While rebutting another post here on Lemmy, I ran into this. This says exactly what I want to say.
I am not a friend of Biden’s Administration. I think they drug their feet over a variety of things ranging from holding Trump and his goons accountable for January 6th through rulemaking on issues like OTC Birth Control and abortion rights, and yes, I think he’s too quick to please big business. But then I remember what the alternative is, and … well, disappointed in Biden or not, I’m voting for him. Because my wife is a Black bisexual goth woman, four strikes under Team Pepe’s tent. And I have my own strikes for marrying her as a White dude, and respecting her right to not have kids since she doesn’t want them is another strike against me. And I care about my Non-Christian, Gay, Transgender, and Minority friends, and will never willingly subject them to Team Pepe.
That’s so foolish. Things can absolutely get worse. And they would. There is some element of shame involved with the democrats, at least. Or, more an awareness of the optics. So that brings a level of hesitation and reticence to the support. And that actually matters. Bring someone with no shame and a slobbering throng of hateful, vocal supporters into the mix? How can you be so deluded to think that wouldn’t be worse.
We all get it, the situation right now isn’t one we can support. But pushing a big boulder 10ft with teamwork and some simple machinery is much easier and somewhat doable, as opposed to pushing that same boulder 10,000ft with one hand, against the wind of a hurricane. The democrats are vulnerable on this. The republicans are not. Because they are immune to shame. They are immune to global pressure. To constituent input. To the concept of appearing somewhat decent.
It’s not a good situation. In fact, it’s a bad situation. But it can always get worse.
And that’s before we even discuss women’s healthcare, trans healthcare, the environment, appointing judges and justices, etc. There’s no other answer that could justify throwing all of the groups vulnerable to these issues under the bus. And even if it were like you say, that the Palestine situation can’t get any worse? You’d be literally throwing all of these groups under the bus for more of the same in Palestine anyway. So by your own logic, it makes sense to keep republicans out of office. So, conversation over, basically.
You’re ignoring the cost of establishing a norm that genocide isn’t beyond the pale.
I’d disagree. The world won’t stop spinning if you make this valiant gesture. Everything will continue on as normal. Not voting doesn’t send a clear message. They’ll have analysts analyzing “what happened” for years. But nowhere will it be made clear that the one issue you decided to throw your hands up on everything else about was the actual reason you didn’t vote. It won’t change anything. Except for you not making a decision.
It’s not a pleasant reality. But it’s the only one we have.
It will be crystal clear. The uncommitted vote in Michigan made it clear. If Biden loses in November, the whole world will know exactly why. And Biden will have no one to blame but himself. It’s not a pleasant reality.
I assume that means you have no answer?
That’s incredibly wishful thinking. Remember 2016? How many years afterward were outlets still discussing “how did this happen?!” It was “working class whites” and it was “trump tapped into pro-worker rhetoric” and it was “Hillary didn’t visit michigian and Pennsylvania” and it was Cambridge analytica and it was anti establishment sentiments and blah blah blah. Things aren’t always as clear as you’d like them to be. Analysts actually study this shit and…I think you’d be surprised how not universal among the American voting populace this idea that Palestine is a major issue actually is. Most people don’t vote on issues. Or, if they do, it’s about a lot of issues. Single issue voters aren’t so ubiquitous in the data points. Because how exactly are you going to convey that this issue was the issue that changed your mind?
Yeah, it can start to feel that way for us younger generations because we live online. But the majority of people don’t interact with politics this way. And those of us that do aren’t represented fully when the thinkpieces get written. The “uncommitted” movement in he primaries was a calculated effort to send a message, but it’s been repeated over and over how that attitude shouldn’t carry over into the general. So that momentum is now completely gone and that explanation for not voting for Biden is lost.
You never responded to my point above though. If it’s the same for the Palestinian people either way, how can you justify sacrificing the communities trump and the republicans will target?