*And/or choose action, because the system is rigged on several levels and our options suck
Comment on Keep in mind that social security is set to run out in 10 years time.
catfishsushi@midwest.social 7 months ago
Vote. Every. Time.
kttnpunk@lemmy.world 7 months ago
catfishsushi@midwest.social 7 months ago
I agree. The options at the voting center are rarely great. Action is certainly better.
But getting off the sofa to vote for the least-evil option is critical. Especially in the primaries and mid-terms. Vote. Every. Time. Vote for dog-catcher, school boards etc.
If you’re young it’s even more important.
Cowbee@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Voting prevents things from getting worse, it doesn’t make things better.
catfishsushi@midwest.social 7 months ago
Not sure I agree. Obamacare is better than then nothing-burger that was available before if you didn’t get healthcare through an employer. Biden is trying to at least get some student loan relief through congress. Getting the right people elected to state governments can help make abortions available again in some states. (If you’re a right-wing person then choose the opposite topics for your examples.)
People who are defeatist about voting come across as complainers who are too lazy to get off their butts to help.
dx1@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Not sure I agree. I think many people who are “defeatist about voting” have observed that the surface-level differences between Democrats and Republicans (namely social issues and the more visible fascism from Republicans) just mask an underlying corporatist/fascist state that’s sacrosanct and immune from popular pressure and legislative change.
Cowbee@lemm.ee 7 months ago
I can see what you’re saying, but I’m not talking about marginal improvements for the vast majority, or vast improvements for the vast minority. I’m talking about large, systemic improvements.
The issue with electoralism is that the right candidates cannot make it to the ballot in the first place, the system weeds them lit.
I’m not defeatist about voting, I think loss prevention is crucial. I’m not naive though, voting won’t ever fix our society, that must be done at the grassroots level.
jasondj@ttrpg.network 7 months ago
While I don’t disagree, the individual mandate was a crucial part of making it work, and also the weakest part of it. There shouldn’t have been an individual mandate without a much larger medicaid supplement or Medicare-for-All as options. A handslap fee for not having insurance was both a worthless penalty and legally shaky from the get-go.