I don't really have much to say, both because the other guy responding to me has kinda worn me out (and I'm kinda worn out of having this debate in general), and because you started out by empathizing with me feeling this way rather than just going on the assault. I can return that by empathizing with your position as well, even though I strongly agree with some of it. In particular, the sticking point for me is always going to be that as someone on social security, food stamps, subsidized housing, medicare, semi-public disability services (which are going to lead to me getting the Covid vaccine in the first round), and will soon use public employment counseling to get employed again, I'm always going to see the party that doesn't openly want to dismantle these things and leave me to die as the lesser evil. Yes, even though these programs were gutted under Clinton as well, and even though Biden has always had a hardon for gutting social security, I still see Democrat control in general as less of a threat to my ability to be alive. Maybe that's self centered, but it is the foundational reason why I see things the way I do.
Sidebar about Chomsky though, while I haven't read the book the concept of manufactured consent is pretty rhetorically important. So I wouldn't discount him completely. Obviously, I disagree fairly strongly with hating him for supporting lesser evilism, but even if I accept that I think he's made some pretty noteable contributions that can't be handwaved.
OK, I keep finding sticking points that I actually want to comment on, one other one. The thing about "caring about queer issues even on an aesthetic level" means you don't vote for "the Kasich party" (not that I think Kasich backing Biden makes Biden "the Kasich candidate" anymore than Bernie backing him means he's a Bernie candidate). I've talked to quiet a few trans people, some liberals yes but some very much leftists, who would strongly disagree with you there and very firmly see Biden as a lesser evil on queer issues. I myself am bi and questioning my gender identity. I see from your pronouns that you're enby, so I know you aren't just talking shit and assuming things from a place of privilege, and you are far from the only LGBTQ+ person to feel the way you do, but still, not everyone who cares about queer issues agrees with your take. Honestly, even if Biden doesn't reverse Trump's rollbacks of Obama era queer protections (which would be weird, because they were Obama era queer protections), the simple fact that he wouldn't be actively seeking to destroy even more would make him better than Trump on that issue, in my view. The fact that Obama established those things in the first place is is also a point in the "Democrats are lesser evils" as well.
I don't really have much to say, both because the other guy responding to me has kinda worn me out (and I'm kinda worn out of having this debate in general), and because you started out by empathizing with me feeling this way rather than just going on the assault. I can return that by empathizing with your position as well, even though I strongly agree with some of it. In particular, the sticking point for me is always going to be that as someone on social security, food stamps, subsidized housing, medicare, semi-public disability services (which are going to lead to me getting the Covid vaccine in the first round), and will soon use public employment counseling to get employed again, I'm always going to see the party that doesn't openly want to dismantle these things and leave me to die as the lesser evil. Yes, even though these programs were gutted under Clinton as well, and even though Biden has always had a hardon for gutting social security, I still see Democrat control in general as less of a threat to my ability to be alive. Maybe that's self centered, but it is the foundational reason why I see things the way I do.
Sidebar about Chomsky though, while I haven't read the book the concept of manufactured consent is pretty rhetorically important. So I wouldn't discount him completely. Obviously, I disagree fairly strongly with hating him for supporting lesser evilism, but even if I accept that I think he's made some pretty noteable contributions that can't be handwaved.
OK, I keep finding sticking points that I actually want to comment on, one other one. The thing about "caring about queer issues even on an aesthetic level" means you don't vote for "the Kasich party" (not that I think Kasich backing Biden makes Biden "the Kasich candidate" anymore than Bernie backing him means he's a Bernie candidate). I've talked to quiet a few trans people, some liberals yes but some very much leftists, who would strongly disagree with you there and very firmly see Biden as a lesser evil on queer issues. I myself am bi and questioning my gender identity. I see from your pronouns that you're enby, so I know you aren't just talking shit and assuming things from a place of privilege, and you are far from the only LGBTQ+ person to feel the way you do, but still, not everyone who cares about queer issues agrees with your take. Honestly, even if Biden doesn't reverse Trump's rollbacks of Obama era queer protections (which would be weird, because they were Obama era queer protections), the simple fact that he wouldn't be actively seeking to destroy even more would make him better than Trump on that issue, in my view. The fact that Obama established those things in the first place is is also a point in the "Democrats are lesser evils" as well.
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