this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2024
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As the title states I am confused on this matter. The way I see it, the USA has a two party system and in the next few weeks they’re either going to have Trump or Harris as president, come inauguration day. With this in mind doesn’t it make sense to vote for the person least likely to escalate the situation even more.

Giving your vote to an independent or worse not voting at all, just gives more of a chance for Trump to win the election and then who knows what crazy stuff he will allow, or encourage, Israel to get away with.

I really don’t get the logic. As sure nobody wants to vote for a party allowing these heinous crimes to be committed, but given you’re getting one of them shouldn’t you be voting for the one that will be the least horrible of the two.

Please don’t come at me with pro-Israeli rhetoric as this isn’t the post for that, I’m asking about why people would make such choices and I’m not up for debate on the Middle East, on this post, you can DM me for that.

Edit: Bedtime here now so will respond to incoming comments in the morning, love starting the day with an inbox full 😊.

Edit 2: This blew up, it’s a little overwhelming right now but I do intent on replying to everybody that took the time to comment. Just need to get in the right headspace.

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[–] [email protected] 59 points 5 days ago (3 children)

They believe that taking a moral stand against the Democrats, who are supporting Israeli genocide, is worth it even if that means that Trump, who even more fervently supports Israeli genocide, becomes president.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 days ago
[–] [email protected] 23 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Describe "even more"? In what specific material ways would trump increase support for Israel?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago

He would if he could but Harris is giving it a 100% already so Trump can't up that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Trump has been deliberately framing himself as a protector of Israel who supports them doing whatever they want to.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (5 children)

Even calling it "Israeli genocide" is transferring responsibility. "Supporting" is an understatement. The democrats ARE THE ONES DOING THE GENOCIDE. Biden can stop it with a single phone call. Israel is not an independent state; it is a subordinate of the US.

Telling people to vote for your party, a nazi party, at the absolute peak of your depraved inhuman bloodthirst, because the other side might be worse, is the most cynical fucking thing I've ever heard.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

I genuinely do believe we're going to look back this time as inexcusable. Right now, Netanyahu's extreme right flank is now advocating for settlement of the parts of Gaza that have been ethnically cleansed. Specifically, they're saying that as long as the army stays there for a permanent long-term occupation, that can be the first step to proceeding with settlements.

It's so much worse than even the Iraq war. I've seen by some estimates that the Iraq war displaced 2 million people, and the deaths, before they stopped counting, were between 100,000 and a quarter million.

I think the deaths and displacements in Gaza probably are going to exceed those, and it's concentrated in a much smaller area, and it's horrifyingly closer to affecting the whole population.

Simply put there's no excuse for this moral atrocity.

And here's the but: I don't see how a strategic attitude of indifference to who runs the State department brings it closer to an end. And I don't see that that attitude is one of even pretending to try for an alternative. I do think supporting politicians especially in their Democratic primaries is a positive step. And I do think, as with the Iraq war, galvanizing a sea change and discrediting everyone who is associated with what happened in Gaza is necessary. I believe it is urgent to do something, and the actual channels of aid that can meaningfully do something right now exist entirely outside of party infrastructure of either party. But I also think, for how true that is, using that to lose sight a very real and very serious differences between the parties that also affect human welfare in numerous ways, would be to needlessly visit tragedy upon tragedy. I wouldn't want to lose American democracy into the bargain, and I don't think it's nuanced to be in indifferent to that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

tl;dr: "Can't beat them, might as well join them!"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Nope, not even close to what I said.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago

it's the greater Israel project. they openly talk about it

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

the most cynical fucking thing I've ever heard.

Yes, it's cynical. It's based on the jaded belief that democracy is 90% dead, and Americans only get to make one of two meaningful choices.

The opposite belief, which is that America is a democracy and you can vote for whoever you want, is hopeful and patriotic. It puts a lot of trust in the American system. It shows faith that politicians have our best interests at heart, and that it'll all work out if you just say what you want.

Is that how you want to describe yourself? As a patriot who believes in America? It doesn't seem to align with your worldview, but it's what your actions are saying.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

you're a silly one

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 days ago (3 children)

So when Trump wins and my rights to exist are stripped even further, I’ll be sure to thank you for it

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

The dems are not bringing your rights back. Project 2025 is happening regardless of who wins president due to how captured the court system is.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Republicans and Democrats were unable to stop legislation from the Judiciary with Roe v. Wade and later Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Super PAC's donate multiple lifetimes of dollars to Presidential candidates in a quid pro quo system protected by the first amendment under Citizens United v. FEC. Americans outside the oligarchy will never exhibit their influence.

If oligarchs find your existence icky, they have the power to remove your "right" to exist. You lack the power to prevent it. Instead of thanking anyone, I suggest we take the power back. Punch up.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Voting doesn't affect your ability to do other activism.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Agreed. Voting shouldn't be the only activism we are involved in. My comment was about solidarity against the oligarchs that can decide to make life harder for people they deem icky.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 days ago

Every vote or lack thereof is a vote for genocide. There isn't really a way to vote against it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

I honestly appreciate the downvotes as a counter of angry people shamed into silence

Good. You should be fucking ashamed.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 days ago

Yeah, you're misreading that.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Yeah the "democrats are the REAL nazis" is tiring when you get comments from the republican hero agent Orange: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/trump-military-generals-hitler/680327/

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Shut the fuck up. I never said the republicans weren't nazis. I'm just fucking sick of you being an out and open nazi and acting like you fucking aren't.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 5 days ago (2 children)

“Everyone I don’t like is a nazi”

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago

I like everyone but nazis

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Everyone on the side of genocide can be called a Nazi, yes.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I’m not voting democrat because I “support genocide”, I’m voting democrat because if Trump gets elected, shit is about to get a WHOLE lot worse. It is damage control

You can keep sitting here and acting like a fucking child throwing a temper tantrum because you don’t like the reality of our only choices, but you are being just that. A child.

You can sit on the sidelines on your little soapbox and virtue signal all you want, but when Trump wins I won’t be blaming the republicans. I’ll be blaming all of you.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You let your mask slip by calling opposing genocide "virtue signalling". You're a bad person and a bad advocate for the democrats.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Whatever you say, buddy. Do something of value instead of sitting here bitching at regular people just trying to survive (aka virtue signaling)

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago

Their tiny liberal brains can't handle anything that isn't a binary choice.

They have fully accepted, absorbed and now spout George W Bush's slogan of "You're either with us or with the terrorists" without any irony that they are the terrorists!