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Democracy isn't perfect, but checking out is the quickest route to ensuring your interests are only minimally represented. True at all levels of democratic organization.


Checking out and moving to an environment that represents your interests well is a way to see that your interests are met, though.


What happens when there is no where left to move, or the cost of moving is too high?

Solidarity, not freedom, is the opposite of tyranny.

Neutrality and running away implicitly supports the injustice you are running away from. Flight-ing instead of fighting leaves those left behind to the wolves.

Political change only happens once people are willing to put themselves at risk.


Not every battle is mine to fight.

I've spent plenty of time tilting at windmills. But there are limits to how much effort I'll put in for collective good.


Your lack of solidarity for others means they will have a lack of solidarity for you.

The mindset guarantees your exhaustion, loss, and ultimately your oppression.

You don't have to fight the battle, but you should at least support those who self sacrifice and hold it in high regard and equally you should feel shame for running away.

Your privilege let you run away, but others aren't so lucky.


How do you know how much I've run away from compared to you?

Maybe it's been less.

But I sure don't stick around in every shitty situation hoping that I can turn it better with enough sweat of the brow and sufficient persuasion to others to play nice. Hopefully you don't, either.

The thread we're talking about is a classic tyranny of the majority situation: something that democracies handle poorly. If you're outnumbered by a large factor by people with drastically different interests than you, and it's going to be decided by voting, you're in for a bad time if you stick around.




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