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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    9 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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      9 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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        9 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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          9 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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            9 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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              9 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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                9 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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                  9 months ago

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

                  • dvoraqs@lemmy.world
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                    9 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.