Your vote isn't enough.

I don't usually post political stuff, but I don't see ANYONE talking about this, and I really believe if we don't do this, we will hand this country over to fascists.

Your vote matters. Most of you reading this know it. But the truth is that the left is HORRIBLE at getting out to vote. From what I've read, registered democrats outnumber repubs by 10-15%. Yet on average less then 70% vote. There exists an apathy towards voting in a portion of the left that assumes that they don't need to vote because "who would vote for that idiot Trump?". They assume it's a done deal, and don't bother.

THOSE are the people we need to target. We need to set up community activists whose only purpose is to make sure democrats either fill out a mail in ballot, or have a ride to the voting booths. Every democrat needs to take a friend or two with them. We need to make voting a communal act where we encourage, check up on, and practically insist on their vote.

I believe that if we DON'T do this, it WILL BE the END of democracy. We have the numbers. Now we just need to get them out to vote.

jordanlund Mod ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Text, image and video posts are not allowed, articles only.

MindTraveller , (edited )

I'm doing my part! I created a community to deconstruct the tankie arguments against voting that you see on Lemmy. !nonvoters

CommunityLinkFixer Bot ,

Hi there! Looks like you linked to a Lemmy community using a URL instead of its name, which doesn't work well for people on different instances. Try fixing it like this: !nonvoters

chemicalwonka ,
@chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

No vote in a bourgeois democracy has the value to really change things

umbrella ,
@umbrella@lemmy.ml avatar

bingo

TheFonz ,

Really? Because I can think of a thousand direct implications and ways in which people are affected.

chemicalwonka ,
@chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

The disparity in political power of the working class compared to the bourgeois class that controls the State is brutal.

TheFonz ,

Barf. Did you just finish reading Marx yesterday? Cringe

rimu ,
@rimu@piefed.social avatar

Voting, alone, has never been enough.

Here are 198 other methods of nonviolent direct action.

workerONE ,

I think Democrats should try to get the left's vote

wavebeam ,
@wavebeam@lemmy.world avatar

I leaned way in for the 2016 and 2020 elections. I literally ran for city council (and lost) in 2020 to be part of the efforts to push things in big and small ways in the right direction. It was exhausting. People were awful and it was overall a terrible experience.

Meanwhile, for years, my wife and I were in the long and frequently disappointing process of adopting children from our local foster care system; we decided that adopting kids who needed families was better than bringing any more children into this hellscape.

3 weeks after I lost the miserable race for city council to a lawyer who had lost (sorry, settled) a sexual harassment lawsuit from his secretary only a couple years earlier, we took in our now-adopted kids. In the last 4 years we’ve had non-stop challenges, especially with my daughter, with behaviors - she was recently diagnosed with RAD. And we’ve chosen to pull back on basically anything that isn’t either helping us get some sense of stability, is at least enjoyable, or unavoidable.

I agree that everyone who can should be doing anything they can above and beyond voting. But I feel like all I can muster with activism right now is voting, and caring for my kids the best I can.

Mpeach45 ,
@Mpeach45@lemmy.world avatar

Many on the left demand ideological perfection. The perfect is the enemy of the good.

On the right, they only demand power.

Copernican ,

I wish we had Australian style compulsory voting. Members of a democracy should know the will of the majority and citizens should have a duty to participate.

balderdash9 ,
@balderdash9@lemmy.zip avatar

Emphasis on "your vote" I guess. I thought this post was going to advocate for protesting and civil disobedience.

SuperEars ,

I read it that way too.

marine_mustang ,

Voting once every four years isn’t enough. Voting twice per year every other year (primaries/caucuses and general elections, midterms and Presidential) should be the bare minimum. In addition, if you have the time, get involved locally. Email your state and federal repa, let them know what you care about. Talk to your city councils and county boards.

Bigfish , (edited )

One major complication to this is that many on that non-voting left are just unable to. Systematic voter suppression that adds unnecessary hurdles to voting, poll location closures, and just the fact that many of these folk can't take the day off to vote, all come together to drive these numbers way down.

Your vote matters.

And if you want to multiply your impact, help some other folk to the polls. Last cycle I messaged my neighborhood that if anyone wasn't able to get to the polls due to a transportation limitation that I'd drive them. I got 9 people turned out who wouldn't have. And don't wait for election day. Start early. Help folks who may need an ID or to get registered to get over that hump, and get people out to early voting if it's available in your area. These are easy, and it builds representation for your community. Do it.

Mog_fanatic ,

Was gonna say something similar. I feel like a big portion of Democrats don't vote because they happen to be younger and are working. Of course it's almost always possible to vote but it sure can be difficult. Ive been stuck at work on multiple election days with tons of stuff I still had to do after work and stores closing and traffic and long lines at polling places, it all adds up and can make things mighty difficult for the average joe. Whereas this 80 year old retired Republicans just roll out of bed and get to the polls whenever they want cause they got nothing to do and all the time in the world to do it.

11111one11111 ,

You gotta update those figures homie. Top result from a quick Google shows a 1% difference between registered voters.

MrFunkEdude OP ,
@MrFunkEdude@piefed.social avatar

What I was looking at was the percentage of registered democrats that vote. But even if I am wrong, and your numbers are right, it would seem to me to be even more of a reason to widen the gap and help people to register to vote blue.

JimSamtanko ,

Well said my friend. And this is exactly why every non-vote favors Trump. The troll farms and propagandist will try to argue against this all day as long as it helps their agenda. But at the end of the day- this is just an indisputable fact.

People need to vote like lives depend on it- because they do.

SOMETHINGSWRONG ,

Yes, I remember clearly the Democrats pushing the “don’t care for who, just vote” campaign.

And then Republicans started winning elections while losing the popular vote and Democrats decided to demonize the left and blame them for every loss afterwards, despite literally winning the vote.

You can even see it here in this very post, where leftists are blamed for liberal apathy.

You seem to be saying US Democrats are leftists. Why are you ignoring everything the DNC has done to villainize, marginalize, and destroy leftists movements in the Big Tent? Are you aware there is no “left” remaining to mobilize?

MrFunkEdude OP ,
@MrFunkEdude@piefed.social avatar

I only said "the left" instead of "the dems" to be more inclusive. If that was wrong, I apologize. My intent was not to "blame the left for liberal apathy" but to suggest we need to do more together.

And yes, I agree that liberals should embrace leftists more, they are the ones who are trying to stand up for the rights of others more then any group in my opinion.

So let me ask, what would you say is the best most actionable thing we can each do when it comes to safeguarding democracy this election? I mean that sincerely.

just_another_person ,

That should be just one of the things Biden needs to unilaterally decide to do with his newfound ultramegapowers: everyone gets election day off and paid. Presidential mandate, so it's super legal and cool 😎

Republicans wouldn't stand a fucking chance.

Zibobwa , (edited )

This is one of the best responses I've heard to the question of how can Biden use these new powers to win, while still taking the high road. Thanks for this idea!

just_another_person ,

Might start a petition, rather SOMEBODY should start a petition, or we all should.

FiniteBanjo ,

I can't believe how often I'm seeing this misunderstanding: Biden doesn't have full authority to change the system of laws or function of the federal government.

The SCOTUS decision simply gives him the power to commit crimes in official capacity without repercussions.

mostNONheinous ,

So if he doesn’t have the power to do those things, but does them anyway…..that would be a crime, correct?

candybrie ,

No. It just doesn't carry the power of law. There's never been potential criminal liability for him writing executive orders beyond his powers. They simply get struck down.

just_another_person ,

No, this is wrong. They left the door open to almost literally ANY egregious interpretation of what an "official act" is. Voting seems like something a sitting President should be making more accessible to all. Pretty official to me, but who is to say I guess?

Biden is fully free to let shit off the chain fly and force them to reign it in. Nobody can stop him in time for the election, so I really hope he fucking uses it.

FiniteBanjo ,

Regardless of if the act is legal

It doesn't give him the power to enforce it

just_another_person ,

It apparently DOES, because they didn't define what "official acts" are. I could say scratching myself is an official act, or showing my tits is, or selling Presidential records or artifacts is when I keep the money. They left it completely open betting on the fact that Trump was going to win. Read the ruling, it's open to insane interpretation for absolutely anything as long as you say "OFFICIAL ACT GOING ON HERE".

Same dumb shit these same assholes allowed for "stand your ground" states. If I think something is whatever I say it is, I'm free to do whatever the fuck I want about it, including killing people.

FiniteBanjo ,

JFC you don't understand.

Imagine this hypothetical: If I recruit you into the police force, give you a badge and a gun, and send you out without bullets: you still can't shoot people. You're legally allowed to shoot people in specific contexts, but you physically cannot because you have no ammo. In order for Biden to "Get Ammo" he would need someone to give it to him, e.g. the Senate. He has plenty of stuff to use, like a stun gun or a baton.

Biden cannot change how the government functions, the laws as they apply to everyone, or how the federal budget is allocated or capped. He can have people beaten to death in their home as an official act, but he can't rewrite the constitution.

just_another_person ,

Everyone understands but you. Go read the document.

FiniteBanjo ,

The Document

Gives Immunity

From Criminal Prosecution.

It does not give you 3 Genie Wishes to make whatever you want a reality.

just_another_person ,

For "official acts", which are completely undefined. Read better.

FiniteBanjo ,

Finally, you understand.

Mpeach45 ,
@Mpeach45@lemmy.world avatar

My understanding is the new ruling only allows what the Supreme Court allows.

just_another_person ,

Pretty much. They left the door open with no specifics, so Biden should fucking use it while the using is good to stop these assholes.

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