#don't be a stooge

[creature-wizard]

The warning comes after a tumultuous few weeks in U.S. politics that have forced Russia, Iran and China to revise some of the details of their propaganda playbook. What hasn’t changed, intelligence officials said, is the determination of these nations to seed the internet with false and incendiary claims about American democracy to undermine faith in the election.

(Reminder that Jill Stein is a Russian asset, by the way.)

[captainstoneybaloney]

I am writing this post in case anyone I've called a stooge in the comments of a post wonders where I'm coming from.

I'm very frustrated by how many people here in the US think that "no, you can't vote for a candidate that is alligned with your values, you have to vote for the lesser of the two evils that are likely to win" is actual functional democracy. Or they act like they think so when they argue online.

To be clear, yes, I understand the green party candidate, for example, cannot possibly win in this election with the power the two main parties actually have. I am aware of this. I do not advocate ignoring this and attempting to use a third party vote as a statement. It's been set up to keep that from working.

I also don't advocate refusing to vote. I _understand_ refusing to vote, I do not suggest it. I think it's far less helpful than we'd like it to be.

That out of the way, it is entirely possible to suggest people DO vote, without playing pretend that they don't have very valid reasons to criticize this election, or accusing them of prioritizing a selfish feeling of moral superiority over doing the right thing.

This election is a good example of how our system has squatted down and shit all over democracy. How many of you have chastized someone this election for trying to get their will as a citizen represented, rather than "vote blue no matter who"? And then said, seriously, that democracy depends on it?

If you have to vote for one side, no matter what, and are not supposed to question or in any way undermine that party's candidate, what you're advocating, what you seek to preserve, is not democracy. At that point you're operating with the same mentality as a trumpster, just supporting a different person.

Yeah, voting for Harris is a "lesser evil" choice, but you could act less content with that. You could choose not to serve as a stooge to the two party system, doing the individual work, voluntarily, of bullying people into not demanding better. You send a clear message that they can continue to not only serve us less, but get people to act against their own interests to defend them while they morph into republican lite right before your eyes.

What incentive do democrats have NOT to keep moving right, when they've got this many people to get so angry about even suggesting not voting for them? "You better be less fascistic and militant, or else I'll vote for you anyway, and say everyone who doesn't want to is hurting democracy!"

Democracy is already fucked. Lying to yourself and others about it is only going to hurt you and your fellow regular people. Vote for whoever's going to cause less official damage, but don't pretend it's going to be fixed by pledging publicly to have no standards other than not being a registered republican for your politicians.

[heritageposts]

iran has the right to defend itself

[thegreatyin]

the adventures of the neath's most annoying definitely-totally-a-bat-and-not-the-scoundrel-in-a-robe continue (cards. their name is mr cards. or so they insist.)

this time: coworker antics. tune in next week on dragon ball Z where we'll be killing all of them with hammers

[bumblingbabooshka]

Something about this interaction between Harry & Janeway - specifically Janeway but it's notable that Harry's the one listening because I think, say, Chakotay or B'Elanna might push back against the idolization of this 'it was different back in those days' way of thinking.

[dont-read-this-im-dead]

Jurassic Park is wild, because you'e got this billionaire of billionaires, and instead of like, solving world hunger or providing clean water to third world countries or something, he's like, "I got this great idea. Let's bring back DINOSAURS. You know, the things that went extinct 65 million years ago and eat people."

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Idk if this well help you fnaf dinosaurs au.

But here ya go Random fact of the day.

Oooo that's interesting!! And pretty accurate for Roxy given she's never existed in a time where Chica or Monty haven't also existed!! Neat!!

[this-world-of-beautiful-monsters]

You ever see a post so.....mindboggling stupid that you have to block everybody who interacted positively with it?

[bijoumikhawal]

anarchist pin that says "being an anarchist means I have serious moral and philosophical critiques of all governments. Especially the one I live under. Including the "progressive" one you like"

[queen-mabs-revenge]

It's not misrepresenting to say that the Biden administration has been warned of this exact problem for nearly a year now by legal scholars who were then maligned as wreckers and ignored:

"Legal challenges are inevitable. Private banks administer many of these loans, and they will incur millions in losses when the debts are canceled, meaning that those banks would have standing in federal courts. State programs may also be concretely affected, and such states also are likely to sue. These plaintiffs will probably prevail unless the Department of Education narrows the plan’s scope or relies on a different statute when it finalizes the policy.

[...]

Such a statute [that supports cancellation] may exist in plain sight: the Higher Education Act of 1965, which allows the Department of Education to “enforce, pay, compromise, waive, or release any right, title, claim, lien, or demand, however acquired, including any equity or any right of redemption.” The purpose of this clause and this statute appears to fit the real structural social reasons for the Biden administration’s broad policy." - Jed Shugarman in the above-linked Sept. 4, 2022 Atlantic article.

Experts have been warning about the flimsiness of using the HEROS act and have been summarily ignored. The fact of the matter is that Joe Biden, the actual architect of USA Student Debt, the person who is responsible for student debt being exempt from bankruptcy, and his administration do not care about helping as many people being crushed by the policies he built throughout his career as quickly as possible outside of their own political gains.

They knew this was going to fail in the courts, and instead of blaming their poorly constructed plan they now can blame a reactionary court and use the HEA discharge plan to whip voters coming up to the election.

I get that people will feel like they have to vote for who they need to, but you can do that without duping yourself into believing that any of these ghouls are our friends.

Source

All hope is not lost

[nebulousfishgills]

Sometimes constantly being privy to my own mind 24/7 is a curse because I have thoughts that are meant for an audience of one and only one: myself. I have so many different brainrots going on at once and my brain is always looking for connections that may or may not be there or even make a lick of sense to anybody else except for me.

Because I swear to god only I in my infinite idiocy would read the lore of the Dead Three and see this gorgeous artwork of them:

And immediately think of these idiots:

And I can't tell if I've reached a new peak of character understanding or if I need to institutionalize myself.

[bumblingbabooshka]

I know that the post about which Star Trek you've watched was not an invitation for suggestions and that no other series can even come close to what Voyager has with Tuvok, but I think you would really enjoy Enterprise's Carbon Creek for the sheer level of Vulcan lore and shenanigans in it, and it generally works as a stand-alone episode

Can I just say I really love how you worded this and it made me laugh very hard when I read it because it sounds like you're trying very delicately to get me to move on and live my life again after a tragedy and you're very correct to do so, I earnestly love it HEHEHEH you're so nice~ "Listen...we all know Tuvok means so so much to you. No one's trying to take that away, we couldn't even we tried, you know that. But there's a whole WORLD of Star Trek out there...he would have wanted you to watch Carbon Creek - no, he would have wanted you to enjoy it." And I tearfully nod, wiping my eyes. "You're right...I'm being silly, I know." [not at all] I smile slightly. "You know what....? I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna watch Carbon Creek. What's the harm? Just one episode. It'll be good for me. It'll get my mind off him." Anyway I watched Carbon Creek

I immediately drew Tuvok <3 HEHEHE BUT I really did like the episode~!!! The subplot about Jack[?] being able to go to college was really sweet and I thought T'Mir was so lovely looking...I want to dress like her. Why can't /I/ be a little alien woman in a small town? Just because I'm mostly not a woman and live in a big city and am human?? How's THAT fair? Lying: The most fun a girl can have with her clothes on. <- deceiving others about the fact that you weren't lying? Double the fun!

[tinyshe]

It's all fun and games until someone brings a nail gun to the party.

[squidwardqtentaclesrevenge]

I love how now conservatives are blaming 2 female secret service agents for the failure of both police and the secret service as a whole.

A bunch of grown male cops and agents did not secure the surrounding area properly but it's these 2 bitches faults specifically.

[bitch-butter]

Do you have any theories about the others getting up to ~shenanigans~ on the BoB set?

i think they All fucked and it was Great and it Scared them how great it was

(what gives credence to this honestly is the fact that last night I dreamed I got this ask and if you recall i also dreamed the unwell ross/eion stuff and honestly can't get more rock solid than That)

[marlenexalraune]

Tag Dump!