The classic “Mechanical Turk” scheme from the 1700’s lol

From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me…

In the long term, yes. The bourgeoisie are rich and comfortable with no desire for a war that could jeopardize their position. However, they have lots of financial incentives for military spending because it’s rife with corruption. As such, they do a lot of saber-rattling to make WWIII seem like a genuine possibility, while also fighting in proxy wars around the globe.

But the problem is, they’re playing with forces beyond their control. If you have a generation raised on constant propaganda to genuinely hate other countries, then all it takes is a couple people in the wrong positions at the wrong time who aren’t in on the game. Right now, the rabid dog is on the leash of the bourgeoisie, but the gamble they’ve been making is that they can keep pumping steroids into it forever and never lose control.

Furthermore, wasting all this money on war and militarism has allowed China to emerge as a credible threat to their global hegemony. China is sitting back and focusing on domestic economic development, and they are winning the peace while the US burns itself out. What happens when the only area in which the US has an advantage is the military? Are people really going to accept becoming #2, or are they going to force a confrontation? Given that we’re talking about Americans, who are 1) Riled up on propaganda, 2) Preoccupied with being “#1,” and 3) Unused to experiencing the effects of fucking around firsthand, it seems almost inevitable. Ofc, it’s true that we somehow maintained a Cold War with the USSR for decades, but it’s different today because conditions are declining and the far-right is growing stronger every day.

Completely removing any credibility from the narrative that you like Nazis by checks notes voting against condemning Nazis.

Is that also the US’s justification for voting against this resolution every time it comes up, before or since?

Seems like a good time to remind everyone that if you were listening to any US health organization in February 2020 they were telling you not to wear a mask, while WHO and China never said that. Always look at what other countries are doing and what international organizations are saying, regardless if we’re a member.

It’s the same reason we’re targeted in the first place and the same reason we were the first target of the Nazis, back then. When things are in decline, people look for someone to blame, and minorities, who are few in number and already seen negatively, make for the easiest target, even if it the furthest thing from the truth. The alternative is to blame the rich, who have the most power to propagandize and shut down that narrative, but the advantage is that it’s actually true, which is enough to give it a fighting chance. But what democrats have been trying to say is not that the rich are the reason people are suffering, but that people are not suffering at all. When those are the only two narratives, people are bound to turn to the one that acknowledges their problem, even if it’s full of ridiculous lies, it’s a doomed strategy.

As for the democrats turning on us, at the risk of reigniting a debate, it’s because of trolley problem logic. If a minority group like Palestinians can be sacrificed for the sake of winning an election, then the same can and will be done for any minority group that becomes seen as an electoral liability. The only way for any minority, but especially one as small as trans people, to really achieve security is through solidarity, an alliance of the vulnerable that treats an offense against one as an offense against all. Right now, there might be cis gays watching the democrats blame trans people and thinking that they’ll be safe, but that’s not guaranteed at all. Since we’ve been on opposite sides of the debate, I expect you will still disagree with me, but perhaps you can understand where my side’s been coming from.

For many people living in safe states (like myself), their vote will not affect the outcome of the election. However, whatever choice is made there (including staying home) will define your political identity and influence your thoughts and actions. Millions of people just voted with the idea, “It’s acceptable to sacrifice a minority group in order to win, because it can prevent a worse outcome,” and in doing so, they allowed that idea into their minds and allowed their hearts to become more callous. The only surprising thing is that they’d announce their turning on us so soon, when there’s not even an election coming up.