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I have been thinking about this for several months now. I don't really want to say it, but I will. It will be received with displeasure by some, and annoyance at its obviousness from others. Read the whole thread before you react. Here goes:
I think people should vote for Biden.
I think people should vote for Biden.
Specifically, what I think people should do is vote for the slightly less dangerous stupid fucking senile rapist in whatever way is safest, and then ignore the election and spend all of the rest of their time and energy before and afterwards on organizing and direct action.
Note that I SYMPATHIZE AND AGREE WITH THE REASONING OF LEFTISTS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR BIDEN.
You don't have to defend your stance to me, I get it and I fully support you. I'm just stating what I believe is the best approach, and what I would do if I could vote in the US.
You don't have to defend your stance to me, I get it and I fully support you. I'm just stating what I believe is the best approach, and what I would do if I could vote in the US.
Voting for Biden will not "solve" anything. Biden sucks shit. But a Biden admin will be an easier enemy to fight than the Trump admin is.
When you vote for a politician, you are not picking a leader. You are choosing your enemy. I suggest choosing the slightly less fascist one.
When you vote for a politician, you are not picking a leader. You are choosing your enemy. I suggest choosing the slightly less fascist one.
Voting is NOT the end goal of politics. But voting is one action of many you can do to help with the larger goal of building working class power.
Less fascistic leaders in power make leftist organizing easier, because the boot on your neck is pressing down a bit less hard.
Less fascistic leaders in power make leftist organizing easier, because the boot on your neck is pressing down a bit less hard.
Do I think you should actively campaign for Biden? Hell no. I don't even think we should be talking about the election much beyond figuring out how to fight voter suppression. Direct action and local organizing are far better things to spend your time and energy on.
In the long term and on a wide scale, there's not much difference between Trump's fascistic capitalism and the Democrats' liberal capitalism, but on a practical and short-term level, they are simply not the same threat.
There is a real difference between these two types of evil.
There is a real difference between these two types of evil.
Capitalism is crumbling. There's a very real chance that who you vote for won't even matter by Nov anyway, because Trump may have so thoroughly dismantled the systems necessary for a legitimate election that it's moot by then. This is more reason to organize, organize, organize.
If you care about electoralism, figure out what you can personally do to help ensure the integrity of the election.
If you have lost faith in electoralism, figure out what you can do to build mutual aid and organizing networks.
Either way, prepare for what's coming.
If you have lost faith in electoralism, figure out what you can do to build mutual aid and organizing networks.
Either way, prepare for what's coming.
For those who want jaded leftists to vote for Biden, read and understand these two threads before you try to shame people on this issue.
Then, go fight to fix the USPS and other forms of voter suppression.
https://twitter.com/surlybassey/status/1293529116591915008?s=20 https://twitter.com/SummerForPA/status/1294373486450880512?s=20
Then, go fight to fix the USPS and other forms of voter suppression.
https://twitter.com/surlybassey/status/1293529116591915008?s=20 https://twitter.com/SummerForPA/status/1294373486450880512?s=20
I have some hope that maybe, just MAYBE, if Biden somehow wins, and people see how shitty everything still is, the current tide of activist momentum will keep going. Obviously some pussy hat libs will go back to their brunch, but it's hard to become deradicalized once you get it.
So imo, and yes I hate myself for saying this, it's worth just getting the stupid vote done and over with, even if it might not make a difference. It'll take you a day, tops. Then we can focus on the more effective, more difficult, and more important strategies.
Mostly, I am making this thread so I have something to link to when people are giving me shit for saying Biden sucks. Which he does. I'm not going to stop criticizing Biden, or Kamala, or any other capitalist. Ever. BECAUSE THEY ARE GARBAGE.
But I will never let my hatred and resentment of capitalists supercede my love for the people they are harming.
And I think that overall, fewer people will be harmed under a Dem than a Republican presidency.
I could be wrong, but that's where I stand.
And I think that overall, fewer people will be harmed under a Dem than a Republican presidency.
I could be wrong, but that's where I stand.
If there's one thing I want people to take away from this thread and any of my other tweets, it's that presidential electoralism is clearly a dead end for any energy beyond what it takes to cast your vote.
I still think it's worth doing, but it should be 1% of the battle.
I still think it's worth doing, but it should be 1% of the battle.
Plus, I don't know about the US, but in Canada there are a ton of local positions and initiatives on the ballot during federal elections anyway, and those are actually worth voting on, so also checking the box for Top Shithead Capitalist takes like two extra seconds.
I wrestled with the "withhold votes to push the DNC left" dilemma for a while too. Where I'm at now is, I don't think anything president-related will push the DNC left, at least not soon. It'll have to happen from the bottom up, if it's possible at all. https://twitter.com/CAWnithologist/status/1295439611737649154?s=19
If you live in a state where you're 100% sure it'll be a blue or red wave, then it probably doesn't matter and you can use your lack of a vote to send a message. BUT make extremely certain of it before making that decision, and still vote for local stuff! https://twitter.com/latecrapitalism/status/1295441746030219269?s=19
Also, if this is your response to my long and thoughtful thread about a difficult political conundrum, go ahead and unfollow me because there is zero reason I need your unproductive insults in my mentions https://twitter.com/tom_janacek/status/1295442575122468864?s=19
Oh the media will be fucking insufferable, but the big weakness Democrats have that Republicans don't is their commitment to Civility and Process. They care more about optics and are less willing to break laws to smash heads, and that can be exploited. https://twitter.com/mr_chompers/status/1295444699554209800?s=19
