I was trying to think about why today has significance, and then it hit. History may not repeat, but it rhymes.
Today, U.S. voters determine the future direction of the entire world. We shouldn’t have this power, but that is irrelevant. Do we explore the world of authoritarianism, with major powers all falling under despots, or do we stand alone?
There is no way to overstate the stakes here. This is not hyperbole; this is simply the truth.
There’s only one thing you can do. This election is not about you (though you count); it is about what we leave to posterity. An unlivable world? Permanent oligarchy? For those with kids or those who want them, do you want them to grow up with clean air and water?
And do not do this third-party shit. We got Bush instead of Gore because of 700 votes for Nader in Florida. Harris isn’t perfect, but don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. A vote for Stein is a vote for Trump unless you’re in a ranked-choice locale.
Yes, we have a broken system, but now is not the time to lament it by further fucking things up. We can eventually have that conversation as a nation, but in the '90s, when I lived in Germany, it was still considered gauche to be proud to be German. Is that the 50 years you want going forward here?
As a Canadian I have to deal with this rise of authoritarian BS too. Whatever America does, Canadians try to emulate. I really hope we can look back at this event as a very shitty footnote in American politics that we all can have a nervous laugh at in 50 years.
I could be facing recency bias, but it certainly feels like ever since the rise of Trump, politicians have gotten a lot more bold when it comes to authoritarian/nazi like policy. We’re personally dealing with our provincial governments trying to push for privatized health care, the stripping of environmental protections, and much more.