• Lumisal@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Not assuming anything. You’ve already shown what you lack.

    You’re still supporting genocide no matter what voting choice you take, including not voting at all.

    Unless you stop paying your taxes at least. I don’t pay US taxes, therefore I’m actually, literally, not supporting a genocide. Leaving the country and renouncing your citizenship is a way to not support the immoral things the USA does too.

    Now all that’s left for you to decide is if you’ll be allowing a greater evil to make things worse, including future genocide - and you have chosen to do so.

    I’m no formal teacher, but I’ll still take a crack at it.

    Let’s say you’re (by force) part a large military group of 1,000 soldiers and a general. This general has ordered y’all to commit some heinous things.

    Soon, however, a new general has a chance at leading the group. He’s one who has done so in the past. He promised he’ll do things that to you, are much worse. He even has an accomplished record.

    Both generals either way have agreed to help a foreign army to annihilate a village currently being razed; but the current general at least might not destroy more future villages, while the new one who wants to take power promises he will, and he’ll go further. In the army you’re currently in, 450 support the new general, 400 support the current general, 20 don’t care , 30 don’t support either but only pick the current one because they think it’s better than the other, and 50, like you, don’t want either.

    Now, obviously you dislike both generals. And there’s this third general who says he’s opposed to destroying villages. So you want to join his side.

    Problem is, his army is only 10 people. Even if you got all 50 of those from your current army to support him, 60 of you can’t stop anything. Especially not the village

    So now I’ll end this with a question: what’s the best option to stop future villages from being destroyed further?

    • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Aside from lacking all nuance and missing several real world factors in the US I’m sure you missed since you’re not American, I’ll play. Go to the next village with the 12-62 professional soldiers and train them into a guerilla army to violently oppose all those who wish to destroy them. Who would have guessed that military analogies don’t fucking work for politics.

      Let’s do our best to put that into real world solutions:

      • A Palestinian state, or a viable path towards a Palestinian state through their own self determination
      • Restore land and property forcibly seized by settlers
      • An end to all military funding to the state of Israel
      • An international coalition army to stand between Israel and Palestine, funded by the US
      • Brokering a deal with other nearby countries to assist in nation building
      • Reparations

      Neither Biden or Trump are willing to do any of those. Electing either will mean we continue to sit and watch as women and children are murdered and thrown into mass graves.

      • Lumisal@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago
        1. I said I don’t live in the USA anymore. I’ve mentioned multiple times indirectly this fact. Practice reading comprehension.

        2. You’re right, nether will do either of those things. 1 however WILL however try to ensure that those things are not possible, while also doing their best to end any shreds of democracy that do remain AND will lead to even MORE support for more deaths.

        So, considering that neither will do either of those things, but one will make things worse for future Palestinians (there’s still the West Bank), and push forward into maximum the “women and children are murdered and thrown into mass Graves”, explain to me now how THAT’S better? Or how you not doing everything possible to stop an even higher amount of deaths is more moral than checks notes allowing it to happen?

        Again, your taxes are still supporting what’s happening. You’re still supporting what’s happening. The final question is, do you want your money being used to turn kids into skeletons, or do you want your money being used to turn kids into skeletons ×2?

        Because that’s the choices you’re actually being given when it comes to voting and doing something.

        Of course, if you literally don’t want to participate in either, then go ahead, I encourage that. Cause good trouble. Don’t pay taxes, serve your time, get others to do the same. Or move away and renounce your citizenship. Put your mouth where your money is. You talk the talk but I don’t see you walk the walk. Stop pouting on here about what’s happening and instead do something. Stop commenting about how both are bad and start saying “so that’s why you should join me in doing ___”, and then actually do something about it. I’ve done my time and paid my dues, let’s see if people like you do the same.

        I know you won’t though. It’s easy to protest, it’s hard to take action. I’ve seen it plenty, and that’s why I finally decided to literally no longer participate in contributing to that system or bother fighting. You can’t fix an utterly broken culture.

        • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I said I don’t live in the USA anymore.

          Distinction without a difference. You now have degrees of separation from US politics that guarantee you’ll miss the less obvious stuff that have big impacts.

          move away and renounce your citizenship

          Are you paying? Because I can not afford to uproot my life. I can’t even afford to drive over the US border into Canada, and I live in fucking Minnesota. I have 0 control where my taxes go. I do not support genocide. The Government extracts money from me under threat of violence, and I’m far more useful as an activist getting arrested or killed in direct action than I ever would as a felon in prison for tax evasion. That’s right. I’m willing to die violently to stop the US government from funding this genocide. I already do everything I can with the limited amount of money and free time I have. Don’t pretend you know me.

          • Lumisal@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Yeah yeah, I’ve heard it plenty but never hear of it, even in the underground.

            Funny you’re willing to not vote to prevent a worse outcome, and supposedly even willing to get killed.

            But not to go to prison for not paying taxes in protest.

            Yeah, totally believable.

            Maybe you should ask yourself if you know yourself instead.

            PS: Moving to another country and renouncing citizenship isn’t supposed to be easy. But I never said doing the right thing ever was. It’s also still not the only option.

            • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              I have $7000, total. Last I checked, you can’t move anywhere with that. I’d be homeless in less than 2 months, in a strange country and with 0 connections. Tax evasion is an act of indirect civil protest. I prefer direct action. I know who I am and what I value. You’re condescending, presumptive, and unwilling to place aside pride to understand perspective. You are the reason Europe think Americans all act that way. Sincerely, go fuck yourself.

              • Lumisal@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                You can actually move to Finland with the amount.

                I know because I’m having a friend move here who only has coincidentally slightly more than that. They’re coming August 31st are currently cramming Finnish.

                Prefer direct action? Get many to protest with you then to not pay taxes until the government agrees to stop aid to Israel.

                And no, Europeans think of Americans that way because Americans don’t show real effort. There’s constant talk of putting your life on the line for a cause but then, never do. I already have for the nurse strike in Finland. What have you done?