A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 6:43 pm

DaveA wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 4:57 pm As we inch closer to Election Day, it feels weirder and weirder to me that this is even on the table, but I've already voted and I guess now it's time to unplug a little and see how it all shakes out. If the country, as a whole, is unwise enough to go down this road again, then it shouldn't be surprised if things don't go well.

Or, you know, get off your arse and get other people voting. Fucks sake.

Have to admit that I've never bought into the indie-punk ethos of guilt-tripping others into activism, civic outreach, bearing the weight of this or that cause, voting for this or that candidate, and so on. If others care to take all of this on, that's fine, but it's too much monkey business, not my bag, and not even necessarily that effective.

In my experience, people don't like it much when I tell them what to do, even if I assume a diplomatic demeanor. The average person is deathly tired of all the pleading, and wants it to go away. I have disabused myself of the delusion of having to save the world and do other grown folks' thinking and acting for them. Dafuq. The preceding post was just some musings. Take 'er easy, or don't.

Harris has agreed to an interview on fox. Rumour has it that trump is not pleased.

DaveA wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2024 8:32 pm Have to admit that I've never bought into the indie-punk ethos of guilt-tripping others into activism, civic outreach, bearing the weight of this or that cause, voting for this or that candidate, and so on. If others care to take all of this on, that's fine, but it's too much monkey business, not my bag, and not even necessarily that effective.

Poor lamb.

We'll get the result we collectively deserve, so let's hope you're a minority.

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 1:31 amPoor lamb.

We'll get the result we collectively deserve, so let's hope you're a minority.

Bark up somebody else's tree with your bullshit, bub.

I have voted. Have made sure my family has too. All of us voted for Harris, in a state that's likely to go to Trump anyway. It is not my civic duty to hold someone else's hand here and make sure they do what I've done, however meager someone would care to paint it (I'm not looking for a pat on the back; will concede that voting is a minimal form of political participation as Howard Zinn said). As I've pointed out, if someone else wants to get more involved and politically activated, that's fine. But I won't be guilt-tripped. Amid a major election, if each person were to take responsibility for themself after the writing's been on the wall for so long, then "getting off my arse and making sure others vote" (whatever exactly that entails--phonebanking? going door to door? pestering people outside a grocery store?) would hardly be necessary.

At 45, I don't have a savior complex. There were just two hurricanes here within a fortnight, and the surrounding areas are still in a disarray. I have limited time and resources and my own issues with maintaining viable mental health. The workload I've taken on the past year would be enough to smash some people's lives to bits and I've managed to navigate all of it with some aplomb despite the stress and general cramped atmosphere. Like hell is it my job to think that all of this -- *points to general election circus fueled by a record amounts of spending* -- is falling on my shoulders, hanging in the balance of whether I "get involved." If you want to hector someone on this message board, try going after those who are sitting the whole thing out, or, I dunno, some Russian burner accounts, or libertarian types or something. Sheesh. I'm chuckling into my morning coffee here.

Go fuck yourself Dave.

Not in the mood.

And this is why the left is thought to be tedious. We are the worst. (But the other guys are actually evil.)

"Let's make it into a music." - Donald Trump

DaveA wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 9:16 am
At 45, I don't have a savior complex. There were just two hurricanes here within a fortnight, and the surrounding areas are still in a disarray. I have limited time and resources and my own issues with maintaining viable mental health. The workload I've taken on the past year would be enough to smash some people's lives to bits and I've managed to navigate all of it with some aplomb despite the stress and general cramped atmosphere.

Take care of your mental health and live to fight another day, man.

losthighway wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 11:16 am We are the worst.

Speak for yourself, I guess. I don't regret a single word above. Nor do I think I was/am being unreasonable. That initial post might seem like some doom-y prognostic shit from someone who's resolved to "merely vote," but it's not out of line as far as I can tell. The ensuing spat wasn't initiated by me, but I am guilty of adding to it, sure.

This message board used to be swarmed with people getting up in others' business about all things political. Trolling, guilt-tripping, short fuses leading to ad hominems, pissing contests, and performative pleading as some armchair form of praxis. I don't have a lot of use for Adam Curtis's movies but he was right when he said that when people voted for Trump in 2016, it was essentially their mode of pressing the "fuck you" button. Nevermind whether this was a terrible decision (spoiler alert: it was); a lot of people were reacting to a general maelstrom of holier-than-thou self-righteousness they'd come into contact with, in the wild as well as online. Yes, racism, misogyny, and class and generational divides were in the mix, and a certain skepticism and contempt for institutions, and--it should be said--a lack of mental acuity, among many, but a lot "politically disaffected" people had their moment, and that moment has yet to fade. I'm not an apologist for Trumpism--hate the guy and what he stands for--but until the left/vulgar left is willing to confront its own ugly behavior, the right will hold an advantage. The answer isn't necessarily to treat everyone abound with kid gloves, but a whole lot of people need to learn to pick their battles. As you can see above. The biggest fault I've found among lefties is a general impulse toward pettiness. This might be excusable among culture jammers, socialites, certain thinkers or artists, I guess, but if you actually want to get shit done IN THE REAL WORLD then you (collectively) need to clean up your act and find better targets.

twelvepoint wrote:Take care of your mental health and live to fight another day, man.

Thanks. I'm doing alright as of late. Cheers.