Here We Go Again …

Posted on by under Election 2020, Election 2024, Political commentary, Social commentary, voting rights

Well, friends, it’s 2024 … the year we’ve all waited for with both expectation and trepidation.  The 2024 presidential election “season” started in January 2021, as soon as the 2020 election was put to bed and President Biden took his Oath of Office, 715 days ago.  Long days filled with violence, rhetoric, lies, conspiracy theories, but also hope.  And now we have only 305 days until the next election – one that will no doubt test the boundaries of our endurance, our patience, our friendships, and perhaps even our sanity.  Numerous topics will be addressed in the coming months, but one stands out in particular and Robert Reich addresses it perfectly …

The “I won’t vote for the lesser of two evils” rubbish

Recalling a discussion I had with Chris Hedges in 2016

By Robert Reich

04 January 20234

Some people tell me they hate Trump but don’t particularly like Biden. They say Biden is too old, or he’s not doing enough to stop Israel’s bombing of Gaza, or he’s caved to Big Oil, or he isn’t tough enough.

So they tell me they’re not going to vote next November. Or they’ll vote for a third-party candidate.

Maybe you know someone like this. Or you yourself fall into this camp.

Here’s what I tell them: By not voting or voting for a third party, they’re actually casting a vote for Trump.

Some respond by saying that Trump may be a curse, but they’re sick and tired of voting for the lesser of two evils.

Wrong. Biden is not evil. Trump is truly evil.

If there’s one argument I can’t stand, it’s the “I’m not going to vote for the lesser of two evils” argument.

The fact is, America has a two-party system. You may not like it, but that’s our reality. The founders did not opt for a parliamentary system, where citizens have more options of whom to vote for.

So one of the nominees from one of the two major parties is going to win. And if you don’t vote, or you vote for a third party candidate, you’re inevitably hurting the candidate from one of the major parties who’s closest to you in values — and helping the one farthest from you.

Which perhaps wasn’t of huge consequence 50 years ago. But as the Republican Party has gone fascist, with unhinged Trump at its head, the potential consequences of your not voting or voting for a third=party candidate are horrific.

In 2016, many people knew Trump was out of his gourd. But they disliked Hillary Clinton so much they decided to sit on their hands, or vote for the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, rather than vote for what they described as “the lesser of two evils.”

And look what we got.

If Trump gets back into the Oval Office, it’s likely to be even worse this time.

***

On Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now” broadcast of August 4, 2016, I debated journalist and author Chris Hedges, who was supporting Green Party candidate Jill Stein. [The following transcript has been edited for length. You can find the unedited transcript here, or if you have the time you may want to watch the entire 35-minute debate, which I’ve posted here.]

Me: Hillary Clinton is going to be the nominee. I support her. And I support her not only because she will be a good president, if not a great president, but also, frankly, because I am tremendously worried about the alternative. And the alternative is somebody who is a megalomaniac and a bigot who will set back the progressive movement decades, if not more.

Hedges: Clinton has abandoned children. She and her husband destroyed welfare as we know it, and 70 percent of the original recipients were children. I don’t like Trump, but Trump is responding to a phenomenon created by neoliberalism. And we may get rid of Trump, but we will get something even more vile, maybe Ted Cruz.

Me: If Donald Trump becomes president, irrevocable negative changes will happen in the United States, including appointments to the Supreme Court that will worsen the structure of this country. Voting for Donald Trump or equating Hillary Clinton with Donald Trump is insane.

Hedges: I admire Robert and have read much of his stuff and like his stuff, but if you listen to what he’s been saying, the message is the same message of the Trump campaign, and that is fear. And fear is all the Democrats have to offer now and all the Republicans have to offer now.

Me: Given our two-party, winner-take-all system, it’s just too much of a risk to say, “I’m not going to vote for the lesser of two evils.” If you do not support Hillary Clinton, you are increasing the odds of a true, clear and present danger to the United States, a menace to the United States. And you’re increasing the possibility that the United States will be changed for the worse. I must urge everyone who is listening or who is watching to do whatever they can to make sure that Hillary Clinton is the next president, and not Donald Trump.

Hedges: I find Trump a vile and disturbing and disgusting figure, but I don’t believe that voting for the Democratic establishment [will help]. The TPP [Trans Pacific Partnership] is going to go through, whether it’s Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Endless war is going to be continued, whether it’s Trump or Clinton. We’re not going to get our privacy back, whether it’s under Clinton or Trump. The idea that, at this point, the figure in the executive branch exercises that much power, given the power of the war industry and Wall Street, is a myth.

***

Starting five months after this discussion, we had four years of Trump. We saw what his bigotry and hatefulness did to America. We witnessed how he divided America into two angry camps that are still furious with each other. We endured his giant tax cut to the rich and big corporations. We watched his attempted coup. We suffered through his refusal to concede the 2020 election and his big lie that it was “stolen” from him. He is now running again, in an even more paranoid and bigoted campaign than in 2016 or 2020.

I rest my case.

Jill Stein is running again in 2024, and thus far two others —  Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Cornel West — have declared their third-party or Independent candidacy, with more considering it as an option, including Liz Cheney.  They stand zero chance of winning the election, but could well skew the results and create havoc.

Discover more from Filosofa's Word

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

35 thoughts on “Here We Go Again …”

  1. I’m a bit of a fan of many articles by Hedges. The most recent I’ve read is headlined ‘Chris Hedges: Israel’s Final Solution for the Palestinians’

    Chris Hedges: Israel’s Final Solution for the Palestinians

    As for Donald Trump, I strongly feel that his conservative ‘Christian’ base largely misunderstand the Almighty.

    God, via Jesus, fundamentally was/is about compassion and charity. And his teachings and practices epitomize so much of the primary component of socialism — do not hoard morbidly gratuitous wealth in the midst of poverty.

    He clearly would not tolerate the accumulation of tens of billions of dollars by individual people — especially while so many others go hungry and homeless.

    What would Christ have said about ‘Christians’ who, for example, seemingly unconditionally support Donald Trump, a superfluously rich man who has done nothing remotely resembling Christ-like conduct?

    I’m talking about Jesus through his teachings and practices — not pragmatism, politics or conservative/liberal goals. I mean the savior who hardly can be imagined rolling his eyes and sighing: ‘Oh well, I’m against everything the politician stands for, but what can you do when you dislike even more some of what his political competition stands for’.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Well … I am not a Christian, am in fact a non-believer, so I have no nexus in this discussion, but I’ll weigh in anyway. From what I know of Christianity, you’re right … God, Jesus, whomever, was all about equality, love for everyone, etc., but today’s evangelical Christians do not seem to have that same viewpoint. Somehow, ‘white’ and ‘wealthy’ are the two most valued traits among their ilk. That makes it harder for anyone to take them seriously, except their own kind, of course.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Americans know nothing of war, too few have seen it in person. Clausewitz states “War is merely the continuation of policy by other means.” No matter the game the clock is running, check out all the girls now, come November there will be one shot. There are men who are comfortable in the dark. It is never wise to let them unchained.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’ve long thought of war as being created by those who lack sufficient intelligence to resolve problems with diplomacy and therefore put others, rather like the plastic toy soldiers they played with as children, on the front lines to fight the battles they themselves are too cowardly to fight. Indeed, come November there will be one shot … and we damn well better choose the right one, else we won’t likely get the chance to choose again.

      Liked by 2 people

      • War is not done by others elsewhere! War anywhere everywhere is the responsibility of EVERYONE. There is no proof that Jesus was a real person. There is NO doubt that Pontius Pilate was a real person. The blood can not be washed away.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Another nail in the coffin of the two party system. A non-vote is a vote for the other guy. That actually works both ways. I am sure there are a lot of lazy MAGAts. That’s their nature.
    But yes, in this election as in the past few, IF I WERE AMERICAN, I would have to vote against Trump — and any Republican. They are too dangerous to allow them any power — even though as we see in the House right now they have no idea how to use it. They are in it to get paid well for doing nothing — the height of laziness!
    In Canada I refuse to vote for fools, duh, I mean politicians!

    Liked by 3 people

    • So … would you not vote for a candidate running against Ms. Smith? I know you and I don’t see eye-to-eye on voting, but sometimes it’s the only means we have of trying to bring about change, make a difference, make our voice heard. And yes, sometimes the choice boils down to the ‘lesser of two evils’, though in our case I don’t see President Biden as an ‘evil’.

      Liked by 2 people

      • I did not vote for a candidate running against Ms Smith, but then I could not. We cannot vote for premier or prime minister. They are appointed as being the leader of the party with the most elected candidates. And I did not vote for the candidate opposing Ms Smith’s party because they are incompetent in my mind.
        It was up to the voters in Ms Smith’s riding to vote against her, but dhe took the coward’s way and did not run in the riding where she lives, but parachuted into one of the ridings that votes heavily for her party’s candidste. She says she faced the electorate and won? No, she took a free ride. But the majority of voters in Alberta voted for candidates from her party, and that is how she became premier. If she had to face the whole province like Biden has to face the whole nation, I don’t think she would have won…

        Liked by 2 people

        • Ohhhhh … okay, my bad. I didn’t realize that you don’t vote directly for Premier or PM. But there again, by not voting for the candidate opposing Smith’s party, you have missed an opportunity … what if Smith’s party wins by just one vote? Every vote truly does count, especially in Canada where you aren’t victims of gerrymandering.

          Like

          • Wanna bet? Not so much in Western Canada, we don’t have the population to manipulate much, but gerrymandering has been tried in the past in Ontario and Quebec, and sometimes in the larger cities. I was just a kid but I remember accusstions of gerrymandering. I took note because my name was involved. I didn’t understand it, but I “heard” it.
            As for my vote, not a chance of it ever being the winning vote. In Alberta metropolitan areas vote NDP, Rural areas and smaller cities and towns vote Conservative. In Manitoba where I grew up, Conservstives won all the sests south of the Assiniboine River, and everyone north of it voted either Liberal or NDP. There were some swing ridings but not many. Victory margins for both side are usually in the 1000s.
            But I don’t not vote based on margins of victory, I do not vote becsuse I do not believe in democracy, and because no party gives me someone I can vote for. I am very demanding.

            Liked by 1 person

            • Sigh. I know I’m “spitting in the wind” or “fighting a losing battle”, but I am a stubborn wench and have to add just one more query. What if … everyone felt as you did and refused to even bother to cast a vote? How easy, then, would it be for the forces of evil to simply take over? Just a thought. LuL

              On another note, we really, really do need to get back to posting on Tecumseh & Friends!!!! I’ve been remiss and I’m so sorry, but maybe now that the holidays are behind us, I can try to pull something together this week.

              Like

              • Re: TaF, I am waiting for Gail to improve to where she can walk on her own again. Yes, we need to do something, but once I start again I want it to be when I can post regularly. I haven’t been posting much on Ideas From Outside the Boxes much either. I go to see the surgeon who fixed her knee on Feb. 8. He is going to take a look at my knees which are csusing me problems. I doubt he can do much for me, but it doesn’t hurt to let him look.

                Regarding no one ever voting, that won’t ever happen. Candidates and their families will vote for themsrlves. Even if not one other person voted the candidate with the highest number of eligible voters would win — unless the don’t want their idiot parent/sibling/child to win, in which case they don’t get to vote either. No matter, someone will always win. In a nation of 38 million people, a candidate can still win with just one vote, such is the nature of democracy!

                Like

  5. Unfortunately… Here we go again…
    While we have war in Ukraine, in Israel, and Taiwan under China’s sights…
    The Tramp comeback would be a disaster…
    Having said that,
    Happy New year Jill

    Liked by 3 people

    • Ha ha … yes, all hell is breaking loose EVERYWHERE!!! Happy New Year to you, too, Brian! I hope it will be a better-than-expected one! By the way … the cardioversion has once again been postponed … probably in February, but I’ll keep you posted.

      Liked by 2 people

  6. In the UK the other parties often determine who gets to be MP. Too Often the several opposition parties split the vote and let in the standing MP. One day common sense will prevail and they will start working together as many share a number of policy goals. But sadly they seem to enjoy arguing amongst themselves rather than on focusing on the real enemy, the corrupt government.

    Liked by 3 people

    • No system is perfect, and both or ours are really showing their flaws these days! By the way … you and I haven’t chatted as much lately, so I have to ask … I know how you felt about Boris, but what are your thoughts on Rishi Sunak? I liked him at first, but am less impressed the more I hear about him.

      Liked by 3 people

  7. Jill, I agree with Reich. Biden has done a reasonable job as president, yet has been painted as awful by progressives and the right.

    The strategy has been to make Biden on par with Trump. But they are not. Biden is imperfect, but Trump is an admitted sexual assaulter, a thrice determined financial fraud in just the past five years, a well documented purveyor of lies, a twice impeached president, and accused of 91 charges in four indictments more than a few with the word sedition in them.

    Plus he bullies people and runs things with “equal parts chaos and incompetence” per conservative pundit David Brooks.

    Keith

    Liked by 4 people

    • It’s almost like a comic strip, isn’t it? Incredible, the difference between the two, and yet … they both have nearly equal amounts of support. HOW??? WHY??? Are We the People really so blind, deaf, and dumb? Speaking of David Brooks, he did a piece a while back in which he was very complimentary and positive of President Biden. I was a bit surprised … and pleased!

      Liked by 3 people

  8. Pingback: Here We Go Again … | Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  9. But Jill, I so do despise our 2-Party system in this country. It’s during these times of trepidation over federal elections that this country SO BADLY needs to escape its binary-chains of slavery. Sigh. 🙄😞

    I have voted once before for Jill Stein, I like her very much and what she stands for. However, that was my “throw-away” vote in 2016. A vote I deeply regret now in hindsight. And I’ve also voted more than once for Bernie Sanders. But after the debacle and 3-ring circus between 2017 and 2021 in the White House, I’ve learned my lesson the hard, painful way:

    In this country, I have NO CHOICE but to vote either A or B. Which goes against every fiber in my democratic, liberty-driven, freedom-of-choice driven brain and body. It nauseates me every four years, if I’m honest. 🥺🤮

    Liked by 4 people

    • I tend to agree on your point that we SHOULD be able to vote for “other” presidential candidates without upsetting the political applecart. However, as you (regrettably) express, we are essentially locked into a two-party system. And in this particular election year, for many of us, it is more like a ONE party system, if you get my drift.

      Liked by 4 people

    • I, too, like what Jill Stein stands for, and I am most closely aligned with Bernie’s ideology, but sadly the reality is that neither of them stand a snowball’s chance and voting for them is … well, voting against another candidate, in this case, President Biden. I agree that we have outgrown our two-party system, but the irony is that until we have a strong majority in both chambers of Congress, and a fair/honest Supreme Court, we will not be able to change the system.

      Liked by 4 people

      • I doubt America will ever “successfully” change the system no matter how much the system needs to be changed — and it needs change a lot!
        But how many new parties have tried to break into the game and been bounced out with barely a whimper. The Democrats do not want change any more than the Republicans do.
        What you really need to do is totally destroy the Republicsn Party. VOTE IT OUT OF EXISTENCE! But with all the MAGAts in your country even that won’t happen — yet. The Republicsns are a bunch of dinosaurs — I can insult them since they aren’t around to care — and they need to go the way of the dinosaur.

        But be careful. Cansda was once a 2-party system, and even though it no longer is, those two parties still dominate federal elections. Other parties can and do win in provincial politics — especially in the West where the Liberal Party has virtually been destroyed — but federally no other party has ever won. We need another party to win so badly, but no matter how bad the Liberals and Conservstives are, not enough voters trust anyone else. The Canadian owners of the wealth see to that!

        Liked by 4 people

Comments are closed.