"Progressives should not make the same mistake that Ernst Thälmann made in 1932. The leader of the German Communist Party, Thälmann saw mainstream liberals as his enemies, and so the center and left never joined forces against the Nazis. Thälmann famously said that ‘some Nazi trees must not be allowed to overshadow a forest’ of social democrats, whom he sneeringly called ‘social fascists.’
After Adolf Hitler gained power in 1933, Thälmann was arrested. He was shot on Hitler’s orders in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1944."
Yes, I read the article.
So, just to be clear: A progressive who doesn’t vote, or who votes in the general election for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Cornel West or Jill Stein — or whoever No Labels puts up as a candidate — is voting for Donald Trump.
This is precisely the lie I am referencing in my original comment.
I am tired of people blaming voters who didn’t vote for the fascist being blamed for the fascist winning. Blame those who actually voted for the fascist.
Why do you think no one is blaming people that vote for him? Absolutely no one has ever said anything like that.
I did not mean to imply that no one is. But those who did not vote for him are not responsible for him winning, and should carry no blame.
You’re overlooking the fact that it isn’t the quantity of votes trump has, it’s the quantity of votes that trump has COMPARED to the quantity of votes Harris has.
It is no matter if trump has 100 or 101 votes or any other number, in isolation.
It matters if trump has 100 and Harris has 99.
Especially if 5 people stay home, who would otherwise have voted Harris.
Sure, they didn’t vote for trump. They aren’t Trumpers. But their behavior directly caused Harris to lose. Therefore their actions, in a constrained system, resulted in trump winning.
It’s their ACTION not their VOTE specifically.
I’m not overlooking anything, I’m disagreeing with the framing. If Harris has 99 votes and Trump had 0, Harris wins.
We do blame those who actually vote for the fascist. We also blame those who effectively vote for the fascist by not voting for the only actual alternative. Your vote is not about you; its about the system you’re in. Making material change means working with what you have, instead of voting in a way to preserve a personal aesthetic.
