for the first time i realized i cant really [politely] ask people at work about voting. in previous jobs/election cycles its a no brainer… running around the office ‘where’s your sticker? did ya vote?’. regardless of affiliation, people should vote…
but theres a palpable embarrassment this year. no one speaks of politics here anymore. i sure as fuck am not going to burst that echo-bubble by askin if they voted.
i just cant really do that in my current location. very strange.
I dont because I know im in the minority in my workplace so if I dont mention voting then one of those pricks might forget to vote and it would be a net positive in this world.
Otherwise if I mention it I have to listen to them talk about “those idiots in the DSA” who want to jail parents who dont transition their kids or whatever the fuck it is they’ve been told to believe nowadays.
Don’t worry, fellow anon. All those pricks have their glowing god box to go home to and listen to it rant that it neeeeds them to vote. They’ve already forgotten their humanity, but they won’t forget their strings.
Transgenderism is a successful distraction from bigger issues.
Just like abortion, it lets democrats and republicans ignore the working class by pitting it against itself.
Hey, you might not know, but “transgenderism” is a far-right term that is used to make trans people sound like an ideology, instead of just being who we are
And, fwiw, I think that when you get to the root of most “trans issues”, and abortion as well, what we are really advocating for is the right to self-determination and ability to make our health decisions free from government interference, which I would argue are both pretty important to all members of the working class
That’s actually not true. Saying transgenderism acknowledges that it’s an ideology and people are free to agree or disagree with it as they please. Trans people and their allies want to paint it as a far right term to prevent people from using it.
You are free to believe your second point. I don’t agree but I’m not going to argue with you about it.
Imagine an ideology centered around whether a group of people should be allowed to exist. Now imagine being on the side of it that argues that they should not be allowed to exist.
Like I said. It’s a distraction from bigger issues to pit the working class against itself.
You’re right, but your presentation is wrong.
Republicans are scape goating a minority to distract from larger issues, yes.
But transgender rights are human rights. There is no trans agenda beyond equal rights. The only response to Republicans attack on transgender folk is that transgender folk deserve equal rights.
We don’t compromise with Nazis. So when someone spouts Nazi beliefs, we should be firmly punching them in the face not compromising over how many human rights we should strip away from minorities.
But transgender rights are human rights. There is no trans agenda beyond equal rights. The only response to Republicans attack on transgender folk is that transgender folk deserve equal rights.
This exactly.
Does this issue cause a lot of fighting? Maybe. When you consider the position someone has to take to fight against basic human rights for a category of people though, you start to question whether that same person’s other opinions are worth any consideration.
Other issues still exist of course, but a meaningful conversation about them can’t be done with people who would advocate for pure hatred. There’s no “middle ground” worth considering when that’s a person’s position.
Historically speaking, advocacy against a group’s right to exist was called “religion”. That’s still the case today. You can’t argue that someone’s religion is wrong, regardless of how full of shit they are. People treat their religion as their identity, so even discussing it is perceived as an attack to most people.
I believe that’s by design for voter suppression. Making community and communication with others near impossible for voting makes it harder for people to discuss and talk about who’s the best and understanding it.
The stupider people are the more easier they are controlled and by having people not talk to each other the less they will learn.
One of the hallmarks of a healthy liberal democracy is discussion. Specifically respectful and reason-based public discourse. This discourse is categorized under the “Deliberative Principle of Democracy” in the V-Dem project. That project measures how healthy a democracy is.
So, using a quantitative approach called napkin math, the US is fucked.
Jesting aside, the V-Dem project is amazing. https://www.v-dem.net/about/v-dem-project/methodology/
Don’t you know it’s sports season?
Why talk about elections when you can talk about your team and how you lost money betting on them?
Can’t you bet on political outcomes now too? Haven’t been arsed to look into Kalshi/Polymarket in awhile
Jokes on you. I bet 0 dollars on sports. I put all my money on blackjack like a traditionalist. /s
The hookers and blow don’t pay for themselves.
I put a Biden sticker on my bumper in 2020. It was the first time I was allowed to, as working in a newsroom removes some rights most take for granted. Simple as: “We can’t have people driving past the paper and seeing political opinions on the cars.”
Within the newsroom, we were political as hell, but not all in one direction. Sports and the top editors were solidly Republican camps, but the rabble (you know, the expendable idiots like reporters and copyeditors) tended left of the Overton window.
I’m not sure what modern newsrooms look like, but I have for decades seen how we’re somehow held to an apolitical standard.
I have hope when I look at the Democracy Now! folks. They’re doing something right.
I’m not sure what modern newsrooms look like
i question their existence sometimes
That’s a popular view, but it’s rarely grounded in reality. My mom told me today that she pays for the NYT and WaPo, and my immediate answer was “why the fuck would you throw money at those people?”
“Did you vote for that parasite or this one?”
That’s all modern elections have become. We’ve resigned to the idea that the problems that matter will never be solved, so anyone who isn’t distracted by bullshit is seen as a madman.
Have fun paying rent.
You’re so right, there is just no difference between voting for fascists or voting for the people who aren’t fascists
