I've got multiple white queer friends who are staunchly "vote blue no matter who" and dissolve into a trembling breakdown whenever they're asked about it, talking about how if republicans win the world is going to end etc. Like, full on angry-crying wojak, talking about third-party voting being a waste, Project 2025, etc. Coincidentally, these friends hardly ever engage with activism.

How do you choose to engage with these kinds of people? What's the general opinion on the vote in leftist circles, considering so many are refusing to vote for Biden (just checking the water temp since I've been largely offline save for activism and work lately)?

I've been away from Hexbear for a minute, apologies if this has been discussed!

walter

Edit: Really appreciating all the replies! Really glad I can reliably come here for good discussions. Thanks everyone quokka-smile Slash gen., in case it's needed.

  • AssortedBiscuits [they/them]
    ·
    3 months ago

    Unless you live in a swing state, just tell them that the presidential election is a sham election with a decided outcome already and given that it already has a decided outcome, lesser-evilism is inapplicable. Lesser-evilism, pragmatism, utilitarianism, consequentialism, and all the other -isms they like to throw around are completely inapplicable since all those -isms require a causal link between your action and the resultant outcome. But if there is no causal link, then whatever action they take is basically what they feel the action would be most compatible in a moral and just world. If they vote for Biden, they're saying "in my moral and just world, genocide of brown Ay-rabs is good aktually." A vote for Biden is functionally the same as turning in a homework assignment titled "why Biden is cool despite condemning millions of Palestinians to death." They could turn in any writing assignment like "why socialism is good" (this is the PSL vote) or "why sports showboating needs to come back and why people who hate showboating are loser nerds" (this is the Afroman vote), so the fact they've turned in a "genocide is good as long as Biden does it" essay means they absolutely deserve to get shit on.