Aug 5, 2026, 6:37 AMif you withhold your vote until you've perfected something, but the time you have this perfect something, you're facing fascists in charge who just laugh and machine gun you
because you didn't vote so they got even worse
there's nothing wrong with working towards this better system *and* voting in the meantime to hold the line. it's not a large commitment. it's just good tactics
Aug 5, 2026, 6:51 AM@benroyce Homie, we got that now, while you're voting.
50 people died in ICE custody this year.
5 people were shot by ICE in the street.
Not to mention how many actual police shootings there have been.
Black children being hanged or mysteriously murdered.
This is during a midterm year.
We're past the point of them shooting and laughing.
When those votes are casts, we'll still be out there dying.
And this is at home, mind you.
There's still Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Ukraine, DRC...
Aug 5, 2026, 6:52 AMAug 5, 2026, 7:01 AM@benroyce Keep in mind that while, yes, in 2026, Trump is president, there are other years where he wasn't and the numbers still didn't look great.
Police didn't become magically racist and then unracist when a new president is inaugurated.
Palestinians have been massacred since at least the 1940s (maybe earlier).
Ukraine was under Biden.
A lot of these others are because the US (Dem or GOP) loves a good ol' fashioned forever war!
Aug 5, 2026, 7:04 AMmarcus you move in a good direction, or move in a bad direction
if in your dreams the best leader appeared on the american stage, they'd still have difficulties working this shit out and unwinding this shit
and someone would be there criticizing them for it
so you say "fuck that static," aim for better, and you expect results
and then you build on that
and if we don't vote and lose the momentum then yeah
absolutist judgments of "everything sucks all the time" have no meaning
Aug 5, 2026, 7:09 AM@benroyce I move for better without the need of the capitalist system.
I move for better when the people are with me.
None of these capitalists assholes are.
And even if there was a leader, I know that there is a collective of people that I work with, not just a figurehead.
We shouldn't just follow one person. We need to lead, take the reigns and protect and help each other.
That's the way forward.
Elections mean nothing if the people aren't mobilized to fight everyday for something better
Aug 5, 2026, 7:10 AMi have zero argument with you
i think the essential disagreement here now is you are thinking i'm saying "only vote"
no
do all the good things you say
AND vote
that's my message to you
because the vote is just a tiny easy thing that brings all the good work home
You are getting really good at this Ben. Thanks for carrying the torch. Unless we vote like so many did in Michigan tonight to move the needle incrementally, none of the armchair political philosophy will be worth anything because this time these guys are not screwing around. We are way past the point where we have the luxury to throw away elections to prove a point.
Aug 5, 2026, 7:42 AM@mastodonmigration @majorlinux
I'm just vibing with marcus. It's all good
It looks like el sayed has it by a tiny margin now
A nail biter
He got it. Not by as much as the polls indicated, but a win is a win.
And this is an excellent example of why voting matters. This race could well determine the future leadership of the Senate. Not only are the Drmocrats poised to take back the Senate, but progressives like El-Sayed will certainly replace Schumer. They have the numbers.
From that foundation progressives and folks like Marcus have a much better platform to push issues that are important to them.
1/
Totally get that this sort of incrementalism is frustrating for people who feel like the system is totally fucked up, but short of armed revolution, there is no other way than putting in the hard work to win elections, move the ball forward, then win more elections. And, to win elections people need to vote for the winner.
@benroyce @mastodonmigration @majorlinux I just read the whole thread, and I don’t know how you do it, Ben. You just keep putting the facts out there—I have to believe it makes a difference.
Aug 5, 2026, 5:27 PM@grammasaurus @mastodonmigration @majorlinux
i'm not sure if it does but it's good catharsis