The last few years have been a mess, and I've repeatedly struggled to clarify my thoughts. So now I'm trying to actual tackle that by starting a Substack.
My first post, "I'm Not Political" addresses the need for those who have disengaged to step up in what is a critical moment in history.
That's where I'll be posting articles relating to primarily US and Canadian politics, though this will naturally intersect with culture and technology. So if you are interested in that type of thing and/or enjoy my first post, subscribing via email will get you alerted to anything new that goes up.
Welcome to Elle, fellas. If we have to be here, at least we get to do it together.
My first post, "I'm Not Political" addresses the need for those who have disengaged to step up in what is a critical moment in history.
That's where I'll be posting articles relating to primarily US and Canadian politics, though this will naturally intersect with culture and technology. So if you are interested in that type of thing and/or enjoy my first post, subscribing via email will get you alerted to anything new that goes up.
Welcome to Elle, fellas. If we have to be here, at least we get to do it together.
Recently Spotted:
SupremeAC (6m)
You haven't posed a problem that is solved by not voting. The moral responsibility is collective, I don't care if you can find something to disagree with Democrats about. One of the parties will be elected, with or without your vote.
Are you not following why, after writing extensively on the many issues affected by recent elections and ongoing events, including how there is a concerted effort currently to remove my ability to exist in society, how I really don't give a shit when you go "But Afghanistan!"? Yeah, I didn't like Obama's use of drones. Everything about middle-east policy has been a disaster for the entire history of middle-east policy, even though I don't think that's at all solely on Democrats. Certainly wasn't a fan of Obama-era NSA surveillance for that matter. He also deported a record number of immigrants. Did you know that? That they never closed Guantanamo. That they didn't use their brief 60-vote majority with urgency. That the ACA was the best they could do. That they still haven't killed the filibuster. That Joe Biden campaigned on Republicans having a come-to-Jesus moment. Biden not undoing Trump's immigration mess with any urgency. Pelosi thinking Congress should be able to freely trade stocks. I can keep going. Do I need to? I don't like the Democrats. Healthcare out of everything is my pet issue, and that they can't organize around universal healthcare is a disgrace.
IT DOESN'T MATTER. They are not in the same universe as Republicans. Maybe this is a you-have-to-live-here thing, because Dvader is the only one here who seems to understand the grave severity of the situation. The US is on the verge of a Christo-fascist dictatorship. Republicans attempted a coup already. They're gaining power and putting into place the pieces to make sure it works next time, if necessary. The Supreme Court is stacked with partisans, which is why Roe v Wade is about to end. Do you understand how critical that decision is? It is foundational to women's rights. It's not some lofty ideal. Removing the right to abortion devastates gender equality. I'm going to mention where this is going, but I really need to emphasize how severely this sets back society on its own. But beyond that, they aren't stopping there. Gay marriage and the ability to buy and use contraception is next, which is all a part of right to privacy. It's unclear if it will go so far as racial segregation, but it's on the table. The right has a feedback loop of information that flows from right-wing media to consumers to politicians back into right-wing media, that is generating extremism.
My life is on the line and I don't get a vote. Republicans don't want me to be here at all. They don't want me to have healthcare. To have housing. Employment. A marriage. I don't know what to say, when I point all these things out, provide detailed references to back up everything I'm saying, news follows shortly after confirming predictions I made just a week prior, and the response is, "What about the Afghans?". I can't. I fucking can't. This is the last I'm saying on this.
I'm following exactly how you feel. Do I believe the right in America is extremist? Absolutely! Do I believe the Republicans ignore democratic norms? Absolutely!
But how is voting going to stop the Republican's political strategy? I hope you understand that in a democracy, one side is not going to be permanently in power in a culture like America. So electing the democrats every election is simply not going to happen. Therefore, voting is not a solution to the fundamental issue which has allowed for something like Roe v. Wade to possibly be overturned.
For the record, at no point have I said not voting is a solution to it, either. But if you want to stop a political force that ignores democratic norms and plots coups, it should be self-evident that voting isn't going to work. And, indeed, historically, voting for conservatives who accept fascists doesn't stop the fascists.
Particularly in America the democrats have more voters. If everyone voted in every election democrats would be in power almost always. The main reason republicans win elections lately is because of lack of enthusiasm from the left, poor voter turnout when they mobilize like an army. So if everyone did vote this country would look very different.
Indeed, but why is it that people are apathetic about voting for the Democrats?
Messaging. Democrats are horrible at reaching out and getting their message across. The "We go high when they go low" strategy doesnt work either. Voters want them to fight back and not sit there and take it.
But it's also just harder for Democrats systemically to get their message out. Mainstream media is stuck in a frame of treating everything like a sport in terms of wins and losses, and cares mostly about access. This leads to a lot of both-sidesing, and indifference about substantive issues. It's also baked into expectations that Republicans are horrible, so Republicans doing horrible things isn't seen as much of a story.
Another problem is that the right has propaganda networks. There's no left equivalent to Fox News, that is a media outlet working directly with and for a political party. This is somewhat a symptom of the fact that you just can't do that for the left. It's too diverse, as well as not nearly as prone to accepting information in that way. Republicans are more homogeneous, so a consistent simple message is easier than the much more diverse coalition Democrats have formed.
I should note, though, that Democrats do actually still manage to get the votes. In the last 7/8 Presidential elections, the Democratic candidate received more votes. Democrat members of the Senate currently represent 40 million more people than Republicans, despite the number of Senators being split 50/50. Structurally they're just at a large disadvantage due to rural areas and small states receiving outsized voting power.
Yeah, I had typed up a long reply that would have solved all issues with all of politics globally, but the internet seems to have eaten it.
In short: you yourself say people shouldn't listen to Republicans. Seems like a pretty extreme point to me. Democracy isn't about blocking out half of the populace, it's about talking and coming to an understanding and through that to decisions. It's just that the USA took that, ran with it and came up with this zero sum model of it. It's a horrible idea to have only 2 parties. Same goes for SCOTUS appointments. Why, in all of its existance did nobody figure that having the make up of that highest of institutions basically be a lottery based on when judges kick the bucket, was a bad idea? It's the system that's broken.
There I was referring to Republicans, as in the politicians, not republicans, as in the voters. Some individual people who vote Republican are reachable by exposing them to new information. Republican politicians act entirely in bad faith. You can't talk and come to an understanding because they aren't willing to do that, and they don't mean what they say. They are Jean-Paul Sartre's anti-semite.
Also keep in mind that often the idea of coming to an understanding is through some sort of compromise, and there will never be an acceptable compromise on being allowed to exist.