• dhork@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 days ago

    I wonder that, myself, but I am not at all sure how Al Gore would have handled the aftermath of 9/11. (I don’t mean the crisis itself, but rather the blame game that was sure to come afterwards).

    While Dubya was a big fat liar, we might have gotten some even worse Republican in 2004, and then Barack Obama would probably never have become President. (But it is possible he would stay in the Senate and be the current Democratic leader).

    No, the timeline shift I wonder about is what would have happened if Democrats let Bernie win in 2016, instead of being in the tank for Hillary. If Trump was never President, he would probably be in jail by now.

    • omarfw@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 day ago

      It doesn’t matter who the president is when the country is actually controlled by wealthy oligarchs. We cannot solve that problem by voting.

      • lumony@lemmings.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 day ago

        Vote with your wallets. Bring back ownership.

        Stop subscribing to dumb shit you can be getting for free. Use your brains before your wallets.

        • cabinet_sanchez@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 day ago

          And stop saying sigh, Amazon and Bezos suck, but I simply cannot live without throwing my money at them. I tend to hate to be judgy about it, but I think the time has come to pass judgement, for people to put up or shut up. Yes, all corporations are bad. That means we should all be consuming less. But some corporations are definitely worse than others, and every single person who voluntarily gives them money is complicit. They have the power because we give it to them.

          • lumony@lemmings.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 day ago

            I totally agree with what you’re saying.

            If we keep rewarding people with social praise every time they contribute to the problem, they’re going to keep contributing to the problem.

            This is what I mean by changing as a culture. We need to value different things.

            • cabinet_sanchez@midwest.social
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              23 hours ago

              Yeah, I wish there was a less condescending way to advocate for changing yourself if you can’t change the world (not that I’m saying you’re condescending, I’m saying it’s hard to talk to people about it without sounding like “pull yourself up by the bootstraps”), but I’ve been really reevaluating this stuff in the last few months and it’s helping me a lot. I’m buying less that I don’t need and donating that money to causes. I’m trying to focus on what I can do in my world, while still paying attention to the big world, and it’s helping me keep a balance. I’m focusing on making myself a better me so I can fight instead of wallowing in helplessness (which I definitely did do for a while).

              • lumony@lemmings.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                8 hours ago

                Great stuff. I find leading by example is the best way to go.

                Refusing to buy things in front of your peers is very effective from what I’ve noticed.