A lot of this discussion as it were is round and round same old same old. As someone that lives in America, has family here. As much "skin in the game" as you can get as it were. When I go to work and see these GOP supporters every day. When I see how they act, how seemingly "educated" what you would otherwise call "rational" people go down demented conspiracy trails. Listen to Fox News and right wing radio all day. They have these podcasts going in between meetings. At lunch they don't fail to invite me the black coworker out to lunch or whatever. I have known some of these people for over 10 years working in the Oil and Gas industry. I can safely say that not ALL of them are the raging racists, homophobes etc you see on these clips of MAGA people.
However, me knowing that and knowing that they still vote for people who ARE racist, who ARE homophobic. People who have promised to and have shown that they absolutely will try to limit my voting power. My families voting power. The people they voted for pushed the base of crazies to the point of January 6th. What lessons do these people take from that? Not much. They stand by still. They justify probably voting for Trump again. They justify voting for Ted Cruz, Jon Cornyn who just threw his hat in the ring to succeed Mitch. Every day I hear the microaggressions, the anger over "woke". Ranting about having to take corporate ethics training on cultural diversity, treating people with respect. And that is all it is really. All these bills you see in state houses ranting about diversity and training how it needs to stop. We need to go back to the good old days of not caring who you offend or has to listen to ravings at work.
An example my boss while having a basic conversation about a popular tv show. Proceeds to say right in front of his employee that the gay content in this episode of the show "brings out the homophobe in you". As a double minority, gay and black in the south that is not outrageous a thing for me to hear. Another old boss actually work a Make America Great hat to start a Teams meeting during Covid. Now some people are like oh well get over it it's all jokes. Of course, some have the privilege to just brush all that off right? I have learned that it is easier to not put myself in the position in these cases to be subject to these diatribes to these ravings outside the office. Invites to hunting trips, or after-hours functions. Its much easier for me to politely turn these down where I know they will put me in a position where I have to hear more of this crap.
What is the point of this post? There is very valid high level, global implication discussions here right. War, genocide, who's fault is it, protest votes. Are you a genocide supporter if you do this. Are you a Trump supporter if you don't vote?
Bringing the conversation down to a very small very personal level. I absolutely feel for the pain and suffering of everyone around the world in every conflict every war. I know that America will get the blame and credit by some faction or other no matter what.
In terms of these elections. The GOP are getting worse and worse. From an on the ground perspective, they are feeding on the ignorance at large of their base. They are trying to from the school boards up install control levers to make the population MORE ignorant. Have less access to education, to control what is taught. Just this week Georgia legislature banned libraries from a connection with the American Library Association. Even the recent IVF catastrophe in Alabama. They struggle with their messaging on it because it doesnt make sense.
In 2016 they used to say trump was a loudmouth, but he would get more "presidential". They blamed it on his Twitter habits. "If he would just get off twitter". The GOP coddled him, they didn't stand up to him. He completely took over all aspects of their base, their fundraising. The same officials who coddled him were running for their lives on Jan 6th. A handful even after all that. Still tried to disqualify thousands of votes from basically black and brown people in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin etc. Conspiracies, targeting poor minority election workers destroying their lives with no regard.
And now there is a chance again these people with all of that. Can get another chance. With no handrails this time. They know what went wrong. they know who in power, and in these agencies, in military positions etc. stopped the worse impulses the last time. They will not stop until they lose consistently. Until they are forced to shove that racist, ignorant MAGA base into the lower rungs of society.
Biden vs Trump. It is not hyperbole to someone with skin in the game who sees these supporters every day. Who knows full well what they are willing to overlook or accept. I just voted for Biden in the primary here, will vote for him in the general. Does that make me a supporter of genocide as some would like to toss out? I say it makes me someone who has to live here. Who has to live with the people who would push people like Trump, Cruz, MTG, all these MAGA a holes we see every day into the positions they are in. The GOP is showing us every day. that they have no purpose but personal enrichment and taking away the rights of women and minorities. Not hyperbole again, all we have to do is look at the actual bills they have produced. The actual party platform. Their own members once they are stumping for their books, and trying to rehab their image then come out with the receipts that many of them are only looking for their fame on the right win media circuit. They have no intention of producing actual bills to help anyone.
Of course people can abstain from voting. Stick their heads in the sand. And the reality is that any policy that those people want to happen that they think should be happening can actually get farther and farther away.