Hello and thank you for all of your insightful and expansive stacks. I enjoy them almost as much as I enjoy your music! I wanted to note that this same argument needs to be made for the many other people who are hedging their votes in protest (this is not your intention/target with your stack, but it can be modified and disseminated accordingly). People who are both staunchly Democratic in all the other values you laid out but are Pro-Israel in a meta sense (not supportive of the terror in Gaza, but supportive of Israel defending its borders against Hezbollah and Iran). Jews who feel attacked because they are Jews so they must be genocidal terrorists, and thus, are experiencing daily antisemitism due to the reprehensible actions of the Netanyahu regime. Pro-peace Jews who feel left behind by the same progressives they championed but now are unwelcome at the table and even at peace rallies unless they fully denounce Jews without nuance (this basically describes me). Green voters. Voters who suffer systematic racial violence at the hands of law enforcement that feel VP Harris is too moderate, etc. Dreamers who feel betrayed by all parties. Anti-corporate Democrats who feel Biden/Harris and Harris/Walz are too pro-business. Obviously, this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it makes the point. I am going to follow this mantra you laid out and protest things I abhor under a Harris administration...I already voted for her proudly and I always protest injustice. I am also trying to convince "moderates" and swing voters of the same argument you lay out for Leftists by Leftists....in a "Letter to a Democrat (from a Democrat)" manner or moreover "A Letter to a Human (from a Humanist)" approach. I hope I am making sense in this ramble here. I am stressed out and feeling ineffective at making my points, but I will continue trying until all the ballot boxes are closed. The Left is not the only faction considering a protest vote against Harris. I hope empathy prevails.
Thank you for your kind words, and for sharing your thoughts. You make an excellent point about all the other ways in which people may be hedging w/r/t Harris. I chose the particular framing for my piece because I am most frequently confronted in my own ideological nook with other lefties for whom the conversation begins and ends with “genocide is my red line,” which, while a powerful rhetorical gesture, and ethically undeniable on its surface, collapses the moment we start discussing the consequences for Palestinians (and everyone else!) of a 2nd Trump presidency. Anyhow, thank you again for writing. I really appreciate your lens!
This is, as always, a beautifully written and searingly intelligent articulation of what often feels like an impossible moral dilemma. (And, as always, the comments of this writer should be taken with a grain of salt given that they are coming from your dad.) I would have just added one thing to the awful litany in your first footnote: namely that in 2017, just a week into his presidency, Trump instituted a ban on Muslims and refugees entering the U.S., a ban which Amnesty International described as an "order [which] demonises the vulnerable – those who have fled torturers, warlords and dictators – and those who simply want to be with their families. It is essentially a licence to discriminate, disguised as a 'national security measure'... The ban was cruel, inhumane, and violated international law." How anyone could imagine that there is even the remotest possibility that Trump would suddenly change his spots and turn out to be a boon to Muslims anywhere (or almost anyone else for that matter except for the very wealthy) is utterly beyond me.
Now please get back to writing more amazing music. ;-)
Glad to modestly upgrade (retired on limited means). Terrific article and sage counsel to the Left. I have long followed Chomsky (I heard him in person in 1970 in full anti-VN War mode at Wesleyan). And of course, I follow your musical investigations. Keep at all of this.
I just want to thank you for this essay. I read it when you first published it and I am re-reading it now in the wake of the election results. I can’t tell you how many times I have read your writing and felt so appreciative of the ways you are able to hold nuance, emotion, reason, and complexity together in each piece. I think this is one of the best essays I have ever read and I will return to it again and again.
I couldn't agree more. It sucks that the perfect choice is not available. But in that case it's always a good idea to vote for the candidate that will give you more freedom to push the world in the right direction.
Hello and thank you for all of your insightful and expansive stacks. I enjoy them almost as much as I enjoy your music! I wanted to note that this same argument needs to be made for the many other people who are hedging their votes in protest (this is not your intention/target with your stack, but it can be modified and disseminated accordingly). People who are both staunchly Democratic in all the other values you laid out but are Pro-Israel in a meta sense (not supportive of the terror in Gaza, but supportive of Israel defending its borders against Hezbollah and Iran). Jews who feel attacked because they are Jews so they must be genocidal terrorists, and thus, are experiencing daily antisemitism due to the reprehensible actions of the Netanyahu regime. Pro-peace Jews who feel left behind by the same progressives they championed but now are unwelcome at the table and even at peace rallies unless they fully denounce Jews without nuance (this basically describes me). Green voters. Voters who suffer systematic racial violence at the hands of law enforcement that feel VP Harris is too moderate, etc. Dreamers who feel betrayed by all parties. Anti-corporate Democrats who feel Biden/Harris and Harris/Walz are too pro-business. Obviously, this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it makes the point. I am going to follow this mantra you laid out and protest things I abhor under a Harris administration...I already voted for her proudly and I always protest injustice. I am also trying to convince "moderates" and swing voters of the same argument you lay out for Leftists by Leftists....in a "Letter to a Democrat (from a Democrat)" manner or moreover "A Letter to a Human (from a Humanist)" approach. I hope I am making sense in this ramble here. I am stressed out and feeling ineffective at making my points, but I will continue trying until all the ballot boxes are closed. The Left is not the only faction considering a protest vote against Harris. I hope empathy prevails.
Thank you for your kind words, and for sharing your thoughts. You make an excellent point about all the other ways in which people may be hedging w/r/t Harris. I chose the particular framing for my piece because I am most frequently confronted in my own ideological nook with other lefties for whom the conversation begins and ends with “genocide is my red line,” which, while a powerful rhetorical gesture, and ethically undeniable on its surface, collapses the moment we start discussing the consequences for Palestinians (and everyone else!) of a 2nd Trump presidency. Anyhow, thank you again for writing. I really appreciate your lens!
Thanks for reading it!
This is, as always, a beautifully written and searingly intelligent articulation of what often feels like an impossible moral dilemma. (And, as always, the comments of this writer should be taken with a grain of salt given that they are coming from your dad.) I would have just added one thing to the awful litany in your first footnote: namely that in 2017, just a week into his presidency, Trump instituted a ban on Muslims and refugees entering the U.S., a ban which Amnesty International described as an "order [which] demonises the vulnerable – those who have fled torturers, warlords and dictators – and those who simply want to be with their families. It is essentially a licence to discriminate, disguised as a 'national security measure'... The ban was cruel, inhumane, and violated international law." How anyone could imagine that there is even the remotest possibility that Trump would suddenly change his spots and turn out to be a boon to Muslims anywhere (or almost anyone else for that matter except for the very wealthy) is utterly beyond me.
Now please get back to writing more amazing music. ;-)
Thank you for this humane and eloquent essay, Gabriel. I hope many, many people read it.
Thank you for reading, Steve!
Glad to modestly upgrade (retired on limited means). Terrific article and sage counsel to the Left. I have long followed Chomsky (I heard him in person in 1970 in full anti-VN War mode at Wesleyan). And of course, I follow your musical investigations. Keep at all of this.
I just want to thank you for this essay. I read it when you first published it and I am re-reading it now in the wake of the election results. I can’t tell you how many times I have read your writing and felt so appreciative of the ways you are able to hold nuance, emotion, reason, and complexity together in each piece. I think this is one of the best essays I have ever read and I will return to it again and again.
I couldn't agree more. It sucks that the perfect choice is not available. But in that case it's always a good idea to vote for the candidate that will give you more freedom to push the world in the right direction.