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this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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Oh I'm sure some people are inherently evil like that. I didn't used to think that way, I used to believe that all people were occasionally confused but basically good and we could all find common ground to work together. Talking to enough Republican voters changed my mind on that.
But that's all kind of besides the point, this article isn't about why evil people vote for Republicans, it's about why other people don't vote.
e; Also, I'm not a liberal, I think liberals are greedy and dumb and preventing more efficient economic systems from taking root, but I'm fully willing to work with them and vote for them if it keeps Republicans out of power.
I think it’s important to point out that liberal != leftist. Also, neoliberal is critically and meaningfully different from both of those.
I am a leftist/socialist at this point. I can play the capitalism game because that’s what I grew up and established my career in, but I try to push it in more positive directions where and when I can. I vote for Democrats in US elections because our electoral system is structured to only allow us to chose between parties that are, at the moment, either neoliberal or theocratic fascist, but I want to make it clear that while I very much do not like the vast majority of the Democratic Party, I outright revile what the GOP has mutated into, and I will never vote for any Republican, in any election, at any level, for the rest of my life, specifically due to what they’ve done as a matter of public policy since I was a child, and more specifically due to how they’ve allowed themselves to be turned from low-key regressive racists to boldly chauvinistic, xenophobic, white supremacist, theocratic authoritarians. Also, fuck Regan and Nixon.
Bingo, I'm a democratic socialist who aligns with liberals to thwart conservatives (who I think are wrong about most everything but deserve a seat at the table) and fight fascists (who I do not think deserve a seat at the table because they're inherently violent and dangerous).
I like liberalism's commitment to civil rights and protecting minority populations, but I think it's too individualistic and basically just unwilling/unable to grapple with the consequences of the industrial revolution and urbanization (let alone climate change). I think capitalist markets have their place for certain things (e.g. culture, entertainment, luxury goods, etc.), but vitally important things (i.e. housing, food, clean water, healthcare, education, legal advocacy, and transportation) should be equally available to everyone and provided through democratically accountable taxpayer funded institutions. Also, I think the government should only partner with private businesses in exceptional circumstances and should generally try to do things for itself with a workforce that's like at least five times the size of what we have now. Also, private schools and home schooling should be abolished and billionaires kids and poor people's kids should be socialized and educated together.
I expect I'd struggle to get more than 5% of the vote with those positions in basically any American election, but I'm committed to democracy regardless anyway because a) I think there's always going to be disagreements among people and giving them a venue to fight over those disagreements with words and votes discourages them from utilizing more destructive and destabilizing things, b) it's just really fundamental basic fairness to me, which is kind my whole overriding thing when it comes to political or economic questions (like, one of my principle problems with capitalism (beyond the fact that it's just inherently self destructive) is it's totally undemocratic)).
Evil as a formal idea does not exist. Actions are considered evil. People commit evil acts because of ignorance, manipulation and indoctrination. Evil people can be changed with education. True “evil,” like serial killers, usually involves some chemical imbalance mentally. Or a combination of abuse, neglect and imbalance.
Yeah, I used to believe exactly this, but I've seen too many privileged and comfortable people do and argue for completely sadistic shit to hold on to that anymore. Or maybe it is true, but it just doesn't matter to me as much as it used to when the end result is innocents getting hurt.
For what it's worth, I like the world you're describing a lot more than the one I feel like I'm currently living in.
They are the same world. I still slip into that world. In 2016-2019, I hated Trump with a passion. Then I realized he is just a sad, abused and neglected kid. The sycophants around him are influenced by capitalistic greed. Capitalism is the cause of most problems in our society. It seems to easy to say that, but it’s true. Marxism and socialism aren’t the answer. But they are the first step to finding the answer.
I’m talking about education from the beginning, at an early age. Babies aren’t born evil, it is learned. I don’t disagree with you about stubbornness and hate. It’s dangerous and dehumanizing to think of them as just evil. They are victims of abuse, indoctrination and material conditions. I’m not excusing the “evil” actions, just hoping people understand they are victims of circumstances. That’s why they don’t see themselves as racist. In their world/view they are not. We have to continue to educate them. When that fails, violence becomes the only option. You can’t compromise with fascism.
Psychologist disagree with this notion. Sorry if you were abused, it’s not your fault.
I was just thinking about this the other day. Everyone who does something others might consider evil, finds a way to justify their actions so that they aren’t evil. Once you realize this, it’s hard to get mad at people when they’re only being themselves.
It's plenty easy when "people being themselves" hurt people you care about
Fair enough in those instances
Exactly. Hitler thought he was doing the right thing. From his perspective, he was righteous. Hannah Arrendt explained this. It’s “F’ed” up, but explains so much. Religion, and propaganda from movies and tv teach us that people are inherently evil. Once you realize that’s not true, you begin the journey to find out why they believe the horrible things they do. That journey can take some time. But it is worth it.