It’s a situation that I have been expecting for a while, but I wasn’t fully ready to accept it. Specifically it’s one of my LGBTQ friends who honestly believes in the democrats will protect them and their partner. I have tried to make the point that both parties are eroding any sort of civility towards all marginalized groups, but fear seems to drive them more than logical observations. They make the excuse that change doesn’t happen over night and that the left continues to grow and will have meaningful affects down the road. I fundamentally just don’t agree with that idea and vocalize it regularly. More and more it is ending up in a circular argument where I am painted as unrealistic and my rhetoric (leftist rhetoric) is doing more harm than good because it promotes distrust in the only system we have to work with. I try to tell them it’s kind of the whole point. We gotta start somewhere if we want to see a better, more representative system, but they are so hung up on the immediate future while simultaneously saying that my idealistic feelings are shortsighted and I cant expect change in the immediate future… The double-talk is wild, I know.
I am trying my hardest to stop from engaging at this point because on the most basic level we agree on a lot of stuff, but they are just way to wrapped up in the fear mongering of the democratic party. They know that the two party system is broken, they know that something drastic needs to change, but they also think that they are powerless to do anything except choose the lesser evil. It pains me because I am watching them do the same shit past generations have done, where they give up on their ideals for the sake of preserving the current status quo that they benefit from. I am legitimately watching them imply “fuck you, got mine” under the guise of civic duty and I hate it. I want nothing more than to be able to finally say “I told you so” without being a smug asshole about it and ruining our friendship.
Thanks for reading my rant. It’s probably a bit disjointed, but the frustration is boiling over and I needed to vent to the only group of people that seems to understand the hopelessness of being a disenfranchised leftist.
Exactly this, I am very hung up, and rightfully so, on the fact that America is aiding and abetting atrocities right now, live on TV. That doesn’t mean I think the threat on other marginalized groups is less important. Yes, I think that right wing american politicians are edging at the idea of waging war against LGBTQ people, and thats why I am critical of both mainstream parties. However, the libs think that being critical of democrats will further erode the faith people have in them and drive them towards the republicans.
one of the principles I hold to with left/liberatory politics is “an attack on one is an attack on all” which is why I just can’t accept some people saying “no, that actual attack on those other people isn’t as big of a deal as the attack I imagine is coming for me.”
it’s a toxic, wrecker-brained bullshit, ahistorical, and anti-solidarity. they are choosing to sell some humans down the river to theoretically protect themselves in the immediate near future, as though that has ever worked out.
That is definitely a sentiment that needs to be at the forefront of these discussions. It’s where I differ with some many people. Even tho I don’t generally like people, I still care about them. Which sounds weird, but it’s how I feel.