2020 was… truly unique. It was so hard to stay away from doom scrolling, and I (and many others) were pretty disillusioned by the sad fact that so much of our country legitimately supported the Orange Man. I didn’t get a wink of sleep the night of the election because I genuinely considered it to be a make or break decision for America.

My point is that looking back on it, in the end the only real difference I made was at the ballet box. This year I’m going for the Head-in-the-Sand approach. I’m done with the political memes. Done with the Twitter screenshots. It just riles me up and this year I’m gonna do my best to fight that.

  • brutallyhonestcritic@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fuck everyone in the US Government except Rashida Motherfucking Tlaib.

    I’m going to write in Rashida Tlaib. It’s all bullshit. What is happening right now proves it. Even fucking Bernie Sanders sounds like a Warhawk right now.

    Ps. You’re all a bunch of lesser evil voting shitlibs. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

    What did your harm reduction get us when we put Biden in office:

    • genocide with our tax money
    • cop city
    • stoking the Cold War and enthusiastically sending our tax money to interfere in another country’s business BECAUSE IT’S WHITE PEOPLE to enrich the Military Industrial Complex rather than helping US citizens
    • overturned Roe vs. Wade
    • no marijuana legalization (mark my words: until the primaries or GE next year when it will help Biden in the election)
    • Medicare for those who can afford it
    • austerity
    • austerity
    • more austerity
    • Yondoza@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I understand your frustration, but unless the voting system is modified to approval or ranked choice you are probably not acting in your best interest voting for a third party. I hate that fact as much as you and I want to see it changed, but that’s the reality of the system we’re in.

      • brutallyhonestcritic@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Literally ranked choice voting will never ever happen. We will always have First Past the Post and it will never change. This country is a sham democracy and I refuse to participate.

        • criitz@reddthat.com
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          1 year ago

          That’s the great part, by not participating you help the worst of them!

          • brutallyhonestcritic@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Please explain to me what Biden and Trump would have done differently in the context of sending our tax money to turn Muslim people into hamburger.

            • NaN@lemmy.sdf.org
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              1 year ago

              Trump would’ve loved to have troops on the ground helping our very brave allies in the IDF. Just like he wants troops on the ground in the US when people protest.

          • TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            1 year ago

            I dunno if that holds up, though, either side needs votes to win.

            If both the Biden camp can claim not voting helps Trump and the Trump camp claim not voting helps Biden, I don’t think not voting helps either.

            Plus, your vote only matters in a swing state, otherwise it’s largely worthless.

            • criitz@reddthat.com
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              1 year ago

              Obviously the statement can apply to either party. But the guy I replied to was praising Rep. Tlaib. For them, the alternative to not voting (or voting third party) would presumably be voting Biden, never Trump. So by not voting they are helping Trump.

              As far as non swing state voters having no power… Definitely true.

        • MrVilliam@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          This country is a sham democracy and I refuse to participate.

          This is how they want you to feel. Republicans win by making people like you feel hopeless. The wins last week in OH, VA, and KY happened because young people turned out more than expected, and young voters skew more progressively. Like you, I’m frustrated too, but the Overton window will continue to shift right unless you put Democrats in at the general and vote progressive in primaries. That goes for the entire election all the way down to the lowest local elected office because that’s where people get their start. You’re right, we’re not getting ranked choice across the board within our lifetime, but some areas do use ranked choice and may help elect people who will push for it at the state level, and maybe one day federal. The same is true for enshrining abortion rights and legalizing marijuana, which pushed a little further last week. I know federal legalization won’t be here any time soon, but the first step is rescheduling from I to II or maybe even III, and that could be here within a year as a nice poll bump right before elections.

          A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit. By not voting, you’re allowing poison ivy to take root instead of a peach tree because you’d rather have an apple tree.

          If you really want to focus your time and energy into making a difference, check out Run For Something. If you don’t want to run yourself, you can support progressive candidates by donating or volunteering.