2 ms·
Jeebus, this is dark. This is why I can't vote. I can't give my ethical status as a human over to what the masses of folks in the US think is okay. It's kind
by scarecrowbob 7mo ago
Jeebus, this is dark.
This is why I can't vote.
I can't give my ethical status as a human over to what the masses of folks in the US think is okay. It's kind of a disgusting proposition.
Like, you who are in the thuick of it, you who have given your voice over to empire, you expect the rest of the world to do something about the horrors done in your name just because... what?
The assholes you live around "voted" to do something evil, lesser or greater?
And now you're doing evil, too? And it is, somehow, "up to the rest of the world?"
That's bleak and you really should think if "democracy" (or it's pale ghost that haunts US politics) is doing anything useful for your status as an ethical human.
It's entirely possible that you indeed do have such a boot on your neck that you really can't resist the power of empire in its core, but for [insert your preferred diety here]'s sake, you don't have to roll your soft belly over and take the kicks.
- jfengel 7mo agoYeah. I vote for the lesser evil. My ethical status is less important to me than trying to make the world a better place, even if imperfectly. I believe that my ethical status would be in more jeopardy right now if I could have prevented a clearly criminal war, and chose not to. My actions, not the actions of others, determine my ethical state. It does mean I face an ethical quandary now. Thus far I have upheld the social contract of democracy. I have not broken it in an attempt to end this war. That is an ethical stain on me, which I live with as best I can. It is my inaction, not the actions of the country, which stain me. I will vote again when I can, and right now I'm going to hope that ends the war. That will not be sufficient, but one of my moral principles is "It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it". If it suffices... then it suffices, and I will do my best with what happens after that. If it does not suffice, then I will be faced with an even worse moral quandary, and I hope I find the strength to do whatever seems right in that dire circumstance.
- verdverm 7mo agoI recommend Jon Stewart's podcast with Heather Cox Richardson from this week. They talk about the ceding and concentration of power, and how we the people can take ours back. Not something that can happen in a midterm or maybe even the next ten years. But at least we are talking about it more and their words will help us articulate things better to our neighbors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwX9wC6Ov2Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwX9wC6Ov2Y