A group of veterans from the US armed forces burnt their uniforms in a show of solidarity with the airman Aaron Bushnell, who died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington in a protest over the war in Gaza.Footage by Alissa Azar shows veterans lining up and taking turns to burn their military jackets at a vigil in Portland on February 28.A banner can be seen behind them, reading: “Veterans say: Free Palestine! Remember Aaron Bushnell.”The event was organized by the group About Face: Veterans Against the War, which told attendees to gather in front of the Wyatt Federal Building in Portland at 5 pm.Before setting himself on fire, Bushnell filmed himself saying he would “no longer be complicit in genocide". He then yelled “Free Palestine” several times as flames engulfed him. Credit: Alissa Azar via Storyful
Give me a fucking break, no self respecting leftist would give Biden their vote. The vast majority here is liberals cosplaying as leftists to undermine actual left unity.
“Everyone to the south of a ML is a liberal”. Ironic.
America has no choice, they don’t live in a democracy. They get to pick Trump or Biden, you can whinge that they should all grab their guns and revolt, but they can’t even get enough people together to peacefully change things so that isn’t happening any time soon.
You can be an accelerationist and hope that Trump winning will create class consciousness, but you’re paying for that with the lives of christo-fash victims.
What’s your solution mate?
It’s too fucking easy with you guys.
What’s your solution?
They have no solution. They are just here to divide and stoke anger and hatred.
Stop supporting war hawks and capitalists. Do grass root activism, vote third party and do work to get the people around you to do the same. It’s not fucking rocket science.
Guess what, one of the only politicians who could have beat Trump back in 2016 usually runs as an independent. He took a chance with Dems and look where that got us.
You’re literally posting on an article about someone who does just that. Honoring someone who gave his life to do just that.
Get lost with your our way or the high way bullshit. You’re disrespectful to the memory of Aaron Bushnell.
Right, but those are long term things.
What will not voting Biden in a few months time achieve?
Do you think the minority of leftists in America voting 3rd party will see the 3rd party option win?
I’ve said no such thing about my way or the highway, so I’m not sure why you’re bringing that up.
A) increase the amount of votes for third parties B) make my vote reflect my politics and discontent with the current regime?
You’ve said no such thing, but you keep implying that you have an issue with it…
Is the next election the one when it’s gonna be ok to vote third party? No? What about the next one? No not yet? What about the previous one? Neither? See how that works…
Okay so you get a negligible increase in 3rd party votes and a sense of pride and satisfaction in reflecting your political views.
That’s got to feel great and all, but how does that solve any of the issues with the US governments actions?
I get where you’re coming from, with the time to vote stuff, because there will always be another even worse option. But how does the worse option winning this election help you achieve your long term goal of systematic change?
And what about the fact that the current bunch of worse option isn’t just some typical 80s neolib conservative keen on axing all social welfare and demonising the poor, but literal christo-fascists who would like to see the system overthrown for a regime that will offer even less chance for you ever achieving long term change.
My issue is with the lack of any clear long term plan or goal here for a solution. The only way I can see change happening is through grassroots organisation, and if you haven’t managed to build that up by now, it’s certainly not going to be achieved within 8 months time.
You should consider writing fairytale books. You’ve got nice imagination.
Tell me more how you don’t understand the US political situation and elections please.
Bam, I fucking knew it! Thanks for proving my point.
I don’t feel like rewording this to better fit the conversation so:
https://lemmy.world/comment/7927657
TL;DR Third party is not viable in the current US voting system no matter how hard you fantasize about it. And not voting for the non wannabe dictator so you can stroke off over how you “showed it to the system” is even dumber or you actually like dictators.
You’re right. As the saying goes, “Vote for who you love in the primaries and against who you can’t stand in the general election.” After all, the enemy of my enemy is-
…the bitter irony.
Let’s face it, the facts are that every 4 years, we have 3-ish years to push for grassroots efforts and electing local officials for things like 3rd party candidates and ranked choice voting, a chance to make a statement by voting for who you love (or a vote against who you hate if you live in a state that let’s independents vote in either primary) that no politician is going to take notice of in the primaries, and then we have to vote against the guy we don’t want in office come the general election.
The Republicans won’t allow us to do otherwise, and for one simple reason: they toe the party line, regardless. They don’t care who is on the ballot. It could be Trump, Bush, Putin, or Stalin himself, risen from the dead to destroy capitalism once and for all. So long as they have that R next to their name, that’s who they’ll vote for. As an old boss of mine once said, and my grandfather before him, both with the same incredulous look as if they couldn’t understand why somebody would possibly ask them who they were voting for: “I’m a Republican. I vote for the nominee.”
Leftists get all riled up once every 4 years, like a swarm of cicadas screaming about 3rd party candidates when it comes time to vote for the President, and then go back to sleep. And the Dems love it. Because Republicans vote down the party line all year long, meaning that when those 4 years come up again, there’s no other choice against the continuing slide further and further right than voting for their corporate sponsored candidate of choice. We need to claw seats from both Dems and Republicans for any meaningful change (preferably from Republicans). Otherwise, weakening the Dems only furthers the goals of the Republicans.
You wanna make a difference? Vote local, vote often, and help other people get to the polls. There’s a reason that election days aren’t holidays, and any real change isn’t going to start with those lifetime appointees whose best interests are in opposing any meaningful change in the system. It’s going to start in your town and state elections.
Fuck yeah. This is an awesome comment. I appreciate you! Keep fighting the good fight.
Appreciate it. My dad was involved in town politics when I was a kid, so I got to see plenty of how policy is shaped by the crusty old Republicans who can show up at every town meeting to spew nonsense and incorrect information and vote on every decision in town because they’re retired and don’t have to worry about work. And then I spent many years training kids at a job and got to see firsthand how those policies drove those kids to get out of town as soon as they’re able. And I understood how they felt because I felt the exact same way.
Remembering how the old ladies used to call the people who wanted to get a new school built “the enemy” still gets my blood boiling.