The Politics of Compromise: Choosing Between the Lesser Evils
Do you really have a choice when the race is run between a genocide funder and a demagogue? Or are you just being conned?
Many people believe that to stop Trump from getting a second term, we must vote for Kamala Harris, even though she supports harmful policies. This idea, which many people are talking about today, shows the deep moral and ethical problems we face. It forces us to think about tough truths regarding power, responsibility, and the choices we make to protect ourselves.
In a world where only a few hold power, the choices we are given can seem like they matter more than they do. We are often told that we have to choose the lesser evil to prevent something worse. But what do we lose when we pick between two forms of harm? How do we justify voting for someone who has caused harm, even if it’s to stop a bigger threat?
This isn’t just about practical politics; it’s about the deeper meaning of participating in a system that continues to cause harm and injustice. When we accept that we must choose between evils, we agree to keep a cycle going that devalues human life and dignity. Choosing between a supporter of harmful policies and a dangerous leader is not a real choice; it’s giving in to the forces that want to divide and control us.
Ethics of Voting: Complicity and Resistance
When faced with such a choice, we have to ask ourselves: How much does our vote make us responsible for the bad things we say we’re against? Voting for a candidate who supports harmful systems, even to avoid something worse, means we are helping to keep those systems going. It means we are participating in the very structures that oppress and marginalize people.
True resistance isn’t just about opposing the obvious forms of harm. It’s about recognizing and rejecting the hidden forms of violence built into our political systems. It’s about refusing to be a part of a system that forces us to choose between two forms of harm. Real resistance is based on a commitment to justice, even when the path is unclear or hard.
The Loss of Radical Imagination
The idea that we must choose the lesser evil shows how much we’ve lost our ability to imagine radical change. We’re told that there are no other options, that we must settle for what’s presented to us, no matter how morally wrong those options are. This loss of imagination is a tool used by those in power to keep us feeling stuck and hopeless.
But accepting this narrative means giving up on real change. It means denying the power of imagination and creativity in fighting for justice. Radical imagination isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. It’s the foundation of any movement for freedom, the spark that makes a different world possible. Without it, we are left only with the choices given to us by those in power, choices that always lead to more harm.
The Role of Love in Political Resistance
At the heart of our struggle must be a commitment to love—love as a political force, love as a guiding principle, love as a practice. This isn’t a sentimental kind of love, but a radical, transformative love that challenges systems of oppression and demands justice for all. When we are asked to choose between evils, we are being asked to abandon love as a guiding principle in our political lives.
Voting for a candidate who represents violence and injustice, even as a lesser evil, is a betrayal of this commitment to love. It’s putting fear over hope, power over justice, and acceptance over resistance. But love demands more from us. It calls us to reject the false choices that limit our potential for change and to embrace a politics of care, compassion, and radical transformation.
Conclusion: Beyond the Lesser Evil
Choosing between evils is a false choice. It’s a trap that keeps us tied to a system that doesn’t serve us, that causes harm, and that limits our ability to imagine true freedom. The challenge isn’t to pick the lesser evil but to reject the idea that evil is unavoidable.
We must imagine new ways of living, build communities based on justice, and engage in political actions that reflect our deepest values. This moment calls for courage, for the willingness to go against the norm and to envision a world where such compromises are no longer necessary. We must resist the temptation to compromise on our ethics and instead work towards creating a future where every choice we make is based on love, justice, and the belief in true liberation.