Emeritus Prof Christopher MayNov 26, 2024

If global temperature levels are the easiest way of understanding the pace & seriousness of climate change, then its pretty clear we've not been dong a good job of trying to arrest global warning.

Already weather has become increasingly erratic & the effects of climate change are ever more obvious... looking at the incline on this graph can only lead you to conclude that we are not doing anything like enough!

The problem is our political leaders see it otherwise...

#climate #GlobalWarming

Show threadShaman
@ChrisMayLA6 let's face it, our political leaders, at least in democracies, are our leaders because we elected them.
The American voter elected a felon, who says that #ClimateChange is a hoax, but believes that legal immigrants from Haiti eat cats and dogs and are illegally in the US. This is what just was elected ... Don't tell me that it's politicians who don't take decisive action against the looming #ClimateBreakdown. It's the majority of voters who think cheaper groceries and white supremacy are worth electing a climate denying, demented, pathological liar and con man into the White House. That is who is not doing nearly enough #WeThePeople ...
Nov 26, 2024 at 11:10pmWeb
Show threadCaesarNov 26, 2024
@RulesBuster @ChrisMayLA6 Well, roughly a third voted for him. And another third didn't care. But that does mean a third voted against him.
In the UK likewise, although Labour won a "landslide", they did so with a near record low number of votes.
So it's not true for everyone that their leaders are who they voted for. In fact it's a characteristic of many democracies that generally *most* people get the leader they didn't vote for.
Show threadCaesarNov 26, 2024
@RulesBuster @ChrisMayLA6 (It's a bit different in countries like France which have run-off elections, combine that with compulsory voting like they have in Brazil or Australia and you could argue that at least half of people would get the leader they'd voted for, though in practice the result doesn't seem much better…)
Show threadShamanNov 27, 2024
@caesar @ChrisMayLA6 true that only minorities vote for leaders that then win elections. However, it still means that leaders are duly elected. It is also not clear, if the people who don't actively vote would actually change the outcome. Isn't it more likely that people not voting would follow the existing voting patterns?
Regardless, especially on the topic of the #ClimateCrisis there is no indication that a candidate, who is strong on environmental protection and willing to take decisive action against CO2 polluters will stand any chance winning an election.
So my point is that it is #UsThePeople, who are as a group overwhelmingly unwilling to change or aggressively fight the #ClimatCrisis.
Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher MayNov 27, 2024

@RulesBuster @caesar

Given the democracy is for the most part voting against rather than for.... I think the final point, that we are 'are as a group overwhelmingly unwilling to change or aggressively fight the #ClimatCrisis' is true for the majority - the small minority prepared to fight are viewed either sympathetically, but not really positively supported or are vilified.

So in that sense while I'd like to differ with your initial point, I find it hard to do so convincingly.

Show threadMx VerdaNov 27, 2024

@ChrisMayLA6 @RulesBuster @caesar

They may be restricted from voting (gerrymandering / redlining, voter suppression),
voting may be inaccessible to them (caring responsibilities, too expensive to reach station, can’t afford time off work, can’t get time off work at all),
they may fully intend to but forget or be distracted (ADHD, caring responsibilities again, parenting, work, extreme weather), etc.

All these (or none) can still be relevant for the people who don’t vote.
I would find it unlikely that they would act in indistinguishable patterns since they are *already* behaving in a different way.

But I’m not a humanities / social scientist and I’m very tired. So I’m probably missing something.

[insert twXtter rant about everyone being stupid or something]

Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher MayNov 27, 2024

@MxVerda @RulesBuster @caesar

yes, voter disengagement (for whatever reasons) is also going to be part of the issue

Show threadPaul 💙 28 💔 💚Nov 27, 2024

@caesar @RulesBuster @ChrisMayLA6

In the UK it was more a case of low voting.. traditional Labour voters .. Voted.. and the Traditional Tory voter not wanting to vote for people who have been inept for 14 years. So didn't vote

In the US.. It was Low voting... traditional Republican voters ., voted... Traditional Democratic voters couldn't bring themselves to go vote for a black woman. So didn't vote

The non voters couldn't see how either party would improve their situation... So why bother

Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher MayNov 27, 2024

@PGBeattie @caesar @RulesBuster

Which in a sense, is a form of voting against.... no candidates encourage me to vote for, so I'll absent myself as a vote against?

Show threadPaul 💙 28 💔 💚Nov 27, 2024

@ChrisMayLA6 @caesar @RulesBuster

It's all semantics.... Not voting in lots of cases is not done as a protest... But as apathy

Politics is not for me as regardless of what happens in Government ...my live goes on without change without hope... So why bother

Bidens and Harris message of excellent growth and employment figures was met with "but not for me"

Show threadShamanNov 27, 2024
@PGBeattie @ChrisMayLA6 @caesar we'll see if that bit about "nothing changes for me that's why I don't vote" is going to stay true in the next couple of years. But then why bother about your future until it happens...
#FascismAffectsEveryone #VotingMatters #EducationMatters #DonotCareUntilTooLate