cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12412218
Gretchen Whitmer responds to calls by some Democrats to vote āuncommittedā in Michiganās primary on Tuesday
Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan governor, pushed back on calls to not vote for Joe Biden over his handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying on Sunday that could help Trump get re-elected.
āItās important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote thatās not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term,ā she said on Sunday during an interview on CNNās State of the Union. āA second Trump term would be devastating. Not just on fundamental rights, not just on our democracy here at home, but also when it comes to foreign policy. This was a man who promoted a Muslim ban.ā
Whitmer, who is a co-chair of Bidenās 2024 campaign, also said she wasnāt sure what to expect when it came to the protest vote.
Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who is the only Palestinian-American serving in Congress, urged Democrats last week to vote āuncommittedā in Michiganās 27 February primary.
Republicans are economic liberals. Iām saying theyāre capitalists. I didnāt say both sides are the same. Both sides suck.
American democracy has been overthrown, if it ever existed. Remember citizens united? Corporate monopoly media dictates public opinions, the best-funded candidates win elections and then enact the policy of their donors instead of serving their constituents. This is the nature of bourgeois elections in a capitalist society. The purpose of fascism is to merge corporate and state power to suppress the working class, something that both capitalist parties are hard at work doing, and very well-accomplished.
For instance, both parties relentlessly raise the DoD budget because one of our countriesā biggest incomes is the arms trade. This provides a massive perverse incentive for the US to destabilize countries. Another example is how the DNC corporation will throw their own candidates under the bus if they try to challenge the private health insurance industry.
In terms of some social issues, it may be slightly better in some ways if a democrat wins, or it may not as they managed to whiff on a few supreme court seats during and after the Obama admin. In terms of being a bombable civilian outside the US, it may very well be better if Trump wins, as heās more of a non-interventionist.
The real solution is the overthrowing of capitalism through revolution and the idea that social progress is being made through elections is a dangerous illusion. There are fundamental problems with the structure of the country, and the causes of those problems fund both parties. Liberals have a bad track record of averting emerging fascism, as was the case in Germany, and as is the case today with Biden funding Netanyahuās genocide.
You understand your ideas have no influence if you donāt vote?
You understand voting isnt the only form of political action?
I look forward to helping with those, assuming theyāre non-violent, but if you arenāt voting your voice isnāt being heard by officials meaning you canāt influence change. Sorry if my previous comment came off as condescending that was not my intention.
https://www.amazon.com/This-Nonviolent-Stuffll-Get-Killed/dp/082236123X