I have problems with people who abstained. The hard thing is, how do you change voter behavior?

  • AppleTea@lemmy.zip
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    1 month ago

    Remember, the most constructive thing you can do is get mad at other, equally powerless people like yourself! This is how political change happens.

    • Fredthefishlord
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      1 month ago

      Remember! People aren’t powerless! Voting is a power! Not voting is not how political change happens

      • AppleTea@lemmy.zip
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        1 month ago

        that’s a good point

        I wonder what would happen if the Democrats tried to activate those chronic non-voters, rather than trying to flip those moderate republicans i keep being told are real

      • djsoren19
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        1 month ago

        Voting is a power that has been consistently weakened for the past four decades in the United States, and is completely useless in a two party system with two captured parties. Political change has historically been accomplished with money and violence; it is extraordinarily rare for countries to vote themselves out of the slide to fascism.

        • Fredthefishlord
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          1 month ago

          A vote not used is a vote for oppression. Get out an organize, run for election, etc. change is still possible

          • djsoren19
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            1 month ago

            Getting out and organizing strikes/protests and building third-party grassroots political movements are absolutely great suggestions; neither are voting. Both of them require a significant amount of additional effort than voting. In fact, you may even notice that one requires money, and the other often implies a threat of further violence.

            A large reason we are in this is because Americans see voting as the be-all end-all to their political participation. It is the absolute weakest tool to actually enact change in the U.S. political system.

            • Fredthefishlord
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              1 month ago

              Getting out and organizing strikes/protests and building third-party grassroots political movements are absolutely great suggestions;

              Yes, voting isn’t the only action. As a union steward, I’m well aware. People should use multiple tools, but at a MINIMUM people need to vote(as long as we remain mildly democratic).

              It is the absolute weakest tool to actually enact change in the U.S. political system.

              It is a very strong tool in preventing down sliding.