• PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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    6 months ago

    Why is the the voters obligation to vote for shitty candidates rather than in the candidates to earn the vote?

    It’s our obligation as voters, as people entrusted with political power, to do what we can to steer our polity towards the least destructive and immoral path that we can.

    “JOE BIBEN HASN’T EARNED MY VOTE” doesn’t mean jack fucking shit. The point of a citizen’s duty is not to suck off the right people - it’s to protect one’s fellow citizens, and ideally, members of other polities as well.

    Voting isn’t a fucking judgement of who’s moral enough to go to democracy fucking heaven - voting is a judgement of who is least objectionable in steering the future of the polity - including considering the likelihood of success.

    Sorry that using political power responsibly is such a foreign concept to you.

    Biden is looking at a close race and the majority of voters want a cease fire.

    The majority of voters want a cease-fire. You want to tell me what the majority of voters want the US to do to achieve a ceasefire?

    Most US voters are not in favor of more stringent terms than what Biden has already proposed.

    This idea that the US electorate is as left as the Fediverse is just… fucking bizarre.

    • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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      6 months ago

      You dont get those changes by just blindly voting against the Republicans. You have to actually pressure your candidates into supporting what you want. Companies and lobbiests are able to do this with giant sacks of cash. Normal people do it by protesting and making demands of their officials to force a response. Showing nothing but contempt for anti-war protests is always a bad look for a president running for reelection.

      Biden has all the leverage on Israel to make them stop the killing. He can threaten to pull military aid, send in US forces to distribute humanitarian aid, or put sanctions on Israel. All of those would stop the killing, making people angry at the US response willing to vote for Biden, paving a path for his re-election. Why are you so against him forcing Israel to stop the genocide if it is his only path to victory?

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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        6 months ago

        Because it’s not his only path to victory, and it’s not even certain that it IS a path to victory. A majority of DEMOCRATS, much less the general public, still approve of the current level of support to Israel or support INCREASED support to Israel.

        Do I want Biden to pull out of Israel? Yes. Do I understand why the strategic political reasons why it’s not being done, other than Biden being an old dinosaur? Also yes. Do I think that welcoming Trump into the White House will improve the matter? Fuck no.

        • Floey@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          Those voters who approve of funding Israel’s genocide should really suck it up and vote for Biden even if he slashes funding. After all they aren’t crazy “tankies” who would dare withhold their vote because they don’t approve of what he’s doing.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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            6 months ago

            Those voters who approve of funding Israel’s genocide should really suck it up and vote for Biden even if he slashes funding.

            Absolutely they should. And absolutely I removed out anyone who thinks that Biden ‘not being pro-Israel enough’ is a reason not to vote for him as a fascist enabler, at minimum.

            After all they aren’t crazy “tankies” who would dare withhold their vote because they don’t approve of what he’s doing.

            No, they tend to be fascists and theocrats instead who will gleefully withhold their vote, just as tankies do.

            This is what democracy looks like. Fighting to keep a coalition of unlike people together because the alternative is getting something that’s worse on every fucking level.

            • Floey@lemm.ee
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              6 months ago

              I take it you’d have a problem with people calling the Democratic party fascist but you seem to think such a significant part of their base is fascist that they have to implement fascist policy to appease them. What is that if not fascism? If the DNC actually has morals they’d amputate that part of their base and appeal to new voters because they look less ghoulish. If the Democrats lose it isn’t going to be because a few online leftist withheld their vote, it’s going to be because they failed to get any fresh voter turnout. A third of Americans don’t vote, and a larger portion of that third is young and PoC, more likely to be strongly against the genocide.

              • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                6 months ago

                I take it you’d have a problem with people calling the Democratic party fascist but you seem to think such a significant part of their base is fascist that they have to implement fascist policy to appease them.

                A significant part of the American electorate supports fascist policies, specifically, with regards to Israel. We can debate the causes all day long, but the fact remains.

                What is that if not fascism?

                Democracy. As it is necessarily compromise with the will of the majority.

                If the DNC actually has morals they’d amputate that part of their base and appeal to new voters because they look less ghoulish.

                If the DNC had morals, they’d lose, huh? Yeah, Trump rounding up people into concentration camps AND funding Israeli genocide looks much better. /s

                A third of Americans don’t vote, and a larger portion of that third is young and PoC, more likely to be strongly against the genocide.

                So, your plan is that, if the Dems take one of the least important issues to voters (yes, including young voters), radically change it to alienate their most reliable demographics to appeal to their least reliable demographics, that is the real path to victory?

                • Floey@lemm.ee
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                  6 months ago

                  How do you ever expect to get new voters if you only pay attention to what your base wants? And why do you think most of the Democrats who support Israel are bloodthirsty fascists who will switch their vote to Trump if Biden changes course on the matter? These political parties have had major shifts in the past and it can happen again. That’s why I think one of the most important things we can do is shift people’s ideology through protest and conversation. If America is so conservative we will never get anywhere by just showing up to vote and doing nothing else.

                  You are emphasizing the need to win the election as if it is a political goal that takes precedence over everything else. But under that view we shouldn’t even politically engage with people who are already planning to vote blue because we might make them change their minds. It’s important to instill voters and non voters alike with more progressive values, even if it threatens to make them vote in a way we don’t want. I don’t even believe the DNC believes in winning elections over all else, if something would win them votes but upset their benefactors in another way for example it might be off the table. The DNC doesn’t believe in things like harm reduction, they are playing a completely different strategy game than voters are. Trust me, they are not funding Israel because they believe it is what they must do in order to stop concentration camps.

                  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                    6 months ago

                    How do you ever expect to get new voters if you only pay attention to what your base wants?

                    Man, liberals are the Democratic base.

                    And why do you think most of the Democrats who support Israel are bloodthirsty fascists who will switch their vote to Trump if Biden changes course on the matter?

                    I don’t. I simply think they’re of a demographic that votes more often, and thus, there is a strategic consideration which is not unreasonable to mull over, that a change in Biden’s position will not necessarily be a net gain in voters.

                    That’s why I think one of the most important things we can do is shift people’s ideology through protest and conversation. If America is so conservative we will never get anywhere by just showing up to vote and doing nothing else.

                    Man, I absolutely agree with that. I say time and time again that the positions of absolutism so many progressives want to take are only going to be viable with a LOT of fucking groundwork.

                    30 years ago, supporting gay marriage was a death sentence for a national political career. But if progressives got together in the 90s and said “We aren’t going to support anyone EXCEPT candidates who support gay marriage”, LGBT rights would not be as firmly placed as they are today.

                    You can’t win every battle immediately, and that’s what I’m arguing against. If you don’t win the battle to change US policy on Palestine before the election, the alternative is not, should not, and must not be “Well, it’s okay if Trump wins, then”, because that will do everything BUT move us in the right direction.

                    You are emphasizing the need to win the election as if it is a political goal that takes precedence over everything else.

                    Considering the consequences of this election, it absolutely is. Have you not been following the whole MAGA movement and the GOP these past few years? We had to fend off an autocoup in 2021, and its only gotten worse. This election is a political goal that takes precedence over everything else, unless you’re fine with never have a say again in a fascist-controlled regime.

                    The DNC doesn’t believe in things like harm reduction, they are playing a completely different strategy game than voters are. Trust me, they are not funding Israel because they believe it is what they must do in order to stop concentration camps.

                    The DNC isn’t planning on destroying the last pieces of democracy in America, though, so regardless of their reasons for funding Israel, they’re the superior choice to the RNC, which is in favor of funding Israel and dismantling US democracy.

                • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
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                  6 months ago

                  Then there are enough that you don’t need us.

                  You guys spend so much of your time trying to convince peaceful people to support genocidal actions instead of supporting the warhawks changing to peace.

                  You are choosing to spend your time supporting genocidal actions instead of supporting rejecting them.

                  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                    6 months ago

                    Then there are enough that you don’t need us.

                    You tankies, specifically? Yes.

                    We do, however, need to minimize the cheap talking points you parrot, like Republicans chanting “RAISE THE TERROR ALERT” in 2004 like it fucking meant something, in order to avoid low-information voters being swayed into voting in favor of fascism like you lot want.

            • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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              6 months ago

              Thise fascists and theocrats were mever going to vote for Biden anyway, so why do you want him to court their vote instead of progressives?

              • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                6 months ago

                Thise fascists and theocrats were mever going to vote for Biden anyway

                They literally are voting for him. They voted for him last time. A significant subset of the Democratic party is strongly pro-Israel.

                so why do you want him to court their vote instead of progressives?

                I don’t. I told you, I tell the fascists and theocrats and those leaning that way I absolutely condemn.

        • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
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          6 months ago

          Then they deserve what they get!

          If the majority would rather side with supporting genocidal actions, rather than peace, than America deserves to burn

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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            6 months ago

            Then they deserve what they get!

            If the majority would rather side with supporting genocidal actions, rather than peace, than America deserves to burn

            Thanks for going mask off.

            • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
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              6 months ago

              Yeah mask off.

              To all the people supporting genocidal actions, we do no give a fuck what you think.

              When you decide that you are not ok with sending more bombs to continue killing children then we can talk.

              Until then I hope you all experience exactly what you want other people to.

              • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                6 months ago

                Yeah mask off.

                To all the people supporting genocidal actions, we do no give a fuck what you think.

                When you decide that you are not ok with sending more bombs to continue killing children then we can talk.

                Until then I hope you all experience exactly what you want other people to.

                So when members of Hamas, the current representative government of Gaza, talk about the genocide of the Jews, you say…?

                Me, personally, I say that wishing democide on a population is fucking horrendous regardless of what that population supports, but I understand you tankies adore bloodshed more than I do.

                • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
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                  6 months ago

                  I have said before and I will say again, they decided to launch attacks into civilian occupied areas without consideration.

                  The Israelis could have built a secure area with the help of the us military. Y’know the best of the best of logistics.

                  They could have built a base covered in camera and with food, water, power, and medical care.

                  It would have shown the whole world that they were actually only after Hamas.

                  Shit I was on Israel’s side in the beginning of this.

                  There is absolutely no justification for what hummus did, they killed and kidnapped innocent children.

                  They could have returned them for free at the first opportunity, instead they used them as bargains chips.

                  Instead neither side cares about the civilians as anything more than pawns.

                  So fuck them both, it’s really hard for me to care when the first sf or hummus has their people killed.

                  They are both pieces of shit who only care about land and power.

                  Also, you still don’t know what tankie means

                  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                    6 months ago

                    There is absolutely no justification for what hummus did, they killed and kidnapped innocent children.

                    They could have returned them for free at the first opportunity, instead they used them as bargains chips.

                    Instead neither side cares about the civilians as anything more than pawns.

                    So fuck them both, it’s really hard for me to care when the first sf or hummus has their people killed.

                    They are both pieces of shit who only care about land and power.

                    Then by your own logic, you should be wishing on them the same thing you wished on America - for their countries to burn.

                    Also, you still don’t know what tankie means

                    I literally defined it earlier in the thread.

          • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
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            6 months ago

            Tell me you’re white and know you’re not gonna be the one who actually burns without telling me you’re white and know you’re not gonna be the one who actually burns.

            • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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              6 months ago

              You’re saying that you are ok with Israel slaughtering Palestinians so long as you can continue your standard of living. “Never Again” doesn’t have a secret clause saying we shouldn’t stop genocide if it means people may be harmed in the process.

              You don’t want Trump to take over the US and institute his fascist policies? You should be leaning on the Democrats to actually try and stop him, rather than going after those who are trying to actually stop fascism as it pops up.

              • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
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                6 months ago

                “We think any amount of genocide is unacceptable, that’s why we think it is imperative to threaten the democrats with the possibility of letting more genocide happen here too if they don’t stop supporting genocide, and shut up it’s not supporting genocide when we do it because we’re right!”

                • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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                  6 months ago

                  The Israeli government has said they want to remove every Palestinian from Gaza and the West Bank. There is literally no more genocide that is able to happen right now

      • Mastengwe@lemm.ee
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        6 months ago

        Single-issue voters always seem to want to fuck shit up for even everyone election year.

        And every year- you people never seem to even really grasp the nuance of the single issue you whine about.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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            6 months ago

            Sorry that you think doubling down on genocide and starting a few new ones is an acceptable policy for voters in the free world to support.

            • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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              6 months ago

              Where have i said that I support doubling down? People thinkthat their vote doesn’t matter as is. And asking someone who is already apathetic to voting to vote for someone who supports genocide isn’t going to make them want to vote any more. It’s a rigged game so they won’t play. You should be mad at Biden for not trying to engage with those voters and instead locking them up and using police violence against them.

              • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                6 months ago

                Where have i said that I support doubling down?

                There are two choices in this coming election, effectively. Trump or Biden.

                If one loses, the other wins.

                You want to guess what contributing to Biden’s loss will cause?

                Go ahead. Take a few swings.

                And asking someone who is already apathetic to voting to vote for someone who supports genocide isn’t going to make them want to vote any more

                Someone who is already apathetic to voting is already not a very good target for voting outreach. You’re not really making “Have the least reliable voting bloc since we started tracking such things be the lynchpin of the strategy to defeat fascism” sound any more reasonable than it was previously.

                It’s a rigged game so they won’t play.

                If they think it’s a rigged game, what benefit will appealing to their desired policies have?

                You should be mad at Biden for not trying to engage with those voters and instead locking them up and using police violence against them.

                Oh God, not this line again. It doesn’t matter that Biden at no point has advocated the use of police violence against peaceful protesters, he’s definitely the one behind local police continuing the policy of being absolute shitheads, as they have for the past [checks notes] century and a half of US policing.

                Thanks, Biden.

                • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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                  6 months ago

                  Yes, there are two choices. So i support people who are trying to make the less terrible one better. Meanwhile you want people to just shit up and support genocide.

                  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                    6 months ago

                    Meanwhile you want people to just shit up and support genocide.

                    Oh, is that what I want? I guess calling the Israeli genocide a genocide and advocating for the total removal of US aid from Israel is support of genocide.

                    Or is it because I don’t regard Trump as winning as a reasonable alternative to Biden that makes me a genocide supporter?

                  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                    6 months ago

                    My payment is me and people I care about not being rounded up, tortured, expelled, or executed at some point during a second Trump administration. It’s very valuable to me.

                    I don’t give a fuck that the DNC is filled with listless, lazy, complacent, corrupt shitheads, because ‘punishing’ them for that by putting a metaphorical gun to my head and blowing my brains out just doesn’t seem like a good calculus, especially since fascist regimes always have a place for listless, lazy, complacent, corrupt shitheads anyway, so it wouldn’t be much of a punishment for the worst amongst them.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      No. There is no moral responsibility to vote for someone who hasn’t earned that vote. That’s a construct meant to remove the politician’s responsibility to their constituents. An Astroturf by the donor class to protect their influence. Stop doing their work for them. They don’t care about you beyond how much money you can make them.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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        6 months ago

        No. There is no moral responsibility to vote for someone who hasn’t earned that vote.

        Oh, cool, there’s no moral responsibility to protect your fellow citizens. Fuck those minorities, herd 'em into camps; Biden didn’t earn MY vote, right?

        You lot are indistinguishable from fascists in practical effects.

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Where’s his moral responsibility? Why am I the only one with a moral responsibility? Where’s the moral responsibility of his base? Where’s your moral responsibility? Is it okay with genocide as long as it’s over there? It’s okay over there but here crimes a magnitude lower suddenly become a moral imperative?

          You have no morals.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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            6 months ago

            Why am I the only one with a moral responsibility?

            You aren’t. You’re just the only one with control over your own actions.

            Where’s your moral responsibility?

            The same place as every other citizen’s?

            Is it okay with genocide as long as it’s over there?

            It’s not okay with genocide. Unlike your sense of morality, it regards “More genocide” as a BAD position to take.

            It’s okay over there but here crimes a magnitude lower suddenly become a moral imperative?

            lmao, what. Tell me more about how murdering minorities here in the USA is a crime “a magnitude lower” than murdering minorities in Israel. Real telling what you think about non-white Americans and GSMs.

            You have no morals.

            Coming from someone advocating for the deaths of both more Palestinians AND American minorities?

            lmao

            • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              Yup the occasional murder by racist is 100 percent comparable to a man made famine and campaign of ethnic cleansing by military units.

              • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                6 months ago

                So that’s what you think the next Trump term is going to be? Just the “occasional murder by racist”?

                I can’t believe you crave genocide this badly.

                  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                    6 months ago

                    Still no evidence of any genocidal plans.

                    Thanks for confirming your position regarding Trump and genocide. :)

        • toomanypancakes@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Hi, I’m part of a minority that Donald trump and his sycophants would love nothing more than to herd into camps or eliminate entirely.

          Your argument sucks. Calling everyone fascists who doesn’t want to vote for your guy isn’t going to convince anyone to vote for your guy. Are you trying to convince people Democrats are bad?

          • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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            Hi, I’m part of a minority that Donald trump and his sycophants would love nothing more than to herd into camps or eliminate entirely.

            Playing asspat games with Very Serious People who want to see Donald Trump elected to ‘get back at’ the evil shitlibs isn’t going to convince anyone to vote against fascism. If you’re fine with letting people spew pro-fascist rhetoric, I mean, I guess I’ll see you in the camps; but personally, I’d like to avoid that fucking fate.

            • toomanypancakes@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              Oh my goodness, you truly think every person who doesn’t vote for Biden is actively rooting for Trump, don’t you? Okay, have a nice day.

              • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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                “I wasn’t rooting for Trump, I was just sitting by doing absolutely nothing, not even the bare minimum, because genocide doesn’t matter to me!” doesn’t really have a better ring to it than “I was rooting for Trump”.

    • Mastengwe@lemm.ee
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      6 months ago

      Right-fucking-ON man. This is absolutely everthing anyone would need to understand how it goes down.

      Well said.

    • Facebones@reddthat.com
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      6 months ago

      The point of a citizens duty is not to suck off the right people

      spends multiple paragraphs over multiple comments explaining why their entire political ideology is that its a citizens duty to suck off the right people