this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2023
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Political Memes

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[–] Cowbee@lemm.ee 169 points 11 months ago (77 children)

There's nuance. Obviously, vote for the liberal over the fascist, it's not even close. However, the fascists are absolutely represented in government, while there's no leftist candidates to speak of. Leftists have to plug their nose and vote liberal, while fascists gleefully vote republican.

Voting is entirely for loss prevention, because ultimately it absolutely impacts minority groups and people who stand to lose a great deal by a republican victory. However, leftists will not be able to move America to the left by voting.

That's why grassroots movements and building up of parallel structures are so important for leftism, it cannot work within the confines of a 2 party Capitalist state, and must be built from the bottom up.

[–] MCk3@lemmy.world 63 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (14 children)

You said there’s nuance but then went on to explain that there isn’t nuance and the only reasonable vote is for Biden. And you’re not wrong. There are a lot of folks pretending to be on the left acting like there’s a whole lot of nuance here, and that voting for someone other than Biden, or not voting at all, is an acceptable option.

None of this precludes advocating for your positions or doing other praxis, but when it comes to voting the answer is clear

[–] Cowbee@lemm.ee 25 points 11 months ago (30 children)

There's nuance, because leftists saying voting isn't going to change anything meaningfully as far as moving towards the left is still true.

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[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 92 points 11 months ago (32 children)

I am not saying I am not voting for Biden, but running on the platform of "vote for us or bad things will happen" is a shitty platform.

[–] greenskye@lemm.ee 47 points 11 months ago (15 children)

Look I get it, I also wanted someone different than Biden in 2020. But I truly don't think it's sane political strategy to run a different democratic candidate when you already have a sitting democratic president who's able to run for another term. The loss of the incumbent advantage is way higher than any benefit a new candidate would bring (from a voter turnout perspective, not a policy one). People would be rightly furious if the Democrats ran a new guy only to lose to trump based on name recognition alone.

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[–] Ilikecheese@lemm.ee 27 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Of the two major parties, the GOP is far closer to what you’re describing. If it wasn’t for fear mongering, the GOP wouldn’t have anything at all to go off of. Bad things will happen like, immigrants flooding the borders, socialism raising your taxes, your kids being taught to be gay, etc. “Vote for us or bad things will happen” might as well be the official slogan of the GOP. Either that or “White Christians good, everyone else, bad”. Take your pick.

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[–] Maddie@sh.itjust.works 87 points 11 months ago (9 children)

Fucking thank you! I read so much bullshit about this group or that one saying they're not gonna support Biden because of whatever, it makes me want to scream

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[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 78 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (14 children)

I think there's something wrong with a system that every 4 years have you pick wether you'd rather get repeatedly punched in the face or shot

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[–] nafri@lemmy.world 61 points 11 months ago (8 children)

America got 300mil people and the best 2 candidates to lead the country is Trump and Biden??

[–] mrmanager 27 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

It's never been about the best candidates. That's a story for school children. In reality it's all about who is connected to who, who makes favors for who etc.

And naturally you need to be rich, which means you are already connected to a web of individuals who you owe favors, or are expected to satisfy in different ways.

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[–] Cowbee@lemm.ee 19 points 11 months ago

"Best?" Of course not, that's not how the 2 party system works. We don't live in some meritocracy, Capital is what makes the gears turn. The system is designed to change as little as possible.

That's why Unionization and organization at a grassroots level is the only way to move America meaningfully to the left, vote Dem to keep fascists out of office while actually doing the hard work yourself on the ground.

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[–] gastationsushi@lemmy.world 55 points 11 months ago (98 children)

I don't want Trump to get another term. And Biden putting on his big boy pants and doing popular things is our best chance to preventing a second Trump term. It's retail politics, not rocket science.

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[–] Sanyanov@lemmy.world 52 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Vote Democrat, but remember they are chosen because they are marginally better, not because they are great.

Do everything in your power to end the rule of a stupid two-party system, for one party going full fascist allows the other to stop fighting for your rights the way it should.

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[–] Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee 45 points 11 months ago (10 children)

If the DNC wanted to, it could pass ballot & electoral reform. It doesn’t, because FPTP/winner takes all benefits them doubly - either they lose and can fundraise off “red team bad” messaging, or they win power and get their turn at the levers of power.

If you’re politically homeless on the right, anything even slightly to the right of median is preferential to ‘conserve’ the world you’re clutching to. Slowing or preventing change is your mantra politically, because you like the status quo today/previously

If you’re politically homeless on the left, you’re bullied in liberal unity under big-tent centrism, even though it’ll never effectively serve your core interests like right wing unity would. There may be some overlap, but good luck with actual legislative movement on LGBTQ+, unionization, campaign finance reform, alternative policing, etc

Under a different system we’d actually have coalitions and better representation on issues- especially topics with entrenched left-right collusion like foreign policy.

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[–] voidMainVoid@lemmy.world 37 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Here's what I don't get about this. If you vote for Trump this time, you know what you're getting. He was already president, so you know what you're in for. Is there really anybody on the fence here? I mean, I understand hating both candidates and declining to vote for either one, but if you vote for Trump, then you agree with Trump.

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[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 37 points 11 months ago (12 children)

Yeah it's a real moral conundrum. Do you vote for the fascists who want to destroy the country of America, or the other party who wants to bring people together and have some good social programs going. It's really a very tough and confusing choice.

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[–] _number8_@lemmy.world 34 points 11 months ago (4 children)
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[–] Hindufury@lemmy.world 34 points 11 months ago (3 children)

It does. Biden is able to get away with being toothless and doing things like continuing to build the border wall. It feels like his only redemption is he's not Trump. I will vote my mind during the primaries but if it's Biden, I'm gonna hate that I have to vote for him simply because the alternative is worse.

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[–] books@lemmy.world 33 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Really good npr podcast on the medias failing by trying to stay nonpartisan and treat both candidates like they are equal.

Made a point to say there were more articles about bidens dog biting someone than trump saying he wants to execute a general.

Bonkers

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[–] chakan2@lemmy.world 32 points 11 months ago (21 children)

The lesser of two evils is still evil. We need a 3rd party.

[–] gogogadgetfork@lemmy.world 22 points 11 months ago (5 children)

End FPTP and electoral college. They were racist victorian policies anyway

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[–] Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 31 points 11 months ago

It's the same thing I was saying in 2020. I'm not voting Biden, I'm voting bye don.

[–] donescobar@lemmy.world 31 points 11 months ago (16 children)

Jeff needs to leave Xitter already

[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 27 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Does everyone else pronounce that as shitter?

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[–] Jordan_U@lemmy.ml 22 points 11 months ago (7 children)

"Both parties are the same" is an obviously silly statement.

At the same time, "Vote for the man who says he can't avoid building Trump's wall, but can use executive power to sell weapons specifically to be used for genocide... Because the other guy is worse." is not a great way to raise voter turnout.

Some of the people criticizing others in this thread have been organizing against genocide. Have been calling their representatives, protesting in the street, etc.

If that's you; Great! My beef is not with you.

If not, and especially if you were telling people to vote for Biden in 2020 because we could "push him to the left"; Maybe work on getting Biden to stop funding genocide and generally push an agenda that will make people want to vote for him.

With current levels of partisanship, turnout is what makes the difference in elections.

Criticizing the very people you're trying to get to vote is at best counter-productive.

Like it or not, if you're campaigning for Biden then you're an embassador for the Democratic party. People notice what you spend your energy on, and what you don't. If you spend more time calling people on the left "stupid" than you do campaigning to end genocide? People will notice, and they will associate Biden supporters with hypocrites that don't actually care about them or people like them.

Being a dick is easier than actually organizing; But it won't achieve your stated goals.

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[–] Saltblue@lemmy.world 21 points 11 months ago (18 children)
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[–] glimse@lemmy.world 19 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I hate that I agree with someone as obnoxious as Jeff "swear words are hilarious" Tiedrich

[–] Kalkaline@leminal.space 20 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Jeff may be an edge lord, but he's on point most of the time.

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[–] sheilzy@lemmy.world 17 points 11 months ago

Don't forget, with all the bad talk about immigrants, his wife, late mother, and late ex-wife are/were all immigrants.

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