"Progressives should not make the same mistake that Ernst Thälmann made in 1932. The leader of the German Communist Party, Thälmann saw mainstream liberals as his enemies, and so the center and left never joined forces against the Nazis. Thälmann famously said that ‘some Nazi trees must not be allowed to overshadow a forest’ of social democrats, whom he sneeringly called ‘social fascists.’

After Adolf Hitler gained power in 1933, Thälmann was arrested. He was shot on Hitler’s orders in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1944."

  • EmpireInDecay
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    2 months ago

    Your solution to defeating the duopoly is continuing giving them power and participating in it?

    • chakan2@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Would you like your vote to matter after November?

      Then yes, I’m pushing the duopoly this time around.

      • Cowbee [he/him]
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        2 months ago

        So if they can’t vote for their views now, and we keep pushing the duopoly, when do we get democracy?

        • EmpireInDecay
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          2 months ago

          That’s the thing, they never do. They have been pushing the lesser evil splitting the vote bullshit for over 150 years. The only people that benefits is the wealthy

          • explodicle@sh.itjust.works
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            2 months ago

            Were the party system changes before then more due to

            • a major party crushing the other major party, and then splitting, or

            • a minor party growing and eventually replacing one of the two major parties?

            Bonus points if anyone has a source on this.

        • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          When you start doing things that actually work.

          Look up the Moral Majority and Jerry Falwell. They would show up at every local GOP organizing event with enough voters to make sure their candidates for jobs like mayor, sheriff, and county clerk got the nod.

          • Cowbee [he/him]
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            2 months ago

            Gotcha, I’ll keep organizing outside the useless electoral system.

                • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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                  2 months ago

                  That’s a neat way to say “being too lazy to actually make a difference, but I don’t want to feel bad about it”.

                  Cryophilia said it better than I could, so I’ll repeat their comment.

                  I’ll just add that if you aren’t interested in passing laws you should vote for Harris if only to annoy the Right.

                  • Cowbee [he/him]
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                    2 months ago

                    That’s a neat way to say “being too lazy to actually make a difference, but I don’t want to feel bad about it”.

                    I don’t believe the way forward is by passing laws in a system that cannot be reformed into a good one, so it doesn’t make sense to judge my praxis by passing laws within said system.

                    I’ll just add that if you aren’t interested in passing laws you should vote for Harris if only to annoy the Right.

                    I think this right here illustrates your political views perfectly, “owning the chuds” is more important than actually working towards progress.

      • EmpireInDecay
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        2 months ago

        It’s not like your vote matters now. Money has all the power in this country, voters have none. When 1 billionaire has more political influence than entire states you have no power. You’ve surrendered your power to the donor class.

          • EmpireInDecay
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            2 months ago

            This is the epitome of why Democrats hate Trump. He says the quiet things out loud. He has said ‘I dont care about you. I just want your vote.’

            This article confirms this, the Princeton study from 2012 confirms this. Several sources have confirmed politicians don’t care about us, only the monied class

        • chakan2@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Who do you think has a better chance of fixing that? Putin’s orange Fleshlight? The chick he had dinner with? Brainworm? Some other rando that gets less than 1% of the vote?

          I hear you…it’s a problem…

          Throwing your vote away this cycle ensures that your vote will never matter again.

          • EmpireInDecay
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            2 months ago

            The vote thrown away is the vote that’s cast out of fear. The dnc’s entire platform for the last few decades has been. We are not the other guy. You were casting a vote in opposition to the other guy, not in favor of policy or legislation, but not the other guy, that’s a protest vote

            • chakan2@lemmy.world
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              2 months ago

              No…I’m voting for policy this time around. If I get the state exception for state taxes I get a point and a half back.

              Trump’s tariffs should fucking terrify everyone…think shit is expensive now, wait until that goes through.

              What’s the 3rd parties offering that has a remote chance of dealing with either of those problems?

              • EmpireInDecay
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                2 months ago

                What policy, the one that was hastily copy/pasted from Biden’s website?

                • chakan2@lemmy.world
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                  2 months ago

                  Throw your vote away…wipe Palestine off the map…increase prices by 20% across the board…make sure women’s healthcare is never again a choice in this nation.

                  I hope your high horse can carry you over the flaming wreck that’ll be the USA when your boy or girl doesn’t get 1% but manages to swing the vote in those battleground states.

                  • EmpireInDecay
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                    2 months ago

                    I don’t know what you’re going on about. There’s nearly no Palestine remaining to begin with. There’s very few remaining standing structures left in Gaza. The unlimited amounts of money and weapons Biden/Harris has provided has allow Netanyahu to ‘finish the job.’ And if he’s not able to finish the job by January, Harris is already committed more money and weapons to him to allow him to finish it.

                    I’m not concerned about that possible fictitious 20% that may happen when we’re living right now with stagnant wages, unaffordable housing, no access to healthcare or education. While they have you terrified of things that might happen, you’re actively ignoring what’s going on right now, but that’s the entire intent of distracting you from the now.

                    If you haven’t been paying attention, women’s health care lost their rights to reproductive care during a Biden administration. They fucked around for 50 years and found out. But abortion being a states rights issue is what Biden had advocated his entire Congressional career.

                    If your party was so concerned, they should have made an effort to earn my vote. But even if they had tried, genocide is the red line for a majority of people with any type of conscious or morals.

    • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      Give me a reasonable alternative and I’ll take it.

      You don’t name a candidate to vote for, just say we shouldn’t participate.

      Who do you think scares Donnie more, Harris or your non-participation?