Former top officials from Donald Trump’s administration are warning he is likely to use a second term to overhaul the nation’s spy agencies in a way that could lead to an unprecedented level of politicization of intelligence.

  • Billiam@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    The way I am going to go into this election is to vote 3rd party

    That’s just voting for Trump with extra steps.

    If trump wins, he will either have a very underwhelming term and lose his fanbase or completely destroy the government and break the status quo

    Nothing here has any bearing in reality or past precedence. It won’t matter if Trump “wins” by one vote or twenty votes, his behavior will be exactly the same (and the people pulling his strings will enact their plans regardless.). He certainly acted like he had a “mandate” during his first term despite losing the popular vote, and he’s not a complex force to understand- he will absolutely be worse the second time.

    Assuming he goes the extreme route, the US will either rise up and competely reform the government or we had no hope of that ever happening in the first place.

    GTFO here with that accelerationist bullshit. You don’t like Biden? Fine- you’re free to. Hold your nose and vote for him anyway, because things are going to get a lot worse for a lot of people if you don’t. The US system isn’t set up to allow people to vote ideologically, so we have to vote strategically. The sooner American voters grow up and accept that fact, the sooner we can start working to actually fix the system.

    • Sybil@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      That’s just voting for Trump with extra steps.

      no, it’s not. only voting for trump is voting for trump.

      • Billiam@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        That is demonstrably wrong under a “first past the post” system. You either vote for the candidate from the major party that is closest-aligned to your values, or your vote helps the candidate from the major party that is furthest aligned from you to win. It doesn’t matter how much you hate it or want it to be wrong, it’s a mathematical certainty. Like I already said, Americans don’t get to vote ideologically precisely because the system doesn’t allow it. If you think Donald Trump is the absolute worst candidate on the field, then any vote other than for (the presumed Democratic candidate) Biden is just helping Trump win.

        • Sybil@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          You either vote for the candidate from the major party that is closest-aligned to your values, or your vote helps the candidate from the major party that is furthest aligned from you to win.

          this is election misinformation. a vote for Jill Stein cannot be counted as a vote for trump or Biden.

          • dvoraqs@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            On paper it’s a vote for Jill, but in effect it’s a vote for the party you dislike more. Are you more of a practical person or more of a person concerned with technicalities?

            • Sybil@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              Are you more of a practical person or more of a person concerned with technicalities?

              there is no reason one excludes the other. and, in practice, if they count my vote for Biden or Trump, they are cheating.

              • Billiam@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                if they count my vote for Biden or Trump, they are cheating.

                And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition of a strawman fallacy. You’re arguing against a point nobody made.

                • Sybil@lemmy.world
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                  8 months ago

                  I’m not arguing against a point. I’m explaining how elections work.

                  • dvoraqs@lemmy.world
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                    8 months ago

                    That is literally not how they will be counted. You’re still not getting it. There would just be a practical effect of your vote working against your adjacent interests.

          • Billiam@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            This

            this is election misinformation.

            is wrong, because this

            a vote for Jill Stein cannot be counted as a vote for trump or Biden.

            isn’t what I said.

            • Sybil@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              the only way a vote can help a candidate win is if it is a vote for that candidate

        • Sybil@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I don’t want Biden or Trump to win. I have an ideological opposition to voting for people I don’t want to win.

    • SoupBrick@yiffit.net
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      8 months ago

      How many times have the Democrats held power and done absolutely nothing with it? How long do we have to keep voting for the lesser evil? Why is the main platform the Democrats are running on that “Trump is evil, so vote for Biden”? Is the strongest candidate the Democrats can provide a genocidal old man?

      • frezik@midwest.social
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        8 months ago

        I don’t expect anything substantial to happen with Democrats. Change will not come from them.

        I do know that Republicans under Trump will do everything they can to actively stop change from the places it can come from, which is the bottom-up.

      • Billiam@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        How many times have the Democrats held power and done absolutely nothing with it?

        Far too often.

        How long do we have to keep voting for the lesser evil?

        Until you can get enough people in the government who want to change it. Get rid of the FPTP system then you can vote for whoever you want.

        Why is the main platform the Democrats are running on that “Trump is evil, so vote for Biden”?

        …what sane person needs more than that? We already know how bad Trump was the first time, and we know already what he and his handlers are planning for a second term. I have no idea why that’s not sufficient motivation.

        Is the strongest candidate the Democrats can provide a genocidal old man?

        Again, the alternative is Donald Fucking Trump. Is Biden the “best” choice for America? If we’re talking in terms of progress, probably not- but he’s the best choice the money behind the Democratic Party is willing to support.

      • Tremble@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        You have to keep voting for the lesser evil for another 40 years lol.

        That’s all they have to offer. Until we get money out of politics both the dem and republican candidate will be sucking the dicks of their corporate donors.

        Unless Biden does a 180 and changes his stance on a few issues I’m leaving president blank on my ballot. And I’m also voting against Biden in the primary for my state.

        The DNC isn’t beholden to voters anyway, they already made that point a few election cycles ago.

        If our country is so beholden to corporate donors that these are our two options, we are fucked anyways. We already live in an oligarchy.

        • dvoraqs@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          This could change if we get rid of FPTP in favor of something like STV. Multiple viable parties means we can actually vote for people or parties closer to what we want.

          It’s just impractical to go against the top 2 parties without doing so.