I have been thinking a lot about people who are deciding that not voting in the upcoming presidential election—or voting for a spoiler party with no chance of winning—is the only righteous thing to do in November. I have been searching for some way to express my hope that they will awaken from that belief and help to defeat Donald Trump. The thing is, they are by and large young and I am ancient in comparison. Although I have been listening as hard as I can across the generation gap, I have not had much luck being heard.
Things have been coming my way that offer insight. Masha Gessen, a writer I respect but in this case disagree with, had a piece in the New York Times a few days ago exploring the phenomenon. She says that Harris ought to do much more to recognize and address the “psychic price” these potential voters attach to casting their ballots:
“These voters are not choosing between Harris and Trump. They are choosing between their sense of themselves as moral beings if they vote for Harris and their sense of themselves if they vote for a third-party candidate or for no one at all.”
But Gessen has failed to interrogate how a psychic price tag gets attached. This has not become the one overarching issue for many young voters and the single litmus test for personal morality by some natural process. Surely one reason is that much of the U.S. left came out of the box “exhilarated” by Hamas’ actions on 10/7. The imperative to make this the one and only issue was instantly clear.
It’s important to me. I’m a Jew and a peacenik. I condemn both sides’ immoral actions, support an immediate and lasting ceasefire, want military aid to Israel to stop, want to see both peoples have democracy, safety and human rights under leadership that actually prizes those things, etc., etc. But the people who have made this the sole embodiment of moral transgression and attached the highest psychic price tag in the moral universe have reserved for themselves the right to make everyone else pay the actual price by taking actions exclusively against Democrats in a close election that may result in far worse outcomes, and not just for Gaza.
I’d like to see Harris confer with peace groups and arrive at the best possible positions and relationships to ensure human rights, peace, healing, and far better futures for Israel-Palestine. For all I know, this may be happening. I hope so. But psychic prices are shaped by all kinds of pressures and personal choices. People can question and adjust them if they wish. They can change their tactics in relation to them too. There are many issues of social and planetary injustice exacting psychic prices from all kinds of people. Some are motivating them to work to defeat Trump and prevent the worst from happening. It doesn’t make sense to me to say that actions which may have the opposite effect ought to be seen as especially noble and laudable.
That’s why I was glad someone sent me a post on X yesterday morning. I no longer post to X as it’s an inhospitable place for human rights and only encourages its overlord, Elon Musk. But I am making an exception and linking to it because I hope people will listen to what four quite amazing young people have to say about exactly the same issue. There’s something here and there that pushed my button (one young woman believes that the lives of people designated “white” have never been put in danger, for instance; I’m still waiting for an understanding of social class to reinfuse progressive politics). But nearly everything is beautifully and powerfully stated and deeply convincing, and every word is worth hearing.
“Don’t let them convince you to give up your rights,” says a young man whose TikTok name is iamdaviontatum. He makes the point that the right is trying very hard to cancel voting and other rights we are still able to exercise. His testimony reminded me of the first lesson of the 20 offered in Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny:
1. Do not obey in advance. Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. You’ve already done this, haven’t you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom.
If you know people who have decided that not voting or casting a throwaway vote is the only “psychic price” they are prepared to pay in November, please urge them to listen to this with open hearts and minds.
The far left are getting eaten up by Black voices & I am loving every sec of it. Calling them out for what they are— self-righteous, performative assholes narcissists. Black people have been fighting for all people since the beginning of this country, ie check the John Lewis… pic.twitter.com/PCHsZDNqhV
— cleo – Austin Latina Mom & MODERATE Democrat (@Cleo_Petricek) August 11, 2024
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