• TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    It would be really unfortunate if Platner alone killed the movement when there’s been so much forward movement outside of Maine. Look at Mamdani. Look at Abdul El-Sayed.

    Okay, so, I want to be clear that we’re exercising this question under the hypothetical that the accusation is false. The question is very narrow: If the accusation turns out to be false, and it destroys a movement, would you be ok taking responsibility for that?

    Because right now party operatives are already moving to tie these accusations to Mamdani, El-Sayed, John Ossof. Not hypothetically, but actually going on news outlets from the 8th through the 9th of this week, and more today, of a concerted effort to make people like El-Sayed somehow be responsible for the accusation against Platner. I’ll update this sections with links in an edit, but I’ve seen clips of all of this happening this week from party operatives.

    You have your position and I don’t disagree with it. Just like @PP_BOY_@lemmy.world has there position, and I don’t disagree with it (at least in part). They also have to answer their own hard question on this.

    But your question is very specific: Would you accept responsibility for destroying the movement based on a false accusation? This is all high stakes. Being wrong here matters alot and has real consequences. Your response was a bit of slight of hand so I want to drill into this one point. If you end up being wrong about this, and it allows for effectively the complete destruction of the only and best motion we’ve had in the US in the fight against fascism, is that something you are ok with taking responsibility for?

    And @PP_BOY_@lemmy.world has their own hard question to answer. But you have a stance, and so this question goes to you.

    *Updated with links to provide direct evidence of the way this is already being used cynically.

    • velma@sh.itjust.works
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      4 days ago

      Would you accept responsibility for destroying the movement based on a false accusation?

      No, because I don’t believe it would be on this one “false” accusation if the movement fails. One of the reasons this accusation is so credible is because of his other past actions. If this was an accusation in a vacuum with no evidence and no past history showing similarities, the response wouldn’t be like this.

      We were already wrong for choosing him as a candidate is my stance. This was inevitable the minute that all other concerns were shut down about his past. So no, I wouldn’t accept responsibility for the movement failing if this is what takes it down.

      The responsibility should be borne by the people who looked at his glee at killing brown people, blaming rape victims, and his racist past and said “he’s changed” with no actual proof of change.

      • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        So if this ends up being a witchhunt (I personally think the accusations are legitimate and will be proven to be so, but I’m making an effort to give the other side grace, and I would ask you to as well), and you participated in that, you don’t think that bears a degree of ownership?

        • velma@sh.itjust.works
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          4 days ago

          I think we may have different ideas of what a witchhunt entails here, but ok.

          Yes, I’d be willing to bear some ownership in Platner being forced to end his Senate campaign.

          • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            And if it collapses the broader political moment and leaves us in a position where only fascists and AIPAC democrats are allowed to engage in politics? I appreciate you at least answering. I’m not asking these questions because they have easy answers. I’m asking them because their answers are particularly difficult and consequential.

            There can’t be a doubt that this is taking some wind out of the sails of the current political moment, where there was some optimism on the left. I hope that our movement is more robust than that, and I believe it to be so. However, I wont dismiss how entrenched and powerful the existing power structures are. If they can find a way to destroy this movement, they will.

            • velma@sh.itjust.works
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              4 days ago

              Then I guess we’re back where we started and we build again. This time without candidates that have violent pasts against women and POC.