Replying to @⁨Bristlecone@lemmy.world⁩

shrugs

Get your Blue MAGA friends to do something about the fact that, under Obama, my dad’s business regressed because he indulged his billionaire buddies and let them get off scot-free for pillaging the economy, and then under Biden my mom and dad, at age 80, had to drive for DoorDash to survive in a car they borrow from me.

I don’t care that Democrats say nice things. People can’t fucking eat in this country, and they did their part to make that happen just as Republicans did.

Both ruling parties are fascist turds. Pretending otherwise is silly now that people’s basic standard of living no longer exists.

Replying to @⁨FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world⁩

I totally agree with you except for when it happened. The US was always a proto-fascist country, but after the rise of the MIC it truly became fascist. We are clearly deep into Neofascism at this point and it seems like we are harkening back to some good old fashion fascism.

The other major issue is the whole world joined us including our once sworn enemies. We live in a fascist world.

Replying to @⁨Doomsider@lemmy.world⁩

It’s a fair point.

Really this has been a 40-year process, with Reagan being the progenitor, and every president since doing their part to move us incrementally to the fascist right.

Biden’s presidency sticks out in my mind because that’s the one where my 80 year-old parents had to start borrowing my car to drive for DoorDash in order to survive.

Replying to @⁨FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world⁩

I think you misunderstand the spoiler effect. It’s working as designed.

The problem is how we vote, not who is on the ballot. As long as the winner is going to be the one with the most votes, then more contenders will mean the winner will have a smaller overall share.

The margin in Florida for the 2000 election was so small that if half of the Nader voters voted for Gore, Gore would’ve been the clear winner of the state and thus the country. Both left-leaning, environmentalist candidates.

But, like you, they let good be the enemy of perfect, and incidently got us Bush, who was (checks notes) much worse for the environment.

Third parties, in this system, only serve as tools of the opposing major political party. They are absolutely worthless for any progress at the federal level. Do you think a green president could actually get anything done without a green coalition in congress, or among Governors?

There are only three paths for third parties to ascend:

  • We change the voting system, get rid of FPTP, or
  • Third party builds momentum in lower offices, or
  • One of the established parties completely implodes upon itself. See also Whigs, Democratic-Republicans, Federalists.

Replying to @⁨JasonDJ@lemmy.zip⁩

This is way. I mean if you are going to vote otherwise vote third party to help them get that 5% mark for federal funding and better ballot access.

But honestly we have to choose the most effective strats at all levels. Vote in the primaries Dems for progress or repubs for harm reduction choices. Vote for local politics where shit actually gets done. Vote state level where voting changes and law enforcement actually gets decided. Vote for the best of the two if your state is close, vote third if the worst evil is slated to land slide your state.

Get support and support mutual aid. Join resistance networks. Support your community and worker coops. Boycott everything that supports evil where you can. Etc etc.

Honestly it seems like a lot but most of the nations politics don’t fucking matter. Filter for politicians that are on your ballot boxes otherwise they are just idealogues you like to listen too. AOC and John Thune are like 80% relevant for most Americans. They can’t vote for or against them.

Replying to @⁨fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works⁩

God that 5% is just such flagrant bait, too.

Yeah, that seems achievable…on the surface.

Except almost every presidential election of my lifetime was less than a 5% margin to begin with. With the exception of Reagan, every single one has been <10%.

That 5% is legit the most important part of the fucking election. And it’s a carrot to draw out “enlightened centrists” who can’t see past their own eyebrows.

If the greens get it, it’s essentially a “thanks for the assist!” from the Republicans, no matter what…because that margin is enough to enable them to win.

And the way this government is going, do you think they’d even see the money 4 years later?