A REMINDER ABOUT VOTING (for next time, if you're lucky enough to get a next time): You do NOT vote for a party whose policies you 100% support. You vote AGAINST the Nazis, for WHOEVER stands the best chance of keeping them from forming a government. Remember, you vote AGAINST, not FOR. - ThreadSky

cstross.wandering.shop.ap.brid.gy • 6 days ago

A REMINDER ABOUT VOTING (for next time, if you're lucky enough to get a next time):

You do NOT vote for a party whose policies you 100% support.

You vote AGAINST the Nazis, for WHOEVER stands the best chance of keeping them from forming a government.

Remember, you vote AGAINST, not FOR.

Comments

willaful.romancelandia.club.ap.brid.gy•2 days ago

@cstross This argument clearly didn't work for the last election and almost certainly won't work for the next (if there is one.) A.R. Moxon puts it perfectly, but I can't find a link, so here's my thoughts:

I fought for the Dems. I gave money, I gave time, I wrote postcards. And now most of […]

glyph.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross https://mas.to/@mpirnat I think it bears emphasizing — especially at the point we are at *now* in the cycle — that this advice is specifically about GENERAL elections.

In the general it is morally incumbent upon you to vote for (and advocate for) the least harm.

Tired of shitty options? Me too! […]

no-thyself.bsky.social•5 days ago

A quick UK relevant comment: yes, this keeps the Tories and Reform out, but instead you get Labour In Name Only and the same policies only a little less blatantly racist.

danielquinn.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross that's a great way to ensure you get more Nazis.

rpardee.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross I really like the "choose your adversary" frame. Who would you prefer to be arguing with to advance your interests?

mack505.feistycricket.org.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross I’ve been voting AGAINST for most of my life. I’d love to be able to vote FOR once or twice.

lukadjo.app.wafrn.net.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross This applies in two party systems aka. the Anglosphere.

Fat-Farang.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross I continually ask anyone to explain how my vote in South Carolina District 04 matters. Never got an answer.

Finnhits.eliitin-some.fi.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross
We have a multi-party system in Finland, where 3 parties are strong and then there are smaller parties. Sometimes there have been as many as six parties in the government. It was called the "rainbow government". Now we have also talked about voting "against" the party that is currently […]

cstross.wandering.shop.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@Finnhits Yes, the rules are different where the electoral system encourages coalition-building. Unfortunately that's not everywhere …

zakalwe.plasmatrap.com.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@[email protected] @[email protected] The US electoral system has been finely tuned to preserve a two-party duopoly. Now the Ghastly Obscene Party has tired of that, and is working to change it to one party in perpetuity.

Not quite clear yet how they're going to fund the tzompantlis.

jandi.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross @Finnhits Even in such a system (I'm from Spain), I'm glad my dad instilled (and explained!) why voting to the right was a no-no, when I was a kid.

I haven't ever contemplated it, and it's painful to see people lack that freedom. Yeah it's freeing to not lend them my ears, as much as […]

drakpete.bsky.social•6 days ago

Next steps in 2025 playbook: 1) Incite civil unrest; 2) Call in National Guard; 3) Suspend normal rule of law and democratic process.
Dangerous times.

Montaagge.kolektiva.social.ap.brid.gy•6 days ago

@cstross there are several problems with the vote shaming lesser of two evils strategy but the one I feel is most important is that it has a track record of failure and the definition of insanity, I believe, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

6dbl5321.bsky.social•3 days ago

I will never cast a vote ensuring enslavement of myself, or anybody else to the two party system. Partisan statism is a cancer.

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