Excellent #NeverHillary FB rant ...

[salinsky]

... what he said ...

Friends may have noticed that I have become very cranky of late on the subject of voting for Hillary Clinton in the general election. Put into simple terms: If you are a ‪#‎NeverHillary‬ voter -- or a Trump voter, which in the end is the same thing -- just unfriend me now. You are not a friend of mine.

I have spent the past 14 years trying to warn the public about the proto-fascist threat coming down the road at us through the auspices of the increasingly radicalized conservative movement and its official organ, the Republican Party. I've even published two books describing this threat -- five and six years before it actually emerged.

During that time, I've received fair amounts of praise from my fellow progressives for the work I've done exposing these trends, and lots of pats on the head. But what I've noticed is that many progressives are only interested in using this information as a hammer for bashing conservatives with, rather than taking seriously the underlying issues it exposes, particularly the progressive abandonment of rural areas. And I know that, when I'm not around, a lot of these progressives have been happy to characterize me as an alarmist.

Well, now those trends have all come home to roost, and that "alarmism" has proven precisely accurate. The warnings have come true in no small part not just because conservatives drove their bus over the cliff, but because many progressives -- especially those in institutional progressive organizations -- did not take them seriously either, and took few steps to address the underlying dynamic. And this is especially true of the leftist ideologues who seem to think that all you have to do is magically elect a progressive president and everything will be better, because their failures to keep the ball rolling in between presidential elections led to the rise of the Tea Party and the enshrinement of the radicalization of the American right.

And now these same, clueless progressives are insisting that -- even with the steam train of extremist right-wing populism, the historical foundation of all fascist movements, heading straight towards them in the form of the Trump candidacy -- their Purity of Essence will keep them from ever voting for the last remaining politician capable of keeping him from attaining the presidency.

Look, I support the Sanders campaign's desire to take their movement into the convention, since I support most components of their agenda (though not all). I think progressives need to push the Clinton camp leftward -- not just now, but after the election too. You'll not hear me disparage the Sanders campaign and its doggedness.

But if you can't understand that a Donald Trump presidency would be an extinction-level event for American democracy -- and especially if you are so fanatically blinkered that you think that Clinton and Trump are actually comparable or similar -- then you have neither paid any attention to the matters that I've spent the past 14 years focused on, and/or you simply have no respect for it. You are, on a very deep level, no friend of mine.

So you can just go hit that "Unfriend" button now. Because if you don't, I will get around to it eventually.

https://m.facebook.com/david.neiwert/posts/10154299319549073

[tonyt53]

1. Pretty much says it all.

[MineralMan]

2. Exactly! It's fine to support Bernie, but if he isn't the nominee,

which seems almost certain, there's an ugly demon to defeat in November.

Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face is a sucker bet.

[rock]

7. That spiting one's face bet

Is the favorite bet of the politicians. if you notice, most people have their noses.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Wrong.

If one votes for neither Trump or Clinton neither gains a vote. It's like saying if I don't buy a Coke or Pepsi, Pepsi gains a sale.

0-0 = 0

[bettyellen]

6. What exactly is it about passivity that is so attractive to you?

I really don't get it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. I always vote. Some people don't vote as an act of passive resistance.

I vote for the candidates I prefer.

Don't you?

[bettyellen]

16. I always vote for the person I think is best, don't get staying home at all...

[Juicy_Bellows]

11. Funny how so few seem to understand this.

If one lives in a solid red or blue state it is "I would like a Coke" "Me too, but we'll both get Pepsi."

[salinsky]

17. I guess you must've missed this part ...

And now these same, clueless progressives are insisting that -- even with the steam train of extremist right-wing populism, the historical foundation of all fascist movements, heading straight towards them in the form of the Trump candidacy -- their Purity of Essence will keep them from ever voting for the last remaining politician capable of keeping him from attaining the presidency.

[Android3.14]

4. Kinda makes you wish we had an actual leader who was ahead in the primary

[vi5]

5. "Push the Clinton camp leftward.."

I'm not a Bernie or Bust or a Never Hillary person (although I don't like her at all, I'll still vote for her). But this notion of a primary opponent "pushing her leftward" is ridiculous on it's face. Politicians say what they need to in order to get voted. All a progressive primary opponent does is make that person lie.

In fact that one thing I respect about the Hillary camp is that she's actually not lying. I don't like what she's saying, but I give her credit for not lying and pretending she's going to support progressive policies and instead just admitting that she wants the status quo. Which isn't great but it's better than lying.

[Dem2]

8. I agree with what this person is saying.

I assume most people will come to their senses in the next 5 months, I really don't want to live in a fascist country.

[Fawke Em]

14. But you're fine with an oligarchy.

Gotcha.

[bigwillq]

10. Bye, Felicia.

The ole unfriend me threat. ZZZZZZ

Maybe this person should just unfriend anyone who doesn't agree with them.

I have FB friends from all walks of life, that believe in all different things, including things I don't agree with.

I am fine with it.

[vintx]

18. Right?

Isn't that something teenagers do?

[Haveadream]

12. Fantastic post

"a Donald Trump presidency would be an extinction level event for American democracy"

[Fawke Em]

13. Hope he loses a lot of friends. eom

[nc4bo]

15. I'm sure no one gives a shit. That's how FB rolls. Lose one, gain one

Everyday, 24/7, 365 days a year.

We can all rant on our own walls and we are our own echo chambers.