A couple people responded with reasons why Trump would be a less harmful president, and I don't really believe that, but voting for Biden is still not harm reduction because there's more to it than that.
First, he would be at most a little bit better.
Second, he cheated in the primary. When someone cheats and you ignore it and let them win anyway, how are they going to behave in the future?
Third, the more Biden gets, the more it's seen as a rebuke to the left and a validation of the neoliberal establishment. Win or lose, he needs to get as few votes as possible.
Fourth, people like Biden are much more dangerous than people like Trump. Although Trump may be worse in a vacuum, people like Biden take up space in what's billed as the "left wing" of American politics, siphoning off support for a movement that might lead to change and, rather than simply opposing progress like the Republicans do, making it basically impossible.
Fifth, Joe Biden winning would mean he or his VP is running in 2024, no primary. Among other things, this would be a climate disaster, because despite the fact that he's better on the climate than the Republicans are, anything short of radical action is mostly indistinguishable to the point that 8 years of Biden would definitely be worse than 4 years of Trump
Finally, 8 years of Obama led to a Trump victory, and it looks like chances are 4 years of Trump is going to lead to a Trump defeat. The next fascist after Trump is going to be less stupid and better at demagoguery, almost by definition. We know politicians like Biden open the door to fascism, which is reason enough to stop them from getting into power before we end up with president Tom Cotton
Hot take, Trump is the least damaging of the two. The mismanagement of the Empire being so immense that it can only result in the collapse of US hegemony accross the globe. I'm not saying Biden will directly be worse than Trump, they'll not stop deportation, wars, and probably go ahead to prosecute anarchists and BLM protesters; but what makes Biden a horrible president is that he'll be doing absolutely NOTHING to fix inherent issues plaguing the US, and I can garantee you, he'll try and smother left-wing voices with "concessions". A Trump victory would discredit completely mainstream democrats to the eyes of the population, and add more fuel to a bad situation, thus paving the way for the revolution. Trump will, without a doubt, keep doing what he's doing, but ask yourself if anything would change under Biden. Would the economy get better ? Nah, or just marginally. Would fossil fuel industries and fracking be stopped ? Nope. And the list goes on and on. Biden simply doesn't provide as much of a guarantee for a revolution in the next 10 years, Trump however, definitely does.
The inner party was ALWAYS right-wing. 4 years ago, there was no left at all. Look at us now, after 4 years of Trump. That's polarization, people stop wishing for socialism-lite or conservatism-lite, they want the real stuff now. To go back to your point, the democrats' base was way farther right than it is now, the youth is incredibly based also. There's no way another democrat defeat doesn't pave the way for further radicalization of politics, and INSHALLAH, the death of the democratic party. This party deserves to die anyway, both because of its corrupt historical roots, and because of the upper party members will always try and shoot down anything left of neoliberalism.
Capitalism is failing spectacularily, and it's doing it live. Democrats, no matter how cucked they are, are at least able to prevent disasters, such as Puerto Rico's crisis, or the COVID crisis. They're able to give concessions, no matter how small (obamacare being an example of it), to keep the populace calm. Trump has caused a good chunk of the population to have absolutely nothing to lose at this point, and this is what we need. More people who find themselves going farther left out of desperation. Lenin also mentionned such things in "revolutionary situations", where he says 3 things being necessary for shit to hit the fan :
(1) when it is impossible for the ruling classes to maintain their rule without any change; when there is a crisis, in one form or another, among the “upper classes”, a crisis in the policy of the ruling class, leading to a fissure through which the discontent and indignation of the oppressed classes burst forth. For a revolution to take place, it is usually insufficient for “the lower classes not to want” to live in the old way; it is also necessary that “the upper classes should be unable” to rule in the old way;
(2) when the suffering and want of the oppressed classes have grown more acute than usual;
(3) when, as a consequence of the above causes, there is a considerable increase in the activity of the masses, who uncomplainingly allow themselves to be robbed in “peace time”, but, in turbulent times, are drawn both by all the circumstances of the crisis and by the “upper classes” themselves into independent historical action.
Quoted from wikipedia out of simplicity, but you see the gist of it.
Generally, answers to this question try to look at the big picture of the many things that will be exactly the same under Biden and Trump, like imperialism, healthcare, responses to protests, global warming, and capitalism.
Really, Biden and Trump do have actual policy differences, that will hopefully impact some groups like LGBT people, but the big picture is identical either way.
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This article talks about how voting is not harm reduction from an indigenous perspective. https://www.indigenousaction.org/voting-is-not-harm-reduction-an-indigenous-perspective/
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Is it increasing harm? Why are you telling people to NOT vote biden?
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Give me the resurrected corpses of Stalin and Lenin and I’ll vote for him.
Yes, it is increasing harm
oh that's an interesting take, I am willing to listen
A couple people responded with reasons why Trump would be a less harmful president, and I don't really believe that, but voting for Biden is still not harm reduction because there's more to it than that.
First, he would be at most a little bit better.
Second, he cheated in the primary. When someone cheats and you ignore it and let them win anyway, how are they going to behave in the future?
Third, the more Biden gets, the more it's seen as a rebuke to the left and a validation of the neoliberal establishment. Win or lose, he needs to get as few votes as possible.
Fourth, people like Biden are much more dangerous than people like Trump. Although Trump may be worse in a vacuum, people like Biden take up space in what's billed as the "left wing" of American politics, siphoning off support for a movement that might lead to change and, rather than simply opposing progress like the Republicans do, making it basically impossible.
Fifth, Joe Biden winning would mean he or his VP is running in 2024, no primary. Among other things, this would be a climate disaster, because despite the fact that he's better on the climate than the Republicans are, anything short of radical action is mostly indistinguishable to the point that 8 years of Biden would definitely be worse than 4 years of Trump
Finally, 8 years of Obama led to a Trump victory, and it looks like chances are 4 years of Trump is going to lead to a Trump defeat. The next fascist after Trump is going to be less stupid and better at demagoguery, almost by definition. We know politicians like Biden open the door to fascism, which is reason enough to stop them from getting into power before we end up with president Tom Cotton
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Hot take, Trump is the least damaging of the two. The mismanagement of the Empire being so immense that it can only result in the collapse of US hegemony accross the globe. I'm not saying Biden will directly be worse than Trump, they'll not stop deportation, wars, and probably go ahead to prosecute anarchists and BLM protesters; but what makes Biden a horrible president is that he'll be doing absolutely NOTHING to fix inherent issues plaguing the US, and I can garantee you, he'll try and smother left-wing voices with "concessions". A Trump victory would discredit completely mainstream democrats to the eyes of the population, and add more fuel to a bad situation, thus paving the way for the revolution. Trump will, without a doubt, keep doing what he's doing, but ask yourself if anything would change under Biden. Would the economy get better ? Nah, or just marginally. Would fossil fuel industries and fracking be stopped ? Nope. And the list goes on and on. Biden simply doesn't provide as much of a guarantee for a revolution in the next 10 years, Trump however, definitely does.
Are you from 2016? I heard all the same shit then. All it has done is move the dems to the right and legitimized the CIA and FBI.
The inner party was ALWAYS right-wing. 4 years ago, there was no left at all. Look at us now, after 4 years of Trump. That's polarization, people stop wishing for socialism-lite or conservatism-lite, they want the real stuff now. To go back to your point, the democrats' base was way farther right than it is now, the youth is incredibly based also. There's no way another democrat defeat doesn't pave the way for further radicalization of politics, and INSHALLAH, the death of the democratic party. This party deserves to die anyway, both because of its corrupt historical roots, and because of the upper party members will always try and shoot down anything left of neoliberalism.
Capitalism is failing spectacularily, and it's doing it live. Democrats, no matter how cucked they are, are at least able to prevent disasters, such as Puerto Rico's crisis, or the COVID crisis. They're able to give concessions, no matter how small (obamacare being an example of it), to keep the populace calm. Trump has caused a good chunk of the population to have absolutely nothing to lose at this point, and this is what we need. More people who find themselves going farther left out of desperation. Lenin also mentionned such things in "revolutionary situations", where he says 3 things being necessary for shit to hit the fan :
(1) when it is impossible for the ruling classes to maintain their rule without any change; when there is a crisis, in one form or another, among the “upper classes”, a crisis in the policy of the ruling class, leading to a fissure through which the discontent and indignation of the oppressed classes burst forth. For a revolution to take place, it is usually insufficient for “the lower classes not to want” to live in the old way; it is also necessary that “the upper classes should be unable” to rule in the old way;
(2) when the suffering and want of the oppressed classes have grown more acute than usual;
(3) when, as a consequence of the above causes, there is a considerable increase in the activity of the masses, who uncomplainingly allow themselves to be robbed in “peace time”, but, in turbulent times, are drawn both by all the circumstances of the crisis and by the “upper classes” themselves into independent historical action.
Quoted from wikipedia out of simplicity, but you see the gist of it.
deleted by creator
Generally, answers to this question try to look at the big picture of the many things that will be exactly the same under Biden and Trump, like imperialism, healthcare, responses to protests, global warming, and capitalism.
Really, Biden and Trump do have actual policy differences, that will hopefully impact some groups like LGBT people, but the big picture is identical either way.
--
This article talks about how voting is not harm reduction from an indigenous perspective. https://www.indigenousaction.org/voting-is-not-harm-reduction-an-indigenous-perspective/