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voting this year so voting continues to be a thing
(lemmy.world)
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this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2024
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It will be Project 2029 after this election. Yes, vote for the democrats, but if you think positive change will happen just by voting then you haven't learned anything from leftist predecessors.
Actual, meaningful change can only happen when the state is at a legitimate state of strain, from outside revolutionary pressure, whether that be from mass worker strikes, protests, or other such upheavels of the status quo.
While I disagree with plenty of the Biden administration’s actions, including the recent Title VII FISA and especially the support of Israel, let’s look at the positive change that has happened that you say won’t happen in the future:
And plenty more improvements such as protection of land from drilling, strengthening alliances, boosting cybersecurity, etc.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/02/02/joe-biden-30-policy-things-you-might-have-missed-00139046
Incremental, slight concessions and tweaks to the decaying Capitalist system will not improve things. It's a slow, stagnating death.
For example, there is no meaningful reason that America does not have a robust system of high-speed rail other than lobbying from the automotive industry. Same with Universal healthcare and the pharma industry, same with public housing and landlords.
Biden tossing scraps while people starve and continuing the US Capitalist project will not result in meaningful improvements. Even if Biden had unlimited power, America would continue stagnating as wages fail to keep up with productivity and the third world is super-exploited for domestic super-profits.
The primary issue with arguments just like this one is that you need small and medium changes to effectively lay the groundwork for larger shifts. Moreover, these are still positive, so stop complaining. Show your support for what positive changes happen and promote MORE changes rather than constantly turning your nose up.
Read my comment history, lol. For example, on the Net Neutrality restablishment and on the banning of non-compete clauses, I uncritically supported these.
I absolutely support positive changes, but Biden is not merely a bunch of small positive changes. Biden is a continuation of Capitalism's decline and is not reversing that course in any manner!
I do promote positive change. I donate to Palestinine, I donate to Strike Funds. I try to spread pro-Union sentiment without getting fired, and I read Leftist theory whenever I can so that I can do better.
What I will not do is waste my time punching left and minimizing criticism of the failing Capitalist Empire that is the US and those who support it.
I feel like this argument would have worked a lot better before Trump.
Do you want slow incremental positive steps forward, or massive bat-shit crazy, weaving-all-over-the-road while toying with destroying democracy, self-serving, ultra-rich benefiting and fuck-the-little-guy theocratic "reform"? Hm... that's a tough one.
Those aren't the choices. The 2 choices are slow stagnation as Capitalism crumbles and Workers ever-more exploited, or massive bat-shit crazy reactionary fascism.
Trump is worse, yes, but Biden continues America's march rightward into its doom. I'll be voting for Biden, but at the same time trying to actually contribute to society via donating to strike funds and trying to get others to read Leftist theory, as well as trying to slowly unionize and increase pro-union sentiment.
Biden doing small positive changes as America lurches towards its own destructuon and Biden fuels a genocide does not make him slow, incremental positive steps forward. America is a sinking ship and rather than fixing it, he's handing out free massages and toys.
I mostly agree with you, but IMHO Biden has been better than any other president in my lifetime... and I'm 50 years old. His position on Israel is awful. I would 100% go nuclear (pun intended) on solving global warming. But beyond that, I think he's done a pretty good job with the hand he's been dealt. The presidency is not a monarchy. No matter who is elected it'll be a long term battle to right this ship.
I don't disagree with the statement that he is the least bad, I can't say any President I have been alive for represents my views. He's the least bad, but is still bad, IMO, so continuing to criticize him is important to me.
And yes, his position on Israel and the genocide of Gaza is abhorant.
That's not fair at all. There's also lobbying from the airline industry. And probably greyhound.
The distances involved, NIMBYism, etc. are contributors as well.
Stop spewing slogans
What slogans am I spewing? I'm a Leftist, I am going to advocate for Leftist beliefs and criticize Capitalist beliefs.
I don't care if you're left.or right. To each their own opinion. You, however, are very clearly not spewing your opinions but slogans you were told to use, or thought sounded cool.
Nothing I said was a slogan, lol. They are my opinions.
"Hey, if we let Republicans destroy our country, it will actually help us in the long run. Trust me bro."
Yeah fuck that bullshit.
It's called "accelerationism" for those who wish to understand more. It's dangerous thinking.
Accelerationism is definitely real, but absolutely wasn't what I was referring to in any manner.
When did I say that? Never. I said Biden isn't a positive change, you cannot get positive change electorally, so you need outside pressure.
Voting Democrat is what I am most likely going to do, I am just not delusional enough to think he will reverse Capitalism's decay.
I took this to mean that you want the State to get worse so people will start a revolution. Maybe I misunderstood.
No, the state will get worse regardless. I want people to strike, unionize, organize, and pressure the state as best they can, and I do believe revolution is the best way to get there, but I don't think the path there is to intentionally vote for bad policy so everyone suffers even more, lol.
Like I said, I will almost certainly be voting for Biden, but the idea that Biden is "slow, positive change" cannot be the prevailing thought process if we want actual change to occur. Biden is slow, negative change while Trump is fast negative change.
You think Biden is making the nation worse? Seriously? Have you paid attention at all?
You're remarkably bad at reading.
Capitalism is in decline. Continuing Capitalism continues this decline. Slight bumps upward on a downward trend line does not reverse the dowmward trend. Make sense when put that way for you?
Would it kill you to actually engage with leftist ideas, rather than run away the second you don't have an actual response, by the way?
Verbatim. So Biden is not bad for the nation? It's an upward trend? And this is...bad?
Reading is hard for you. Biden has occasional upward ticks on an overall downward trend, he isn't an upward trend. If the ship is sinking and you don't fix the holes, there isn't an upward trend.
I read words, not minds.
Is Biden making this country better, or worse?
The country is getting worse, and he is not reversing that trend. By maintaining Capitalism, he is participating in making it worse. Occasionally he comes out with a nice act or law, but within the broader context of the direction the country is going, it matters little.
I've said the same thing 3 times now, you're not getting another.
Okay. So it's impossible for Biden to make anything better unless he undoes capitalism? Any good things he does are overshadowed by capitalism?
Isn't that a bit dogmatic? You're mistaking the means (socialism) for the ends (better society, happier people).
He can alleviate some of its pains, but he cannot make things better overall without moving towards Worker Ownership.
I am not mistaking the means for the ends, the ends are achieved via means, and if Capitalism is currently continuing to decline then the ends cannot be achieved without moving towards Socialism.
You're ignoring the "if" though. We have clear examples of how capitalism can succeed in the Scandinavian countries (I would call them socialist, but you would say they're not, we've had this discussion). If Capitalism in the US moves in that direction, would you be willing to abandon socialism because we have a better path to societal happiness?
Social Democracies still depend on Imperialism to subidize their safety nets, still see decay (albeit at a lower rate), and still have the inherent exploitation of Capitalism. If you could fix Capitalism, I would be the first in line, haha.
Can you elaborate on all those points?
What empire does Scandinavia have?
What signs of "decay" do you see?
What do you mean by exploitation?
Scandinavian countries export industrial and financial Capital to the Global South, to Super-Exploit internationally for domestic Super-Profits.
Scandinavian countries have seen decreasing social safety nets and rising inequality.
Capitalism inherently contains the exploitation of the Worker by the Owner, where the Owner pays the Worker less than the value the Worker creates, and profits from that difference.
So the path forward is killing people? Because that's what revolution entails. Once the killings start they tend to be indiscriminate and less about idealism than consolidating power. There's a long history of revolution, and I can't think of a single one that didn't go off the rails and devolve into insanity. What makes this revolution you're dreaming about different?
Revolution is the only way to meaningfully change whichever class is in power. It does not need to be violent, it can take on any number of forms.
Can you give an example of when a revolution wasn't violent? Just one. Ever. In the history of humanity?
You certainly can, by actually fucking voting. Not in a single election, granted, but over time. Currently we're choosing between fascist theocracy and democracy, because people who don't want to live in a fascist theocracy won't fucking vote. When they do vote, and fascist theocracy is no longer a viable position, we get to choose between corrupt capitalist democracy or social democracy.
I do vote. I have voted Democrat, and I will lilely still vote Democrat. Me voting Democrat will not make the Democrats move to the left, they will continue to be right-wingers because there is no leftist party and no reason for the Democrats to move left when they get their funding from large businesses and wealthy Capitalists.
We are choosing between fascism and liberalism. The reason this is an issue is not because "leftists don't vote,"* it's because the only parties that will ever be in power are parties that court wealthy Capitalists.
Even Social Democracy, while certainly better, would still repeat the same Capitalist decay. I would still vote for a Social Democrat over a Democrat, but I would still push for outside pressure like striking, unionizing, and straining the system so the will of the people will be upheld.