They're both evil. The differences are superficial and aesthetic. Two heads of the same beast. The machine that enables them is the problem, but it's mostly invisible to people. I'm very tired.

  • EugeneDebs [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    "But the main reason I'm working for him,” he said, "is that he's the only guy we have who can beat Nixon.” He stabbed the arm again. "If Nixon wins again, we're in real trouble.” He picked up his drink, then saw it was empty and put it down again. “That's the real issue this time," he said. “Beating Nixon. It's hard to even guess how much damage those bastards will do if they get in for another four years.”

    I nodded. The argument was familiar. I had even made it myself, here and there, but I was beginning to sense something very depressing about it. How many more of these goddamn elections are we going to have to write off as lame but “regrettably necessary" holding actions? And how many more of these stinking, double-downer sideshows will we have to go through before we can get ourselves straight enough to put together some kind of national election that will give me and the at least 20 million people I tend to agree with a chance to vote for something, instead of always being faced with that old familiar choice between the lesser of two evils?

    I have been through three presidential elections, now, but it has been twelve years since I could look at a ballot and see a name I wanted to vote for. In 1964, I refused to vote at all, and in '68 I spent half a morning in the county courthouse getting an absentee ballot so I could vote, out of spite, for Dick Gregory.

    Now, with another one of these big bogus showdowns looming down on us, I can already pick up the stench of another bummer. I understand, along with a lot of other people, that the big thing, this year, is Beating Nixon. But that was also the big thing, as I recall, twelve years ago in 1960—and as far as I can tell, we've gone from bad to worse to rotten since then, and the outlook is for more of the same.

    Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72

      • EugeneDebs [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        This is in the beginning of the book in January. The preface to this bit was Hunter getting kicked out of a Washington Redskins game, for not removing his hat during the anthem. The man speaking about Beating Nixon was the President of the Redskins, and Hunter has a pretty funny exchange with him on the plane to San Francisco:

        Actually, I was happy to get out of that place. The Redskins were losing, which pleased me, and we were thrown out just in time to get back to Burgin's house for the 49er game on TV. If they won this one, they would go against the Redskins next Sunday in the playoffs—and by the end of the third quarter I had worked myself into a genuine hate frenzy; I was howling like a butcher when the 49ers pulled it out in the final moments with a series of desperate maneuvers, and the moment the gun sounded I was on the phone to TWA, securing a seat on the Christmas Nite Special to San Francisco. It was extremely important, I felt, to go out there and do everything possible to make sure the Redskins got the mortal piss beaten out of them.

        Which worked out. Not only did the 49ers stomp the jingo bastards and knock them out of the playoffs, but my seat companion for the flight from Washington to San Francisco was Edward Bennett Williams, the legendary trial lawyer, who is also president of the Washington Redskins.

        "Heavy duty for you people tomorrow," I warned him. "Get braced for a serious beating. Nothing personal, you understand. Those poor bastards couldn't have known what they were doing when they croaked a Doctor of Journalism out of the press box.”

        He nodded heavily and called for another scotch & soda. "It's a goddamn shame,” he muttered. “But what can you really expect? You lie down with pigs and they'll call you a swine every time.”

        "What? Did you call me a swine?”

        “Not me," he said. “But this world is full of slander."

    • NationalizeMSM [none/use name]
      11·
      4 years ago

      From the Decemberist revolt in 1825 to 1917 the Russian revolutionaries tried and failed for almost 100 years. Ultimately, what worked was two revolutions. First they had to overthrow the tzar, then the bourgeoisie. And that's where we keep getting stuck. We have to fully hand over control to the Democrats, with no republican veto power. Then, we can defeat the democrats.

        • NationalizeMSM [none/use name]
          6·
          4 years ago

          That literally is the middle step using the two revolutions metaphor. Having one ruling party would open the lane for a left party, since we have a two party system, it would surely force progressives out when they fail to reform enough, and it would shrink the GOP numbers, as they get drawn into the Democrat party.

          If there is more support for a left party than there is for a GOP, we will have our success. Probably on a state level first, perhaps California since the GOP is already down to 30% support there.

          • Young_Lando [none/use name]
            ·
            4 years ago

            This is the dumbest fucking take on the website.

            ??? How are the right going to magically all stop voting for a right wing party?