#anyway this is also applies to same party voting

[aroceu]

I've said it once and I'll say it again: anyone who doesn't think people should make their own choices and judgments and think for themselves is at best socially irresponsible, minimally a danger to people around them, and at worst on par with fascists, aka those who desire control over people's opinions and beliefs

[ancientstone]

Okay Brits I need you to start paying attention.

We are likely in a General Election year.

We are going to be voting which political party we want to govern us the next five years. As of yet we don't have a date (the latest it could be held is January 2025, though it's probably going to be in 2024), but you need to start listening to what's going on so you can be ready and make an informed choice.

In the last General Election, the turnout was 67.3% across the UK. People often say they didn't vote because they didn't understand the politics or "they're all the same anyway."

When a General Election is called, Polling Day will be 25 days later. If you're working, busy, or just have life stuff happening, you may not have time to do the research you want. This is why it's important to start doing things now.

1. Are you Registered to Vote?

You can register to vote here.

You can check if you're registered by going here.

You must 18 or over on Polling Day to vote in a General Election.

You must also be one of the following:

A British, Irish, or qualifying Commonwealth citizen. (You can check here if you're a qualifying Commonwealth citizen)

Be resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)

Not be legally excluded from voting

According to the website, while registering, "You’ll be asked for your National Insurance number (but you can still register if you do not have one). After you’ve registered, your name and address will appear on the electoral register."

There is also an option to register to vote anonymously "if you're concerned about your name and address appearing on the electoral register for safety reasons." The link to that page is here.

You can register to vote by post by going here and printing out the forms.

If you would like a step-by-step guide to registering to vote, here is a page that has a pdf doing just that. It is also available in Welsh.

2. Get a Photo ID

We now need to show a photo ID when turning up to the polls.

Here is a list of valid forms of photo ID.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get a valid ID, otherwise you will be turned away from the polling station.

If you vote by proxy, you need to "take your own ID when you go to vote on someone else’s behalf. You do not need to take theirs."

According to the website, "The name on your ID must match your name on the electoral register. If it does not, you’ll need to:

register to vote again with your new details

take a document with you to vote that proves you’ve changed your name (for example, a marriage certificate)

Small differences do not matter. For example, if your ID says ‘Jim Smith’ instead of ‘James Smith’.

If you do not have a type of photo ID that allows you to vote, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate."

3. You need to apply to vote by post

You can apply here.

You need to be registered before applying.

To apply you need:

"The address where you are registered to vote

Your National Insurance number or other identity documents, e.g. a passport

the specific date of the election or referendum you want to make a postal vote, if you only want a one-off postal vote

You’ll also need to upload a photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

If you cannot provide a signature or one that always looks the same, you may be able to apply for a postal vote signature waiver within the service.

You might be asked for extra documents to identify you."

The linked page has an option for downloading an application form to send in by post.

4. Start Researching!

Think back to the last few years.

What did you like, and who did them? What about the opposite?

Is there something local happening in your area, and who is pushing for/against it?

Look up the parties' social media - what do they promote, promise, and call out?

Here are some resources:

An overview of the political parties

BBC News page for current politics

How many MPs are in which parties

Information on General Elections/when ours will likely be held

The other key political events in 2024

General info around voting, elections, boundary changes, etc.

TL;DR

2024 Will likely be the year the UK votes for the next political party in charge.

You need to register to vote.

You need a photo ID to take with you.

You need to apply to vote by post.

The best time to start looking into the parties and what they do is now, so you can be informed later on.

The rest of the world is welcome to share this!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Noticed that none of the widely known Dino’s aren’t in the competetion…..which is honestly good cause the trex would have absolutely swept

So actually this is our 6th dinosaur march madness! (5th, technically, anyway). We've been doing this for ages, ever since I got inspired by a similar thing on twitter (mammals, not dinosaurs)!

Year one was way back in 2016 - we used to use google polls to run the competition! We had people narrow down their fave dinosaurs by general group (ie ones closely related to each other) and then duked it out. Believe it or not, T. rex didn't make it into the first year! That'll remain wild for me, but Yutyrannus was the tyrannosaur. Ultimately, the Common Raven won, which makes a significant amount of sense for tumblr

Year two (2017) we only allowed in contestants that hadn't made the bracket the year before - this was a weird year, because Maiasaura won, and I s2g, I don't think it should have, I think people just voted for it because it's my (Meig, the main ADAD guy) favorite dinosaur. What can ya do...

Year three (2018) we only allowed in things that hadn't been in EITHER bracket EITHER year - this allowed for a lot of weirdos to show up, and the ultimate winner was Halszkaraptor, the first known goose-raptor-thing (like Natovenator this year)!

Year four (2019) - DMM Allstars! It was a bunch of competitors that had made it into the bracket the other three years, but didn't win outright. Amargasaurus won that year! It's a close cousin of Bajadasaurus in this year's bracket

Year five (2020 - note all the prep happens BEFORE March...) we switched it up and did Triassic March Madness - not technically dinosaurs, just a bunch of really weird critters from one of the weirdest times in Earth's history - Postosuchus won though, even though its not that weird, because the art made it look like a puppy. What can ya do.

Then we took a break because I was starting grad school again, moving across the country, bunch of the rest of the team also doing literally the same two things to whatever extent it applied to them, and also that whole pandemic thing

And now we have DMM: Rising Stars, where we take the opportunity to highlight dinosaurs that had come out since the last competition new ones would have showed up in (2018) - hence its a bunch of dinosaurs y'all haven't heard of! What a great opportunity to share new science and make DMM even more interesting!

Plus it gave me and @albertonykus more opportunities to brag about the birds (Anachronornis and Asteriornis respectively) we've named during that same time period XD

We want to do Permian Madness eventually like we did Triassic, because the Permian is also super weird. Another year we might do Fossil Birds, because often the birds that got voted in those first four years were living species and a lot of fossil birds haven't had their time in the spotlight in my very biased fossil-bird-researcher opinion. We have a lot of ideas, and frankly the excitement that is not having to use a third party (google) with the addition of tumblr polls means prehistory-march-madness will continue for a while!

[codes-and-stuffs]

also also while researching i did see bbc published an article about which parties are saying what about gender identity and single-sex spaces and (while some of the wording in the intro is... interesting, imo) they do cover most major english parties + the snp and plaid cymru. i think it is worth a read, especially as this is a huge topic on this website for uk politics rn!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nng2j42xro

tldr (tho i still encourage reading the article for details, explanation, and the sake of not just going off what one tumblr user is saying) below (also cw for discussion of trans rights that at times veers into blatant transphobia)

conservatives

pledge to rewrite the Equality Act in order to clarify 'sex' to mean 'biological sex'

have drafted a bill to prevent schools from teaching 'contested' material such as 'the view that gender is a spectrum', and to require schools to tell parents if a child wishes to identify as a different gender at school

labour

pledge to 'protect female-only spaces' while treating trans people with 'dignity and respect'

may also back that conservative bill about not teaching 'contested ideology' - i'd check the official wording on this one, it's a little unclear

pledge to ban conversion therapy

pledge to remove 'indignities' of applying for gender recognition certificate, however still requiring the diagnosis of gender dysphoria

lib dems

pledge to overhaul process of gender recognition so no diagnosis is required and people can self-identify

pledge to ban conversion therapy

pledge to make nonbinary identities recognised in law

pledge to make large companies report on pay gap and employment for lgbt+ people in a similar way currently done for gender

scottish national party

have already tried to enact a bill to overhaul legal gender recognition so that it is based on self identification rather than medical diagnosis (this occurred last year, you may still remember it), but was blocked by uk gov

unclear if the new mp holds the same plans, may be worth separate research on that

reform uk

(previously known as brexit party)

pledge to ban 'gender questioning', 'social transitioning' and 'pronoun swapping' in schools

pledge to scrap the Equality Act as well as any other diversity, equality and inclusion rules

farage (party leader) speaks about respecting trans rights and also 'women-only spaces', and says that trans women should not be allowed in women's sports

green

pledge to allow people to self identify for legal gender recognition

pledge to add the option of an X marker on passports for nonbinary/intersex people

plaid cymru

pledge to allow people to self identify for legal gender recognition

[obligatory disclaimer that this post does not intend to influence any individuals' votes, only give perspective on a specific issue, it's worth looking at other issues and sources, etc etc, just thought this would be interesting for my (mostly not even british) mutuals]

anyway yes if you got this far thanks for reading !! i would love to hear your thoughts on all of this!

[botaniqueer]

Forward: This post isn't meant judgmentally, targeted at anyone in particular or as a gotcha and I write in entirely good faith.

A question I have for white folks in particular (but also abled people, cis people, etc, but also everyone in general who votes) when engaging with electoral politics is, are you taking measures to protect the rest of us from your candidates? There's no perfect candidate for sure, but that means people will be hurt, and as voters we have a responsibility to call out and prevent harm that our candidates do; if we aren't then we're directly complicit in that harm. Are you willing to put your bodies and minds on the line to protect those who aren't going to be protected by those candidates? Because of the nature of US politics, our own candidates need to be challenged just as fiercely as if someone else got elected.

Again, I'm not against voting at all! I literally vote blue every time and in every election. I think there's strategic value in it, but we have to actually strategize, which hasn't been getting done. Are we actually engaging with why people are hesitant to vote? People use the "you're damaging your own cause!" whenever people seen as "scary leftists" participate in their actions, but it's never applies to liberal and electoral politics even though the same can be said. Trying to harp on and guilt people into voting when without engaging with why that is just damages the cause and pushes them further away. Also note that the majority of people critical of the way electoral politics are done are BIPOC; this is important to think about.

The democrats are objectively better for more people than the republicans, but there are people who are destitute to the point where those two parties are the same. Palestinians for example! Democrats also fund police measure against homeless folks as we see in the PNW, which is strongly blue. Indigenous people here are another similar group– the way indigeneity is legislated here, they're literally programmed to eventually go extinct from a legal standpoint due to the colonial law of blood quantum. Not to mention that reservations are literally, in their words, concentration camps.

Are you going to make things better for yourself and leave others to fall through the cracks? Or are you going to use that to lift everyone else up? This traditionally hasn't been the case, so if you want BIPOC voters to trust you, you have to demonstrate that you won't get attached to you candidates and hold them on a pedestal.

How are you going to assuage fears when people get anxious (and they will!) without also invalidating their fears (which is common under electoral politics votes). Can you do this without a lot of the manipulative tactics a lot of outlets use? (Blaming disaffected BIPOC for when things go wrong, using the "well the other guy is worse!" line.) Folks ask for 1000 step plans when talking about non-electoral political elements, but when engaging with electoral politics people treat it like magic, and if anyone falls through the cracks and complains, they're just being cantankerous. This is only a small percentage of the things that need to be considered.

Election season is also really retraumatizing for folks who have colonized backgrounds. Are you making sure we feel safe? Are we being thought about as real people, instead of just abstracts or as a resource to generate votes, but who are just being obstinate? (As opposed to again, real people with real motivations)

As a final note, people also comment on "Why abstain anyways when you know it's going to be bad either way?" for particularly marginalized people, and I think the answer (folks in those situations can correct me here) is that it's more cathartic to watch the people who let you slip through the cracks fall with you, than slipping through the cracks and watching those same people have brunch and pretend you and your problems don't exist. It's like being trapped in a room with only crumbs to eat while the people on the other side of the door throw a dinner party, and if you complain, yell at you saying that the other guys wouldn't even give you crumbs.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Independence Day

I do not believe this country is having an election on the US' independence day. Especially this election. It feels like the world's unfunniest joke.

I mean, I guess I kind of do believe it. Sunak seems to be more at home in the US than he ever has here, and clearly wants to go back given how hard he tried to hang on to his green card even when he was declaring residency in the UK and serving in the government here. Then again, the Sunaks don't seem to think any of those rules about residency apply to them, given the green card thing and his wife claiming non-domicile status to evade taxes while living in the UK with her husband who at the time was serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Also the fact that he called a snap election with nearly no warning has caused problems with those who postal vote. I was starting to get nervous before my postal ballot finally arrived, and some haven't received theirs at all. There are workarounds in those cases, to a point, but results might end up being put on hold and the ballot in some places recalled because of the issue with the postal voting. Which wouldn't have been an issue if a) Sunak hadn't called a snap election for "basically right the fuck now", allowing minimal prep time, and b) the Tories hadn't finally privatised the service in 2010, leaving fourteen years of mismanagement to devastate the service (same as the electric companies, the water companies, the rail companies etc).

Anyway, I've obviously voted (see above re: postal voting), and I'm obviously glad that the Tories are almost certainly going to go. Just ... how much difference is there really going to be? Like, both sides of this not-a-two-party-system-BUT want me to just ... stop existing. Which is ironic given the shit both sides are giving David Tennant for saying that Kemi Badenoch should just shut up, but there you have it. All I really have going for me is "white" ... which, granted, is a lot, and I recognise my privilege there. Still ... it's hard when various people's whole political platform seems to revolve around my either being a burden, not existing, or both. Not that it's any better for those who are being called perverts and pedophiles and whatever other horrible misrepresentative slurs are being thrown at trans people in general at the moment - in fact, it's almost certainly worse. Doesn't make my personal situation any easier.

So while a lot of the people I know are going to be watching Critical Role, or fireworks, I'll be watching election news. May well nap during the day in order to stay awake as the results roll in tonight. Should be fairly easy; someone was ringing whatever doorbell they fucking felt like to get into the apartment block at, like, half-seven this morning and I couldn't get back to sleep after that. I don't get up that early when I'm not on leave; getting up that early while on annual leave for no actual reason is just bullshit.

But ... yeah, probable independence from the Tories ... and likely getting Tories in red ties instead. I'm sure there are some differences - like, at least Starmer doesn't want to send refugees to Rwanda. But they're taking their economic policy cues from Thatcher and most of the rest of their cues from the current Tory government, so while I'm happy for the current bunch of refugees who won't be sent to a country with a bad human rights record ... kind of unhappy for me.

[starberrywander]

Y'know what? I have just decided that I'm gonna use this blog for "vote third party" stuff. I know the side of tumblr I float around in tends to be pretty anti-voting but this is what I personally think is best so I'm going to firmly plant myself right here.

Anyway here's my pitch:

"Why vote third party? What if the republicans/democrats (whichever you think is scarier) win and make our lives hell? Shouldn't we be realistic and vote for the lesser evil to keep the greater evil out of office? Third parties can't win in the setup we've got now! Its a waste of a vote!"

My response to those concerns (because they were mine approximately 1 week ago) is the question that made me rethink: Do you really want this scenario to repeat every election season? Because I certainly don't. And using the same "solution" is just gonna get these same results.

Additionally, there are plenty of discussions on this site and off of it where people have highlighted the damage done by both major parties. Since this site tends to lean liberal/left I'll briefly mention one of the things that got me thinking, which is that democrats benefit from republicans being as horrible and scary as possible. There are people who have explained it far better and I'll reblog them if I see them again, but the general premise is that if you're scared enough of the republicans then you'll vote for whatever candidate the democrats put forward just to keep Trump or whoever out of office. Even if that democrat is a horrible choice as well and also makes things worse.

The republicans and democrats are basically both fanning each other's flames because the worse the other is the better their own chances of both winning the election and getting away with disregarding the people's interests in favor of their own. I'm not a historian, but I am fairly certain that is the process by which fascism happens. We really do not want fascism. The chances of things getting better instead of disastrously worse are pretty slim if we allow this cycle to continue.

Which is why the smart, strategic vote for USAmerica's (and the rest of the world's, lets be honest) future is third party. How? Lemme answer with another question: how often do you hear some variation of "I would vote third party if they had a chance, but I don't want to waste my vote"? For me the answer is "very often." There are a lot of people with that attitude.

Voting third party shows people that there is enough backing that the candidates may have a chance, making them more willing to vote for them. Its probably not gonna turn around an entire federal election in one year just from advocacy, but if major support for third parties starts showing up in the numbers it will effect future outcomes.

It also puts pressure on the existing parties. Even if a third party doesn't win, if they get enough votes to pose a serious threat to the re-election of the Rep or Dem politicians then those two parties will have to start changing their policy approaches to be more appealing to the audience that they are losing. In other words, voting third party can change the outcomes to be more like those third party policies that you prefer even if not a single third party candidate actually wins. Because the threat alone will require politicians to course correct because the strategy they've been leaning on is failing.

And this doesn't just apply in federal elections. This same principle also applies in local and state elections, where third party candidates are known to have won in the past. Increasing the amount of third party politicians winning at any level will show that the actively voting public is moving away from the Big Two. Get that ball rolling fast enough and we can change the entire trajectory of our country's politics, hopefully for the better.

As for which third party, its up to you. Vote for whoever you genuinely want to see win. The more support you add the more viability that party will have and the more people will be willing to pick them. And if you still want to be a little bit strategic, then you can go for the biggest one whose policies you actually like, even if they aren't your first choice. Because realistically there is a higher chance of getting third parties actually in office if we vote for ones who already have an active group of supporters.

Anyway rant over. Hope I've convinced at least a few people. Enjoy your day

[ketbra]

✨2024 goals✨:

1) Don't let your country fall into a fascist state

Show up for your community

Join library's event and groups

Join your university's events and groups

Speak up against injustices (if it safe to do so)

Make sure your workplace respects yours and your colleagues rights

Be kind to strangers

Show up at protests (if/when it's safe)

If you engage in a debate with the opposite party: be safe, be calm, don't let them get to your nerves

Help old people

Listen to teens

Talk to people who seem lonely

More in person action, less social media activism

Be kind to the homeless, if you have the possibility some spare change can make the difference

If you can join a volunteer organization

2) Help fighting climate change

STOP BUYING THINGS YOU DON'T NEED

Stop using shein, temu, amazon and all the e-commerce apps and websites of the sort

Buy local and in person. This applies for food and objects as well

If you have the space and the time try growing easy vegetables

Recycle and demand your country/state/region/city to actually dispose of waste in a safe way and to actually recycle

Instead of throwing away your old clothes give them to others, friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, charities

Try to avoid buying plastic products. (I understand this can be impossible sometimes but if you have alternatives pls consider them)

Demand your government for environmental friendly politics and demand them now

Boycott brands that greenwash their products

Take care of your garden, plants, the grass at the park

Stop buying from brands who pollute water (fuck nestle)

Stop buying from brands who promote child labor and slavery (fuck nestle)

Demand for better public transportation

Try to fix the objects that break instead of buying new ones

Don't buy another car if yours works fine

Read what things are made of, clothes, foods etc

If there are protests join them!

3) Improve mental health

Less screen time

Unfollow anyone you think has a perfect life, a perfect house, a perfect partner, a perfect career, a perfect body. Unfollow any aesthetic blogs. Life isn't like that anyway

Anyone who tells you you can fix your life with just enough motivation is lying to you

You just need the right diet/outfit/skin routine/face symmetry/... Lies! ALL LIES!! You need a support system.

The good news, if you don't have a support system is that, is that making friends isn't as hard as it seems I promise.

Lots and lots of people are feeling lonely right now, everybody is looking for a sense of community, build one

Try a new hobby, or continue with another one

Read something, not like everyday, or that you have to reach a book quota, read anything magazines, fanfictions, instructions...

Sometimes the world seems against you, but it's not

Don't panic

Talk with your friends

Talk with your family

Make new friends and/or a new family if the current ones sucks

Walk a little bit every day

Get out of the house

Ask for help if you need it, even if you think it's something stupid, I promise people won't roll their eyes and be pissed about it

You're a complex organism, you need to eat

4) Career

It's always okay to waste company's time and money

Ask for a raise even if you don't think you deserve one

Never give your 100%

Be friendly with your colleagues (you're in the same boat)

Don't do things that are obviously dangerous just because "they've always done it like that" . You have the right to be safe

Always check the company's benefits

In many countries is actually illegal to get fired on the spot. Workers have rights, and if they don't they should demand them

Unionize. If you can't/don't want to at least talk with your colleagues about the problems you all are facing

You don't owe your workplace the truth about your lifestyle and your identity

5) Manifesting

Remember that is always morally right to celebrate when horrible people die

It's also always morally correct to wish for billionaires, politicians, CEOs, and dictators to die

6) Be the change

- Vote. One of the most important things you can do is to VOTE

I know politicians all look the same and it feels like compromising your ethics. But it's not like that. The only ones gaining something from your absence at the polls are the fascists!!

Spread awareness about the injustices, not only online but in your circle as well.

Donate when you can

Protest

Demand your government to take action

[hayleysayshay]

Which politics anyway? No one hates Ireland. Blaming the way others perceive your country in general is already a cop-out when it comes from the UK or Germany, but nobody dislikes Ireland or has any grievances against it.

So this is the post I’m referring to:

‘Ireland is never given a chance’ ???? Ppl in the UK said this and then we did rly well last year. It’s like if you send a good song ppl will vote for it.

Ireland did do decently well in 2018 with a sweet song. It got points from multiple countries. It didn’t blow anyone’s mind but Ireland has done well recently. Ppl are totally willing to give Ireland points.

When ppl say political they either mean ‘we have done x so ppl don’t like us’ which doesn’t apply to Ireland anyway because they haven’t done anything contentious; ‘no-one likes us and we have no friendly neighbours’ which is a slight factor in that regional bloc voting does exist but Italy doesn’t have strong bloc voting with anyone and they always do well; or diaspora voting, which you can’t stop and countries with a large diaspora like Poland haven’t automatically gotten through in previous years anyway.

Ireland doesn’t do well as RTE don’t have much money. It’s clear from the selection show and staging. In some countries Eurovision is very big so it attracts talent to pre-selection finals, but in other countries it’s seen as naff so it doesn’t 0attract talent in the same way, and labels aren’t going to submit an artist to the pre selection process or allow them to be internally selected if it’s naff and it could sink a career or waste their time. Which is why I think the UK selection process with TAP music works well; it allows TAP to find someone themselves with some buzz behind them who is also willing to do it without the risk of a National final and being embarrassed if they weren’t picked by the public. A third party directly connected to the talent helping RTE would be a huge benefit imo. Or that just need a star to volunteer themselves a la Anouk with the Netherlands which helped transform the competition in their country and the Netherlands have done pretty well since then (2023 being the second time they haven’t qualified in just over ten years I think)

[wench-and-jezebel]

Ten Inch Hero Reaction:

Jezebel (@typicalopposite) reacts [with occasional asides by Wench (@scripted-downfall)]

Such a different vibe from Devour ☠️☠️☠️☠️  [alksdjf Tis true]

“Normal people need not apply” ☠️☠️☠️ we’d fit in there  [We would indeed]

Danneeellll

Oh noooo

Sir

I wanna work here [:)) I KNOW]

[I love that the customers get to vote]  The dog.  I love it  [Yes, and the dog]

Hmmm

Ahhhhh!  Omg! He’s here!

☠️☠️☠️☠️  “Well he’s employed here”  [That line bothers me so but anyway]

🤣🤣🤣 “And now you’re hiring people who fail the interview?”

Well.  Shit.  [She’s lying, dear]

🤣🤣🤣  Poor buddy

[Zo!  I love her]

Oh, man, chat rooms  [I know!  We'd never talk long distance on an electronic device]

☠️☠️☠️☠️ His look

Idek what this movie is about and I love it

It just is so chill and nothing is happening (so far) but it’s like 😍😍  [This is the vibe throughout]

☠️☠️☠️☠️ This lady 🤣🤣🤣🤣  [I told you I loved her]

Welp. Now I’ll think of that next time I eat eggs.

☠️☠️☠️ DoorDash.  Back in the day

She ain’t even look both ways; she’s definitely a witch

Ooooo

OHHHHH WELL SHIT.  WELP SHIT.

THIS WHOLE MOVIE JUST YEETED ITSELF A DIFFERENT DIRECTION

Damn, that’s sad af

Ma’am.  You stop that.  Flirt.

Awwwww.  Well that was wholesome as helll

[Buddy is not subtle okay]  ☠️☠️☠️

Bruh this is the one I wanted to watch the most and I’m gonna struggle commenting because I’m too into it 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

They have the same sketch book 🥺🥺🥺

Oooooooh is this going where I think it is [*whistles*]  Oh nooooo tho.  Cause it’s gonna be drama first.  That’s a big no no in adopting

I WANT THAT VANNNNNN

Priestly is adorable

Oh, douchebags

☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

Well that’s what you get you ass

Bruh.  Why am I not loving Danneel?  I wanna love Danneeel!

☠️☠️☠️☠️ Not the eye flutters!  I’m ded  [I love him]  I knowwww

Awwwwww muh heart.  I can’t take it!

Plz tell me Jen doesn’t get hurt

This kid is ADORABLE

AWWWWWW

[I love Priestly flipping the bottle, btw; watch for it]

Oooof  [Poor buddy :(]

Ngl she deserved the door in the face

Poorrrr buddyyyy

[Us if we ever met in person: "we tell each other everything-"]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️

HE IS THE COOOOLEST BOSS

POOOOR BUDDDDYYYY

[THIS SCENE]  OH I KNOW THIS SCENE  [I've made you watch it]

[Sharky boy 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣]

[The first scene that made me like Tish]  Yess!!

Oooooo that’s the face of someone who likes someone pjhhhh

Omg, buddy

Well shit it worked

That’s adorable omg

This is soooo awkward cause it’s gonna look so bad when he realizes

Also ooof; everyone putting feet in mouths

The phone cord ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ Deceased

[Poor pup looks Unhappy]  Oh poor Bam Bam

Oh the buzz ☠️☠️☠️☠️

Oh my god

[Return of Jezebel the Deed critic]  BRUH.  I GOT NO WARNING.   [I forgot alskfdj]

DANEEEL  YOUR HUSBAND IS LIKE😭👏🏼👏🏼 not him

WELP 👀 *sigh*

[Sheeeeee]

Sweetie dump his assssss

He’s getting bent over by brad anyway [ALKSDJF;LKADSJF]

[It was a demogorgon]  ☠️🤣🤣🤣

[The little girl shouting "FRAT PARTY" tho]

I love this 😭😭😭

Whooooa awkwarddddddddd

Ohhhhhhh just tell me what happens.  I can’t take it!  [About?]  When he finds out  [Wait and see :)]

☠️☠️☠️☠️ [I love him; Priestly's my beloved]

Hell, I love all of them! Even Tish is coming around

Bruh this lady is a witch

[Priestly reacting like that as if he hasn't been doing about the same with Tish tho alksdjflkadsjf]  🤣🤣🤣🤣

I WANT THIS VANNNNNN

Why would you chase a goose

[Okay, I'm warning you now that Jen kindaaaaa annoys me here, but anyway.  (Give it a few minutes.)]   Oooof ok

TISH

JEN

WOTS HAPPENING

Oh, pity party.  Oh, I see

[MA'AM YOU JUST LEFT HIM SITTING BY HIMSELF WDYM]  This is definitely not ok

But like… why are they not saying she’s not ugly 👀👀  This isn’t okay either

[And btw.  I've been in a similar position to her.  So like.  I understand.  I just don't respect it.]

I WANT THIS JOBBBBB

["I was sitting by the phone, waiting, wondering..."  BUDDY.  "There's a perfectly good reason we didn't call" NO?!?!?  THAT’S ALL THE MORE REASON TO CALL HIM AND TELL HIM NOT TO BRING IT UP OR SOMETHING?!?!?]

Ooooh get her

Bruh he speaks truth

["Why are you suddenly Fuzzy's best friend?"  Because he didn't deserve that shit, wdym]

Oooof  [BUDDYYYY]

[The voice crack tho]  OOOOOFFFF

OOOOO WHATCHUUU DOING buddy  [Priestly be meddling]

Oh my goddddd 

OH MY GOD

BRUHHH

BRUHHH BRAD

DOUCHEEEEEBAGS

OH SHIT

WEAK ASS PUNK FELL LIKE A FEATHER

OH BOY

Oh boy

Well shit

Oooooofta

Beat.  His.  Ass.

Someone please do it

Oooo- Get him

Ok?  And? 🤣

[This be go well]

GETTTTTT HIMMM

OH SHIT  YESSSS TRUCKERRRRRR

“YOU DICKLESS YUPPIE”  THAT WAS AMAZING

💕💕💕💕 Preistlyyyyyy

[Tish, ma’am.  You came onto every dude in the shop… Defy gender norms and ask Priestly first instead of making him do it.]

I’m trying to think of who Zo is.  I’ve seen her in something else.  I love her!  She’s so calming

[He has the dark half of a yin-yang tattoo, and I want her to have the other half; I think it'd be so cute]

😭😭😭😭😭 Loveeeeee.  So much loveeeeee!

☠️☠️☠️☠️ What. Are.  [These dudes did not learn the lesson] 🤣🤣🤣🤣

“Keep the lubeeee” [The look tho]

Well she gets A Julia.  Not her Julia, but she also gets a Noah.  So like… Win win

Awwwww

Oh OHHHHH

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Fuzzzyyyyy

[Also, the music here is from the Deckerstar prom.  It's the song he plays for her]  Oh my gawdddddddd

😭😭😭😭

Aight cmon gimme the bad ending

Priestly was like nope I’m getting credit for this

Why can’t they just kiss and let it end here

[Look at himmmm!!!  Buddy's so nervous slkdfj;laksdjf]

In her head (Danneel, not Tish), she’s like yep I’m marrying him

[Who gave him permission to be this adorable tho.  The wide-eyed curious stare thing is just ack.]

Ahhhhh

Aight so headcanon he swaps right back

But omg he rubbed his lips

I’m ded

I’m not even mad, that was adorable

[Hmph.]

Wot Is Happening??? Sweet lord.  [They’re getting married]  Nekked  [Yup]

– – – 

Endpoint Reaction:

Jezebel: That was really good!  😭😭😭😭😭  10/10  (Hah)

Wench: Glad it lived up

Jezebel: Ok I do hate he completely changed for her.  That sucks.  They should have had the scene on the beach him back like before.  Also… Boaz & Platisha  *sigh*  What names.  This was the strangest, most all-over-the-place-yet-all-connected movie I’ve ever seen! But omg no one died!  And everyone got a happy ending, minus Priestley’s style!  (RIP it was not deserved.)

Wench: Yup, ‘tis true

Jezebel: For Jen… I’m glad she got a happy ending. I think I’m even happier he called her pretty. Because I would have been like 👀👀👀☠️ had he walked in and been like… you’re a good person ☠️ And like, no, looks should not matter, but it’s like.. friendship code to lift your friends up… not agree with them *sigh* 🤣  And they didn’t agree, but they didn’t DISAGREE either

Wench: Right

Jezebel: Idk that bugged tf out of me

Wench: Makes sense.  Do we know what we're doing next?

Jezebel: Hmm…

Wench: We still have our shows to be doing, technically-

Jezebel: So we could do one of each show-  SBC

Wench: Sounds good!  Til then!

[co-xeter-group]

its probably due to a perceived closeness between the median american voter and the type of person who encourages people to vote for the democratic candidate on the basis of what they call "harm reduction", which is essentially "voting for the candidate they prefer, even if they do not agree with them". This is typically in opposition to criticisms of the democratic policy platform that also apply to the republican platform, and also is not the same usage of the term as in its origin in addiction circles and care.

In particular I see a lot of the exchange of "the democrats materially support the genocide of Palestine", followed by "so do the Republicans, so vote Dem anyways". This is not typically received well by the former person, who would rather vote for a genocideless option.

The described policy measures by OP are backed in evidence as reducing harm to individuals. Therefore a consistent position of one who supports "harm reduction" would entail the support of the above measures. However, the measures are often met with resistance by the general population. The OP is frustrated at the incongruence of this lack of support with hearing many people arguing for voting for the democrats on the principle of harm reduction.

In countries with sensible democracies the conflict described is much rarer due to a surplus of radical parties (even if "radical" means "don't supply weapons for an ongoing genocide" in your political context).

Really glad we’re all into harm reduction now, suddenly! I look forward to everyone’s continued support of needle exchange sites, decriminalization of drugs and sex work, affordable, multi-unit housing (yes even in your neighborhood), and free universal sex education, contraceptives, menstrual products, and pre/peri/post-natal care.

[captainarchmage]

Why CaptainArchmage thinks you should vote Kamala Harris for President and Democrats Everywhere

GIF by kinstuck

So tomorrow is the US Election, and while it’s clear that CaptainArchmage (despite trying to avoid posting political stuff, given the situation I have no choice left) would be for Kamala Harris I’m going to make the obvious statement out here. Vote for Kamala.

GIF by lesbianneopolitan

The alternatives don’t bear thinking about and that's what I'm going to be writing about here. No, this is serious. The general reaction below.

GIF by sillyandcoolhomestuckpanels

For Starters, no, both sides are not the yiffing same. This is prima facie false. The current administration is Biden/Harris, and what you’re voting for is Harris/Walz. The Former Guy, when he became president, inherited Obama’s economy and rode on the coat-tails of it until COVID happened and everything hit the buffers. Everything. All of it. He also passed a bunch of tariffs which made life harder for ordinary Americans, did nothing to build infrastructure, and presided over scandal after scandal doing nothing to rectify the concerns of transparency. He put Assange in jail, destroyed alliances, and put in three judges to push forward an extreme agenda through the courts, which given the way the American civic system works, ensured his actions would lead to the end of Roe vs. Wade, and could well lead to the loss of interracial marriage, same-sex marriage, and even rights of certain people to own a bank account, business, or birth control (and fellas your video games and condoms are next).

GIF by insufferable-homestuck

You had enuf yet? When's enuf, enuf?

It wasn’t hyperbole then, and it isn’t hyperbole now. The way out of this mess, and this is really the only way out of the mess except in a few specific and limited cases which are all downballot ones, is to vote Kamala Harris and Democrats.

Biden/Harris rebuilt the economy, managed to reshore industries to America, rebuilt alliances, built infrastructure, and oversaw massive expansion of renewables in America. They also didn’t throw a coup. Which is to say I can't even go over all the issues with the prior admin in one post. And no, "inflation" was a worldwide phenomenon which Biden/Harris managed to get a lid on, to a point. And by "a lid on" I mean the prices stopped rising as fast.

Biden was "forced" to step down due to the media hysteria (where the media seems to have been actively promoting The Former Guy for years now, including providing several billion dollars of free coverage from 2016) and spineless Democrat leaders. Which is to say I don't have *that* high a view of the Democratic party, and many of these supporters, and I know from listening a lot of folks are angry about them letting Biden down. Anyways you got Harris and Walz.

Walz being that football coach guy who had a great time in high school and college and also saved a few folks from addiction apparently. Also he backed free school meals and got them in his state. Which is to say there's not much of a case for going against this guy, is there. Just what are you guys angry about?

Look here, there’s only two arguments against Biden and Harris, and these are shakey: Gaza and “the economy isn’t good for ME”. I’ll address these as follows.

Israel has Congressional law on their side. That’s a Congress-side problem. America agreed to supply Israel a bunch of lethal aid, and that law continues to apply despite the war. They should probably condition aid, and redirect it to Ukraine, but that’s not a reason to enable The Former Guy given everything else. And cutting aid to Israel means Israel will just look to other countries to fill in the vacuum. The notion that Israel doesn’t have supporters and cheerleaders in other countries is based on a totally bizarre worldview where only America has sovereign capabilities. India has Modi, who backs Israel. India also has plenty of manufacturing capacity. This is to say some of the biggest players in the BRICS economically are pro-Israel. Ending American involvement won’t end the conflict in Gaza, but it may well cause it to blow up out of all proportion. I'm not saying it's right, but the issue with Israel isn't just who is president of the US. This is a multipolar world and the new "poles" aren't going to be fulfilling your idea necessarily of what they should be doing. Quite the contrary in this case.

As to the economy not being good for you: I’m sorry, but in the end that’s also like saying the planet isn’t heating up because it’s cold outside. There’s local areas left out from the benefit of the growing economy... they DO have to be helped, and we have to understand what's going on... the causes though need to be assessed. It's also something that ain't happening under a Republican government.

And if you think flipping the table is going to help... think of the amount of organization and materiel that is required for what YOU want to happen. It's a lot. It's also very difficult. It's also something your current trajectory is completely opposed to achieving, because constantly sabotaging any kind of support or trying to turn over the US to fascism isn't the way to build the logistical supply chain you want to achieve your goals. In fact it's quite the contrary.

Like seriously, Biden/Harris went ahead with pulling out of Afghanistan and ending the drone war, tried to clear up student debt... come on, man. What are you angry about?

GIF by muvana

OK, so what happens in the "exception cases"? Well that's a VERY good question. This is the one case where you may be able to vote for a third party candidate in specific and limited circumstances without risking republican fascism, but it won't be for president. Reaction below.

GIF by homestuck-archive

Here's the scenario: You live in an area where Republicans have a VERY low voter count, and the realistic electoral struggle is between a Democrat and an Independent or 3rd party candidate who isn't a "Libertarian" (economic). Is it a good idea? Possibly.

GIF by macromothmicroplastic

Except 3rd parties are also not so great on civil liberties compared to Democrats. Right now, Jill Stein, who seems to have been the A1 choice of many Dem-exit proponents now has a transphobic vice presidential ticket, among other things. Really, commander? This isn't progress. Not just in terms of risking The Former Guy... this is a platform I'd be voting against.

GIF by prettyhomestuckpanels

Like I said before, when's enuf enuf? Anyways if you're an American you need to get out and vote. This doesn't JUST include the president that means everyone else right down to the lowest levels. Fact is that the Republican Party seem to have taken a stance to actively smash up everything, so what you're doing now is damage control. And you WILL need Democrats in House and Senate positions too. Split ticket voting ain't the way either, here. See this issue is that at some point in time, Republicans or the "GQP" as it is now decided the best way forward was to smash up the administrative state and everything else really.

If you split ticket, that fascist element is going to bubble up in a nasty way you don't like and won't like.

And that really needs to come to an end, not just for America but for the rest of the world too.

[emperorblargus]

Why Blargus thinks you should vote Kamala Harris for President and Democrats Everywhere

So tomorrow is the US Election, and while it’s clear that Blargus would be for Kamala Harris I’m going to make the obvious statement out here. Vote for Kamala.

The alternatives don’t bear thinking about and that's what I'm going to be writing about here. No, this is serious. The general reaction below.

For Starters, no, both sides are not the yiffing same. This is prima facie false. The current administration is Biden/Harris, and what you’re voting for is Harris/Walz. The Former Guy, when he became president, inherited Obama’s economy and rode on the coat-tails of it until COVID happened and everything hit the buffers. Everything. All of it. He also passed a bunch of tariffs which made life harder for ordinary Americans, did nothing to build infrastructure, and presided over scandal after scandal doing nothing to rectify the concerns of transparency. He put Assange in jail, destroyed alliances, and put in three judges to push forward an extreme agenda through the courts, which given the way the American civic system works, ensured his actions would lead to the end of Roe vs. Wade, and could well lead to the loss of interracial marriage, same-sex marriage, and even rights of certain people to own a bank account, business, or birth control (and fellas your video games and condoms are next).

You had enuf yet? When's enuf, enuf?

It wasn’t hyperbole then, and it isn’t hyperbole now. The way out of this mess, and this is really the only way out of the mess except in a few specific and limited cases which are all downballot ones, is to vote Kamala Harris and Democrats.

Biden/Harris rebuilt the economy, managed to reshore industries to America, rebuilt alliances, built infrastructure, and oversaw massive expansion of renewables in America. They also didn’t throw a coup. Which is to say I can't even go over all the issues with the prior admin in one post. And no, "inflation" was a worldwide phenomenon which Biden/Harris managed to get a lid on, to a point. And by "a lid on" I mean the prices stopped rising as fast.

Biden was "forced" to step down due to the media hysteria (where the media seems to have been actively promoting The Former Guy for years now, including providing several billion dollars of free coverage from 2016) and spineless Democrat leaders. Which is to say I don't have *that* high a view of the Democratic party, and many of these supporters, and I know from listening a lot of folks are angry about them letting Biden down. Anyways you got Harris and Walz.

Walz being that football coach guy who had a great time in high school and college and also saved a few folks from addiction apparently. Also he backed free school meals and got them in his state. Which is to say there's not much of a case for going against this guy, is there. Just what are you guys angry about?

Look here, there’s only two arguments against Biden and Harris, and these are shakey: Gaza and “the economy isn’t good for ME”. I’ll address these as follows.

Israel has Congressional law on their side. That’s a Congress-side problem. America agreed to supply Israel a bunch of lethal aid, and that law continues to apply despite the war. They should probably condition aid, and redirect it to Ukraine, but that’s not a reason to enable The Former Guy given everything else. And cutting aid to Israel means Israel will just look to other countries to fill in the vacuum. The notion that Israel doesn’t have supporters and cheerleaders in other countries is based on a totally bizarre worldview where only America has sovereign capabilities. India has Modi, who backs Israel. India also has plenty of manufacturing capacity. This is to say some of the biggest players in the BRICS economically are pro-Israel. Ending American involvement won’t end the conflict in Gaza, but it may well cause it to blow up out of all proportion. I'm not saying it's right, but the issue with Israel isn't just who is president of the US. This is a multipolar world and the new "poles" aren't going to be fulfilling your idea necessarily of what they should be doing. Quite the contrary in this case.

As to the economy not being good for you: I’m sorry, but in the end that’s also like saying the planet isn’t heating up because it’s cold outside. There’s local areas left out from the benefit of the growing economy... they DO have to be helped, and we have to understand what's going on... the causes though need to be assessed. It's also something that ain't happening under a Republican government.

And if you think flipping the table is going to help... think of the amount of organization and materiel that is required for what YOU want to happen. It's a lot. It's also very difficult. It's also something your current trajectory is completely opposed to achieving, because constantly sabotaging any kind of support or trying to turn over the US to fascism isn't the way to build the logistical supply chain you want to achieve your goals. In fact it's quite the contrary.

Like seriously, Biden/Harris went ahead with pulling out of Afghanistan and ending the drone war, tried to clear up student debt... come on, man. What are you angry about?

OK, so what happens in the "exception cases"? Well that's a VERY good question. This is the one case where you may be able to vote for a third party candidate in specific and limited circumstances without risking republican fascism, but it won't be for president. Reaction below.

Here's the scenario: You live in an area where Republicans have a VERY low voter count, and the realistic electoral struggle is between a Democrat and an Independent or 3rd party candidate who isn't a "Libertarian" (economic). Is it a good idea? Possibly.

Except 3rd parties are also not so great on civil liberties compared to Democrats. Right now, Jill Stein, who seems to have been the A1 choice of many Dem-exit proponents now has a transphobic vice presidential ticket, among other things. Really, commander? This isn't progress. Not just in terms of risking The Former Guy... this is a platform I'd be voting against.

Like I said before, when's enuf enuf? Anyways if you're an American you need to get out and vote. This doesn't JUST include the president that means everyone else right down to the lowest levels. Fact is that the Republican Party seem to have taken a stance to actively smash up everything, so what you're doing now is damage control. And you WILL need Democrats in House and Senate positions too. Split ticket voting ain't the way either, here. See this issue is that at some point in time, Republicans or the "GQP" as it is now decided the best way forward was to smash up the administrative state and everything else really.

If you split ticket, that fascist element is going to bubble up in a nasty way you don't like and won't like.

And that really needs to come to an end, not just for America but for the rest of the world too.

[sa7abnews]

Washington’s web of lies is backfiring over Venezuela

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/16/washingtons-web-of-lies-is-backfiring-over-venezuela/

Washington’s web of lies is backfiring over Venezuela

Even if Maduro stole the election, no one would believe the US anyway

The 2024 presidential election in Venezuela, held on July 28, has stirred international concern – much like the preceding elections in the Caribbean state. A clear divide has emerged, with the United States and its allies supporting the opposition, while countries in the emerging multipolar world order are backing President Nicolas Maduro. In much the same way that the US and its allies have disputed the legitimacy of Maduro’s presidency since the 2018 election, spurring an artificial “presidential crisis” with former opposition leader Juan Guaido recognized by Washington as the “legitimate” president, the West is doing this again with former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez. The opposition has released copies of official tally sheets collected by poll watchers from most of the nation’s polling centers. The sheets show an apparent landslide victory of 80% for Gonzalez, a claim that is now being widely circulated and amplified by the Western press. Meanwhile, the results released by the National Electoral Council showed a narrow victory for Maduro with 52%, resulting in opposition protests. The Venezuelan government has criminalized such demonstrations and moved to stamp down opposition leaders.

Read more

US recognizes Venezuelan election runner-up as winner

Given the state of the Venezuelan economy and widespread poverty, it is not outside the realm of basic reason that Maduro could have actually lost. Researchers, including Steve Levitsky, an expert on democracy at Harvard University, have also noted how improbable the official results are. He told the New York Times that this recent vote is “one of the most egregious electoral frauds in modern Latin American history.” But others disagree. Denis Rogatyuk, a reporter with El Ciudadano who covered the election for the independent media platform, told RT: “The days preceding the election showed a monumental advantage that Nicolas Maduro and the PSUV had over the opposition in terms of manpower and the sheer strength of its electoral mobilization.” “The closing rallies for President Maduro drew in crowds six to seven times larger than those of Gonzalez and Machado. And the second bulletin released by the CNE on August 2nd, showing 6,408,844 votes for Maduro, aligns perfectly with this notion, and the fact that the combined membership of the PSUV and its allied parties is just over 6 million as well,” he concluded.  However, the more interesting dynamic with regard to the situation in Venezuela is the fact that the US is failing to garner the requisite support needed to apply the pressure it wants on Caracas. It shows a dwindling of American soft power in what was once considered the empire’s backyard. For example, the situation in Bolivia in 2019, in which former President Evo Morales was forced to resign in the wake of widespread pressure from the police and military after international interference, has clearly left a sour taste in Latin Americans’ collective mouths.

Read more

Venezuela opens probe into opposition over ‘insurrection’ attempts 

The three most prominent countries in the region – Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia – have not condemned Maduro. In fact, the Organization of American States (OAS), which had previously passed a resolution against Morales in 2019, failed to pass a resolution over the situation in Venezuela. While 17 members voted to condemn Maduro, 11 abstained – including Brazil and Colombia – and five delegations, including Mexico, skipped the session altogether. The OAS needed 18 votes to pass it. Even the European Union has failed to muster support after Hungary blocked a joint statement by the bloc that would have cited “flaws and irregularities” in the election, forcing EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to publish it in a personal capacity. What we see here is a classic case of the boy who cried wolf. The US has continually cried wolf over alleged breakdowns of democracy in Latin America, using its soft power to thwart independent governments through international forums and mafia diplomacy. It has spawned coup after coup, leaving nothing but destruction and destitution in its wake. People in the hemisphere – and indeed the world – are sick of injustice and maltreatment. This time, Washington may have actually been right. It could be the case that Maduro lost in this election. It could also not be the case, and that is well-established by the fact that the US and its henchmen are pathological liars. In any case, wherever objective truth may lie, no one believes Uncle Sam’s claims anymore, evidently because he has abused his power for too long in his cynical pursuit of domination.

[duskdaumbreon]

Not voting is the only leverage that any normal person has to make political bodies understand that what they are doing is not the will of the people, so why should we throw our only leverage away and vote for whatever dem they roll out no matter what they do? How do you expect the Dems to ever get better or a third party to ever win if your going to go around telling everyone that they have to vote Dems no matter how well they actually help people?

You talk a lot about Dems preventing the genocide of queer people, but as a queer dude with queer friends I care about deeply in Texas, we are fighting this battle all by ourselves. None of the so called saviors Dems in Washington are helping us out here, so why should there continued "support" mean so much to me that I over look their support for genocide and vote anyway?

So. Since you mentioned it, I assume you know what's already happening in Texas, correct? And what's happening in Florida? Are you aware of what Project 2025 is?

Do you also see the lack of things like that in blue states?

Yes, Dems currently aren't doing much about protecting queer people at a federal level. They're trying, but quite obviously not succeeding. Partially because they don't quite control the house, partially because SCOTUS is overwhelmingly conservative.

But, here's the thing: "Not succeeding at passing laws that protect queer people" is nowhere near "Actively pushing to eradicate queer people". Even if they can't pass thing to protect people, congress being split up like this is at least stopping republicans from taking what Florida is already doing, making it a thousand times worse, and applying it to the entire nation. They might not be able to protect queer people in Texas, but at least they're stopping republicans from doing the same thing everywhere else while at least trying to get something good done. And stopping things from getting worse, even if it's by just existing and not actually passing laws to protect people, is better than actively causing harm.

And, quite simply, while things are sitting like this...I don't see any way for a third party to appear. At all. And it fucking sucks. I hate it. I wish we had an actually leftist government that actively protected people.

But at the same time....what else are we going to do? Let the GOP win, wipe out protections and cause massive harm in all states rather than just red states, disenfranchise everyone they can, and make everything so much worse across the board?

In the short term I don't see any possible way for the whole two party bullshit to stop. In the long term, it'll only really be able to happen when the GOP stops being as much of a threat. Either that means they recognize that they cannot win power while still being as violently anti-queer and racist, or it means they end up fracturing into two parties first. I don't really know what would cause either of those, I'm absolutely not a political scientist. I get the feeling there's a lot of tension in the GOP right now, mostly from donald and the other maga fuckwads, so maybe that will cause them to split? I have no idea. If that happens, then it would actually be safe to actually just not vote for democrats and instead vote for third parties. But doing that right now is just...borderline suicidal.

Or, hell, maybe a miracle will happen and we'll actually see some election reform. I know NY was trying ranked choice at one point. Dunno what happened with that.

Another way would be to push for third parties at the state level. That's generally safer, and they've actually been able to win seats at that level before. If a third party hits an actual notable status and stands an actual chance of influencing national elections to some degree, then that'd be another path forward that's not just going to end in queer genocide. I actually strongly encourage that, if you're in a safe enough state that it won't flip red.

Anyway, thank you for at least being reasonable in my askbox instead of just being another hatemail spewing idiot. I do appreciate that.

[notthegrouch]

to expand upon that last comment:

people talk about "right" and "left" in politics so often, that we sometimes forget the definitions of why they are left/right and just see the general trends of what they do, so here's a quick reminder:

Right = a strong belief in hierarchy, often a small in-group destined to dominate over a larger out-group.

Left = a strong belief in social equality, which requires a lot of transparency, trust and cooperation, but if all goes well would benefit everyone.

centrists often mildy agree with one of these ideals, but think that the other is a necessary evil. This also means you can come at centrists believes from two different directions.

So EVERYTHING rightwingers do, can be understood by knowing that they don’t come to their conclusions by thinking about how it will affect others. They only think of how it will affect them and the people they consider their equals. The only way that right wing can actually come to power is by lying about how big the in-group actually is, and by falsely including people in the in-group so long as they don’t threaten the established order. This is where a lot of the internal logical inconsistencies come from: in right wing politics your place in hierarchy is more important than what other people think of you.

This is why JK Rowling despite claiming to be a feminist, can be friends with fascists. She’s doing everything in her power to condemn everything that falls outside of her narrow definition of women, which doesn’t threaten the established order of sexism in the way that other feminists would. 

This is why Ted Cruz supports Trump despite Trump always kicking him down. He has to take it, or else he loses his place in the hierarchy completely.

This is why, in my own country The Netherlands, right-wing parties often portray muslim immigrants as a danger to “dutch values“ like gay marriage, while at the same time not actually voting to protect gay marriage. They just say whatever they need to stay in power.

This is why so many low educated working class people vote against their own interest: right-wing people in power NEED to have low educated people that can be tricked into thinking they are part of the in-group, so that they can be used to divide-and-conquer the outgroup. As long as out-groupers have the hope that they could one day belong to the in-group, they can be tricked into voting for laws that will keep them poor and powerless.

This is why they think left-wing would do the same. Most conspiracy theories are based on the assumption that both sides of the political spectrum are secretly right wing. truth, facts and research don’t mean anything when you view everything through a lens colored by power, money and hierarchy.

and last of all, this is why they see no difference in crossdressing / drag shows / being transgender. There is no need to differentiate: it’s all the out-group anyway and no matter what, they are a danger to the sexist hierarchy that they uphold: the second that a “man wants to be feminine“ in public, they can’t uphold the lie anymore that men are inherently better than women. the second that a “woman wants to be a man“ they can’t uphold the lie that women are inherently fit for caring roles at home, and men inherently fit for leading and working.

Right-wingers aren’t stupid, they aren’t dumb, they don’t believe things that make no sense. They are a threat to public safety and their logical inconsistencies are a feature, not a bug. Even when their laws backfire, they don’t ever backfire in a way that actually affects the in-group, simply because their laws aren’t applied to the top of the hierarchy in the first place.

YOU know that drag performers aren’t usually trans people. *I* know that. Right-wingers don’t. The attacks on drag shows are anti-trans attacks.