Which party isn’t owned by billionaires again?
Voting is easier than revolution
Voting and revolution are non-exclusive between each other
if it worked
(i already voted, assholes.)
Ignore the apathetic doomers. Voting requires little effort for most. A lot of places support early voting.
Go do it. At a minimum they HEAVILY impact your local communities. Even if you don’t think they impact the larger USA.
Yeah, I’ve voted every general election and primary since I was allowed. There’s more that needs to be done: education, convincing friends and neighbors, protest, and yes revolution, I’ve done most of those too.
But voting is the bare minimum duty of citizens in a democracy. I’ve spent hours in line to vote, it’s nothing compared to my mom who was a regular poll worker. I actually find in person voting nice, but living in the PNW where it’s mail first I do think every state should adopt a process of sending every registered voter their ballot. Either way, vote early or on time, by mail or in person, however you do it, do it.
If you refuse to vote for any reason, I firmly disagree with your decision, but at least send in a blank ballot.
It takes SUCH minimal effort its insane people dont do it.
Early voting makes it the easiest. For some reason, a lot of people wait to vote the day of and stand in line forever…
Right or mail in,though idk how much I really trust mail in.
use a drop box rather than the US Postal Service if possible
Yeah, for me it was a nice evening walk with my wife to our nearest one. And no chance of failure to deliver.
I trust it kinda. CO mails out ballots. The entire process send you updates to email or text, your choice.
I do drop my ballot at a dedicated ballot drop box instead of mailing though.
Not so insane when you understand that they dont vote on purpose.
Unfortunately, voting doesn’t pop up in front of your face all by itself and give you some options to click on, and even if it did many people would dismiss it as an invasion of their privacy and an unreasonable demand on their time, and then spend an hour raging about it on social media.
Voting is easier than revolution, but we still need both.
No, voting serves as pressure relief against the revolution, its what the capitalists want you to do
Voting for establishment politicians yes. If everyone voted 3rd party they’d have to do some real gymnastics to hold onto power and that would seriously undermine people’s faith in the system
Removed by mod
Yes, imperialist Amerikkka needs to crash and burn so a proper revolution can rise up, liberal
It appears to just keep crashing and burning harder, with no limit in sight.
so a proper revolution can rise up
So Russia/China can take advantage of the power vacuum, you mean.
and don’t forget so millions of people can die for their aggrandized, high-minded ideas they post to lemmy with literally no path for implementation
2 anti-imperialist nations, how horrible.
Ah yes, world famous anti-imperialist country Russia, which never invades other countries. What are the nukes for, you may ask? Scientific purposes only of course.
anti-imperialist
lol
Yeah keep this up. You’re super good at articulating your position in a calm, thoughtful way. I can see it convincing a lot of people.
I’ve heard that exact same argument from Trump supporters for why they voted for Trump since 2016 up until 2024, and look where that got us.
It’s possible to both vote for a lesser evil (or in some rarer cases, even incremental change) and organize against a capitalist system at the same time.
No, because the “lesser” evil is intentionally propped up by the bourgeois and is often not any less evil
Wild that this comment is getting downvoted so heavily in a “progressive” community.
Support for the worst evil isn’t liked in a progressive community.
Encouragement to avoid voting, in this context, is clearly favorable to Trump’s side. If that is your point, assume it as it is.
Don’t you find it odd that every election is “the most important election in the history of the universe! Democracy itself is on the ballot!”. Yet no matter which “side” wins, material conditions just get worse and worse and worse and worse? Lesser evilism doesn’t work. It simply doesn’t. Doesn’t it bother you that the same billionaires funding Trump and Reps are the same ones funding the Dems? Doesn’t it bother you that no matter how much “control” the “good guys” have in office, there’s always a handful that vote against party lines to roadblock any progressive measures? Isn’t it odd that everything is a half measure … “progressive” policies sill have half of America unable to afford a 1 bedroom apartment, are drowning in medical and student debt, etc? None of these people work for you. They work for their corporate/capitalist interests.
When dems were in control, we were still bombing countries, sanctioning and inflicting misery around the world, approving record funding for ICE and Homeland security, still had kids in cages, still torturing people in guantanamo, people couldn’t afford rent, or the doctor, or basic necessities, real wages have been stagnant since the 70s., etc. By all means vote for the lesser evil, but conditions will not materially improve within a system that will not allow material conditions to improve meaningfully. Take small wins where we can, but acknowledge that it’s simply a bandaid.
Encouragement to avoid voting, in this context, is clearly favorable to Trump’s side
Why is not voting always assumed to help Republicans? Surely there’s Republicans who stay home as well? But to clarify, I’m encouraging people to vote for the best candidate that meets their expectations, not to just blindly vote blue no matter who. “It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it.” - Eugene V. Debs
Voting for the lesser evil won’t make things better, just less worse than if it was the worst evil.
Revolt is needed for improvement.
Revolt needs that people get involved in politics rather than submit to it as slaves.
Discouraging vote is mostly to discourage from participating in politics.
Encouraging to care about politics encourages to vote and to follow decision made. It comes with critics of that decisions, and can lead to revolts, and therefore improvements.
Those planning to do a revolution “later” just sell fake dreams. If you offer a revolution now, do it clearly, and make it start now. It needs to be obvious who is behind it, and what the revolt is for.
As long as you can’t overthrow the system, make your best so that the people’s life doesn’t go too wrong, even when it implies voting for some bastards because they are at some point less dangerous than the other bastards.
With who will it be easier to negociate? On who will it be easier to put a pressure that has a chance to bring positive results?
Sometimes solutions aren’t easy. Doesn’t change the fact that they might be necessary.
(Obligatory disclaimer that this comment is not meant to discourage voting. Please do.)
It annoys me that “lowering the cost of gas” Is top of the list. I see so many adds just about that too. I really don’t care about the cost of gas; what I do care about is universal healthcare and an end to the genocide
It’s the one thing that tangibly affects the uninformed median voter. Everything else can be ignored or blamed on immigrants or something, but paying like $20 extra at the pump every week is right in their face.
I’m honestly not sure that voter exists. I feel like democrats will spend billions to win “undecided voters”; rather than just doing the popular things their base wants.
I do plan on voting fully democratic; but I get so frustrated with the party. If they just embraced DSA policies; they’d wipe the floor with republicans at a fraction of the cost
If they just embraced DSA policies;
Part of the problem is that Americans have been conditioned for generations to be scared of the mere mention of that “S” word.
Think you should get out more. I know plenty of people that would balk at half the things DSA wants. Not everything theyre afraid of makes sense but seriously, this wouldn’t be the easy sell you think in my experience.
I can assure you that that voter exists. The General6 public is extremely uninformed/misinformed about politics and what’s actually happening. Gas prices, food prices, and the constant stream of ICE nazis murdering citizens are what the general public sees and understands.
I am currently reading Anti-Fascist Economics by Isabella Weber and it talks about how fascist politicians exploit prices of essential goods and badly functioning social systems to push a fascist ideology as a change from the status quo.
The fascists will also work with neo-liberals to ensure these trends continue which make the public more susceptible to their propaganda and the proposed solutions to the issues that they helped create.
Like it or not, the price of eggs and gas actually influenced people to vote for Trump, and that was the plan.
This is so true. Like the problem isn’t the cost of eggs; it’s the fact that small farms are being squeezed out by corporations.
Similarly, the cost of gas isn’t the real issue. It’s that we are still so heavily reliant on fossil fuels. And the war with Iran isn’t bad because of gas prices; it’s bad because we are spending billions fighting a war on behalf of a genocidal apartheid regime.
High gas cost disproportionally affects the poor more than anyone. The rich can buy electric or newer more efficient Cars. The poor generally drive 20 year old cars that get under 20 mpg.
The rich can buy electric or newer more efficient Cars. The poor generally drive 20 year old cars
Cars are far from the only thing that is impacted by increasing petroleum prices.
Literally every product in your house (including in your pantry) was moved by a diesel powered truck at some point. Most of it was also moved by a diesel powered train as well. And a petroleum fueled cargo ship.
My local, indie tire shop isn’t happy with his prices, but the customers understand and are forgiving.
Yep totally
Vote like your life depends on it.
Because it does.
No it doesn’t
Its easy for me now. Vote D all the way down. Dont even need to research candidates. A vote for R is a vote for fascism.
You vote for a corporate sponsored party without so much as considering the positions of the people you’re voting for? Yikes.
Yeah. If youre an R in this climate youre a peice of shit, far as I’m concerned.
My state is deep red anyway so it won’t matter a lot.
Sure is easy, go and vote and tell the friendly people you know to as well. The only thing you would lose by voting is up to 4 hours towards your revolution preparation.
Remember, that the USA has to be ready to mobilize, should the Republicans try to mess with the transfer of power process between November and January.
Well okay, but it would cut into so many people’s gaming and doomscrolling time!
No, rebel. Resistance is the only way. Refuse to obey the oligarchs and their slavery. This is the way whether you like it or not. Continuing to play pretend in their system and you achieve nothing.
I think its hilarious when people apply for a permit to protest, then show up and sing songs. Not a single person in power gives it a second thought, it make zero people uncomfortable.
You first.
How’s that working out for ya? Enjoying all the change it’s brought you thus far??
Yes? Many forms of direct action benefit the participant, like joining a union.
Ahh, yes, the haymarket riot of 1886! I remember reading about how a bunch of pseudo-socialist lemmy users were at the forefront of that major change.
Hey bud. How about you give an example of change YOU took part in and not just sit around pretending the sacrifices others made for you were yours.
And while we’re at it, what union do you belong to?
If you’re going that far back, then I’m enjoying the 40 hour workweek won by unions.
And you had nothing to do with it.
It seems you’re only convinced by anecdotes.
Edit: I invite the reader to consider if I personally have taken credit for anything.
It seems you like to take credit for shit you had nothing to do with.
Far more effective too.
How? Voting can never put the working class in control, no matter how hard we vote. We need revolution in order to actually take control of society. Every major reform, even, has been taken directly because of worker organizing on the ground pressuring the state.
