this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2024
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Asklemmy
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I am progressive and over 50 and except for a couple of times in local races, have never had the opportunity to vote FOR anyone, only against people.
So my vote for Biden is only to cancel our someone's vote for Trump. Same as every election. Lesser evil is always the better choice, and always so far the only choice.
Oh I realized I didn't answer the question. I am countering the NIMBY assholes fighting an apartment development in our neighborhood, giving away some of the stuff I grow in the garden, but mostly have influenced our children (and there are a lot of them) so all are quite left leaning, inquisitive and thoughtful.
Do you think that using that strategy for 30+ years and seeing things get consistently worse would maybe signal that you should try something else?
Well it hasn't gotten consistently worse, it's up and down. We got Florida Forever environment protections, got gay marriage and things going in the right direction for awhile. So no. I think raising a bunch of people who care does more, and when I go into my kids' high schools and see how different it is from when I was in school, it seems hopeful. The hand that rocks the cradle...
What do you suggest instead?
Why do so many non-right wingers demonize Biden so casually?
He was just ranked 15th-best president by a large body of presidential scholars, and his record has been impressive despite the chronic automatic blocking by Groupies Of Putin. Details here: r/WhatBidenHasDone; I just wish there was a FV counterpart.
I think he gets a lot of anger directed at him because.
He's not as progressive as many leftists hoped
He's done a terrible job of highlighting the progressive stuff he has done (or that progressives have pushed/negotiated with him to get done), like he's afraid that if moderates find out he'll lose their votes
He's not Bernie
At least, these are the things I hold against him. And Gaza plus some very specific other things.
100% Gaza.
Probably Gaza.
I honestly think Biden is an overall good president whose positive impacts will be felt in the long term. However, it's really not a good look when he's (publicly) supporting a country that is actively committing genocide while disguising it as only fighting terrorism. It's also hard not to think about his massive screw-up in Afghanistan, but I don't think people care about that.
Yeah, I get the Gaza angle, but let's not get it twisted and assume that this is all Biden's doing. The fact is, pretty much every US regime going back many decades has been supportive of Israel, and likely would have operated about the same in this case. And let's not overlook that Biden has also been pushing for reconciliation and peaceful solutions, too. He definitely hasn't been unilaterally pro-Israel's actions, far as I can tell.
Also, if "Gaza" is really the hill some people are wiling to die on, overlooking all of Biden's overall good work, then they may find next year that they're no longer living in the democracy they used to.
Meanwhile you have Trump and the right-wingers in office gleefully chomping at the bit to sabotage Biden's efforts to turn around the Ukrainian war, which does also include genocide.
@[email protected]
On the one hand, it's not that "Gaza" is a hill people are willing to die on, it's that "You cannot make me party to genocide of this kind and continue to have my support, full stop." is a hill many people are willing to die on and set on fire on their way out. And... I don't think we can be blamed for feeling that way. I certainly do.
On the other hand, you're absolutely right about everything you say about Democracy and right wingers and the only way to stop it.
I will vote for Biden to try to stop Trump, but he and I are not friends and I do not "support" him. I am voting against Trump, not for Biden.