I feel this. The urge to at the very least archly raise an eyebrow at some voters is very real and also utterly fucking aside the point. The past happened; we have things on fire right now. Litigating the past is a luxury item. Dealing with the present is a necessity. - ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

scalzi.com • 17 days ago

I feel this. The urge to at the very least archly raise an eyebrow at some voters is very real and also utterly fucking aside the point. The past happened; we have things on fire right now. Litigating the past is a luxury item. Dealing with the present is a necessity.

Reposted from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

Friends:

I do not want to see any kvetching about people on the left who didn't vote for Harris. Those mistakes didn't decide this.

White supremacists & whoever else wouldn't vote for a Black woman did this. Misogynoir.

The enemy is WHITE SUPREMACY and FASCISM.

Solidarity time. Now. Shore up.

Comments

minerva1.bsky.social•17 days ago

If the Left brings it up and denies their role, the record has to he corrected. But I’m not bringing it up on my own.

brianrwolf.bsky.social•17 days ago

Then maybe far lefties can stop gaslighting liberals and Democrats? No? Do they get a free pass?

ratchetology.bsky.social•17 days ago

they need to accept and acknowledge that their are consequences to their inaction...

they came for the jews and i did nothing because i wasnt a jew...

opposing harris was supporting trump

scottyb.bsky.social•17 days ago

Seems like solidarity time was about 5 months ago. Better late than never I guess. But, we do this every 2 to 4 years, so I don't know if this is a call for solidarity so much as shutting up critics.

scottyb.bsky.social•17 days ago

Big "stop reminding aunt Jen that she passed out drunk during your wedding ceremony" energy.

oldbluebabe.bsky.social•17 days ago

That’s a big ask - but ok

vfxpapa.bsky.social•17 days ago

What bothers me the most is they still aren’t getting it. Yes… white supremacy and fascism IS the enemy, but I’d feel a lot better about our chances if the protest/non-voters would at least get on board with digging us out of this mess. Every interaction I have is "well she shoulda…"

😫

geekdownrange.bsky.social•17 days ago

Those last two sentences are gold.

benrackey.bsky.social•17 days ago

fools gold maybe

How can we expect people to trust us if our own house is in disorder?

benrackey.bsky.social•17 days ago

John, this post is just providing cover to the worst of the centertrists

kaurifish.bsky.social•17 days ago

"I told you so" rarely gets you anywhere you want to go.

And I say that as someone who was an eco warrior before "Inconvenient Truth" came out.

betjo.bsky.social•17 days ago

Absolutely agree. But, if this ordeal ever ends, I’d like to drive through “red” neighborhoods shouting “How’d that work out for you idiots”?

pvn2099.bsky.social•17 days ago

Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one ever asked to make sacrifices for the sake of “solidarity” while everyone else gets to throw tantrums and shirk their civic obligations out of pique. At some point it’s hard not to feel like a sucker.

billbeaird.bsky.social•17 days ago

Problem is, progressives are still litigating it. They aren’t wrong and neither are those saying we must unite now in order to discuss policy platforms later.

ljean.bsky.social•17 days ago

Telling people to be responsible and learn from their own actions is critically important. The same people are still attacking Dems for being out of power, after working to keep them out of power.

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rayeighscatter.bsky.social•17 days ago

We're going to need all the allies we can find. Including the "Misogynoirs". Some of them are going to be mighty, mighty angry if Trump & Musk run over them too. As they are fixin' to do.
We may not approve of them or even like them but ....

fbdbh.bsky.social•17 days ago

Counterpoint: shaking off blame and responsibility is how Orbán stayed in power. I get that not having a viable alternative is sub-optimal, but not voting against the fascist is still not voting against the fascist

benrackey.bsky.social•17 days ago

And voting for a pro-genocide cop is still voting for a pro-genocide cop.

silverpoet.bsky.social•16 days ago

If we would’ve had stability Stateside, Gaza could’ve been issue number 1. Harris was far more likely to buckle. Now we’ve got no choice but to focus on our own seatbelts. That’s the reality. The road to hell is…

benrackey.bsky.social•16 days ago

What is the point of lying? Seems very unproductive.

andimn.bsky.social•17 days ago

This part.

raflw.bsky.social•17 days ago

Honestly, there's so much outreach needed. Farmers gonna get screwed like everyone else

jscram3254.bsky.social•17 days ago

And for everyone who is still salty about all of that, the one thing we all know about salt is that it’s a preservative. It keeps. You can set it aside, unite to stop this threat, and still remember later when the danger has passed.

loveandlasers.bsky.social•17 days ago

*That* I can get on board with

donaithnen.bsky.social•17 days ago

I can tentatively get behind that, but it needs to be brought up again in 2028 or 2027 (assuming we still have another election.)

People really need to learn that you can indeed "send a message" by abstaining or voting for the greater evil, but doing so comes with a real cost to you and others.

bluedymoos.bsky.social•16 days ago

And the campaign's choices have nothing to do with the outcome! 🙄

janthie.bsky.social•17 days ago

All very rational but I'm still furious at the Sanders bros of 2016 and I am also not in the mood to forgive the 'Can't vote for Harris' crowd.

Obviously, that's in the past but nothing suggests that these people will ever learn.

Still, yes, there are more urgent matters to concentrate on now.

guatshakes.bsky.social•17 days ago

The "narcissism of small differences" stuff is forever tempting in politics, but now's the time to address the big thing happening now.

harryseaotter.bsky.social•17 days ago

As an outside marginally-interested non-human observer, I reserve the right to express disdain for any humans that I deem:
1. Are dumb
2. Are not feeding me

jenfriesarts.bsky.social•17 days ago

Someday, investigative journalism will determine what really decided the 2024 election. Whether that's a near or far future depends on what we do right here, now, this year. We have no time for picking on each other. If we can't trust someone, leave them behind. Don't waste time on blaming.

drneocortex.bsky.social•17 days ago

But at the same time, if we don't learn from the past (2016), we end up repeating the same mistakes (2024). At some point, people need to accept the responsibility of living in a democracy. Every vote matters. Apathy leads to tragedy.

kiralerner.bsky.social•17 days ago

As an alternate take: No. Fuck them and their ideological spite. I am SICK of being asked to excuse people who betrayed their country because of their purity tests or "let it all burn" nihilism. Their kind have been screwing us over since Gore, FFS.

birds-22.bsky.social•17 days ago

The thing you are describing as a “purity test” was a call to stop arming Israel during their clear genocide. This should not be a high bar for the Good Guys to clear! I voted for Harris, FWIW, but your condescending language really makes it seem like the demand was something impossible or obscene.

burdickvillesocial.bsky.social•16 days ago

When you put it like that—voting for the guy who wanted a Muslim Ban makes all the sense in the world.

birds-22.bsky.social•16 days ago

??? Can you read?

rickgregory.me•17 days ago

Nah, sorry. The racists and white supremacists were never voting Harris and always voting for that guy. Those who sat on the sidelines for whatever reason need to be called out and admit they made a mistake *so that they help in the future*. Past actions aren't irrelevant, they influence the future

phoenixrust.bsky.social•17 days ago

And we need to know HOW to fight fascism. various groups of type protesters used widely available book with resistance techniques. I forget the name, but we'll try to find it. The same book was used during the Arab spring by protesters and in a couple cases those protests were successful.

feetforbrains.bsky.social•16 days ago

Yeah, I have MUCH MORE animosity for the people who were simply too lazy for whatever reason to vote at all. Interestingly, that's a majority of voters.

salviati.bsky.social•17 days ago

Keeping your private griping sessions between friends is praxis.

ithink2.bsky.social•17 days ago

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phd1.bsky.social•17 days ago

While I agree that the current situation wouldn’t be reversed by these conversations, I do think it’s valid to point out that the left ate itself and a lot of people just didn’t show up to vote — which is how we got to this point. Lack of civic engagement. Now they get to learn that’s a bad choice.

bullix.bsky.social•16 days ago

Also identifying whom to stop sharing information and strategy with going forward is important

davedurant.bsky.social•17 days ago

Sorry - I'm not there yet. They voted for the BS we're in right now. They whined about being called fucking nazis so they voted for the fucking nazi and, guess what, we've got fucking nazis now. Worse than ants.

I'll take actions over words. "So sorry I burned down your house!" is not cutting it.

stunwin.com•17 days ago

"we need to look forward and not litigate the past" is what every bad boss i've ever had has said whenever someone tried to hold them accountable for poor decision-making.

bbirdiman.bsky.social•17 days ago

y'all can do whatever you decide, but i will blame
both "centrists" who yield on a regular basis, and
"progressives" who let the greater evil prevail.

hijadelsobota.bsky.social•17 days ago

There's also the, yanno, rampant voter disenfranchisement that really peaked in 2024 in red states. I've lived in red states for 21 years solid, and I've never heard so many stories of people getting turned away at the polls as I did this year. Let's focus on the REAL problem here -

hijadelsobota.bsky.social•17 days ago

- instead of aiming our ire at a demographic that overwhelmingly includes marginalized people living in high-risk places.

neonsoup.bsky.social•17 days ago

agree, and just wanted to pop in with this link that seems to back all this up

https://www.gregpalast.com/trump-lost-vote-suppression-won/

hijadelsobota.bsky.social•16 days ago

Exactly!! But it seems the responses in this thread are more interested in screaming at the two people they personally know who didn't vote than in talking about how voter suppression needs to be dismantled 🙄

neonsoup.bsky.social•16 days ago

i understand the myriad reasons why they're doing it but it's still frustrating to witness.

b-godot.bsky.social•16 days ago

Yes, that's the enemy. However, my eyebrows arch at the non-voters, after they were shown in great detail what Trump was.

#Kakistocracy

webmccullogh.bsky.social•17 days ago

As a horrified observer in Canada, misogyny seems to rule. Obama was elected twice, while Clinton lost in 2016. Biden, SWM, no problem. Harris, racism and misogyny. US voters learned nothing from 2016, I hope you even have a chance to finally unite and get to vote in 2026, 2028, and beyond.

andimn.bsky.social•17 days ago

The racists and misogynists were never going to vote for Harris. We NEEDED the protest voters to stop TFG45.

Now we need them to recognize their culpability in all this so they'll put aside their purity politics and work with us to save, well, everyone.

clutchisonbluesky.bsky.social•17 days ago

As I've commented over on her post, the people she's asking for us to stand in solidarity with are the same people who have twice now (in the last 10 years) demonstrated a willingness to betray their purported allies in a heartbeat, and so the onus is on them to prove themselves first.

dutchtreat.bsky.social•17 days ago

My "purity test" is a simple one: Are you going to vote straight-ticket D in 2026, yes or no? If the answer is "Yes" then great! If the answer is "yes, but" or "it depends" or "they'll have to earn my vote" then you're not playing on the same team.

benrackey.bsky.social•17 days ago

That's how you get dipshits like Fetterman and Manchan, uncritical goobers like you.

mavwreck.bsky.social•17 days ago

The time to have that fight is during a Democratic primary. Once the primary is over, you get behind whoever won it, because they’re going to be better than whoever won the Republican primary.

benrackey.bsky.social•17 days ago

the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is right now

also, that's really fucking dumb

mavwreck.bsky.social•17 days ago

Look, if you want to criticize Manchin or Fetterman, that’s fine.

If you want to vote for Fetterman’s primary opponent in 2028, go right ahead.

All we are saying is that, if it comes down to Fetterman versus a replacement level Republican, vote Fetterman.

dutchtreat.bsky.social•17 days ago

Manchins and Fettermans are still better than Republicans. Senate majority matters A LOT.

And the time for punish voting is the primaries.

benrackey.bsky.social•17 days ago

They are republicans you chump, you got played and refuse to learn your lesson.

dutchtreat.bsky.social•17 days ago

And what alternatives did you have in mind for either one of these senators?

clutchisonbluesky.bsky.social•17 days ago

Ah, I see that the people she wants me to stand with are chiming in.

I'm not humoring them anymore, and neither should anyone else.

cmaka74.bsky.social•17 days ago

Yes, but I think it would help if those voters (or non-voters) would stand up and at least say “Crap, we made a mistake.” We need to all move together to save democracy, but it’s hard to trust people that contributed to making this situation a reality and who have expressed no remorse or regret.

unpocolocotx.bsky.social•17 days ago

If any voter is still fine with the Orange asshole, they're not likely to be much help to us anyway. But we should accept those who want to help, however they voted. We're human; we fail sometimes. If we insist that they prostrate themselves and beg forgiveness first, we'll lose a lot of that help.

cmaka74.bsky.social•17 days ago

Sure, but with no self-reflection or honest assessment of their role of the current situation, I’ll accept their help, but not fully trust them.

Would they sell out democracy if they get promised a deal or if they don’t get 100% everything they want? History says yes, and I need to be aware of that

cmaka74.bsky.social•17 days ago

I’m also not sure how people keep thinking them being honest and admitting that tanking Kamala and getting Trump and his genocide is akin to “prostrating themselves”.

Admitting to someone you hurt that “I made a mistake but want to help make it right” is something we teach our toddlers.

shadowfax451.bsky.social•17 days ago

Solidarity would have been more useful during the election. It’s a little late now but better late than never, I guess.

suburban-vampire.bsky.social•17 days ago

Living in Ohio can be challenging

starwards.bsky.social•14 days ago

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acmerocket.com•17 days ago

We were always going to get here, and voting harder was never going to save us.

We live in a racist nation. Most white people can't wrap their heads around that and refuse to accept it. It skews the thinking of a lot of people, and we end up back here.

tee-tee.bsky.social•17 days ago

I don’t know how we can disentangle racism & sexism from the fabric of this country

soonergrunt.bsky.social•17 days ago

Not trusting people to stand by my side when it's hard, who've shown an inability or unwillingness to do the bear-minimum when it was easy and risk-free for whatever reason, is nothing more or less than common sense.