I have been voting since 1968, that is 14 elections for President. In all this time, especially on issues of foreign policy every candidate I have voted for, with the possible exception of Jimmy Carter, has had serious flaws. This year is no exception. I suspect I am not alone in having this problem.

However, given what is at stake in 2024 I will vote for, and urge others to vote for Biden and Harris to prevent Trump and his insurrectionist thugs from gaining power. Despite the shortcomings of Biden, especially with regard to justice for Palestine and a permanent end to Israel’s occupation and brutal, illegal war against Gaza and Palestine, the alternative of not voting for Biden would be far worse. A Trump presidency will immediately and often illegally:

• Deport millions of immigrants,
• Deport pro-Palestinian demonstrators,
• Make abortion and birth control illegal,
• Restore the supremacy of fossil fuel by ending any climate crisis programs,
• Increase poverty and inequality,
• Make life worse and erode hard won LGBTQ+ rights,
• End our frail and imperfect democracy,
• Risk global conflicts by pandering to Russia, Israel and a host of authoritarian states.

These are just some of what a Trump administration will try to do. A VOTE FOR BIDEN TO STOP TRUMP initiative is essential for those of us who want to continue building a movement for progress, democracy, equality and peace. This is our reality.

A campaign to VOTE FOR BIDEN TO STOP TRUMP can make clear to the public that we will oppose with all the tools we have the US complicity in Israel’s war, will work for a just peace including a state of Palestine, and will work to assure that our representatives abandon the cold war militarism and seek a globalism based on fairness, justice, and reconciliation. This initiative can also push a full progressive agenda and work to elect people who will not cave in to wealth and power. At the same time, we will not empower the Trumpists.

We have an obligation to those who share a vision of a new, different, and better society to vote for the better alternative or lesser harm so we can build a movement. Voting is part, a small part, of building a majority for democracy, equality, global solidarity, and a sustainable economy. It is also a measure of our progress in building a fair society.

We are making steady progress at winning progressive majorities in local government – so much that right wing enemies of democracy work to outlaw local initiatives.

We have made huge progress on voting rights so the right wing is pushing voter suppression and gerrymandering to keep majorities from kicking them to the curb.

We are winning more and more state legislative races, statewide races and Congressional races by winning over people to believe that change is not only necessary, but also possible, so the opponents of democracy and progress are now committed to making progress, democracy, and fairness impossible by building a minority government which includes fascists, racists, neo-Nazis, not to mention opponents of abortion, LGBTQ rights, and spewers of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

We have not yet built a movement which can elect a President we need, but we have the power to elect the President that will help us continue to build a movement and prevent the worst backsliding.

We now have an election where one of two candidates will be elected. Biden is blind or politically naïve about Israel and Palestine. Trump is an open insurrectionist opposing democracy and building a coalition with virulent racists, misogynists, Islamophobes, homophobes, Christian nationalists, Nazis, and Putin.

There is a real choice here. We don’t have to endorse or even like Biden, but we do need to VOTE FOR BIDEN TO STOP TRUMP. Then we get to continue working to build a majority movement which can pursue justice in the US and internationally.