"Progressives should not make the same mistake that Ernst Thälmann made in 1932. The leader of the German Communist Party, Thälmann saw mainstream liberals as his enemies, and so the center and left never joined forces against the Nazis. Thälmann famously said that ‘some Nazi trees must not be allowed to overshadow a forest’ of social democrats, whom he sneeringly called ‘social fascists.’

After Adolf Hitler gained power in 1933, Thälmann was arrested. He was shot on Hitler’s orders in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1944."

  • TrippyFocus@lemmy.ml
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    3 months ago

    If enough people are voting third party that it’s a threat then maybe the other parties should take notice and change to support the popular policies and win back support.

    Also we can do more than 1 thing at a time. We should be pushing things like ranked choice voting while also showing our displeasure with the current parties where it makes sense to do so.

    Giving support to third parties gives them and the issues they’re promoting more visibility to the general public.

    • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      The presidential election is not the time for any of that. You have a fundamental misunderstanding about how elections work if this is the only time you care about third parties.

      • TrippyFocus@lemmy.ml
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        3 months ago

        It definitely isn’t the only time I care about third parties. Continued direct action in the community is the most important way to affect change. The election is just a useful event for publicity and gaining support for groups.

        There’s 0% chance my comment is going to convince enough people this election cycle that it effects a non swing states election. It’s about slowly building support for groups.

        • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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          3 months ago

          I’m with you. I’m all about building support. Just as long as people understand there’s a time and place for it.

          • Maeve@kbin.earth
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            3 months ago

            People have said that for 40 years. It’s always the right time to do the right thing.

            Eta and for 40 years things have gotten worse for everyone but fat international corporate conglomerates and VERY wealthy people. The time is now.

            • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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              3 months ago

              And for 40 years voting in your local elections has changed things. That’s when you vote for change. If you think the presidential election is the time to vote differently you’re not paying attention, plain and simple.

    • MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      If enough people are voting third party that it’s a threat then maybe the other parties should take notice and change to support the popular policies and win back support.

      This does not work in a FPTP system. Every vote you peel off the Democrats just enables the Republicans and sets reform back even farther. The only way telling people to vote 3rd party is helpful is if they were going to vote for the GOP. Peeling votes away from Democrats HURTS the chances of other parties to be viable in the future.

      • TrippyFocus@lemmy.ml
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        3 months ago

        You’re looking at things through there lens of 1 election cycle.

        If a third party that’s against the genocide Israel is carrying out gets say 5% of voters in deep blue or deep red states would that not be a signal to the democrats that they should change their stance before the next election?

          • TrippyFocus@lemmy.ml
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            3 months ago

            Not funding and supplying a genocide seems to be a pretty clear and easy issue to change especially when 60%+ of democrats are in favor of it. We’re already violating our own laws by continuing to do so.

            The democrats are already moving to the right even with the left continuing to vote for them. They think they can win over some centrists republicans (even though they can’t in a meaningful number) by adopting right wing policies while not losing the left because at the moment they know votes are guaranteed because “republicans worse”.

            Having voters in areas that effectively don’t matter this cycle show there displeasure in the genocide we’re enabling is the least we can do to counter it.