But you are. The thing is systems of governance for hundreds of millions of people, all with different wants, morals and desires across very different circumstances and locales is going to be extremely complex. Mix into that the shitty power dynamics of capitalism and you system with a lot of political inertia that eventually boils down to 2 pretty similar positions at the highest level. And trying to move that political lever at the very furthers end is difficult.
If you want your position given more weight, then you have to act at every level of governance, not just the very top with the presidential election.
That’s certainly a theory. But it doesn’t really hold up. The reason we have 2 similar positions at the highest level is because they are one position, it’s the position the dominant ruling class and it always has been. You think that somehow the desire of native Americans to be free mixed with the desire for black Americans for reparations mixed with poor immigrants to be safe mixed with poor white people to be healthy leads to Palestinian genocide?
Naw. Come on! You can’t think that’s how this works, can you?
If you only think in the broadest terms, sure, they are both capitalist neoliberal parties. But when you look at it more granularly and through the lense of long term change rather than the idea we could somehow have a communist USA by the next election, then they are very different.
Since we have no real socialist party and we are not anywhere near the critical mass required for a revolution, the best we can is lay groundwork for the future, educate and organise. And when one party is labelling AntiFa as terrorists, attacking education and the arts and disenfranchising left wing and minority voters, the best option is pretty clearly to use your vote to prevent that, rather than not voting or casting a token vote for 3rd parties. As it not only reduces harm in the short term, it makes it easier to achieve long term goals.
And primaries are a thing. Currently the Dems are similar on Palestine because most in the house are pro Israel, but we have already organised to get pro Palestine officials into office, so if we able to get even more, that would pressure the government to take action.
This has happened in other countries for example, Labour in the UK started as stuanchky pro Israel, with Starmer saying Israel had the right to cut off food and water. Then facing a rise in pro Palestine MP both in his own party and from the Greens, as well as activist pressure, he has steadily relented on that position to the point the UK now recognises Palestine as a country. And only hasn’t gone further because there’s is still a large Zionist contingent also putting their own pressure on government. But if pro Palestine people just didn’t vote, they wouldn’t have gotten any MPs and there would be no pressure on Labour and no reason for the government to attempt to court those voters.
Again it seems to me you are only viewing things through a very short sighted black and white lense.
It isn’t there. Vote for whoever you want, but acknowledging that you were not given choices at all is important.
But you are. The thing is systems of governance for hundreds of millions of people, all with different wants, morals and desires across very different circumstances and locales is going to be extremely complex. Mix into that the shitty power dynamics of capitalism and you system with a lot of political inertia that eventually boils down to 2 pretty similar positions at the highest level. And trying to move that political lever at the very furthers end is difficult.
If you want your position given more weight, then you have to act at every level of governance, not just the very top with the presidential election.
That’s certainly a theory. But it doesn’t really hold up. The reason we have 2 similar positions at the highest level is because they are one position, it’s the position the dominant ruling class and it always has been. You think that somehow the desire of native Americans to be free mixed with the desire for black Americans for reparations mixed with poor immigrants to be safe mixed with poor white people to be healthy leads to Palestinian genocide?
Naw. Come on! You can’t think that’s how this works, can you?
If you only think in the broadest terms, sure, they are both capitalist neoliberal parties. But when you look at it more granularly and through the lense of long term change rather than the idea we could somehow have a communist USA by the next election, then they are very different.
Since we have no real socialist party and we are not anywhere near the critical mass required for a revolution, the best we can is lay groundwork for the future, educate and organise. And when one party is labelling AntiFa as terrorists, attacking education and the arts and disenfranchising left wing and minority voters, the best option is pretty clearly to use your vote to prevent that, rather than not voting or casting a token vote for 3rd parties. As it not only reduces harm in the short term, it makes it easier to achieve long term goals.
And primaries are a thing. Currently the Dems are similar on Palestine because most in the house are pro Israel, but we have already organised to get pro Palestine officials into office, so if we able to get even more, that would pressure the government to take action.
This has happened in other countries for example, Labour in the UK started as stuanchky pro Israel, with Starmer saying Israel had the right to cut off food and water. Then facing a rise in pro Palestine MP both in his own party and from the Greens, as well as activist pressure, he has steadily relented on that position to the point the UK now recognises Palestine as a country. And only hasn’t gone further because there’s is still a large Zionist contingent also putting their own pressure on government. But if pro Palestine people just didn’t vote, they wouldn’t have gotten any MPs and there would be no pressure on Labour and no reason for the government to attempt to court those voters.
Again it seems to me you are only viewing things through a very short sighted black and white lense.