The friend who radicalized me is now begging me to vote for Harris
He got me to read the Manifesto and would have hours' long debates with our social-democratic roommate and now this. It's really shaking me up a bit.
He is on the whole defeatist 'nothing will fundamentally shake the imperial machine so might as well pick the wardog with better domestic policies' tip. I want to get through to him but I am getting stuck.
For example:
i also refuse to not vote my conscience but i figured this time its not like doing this abstract process to pick if id prefer -100 points vs -200 points is gonna matter that much if i genuinely believe itll even be slightly better under kamala i might as well
He is on the whole defeatist 'nothing will fundamentally shake the imperial machine so might as well pick the wardog with better domestic policies' tip.
I'd throw that right back as the reason you aren't voting lmao!
Why get worked up if nothing is fundamentally going to change?
Because, sniff, they ideologically do act as though things can change
it's the domestic policies bit, the logic is that the left can't do anything and if they try to ask for different foreign policies it'll achieve nothing. so they are voting for a more comfortable position in the imperial core because they think it's impossible to affect the comfort of those outside of it (defeatism when it comes to anti-imperialist policies)
logic can't break people out of that brain prison because the defeatism is emotional, it's an internalized helplessness created from decades of violent repression of the left
I wouldn't try to "defeat" his defeatism, but show his defeatism can't infect you. He wants to feel better about capitulating which is why he is trying to bring you into the fold. Whatever he chooses to do, that is on him. His argument isn't going to convince you, and say as much.
Besides, if he is so convinced for will bring better domestic policies he should go doorknocking, because 50% of the electorate does not vote. If he really thinks her domestic policies will work, he should have no problem convincing non-voters.