Last evening I read a post by Erasmussimo that angered me. I wrote this reply:
The simplicity of thought on this site can be overwhelming. I don’t recall anyone I know saying that “Hillary Clinton was no better than Donald Trump.” Life is full of subtlety and nuance — it is not black and white. There were conscientious objectors in World War Two, not because they wanted Hitler to take over the world, but because, in their value system, war was also unacceptable. People who have different value systems from yours aren’t “idiots.” Perhaps they simply find it unacceptable to support any evil — lesser or otherwise. Some of the writers on this site seem to have difficulty realizing that others have values, intentions, and beliefs that don’t line up neatly with the herd. This is why I voted for Jill Stein. Having been an adult throughout Hillary Clinton’s career, this vituperative and oversimplifying polarization follows her wherever she goes. How about you staying true to your principles and letting others stay true to theirs, no matter how “idiotic” you find them. And don’t kid yourself, you’re not helping the Democratic Party, you’re simply alienating voters that might join you next time. Speaking of “idiotic” …
This current post is not directed at anyone in particular, but at everyone who vilifies someone else for following her or his own convictions. It is the height of narcissism to believe that “Because I think it, it is true.” My vote fit my values. I was under no illusion that Stein would win, but I’m sick of election after election facing the same lack of choice among candidates. I’m sick of voting for “the lesser of two evils.” I’m ready to reject the fundamental proposition that we will accept a choice between two evils. If I seem “idiotic” to you, stupid, or you dislike my choice then that’s, of course, your right. However, if you think that everyone should abandon their own integrity to do what you think is right, you’re going to end up surrounded by a lot of people you can’t trust.
The 2016 election was a disaster for a variety of reasons, some of which were:
- The DNC interfered in the primary process. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Donna Brazile broke the rules by favoring Clinton over Sanders.
- The Democratic Party set the primary schedule in such a way that the South was allowed to choose the Democratic nominee.
- Professional politicians have developed the view that the Presidency is a prize for political longevity (i.e. “It’s so-and-so’s turn).
- The media promoted Clinton over Sanders.
- Clinton had a disapproval rating almost as high as Trump’s but the professionals said, “Don’t worry, where else have liberals got to go?”
- Hillary Clinton shared no vision other than her determination to avoid a single-payer healthcare system and retain the death penalty (even had she been a credible candidate, she lost my vote with these two positions).
- The Russians hacked the general election in Trump’s favor.
These are systemic problems, not individual problems. It’s not that everybody who didn’t support Clinton is just an idiot. The whole primary and general election stank like garbage. Maybe we should turn our anger toward fixing the systemic problems and leave the name-calling in the White House and the sandbox.