Neoliberalism
Democratic (neoliberal) Party
Joe Biden
Fig. 1. Joe Biden and Pope Francis, unknown photographer, April 29, 2016, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
As usual, I will forego the debate (tomorrow?), preferring to read about it afterwards. The consensus is that Joe Biden needs to show he is sharp and to call out Donald Trump’s lies and deceptions. It’s fairly obvious that how well he does this will be a factor determining his chances of prevailing against Trump in November and there is a decent chance my forecast (now, a toss-up) will change accordingly.
The bad news is that this is a continuation of what Democrats do each and every single fucking election, running on “the other guy is worse.” This enables an evasion of existential issues for a great many people that true progressives would surely address in short order. If pressed on his shortcomings, Biden can only point to the same chronic excuses Democrats use each and every fucking election: the Supreme Court, the Senate filibuster, and Republicans. I have rejected these excuses for decades and, in this, I am joined by ever greater numbers of voters.
And in 2024, like any year, I cannot vote for a war criminal, cannot vote for genocide. Simply can’t do it. This is a moral absolute, even against a fascist, whom it is also absolutely unacceptable to vote for.
In Pennsylvania, the alternatives are the “tankie”[1] Greens, who support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (yes, they do[2]), and the (capitalist) Libertarians. I cannot vote for any of these either. It remains my intention to write in LESSER EVIL because voting for the “lesser evil” is precisely how we find ourselves with this absolutely appalling and profoundly unacceptable choice.
- [1]Roane Carey, “Don’t Be a Tankie: How the Left Should Respond to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine,” Intercept, March 1, 2022, https://theintercept.com/2022/03/01/ukraine-russia-leftists-tankie/↩
- [2]Roane Carey, “Don’t Be a Tankie: How the Left Should Respond to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine,” Intercept, March 1, 2022, https://theintercept.com/2022/03/01/ukraine-russia-leftists-tankie/↩