Mr Biden’s speech is his first major campaign event of the 2024 election season

President Joe Biden marked the third anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol by warning that the issue of American democracy will be “what the 2024 election is all about,” as he runs against former president Donald Trump once more.

Mr Biden, who spoke near the Valley Forge historical site where George Washington and the Continental Army were encamped during the winter of 1777 and 1778, told attendees that they were there “to answer the most important of questions: Is democracy still America’s sacred cause?”

“This isn’t rhetorical, academic, or hypothetical. Whether democracy is still America’s sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time,” he said.

Mr Biden said his speech, his first major event of the 2024 election season, was “deadly serious,” and about a topic that needed to be raised at the outset of his campaign.

  • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Trump has proven that in every country there’s a segment of the population that wants the head of state to be some entitled asshole, born into a life of luxury and surrounds himself with gold. Having a constitutional monarchy neutralizes this emotion, as these people mostly care about that person being on a fancy chair (or at a fancy desk like the beautiful Resolute Desk) and their family to be the royal family (or first family). Subservient people want some person that they feel like showing their loyalty to proves their patriotism to their country.

    Political cults of personalities are less likely in constitutional monarchy as the subservient people already have a person in that role. Sure the UK had Boris Johnson, but he was a guy that had to mess up his hair so he could look like one of the lads at the pub to get support. And as soon as some dodgy behavior was uncovered, he was quickly removed from power and no one was going to storm Parliament to put him back into power. The subservient types would probably feel like the Queen wouldn’t approve of that kind of thing.

    Also note that the only source for casualty numbers in Gaza come from the Gaza Health Ministry which doesn’t make any attempt to distinguish between civilian and non-civilian casualties. By some estimates, the non-civilian casualties in the Ukraine war is up to 500,000.

    Also democracy is about choosing the least worst option. Do you think Trump will make as much efforts towards humanitarian pauses and an eventual ceasefire as Biden will? Try to see past your hatred and consider what the best course of action is.

    • Diva (she/her)@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Political cults of personalities are less likely in constitutional monarchy as the subservient people already have a person in that role.

      someone’s a free thinker 🙃

      Not interested in your spin of the casualty numbers, occupations brutality is clear for everyone to see. You can tell yourself “it’s not so bad” I’m sure some other equally “free thinkers” will believe you.

      Biden has been worse than useless when it comes to this, he’s an active enabler. Trump would also be an active enabler, but he’s also a massive pussy and would probably back down once too many US troops get killed or some shit like that. Biden I could see riding this out to the bitter end because some grima wormtongue political consultant wants to cash in on the next election.

      Try to see past your hatred and consider what the best course of action is.

      Who exactly do I “hate”

      • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, someone that wants to maintain monarchy and is in alignment with US foreign policy is somehow the contrarian “free thinker”.

        You may have been spending too much time online only having discussions with other internet contrarians. The internet lies. This is a propaganda rich environment you’re in right now. The fact that you see someone that thinks a democratic country has a right to exist as being an alien concept to you indicates you should go outside and touch grass or whatever.

        Who exactly do I “hate”

        You hate Israel so much you’re willing to risk the democracy of your own country as an expression of that hatred. Hatred makes people feel like they’re taking a strong stance on an issue while they’re actually just engaging in self-destructive behaviour. It’s why fascists use hatred to get control over people. It’s an easy way to control people.

        • Diva (she/her)@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          You hate Israel so much you’re willing to risk the democracy of your own country as an expression of that hatred.

          If my elected government is using its military to aid a genocide, and my “harm reduction” elected representatives have all forgot the word “ceasefire” I’d say that this “democracy” is a democracy on paper only.

          You are the fascist as far as I’m concerned, supporting your new little reich as it uses its American precision weapons to make sure no refugee camp is left un-bombed.

          • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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            1 year ago

            Fascists de-legitimize democracy when they don’t agree with the leadership chosen by the people. Which is what you’re doing right now.

            Gaza hasn’t had an election since Hamas took power. It’s a violent, misogynistic, homophobic movement that seeks to restore an ethnic map from a history book. Blood and Soil. And the chosen method to do so is genocide.

            Yeah I don’t much like Netanyahu either. But in all likelihood he’ll lose the next election because of his failure to protect Israeli civilians. Hamas gains power because of the deaths of Palestinian civilians. Because those deaths increase the anger and hatred which they derive power from. Because Hamas is a fascist movement.

            A democratic society that considers it a failure to protect civilians vs. a fascist society that puts their civilians at the mercy of an invading army while its leadership hides underground.

            Crack open a history book and look at photos of German cities at the end of WWII. Sometimes fascist societies can find their way out of it over generations like in Spain did. But sometimes fascism ends with complete destruction. This is one of the possible endgames for the politics of hatred.

            • Diva (she/her)@lemmy.ml
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              1 year ago

              You’re the one supporting the genocide, dog of American empire.

              If the “democratic decision” is “we must commit a genocide” then sorry but I must dissent.

              • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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                1 year ago

                What Hamas did was genocide, that is deliberately killing people solely because of their ethnicity.

                What Israel is doing is war. A war that was started by the aforementioned genocide that Hamas committed.

                So you’re “dissenting from democracy” because the genocide of Jews doesn’t register as anything to you. Fascist much?

                  • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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                    1 year ago

                    I’m sure Netanyahu appreciates that you agree with him that there can only be a one state solution. All that’s left is for Israel to annex Palestine.

                    That’s what you want, right? For Palestinians to be citizens of Israel? The term for that is annexation.