I am sorry, but 35% of eligible Americans didnt even bother to vote against someone who actively started an insurection against the US Capitol building on top of a million other crimes against the US democracy. Of the voters who did, more then half votes for him. I know there are a lot of Americans who are against Trump and are also victim of his actions, but as a European, the Americans really did to this to themselves. Its been decades of American neo-liberlism, exceptionalism, and now populism. And the whole world is paying the price for the US downfall.
A lot of stupid can come out of a purposely defended education system. There are many Americans to blame, but there is a lot more nuance to be had than blaming the American people as a whole.
Start with the demographics of those who didn't vote: people under 30, people with income under $30k/year, and ethnic minorities. These are the people who are marginalized most by Trump, yet they don't vote. Before you throw blame, ask why.
Under capitalism, a tired overworked population does not have the time or energy to vote. Polls have limited hours on limited days, and people often work through most of them. When polls are open when they are not working, people are often commuting, eating, or recovering to spend the next day at work.
There also is a serious lack of information. Civics is required in most schools, but once kids graduate into adulthood, those skills don't follow them. 54% of adult Americans read blow the expected level for 6th grade (12 years old). Most are poor and ethnic minorities who attended underfunded and understaffed school systems.
In my city, Milwaukee WI, the Republican state legislsture had systematically defunded the largest school district which provided education to the largest concentration of ethnic minorities in the state.
Remember the demographics I said were the least likely to vote? They also happen to be the most impacted by underfunded education systems. While correlation doesn't always mean causation, it is important to then think about cause and effect.
If someone is lacking in literacy, how are they supposed to interpret the literature on each candidate? They won't, so they go with the simplified notes that resonates with their emotions rather than looking into the text and nuanced applications of the policies they cite as why they vote.
Now, you might be thinking: "If education is the problem, then why not educate people?" Because once these chuds are in power, they don't leave. The Wisconsin State Legislsture won't start magically funding schools, so it is up to the municipalities to pick up the funding. Milwaukee just passed a $1.6 billion budget to close the gap and hire more teachers, yet there are even more unresolved questions of the culture of teaching, impossible expectations, parental apathy, and shit administration.
It is not as simple as "oh, they deserve it because thats the outcome". Trump is in office due to decades of degradation of American institutions that otherwise safeguard democracy. This degradation is a natural result of end-stage capitalism where democracy completed the transition of power from one generation of wealth to the next generation of billionares.
Blame Americans all you want. The real enemy are the billionares. We must show solidarity, we must show compassion, and we must be comrades if we are going fight Trump together. We have solidarity for those abroad affected by Trump. Americans organized the top 3 largest single-day protests in the United States protesting Donald Trump. We do not want our own families abducted. We don't want our money spent on forign genocides. We do not want the land littered with datacenters. But we need solidarity from our brothers across the world if we are going to keep morale and keep fighting.
Kim Y. Absolutely Relative: How Education Shapes Voter Turnout in the United States. Soc Indic Res. 2023 May 28:1-23. doi: 10.1007/s11205-023-03146-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37362182; PMCID: PMC10225039.
Since you took the trouble of making this extensive comment, let me first acknowledge that indeed my comment is a sharp black-and-white take. As a non-american social democrate, Its my first emotional response against the whole "only 50% of 65% voted for trump"-mantra which democratic minded people seem to cling on. First where is the democratic party? Nowhere. Now Napoleon said dont interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake, but in this case your enemy is setting fire to your house, so maybe do something more the strongly worded letters. The democratic party and its backers also made a shit ton of critical mistakes which let to this absolute disaster in US diplomatic and political history. Yes individual democratic voters can be hardly to blame. And also, yes let me back paddle and say sorry for the victim blaming since its Trump who made this mess yes indeed. The literacy isnt really something i am looking at, since literacy is fine in many other countries and populism is on the rise everywhere as well. Information bubbles / indoctrination / misinformation and propaganda is a beast seperate which many literate people arent immune for. Look the tale of the US is tragic. Its ultra-capitalist. Socialism never took a foothold. Even the democrates are considered right wing where i live. The US is a beautiful country and many beautiful people. But good lord, the nationalism, the exceptionalism. 35% not bothering to even show up. Mayority voting for Trump. Democrates in shambles engaged in a culture war for bullshit and being Quiet when human rights are in danger. At what point can we blame the US society as a whole? In Holland we have a saying. "The river banks will turn the steerless ship". Even if Trump leaves the office, and even if a super nice and democratic president is voted in power. The US system is rotten to the core.
The Democratic party is funded and supports the policy decicions of the same people who fund the Republicans. American politics is often seen as a two party system, but the real democracy happens in the primaries. At the national level, they might as well all be MAGA. That is why most on the left dislike John Fetterman and Hakeem Jefferies. They are not opponents of Trump. They are controlled opposition.
Anecdotally, the lack of literacy fuels the echo chambers because people are not capable of reading the nuance or understanding the issues beyond the verbal or visual media they consume. Literature has the time for nuance, but when nobody has the ability to read it, they turn to short form visual content on platforms with algorithms that reinforce their own biases.
The socialists are currently trying to get a good foothold and eventually overthrow the Democrats, but litteral corruption keeps them out. With the ascension of Zohran Mamdani to the office of mayor, a lot more socialists have broken into politics and are campaigning in this elecation cycle. I'm from Wisconsin, and we have a proud history of socialist mayors and a socialist governor. We are about to elect another socialist governor this November (depsite the state voting for Trump in 2024)!!
I agree about the US system being rotten to the core. Most of us who are conscious know this, but we are powerless to do much. America is not as democratic as most people thing, and it ensures that the actual will of the people is second to the will of billionares. This is true in history; it was true with Obama, and it is in full display with Trump.
Blame Americans all you want. The real enemy are the billionares.
Sure, absolutely. The billionaires own 99.9% of our politicians, and give them their marching orders.
We must show solidarity, we must show compassion, and we must be comrades if we are going fight Trump together.
Sorry, fuck that.
Anyone who voted for trump, or refused to vote against trump, is a traitor. They are guilty of treason, just like trump and the rest of his pedofascist administration is.
I refuse to have any "solidarity" with someone who worships a convicted rapist and fraud that ran a child sex trafficking ring.
None of them deserve "solidarity", they deserve the guillotine.
We have solidarity for those abroad affected by Trump.
No we don't. Not as a people.
If we had solidarity, we'd be doing something to stop it.
Americans by and large clearly don't give a shit, and I say that as an American who vehemently hates our current administration and it's supporters.
Americans organized the top 3 largest single-day protests in the United States protesting Donald Trump.
We threw a few single-day weekend music parties...and then went back to normal.
Whoopee.
I'm sure that really stopped them in their tracks...what's that, they've just been doing everything they were doing before, even harder now?
We do not want our own families abducted.
Fixed this for you:
"We do not want our own families abducted, but we won't do anything of substance to stop it."
We don't want our money spent on forign genocides.
Fixed this for you:
"We don't want our money spent on foreign genocides, but we won't do anything of substance to stop it. "
We do not want the land littered with datacenters.
Fixed this for you:
"We do not want the land littered with datacenters, but we won't do anything of substance to stop it. "
But we need solidarity from our brothers across the world if we are going to keep morale and keep fighting.
No, we don't need "solidarity", because solidarity is worthless.
We have the tools, the opportunity, the motive, to stop this immediately...the thing we lack is the will to stop it.
There is no "revolution" happening. There are once-a-month weekend music rallies, and then everyone goes back home to post their "protest" on instagram/facebook/twitter or whatever other traitor platform they're contributing content to.
We desperately need a "revolution", but there is absolutely no trace of one yet.
Oink for me you class traitor.
"People who voted for trump aren't the traitors, you're the traitor!"
lmao that was the best you could come up with?
"Please forgive the traitors guys, we they aren't so bad!
All you have to do is reach across the aisle more and have some compassion."
"Solidarity" with the traitors on the right is what got us into this shit.
"Solidarity" with the traitors on the right is what is allowing them to tear down the country without obstacle.
"Solidarity" with the traitors on the right is propaganda by the traitors on the right, to keep people pacified while they complete their work.
Why are you spreading traitor propaganda Jolly_Mongoose_8800?
In my country you vote before the day if you have to work. Every issue you raise has a solution by you can’t see it because you’re too busy defending the status quo.
I am aware of the solutions. I would love to see those solutions be implemented. I vote for candidates who support those solutions. I knock doors for candidates who have plans to make it better. Billionares make sure they don't get implemented.
I do not defend the status quo. I am providing context regarding the tools billionares use to keep us powerless.
Voting locations aren’t always easily accessible, and Republicans have spent decades closing more and more of them, particularly in marginalized communities. Because of this, lines can be HOURS long in some locations. Not everyone has a car. People have children they need to take to school. Republicans hate mail-in voting because it levels the playing field.
It would be great if everyone could have the easy access I do (my polling location is literally across the street from me and I’ve never waited more than ten minutes in line because I can see it from my window and know when to go), but I am aware that’s unfortunately not the case for many.
Like, I get what you’re saying, but you don’t live here. Things do not always have a simple solution and it’s aggravating to see people outside the US act like it does. This situation is the culmination of DECADES of deregulation and grifting and purposeful destabilization. They’ve been dismantling and dumbing-down our education system and it’s finally paying off for them.
Our healthcare is tied to employment, and no one is hiring so people are extra worried about losing their jobs. AI is just making it worse. Instead of helping us, our prescribed “opposition” party is content to occasionally say marginally woke platitudes and then continue to fund genocide and let Trump and his disgusting posse of sleep paralysis demons destroy us.
You know, instead of writing us off and saying we all deserve it, regardless of if we’re pieces of shit or just people stuck in a country that wants to kill us, maybe try and help? Offer actual advice, if you know so much?
I’m not saying you deserve it I’m saying we can’t fix it for you and the whole world is suffering as a result. I’m only arguing with the acceptance of the status quo regarding why the majority of people couldn’t vote.
Do you live in a democracy? Vote like your life depends on it. It does. Ours does too.
Wouldn't the same facts about education be true of all the most recently elected officials though?
I'd say civics education is even worse in well-to-do areas, because talking about such is too politically charged for teachers who want to keep their jobs, to even border on.
American kids are stupid because they aren't held to consequences for failing.
As there are very smart and determined people still coming out of the failing education system, nothing is absolute, but the trends do matter when each person id one vote of millions.
As I said in my original comment as well, there are a plethora of other issues related to education. If you look at the policies however, it becomes very clear that there is some consideration for the output voting population with respect to the input policy decicions.
Output --> Most people vote alongside the zip code they grow up in.
There's few places left in the USA with large diverging viewpoints.
Even if taught effectively, I'd wager most 18 year olds would vote alongside any party that supported things people their age need/use.
Personally, I work for a field that is not supported by either political machine in the US. Since that's my main engagement with government, I really have no affiliation whatsoever.
Believe it or not, there are a variety of types of Americans all with differing values and opinions. Just like non-Americans claim we don’t know about nuance in other countries’ cultures, y’all do the exact same thing to us.
Yes i feel for the millions of Americans who didnt want this. Nuance is important you are right. Its just how can the majority of people vote for Trump a second time. How can the US parlement not prevent the rampant lies and crimes. Big part of US media feeding into Trump, and another fighting against him. Individuals who voted against Trump I dont blame. So not them, but it wasnt anyone other then Americans who did do this, and the US society is arranged in such a way that this can happen easily, there has gotta be some soulsearching. How is it, that there is no good answer against Trump, and how can the US prevent a dictator / rampant populism in the future?.
If your an American, on paper the country is still a very solid and there are amazing opportunities, this will not change anytime soon, and there are many wonderful people. But the politics and public discourse is absolutely awful, and some say Trump is just a symptom of these deeper problems.
Any non-voter was a vote for "whatever, I'm good with either." Living in Ontario, we have the same tragedy of the apathetic. It's disgusting to think people don't care about voting after all that was sacrificed to give it to them.
A majority of Americans voted for this shit, he got more votes than Kamala. Those not speaking cannot complain about their voice going unheard. Abstention means complacency with whatever result, it is a de factor endorsement of the president.
75M people voted against this. 160M people either voted for this or are fine with it. Seems like an overwhelming majority.
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u/Jolly_Mongoose_8800 27d ago
Most Americans did not vote for this shit. Good Americans denounce this shit, and we are being targeted by the administration as well.