I like the discourse - it can teach me, it can teach you, it can teach others who are staying quiet - it’s why I engage with the possible trolls. I apologize for my tone. I’m frustrated.
I’d like to point out, though, that you have changed your argument.
My original point was, paraphrased: if genocide is your #1 issue, there’s a clear party that will make things worse, and a party that will likely maintain the existing problems. With regards specifically to voting in the US mid terms, there are effectively three choices: Vote republican, vote democratic, don’t vote. Two of those 3 choices will likely result in the genocide getting worse. Anyone implying, in this context, that Biden was ‘just as bad’ is “ACTIVELY hurting the cause” as you put it, as it will potentially reduce democratic turnout and increase the chances republicans retain power. Republicans in power will result in making things worse. Proof: The last two years.
If you can’t see that causal effect, then I can’t help you. This is not a ‘my side might not win’, this is ‘my side winning is the better of the outcomes even if it’s not a fix’. And it’s not even a ‘my side’ because they don’t represent me completely – they are just closer to what I want than the other team and our politics are very A vs B.
Now, am I advocating that people should just vote dem and pretend they’ve washed their hands of the issue? No. The best time to be involved was in 2014, or maybe 1914. The next best time to be involved was in 2016, 2018, 2020, etc. Vote for least harm in the election, but then help find and elect better candidates. We are seeing this working. Look to New York City. Do the SocDems own the party yet? No, but they are gaining traction. Erasing that gain via demoralization is harmful.
You pivoted away from the genocide issue, though, and into the broader issue of US politics being messed up. I suggested there was no other path forward other than one involving revolt and violence. You stated “get [out] if you can - or get armed and organized”. Neither of those really work:
Leaving the country, if you can and many cannot, just reduces the power of the side wanting to deescalate. ‘Fuck this, I’m out’ doesn’t work on a global scale… Moving to Sweden and letting the US self destruct will likely result in bad outcomes for everyone.*
Arm and Organize is the violence option. I recognize that it’s important, but I’m trying to avoid getting to a civil war kind of stage.
*I live in a purple state. I fully understand the people that move away to a blue state, but all that does is concentrate the votes in a way that advantages the red voters. This is just how our system works**. Expand this to a world stage to consider people leaving the US.I don’t judge those people, but staying put is a sacrifice I’m willing to make myself if it prevents the violence others advocate; the violence that will occur if the US manages to become entrapped by the current republican party. They have clearly stated that democrats are less than human, so once there’s no check on their power they will try to kill us and we’ll have to fight back.
**If anything, democratic voters need to move into red states and make everyone purple. I did the math a while ago, and I’m not doing it again, but the margin in some house district in like Montana was <1000. 1000 Californians moving would flip a house seat forever, and likely make life in that city more vibrant. Scale that up to states and eventually, we’d get discourse back to a point where things weren’t so polarized. I know this is a dream, though.
I’m open to other ways to fix things. I just don’t see them. We either do it via legal channels like elections or shoot all the fascists, and I’m not there yet and afraid of what will happen if we get there.
What is your suggestion? Where’s the middle ground where you don’t advocate for violence?
(You can quote me and refute or respond to my claims. Before you do that, though, propose your solution.)
I like the discourse - it can teach me, it can teach you, it can teach others who are staying quiet - it’s why I engage with the possible trolls. I apologize for my tone. I’m frustrated.
I’d like to point out, though, that you have changed your argument.
My original point was, paraphrased: if genocide is your #1 issue, there’s a clear party that will make things worse, and a party that will likely maintain the existing problems. With regards specifically to voting in the US mid terms, there are effectively three choices: Vote republican, vote democratic, don’t vote. Two of those 3 choices will likely result in the genocide getting worse. Anyone implying, in this context, that Biden was ‘just as bad’ is “ACTIVELY hurting the cause” as you put it, as it will potentially reduce democratic turnout and increase the chances republicans retain power. Republicans in power will result in making things worse. Proof: The last two years.
If you can’t see that causal effect, then I can’t help you. This is not a ‘my side might not win’, this is ‘my side winning is the better of the outcomes even if it’s not a fix’. And it’s not even a ‘my side’ because they don’t represent me completely – they are just closer to what I want than the other team and our politics are very A vs B.
Now, am I advocating that people should just vote dem and pretend they’ve washed their hands of the issue? No. The best time to be involved was in 2014, or maybe 1914. The next best time to be involved was in 2016, 2018, 2020, etc. Vote for least harm in the election, but then help find and elect better candidates. We are seeing this working. Look to New York City. Do the SocDems own the party yet? No, but they are gaining traction. Erasing that gain via demoralization is harmful.
You pivoted away from the genocide issue, though, and into the broader issue of US politics being messed up. I suggested there was no other path forward other than one involving revolt and violence. You stated “get [out] if you can - or get armed and organized”. Neither of those really work:
*I live in a purple state. I fully understand the people that move away to a blue state, but all that does is concentrate the votes in a way that advantages the red voters. This is just how our system works**. Expand this to a world stage to consider people leaving the US.I don’t judge those people, but staying put is a sacrifice I’m willing to make myself if it prevents the violence others advocate; the violence that will occur if the US manages to become entrapped by the current republican party. They have clearly stated that democrats are less than human, so once there’s no check on their power they will try to kill us and we’ll have to fight back.
**If anything, democratic voters need to move into red states and make everyone purple. I did the math a while ago, and I’m not doing it again, but the margin in some house district in like Montana was <1000. 1000 Californians moving would flip a house seat forever, and likely make life in that city more vibrant. Scale that up to states and eventually, we’d get discourse back to a point where things weren’t so polarized. I know this is a dream, though.
I’m open to other ways to fix things. I just don’t see them. We either do it via legal channels like elections or shoot all the fascists, and I’m not there yet and afraid of what will happen if we get there.
What is your suggestion? Where’s the middle ground where you don’t advocate for violence?
(You can quote me and refute or respond to my claims. Before you do that, though, propose your solution.)