The discourse on American politics sometimes devolves to “Leftists who won’t vote” & “MAGA Republicans” teaming up to “getting revenge on liberals”.

  • within_epsilon@beehaw.org
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    9 months ago

    Offering a sandwich with more and less peanut butter when I am allergic to peanuts still means I will be sick. I’m hungry and I want a sandwich with no peanut butter. There are third party candidates providing sandwiches with no peanut butter. I am sorry demand decreases for the sandwich with less peanut butter, but I am unable to stomach peanuts.

    • Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 months ago

      Alright, but it’s not really about you, is it? There’s untold many hungry people, some of which are allergic to peanuts, and the only crate left has nothing but.

      There are several people needed to open the crate. Maybe it can be opened without you, maybe it can’t maybe it’s stuck regardless. But even if you don’t want peanuts, it’s incredibly selfish of you to not only refuse to help feed the people who can be fed but also pretend to be of upstanding moral character when you do so. So take an antacid and show up at the ballot.

      • Jentu@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        9 months ago

        There’s untold many hungry people in the world because our comfort depends on it. In fact, what a wild metaphor to continue using when there’s thousands starving to death in Palestine right now with our tax money. Hey, but at least we’ll get cheap oil shipped to us through that new India>Saudi Arabia>Palestine trade route that’s being set up as a competitor to the “new Silk Road” thing china is doing. Cheap oil might be that peanut butter sandwich that people over here need to stay financially afloat, but it’s only a few layers removed from your actions being responsible for genocide. Some people don’t like this fact and would rather we had actual representation in our government.

        • Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          9 months ago

          because our comfort depends on it

          That’s not actually relevant to the discussion; dismantling the United States, capitalism, and/or all imperialism isn’t on the table.

          If you want to have a birthday cake, and you see Timmy about to start playing with a loaded gun, you should still stop that from happening even if it doesn’t get you birthday cake. That’s especially true if there’s no birthday cake readily available.

          Edit: the more I think about it, the better an analogy this is, because if >!little Timmy blows his brains out after you chose not to stop it, it seriously hampers the ammount of birthday cake you eat in the future. Because if there’s birthday cake available you probably won’t be able to eat it after that, people will be less likely to invite you to a birthday party, and little Timmy won’t have any more birthdays.!<

          CW: casual discussion of graphic and dark topics.

          • zbyte64@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
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            9 months ago

            People are upset they can’t vote to dismantle the system and so they don’t vote thinking that it somehow withdraws their consent. I feel like that Patrick’s wallet meme where we all agree voting doesn’t do the things we want, including withdrawing consent.

          • Jentu@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            9 months ago

            Oh look, it’s another metaphor that ignores the fact that doing what we’re doing is actively harming other people (and comparing genocide to “eating cake”). You gave the gun Timmy was playing with to his brown friend and even disengaged the safety for him. And then you’re surprised when the little boy’s parents are upset you gave him the loaded gun. You’re right. This is a good metaphor for this situation we’re in.

      • within_epsilon@beehaw.org
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        9 months ago

        There is a flaw in making a collective choice individualistic. Helping others is a moral thing to do and I was there in 2020 even though peanut butter sucks. Individually, I will get a sandwich, probably with peanut butter.

        However, this crate landed on Palestinians. Helping the people under the crate seems important.

        • Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          9 months ago

          However, this crate landed on Palestinians. Helping the people under the crate seems important.

          What does that even mean in the context of the previous metaphor? The crate itself doesn’t represent anything; the actions that the crate is subjected to represent acts that are not done to something.

          There is a flaw in making a collective choice individualistic.

          Yea; that’s why talking about yourself doesn’t change the ethics of the situation. Good👏 Job!👏

          • within_epsilon@beehaw.org
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            9 months ago

            I referenced a news story in which the parachute on an air dropped aid package failed to deploy crushing people underneath.

            Genocide is not ethical. Voting for genocide, but less, does not change the ethics of genocide. Part of the coalition that elected Biden in 2020 will not vote for him again due to his support of genocide.

            The options for such voters are:

            1. Being complicite in genocide
            2. Voting third party or not at all

            I understand the two party system created by first-past-the-post. I understand third party candidates are unlikely to win. I understand Democrats are rightfully nervous. If Democrats are nervous enough, they should do something to change the minds of voters that will not vote for genocide.

    • OKRainbowKid@feddit.de
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      9 months ago

      Voting for a sandwich without peanut butter will result in other people deciding what sandwich you get, and the only realistic options are those with peanut butter.

      Also, you’ll have to eat the sandwich.

      • within_epsilon@beehaw.org
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        9 months ago

        I understand needing to eat the sandwich. I also understand making a collective first-past-the-post choice individual is a flawed argument.

        However there is an individual component to saying I really can’t eat peanut butter. The decision then becomes stand your ground (no peanut butter), compromise (just a little peanut butter) or protest (full peanut butter; see you in the ER). The claim is the compromise is best.

        How do we reach a point where we no longer need to compromise on peanut butter?