Former democratic party activists are organizing Muslims and Arab-Americans in Swing states to vote against Biden with the demand that he support a ceasefire in Gaza.

I'll allow them a little bit of electoralism this time.

  • hissing_serpents [she/her, it/its]
    ·
    8 months ago

    From my understanding of the CPUSA's program the reason to be willing to collaborate with Democrats and endorse voooooting is because the Dems and more importantly their base represent one of the only nationally viable venues for the kind of progressive coalitional politics we're trying to do with working class and otherwise oppressed people against american fascism and towards socialism.

    Reading the link I'm really not getting ultraleftist denunciation of voting and electoral politics entirely, it reads more like a member of one part of the Dem's progressive base who's been burned by the centrist right collaborationist wing of the Dems supporting genocide and hate towards their people to hilt. I can understand allying with Dems and participating in electoralism because communism is about power to the people and right now the people are still trying to exercise their power within the Democratic party, but if we're here for the people shouldn't we be there for them when the Dems fuck them over? Why call this dumb?

    Believe me I'm annoyed too when leftists go on about refusing to vote for Democrats as if it's a revolutionary act, but how is this that? Like there's a pretty clear call for change on the Dem's part, and I don't see why a constituency being abandoned like this shouldn't speak out and make it clear what the Dems are doing.

    • Pluto [he/him, he/him]
      ·
      8 months ago

      Wait a second, voting for the Democrats is not revolutionary. Watchu talkin' bout

      • hissing_serpents [she/her, it/its]
        ·
        8 months ago

        Not sure where you're getting that, I said refusing to ever vote for them isn't revolutionary. It's exactly as non-revolutionary as voting blue no matter who. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

        • Pluto [he/him, he/him]
          ·
          8 months ago

          You also mentioned CPUSA, which had nothing to do with the convo.

          Also, I agree.

          • hissing_serpents [she/her, it/its]
            ·
            8 months ago

            I mentioned CPUSA because I know you're a pretty visible member on here, and I'm trying to square your behavior in these comments with what I know of the CPUSA's politics and I'm assuming your politics.

            • Pluto [he/him, he/him]
              ·
              8 months ago

              Fair, but it seemed like you were pigeon-holing me into "CPUSA member." I'm more than that and my politics isn't just informed by the organization I'm in. The last time someone did that, it was to deflect from my actual positions and arguments.

              And usually, people who talk smack about the CPUSA haven't even been in the organization or were only tangentially involved at best. Not all, but a lot.

              Not that you were necessarily doing that, of course.

              Sorry that I jumped to conclusions.

              Ever since I came here, people (including the previous Lemmygrad mods) bring up my membership like it's an argument against me. Not all, you're mostly good, just some people.

              Not that you're doing that.

              Gah!

              Sorry for over-reacting, is what I'm saying.

              • hissing_serpents [she/her, it/its]
                ·
                8 months ago

                ya maybe I should've brought up that I'm also a CPUSA member but that felt a little cheap at the time. I think we broadly agree on voting on electoralism and going off your one "confession post" so it was a little disappointing do see you calling a perspective that's pretty important right now stupid and going after people who're saying they don't want to vote for a guy actively enabling genocide at this very moment.

                Like joining the CPUSA and talking abt it with comrades there helped me move past being a "there's no difference and engaging with electoralism is a waste of time because it's not immediate armed insurrection" mindset. IMO the voting question is really a pretty simple problem with a simple answer, and getting so heated over it to the point of defending views most of us don't even really hold isn't helping the problem of the entire american left having a meltdown over elections every few years.

                Why relitigate if voting is good or bad right now, when a sizable contingent of people are getting fed up with the Dems, and not even the most progressive elements of the Dems are stepping up to back them? If we're trying to build a mass movement, isn't this a golden opportunity to weaken the hold of a liberal capitalist party on that mass movement?

                • Pluto [he/him, he/him]
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  8 months ago

                  Yeah, voting is tactical choice; it doesn't hold some "moral" choice. Nobody should be dissuaded from voting just because it "doesn't work." If they want to vote, vote.

                  Besides, we run our own candidates now (like Justine Medina and Tony Pecynovsky).

                  We also supported the Green Party in their election in D.C. and the Working Families Party.