That is one way to look at it. I would say it is an even more resounding no from your end. This was posed earlier today. Would love to read your thoughts and responses. The real question is (as per Tom Nicholls) - will you straight ticket vote against Trump? Any Congressional vote for the GOP is a vote in support of Trump. Any protest vote is acquiescence to Trump If you are not voting 100% to zero out the vote(s) of 1 Trumper, then you are in effect, acquiescing to Trump's corrupt rule
Sadly I really noticed this crap in my hometown this year - I thought it had got better since the 90s, but I think with the older generation, in some respects it is worse. Especially what I noticed is people don't know that they are racist. So for example a relative was raving on about an Asian ghetto being created by Absentee Chinese landlords. So I asked well how many of the landlords in the street are Chinese? Of course they don't know if there are any. But they think this is OK to say because they are just stating a "widely known fact". Just the same as how Asians can't drive. But it is very permission based. It is not OK to go full GOP in the NZ media. People say this crap in private.
Many lessons learned. Let's not forget "religious" people. Having not grown up around religion I really could not fully gage what that meant. Sure, you observe the hypocrisy here and there without knowing how widespread it is. I truly had no idea that essentially the entire "evangelical christian" thing was always just a ruse for plain old, garden variety racism and hatred.
At the risk of getting punched, I think he's on to something. Racism is not a binary, yes or no. There's a spectrum. For example, Jeff Sessions would happily lynch a black person for the crime of being black (I presume). That's racist. On the other hand, I'm a mostly decent person who would never consciously hurt anyone because of their skin color, I try to empathize with everyone regardless of ethnicity, and I acknowledge the privileges that I've been given by virtue of my terrific luck at being born white, cis and American. But I've got some implicit biases that I need to work on. That's also racist. Is there a difference between me and Jeff Sessions? I'd like to think so. But if I get called a racist the same way he does, the word ceases to have much meaning.
Part of the problem is the déplorables largely identify as Bible-believing Christians. The long-running assumption is that Christians are inherently good people and therefore deserve the benefit of the doubt. We in the LGBT community saw right through that as Bible-believing Christian leaders have long been known for their lying, vicious behavior and scapegoating. Their followers have always been more than happy to cast every stone they could at us. And knowing their deeply racist roots, it doesn’t surprise me in the least to see how they are behaving now that they’ve been given the freedom to express in public what they have held in their hearts.
All you had to do was look where it is strongest (“The Bible Belt”), look at their history of justifying slavery, segregation, etc, and at how segregated Sunday mornings are. Private Christian schools had their boom in the years following desegregation. Then look at how they treat gays. Racism, hatred, it’s part of who they are. Just add 2 and 2.
You're right of course that it's not a binary level. We all fall short on some level. But the crux of the matter is the fact that so many people have embraced the level 9 (out of 10 let's say arbitrarily) racism. So, if the originator of the quote has an issue with his political clan wrongfully being called racist - well this was the perfect time to show their true colors. Sadly for America, they did. Instead he's mad at the "wolf-criers" who were, err.. right?
Actually, a huge swath of the hardcore alt-right is decisively anti-religion: I think those were the people Clinton was referring to as deplorables, more than the people politicians tend to give the benefit of the doubt to (white evangelicals) Which isn't to take anything away from your post, just that a lot of the deplorables are actively anti religion.
What a stupid question. Any vote for either of the major parties is a vote to continue with the idiocy that is our government.
Thanks! At least we know where you stand. That is the epitome of white privilege though. You can afford to believe that complete BS that and act on it. Nothing will change for you. Honestly dude, people like you are as much as a threat to my very existence as a POC than the rabid right wingers who were screaming at Don Cheeto's rally last night. I really mean it.
I agree with you. It's interesting to me that the term "bigot" has lost a lot of its sting, because to me it SHOULD be a more damning personal observation. Racism is a belief system. One can be "racist" without necessarily being hateful or fully aware of how racist one is. But being a "bigot" is a choice. You're being overtly, deliberately hateful, biased, or unfair in how you treat someone.
Our two-party system of government dates back to Washington's first cabinet but there are still people who think they know how the system is 'supposed' to work.
Oh......look at the Mittens.........I see you Mitt...I see you.. The chants at last night’s rally were offensive, and I’m glad the President has disavowed them.— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) July 18, 2019
The reason it's brought up so frequently is because people continue to blame third party voters for the dumpster fire that is our current situation.
Well yeah, that's because third party voters are at least partially to blame. Voting for a third party candidate for president accomplishes absolutely nothing besides making you feel proud of yourself; you might as well not vote or write in Popeye or something.
Exactly It means that the government faces no electoral penalty when too many voters do this - e.g. when so many young people don't vote the government can ignore them This is the essence of the Knave rule. You acquiesce to tyranny by not voting against (or for) the government
Yup. And that should be another lesson from the Trump era. Vote third party in your local election and work to build a viable political movement. In the presidential election one of the two major candidates will end up having the power to make decisions for four years.
There are plenty of places to place blame if that's what you want. As for it accomplishing nothing, well, that I have to disagree with you on. Did you see what our government was doing yesterday? Everyone had their panties in a bunch over a pointless resolution to condemn Trumps tweets instead of actually doing anything about anything. What did that pointless resolution do for anyone? The entire legislative process is being held hostage by virtue signaling. No one in Congress likes Trump. Hell, most people don't like Trump. Did we really need Pelosi spending a day debating a pointless resolution? Time to blow the whole process up. You know what? I'll amend my answer to @charlie15 to say that anyone that votes for any candidate currently holding office is complicit in the stupidity that governing this country has become.
9D chess genius Trump advisers got calls from Republicans elected officials and others who were concerned about the president whipping up the crowd last night before the "Send her back!" chant that he didn't object to. Ivanka Trump, Pence, others spoke to Trump today https://t.co/n3NX9IGtVd— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 18, 2019
Nah.....Things have changed for me, for the better under Obama and I voted for him. Unfortunately, they may change for the worse under this psycho. For most people, elections have direct consequences, just look at the HC/ACA debate. More power to you though, since they don't affect you.