There’s plenty of things to do that is not about fighting government goons. Direct action doesn’t mean “take a rifle and fight”. It means supporting your fellow humans directly, instead of sending politicians letters and hoping they will actually listen to you.

When we’re at the point where people are being rounded up for death camps, I’m pretty sure that ‘supporting my fellow humans’ isn’t what’s going to keep me out of the camps.

If you wait until you’re led to the camps to start thinking about doing anything other than voting, then it’s (probably) too late.

If you insist on ceding all levers of power to fascists except those which are sufficiently ‘pure’ in your eyes, your society will be led to the camps much faster.

4 years ago you might have argued with me instead: “Have you considered maybe that NOT letting the state fall to the point where it’s conducting genocide might be a good idea?”

Four years ago we were supporting Israel, which was conducting genocide then as surely as it is now, and with much broader support for its genocide in the US population. Go back eight years, and it’s even worse. 20 years, the numbers are horrific.

The state hasn’t ‘fallen’ to this point. That we’re even having this discussion on the national stage is a sign of the changing times, sad as that is.

And it would have sounded just as convincing. You can always think of the next worst thing though once fascism is there. Maybe in 4 years you’ll be telling me that I should vote for trans-genocide so that LGB can at least survive. Who knows…

Oh, like how LGBT rights have been on the decline in the past half-century because of what incredible speed we’re descending into fascism from, right?

Holy shit, you have to be at least near my age. You can’t possibly confuse the state of our youth with conditions now.

Not at all. I keep telling you that you need to fight to not get stabbed or shot and you keep going “But if I don’t choose the knife, they might pull out a gun.” Instead of asking yourself “why the fuck am I ever bothering to consider whether a knife or gun is faster at killing me instead of trying to stop the killer”.

Because dying slower gives you more time to stop the killer. Dying quicker does nothing.

Authoritarian? sure. Bigoted? Certainly. But it wasn’t actively fascist.

…

Would you like to outline to me the conditions that are fascist now that were not equally or more ‘fascist’, in your view, back then?

Let me ask you a different question. When is it enough? Is there any point, any government action which will convince you that you need to put your efforts into doing something other than voting? Is that point only when you’re personally being led to the pit?

My guy, I’m entirely in support of people forming orgs for voluntary association and organization outside of state power. But you also have to reckon with the fact that state power is immense currently, that non-state actors are not in a strong position currently, and that state power has the capacity to become much more repressive than it is currently.

My message is not “Vote, and only vote, or only do government-approved political actions”. My message is “For fuck’s sake, AT LEAST vote against fascism, if for no other reason than getting fascism quicker helps NO ONE”

You want to talk long-term plans? I’m game. You want to talk creating counterbalances to state power through trade unions, syndicates, communes, self-defense organizations? I’m game to talk. But none of that contradicts “Do not let those who want the state to become WORSE into power” or “Fascism is BAD for organizing”.