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Comment on Paralyzed Man Unable to Walk After Maker of His Powered Exoskeleton Tells Him It's Now Obsolete

FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

Every two years, 99% of voters here in the US choose to put their stamp of approval on capitalism. Then they inexplicably clutch their pearls when capitalists do capitalist things, as if it’s somehow shocking.

Looks like public pressure brought a positive outcome in this case, so that’s something, but this is the stuff you should consider when voting for the two ruling parties.

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deegeese@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
You are that guy in the comic about a modern person blaming serfs for the persistence of feudalism.

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- FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Thank you for your response.
  
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OmnipotentEntity@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Hey, look at that. It’s the inevitable consequence of the game theory of first past the post voting. Voting system reform is my #1 issue, and if you actually care about the fact that “99% of voters” are locked into voting for someone they dislike to avert disaster every 4 years, it should be yours as well.

There is no meaningful future for third parties until and unless this occurs. IRV is a good first step, but Score voting is better. Multimember districts are also important. Getting rid of the electoral college is a no-brainer.

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- FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Thank you for your perspective.
  
  Voting system reform is my #1 issue
  
  Respectfully, I don’t think it is. You’ve seen the same history I have and, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, you know how your Democratic vote reinforces that which you say you want to change.
  
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  - OmnipotentEntity@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    If only there were other things that a person could do outside of voting once every four years to participate in the political process.
    
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    FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Agreed.
    
    If only.
    
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- Floon@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Requires a constitutional amendment, which, in case it isn’t obvious, will not happen, as it will require the yea votes of states that currently wield outsized power under the current system.
  
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  - LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Push for it in your state, first. We’re still in the first few cycles using RCV in Maine (I like STAR better) where folks are learning to love it, but there’s no time like now to get that ball rolling. More people need to experience it to shift the national conversation of “whether we should” to “which should we use”
    
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Sop@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
While agree with the sentiment, electorialism will never end capitalism because of the power imbalance where capitalists will spend all their money if they need to for heavy propaganda campaigns in favour of capitalism.

Your energy is better spent on small scale organising your workplace, to make sure that you and your coworkers can actually use the only leverage you have through strikes.

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- FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Absolutely right. The only power we have now is local.
  
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Sauerkraut@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
US voters are never given the chance to vote for non-capitalist candidates. But this year we actually have a socialist in the running which is why I am voting for Claudia de la Cruz this year.

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- DdCno1@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  In a two-party system, you’re throwing away your vote that could get Harris instead of Trump elected for not even a blip on the radar. This is at best pointless grandstanding.
  
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  - FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    How exactly are you not throwing your vote away voting Harris or Trump, in full knowledge that neither is going to do anything meaningful to help the poor and working class?
    
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    DdCno1@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Are you seriously trying to promote a false equivalency narrative?
    
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- FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  I respect your right to vote as you choose.
  
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anachronist@midwest.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
I’ve been voting for a while and never have I seen a candidate on the ballot who was against capitalism.

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Akasazh@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Voting doesn’t equal approval.

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- FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Yes, it does. We may not like to consider that, but it’s the truth.
  
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  - Akasazh@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Disagreeing with politics is as old as humans, one can live in a situation one doesn’t philosophically agree with. Voting does hold aspiration.
    
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    FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    That it does.
    
    We still have to look at historical patterns and acknowledge that what a person claims to vote for is antithetical to what their party of choice is actually going to do.
    
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Crikeste@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
What do you suggest people do then? Protest the vote and take to the streets? Not asking to be a dick, just genuinely curious.

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- FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Vote third party and be public about it.
  
  Protests are a waste, do taking to the streets doesn’t matter much unless you can gather enough people to create a legitimate violent threat.
  
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- rammer@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Work inside all of the political institutions to bring about constitutional change. Abolish electoral college etc.
  
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ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
The amusing thing about the people who complain that capitalists are the root of all problems, they don’t make an effort to correct it.

Take the situation of this story. If your ideals are pure and would have the popular support of a critical mass of people, there is absolutely not one thing preventing the establishment of a company, chartered as a public good corporation, and ran as a non-profit entity to provide these kind of material goods for people at cost, or if someone is willing to subsidise the production even less so if you like. You could even get the seed money from a crowd sourced campaign, or so called ‘angel investors’ no strings attached, no ownership stakes to distribute.

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- FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  
  they don’t make an effort to correct it.
  
  An interesting take, but nevertheless, an incorrect one. The individual vote has no power to make significant change at the Federal level unless they’re a billionaire or willing to commit an act of terrorism. (Both of which don’t apply to either of us, I imagine.)
  
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  - ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    A vote is a vote, but that’s not the solution I spoke of. Rather than trying to push people to disengage or vote 3rd party, neither of which will make any meaningful difference to the situation (even in the million to one chance some 3rd party did get elected, they’re a politician and will do politician things), why not take the situation into your own hands and create the company run by someone who won’t behave like a capitalist?
    
    Create the next Google, but you can be the one who really follows the “don’t be evil” mantra and in the process usurp the throne from the capitalists who have gone wrong. Once that is done you have the ability to simply hand the reigns over to anyone working there and walk away knowing the problem of that particular market is now solved.
    
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