A strange choice at a time when Republicans are aiming to do away completely with democracy and human rights. There's actually a difference between them this time.
Ending all pretense of democracy, declaring presidents above the law, sending troops to quell domestic dissent, drill baby drill, end all corporate regulation and taxation - I think Biden and trump are farther apart than what is shown on that graphic. I do agree that they are both on the right, despite the fact that both trump and Putin call the Democrats "woke" and "left-wing extremists".
The standard argument for backing hawkish centre-left parties remains the ‘lesser evil’. Lorna Finlayson interrogates that line of reasoning and the assumptions on which it rests: crude consequentialism, narrow minded electoralism and covering up the…
@Emmanuel Florac We have two shitty parties in the US. One that actually can be swayed and change their mind based on direct action and votes, as well as allow for free speech so people like leftists can freely spread their massage and one who will crush all dissent and pull an HUAC and cointelpro and memory hole all knowledge of anarchism like they did in the 1920s and socialism like they did in the 1950s. I'm 45, until 10 years ago I never thought to even look at Marx because his ideas were stupid and always leads to evil people oppressing people's rights. Until 5 years ago I thought that anarchism was invented in the 70's punk movement. That's how good having a Nixon-like government is like, now top it off with fascism and you get zero forward progress. The ratchet effect may be real but people still have time to be educated if we work hard and acceleration only creates a power vacuum if you haven't created a large enough base on the left which we have not, which then leads... show more
@Emmanuel Florac We have two shitty parties in the US. One that actually can be swayed and change their mind based on direct action and votes, as well as allow for free speech so people like leftists can freely spread their massage and one who will crush all dissent and pull an HUAC and cointelpro and memory hole all knowledge of anarchism like they did in the 1920s and socialism like they did in the 1950s. I'm 45, until 10 years ago I never thought to even look at Marx because his ideas were stupid and always leads to evil people oppressing people's rights. Until 5 years ago I thought that anarchism was invented in the 70's punk movement. That's how good having a Nixon-like government is like, now top it off with fascism and you get zero forward progress. The ratchet effect may be real but people still have time to be educated if we work hard and acceleration only creates a power vacuum if you haven't created a large enough base on the left which we have not, which then leads to fascism and all knowledge of leftism is now illegal. We have 2 shitty choices. If we get one we actually have something of a chance of surviving climate crisis with Trump its game over. If you want something different, donate to the Oregon and Nevada ballot initiatives for ranked choice voting which will act as a significant step to end our two party system. I could see the GOP becoming the third party in Oregon and someone like the DSA becoming the opposition party with RCV.
The lesser evil is indeed problematic. But Trump getting into power will literally endanger lgbt, black and other lives, and drive global politics further towards disaster. For once, I do see a real difference between the two American Parties.
Remember, both of these genociders are already endangering all the vulnerable minority groups by furthering the gap between the ultra-rich and the poor. Misery is known to feed intolerance, whether they legislate a few unenforceable laws or not.
Obama could have codified abortion rights, Biden could also have done it. They both had the house and the senate long enough to enact it, if it really were a priority for them!
@Trocatintas NO Biden could not have codified abortion rights, he never had the senate votes to do that with 2 traitors in the senate who refused to eliminate the filibuster. Obama could have in his first 2 years only. After that it was the same senate issue and they didn't see it as remotely a threat because GOP lawmakers paid lipservice to ending Roe but weren't crazy enough to do it.
@Trocatintas Yes political will has limitations and it you put effort into one things you can't put effort into something else like Obamacare which almost failed multiple times. Therefore they put priorities ahead they thought was most important at the time.
@Trocatintas That is because Wars are bipartisan, abortion was partisan. Thanks to the military industrial complex, both parties don't even have to vote on bombs and war.
I've been accompanying the US elections for more than a decade now and somehow the excuses are always the same. The ratchet effect is real! And you shouldn't fear illegality, you should fear complacency and insignificance.
allow for free speech so people like leftists can freely spread their massage
Your job is to demand shit from the politicians not to make excuses for them! That's a job for the PR firms that their corporate friends hire for them!
@Trocatintas In the 2 party system that is their job. As for illegality, most people have been programmed to hate illegality, and therefore hate people who do illegal things which leads to them not listening to the messenger so only the minority ever get the information needed to cause real change.
I agree that trump = game over. But it may be over either way, emphasis on may. Unfortunately, I see no actual left in the game. Russia is rightist, Ukraine is rightist. Israel is rightist. Hamas is rightist. Saudi Arabia is rightist, Iran is rightist. The Democrats are rightist, the Republicans are rightist, etc, etc...
People, please read the article. The point is that vote for the lesser evil, OK, BUT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT because what's important is to participate in activism to BRING AN ACTUAL NOT EVIL OPTION.
I think that illustrates exactly the original post : OK, Biden is certainly less evil than Trump, but the thing that should make you busy is building an option out of the bipartisan system.
Noam Bergman
in reply to anonymiss • • •anonymiss
in reply to anonymiss • • •Noam Bergman
in reply to anonymiss • • •anonymiss
in reply to anonymiss • • •**joe
in reply to anonymiss • • •anubis2814 likes this.
Ted
in reply to anonymiss • • •Emmanuel Florac
in reply to anonymiss • • •Lorna Finlayson, On Lesser Evilism, NLR 145, January–February 2024
New Left Reviewanubis2814
in reply to Emmanuel Florac • •I'm 45, until 10 years ago I never thought to even look at Marx because his ideas were stupid and always leads to evil people oppressing people's rights. Until 5 years ago I thought that anarchism was invented in the 70's punk movement. That's how good having a Nixon-like government is like, now top it off with fascism and you get zero forward progress.
The ratchet effect may be real but people still have time to be educated if we work hard and acceleration only creates a power vacuum if you haven't created a large enough base on the left which we have not, which then leads... show more
I'm 45, until 10 years ago I never thought to even look at Marx because his ideas were stupid and always leads to evil people oppressing people's rights. Until 5 years ago I thought that anarchism was invented in the 70's punk movement. That's how good having a Nixon-like government is like, now top it off with fascism and you get zero forward progress.
The ratchet effect may be real but people still have time to be educated if we work hard and acceleration only creates a power vacuum if you haven't created a large enough base on the left which we have not, which then leads to fascism and all knowledge of leftism is now illegal.
We have 2 shitty choices. If we get one we actually have something of a chance of surviving climate crisis with Trump its game over. If you want something different, donate to the Oregon and Nevada ballot initiatives for ranked choice voting which will act as a significant step to end our two party system. I could see the GOP becoming the third party in Oregon and someone like the DSA becoming the opposition party with RCV.
Noam Bergman
in reply to anonymiss • • •**joe
in reply to anonymiss • • •anubis2814 likes this.
Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •anubis2814
in reply to Trocatintas • •Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •That just sounds like being conveniently negligent.
anubis2814
in reply to Trocatintas • •Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •anubis2814
in reply to Trocatintas • •Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •I've been accompanying the US elections for more than a decade now and somehow the excuses are always the same. The ratchet effect is real! And you shouldn't fear illegality, you should fear complacency and insignificance.
look:
https://zeteo.com/p/i-am-a-jewish-student-at-columbia?r=2y9nd
I Am a Jewish Student at Columbia. Don’t Believe What You’re Being Told About ‘Campus Antisemitism’
Jonathan Ben-Menachem (Zeteo)Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •anubis2814
in reply to Trocatintas • •**joe
in reply to anonymiss • • •Unfortunately, I see no actual left in the game. Russia is rightist, Ukraine is rightist. Israel is rightist. Hamas is rightist. Saudi Arabia is rightist, Iran is rightist. The Democrats are rightist, the Republicans are rightist, etc, etc...
Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •Trocatintas
in reply to anonymiss • • •**joe
in reply to anonymiss • • •Emmanuel Florac
in reply to anonymiss • • •People, please read the article. The point is that vote for the lesser evil, OK, BUT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT because what's important is to participate in activism to BRING AN ACTUAL NOT EVIL OPTION.
I think that illustrates exactly the original post : OK, Biden is certainly less evil than Trump, but the thing that should make you busy is building an option out of the bipartisan system.