Back in the day I had the privilege of knowing some old school Communists. People who had gone to Spain to fight Fascism and been blacklisted at home.
One of the stories they told was about how in 1968 they were warning young voters to get to the polls to stop Nixon. It wasn’t that they were in love with Hubert Humphrey, but they knew he was a million times better than Nixon.
The situation is the same today. If you aren’t voting for Harris and every other Dem you’re ignoring reality.
My grandfather went through something similar. He faced relentless hate and pressure from both sides of the political spectrum, but he never caved and stayed true to his convictions.
Just like those old-school Communists, he knew the power of standing firm, even when the world seemed against him.
Choosing the “lesser of two evils” was never his style, and I’m the same way. I won’t be bullied into casting a vote I don’t believe in, and neither would he.
In my opinion, respecting someone’s decision to vote their conscience is a lot more powerful than forcing them to pick the so-called “realistic” choice.
I won’t be voting Harris. I’m proud to vote third party.
I’m sure you think you sound like you have integrity, but it sounds like privilege to me.
Women have actually died because they couldn’t get abortions.
I could point out a lot of other things that happened because of Trump, but let’s just deal with this one issue.
And you totally misread the idea of the old school Communists standing firm.
Another thing they talked about was Ho Chi Minh working with the American OSS in WW2. Ho would have known all about America’s history of racism and genocide, but that didn’t matter because there was a bigger threat to his people.
And please name the ‘Third Party’ you’re planning on voting for. There’s proof that the GOP has helped both the Libertarians and the Greens get on the ballot to help split the Dem vote.
Because I am not voting Harris, I have privilege?! I promise you make more money than I do. So you have more privilege than me. So are you evil because of it?
I wasn’t bullied into casting a vote for Hilldog (she fucking sucks). I am going to vote against the orange bad because I’ve seen how awful his time in office was. I’m not a fan of Harris, but I’m very anti-him. Dems aren’t good enough, but he’s terrible enough that I must do what I can to prevent another term.
Third parties will never be viable if we keep dismissing them and refuse to vote for them, which only strengthens the duopoly’s stranglehold on our political system.
So your goal is to make them viable by giving them a pittance of a vote during an incredibly polarized election? How many local seats has your third party won? I wonder if they do anything or have any success outside of ~2 months directly before an election? Why didn’t I see shit like this year round from you losers?
There are people affected by your lack of empathy and harm reduction. You stomp your feet and blame the system, and then make a net-zero or negative dent in it and call that integrity. You’re no better than the brainwashed right who would vote for a literal felon.
It’s not bullying, it’s simple math. Harris wins or Trump wins. Harris isn’t perfect, but Trump is unacceptable. Voting for neither is a choice, but it’s choice that says you don’t care which one wins. You don’t care if a fascist bigot who wants to abuse his power to control women and line his pockets wins the election. Anyone that’s OK with that is either themselves a fascist bigot who wants Project 2025, or they’re stupid.
So saying you don’t care if Trump wins tells me you might be a fascist bigot, or you might be stupid. If you’re just stupid, that’s fine, vote your conscience. But if you’re a fascist bigot pretending, you might as well admit it to the world and admit you’re supporting Trump.
Either way, it’s not a persuasive argument to make anyone think you have anything of value to say.
Voting is always an act of harm reduction. Choosing to vote for a non-viable option or not vote is a statement that neither you nor those you care about (in life or the abstract) are in minimal risk of harm or you don’t care about the harm they may undergo.
And honestly I suspect there is a lot of astroturf trying to make the argument. Far too many people on social media are using the same talking points, eg “I can’t support a genocide enabler.” Which is a valid issue, but it’s disingenuous to think that Trump is going to be better for Palestine. Harris, being a human being with empathy, would certainly want the violence to end. Trump wants the genocide to finish. He’s said that. A Jill Stein protest vote is nothing.
You trying to bully and pressure meis either privilege or sociopathy.
I did neither, in fact I don’t even respond to your comment where you might think I was responding directly to you.
Considering any third party is viable in the system as it exists today, make as much sense as playing Chess using the rules from Candy Land. It’s delusional and detached from reality.
It’s an unfortunate mathematical truth and no amount of wishing it otherwise will change that. That’s why for any non-primary election, it must be treated as harm reduction above all.
I’ll leave this here in hopes you’ll watch it. There is no way for what you’re hoping to actually succeed in the current environment. The only way out is through and the only way through is voting as harm reduction.
1, voting is not harm reduction, and 2, that video has given you a false conclusion. the lesson we should learn is that strategic voting leads to party consolidation, and the only way to keep third parties is to continue to vote for them.
This poster gets SOOO close to making an observation that would utterly destroy its half-baked, IMO inauthentic reasoning, if it’d only take a closer look at what it’s saying. So, I’ll close the gap here.
Suppose we could wave our magic wand and get everyone to agree with this poster, getting everyone who is voting Kamala Harris today to vote for … Rachele Fruit. But the price of this vote is that everyone who WAS voting Rachele Fruit now has to vote Kamala Harris. Suddenly, it’s Harris who is spoiling the vote for Fruit…and Jill Stein remains as much as spoiler for Fruit in this magic universe as she is for Harris in this real one. That’s the problem with third parties. No matter how the votes line up, whether it be for the Social Workers Party in this parallel universe or the Democrats in this one, votes for Third Parties merely harm your political ideology by taking away votes from the major party on your side of the political aisle and empower the major party most opposite of your ideology. You’d have to go to another parallel where we made Ranked Choice voting work before you could risk a SWP vote in a Rep-Dem world or a Dem vote in a Rep-SWP world.
Mods have always removed my comments if they think I have broken the rules.
I get no favoritism from the mods, nor have I ever I asked for it.
Buuuuutttt you should probably check what comment was removed before ya celebrate too much. I don’t think it’s quite the “gotcha” you were hoping for. :)
The mods have never shown me favoritism. In fact, as you pointed out, some of my comments were removed recently. I have no idea what you are going on about.
tells me you might be a fascist bigot, or you might be stupid.
And you trying to bully and pressure me, tells me the same things about yourself that you just accused me of. Either way, it’s not a persuasive argument to make anyone think you have anything of value to say.
I’m still voting third party. And proudly. Thank you!
And I can honestly say I don’t really care how you vote.
Good! Because nothing you have said has made me change my mind. :)
I’ll point out that people have died because Trump was elected.
Every administration, regardless of party, has implemented policies that have tragically resulted in loss of life—whether it’s war, lack of healthcare reform, or economic policies that push people into poverty. Singling out one president as uniquely responsible ignores a long-standing pattern of decisions that harm the most vulnerable.
If we want real change, we need to focus on breaking the cycle, not just blaming one person.
I can vote however I want. For whoever I want. It’s my right. I respect your rights to vote for whoever you want. You can respect mine. Thank you!
Third parties will never be viable if we keep dismissing them and refuse to vote for them, which only strengthens the duopoly’s stranglehold on our political system.
Back in the day I had the privilege of knowing some old school Communists. People who had gone to Spain to fight Fascism and been blacklisted at home.
One of the stories they told was about how in 1968 they were warning young voters to get to the polls to stop Nixon. It wasn’t that they were in love with Hubert Humphrey, but they knew he was a million times better than Nixon.
The situation is the same today. If you aren’t voting for Harris and every other Dem you’re ignoring reality.
My grandfather went through something similar. He faced relentless hate and pressure from both sides of the political spectrum, but he never caved and stayed true to his convictions.
Just like those old-school Communists, he knew the power of standing firm, even when the world seemed against him.
Choosing the “lesser of two evils” was never his style, and I’m the same way. I won’t be bullied into casting a vote I don’t believe in, and neither would he.
In my opinion, respecting someone’s decision to vote their conscience is a lot more powerful than forcing them to pick the so-called “realistic” choice.
I won’t be voting Harris. I’m proud to vote third party.
I’m sure you think you sound like you have integrity, but it sounds like privilege to me.
Women have actually died because they couldn’t get abortions.
I could point out a lot of other things that happened because of Trump, but let’s just deal with this one issue.
And you totally misread the idea of the old school Communists standing firm.
Another thing they talked about was Ho Chi Minh working with the American OSS in WW2. Ho would have known all about America’s history of racism and genocide, but that didn’t matter because there was a bigger threat to his people.
And please name the ‘Third Party’ you’re planning on voting for. There’s proof that the GOP has helped both the Libertarians and the Greens get on the ballot to help split the Dem vote.
.
Because I am not voting Harris, I have privilege?! I promise you make more money than I do. So you have more privilege than me. So are you evil because of it?
.
Hah it’s already sensitized https://lemm.ee/comment/15063493
Nope. I am pointing out that you have privilege. Are you ashamed of that privilege?
.
Why? Because I replied? You are the one that went to the effort to find a graphic. Seems like the nerve that was touched was yours. lol
I’m voting Socialist Workers Party, (Rachele Fruit).
And because of Lemmy, I promise I will NEVER vote Democrat. The hate and bullying here has been unbelievable.
So, I point out that people have actually died because of Trump, but your feelings are more important.
And you sound like a third rate Marvel villain. “Curse you, Captain America! You’ve forced me to blow up this school!”
And people have actually died because of Biden/Harris admin.
I’m voting third party. Thanks!
That, in every sense of the word, is your privilege.
And you make way more money that me. Seems like you have plenty of privilege. In fact, you have more privilege than me. Are you ashamed of it?
Who do you imagine I am?
De la Cruz here.
I wasn’t bullied into casting a vote for Hilldog (she fucking sucks). I am going to vote against the orange bad because I’ve seen how awful his time in office was. I’m not a fan of Harris, but I’m very anti-him. Dems aren’t good enough, but he’s terrible enough that I must do what I can to prevent another term.
Third parties will never be viable if we keep dismissing them and refuse to vote for them, which only strengthens the duopoly’s stranglehold on our political system.
So your goal is to make them viable by giving them a pittance of a vote during an incredibly polarized election? How many local seats has your third party won? I wonder if they do anything or have any success outside of ~2 months directly before an election? Why didn’t I see shit like this year round from you losers?
There are people affected by your lack of empathy and harm reduction. You stomp your feet and blame the system, and then make a net-zero or negative dent in it and call that integrity. You’re no better than the brainwashed right who would vote for a literal felon.
I’m just voting for who I like and who I want. Thank you!
It’s not bullying, it’s simple math. Harris wins or Trump wins. Harris isn’t perfect, but Trump is unacceptable. Voting for neither is a choice, but it’s choice that says you don’t care which one wins. You don’t care if a fascist bigot who wants to abuse his power to control women and line his pockets wins the election. Anyone that’s OK with that is either themselves a fascist bigot who wants Project 2025, or they’re stupid.
So saying you don’t care if Trump wins tells me you might be a fascist bigot, or you might be stupid. If you’re just stupid, that’s fine, vote your conscience. But if you’re a fascist bigot pretending, you might as well admit it to the world and admit you’re supporting Trump.
Either way, it’s not a persuasive argument to make anyone think you have anything of value to say.
💯
Voting is always an act of harm reduction. Choosing to vote for a non-viable option or not vote is a statement that neither you nor those you care about (in life or the abstract) are in minimal risk of harm or you don’t care about the harm they may undergo.
That’s either privilege or sociopathy.
And honestly I suspect there is a lot of astroturf trying to make the argument. Far too many people on social media are using the same talking points, eg “I can’t support a genocide enabler.” Which is a valid issue, but it’s disingenuous to think that Trump is going to be better for Palestine. Harris, being a human being with empathy, would certainly want the violence to end. Trump wants the genocide to finish. He’s said that. A Jill Stein protest vote is nothing.
Well, I’m not voting for Stein. And according to Lemmy everyone who isn’t voting for Harris is a russian agent.
It’s not everyone. But it’s not no one, either. It’s hard to separate the liars from the people who don’t know any better.
Then maybe let’s not be so quick to label someone a russian agent just because they are not voting for your candidate then.
Removed by mod
You trying to bully and pressure me is either privilege or sociopathy.I did neither, in fact I don’t even respond to your comment where you might think I was responding directly to you.
Considering any third party is viable in the system as it exists today, make as much sense as playing Chess using the rules from Candy Land. It’s delusional and detached from reality.
It’s an unfortunate mathematical truth and no amount of wishing it otherwise will change that. That’s why for any non-primary election, it must be treated as harm reduction above all.
How election math works: a vote for Harris is taking a vote away from a third party candidate and is giving it to Trump.
I’ll leave this here in hopes you’ll watch it. There is no way for what you’re hoping to actually succeed in the current environment. The only way out is through and the only way through is voting as harm reduction.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo
1, voting is not harm reduction, and 2, that video has given you a false conclusion. the lesson we should learn is that strategic voting leads to party consolidation, and the only way to keep third parties is to continue to vote for them.
I’m voting third party. I don’t care what you think. Thank you!
This poster gets SOOO close to making an observation that would utterly destroy its half-baked, IMO inauthentic reasoning, if it’d only take a closer look at what it’s saying. So, I’ll close the gap here.
Suppose we could wave our magic wand and get everyone to agree with this poster, getting everyone who is voting Kamala Harris today to vote for … Rachele Fruit. But the price of this vote is that everyone who WAS voting Rachele Fruit now has to vote Kamala Harris. Suddenly, it’s Harris who is spoiling the vote for Fruit…and Jill Stein remains as much as spoiler for Fruit in this magic universe as she is for Harris in this real one. That’s the problem with third parties. No matter how the votes line up, whether it be for the Social Workers Party in this parallel universe or the Democrats in this one, votes for Third Parties merely harm your political ideology by taking away votes from the major party on your side of the political aisle and empower the major party most opposite of your ideology. You’d have to go to another parallel where we made Ranked Choice voting work before you could risk a SWP vote in a Rep-Dem world or a Dem vote in a Rep-SWP world.
SOOOO close, yet so far away.
I don’t care. I am happily voting third-party. Even if you don’t like it. Thank you! :)
Goddamn, Mods, you finally remove something this poster says? Are you starting to see the light in regards to this…person?
Mods have always removed my comments if they think I have broken the rules.
I get no favoritism from the mods, nor have I ever I asked for it.
Buuuuutttt you should probably check what comment was removed before ya celebrate too much. I don’t think it’s quite the “gotcha” you were hoping for. :)
Removed by mod
The mods have never shown me favoritism. In fact, as you pointed out, some of my comments were removed recently. I have no idea what you are going on about.
And the way your post is worded makes think that you may be coming from a place of either privilege or sociopathy.
Just because someone disagree with you, doesn’t mean they have privilege or that they are sociopaths. Thank you!
And you trying to bully and pressure me, tells me the same things about yourself that you just accused me of. Either way, it’s not a persuasive argument to make anyone think you have anything of value to say.
I’m still voting third party. And proudly. Thank you!
Removed by mod
Removed, civility. You were fine right up until the end.
I respect your decision.
Good! Because nothing you have said has made me change my mind. :)
Every administration, regardless of party, has implemented policies that have tragically resulted in loss of life—whether it’s war, lack of healthcare reform, or economic policies that push people into poverty. Singling out one president as uniquely responsible ignores a long-standing pattern of decisions that harm the most vulnerable.
If we want real change, we need to focus on breaking the cycle, not just blaming one person.
I can vote however I want. For whoever I want. It’s my right. I respect your rights to vote for whoever you want. You can respect mine. Thank you!
You have the right to vote how you want. You do not have the right to my respect.
Good. Because I am voting how I want. Regardless of how mad you are about it. Thanks! :)
Your not being bullied, your being bamboozled
Some people are trying to do both. And neither one is working. :)
I’m voting for Hulk Hogan
Ok, then.
If/until the US installs a ranked choice voting system and dissolves the electoral college, third party candidates are not viable.
Third parties will never be viable if we keep dismissing them and refuse to vote for them, which only strengthens the duopoly’s stranglehold on our political system.