4 ms·

Please don't hate "these people" or any general group of people. For starters, many of the counties that "vote for the Republicans" are like 60-40 or 70-30 spl

by floor2 2y ago

Please don't hate "these people" or any general group of people. For starters, many of the counties that "vote for the Republicans" are like 60-40 or 70-30 splits, so somewhere between a third and a half of the people living in those areas voted Democrat. And of course, many don't vote at all if they know their state is locked in for a given candidate regardless. Second, there are myriad issues that due to America's 2-party system ultimately get grouped into relatively arbitrary bundles. If you have to choose between two bad options, you might choose the one that's less immediately bad or less guaranteed bad or less severely bad, even knowing that the alternative is future-bad, maybe-bad or slightly-bad. Third, just have sympathy for all people in all walks of life. Especially the marginalized. You likely don't have an understanding of their day to day struggles or how those inform their decisions and coping mechanisms, and even if you are right and they are wrong, please take a moment to consider how your privileges may give you the education, time, energy, resources and context to come to different conclusions than other people.

ofcourseyoudo 2y ago
> please take a moment to consider how your privileges Sure, or maybe they could think about the same things, like how they're white, and I'm not, and how they are men, and I'm not, and how they are cis, and I'm not, and how their parents were born here, and mine weren't. Then they could very clearly not vote for politicians that are preying on their phobias who also happen to be making their healthcare worse and their lives harder. These are the people that will vote in a fascist who explicitly voices xenophobic, homophobic, and transphobic opinions. Very hard not to say "fuck 'em".
singleshot_ 2y ago
Sympathy for those who want you not to exist is a rather poor strategy.
- itishappy 2y ago
  "Strategic sympathy" Fascinating concept, but one that will remain alien to me.
Sohcahtoa82 2y ago
> If you have to choose between two bad options, you might choose the one that's less immediately bad or less guaranteed bad or less severely bad, even knowing that the alternative is future-bad, maybe-bad or slightly-bad. No candidate will ever match your views 100%, but which gets your vote shows your priorities. I've convinced that there are many people that vote Republican even though they openly campaign on removing the social security and Medicare that they need to survive because they want to stick it to the LGBTQIA+ that they're disgusted by. I personally know someone that is left by nearly every single measure. Wants medicare for all, higher minimum wage, higher taxes on the rich, reduced military spending, I could go on. But he voted Trump in 2016 because he absolutely hated the Social Justice Warriors on Tumblr that made everything a contest over who could be the most offended by the smallest thing. He was anti-woke before "woke" was even in the lexicon. In a similar vein, the "socially liberal, but fiscally conservative" types that vote Republican are essentially sending the message that a tax cut for them is more important than minority issues. It's the ultimate "Fuck you, I got mine".

by floor2 2y ago

ofcourseyoudo 2y ago

> please take a moment to consider how your privileges Sure, or maybe they could think about the same things, like how they're white, and I'm not, and how they are men, and I'm not, and how they are cis, and I'm not, and how their parents were born here, and mine weren't. Then they could very clearly not vote for politicians that are preying on their phobias who also happen to be making their healthcare worse and their lives harder. These are the people that will vote in a fascist who explicitly voices xenophobic, homophobic, and transphobic opinions. Very hard not to say "fuck 'em".

singleshot_ 2y ago

Sympathy for those who want you not to exist is a rather poor strategy.

itishappy 2y ago
"Strategic sympathy" Fascinating concept, but one that will remain alien to me.

Sohcahtoa82 2y ago

> If you have to choose between two bad options, you might choose the one that's less immediately bad or less guaranteed bad or less severely bad, even knowing that the alternative is future-bad, maybe-bad or slightly-bad. No candidate will ever match your views 100%, but which gets your vote shows your priorities. I've convinced that there are many people that vote Republican even though they openly campaign on removing the social security and Medicare that they need to survive because they want to stick it to the LGBTQIA+ that they're disgusted by. I personally know someone that is left by nearly every single measure. Wants medicare for all, higher minimum wage, higher taxes on the rich, reduced military spending, I could go on. But he voted Trump in 2016 because he absolutely hated the Social Justice Warriors on Tumblr that made everything a contest over who could be the most offended by the smallest thing. He was anti-woke before "woke" was even in the lexicon. In a similar vein, the "socially liberal, but fiscally conservative" types that vote Republican are essentially sending the message that a tax cut for them is more important than minority issues. It's the ultimate "Fuck you, I got mine".