this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2025
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Lefty Memes

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Pretending not to pick a side IS picking a side (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 3 days ago by ShareMySims@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/leftymemes@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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ID: photo of Martin Luther King Jr. waving at the crowd during the March on Washington, on it is his quote: "He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."

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[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 25 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You know, a lot of comments are bringing up voting like there was any chance of votes preventing this. A lifetime of gerrymandering, court stacking, propaganda, and general fuckery led to this, and the only question was when the religious right wing and oligarchs made their move

Voting? That's not shit.

What matters is real change brought by real people.

The people that didn't vote? That wasn't all protest non participation. Voter turnout has always been low because the average person just does not care.

Which means they won't care if the people that do care tear down the currently successful right wing revolution with a counter revolution. All you have to do is keep just enough comfort during transition, and nobody will lift a finger from that group. They will not give a flying fuck at all.

Frankly, even if they did care, they're also the segment least able to do a damn thing about any of it. They lack the will, the training, and the functional personal motivation to do anything but hunker down and wait, even if their comfort level does drop to the bottom.

I can't say that's good or bad, but it is what it is.

It's up to the people that care to make changes. Right now, the right seems to care a fuck ton more than anyone else, so they're pulling it off.

[–] JabbaTheThott@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What do you mean votes couldn't prevent this? You really think if Kamala had won by the electoral college that Trump would have won anyways??

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[–] nonentity@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 days ago (12 children)

In a similar vein, anyone eligible to vote and chooses not to implicitly supports whoever wins.

[–] damnedfurry@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Not necessarily, not in the US's system for President, at least. If you don't live in a swing state, your vote is literally a waste of time. Doesn't matter who you support or don't.

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[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

And anyone who votes for genocide without even bothering to vote uncomitted in the primary is a genocider themselves.

[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Do you join the KKK and vote for the "harm reduction" candidate for grand wizard?

[–] Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net 0 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Does the KKK control databases with everybody's SSN, bank account info, addresses, etc?

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[–] Plastic_Ramses@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (41 children)

Does this include not voting because one is a single issue voter?

Edit: lmao, yall will really say whatever to justify your decision to make things worse.

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Absolutely. Non-voters and "protest" voters chose not to oppose a known fascist. Their refusal to strategically use their voice has led to increased suffering of minorities, LGBTQ+, and likely an end to any semblance of US democracy.

[–] sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyz 23 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Yeah, well, they've done it, 95 million Americans didn't vote. Now what?

Are we gonna point the finger at them, lay the blame at their feet, and feel superior because WE VOTED, while the oligarchs and fascists loot our treasury and put our minority and LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters you seem to care so much about in camps? Or are we gonna go and fight the good fight like the people out in LA yesterday?

[–] Lupus@feddit.org 12 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Are we gonna point the finger at them, lay the blame at their feet,

Absolutely.

If those 95 million would've voted together for Mike the local crackhead, Mike would've won the popular vote with about 20 million votes to spare... I don't know, seems stupid to me to just go on the Internet to complain and then not use one of the only tools you have in a democracy?

I understand that going out voting is "accepting the system" but that is the only legal way to bring about change. If you don't want to support the system that's fine, work to dismantle it, take the fight to them. But just staying at home, doing nothing and then saying "I told you so" is just dumb.

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 2 days ago

Not only this but, if those non-voters organized and taken action in the last half-century, they would have been able to move the Overton to the Left, instead of the unending Right-ward crawl that we've been seeing. That could have prevented the likes of Clinton and Thatcher and erosion of workers' rights.

[–] sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyz 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I understand your point, but as you said:

But just staying at home, doing nothing and then saying "I told you so" is just dumb.

There are people WHO VOTED who are doing this, because it's "not their responsibility" anymore.

[–] Lupus@feddit.org 10 points 2 days ago (2 children)

There are people WHO VOTED who are doing this, because it's "not their responsibility" anymore.

There are a lot of people like this, they did the bare minimum and feel like that's enough, I mean at least it's something? Still far from enough, I agree with that.

In these times I often think about the Berthold Brecht poem "Wer Zuhause bleibt"-"Whoever stays at home".

Wer zu Hause bleibt, wenn der Kampf beginnt Und lässt andere kämpfen für seine Sache Der muss sich vorsehen: denn Wer den Kampf nicht geteilt hat Der wird teilen die Niederlage. Nicht einmal den Kampf vermeidet Wer den Kampf vermeiden will: denn Es wird kämpfen für die Sache des Feinds Wer für seine eigene Sache nicht gekämpft hat.

Translation :

Whoever stays at home when the fight begins and lets others fight for his cause must beware: For whoever has not shared the fight will share the defeat. Not even avoiding the fight helps anymore, because he who has not fought (for his own cause) has fought for the cause of the enemy.

Italics added by me

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[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 2 days ago

Thank you for also making this point. There's a lot of with to do. In-person protests, education and outreach, mutual aid and are some of the necessary avenues. Not everyone is able to march but there are many other ways to contribute to the fight.

[–] nyamlae@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, well, they've done it, 95 million Americans didn't vote. Now what?

Y'all really are unble to take any kind of accountability whatsoever. "It's done so it's not relevant anymore" is a textbook example of what abusers say.

Are we gonna point the finger at them, lay the blame at their feet

Yes, absolutely. Non-voters are neglectful assholes whose inaction has had devastating impacts for multiple different countries. You are all just typical abusers trying to escape accountability.

[–] sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Love that you assume I'm a non-voter, when nowhere in my comment implies that. You didn't even read it, or my replies to the OP (who actually made good points btw, unlike you). But sure, whatever helps you feel better right now.

You are all just typical abusers trying to escape accountability.

This is such an insulting statement to people who actually go through abusive systems that I can't even fathom why you would write this. No one who is in activism and mutual aid spaces would say this with a straight face.

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[–] kreskin@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Depends on the severity of the single issue @plastic_ramses. Was slavery a 'single issue'? is genocide? Are they just 'single issues' like school vouchers and saving the spotted owl?

No they are not. I dont understand why you cant see that. Its not complicated.

Your whole argument is designed to excuse yourself from any critical thought and allow your leaders to shackle you to any outcome they please. And maybe thats all you're good for, frankly.

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[–] zante@slrpnk.net 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I need to do more protests . I always seem to hear about them after the event, or they’re always in London or something

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Your state capitol building on Wednesday at noon. Every state.

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[–] chemicalprophet@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 days ago

I always go beans and potato salad.

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