This is the first time I have any real disagreements with what you have written. While everything you have written is true, it leaves out the crucial fact that the few significant differences between the Democrats and greedy sick bunch of creeps called the Republicans does matter. For example, as much as the Democrats are in the pockets of plutocrats, I believe if they win the House they will refrain from cutting Social Security and yes stop or at least reduce their quiet support for the Republican promotion of racism, sexism, xenophobia etc. which is for the purpose of dividing and conquering Americans. People need to be encouraged to vote for the lesser of two evils if the Progressive left is ever to continue having a chance to push out more of those rotten establishment Democrats. One should use one's hate for them all to vote to stop the worst of them.
This article runs counter to what you often write: Do what you can to counter evil. The evil politicians want Americans to stay home, do nothing, and are trying to suppress the vote. We need encouragement to vote not stay home. No one need vote for faux-Progressives e.g. like Andrew Cuomo in NY, but there are others on the ballot worth the time, such as Alexander Tisch for NY Supreme Court (a lower court in NY) and for Green Party and some Working Family Party candidates.
You know Obama tried to cut Social Security, don't you? Read up on his Catfood Commission. And you know he actually DID cut food stamps too, right? How was he better than Republicans? He only cut food stamps half as much as the Republicans demanded. And he wouldn't cut Social Security as much as Republicans demanded so that ended up not happening at all.
I don't take Caitlin's article as encouragement not to vote, but rather a reminder not to expect much of a difference regardless of which corporate duopoly party we select. Makes it easier to stomach filling in the lesser evil bubbles on our ballots.
As far as lesser evil voting making progressive victories more likely, I completely disagree. Otherwise we would have seen a progressive wave and takeover of the DNC during Obama's presidency. Why didn't that happen? Because Obama and the Democratic establishment used that extra power we gave them to protect themselves and to keep us out. Progressives went nowhere electorally during the Obama years because we were constantly reminded by far too many party loyalists that we must fall in line and support the establishment candidates or else Republicans will take over. And then they used that same power to screw Bernie out of winning the 2016 primary because they knew damn well if he did the DNC would be cleaned out and their gravy train brought to an end.
I would maintain we have a better chance of reforming the Democratic Party and electing progressives now because an out of power Democratic Party has less power over us and is more vulnerable to change. Although, as is evident, they still have far too much power and ability to keep us out. The result is a party that continues to ignore the most pressing needs and wants of the people, needs and wants that if campaigned and governed on would likely lead to a massive blue wave.
We're beyond the point of no return here. There's an IOU in the SS trust fund because Bush 43 took all that money for the Iraq war. What's happening now is that we're being taxed again for the same benefits and they immediately go out to seniors now collecting, not for our future retirement. So, after the bailouts of 2008 (why bitcoin was born), they had to start massive QE (Quantitative Easing) which is basically legalized counterfeiting. The debt is about 21.7 T USD and growing. At some point around the year 2020, politicians who have kicked the can down the road will have some very hard decisions to make, and it doesn't matter who is in charge. Somebody is going to get the axe. Then the cascade toward hyperinflation results (or a default on the debt). Venezuela is just one example of what happens in this case.
You are here on Steemit, hopefully because you understood the importance of crypto, not because of some random signup on social media. Your voting power is strongest in your wallet, not the ballot. Besides after the Citizens United decision of 2010, money is speech / vote...