The ideological signifying here, though, is squarely situated within the language of American politics. All Lives Matter was a reactionary counter to Black Lives Matter, a distinctly American political movement. Similarly, “both sides suck” is something which has been repeated ad nauseam about American politics. As such, the meme suggests itself that it’s about American politics. At least that’s how I’m reading it. If the OP meant it to be about Israel and Palestine, I think they could have framed it better.
Palestine itself is a two party system. Hamas vs Fatah, the former controls the Gaza Strip, the latter controls the West Bank (specifically the areas not occupied by Israel)
But I do think there is a legitimate ACAB angle here, to slice it by power dynamics instead: All political leaders are bastards.
It’s not just one nation vs another, it’s also civilians vs the political elite. So while I agree it’s wrong to say “both sides are equally to blame”, there are other useful perspectives. I think.
I hate this 2-party system, and I loathe the DNC and the neo-liberal elite. That said, the Republicans haven’t fielded a palatable candidate in my entire lifetime.
Thus, like many Americans I’m forced to politically pinch my nose and vote for the geriatric, corporate-and-billionaire funded elite of the American “left” because the alternative after the dust settles after the primaries is unthinkable.
The American citizenry is fucked, and I fear the only way out from under the boot-heel of the billionaire class is armed bloody revolution, of which I’m terrified of due to what typically comes next, historically.
Orwell and Huxley were supposed to be warnings, not manuals for sociopathic murderous political cults. Then again, maybe things will turn out like Zardoz.
You are right, there will be people who remain to not buy into the side of the moral grandstanders and they will be shamed incessantly for it and grouped in the same bin as the extreme right even though that is very far from their position.
To all the people who want to vote third party or withhold their vote, please tell me, when had that ever effected change?
This idea that if you hold your vote or vote 3rd party you’re gonna teach the establishment a lesson is laughable. No, the system will go on without you and you’ll just have even less of a voice/decision in the direction of our country.
There is a reason certain people work so hard to tell you your vote doesn’t matter. You’re all falling for it.
Edit: If you don’t like the candidates you have to choose from then go out and vote in the primaries because there’s about a 90% chance you’re not doing that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PartyVotes-Presidents.png, with the generous assumption that the threat of party replacement hasn’t influenced policy positions whatsoever.
So in today’s elections, one might point to Democrats who are increasingly opposed to FPTP.
If all the people who are defensive voting decided to stop doing that, our current leading parties would not be #1 &2. Your presumption that we even consider your candidate is laughable. And you are not making a convincing argument to change my mind, at best you are triggering clapter in the people who agree with you, so I hope your motive is to actually just keep defensive voters in their place.
Plus you already believe going against society’s establishment is worth doing, or why are you on lemmy?
The idea that pointing out that modern "democracy" is a sham that's hurting us all in the name of capitalism, is in any way comparable to a racist dog whistle, only goes to show your privilege and wilful ignorance
All lives matter was a racist dog whistle. Both sides are bad is just the sad state of politics where neither major parties actually care about the people.
“Both sides” is an attempt to create a false equivalency between the party that wants to do an end run around our democratic systems/repeal the rights of women and already marginalized nationwide/jail dissenters, and the Democrats.
The Democratic Party has countless problems, but the fact of the matter is the above are incredibly important and imminent threats. Yeah, I’m going to hold my nose and vote for the less-bad option. Because both sides are not the same.
You falling for the theatre one presents a little better, doesn't mean they don't both lead to the exact same result, one just does it slower and politely enough to appease moderates such as yourself:
If you’re going to reduce my opinions to “falling for theater” then I have little interest in having a discussion with you. I don’t see what kind of discussion is worth having with someone willing to dismiss me out of hand.
Okay so you admit in your own argument that they're doing it slower. Yes, I WILL vote for a 50-year plan to fascism over voting for a 2-year plan to fascism, every time, without question. Gives us more time to turn it around before sitting officials burn everything down. At this point in this country I frankly don't give much of a damn what the Democrat long term goals are anymore because the Republican party is such an immediate and obvious threat to safety, democracy, and human decency. Given such an environment it's obvious that a few decades (or less) from now we're going to be dealing with significant problems in the Democratic party, since it's so easy to choose to usher them into power right now - it's easy for bad actors to abuse that. And frankly there are already problems in the Democratic party. But I'd rather deal with that then, than deal with Republican ideals now, because instituting Republican ideals now will not leave us with a future where we even have the choice to deal with Democrat problems.
(Hint: the Democrats long term goals are to lose to the fascists on purpose because that’s how they maximize their funding/support from liberalesque individuals like yourself.)
Very interesting hint. I do agree though, one is wolf in sheep’s clothing, other is wolf in wolf’s clothing. MLK Jr. had something to say about that:
I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negroes’ great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s “Counciler” or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can’t agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically feels that he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a “more convenient season.”
Depends on the issue. Queerphobics vs “woke ideology”? One denys a minority the right to exist and tries everything to make them miserable (including bringing them to the point of suicide) whilst the other sometimes maybe overshoots a little. There’s no “muh, bOtH sIdEs” here.
Isreal and Palestina? Hamas is a terror organization hiding behind civilians, in hospitals etc, risking innocent palestinian lives (and there are innocent civilians in Palestine) whilst the israeli government conducts policies of illegal settling or funding of Hamas to stay in power and facilitate a public enemy. Both sides here do abhorrent things on the back of innocent civilian lives, but both do have reasons.
All in all, this meme is perfect. The stupid and idiotic person depicted fits the stupid and undifferentiated caption very well.
(And yes, I know this text will start a comment war about Israel and Palestine because too many people feel like they have to pick a side and defend everything that side does. I will not participate though.)
I’ve found people on here actually arguing that hamas is unambiguously right in their actions. Unlike black lives matter where saying white lives don’t matter is a complete straw man that no one was arguing. So making sure people are on the same page about Hamas I think is valuable still.
You know your take is “How dare they fighting against being genocided” they should let Isreal drop bombs at them and kill their families daily like the last half century and never ever retaliate while the world watchs in silence or even help Isreal doing the massacre. How inhuman of them to fight back with the same ferocity the Isreali settlers fucks has shown to them. Oh, look at the Poor isreali settlers that left their western country to go and steal a palistinian land and act towards them worst than during apartheid SA. Yeah, hamas are freedom fighters and isreali propagandists call them terrorists to delegitimize Palestinians fight against fucking genocide.
I geuss when someone enters your home and beat the shit out of you and your family, Steal and destroy all your belongings every other day you just accept it and will not defend yourself, huh?
This is international law. We must uphold international law and promote human rights, because any society that does not, puts the whole world closer to barbarism.
International laws that isreal keep violating over and over and the world stay silent. They even kill journalists for god sake !! The world has shown us its true colors but thanks God the new generation is waking up. In the future, these laws will hopefully be truly followed.
They do suck, but the GOP is significantly worse in every way: It's all about the least shitty choice in the United States which is why we need ranked choice voting so badly.
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