You can absolutely just check out. What you do for local elections is about the fullest extent that you need to, since the ghouls will make their reactionary positions known easily and you can quickly tell who to vote for. You're not under an obligation to watch electoral politics that closely and honestly I don't think there's much benefit to it. You know why it won't lead to change, you agree that it won't lead to change. Why put in anymore than the minimum effort then? What benefit do you or your community members get out of your time and energy being directed at something you agree isn't an avenue for significant change?
the ghouls will make their reactionary positions known easily
Do they though? Local elections are non partisan where I'm at and they all spout the same "strong communities, empowered leadership" bullshit where you can't tell one bourgois striver from the other. The state of local journalism is so bad you won't hear about goings on in your city council unless they do something so batshit insane it makes national news. So who has time to sit through city council meetings to sus out who's going to turn the empty lot into a strip mall vs. a public park?
Maybe I just like in a much more reactionary part of the country than you, but I've seen local candidates for schoolboard positions talking opening about fighting CRT and other shit like that. On the more mild end, you can still discern pretty easily what's a dog whistle or just suspicious sounding. Not to say the other options on ballots are amazing candidates or whatever, but at least where I'm from it's pretty clear who you should throw a harm reduction vote at just by going to their campaign online
You can absolutely just check out. What you do for local elections is about the fullest extent that you need to, since the ghouls will make their reactionary positions known easily and you can quickly tell who to vote for. You're not under an obligation to watch electoral politics that closely and honestly I don't think there's much benefit to it. You know why it won't lead to change, you agree that it won't lead to change. Why put in anymore than the minimum effort then? What benefit do you or your community members get out of your time and energy being directed at something you agree isn't an avenue for significant change?
They really do make it easy. I realized the other day that living is 99.9% what you tune out. I'm just adding all that shit to the tune out pile.
Do they though? Local elections are non partisan where I'm at and they all spout the same "strong communities, empowered leadership" bullshit where you can't tell one bourgois striver from the other. The state of local journalism is so bad you won't hear about goings on in your city council unless they do something so batshit insane it makes national news. So who has time to sit through city council meetings to sus out who's going to turn the empty lot into a strip mall vs. a public park?
Maybe I just like in a much more reactionary part of the country than you, but I've seen local candidates for schoolboard positions talking opening about fighting CRT and other shit like that. On the more mild end, you can still discern pretty easily what's a dog whistle or just suspicious sounding. Not to say the other options on ballots are amazing candidates or whatever, but at least where I'm from it's pretty clear who you should throw a harm reduction vote at just by going to their campaign online