this post was submitted on 27 Mar 2024
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submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by spujb@lemmy.cafe to c/196@lemmy.blahaj.zone
 

FAQ

Q: why not organize and stop treating the bus as a legitimate entity? why aren’t you working to stop the bus?

A: do both. cut the fuel line. break windows. put oatmeal in the gas tank. but maybe your efforts don’t succeed this election cycle. and if so don’t fucking throw away your vote if it can help your neighbors fucking survive. “harm reduction” is not a political strategy for action. it is a last minute, end of the line decision to save lives, after all other resources have been exhausted.

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[–] Neato@ttrpg.network 66 points 6 months ago (16 children)

ITT: people calling for revolution who will never do a damn thing about it. It's easy to pretend violence is the answer when you'll never participate, let alone start something.

[–] EmptySlime@lemmy.blahaj.zone 40 points 6 months ago

Way too many of these chucklefucks just want to LARP as pure and radical revolutionaries. My wife and I are disabled and live on a fixed income of her disability payments and the SNAP program. If this "revolution" they want so bad does come, then we're among the most likely to just fucking starve in the disruption. I'm also one of the people the GOP declared they want to "Eradicate from Public Life" with Project 2025.

Now, I'm not much of a Genocide Enjoyer. I think it's one of the worst things you can do in fact. But I also don't take too kindly to being effectively told that I specifically should just die because these wannabe revolutionaries refuse to entertain a world where we both vote for Biden to keep Trump from destroying democracy more than the GOP already has (harm reduction), AND engage in direct action to push Biden away from blindly supporting Israel.

[–] root_beer@midwest.social 16 points 6 months ago

And then they think they’ll be part of the vanguard when the power vacuum opens up, and will give way to a glorious socialist utopia. Guess what, turbo, you’ll be up against that wall too, and it’s just going to be roving gangs of authoritarians.

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 14 points 6 months ago

Even if you assume those LARPers are willing to sacrifice themselves in bloody revolution for the good of the common folk…

Who do you think suffers most when civil war disrupts supply chains, essential services, and the legal system?

It’s the dang common folk they’re supposedly dying to protect!

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[–] Excrubulent@slrpnk.net 65 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (20 children)

This analogy is so absurd. Like if you have a vote on driving off a cliff, the answer is not to treat the vote as legitimate. The answer is to attempt to stop the bus by any means necessary. Pry open the engine panel and chuck a wrench in the gears, cut the fuel line, break the shifter lever, anything, just get off the fucking bus. Neither driver should be trusted.

EDIT: I am sick of hearing "WHY WON'T YOU VOTE THO"

First of all, I already said this:

The only reason to vote for the less-immediate cliff driver is to give you more time to stop the bus.

That's the other problem with this post: the non-voter is a strawman. Most people with real critiques of the bus vote too because they understand this. Voting barely matters for the most part but you may as well do it. Most people yelling about "don't vote it's pointless" are like 15 years old doing baby's first radical politics.

I just don't understand why every time we criticise the bus we have to deal with loads of people yelling about why we don't take the voting more seriously, as if who we vote for is the bigger issue than the fact that we're stuck on a careening death machine with a bunch of people calmly debating how fast we should all die.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 44 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I think the answer to this is: so, what are you doing to stop the bus from going over the cliff that's better than voting? And can't you do both of them?

Because usually people aren't doing much else. Especially anything effective. They're just not voting.

[–] Excrubulent@slrpnk.net 13 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

This comment is why you're getting this spiel, because you need to understand something:

They’re just not voting.

The people who don't vote are usually the most disenfranchised people, living paycheck to paycheck, stuck in survival mode, and they don't care who's in charge because they've noticed through hard lessons that they keep getting screwed no matter what. Also often they can't vote because they can't get off work. They're not terminally online yelling at people not to vote, those are probably mostly kids doing baby's first radical politics.

The sad reality is that electoral politics has a cold calculus to it where they've got the populace cut into rough thirds. About a third are susceptible to full on fascist propaganda and cannot currently be reached. Another third vote centre-left because they usually understand it's their only reasonable vote. Very few of them are actively engaged because it is a deeply disempowering system. Another third are who I mentioned.

That's not going to change just because you correctly debated with me about voting. I vote as far left as I meaningfully can, I just don't think it really matters and I think both psychologically and practically the faster people learn that the better.

I think understanding reality is much more important, and I think the fact that this insane bus analogy gets accepted paints a grim picture of how fucked up the electoral system really is. I also think it's wrong about the stakes - it's not cliff or icecream. It's cliff or slower cliff. Vote for the slower cliff, but don't ever mistake the drivers for your friends. You are voting for your preferred enemy.

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[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 26 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (4 children)

bro. do both.

cut the fuel line. break windows. put oatmeal in the gas tank.

but maybe your efforts don’t succeed this election cycle. and if so don’t fucking throw away your vote if it can help your neighbors fucking survive.

“harm reduction” is not a political strategy for action. it is a last minute, end of the line decision to save lives, after all other resources have been exhausted.

in response to your edit:

“the non-voter is a strawman.”

objectively false. in the 2020 election more eligible US voters turned out than any election in recent history, and still those who did not vote outnumbered those who voted for the winner. you are saying falsehoods.

[–] meyotch@slrpnk.net 16 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Bless you for this comment.

How many commenters here have even tried to figure out how ‘busses’ (the electoral process) work and find a way to get involved?

Spend 5 hours a week (yes, you can find the time, deduct it from your screen time!) and you could basically take over your local party committee. That alone won’t change the national trend, but you might just be able to influence a city council or school board race.

Local races hinge on a handful of votes very often. In our area, we managed to keep two anti-LGBTQ+ candidates off the school board last election. This impacts the lives of literally thousands of youth and their families and it hinged on about 80 votes. Vote, yes, but at least skim the Chilton manual for your bus in between elections. It really does matter

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[–] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.ml 14 points 6 months ago (1 children)

My logic is what about vote and pry the bus apart? If you have the option to might as well go for it as part of the 'any means necessary', a tool is a tool.

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[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 34 points 6 months ago (3 children)

This is a long established problem with FPTP voting (FPTP = First Past The Post: One voter = one vote). You don't really get to vote for your choice candidate, rather you vote against the worst of the two popular candidates by voting for the other guy.

Now there are plenty of election reform solutions, but in the US, both parties are weakened by the people having more choice, so neither party is willing to back amendments to the Constitution of the United States that would install a more public serving voting system.

This also means, according to CIA analysts who have studied nations on the brink and how they can avoid civil war, the US is very likely to see a civil war in its near future (next decade). But then we're also likely to see elections neutered anyway, so that the Republican party controls all elected positions (and appointed ones after that). And then local genocides can get underway.

So yes, if you're voting to make a point (other than you want the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 to play out or want to delay it for a while) the point won't be heard. In fact, the Republicans and their foreign national propaganda machine supporters are probably very glad you're willing to withhold blue votes to make a point. It won't make that point, but they're glad for you for trying.

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[–] audrbox 31 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Voting metaphors that don't have people dying in either option are disingenuous imo. Like I understand the concept of harm reduction to a point, but let's not pretend one of the options is something as innocent as "getting ice cream".

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 23 points 6 months ago (5 children)

absolutely agree. the situation is closer to driving into the grand canyon versus into the sun.

nevertheless i do think the intended rhetorical effect of the post has value, esp for those who don’t intend to vote at all.

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[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 25 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

except the options are: 1- going off a cliff and 2- going off a cliff

[–] cobra89 24 points 6 months ago (1 children)

What kills me are the people whose preferred form of government is not currently the most popular form of government somehow think that after a revolution that their preferred form of government will win out. They're delusional. In most cases the government gets worse, much worse, before it gets better.

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[–] Ilflish@lemm.ee 23 points 6 months ago (2 children)

The four people vote and you still drive off a cliff due to gerrymandering

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[–] hex_m_hell@slrpnk.net 22 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Liberalism is driving off a cliff and killing everyone because a third of people voted to do it.

There are 9 people on the bus. Five people vote to get shit burgers even though no one wants that, just because they think it will save them from the 3 people who vote to drive off the cliff. One person obstains. Two of the three people hijack the bus and drive off the cliff. Four of the five people blame the person who obstained as they drive off the cliff.

Fascists don't care if they win or lose. Voting can't save you once you've reached this point. You don't have slightly high blood pressure that you can treat by eating right. You have cancer. You fight the cancer with everything you have or you die.

[–] hrosts@lemm.ee 18 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Fascists do care about winning, that is why they pump so much money into being elected, as elections are one of the most frictionless paths to power. That's why they change the rules to make themselves more likely to be elected. That's why they try to disenfranchise people who would vote against them. A coup is a risky thing, which is why they take all paths to power which are available.

You fight the cancer with everything you have or you die.

The problem is, you don't have much. There isn't a robust labor movement in the US which could provide a front against fascism. Any small scale or individual struggle might help you personally and save lives, but it's not gonna stop the bus. At most it's gonna pull some of the people from it before it drives of the cliff.

If you want to fight the guys who're about to hijack the bus, you need time. As much time as possible to amass the response. Voting for shit burgers is just what gives you that sliver of it. This is the thing you keep doing to be able to keep going, not the saving grace.

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[–] Carlo@lemmy.ca 21 points 6 months ago

Whole lot of priveleged accelerationists ITT. Good thing most of them were probably never going to bother voting anyhow.

[–] zout@fedia.io 20 points 6 months ago (4 children)

This is written from an "I'm right, you're wrong" perspective. In real life, no one is running a drive off a cliff campaign, and the guy promising ice cream may not be able to deliver.

Also, fundamentally both left and right can make the argument the other side wants to run off a cliff.

[–] Excrubulent@slrpnk.net 17 points 6 months ago

Yeah, it's a baby's understanding of politics.

Like do these people actually think we get to vote on what the bus does? No, we're voting on the bus driver. We've got a screaming maniac and a doddering fool who keeps letting the maniac yank the wheel anyway, and they're both proven liars.

Pointing out that this situation is bad is not irresponsible. The irresponsible thing is to just vote and cheer on the fool because you're so afraid of the maniac.

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[–] Kumikommunism@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (4 children)

I will not be voting for anyone who supports a genocide. That will not change. Now there are two ways to change the outcome.

  1. If you are a genocide supporter who wants to be elected, you could stop supporting genocide, and be vocal about it.
  2. If you are someone who wants me to vote for your candidate, you could demand that they stop supporting genocide. Or demand that whatever party you like stops nominating people who support genocide.

I will not budge. Will you?

[–] Valthorn@feddit.nu 33 points 6 months ago (12 children)

Two candidates that support genocide, but one is a christofascist. No matter who you vote for, genocide support wins. But you think it's better to give the christofascist better odds than to inconvenience yourself with a vote you don't 100% agree with, and possibly abstain from your chance to ever vote again. Not voting won't fix the issue, since there's no threshold on voter turnout for the election to count. The struggle against genocide must be fought in other ways. So unfortunately, this fall you're getting genocide, so please make sure you don't get fascism too.

[–] Kumikommunism@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

I'd rather just not vote for genocide.

Aside from the obvious, that will just be continuing to tell the two parties that nominating genocide supporters is good. You can continue telling your favorite party that you are okay with genocide, but I will not, thank you very much. This is why you are stuck between two genocide supporters. When your chosen party leaves you with a genocide supporter as your only choice, you tell them that's good.

And you are not going to fight the genocide in any other way, so don't pretend. Your chosen party is one of the two that ratified bills to make any attempts at boycotts or sanctions illegal.

Also, both candidates are fascists. Look at what's happening on our Southern border, look at just our recent history in the Middle East, and look at the fascist government committing genocide that we are supporting.

You don't fight fascism in the ballot box. Every single example in history teaches you that.

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[–] Neato@ttrpg.network 14 points 6 months ago

See you at the bottom of the cliff then.

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[–] Andrzej@lemmy.myserv.one 19 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Or, more realistically:

  • 3 vote to drive off the cliff
  • 2 vote for ice-cream
  • 4 vote to drive off the cliff at a slightly reduced speed, having been assured that they might get to look at a picture of some ice-cream, but only after democracy has been saved
[–] unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 14 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Haha losers. Imagine not having some form of preferential voting. Catch up idiots

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 14 points 6 months ago (2 children)

go away troll no one gets any benefit from this shit

[–] areyouevenreal@lemm.ee 11 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The benefit is:

a) you know what needs to change

b) you know what country to move to if it doesn't change

c) it's entertaining

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 15 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

literal genocide is happening

trolling in the comments because “it’s entertaining”

disgusting and disturbing lmao. fuck off with that nonsense

[–] areyouevenreal@lemm.ee 11 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

I never said genocide is entertaining. It's really not. How did you get from a joke about preferential voting not being in America to genocide? From what I understand of American politics both are potentially genocidal, so I don't even know how much preferential voting would help.

Where I live also doesn't have preferential voting if it makes you feel better.

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[–] Jean_le_Flambeur@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 6 months ago (3 children)

American with two Party system and no real choice trying ro rationalize HM?

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 24 points 6 months ago (7 children)

go away if you aren’t going to do anything except troll please

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[–] superterran@discuss.online 10 points 6 months ago

I love all the any means necessary people, like just vote for 5 seconds and get the damned ice cream. You don’t need to sabotage the bus, just act civilly inside the bus

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