I keep thinking about the mindset of voters who voted for Trump to ease their financial woes at the expense of women, minorities, and LGBTQ folks. The realization that my own safety ranks lower in the minds of voters than their tax bill makes me sick. And yet, I think this is what capitalism had made of citizenship today. Voters are savvy if they vote to improve their own financial position. Consumer capitalism has reduced notions of freedom and agency to the right to own the latest car model or a popular pair of shoes. It's coke vs Pepsi not democracy vs autocracy in the minds of many. And that's great for white men, but where does that leave the rest of us? To say that voting for Trump is better for my family because it may lower my taxes is to preference my consumer choices in the short term at the expense of our planet and the safety of millions of other humans, and a vote for a climate of fear.
Absolutely! And there's an insidious short-sightedness and willful ignorance to it all. Most of these voters, when confronted with you as an actual person, would never believe they're willing to hurt you in favor of lowering their tax bill. But because they don't have to know you — because they can pretend they don't know LGBTQ+ folks or vulnerable women or immigrants — they pretend they're not making that choice.
"Voters are savvy if they vote to improve their own financial position." This is such an important observation. It's at the crux of everything I think is wrong with our entire cultural relationship with money! We're taught it's smart, not greedy, to always make the financially savvy choices, regardless of their harmful impacts.
This is the great irony, isn’t it? Trump will only increase the pressures people are feeling, and beat the drum of hatred to scapegoat immigrants and other marginalized groups (including those who are economically marginalized).
I lament the fact that we seem not to have learned the lessons of WWII and most don’t have an interest in studying these political cycles. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this story. But maybe each new generation has to experience it before they wake up to it?
The phrase “forgive them, for they know not what they do” keeps running through my head even though I’m not traditionally religious.
I’m also really curious about the fact that plain old misogyny doesn’t come up a lot in the punditry, when we know that’s a factor as well.
I wish we'd hear more about the misogyny! I'm definitely seeing that point a lot, but that's because I follow specifically feminist writers. Calling out misogyny shouldn't be solely a feminist task.
It's definitely misogyny — and transphobia and racism and xenophobia, etc. I always bring it back to capitalism, because that system begets all of these other things. But I should remember to name those other things explicitly, too.
I wonder the same thing! I haven't studied it as closely, but I brought this up with my partner who studied Marx a little in PoliSci classes. Fascism wasn't name yet, but the progression Marx described through late-stage capitalism that eventually would give way to communism sounds like fascism. So, yeah, maybe it's inevitable? It makes sense that a system that relies on a hierarchy of winners and losers would inevitably have to fight harder and harder to create losers and protect the status of the winners.
Thank you for calling out the people willing to ignore or support racism, sexism, and transphobia because of some vague idea of the economy. I really appreciate this.
This is amazing. I will say however that the DNC is propped up by wealthy billionaires and massive businesses that have benefited from capitalism and the abuse of the working class. I’m hard pressed to believe that a typical democratic candidate going forward will really incite enough change to dismantle the system that it requires to keep going.
A typical Democratic candidate absolutely won't! Harris was on the campaign trail constantly reminding voters explicitly, "I'm a capitalist." 🙄 I think leftists have to continue to work on both fronts: pulling the party to the left and building an independent coalition that can do good work without relying on Democrats.
One of the best articles I’ve read post-election. People criticize communism so heavily and run away from it without realizing that the other end - crony capitalism is just as bad.
Thank you! Folks criticizing communism and socialism don't tend to have any understanding of what they mean, or even really a recognition of capitalism as a chosen, imposed system and not the natural order of things.
If they’re mad at capitalism, why would they vote oligarchs into power? They‘re mad at libs/socialists/non-Christians. period. Because they have been brainwashed to hate and fear. Period. They’re infatuated with glitzy, showy excessive wealth.
They blame the left because Koch’s, Murdoch’s, Putin’s army of bots and trolls, Putin bought and paid for Republican politicians, Sinclair, Clear Channel, Alex Jones, Musk, Mega churches and their pastors, etc. etc. etc. all told them that Democrats are socialists and communists and therefore evil for decades. Propaganda intended to destroy us on the part of Putin, and defeat libs on the part of the GOP and Christian Dominionists. Brainwashing.
Furthermore it’s a cult. They are not going to just admit they have been pawns in Putin’s game so just telling them the truth doesn’t matter. They rather burn down the world then admit they were hoodwinked
All the info was available if they looked, all the data of who was pushing on things, causing issues, and taking away rights. They know that they are supporting the rich in order to feed their racism, sexism, and hate of anyone not like them. All the trump voters are the worse they knew what they did. I don’t forget or forgive them.
I keep thinking about the mindset of voters who voted for Trump to ease their financial woes at the expense of women, minorities, and LGBTQ folks. The realization that my own safety ranks lower in the minds of voters than their tax bill makes me sick. And yet, I think this is what capitalism had made of citizenship today. Voters are savvy if they vote to improve their own financial position. Consumer capitalism has reduced notions of freedom and agency to the right to own the latest car model or a popular pair of shoes. It's coke vs Pepsi not democracy vs autocracy in the minds of many. And that's great for white men, but where does that leave the rest of us? To say that voting for Trump is better for my family because it may lower my taxes is to preference my consumer choices in the short term at the expense of our planet and the safety of millions of other humans, and a vote for a climate of fear.
Absolutely! And there's an insidious short-sightedness and willful ignorance to it all. Most of these voters, when confronted with you as an actual person, would never believe they're willing to hurt you in favor of lowering their tax bill. But because they don't have to know you — because they can pretend they don't know LGBTQ+ folks or vulnerable women or immigrants — they pretend they're not making that choice.
"Voters are savvy if they vote to improve their own financial position." This is such an important observation. It's at the crux of everything I think is wrong with our entire cultural relationship with money! We're taught it's smart, not greedy, to always make the financially savvy choices, regardless of their harmful impacts.
This is the great irony, isn’t it? Trump will only increase the pressures people are feeling, and beat the drum of hatred to scapegoat immigrants and other marginalized groups (including those who are economically marginalized).
I lament the fact that we seem not to have learned the lessons of WWII and most don’t have an interest in studying these political cycles. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this story. But maybe each new generation has to experience it before they wake up to it?
The phrase “forgive them, for they know not what they do” keeps running through my head even though I’m not traditionally religious.
I’m also really curious about the fact that plain old misogyny doesn’t come up a lot in the punditry, when we know that’s a factor as well.
I wish we'd hear more about the misogyny! I'm definitely seeing that point a lot, but that's because I follow specifically feminist writers. Calling out misogyny shouldn't be solely a feminist task.
It's definitely misogyny — and transphobia and racism and xenophobia, etc. I always bring it back to capitalism, because that system begets all of these other things. But I should remember to name those other things explicitly, too.
Thank you so much for this, Dana. Exactly the rage level and fuck capitalism sentiment I needed to hear right now.
This is the sentiment I didn't know *I* needed until it came out as I was writing!
Thank you for this. Your article made me wonder if fascism is the natural outcome of capitalism at some point. Any thoughts on that?
I wonder the same thing! I haven't studied it as closely, but I brought this up with my partner who studied Marx a little in PoliSci classes. Fascism wasn't name yet, but the progression Marx described through late-stage capitalism that eventually would give way to communism sounds like fascism. So, yeah, maybe it's inevitable? It makes sense that a system that relies on a hierarchy of winners and losers would inevitably have to fight harder and harder to create losers and protect the status of the winners.
Thank you for calling out the people willing to ignore or support racism, sexism, and transphobia because of some vague idea of the economy. I really appreciate this.
It's ridiculous and needs to be named!
This is amazing. I will say however that the DNC is propped up by wealthy billionaires and massive businesses that have benefited from capitalism and the abuse of the working class. I’m hard pressed to believe that a typical democratic candidate going forward will really incite enough change to dismantle the system that it requires to keep going.
A typical Democratic candidate absolutely won't! Harris was on the campaign trail constantly reminding voters explicitly, "I'm a capitalist." 🙄 I think leftists have to continue to work on both fronts: pulling the party to the left and building an independent coalition that can do good work without relying on Democrats.
One of the best articles I’ve read post-election. People criticize communism so heavily and run away from it without realizing that the other end - crony capitalism is just as bad.
Thank you! Folks criticizing communism and socialism don't tend to have any understanding of what they mean, or even really a recognition of capitalism as a chosen, imposed system and not the natural order of things.
Exactly what I thought. Really helped me understand and dial back from the white hot rage and terror.
That's great to hear, Rowan! Anytime I can dial back rage and fear, I consider a success :)
Fuck that! Love it. Feels good to know other people are aware of the holistic situation.
Here, here!!!!
If they’re mad at capitalism, why would they vote oligarchs into power? They‘re mad at libs/socialists/non-Christians. period. Because they have been brainwashed to hate and fear. Period. They’re infatuated with glitzy, showy excessive wealth.
They don't realize capitalism is what's causing their problems, so they blame the left. So, they're mad at capitalism, but they don't realize it.
They blame the left because Koch’s, Murdoch’s, Putin’s army of bots and trolls, Putin bought and paid for Republican politicians, Sinclair, Clear Channel, Alex Jones, Musk, Mega churches and their pastors, etc. etc. etc. all told them that Democrats are socialists and communists and therefore evil for decades. Propaganda intended to destroy us on the part of Putin, and defeat libs on the part of the GOP and Christian Dominionists. Brainwashing.
Furthermore it’s a cult. They are not going to just admit they have been pawns in Putin’s game so just telling them the truth doesn’t matter. They rather burn down the world then admit they were hoodwinked
All the info was available if they looked, all the data of who was pushing on things, causing issues, and taking away rights. They know that they are supporting the rich in order to feed their racism, sexism, and hate of anyone not like them. All the trump voters are the worse they knew what they did. I don’t forget or forgive them.
I think you’re right. But they don’t know it