this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2024
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[–] [email protected] 84 points 4 months ago (2 children)

It feels kinda good to think that some Washington think tank might be calling me a double hater

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

The irony of calling "double hater" people who as a general rule don't like people who spread hate or actively support those who practice hate, is also delicious and kind of says everything one needs to know about the Doublethink style of discourse of the people making up such labels.

Being truly anti-hate as a principle logically makes one be both against Trump and Biden, one for spreading hate and the other for actively supporting people practicing their hate aginst men, women and children with extreme violence.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

They're probably old, senile and out of touch millionaires who are insulated from any consequences.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago
[–] [email protected] 72 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

I’m voting for the NOT TRUMP candidate until we fix this broken system and have better options. Couldn’t really stand Biden, but I was supporting the fuck out of that dude if it meant we could avoid the shit show that would be a Trump presidency.

I feel better with Harris, but still not ideal.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

"I never vote for, only against." -- W.C. Fields in a rare serious moment.

Something I take to heart. I will never get a candidate who represents everything I stand for, but there will always be one who represents less of what I stand for than the other.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I saw something similar recently along the lines of:

Voting isn't a love-letter to a candidate; it's a chess move.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Great quote. Also, love your username. SQL injection vibes.

Edit: Went in search of more info about this quote and thought I'd share what I found:

"A vote is a chess move, not a valentine."

  • Rebecca Solnit

It's a summarized version of the writer's idea/turn of phrase she often brought up in her writing around the 2016 election.

Here's her November 2016 article from The Nation.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

In reality is just results in being @'d regularly in tech-related groupchats when people post error messages.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

That's a great way of looking at it.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

until we fix this broken system

THIS. Campaign Finance & Election Reform is the most important single-issue in America right now because it impacts quite literally every other problem and the disenfranchisement and frustrations so many Americans feel with the system right ow.

  • Amidst this 2-Party System, we have no choice but to vote for the lesser-of-two-poor choices.
  • Between these two parties, only one party has actually advocated for fixing the system.
  • We need a Constitutional Amendment. It's the only way.
  • This movement needs to be grassroots and built state-by-state.

The good news is that there is untapped bipartisan support for said initiative. We just need to ALL keep repeating this, which again, is easy because it can be injected into nearly every single political conversation.

Longer write-up for those interested.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Not being geriatric helps a lot.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 4 months ago (1 children)

At various times over the last 10 years there have been different versions of the satirical "ANY FUNCTIONING ADULT" for president yard signs and bumper stickers, and we thought we were joking, but how true it is.

And it's amazing how little function it takes to make a difference. Like, cognitive function, for instance, turns out to be really refreshing in a potential world leader.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Refreshing indeed. Harris at least looks like she can answer the ‘what year is it and do you know who the current president is?’ questions without needing a ten minute nap prior to answering.

Heck, she might even have a good idea as to the price of a gallon of milk! The US might just end up with something resembling actual leadership for the next four years.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

Refreshing indeed. Harris at least looks like she can answer the ‘what year is it and do you know who the current president is?’ questions without needing a ten minute nap prior to answering.

She does more than look the part. Did you see her walking up stairs to enter a plane and a reporter asked her a question? This young one turned her head, answered the question, all while still walking UPSTAIRS. I was like a bit shocked, after getting used to Biden's geriatric ass. Was this woman a superhero?

She has a lot of that energy and I couldn't imagine one of the 2 olds doing that.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I wouldn't even go so far as to say it's that they "like" Harris.

She seems good. And Walz was a truly inspired pick for running mate in the current political climate of the United States. But I think a LOT of this excitement comes from just not being old as fuck.

The size and immediacy of the reaction to her candidacy tells me that there's a sense of almost cathartic relief that there's actually someone in the game that can actually still function AS the president. I'm sure Harris and her personality have something to do with it as well; but at least some of the "wave" as they call it, would have existed for literally anyone on the ticket who could dress themselves compared to the two old geezers they had to choose from before.

This is just my take as a Canadian watching, suddenly interested, from the North.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Also, the difference between the tone of the speechea between Harris and Trump are like day and night. Where Trump continues to throw dirt and spew so much negativity, Harris sounds like someone who steps beyond the dirt throwing and really comes with a vision and ideas how to govern the country.

Well, my 2cts from someone on the other end of the Atlantic 😀

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Harris sounds like someone who steps beyond the dirt throwing

I do however enjoy that she throws just enough snark and jabs in there to really get under Trump's skin, though.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

It's not dirt as much as it's surprise pocket sand/glitter that sticks to absolutely everything and is impossible to get rid of.

[–] iAmTheTot 36 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I'm among them. Thought, Harris still wouldn't have been mu first choice but she's a hell of a lot better than Biden.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago

Agreed. I'd rather see Tim Walz for prez.
So maybe it speeks well for her, that she picked him for VP.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 months ago

"Double haters" is very weird framing for "people who want a president born after the end of WW2".

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

People need to get over the candidate BS, you’ve never really electing a candidate, but a party and a platform.

Thats why all republicans are forever tainted by the project 2025 insidious cultural vomit. The dislike of project 2025, and the fact Democrats are now seen as hitting assholes back, is a BIG reason why Kamala is being favored.

Republicans are charlatans, and Democrats need to be more progressive and fight back hard. Fighting back with civility means pointing out the inadequacies, incompetencies and hypocrisies of your opponents.

Red-heavy states, ie not Purple, are economic losers and failures on all objective measures of state success. It’s not the fault of the people living there, it’s the politicians who deliberately trample them and keep these people in a perpetual state of misery, and then use racism to distract them from their pains. Those Americans deserve better.

Republicans need to be shamed for their utter policy failures and the subsequent miseries which resulted from them. I think the only reason people hated Biden was because he wasn’t perceived strong enough to defend the ideals of Americans who’re not into face eating leopards.

Sorry for the tangent/cringe post. I just can’t believe the Red party is still given any serious consideration.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

People need to get over the candidate BS

In one sense this true. Policies are set by a small army of party elites and admins. Presidents aren't just policy makers though. They are the face of a country. Their words are powerful and institutions react to them. They also project a sense of competency and vitality to the world.

it’s the politicians who deliberately trample them and keep these people in a perpetual state of misery, and then use racism to distract them from their pains.

I think this is a one sided analysis putting all the blame on the Republicans. It fails to wrestle with purple states that became red states like Florida and the inability for Democrats to make lasting in roads in purple states.

I just can’t believe the Red party is still given any serious consideration.

Personally, I turn to history when I want to understand something that confounds me. It would be better if I could actually talk to some people and really hear them. But I live a major metropolitan center in a blue state so my access is limited.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

IMO, Democrats consistently fail by being less progressive and not protecting the working/middle class. It’s neoliberalism that drives people away from Democrats.

Thoughtlessly enabling illegal immigration, which makes the country less safe, is also a problem. Immigration and providing asylum protections have to be done in a reasonable and proactive manner so as not to create instability in border communities, and to not alienate the people who live along the U.S. border.

Supporting foreign policies which embroil America in endless war is also problem, but it’s a beast with a thousand heads which sprouted way back when because of a policy of regional destabilization started by imperial Britain. The U.S. continued it with its absurd agenda against communist states and overthrowing of governments in LatAm. Unless all countries and leaders collectively call an end for it, it doesn’t stop.

But besides that countries with high happiness scores have strong social welfare programs and healthcare. Corporations need to be taxed more and be held accountable for their use or abuse of natural resources. In short, America needs to utilize the Nordic model for national and international policy making. In fact, I think it’s useful for all countries.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Not me, but I do like Walz. Wish he was running for president.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Rules for not losing election*:

  1. Don't insult the intelligence of your voters by calling them double haters.
  2. Don't insult the intelligence of your voters by pretending that they won't remember that you supported a genocidal maniac. No, the opposition being worse doesn't excuse your depravity.
  3. Don't insult the intelligence of your voters by beating them with the stick of facism. They already understand what's on the line. Debating online is different from voting.

*Does not apply to conservatives who worship Trump

[–] newnton 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I very much don’t think your average person understands the threat of fascism or what’s on the line, I feel like that belief comes from being in a left leaning echo chamber.

Obviously anecdotal but the vast majority of people I know are not great about consuming news, are not politically active, and don’t believe this election will have the deep consequences that I do.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Your first paragraph doesn't really make sense as those on the left tend to be the most keenly aware of the dangers of fascism, since

a) First they came for LGBTQ+ people (which was left out of the poem since it was written by a conservative priest who was fine with persecution of THEM) and then they came for us

b) it's always us that end up having to fight fascists alone since the liberals try to negotiate with them (or stay out of it at first and then join them like they did in Italy with Mussolini) and the others on the far right try to become their allies

Unless you consider Neoliberals left leaning. In which case you're MORE wrong, but your logic is more consistent.

[–] newnton 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I’m not entirely sure what you’re trying to say but what I meant is that I agree people on the left are most keenly aware of the dangers of fascism and if you’re surrounded by mostly them (aka in a left leaning echo chamber) then you’ll believe that most people are aware of the threat and take it seriously.

Unfortunately in my experience most people outside of the left (which is most people in this country) don’t share that awareness and therefore do not take the threat as seriously as they should

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

*Does not apply to conservatives who worship Trump

As a purely strategical choice, I would say that insulting their intelligence won't help. However right it would be.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

The fuck do they have to give it such a negative name? I think a lot of people didn't like either option, across a lot of different spectra of citizen.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

I am not American, so my opinion doesn't matter anyway, but if I were, then Harris would probably be the first time I would be voting for a major party candidate. She has her flaws too I am sure, but no one better seems to be running this time.