a "left vs right" debate forum by asking leading questions or by trying to draw others into a fight.


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
all 36 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 54 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I blame everybody who didn't vote against Trump.

I blame the informed voters more than the ignorant idiots.

Genocide in Palestine will now be followed by a genocide in Ukraine.

And kiss any climate action good-bye.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 34 points 2 weeks ago

Also kiss goodbye your trans, queer, and friends of various ethnicity.

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 18 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

blame Harris. The voters told her they would stay home if she didn't denounce genocide. She continued to ignore them and support genocide, so voters stayed home. The voters literally told her what to do to win and she didn't do it.

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So, now those voters have genocide in Gaza and a new one in Ukraine, plus the people who are dying because they can't get medical abortions.

Great job.

[–] LoamImprovement@beehaw.org 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I'm sorry, if a politician sees the polls that say "Don't back genocide" and still pledges to back genocide to pander to the mythical moderate conservative, why are people still obligated to vote for them? Because they're the lesser of two evils? Clearly they don't give a flying fuck what their constituents want.

When they chided "who else are you going to vote for?" In 2016, they got a resoundingly clear answer: "Nobody." But it's supposed to be different now? The Democrats need to step off the stage and progressives need to step up, because it's obvious they can't win elections on being Republican Lite.

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

why are people still obligated to vote for them?

because now you have a “blank check” for expanded genocide. congrats. that was a fucking masterful plan

there were 2 choices… you don’t get a 3rd choice - you can argue it was a choice for the future, but this round anyone who didn’t vote is partly responsible for the additional lives that will be lost, the rights curtailed, and the erosion of your due process

[–] dontgooglefinderscult@lemmings.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That's nice dear, but there is always a third choice.

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

there was no third choice. you were always going to get kamala or trump: that’s reality. your third choice led to trump. congratulations; that’s going to be real good for your genocide

at least be honest about it: if you didn’t vote, or voted third party then your choice wasn’t to get that party in power; it was to send a message. that message is now at best going to be acted upon in 4 years time. your “third choice” realistically resulted in sacrificing palestinian, ukrainian, and american women’s lives in the hope that the democrats will be better next time. if that’s what you wanted, well, congrats i guess we will see if it worked… but the cost for your choice is going to be incredibly high

[–] dontgooglefinderscult@lemmings.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The cost for my choice is the exact same as yours, and I think that's what makes you right wingers the most upset we didn't vote for female Reagan. You voted for genocide. You picked genocide. Willingly, happily. You made memes about how happy you were to vote for genocide. I didn't. The cost is the same but this is the outcome you wanted; a genocidal American state.

There is always a third choice, or more. And if everyone, or really just ~1/3rd of Americans, makes it, that choice is viable. But no. Again you chose to be genocidal instead of of making the tough choice.

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

mate, i live in australia and i vote for our leftist parties… the fact that you call me “right wing” is absolutely laughable

i didn’t vote in your election, but your countries’ choices effect me significantly

YOUR choices that actually had any chance of having any effect were genocide or more genocide + erosion of human rights + fascism… you chose to not vote against the latter, and that’s all there is to it. your inaction will cause lives to be lost and human rights to be eroded. you can say you voted 3rd party for some future effect, and that’s even an acceptable position! but don’t fucking act like that decision didn’t help trump come to power (because trump got elected; your choice contributed to that outcome) and more people in the next 4 years will absolutely die because of it

at least know it, admit it, and own it

[–] dontgooglefinderscult@lemmings.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm sorry don't you people have literal camps for sick and undesirable people?

That all aside you should try to get back to school, embrace local culture, refresh yourself. If you're this easily swayed by foreign propaganda you're practically an American. Who you vote for is who you vote for. This is a basic concept you've failed to learn.

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 1 points 1 week ago

I'm sorry don't you people have literal camps for sick and undesirable people?

i’m gonna go ahead and say no and hedge my bet by saying i have no fucking idea what you’re talking about so you may be asking about something like the asylum processing centres, which are a necessary evil that yes we do particularly poorly but every country has - in fact i believe, not that it’s a competition for “worst”, but your new president who you just let come to power implemented some of the worst camps for brown people and separated children from their parents, so glass houses and all that

Who you vote for is who you vote for. This is a basic concept you've failed to learn.

whilst that’s true, it’s irrelevant… your vote for a 3rd party candidate in FPTP like the US has means you may as well have used your ballot as toilet paper

[–] LoamImprovement@beehaw.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, there were two choices, and it might shock you to learn I voted for Harris, just like I voted for Clinton back in 2016. I've been pushing people to the polls ever since, I've done walk-and-knocks, I've gone to town halls. How do you think I know people are disgusted with Democrats?

Democrats continuously fail to establish rapport with their voter base because they're consumed with the idea of 'reaching across the aisle,' and they're reaching across into fascism. Is it any fucking wonder, then, that they can't get votes? I guarantee less than one percent of Conservative voters changed their mind on Kamala because she promised to install Republicans in her cabinet. Democrats are trying to be the diet coke to Republican coke, and guess what? Coke drinkers don't drink diet coke when coke is on the fucking menu, quelle fucking suprise.

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So, now we're looking at genocides in Gaza and Ukraine and the possibility of mass arrests in America.

Congratulations.

If people die because of your moral stand, it's not really that moral.

[–] LoamImprovement@beehaw.org 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

First off, I voted for Harris, so you can put your "moral stand" nonsense away; I know damn well how important this shit is. Second, the genocide in Palestine was happening either way and I've spent time and money before and after the election on causes to help Palestinians, because that's way more effective than one measly vote. Can you say the same?

Maybe direct this vitriol to your representatives instead of the people in this community?

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago

First off, I voted for Harris,

Maybe lead with that next time?

[–] PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat 10 points 2 weeks ago

The media literally told the voters what to do if they didn't want whatever new law enforcement Trump invents kicking down their door to take them away, and they didn't do it.

There's some blame to apportion on a few different sides.

"It is Nixon himself who represents that dark, venal and incurably violent side of the American character that almost every country in the world has learned to fear and despise. Our Barbie-doll president, with his Barbie-doll wife and his boxful of Barbie-doll children is also America's answer to the monstrous Mr. Hyde. He speaks for the Werewolf in us; the bully, the predatory shyster who turns into something unspeakable, full of claws and bleeding string-warts on nights when the moon comes too close… "

"If the current polls are reliable... Nixon will be re-elected by a huge majority of Americans who feel he is not only more honest and more trustworthy than George McGovern, but also more likely to end the war in Vietnam. The polls also indicate that Nixon will get a comfortable majority of the Youth Vote. And that he might carry all fifty states... This may be the year when we finally come face to face with ourselves; finally just lay back and say it — that we are really just a nation of 220 million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns, and no qualms at all about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable. The tragedy of all this is that George McGovern, for all his mistakes... understands what a fantastic monument to all the best instincts of the human race this country might have been, if we could have kept it out of the hands of greedy little hustlers like Richard Nixon. McGovern made some stupid mistakes, but in context they seem almost frivolous compared to the things Richard Nixon does every day of his life, on purpose."

-Hunter S. Thompson, 1972

And that was Nixon. Trump is infinitely darker, more twisted and dangerous.

[–] PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat 30 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

“Even aside from this genocide, it’s been difficult to get Harris to take a firm stand on other things I’m concerned about like trans rights; having some sort of meaningful, humane immigration reform; and taking a stand on climate change,” Meghan Watts, a North Carolina voter told The Intercept last week. She was deciding between Harris and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. She ended up leaving the presidential section of the ballot blank on Tuesday.

Edit: Just in case I need to clarify what meaning I take from this, I think this person has diarrhea where her brain should be. How can you blame Kamala Harris for not “taking a firm stand” when you won’t even take a firm stand on whether or not the US should become Nazi Germany? When it would have cost you nothing at all?

Even if you don’t watch the news or anything, you were there for 2016-2020.

Edit2: I thought about it a little bit more, and I don't think that anymore. I think this person is made up. 0.4% of the voters picked Jill Stein in North Carolina. I doubt much more than that know who she is. I don't know what percentage of those 0.4% thought about picking Jill Stein but then decided to leave the ballot blank, but it's probably even smaller. I think it's pretty unlikely that The Intercept happened to pick this person out of the 248+ they would have had to go over in order to find that voter, and asked her only to coincidentally have her spout this perfect narrative. It's too neat. Maybe it's true, and they just found the perfect victim who could articulate the narrative in perfect form, but I'm skeptical.

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It's anecdotal for sure. Polls, even with a large margin of error, would be more reliable inputs to try to make any kind of conclusion.

[–] dontgooglefinderscult@lemmings.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes blame the voters, that's worked out so well for you right wingers so far.

[–] PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat 2 points 2 weeks ago

Blame can be shared.

If one person left a bunch of oily rags in my home, and then when they caught fire, someone else refused to fight the fire but in fact let it actively continue, then I can blame both people.

[–] t3rmit3@beehaw.org 27 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

15+ million Democrats sat out compared to voting for Biden. I suspect this was less about Harris not being progressive enough, and more about sexism.

I repeatedly heard Democrats tell me they didn't think America was going to elect a woman president, and it looks like what they meant was they wouldn't elect one.

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 18 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

i suspect it has more to do with the fact that she supported genocide against Arabs abroad, and she needed Arab-Americans to win this election.

[–] t3rmit3@beehaw.org 29 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I wish I could at least believe it was about principles, but my gut tells me otherwise. This gap looks too similar to Hillary's in 2016.

If there's a ~20% drop in your voters every time a woman is up for election, you've got a problem.

Or, stop putting up female versions of the most right wing presidents possible. People didn't hate thatcher because she was a woman. She was evil, she happened to be a woman.

People didn't hate Clinton because she was a woman, they hated her for presuming she deserved the seat ("it's her turn"), they hated her for her blatant racism only tipped by Trump, they hated her for promising to expand America's wars and international meddling, and unfairly, they hated her for her husbands failures when he was president, the assumption being she would be similar.

People didn't hate Harris because she was a woman, they hate her because shes an uncharismatic genocidal racist that desperately wants to continue Biden's policies when it's clear they've hurt more Americans than helped.

Democrats, if they want votes, need to be a party of hope, not hate. We have a party of hate. Running on a right wing platform doesn't work against a right wing platform. Every single neoliberal is closer to fascism than the center, so if you're going to edge conservativism you will always lose to the guy promising fascism.

[–] sanzky@beehaw.org 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

she had a huge surge in popularity when her candidacy was announced. then she decided to move to the right assuming she would gain more votes from the mythical center than the votes she would loose from marginalized people and the left. She was wrong. so many people said this was happening. and she did nothing to fix it.

Betraying people and then blaming them for not voting for you because the other guy is worse is EXTORTION.

[–] sanzky@beehaw.org 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

you know those abussive partners that yell to their victims “where are you going if you leave me? you’ll sleep in the streets. You’ll be worse without me ”.

that’s the dems.

[–] t3rmit3@beehaw.org 4 points 2 weeks ago

She had a huge surge in media popularity, but how many of the eventual sit-out voters would still have sat out from day 1, we'll never know.

Either way, the DNC has to go, because their choice to back Biden and delay everything until the last possible moment created this entire situation in the first place.

[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 4 points 2 weeks ago

15+ million

That's a huge number btw, almost unbelievable imho

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 26 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

can we PLEASE get a new leftist party going in the US now? The Dems have proven for like 6 cycles now that they do not have the juice to get it done. Even when they win, they underperform expectations and then sit on their thumbs instead of actually doing anything for the American people besides the most basic infrastructural shit. Players like Lina Khan are the exception.

[–] OneRedFox@beehaw.org 5 points 2 weeks ago

Would be nice, but their fanclub seems more interested in blaming everyone else for their humiliating failure this year rather than doing any sort of self-crit or reflection on their dogshit political system, so what they'll probably do instead is just run another uncharismatic shitter and move right. I just hope that there's enough of a demographic shift over the next 4 years that makes it easier for actually good candidates to get into position.

[–] within_epsilon@beehaw.org 5 points 2 weeks ago

I have voted Democrat since I could vote. I voted third party this round. Liberals should blame me for the problems of the Empire. Vote Biden and move him left was only compelling once. Give me economic substance. Dismantle the Empire.

[–] Arn_Thor 8 points 2 weeks ago

The election was theirs to lose, and by God did they ever do what they’re best at.

[–] LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 7 points 2 weeks ago

I wonder if the news and social media run for profit has something to do with this? Maybe someone should have done something about this shit lol