And THIS is why you vote for harm reduction every fucking year.
Yes, this has been part of a plan going back to even before reagan. But one fucking election of people whining that the wrong person won the primaries extra fucked the supreme court for the foreseeable future. And we have the same clowns trying to pull the same shit going into this Fall.
Yeah. My father is a REAL piece of shit and said it in the context of “I hate that <homophobic slur> Bush” but it still sticks with me:
In primaries? Vote for who you like. When it is time for the real election? Vote for the platform you hate the least. Bare minimum, it gives you the right to bitch and moan come February. Because if you don’t vote? You actively chose to not have a say in the government.
… well, you also may have been disenfranchised by a bunch of republican shitheads. But it is the thought that counts.
Bernie is the closest it comes to a politician I actually like and even he is to the right of me on some things, so I can’t even vote for someone I like in a primary most of the time. The best I can do is the person I dislike least.
But I agree with you about the general. Vote to block the person that has the greatest chance of winning that you dislike the most. It’s kind of a complicated calculus in some countries, but in the U.S., that means either a Democrat or a Republican because no one else is going to win.
So, even though I don’t particularly like the Democrats, I vote for them anyway.
Its great that you liked Sanders. I… have very mixed feelings about him and mostly am angry at how much influence he pissed away.
But here is the thing? If you don’t think you are being represented by the party? Then work with it. Even Sanders learned that after he spent most of his career actively dicking over the Democrats and it resulted in him becoming a household name.
Contact your local Democratic party. The Internet loves to paint them as bogeymen who actively hurt any good candidates and… some do. But the majority are the idealists who joined up because they gave a shit about Obama or Hilary or even Sanders. But they support the people who run because… they understand that the goal is harm reduction. Someone who gives a crap and is willing to do outreach work? You have a LOT of influence and can work on seeking out those candidates who DO represent you. And as you shift the local party, so too do you eventually shift the bigger party. Because as much as people hate ol’ Genocidde Joe: he is ridiculously left of Clinton and, in some aspects, even Obama.
I am glad we got The Squad, even if they are sometimes idiots. But Sanders should have led to a mass shift in the party as a whole.
I wouldn’t say I like him. As I said, he comes closest to a politician I like. There has never in my lifetime been a mainstream politician who didn’t have at least a few policies I really was not a fan of. I realize I’m never going to get my pony, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to automatically like the choices I’m given.
I am not as focused on ranked choice as others (I very much argue we basically already have the outcome with the primary system) and would rather a focus on getting rid of the electoral college entirely to allow for a popular vote. It doesn’t matter
What matters is making sure we have a country where we can push toward that in a few years. Since, especially in 2024, one candidate is outright talking about dismantling democracy entirely. And, because of 2016, we have a supreme court that is basically “what do republicans want us to do?” at any given moment.
There were a lot of people saying they wouldn’t vote for Hillary/Biden because the DNC “stole” the election from Bernie. You see a lot of people saying they won’t vote for Biden in this election, as well.
So yes. “Leftists” who refuse to vote for harm reduction are at least partially to blame.
Also, if you are putting all of your energy into telling people that the election is rigged and the candidate is unelectable and your vote doesn’t matter? It doesn’t matter if that particular moron is “just venting” and still plan to vote. You are actively discouraging others from voting.
And those tend to be the same kind of idiots who think you vote once every four years. Rather than every single year. Because your representatives in congress matter a lot. So does the god damned local comptroller in your town. Because “grass roots” is not a bunch of people online deciding they like the c-span meme guy. “Grass roots” is about shifting your local party in the direction you want so that you can get those good candidates in office and turn a red state blue and so forth.
If you can look at women losing basic human rights over the course of a single workday and not care because the guy you liked that had spent literally decades actively dicking over Democrats in Vermont (seriously. Look it up. It is hilarious) didn’t get the full support of the entire party instnatly?
You are a monster.
Anyone who ACTUALLY cares about human rights should understand the importance of voting for harm reduction. They should have fucking understood it in 2016 but they better fucking understand it in 2024.
Because, here is the thing: I’m Chinese. Both parties use my family as the bogeyman the moment it is convenient. AND we have been indoctrinated to let people step on us if it helps others because we “are the model minority”. You give me a candidate who actually gives a fuck about 7.2% of the country and I am gonna scream from the rooftops in joy.
Doesn’t matter. Because I also give a shit about women and immigrants and LGBTQ+ folk and so forth.
And if someone is throwing a hissy because they didn’t win in 2015 at the expense of those folk? They are horrible and SHOULD feel bad.
And if someone is throwing a hissy because they didn’t win in 2015 at the expense of those folk? They are horrible and SHOULD feel bad.
It’ll be shitty when these attitudes end up helping Trump. There’s room for empathy with your political opponents. You don’t have to default to hating people you disagree with.
People don’t always look at things the same way you do, nor do they see the trade offs and comparisons the same.
Since you seem very familiar with the shortcomings of First Past The Post voting, you probably would be interested to hear there are alternative electoral systems out there with no chance for a spoiler effect.
Alternative vote
Ranked choice voting
STAR voting
You should ask your representatives about electoral reform so we can fix this mathematical flaw in our voting system. Then no one would have to cast a “harm reduction vote”. They would be free to vote for someone they feel best represents them, safe in the knowledge their vote would still count against those they don’t want in office.
I am less convinced that alternate voting models will make a significant difference (especially when we look at stuff like France actively unifying the left-leaning parties to fight fascism), but cool.
Unless you are going to implement that by early October, it isn’t the topic at hand. The topic at hand is harm reduction and preserving human rights.
And THIS is why you vote for harm reduction every fucking year.
Yes, this has been part of a plan going back to even before reagan. But one fucking election of people whining that the wrong person won the primaries extra fucked the supreme court for the foreseeable future. And we have the same clowns trying to pull the same shit going into this Fall.
“Hell, I never vote for anybody, I always vote against.” – W.C. Fields in a rare serious moment.
Yeah. My father is a REAL piece of shit and said it in the context of “I hate that <homophobic slur> Bush” but it still sticks with me:
In primaries? Vote for who you like. When it is time for the real election? Vote for the platform you hate the least. Bare minimum, it gives you the right to bitch and moan come February. Because if you don’t vote? You actively chose to not have a say in the government.
… well, you also may have been disenfranchised by a bunch of republican shitheads. But it is the thought that counts.
Bernie is the closest it comes to a politician I actually like and even he is to the right of me on some things, so I can’t even vote for someone I like in a primary most of the time. The best I can do is the person I dislike least.
But I agree with you about the general. Vote to block the person that has the greatest chance of winning that you dislike the most. It’s kind of a complicated calculus in some countries, but in the U.S., that means either a Democrat or a Republican because no one else is going to win.
So, even though I don’t particularly like the Democrats, I vote for them anyway.
Its great that you liked Sanders. I… have very mixed feelings about him and mostly am angry at how much influence he pissed away.
But here is the thing? If you don’t think you are being represented by the party? Then work with it. Even Sanders learned that after he spent most of his career actively dicking over the Democrats and it resulted in him becoming a household name.
Contact your local Democratic party. The Internet loves to paint them as bogeymen who actively hurt any good candidates and… some do. But the majority are the idealists who joined up because they gave a shit about Obama or Hilary or even Sanders. But they support the people who run because… they understand that the goal is harm reduction. Someone who gives a crap and is willing to do outreach work? You have a LOT of influence and can work on seeking out those candidates who DO represent you. And as you shift the local party, so too do you eventually shift the bigger party. Because as much as people hate ol’ Genocidde Joe: he is ridiculously left of Clinton and, in some aspects, even Obama.
I am glad we got The Squad, even if they are sometimes idiots. But Sanders should have led to a mass shift in the party as a whole.
I wouldn’t say I like him. As I said, he comes closest to a politician I like. There has never in my lifetime been a mainstream politician who didn’t have at least a few policies I really was not a fan of. I realize I’m never going to get my pony, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to automatically like the choices I’m given.
Bernie wants to save capitalism from itself.
Should we really fight so hard to save a system that is okay with people being homeless, desperate, and exploited their entire lives?
Capitalism would never save you.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to tell me, but I’m not a big fan of capitalism…
Fight hard to get FPTP or deal with the constant abuse you sustain from the government. This mindset keeps both of these parties in power.
You do both.
I am not as focused on ranked choice as others (I very much argue we basically already have the outcome with the primary system) and would rather a focus on getting rid of the electoral college entirely to allow for a popular vote. It doesn’t matter
What matters is making sure we have a country where we can push toward that in a few years. Since, especially in 2024, one candidate is outright talking about dismantling democracy entirely. And, because of 2016, we have a supreme court that is basically “what do republicans want us to do?” at any given moment.
I’m in Kansas so I just vote third party federally and against Brownback when he pops up then against every incumbent.
We’re never going to stop fighting over the lesser of evils. We’ll just keep sliding auth while arguing over minimal harm.
Dig me up when people decide to do something about it.
Clinton earned her loss.
lmao you’re really blaming people for wanting bernie to win for this
There were a lot of people saying they wouldn’t vote for Hillary/Biden because the DNC “stole” the election from Bernie. You see a lot of people saying they won’t vote for Biden in this election, as well.
So yes. “Leftists” who refuse to vote for harm reduction are at least partially to blame.
Also, if you are putting all of your energy into telling people that the election is rigged and the candidate is unelectable and your vote doesn’t matter? It doesn’t matter if that particular moron is “just venting” and still plan to vote. You are actively discouraging others from voting.
And those tend to be the same kind of idiots who think you vote once every four years. Rather than every single year. Because your representatives in congress matter a lot. So does the god damned local comptroller in your town. Because “grass roots” is not a bunch of people online deciding they like the c-span meme guy. “Grass roots” is about shifting your local party in the direction you want so that you can get those good candidates in office and turn a red state blue and so forth.
It’s not exactly crazy to be mad when “your side” decides to fuck you.
It IS crazy to not vote when a literal fascist is on the ballot, though.
Be mad, be furious. But vote for the best candidate or you’re just perpetuating the crimes of the worst.
Your tactics ignore the humanity of the people you’re trying to reach. Stop pretending they’re horrible and empathize with them.
If you can look at women losing basic human rights over the course of a single workday and not care because the guy you liked that had spent literally decades actively dicking over Democrats in Vermont (seriously. Look it up. It is hilarious) didn’t get the full support of the entire party instnatly?
You are a monster.
Anyone who ACTUALLY cares about human rights should understand the importance of voting for harm reduction. They should have fucking understood it in 2016 but they better fucking understand it in 2024.
Because, here is the thing: I’m Chinese. Both parties use my family as the bogeyman the moment it is convenient. AND we have been indoctrinated to let people step on us if it helps others because we “are the model minority”. You give me a candidate who actually gives a fuck about 7.2% of the country and I am gonna scream from the rooftops in joy.
Doesn’t matter. Because I also give a shit about women and immigrants and LGBTQ+ folk and so forth.
And if someone is throwing a hissy because they didn’t win in 2015 at the expense of those folk? They are horrible and SHOULD feel bad.
It’ll be shitty when these attitudes end up helping Trump. There’s room for empathy with your political opponents. You don’t have to default to hating people you disagree with.
People don’t always look at things the same way you do, nor do they see the trade offs and comparisons the same.
Yup. The problem isn’t you not giving the slightest of shits about human rights. The problem is people not showing you the proper respect .
Anyone who is that much of a monster was never going to be an ally.
Did you not read my last comment or are you too caught up in trying to “punish” Biden to care?
I’m still Biden over Trump. Not everyone here is a democrat.
What are you saying? That two political parties aren’t enough to fully represent this nation?
Those people still voted for Hillary and Biden.
If the anonymous ramblings of online trolls convinced you otherwise, I dunno what to tell you.
If it made you not vote for Clinton, then yes.
Since you seem very familiar with the shortcomings of First Past The Post voting, you probably would be interested to hear there are alternative electoral systems out there with no chance for a spoiler effect.
Alternative vote
Ranked choice voting
STAR voting
You should ask your representatives about electoral reform so we can fix this mathematical flaw in our voting system. Then no one would have to cast a “harm reduction vote”. They would be free to vote for someone they feel best represents them, safe in the knowledge their vote would still count against those they don’t want in office.
I am less convinced that alternate voting models will make a significant difference (especially when we look at stuff like France actively unifying the left-leaning parties to fight fascism), but cool.
Unless you are going to implement that by early October, it isn’t the topic at hand. The topic at hand is harm reduction and preserving human rights.