cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/233463

I grew up as a democratic Blue No Matter Who type. I voted in 3 elections so far, and now that I’m 20, I seriously don’t think I will ever vote again. I know there are certain rights that were fought for with good intentions, like allowing black people to vote, avoiding Voter ID requirements and other policies that give a greater degree of democracy. But, I don’t see how it helps. Best case scenario, I vote La Riva for president and she wins. Ik, ik, it’s utopian, but she wins in this scenario. Now what? USA is still a haven of fascists and war crime-oriented militarism. I had been a Bernie fan in the past(I don’t hate him and I think some people are too hard on him considering that this is like one of the furthest right nations on Earth. He is pretty genuine and believes what he says and doesn’t get bought and sold) but his policies are not Left, this isn’t new, he’s a Soc Dem, not a very far left one at that. But EVEN if Bernie won, what for? So the Dems and Reps can spitroast him from each side? He tries a simple tax reform and he would get shut down. If he tries to do anything like nationalizing the energy/power grids(like he had suggested once before) he’d be called a communist and possibly ousted. The whole point is this: In a bourgeois democracy, the businesses decide who will have the big fundraiser or campaign event. The candidates that they choose will go the distance bc they paid to make it damn near impossible to at least make them past primaries. Once again, for anyone misconstruing my point, Bernie is not left, but is not as money-grubbing or corrupt as the Dems. Look how they fought tooth and nail against Bernie twice and look at how he conceded. In 2016, Bernie won every district in WV and lost WV to Clinton. Also Debbie Wasserman Schultz did dirty shit to him. 2020, we saw the campaigns of Warren and Biden trying to split up Bernie’s lead and try to demonize him. Can you imagine what they’d do to La Riva? Bernie’s policies would be much more in line with their values and they still hate his guts, I can’t imagine what a La Riva presidency could accomplish. The only thing that is positive abt Us voting is that if a candidate receives enough votes, they get additional funding to the party guaranteed and also more exposure for more people to join the party. Sorry, hope this doesn’t break the rule of being electoralist/liberal. Just wanted to sorta vent and ask what American Democracy can even accomplish anymore, what with all the fascists and restrictions on rights that are growing daily

    • ButtigiegMineralMapOP
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      72 years ago

      I agree 100%, I feel America is beyond saving, this is one of those moments where I seriously see a shift in America, I can honestly see a Proto-Fascist running in 2028 or something and then maybe the US will devolve into full Fascism by the 2030s if they continue how they have. And ye, I really hope that someone finds out that our McDs has like a Brain-Cancer salt or something bc Americans are seriously lacking basic logic recently

  • KiG V2
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    72 years ago

    I don’t think it’d necessarily be a total waste. Keep in mind that with merely two UNSUCCESSFUL presidential bids Sanders has created a huge blossom of new socialists and potential socialists, I myself likely wouldn’t be where I am today (or at least it would have taken longer) if Bernie didn’t hit my ears in 2016 talking about corruption and big money.

    It would also expose the DNC and GOP as one and the same. Yes, I sincerely doubt it would be easy to get much done with 98% of the government guaranteed to say no to you on every policy no questions asked, but it might wake some people up. Presidents also have their own unchecked powers too, ya know, like appointing judges and executive orders–it would require someone unapologetic and aggressive though, someone not afraid to play as dirty as their opponents for the sake of humanity.

    Is it the end-all be-all? No. Would it be a waste? Hell no.

    • ButtigiegMineralMapOP
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      42 years ago

      That’s true, Bernie did definitely affect my viewpoint a lot from the start of 2016. I suppose if I see it as raising class consciousness and providing positive exposure to well-meaning socialists, then I would vote for them more to get ppl in my community involved in organizing, which could be a win within itself. Good comment!