this post was submitted on 22 May 2024

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Biden is dramatically out of touch with voters on Gaza. He may lose because of it | Moira Donegan (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Many voters believe, with good reason, that none of this would have happened without Biden’s assent. Biden has continued to speak of Israel’s attack on Palestinian civilians using the absurd language of “self-defense”. He has insulted Jewish Americans and the memory of the Holocaust by invoking them to justify the slaughter. And though his White House repeatedly leaks that he is “privately” dismayed by Israel’s conduct of the war, he has done little to stop the flow of US money and guns that support it.

Even after the US state department issued a vexed and mealy-mouthed report on Israel’s conduct, which nevertheless concluded that it was reasonable to assess that Israel was in violation of international humanitarian law, the Biden administration has continued to fund these violations. That state department report was published on 10 May. The Biden administration told Congress that it intends to move forward with a $1bn arms sale to Israel. “OK, [Israel] likely broke the law, but not enough to change policy,” is how one reporter summarized the administration’s judgment. “So, what is the point of the report? I mean, in the simplest terms, what’s the point?”

Meanwhile, Biden has expressed public disdain for the Americans – many of whom he needs to vote for him – who have taken to protest on behalf of Palestinian lives. Speaking with evident approval of the violent police crackdowns against anti-genocide student demonstrations, he said coolly: “Dissent must never lead to disorder.”

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I don’t think anyone is saying that. Don’t shut up, but do vote!

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

Third party for the win!

[–] [email protected] -3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Ok, but how?

Is there an option on the ballot for President that would allow me to vote without violating my conscience?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There’s not now, nor will there ever be a perfect choice. Fact is that all US presidents have, to some extent, blood on their hands. Is the choice this year bad? Yes. But all previous presidents in recent times supplied arms to regimes like Saudi Arabia, Israel etc. In the past the US itself committed its own genocide on native Americans, interned Japanese, killed hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, invaded Iraq and Afghanistan etc etc. And with all these atrocities, voting the lesser evil helped (a bit). Perfect is not for sale this year, nor will it ever be.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

I'm not even asking for "perfect".

I'd be entirely satisfied by "tolerable", and genocide is nowhere near that.

[+] [email protected] -6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Demanding that people vote for the least worst option without any content other than sneering at them for apparently not realising that one of the options is worse, is doing exactly that.

It's straw-manning the arguments of people who want (and desperately need) the Democrats to be better and are putting serious thought, time and energy into how that is possible in a world controlled by billionaires who unleash fascism the moment their power is threatened.

And they're doing it with a lazy, cynical, Bill Maher-wannabe take because apparently they think this is a good look?

They'll be the death of us all.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I'm not demanding anything. But refusing to vote against Trump is exactly the sort of acceleration you mentioned. It's cynical and nihilistic, the things you've just accused me of.

We should use every tool available, including voting for the least bad option if those are our only two choices.

The administration isn't going to hear us before November. Maybe after if we keep at them.

If Trump wins, we'll see even more jackboots on campuses. And you know this. I'm not shaming you or blaming you. But trying to convince you to vote against that even if you can't stand Biden.

Our ideals and values are important. But we have to learn to be pragmatic (like Bernie) if our values are going to survive.

Edit: if it helps you understand where I'm coming from, I was one of the upvotes on your original post. The administration should be held accountable and if a fascist dictator wins in November I'll blame Biden's administration for not listening more than I'll blame idealistic people for refusing to vote against their conscience.

Personally, I've done the math and am far more pragmatic the older I get. So I will vote against Trump in November.