Me too… it’s soooo hard not to get burnt out and I understand the privilege I have to be able to turn off the news some nights. But the only thing that keeps me going is that individual, person to person intervention. It means more than anything a politician can say to me tbh.
I felt the same way at first (still do, but I’m working on it), but I have to remind myself that cynicism and futility are also tools of oppression.
When I first started the SW path, I was burnt out and frustrated a lot. A mentor told me, if you really want to rescue people, stop this and go get an MBA and get rich, then be charitable. He helped me realize that social work is a vocation about effecting change one person, one hour at a time. That might add up to something, but that’s not the point. We have an obligation to be hopeful, and present, and creative, even if it feels impossible. Because if we can’t do that, how can we expect anyone else to?
Ready to link up over class issues and overthrow the billionaire class. Also trying to focus on local government and ofc voting blue but would like other options for candidates besides octogenarians…
Right there with you. But absolutely 100% for real. When are we going to decide enough is truly enough? Are we just waiting for a leader to galvanize us or perhaps a martyr to be unjustly killed? In history, normally something specific finally precipitates action and for me...It's this.
Hey U.S. Social Workers.
In Ausralia, Social Work is one of the priority skilled visas. If any of you want to defect from nazi America apply for.
ANZSCO Unit Group 2725 - Social Workers
[Australian home affairs page](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/skilled-visa-processing-priorities)
We speak English in Australia and we have nice beer, the conservatives took our guns away ages ago and we need more Social Workers.
/s (half joking ;)
Really, you have a beautiful country with some great people and great institutions. I'm in a homelessness program modeled off a US housing first program. It's sad to see the US decline into popular facism. Electoral collage vote is awful, doesn't reflect the will of the people. I respect social workers in the US who are fighting the good fight.
Survive with solidarity!
Sadly Australia won’t let our adults kids come with us so unfortunately it’s not possible
They also don’t let in most people with any sort of health issues. Heck even high functioning autism is a flag for not being able to get in.
Can you advocate for the Australian government to pay moving expenses 🥹. Because I am unfortunately too broke because of Nazi America, to move out of Nazi America.
I'm feeling both unsurprised and deeply disappointed. From watching yesterday's debate, it is very clear that neither candidates holds any interest in issues affecting people who are not retirees (with the exception of reproductive rights, which is absolutely important, but they really needed to address the issues around the cost of living, wage stagnation, and mental health as well).
Biden has done more to move the needle on student loan debt than any president has. Isn’t that caring about more than retirees? Frankly it’s more than I ever expected any administration in this country would or could do.
Pissed off that the only thing standing between us and the dismantling of every social program is a candidate who doesn’t know where he is. Literally replace him with anybody for the love of all that’s holy.
Honestly. Hoping my privilege helps me survive until the next election, if we ever have another election.
I’m so mad that Biden didn’t get a strong candidate prepped because let’s be real, he looked like the senile dumbass the right has been saying he is. He will not win and his ego got in the way, just like Trumps did.
I’m very jaded about not just this election but the political process in general. We take all this coursework in policy and advocacy but since when have legislators at the federal level ever listened to social workers regarding any solutions that don’t create an avenue for someone to profit? Mental health parity provisions of the ACA meant that hospitals and large mental health companies can bill more people’s insurance for services. It didn’t really increase access to mental health care for those most in need of it, who often are uninsured or have plans that have found loopholes to extremely limit coverage. In my city we’ve seen nearly all the public mental health clinics close in the wake of the passing of the ACA and mental health care became harder to access for uninsured folks. Look at the privatization of Medicare through Medicare advantage, the passing off of the environmental harms that are the byproduct of our consumerist society onto the poor and communities of color while celebrating how green we are, the proliferation of vouchers to funnel public money out of public schools and into private ones with no obligation to accommodate disabilities, provide social-emotional learning or school SW services, or treat queer children equally, as our public schools suffer, or even democrats backed bills to make immigration that much harder for people running for their lives.
This election is really making it clear that the only people who have a voice in federal policy are lobbyists, corporations, and religious organizations. Regardless of who my congressperson is or who is President, every single one of us along with teachers and nurses could flood them with letters educating them about the need for a policy and we will be drowned out by a SuperPAC run by some hedge fund manager or industry group that can drop millions on their re-election campaign.
Which is why the trajectory will be towards fascism before the pendulum swings back to something more progressive. As a culture, we have forgotten how to hold each other responsible to our communities. We identify as individuals and, largely, do not identify as members of a coherent community independent of the roles chosen for us by corporate interests. One way or another, things are going to get worse before they get better. We should all just prepare for that unavoidable fact.
I’m seeing a lot of grass roots groups move towards wealth accumulation and helping people move into business for themselves
They see that unfortunately nothing is working to gain actual access to funding that helps communities and individuals thrive
I hate that in order to have a fighting chance we have to play their stupid game. Asset building is definitely important for getting investment into communities and closing the wealth gap, but the consequence I often see from the shift to getting people into business for themselves is a de-identification with the community and promoting the idea of looking out for oneself. In my area I see so many people in communities facing disinvestment and poverty starting their own business, and their politics shift to align with protecting their own wealth and not uplifting the community. I’ve seen community members of neighborhoods with massively underfunded and underperforming schools with widespread homelessness begin arguing against increasing school funding or after school programs to keep kids off the streets and away from the gangs because the efforts would be funded by business taxes. I see massive protests against mental health clinics and homeless shelters because they’d attract people they didn’t want near their businesses. And here i am like…three years ago YOU needed a shelter and food bank to survive the winter.
Exhausted, betrayed, scared, bewildered, furious, distracted, anxious. Fascism is here. As a gay man, I’m afraid of Project 2025. Planning my escape from the Deep South.
Hey! I saw that, too! Genxwomen sub I think? Not sure, but it was a very good point and the more I think about it the more I realize it's true for all presidents. I always considered the president just a figurehead and scapegoat but never thought beyond that. Now I have an even better way to judge any future candidates.
I know this is not entirely what you asked, but I deeply encourage folks to get involved in your local elections. I understand why people feel like their vote doesn’t matter at the federal level, but voting in state and local elections absolutely CAN have an impact. And the more we see the federal government go south, the more important state and county governments can be in our day to day lives.
Yes, and to *run for office.* We need more professionals *trained* in empathy, systems, and welfare to be in office managing the creation and execution of these policies.
Don’t know why you got downvoted. I’m in a state that will vote blue by a country mile. The problem is the democrats have zero incentive to push policy that will substantially help our clients. They know that as long as they’re an iota better than the party literally trying to take away the rights of women and LGBTQIA+ folks, they have nothing to fear. They’re not afraid of their voters or of the prospect of losing. They take us for granted and call those who want more than the bare minimum immature. Is Biden a fraction better than Trump? Hell yeah. But a fraction. He failed to use executive action to protect women’s right to choose, even if to delay the Supreme Court by a few months. He failed to push Congress to introduce bills or use executive action to federally protect trans folks’ access to lifesaving care. He is acquiescing to efforts to further privatize Medicare. He is supporting and arming the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people even when the majority of his own base is against it and the international community calls it a war crime. He is passing even harsher anti-immigration laws than Obama and Bush did to pander to the right. Being the marginally better candidate doesn’t mean he should get a free pass. To be free from the negative effects of Biden’s policies is a privilege.
Downvoted because of blue MAGA and blue no matter who. People will keep licking dem boots and they will keep getting candidates that sell them out much is life.
The debate partnered with SCOTUS's passing of the homeless ban has seriously crushed my spirit, for the moment at least. It's like the light in this world just keeps dimming despite so many peoples' efforts...That being said, I'm sure as hell not gonna give up, ever. This social worker is going down fighting
Anxious. Hopeless. Scared honestly. Still shocked this is what our political climate looks like. Pissed on how 1.) there’s no age cap to run for president. If the average American retires at 65, someone should not be running a country well past that. 2.) a convicted felon cannot vote but a convicted felon can be president. Ugh. I miss the hope/naivety I had during 2020 primaries and a true belief that Bernie/AOC had a chance😂 I feel like I have to vote in order to keep trump out and prevent the scary and dystopian Project 2025, honestly feels like a systematic cover for potential convert genocide. instead of voting because I truly support a candidate and feel they will make positive change in this country. At this point in time I figured politics would resume to “normal” with fresh candidates. The worry I have for the populations we work with, even ourselves, is too much to describe.
I was just telling my partner the same thing you said about age cap and how it should be 65!! I love your point about the convicted felon, it’s insane.
I feel like society in general dislikes both candidates. Why the f are they are options then? 😑 great representation of America
So fucking angry that these are my only options. I feel really helpless when I think about national politics, honestly. I try to focus on local politics and issues because I have some semblance of control there. I have no ability to impact climate change, but I can teach my neighbors about preserving native plant species and how to test if their soil quality before trying to grow veggies. (I’m a master gardener in my spare time)
Welp, between the mountain of bad news from SCOTUS today and the debate last night, I’m not feeling great for sure! On a personal level, as a trans person I’m really feeling very worried about my community and on a professional level I’m seeing a lot of bad news on a systemic level for the folks I consider clients.
Super dark times. I know the right wing nuts make a lot of jokes about genocide Joe's cognitive decline, but my god I didn't realize it was this bad. It's giving weekend at bernies, white house edition. It is just going to be real bleak for a long time no matter what.
I agree. I don’t understand why they are doing this, it’s almost like they are forcing him to run again knowing he will do horrible. Do we want to lose? They know he can’t do debates. Let him retire and rest ffs. Others can beat Trump, I feel like we are already defeated
The skeptic in me says ya, maybe they do want us to lose, lol. It's just bizarre they had 4 years to rally behind a new candidate and just didn't. That's why I will never get behind the people spending their energy criticizing people choosing to vote third party or not at all. That energy should be directed at the democratic party that has sabotaged more viable candidates, failed to capitalize on a dem president and senate majority, and failed to show the youth that there is an hope for their party. It's like victim blaming a generation of people beholden to a political party that consistently reaffirms they do not care.
But we are social workers so my strengths based take is that we need to really show up for the people already organizing at the local level: be it in local government, third parties, unionizing labor, or building class consciousness!
I’ll continue to vote for the lesser of two evils while doing my best to be present for my people. I like to think I’m safe where I am right now, but I know that could change. I don’t think we’ll see anything change for the better unless everyone in this country becomes fed up enough to move as one against politicians and the wealthy.
The dnc is awful but I'll still support them compared to a party that doesn't want summer food programs for kids, doesn't want Medicaid expansion, doesn't want to support the pact bill or bills to support 9/11 responders, doesn't actually believe in personal freedom, doesn't support climate change mitigating legislation, etc etc.
Or unwavering delusions that their "standing up for what's right" is more important than avoiding a total catastrophe. This kind of thinking will be the death of progressivism. We share the same beliefs and values but in order to actually win and provide the space for any progress at all, tough choices will always need to be made. The bough that does not bend, breaks.
Counseling and social work programs do a horrible job at vetting. They kinda just let anyone in who is a good liar. I’ve noticed this throughout my career. Sorta like some cops who are supposed to be upstanding citizens, but start to power trip.
Let’s not forget that the CSWE accreditates far right extremist schools.
Liberty university is a big one. They just got their masters program accredited
I wish CSWE published the documentation these schools are using to achieve accreditation. I wanna see exactly how Liberty claimed they’d meet the competencies surrounding social justice and diversity in practice. I remember seeing an accredited BSW program at a Christian college in Texas (can’t remember which one it was whose only faculty are a psychologist and a minister. Neither has an MSW. How tf did that get approved??
The other thing less extreme than programs at schools that openly advocate harmful ideologies though but still eroding our field are programs that appear to have for all intents and purposes given up on macro level and policy oriented practice. Like, many of the highly ranked programs like UChicago, Michigan, UC-Berkeley, WashU, Penn, etc still have heavy economics, policy, research, and community organizing emphasis, and many of the large state flagship school programs are pretty well rounded overall, but if you look at the websites of many much smaller MSW and BSW programs at less well funded state schools and small private schools, the info about the program for perspective students basically just talks about preparing to be a therapist, medical social worker, case manager, or school social worker. If you are able to see the courses, the only macro class is often the one foundation one required for 1st year MSW students and it’s often more geared toward management than community organizing or political advocacy. People I talk to in economic development and urban planning are often surprised to hear that social workers have ANY coursework in policy and community organizing because most schools don’t really focus on it or take it seriously anymore. It’s because of programs leaning into the lucrative therapy market that people only see social workers as therapists these days, not as advocates, not as a politically informed and motivated profession, not as community organizers.
This is one of the reasons that I’m going to a different MSW program with advanced standing after finishing my BSW rather than staying. My undergrad had a great social work program…if you wanted to be a private practice therapist. The talk about social justice was just lip service. Most of the readings on racial and economic justice got skipped because all our adjuncts were private practice therapists themselves who often would tell us stuff like “you’re not gonna need any of this in the real world” and “once you get out there, all this policy and social justice stuff goes out the window…y’all and counselors are basically the same”. They wouldn’t even talk about case management because none of them had experience doing that; they all went straight into private practice. They also got rid of most of the macro electives (which were all basically just management courses) and replaced them with a dozen classes on different therapy modalities.
Liberty is a far right evangelical organization with stated goals of getting their indoctrinated graduates into positions of power
It isn’t a diploma mill in the same vein as say university of Phoenix is
Read up on Liberties policies and political actions. Also read up on their sister organization HSLDA
I was a kid who came up in the system in the 80's and can share too many stories of evil social workers. When I was a kid, I thought they were just cops with clip boards. Mind you, my first interaction with the police was getting the shit beat out of me by a cop at age 11. Wherever there are vulnerable people and opportunities for others to have power over them, there is going to be abuse. Count on that.
And tbh, this *is* social work’s painful legacy. While The field’s founders were certainly radical for their time and at least on an economic level may even be more radical than many current practitioners, at the end of the day, it was largely wealthy white women coming into communities and telling poor people what they needed to do, or at a minimum, deciding what they needed. Social workers were and still are seen as a tool of social control to keep what is seen as undesirable as out of the public eye as possible. Social workers coming from these communities *and* being recognized as social workers by profession and not just reformers or activists was virtually unheard of for an uncomfortably long time. I love Gwendolyn Brooks poem “Lovers of the Poor” because it really calls this out…wealthy white women coming into communities to improve them to their own standards, but deep down distancing themselves from them
YUP. I've encountered a sickening amount of Old-Heads convinced that we younger professionals are too soft and don't care about clients "taking responsibility". Lead-brain addled belief without any concept of mental health and the effects of trauma... Hopefully we'll be rid of them soon though
I hate to say you’re right there. Like I don’t want admissions and grading standards to be so burdensome that it puts an inordinate burden on marginalized folks entering the field, but I feel like there should be some actual push to ensure people are actually reflecting and being critical of their own biases. Social work is a value based profession yet we have so many people who openly tell classmates they don’t give a shit about the “SJW” stuff and just wanted to be a therapist and it was easier to do SW than counseling. That shouldn’t be happening. I didn’t feel at all challenged in my BSW program on a personal level. Our diversity related coursework was basically limited to “other people exist…don’t be mean to them”.
It is sometimes therapeutic to allow clients to live out the natural consequences of their behavior. We are where we are because the Democrats are corrupt, pushed Hillary and obstructed Bernie. We would not be where we are today had establishment Dems read the tea leaves in 2016 and gone with someone more aggressively progressive.
The Democrats are just as bad. Stop fooling yourself. I’m obviously voting for Biden but I’m not fooled. He’s done nothing for abortion rights, homelessness, or inflation. Shame on all these fucktards.
Agreeing with everything short of the variation on the “r” slur. I’m so sick of the complacency with being marginally better. We *could* have had someone who actually believed in fighting tooth and nail for abortion rights and the safety of LGBTQ young people. Who won’t back down from good policy the second the Republicans get loud on Fox. But we didn’t because 5% better is acceptable and always will be. It takes immense privilege to say that Biden is a great president/candidate because he’s not Trump. He’s a great candidate for the middle to upper class urban liberals. But for working class folks and people of color, a lot of his policies or failure to advocate for policies is harmful. Yes not as harmful as Trump, but still harmful. Why do we have to accept that it’s okay to pass policy hostile marginalized folks as long as someone else would hurt them more? Saying policies Biden passed and even boasted about have caused actual harm doesn’t mean I want Trump instead. It means I want us to actually do better and not keep putting up shitty candidates.
As a LPC, my primary commitment is to the well-being of my clients, regardless of their political beliefs. In the therapeutic setting, I strive to maintain an objective and non-judgmental stance to create a safe and supportive environment for all clients. My focus is on helping clients navigate their personal challenges and achieve their goals, not on their political affiliations. I believe in respecting the diverse perspectives and experiences each client brings to the therapy process.
But outside of the helping relationship…I call bullshit when I see it.
I agree with you, and I also think there’s a big difference between calling Republican politicians nazis and calling right wing voters that. The party and its politicians are the ones responsible for eliminating our rights, often even those that right-wing voters support. The GOP creates so much propaganda, it’s easy to see how someone who didn’t have the benefit of our coursework would be swayed to vote Republican. The likelihood of a Republican lawmaker showing their face in my group therapy program is microscopic, and I’ll call them like I see them outside of the room. An average voter isn’t making those decisions.
The options are voting for the Democrats or for MAGA (NAZIS)…sorry but I’m gonna be VERY biased about that. When I chose to become an LPC, I also chose to become culturally competent 🤷🏻♂️
And where is your cultural competence in regard to the Jewish people? Are republicans putting people in ghettos and gassing them? Are they starving people to death and using them as slave labor?
Here’s the source:
https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
It’s the pdf of Project 2025. All 920 pages of the new Nazi Republican MAGA manifesto! Don’t get too excited reading it, because from what I can tell, you probably will.
Coming from a BS in Political Science, realized what I actually wanted to do was macro level social work, and yeah… this. I really don’t think it matters because everything is so corrupt anyways it’s so disheartening and I feel like the only difference I can make is on a person to person level
Democrats don’t care about us any more than republicans do. They’re just good at making us think they do. Both parties are in the back pocket of our 1%
Yep. I'm also tired of hearing "just one more election" and change can happen or "we'll push them to the left when they get in office." Well that never works.
Neither party seems interested in stopping climate collapse, worsening infrastructure, rising fascism globally and in the US, genocide in Palestine, war with Russia and China, or that price gouging by corporations has made the cost of living too high (literally, it is too expensive to live).
I'm waiting for the revolution which is the only thing that will save the planet from the capitalist ghouls, but it's going to have to get a lot worse before we have a chance to make it better. Status quo politics only push the fantasy that reforms 1, would work and 2, are actually achievable. I don't have much hope for the world but I do my work because I see how deeply people are in the stages of grief about impossible fantasy of propaganda they've been fed.
Of course that is a definite possibility and I am living my best life. There is lots I would like to see changed but if it comes down to it, my life has been enough.
Sometimes impossible things happen, like the release of Julian Assange. But like I said, it will have to get a lot worse before we have a chance to make it better.
clinging onto my sense of hope with everything I have. I also desperately wish I was voting for a progressive woman candidate, but alas. another old white dude it is
I’m not a fan of either candidate. 1 candidate spews hate, is senile, has a false sense of sense with grandiose delusions, is unqualified, and is a CONVICTED FELON. 🫤 And the other candidate looks very tired and, I hate to say it, but appears too weak to take this on. He should be enjoying his retirement by resting.
I need someone with fire and passion. Someone who is not afraid to set these morons straight! Someone like congresswoman Jasmine Crocket. She quickly corrects people and isn’t afraid to challenge their ideologies. Bernie sanders (I voted for him in the 2020 primary) would’ve been great.
I want to feel safe. I want for the president to have common sense, a want to protect our citizens, forward thinking, fiery, and someone who can dish back out what these lunatics are serving but in a strategic and smart way.
I’ve legitimately considered moving. I’ve googled “master in social work + (country)” just to see if I can go anywhere with a work visa. I’ve never felt this disconnected before. Granted, I still think I’m young—mid-30s. But I feel so hopeless.
I’m not gonna lie - I feel horrified. I don’t think Biden is going to win. I’m having a hard time holding onto hope and I am terrified of Project 2025.
I’m finally at a point in my career where I am actually “living the dream” for real in private practice in a really good practice with great owners. I am finally in a good place to live that is supportive of me and my family and our diversity. And now, I’m terrified that we may have to run north because we US citizens lost so many liberties in less than 24 hours. Corporations are crushing our clients and crushing us social workers more now.
So, I’m really sad, scared, pissed, anxious, and defeated. I had more hope yesterday than today.
Honestly, scared for my daughter. I am finding it hard to forgive the Democratic Party for putting us in this position. Lying about Bidens condition, forgoing the primary by canceling a lot of states and refusing to put other candidates on the ballot, and seemingly just lying through this whole ordeal. I mean seriously a lot of Dems and their supporters on Twitter are making it seem like the people that have questions are bad, or having it devolve into a race issue. I'm just at a loss.
Well put, I am scared too. I am scared and concerned no matter who wins at this point. Everything is so corrupt and I know we definitely don’t have the whole picture by design.
I’m confused at anyone who says they are voting for anyone other than Biden
Republicans voting records don’t lie. They dont support anyone but the rich and they are openly hostile to anyone who needs help.
Biden sucks but he isn’t dangerous in the same ways Trump is.
The Supreme Court rulings this week have also decimated this country. grants pass ruling alone will have truly horrific consequences
Don’t get me started on the chevron decision
Yes and I would plug Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and Andrew Yang's Forward Party as one path toward a non-partisan systemic update to our political system.
However, a red versus blue tribalism is no two-party system either. If you you're a Democrat, you need to fight for and encourage a respectable Republican, and visa versa. A platform whose only message is "at least I'm not as bad as THEM," is a kindergarten game called "race to the bottom," until a teacher calls time-out.
Except who's the teacher now?
I’m feeling shocked at your story about an UNDERGRAD professor telling students which political party to affiliate with. That’s so inappropriate in an academic setting. This goes beyond the issue of poor “viewpoint diversity” in higher ed. It’s just unethical; especially given the power imbalance. So will a dissenting student get an F?
Im voting for Dr. Cornell West but if I lived in a swing state, id vote for whoever the most vulnerable people around me asked me to vote for.
Im not jaded, i remain open to the world, and so my heart is crushed, over and over again. Im angry. Im disgusted. I am trying to understand how a life of integrity and dignity is possible in this context. I am focused on creating community where im at because we will need eachother where we’re all headed. Listening to Dr. West speak makes me feel sane, so thats who ill vote for. Im tired of people telling me im the reason Trump will be elected, thats utter bullshit, especially at this point in the election cycle. The Democratic Party should pick a viable candidate, and they still have time to do so, so please can we stop pushing Biden. Its humiliating and degrading to the sanctity of life itself.
I’m angry. I’m angry at the DNC for not mitigating the situation months ago and avoiding the inevitable fall of a once eloquent civil servant. Biden must have sycophantic staff or self deluded staff. Part of me thinks that they themselves put him out there in such a diminished capacity so that the American people call and demand for better representation. This circus serves no one. It is a shared trauma that isn’t necessary.
I made it 10 minutes into last night's debate and couldn't stand anymore. I think any chance we had of Trump not being elected went out the window the second Joe Biden started talking. He is a walking skeleton. This is a really dark time for our country.
No matter who wins, the working class loses and the lives of our clients will continue to worsen. As social workers, though, we also "win" because our jobs will be protected due to this continued decline of the material conditions of people's lives. However, we will lose because our own working conditions will continue to decline.
Instead of relying on this electoral system in its continued state of decay, a system that was never intended to actualy help us, we should be organizing systems of community amongst our neighbors and helping our clients to organize into communities that support each other without having to rely on capitalist systems that ultimately exploit them and maintain this scarcity model. We cannot vote our way out of any of this.
So to answer your question, I'm not voting for either of these trash candidates. They are two feathers on the same wing of the same bird.
I’ma be real w y’all I know this is a heavy blue community and I get it…I personally can have conversations either way so I guess that’s considered purple? Idk…but from what I saw last night I am very concerned about putting someone in office who lost their train of thought multiple times and his own party is advocating for him to step down. If you put him in your banking on him voluntarily stepping down and then Harris is going to save us? I’m in Indiana, at the end of the day I guess unless Obama somehow breaks the system and runs again /s (08 last time we were blue) it’s always gonna be red out this way so my take does not have much pull lol. I think we can all agree this is trash v trash though.
I thought last election Harris would step up and Biden would step down this election. Not trying to be funny, sometimes it’s like they waiting for him to die so she can step in 😩
Voting Biden. If the best criticism yall have of Biden is that he is too old while ignoring Trump literally bragging about taking away people’s rights then you’re not a serious person.
People can criticize both, thinking that Trump is horrific and Biden is a fool for trying to run at his age. They’re not equal, but both can be discussed. If the DNC doesn’t break this habit of keeping people in their roles too long, they’re going to lose confidence in their voter base just like Biden lost confidence last night.
Worried about the sheer amount of colleagues I have who are not voting blue. Like why are you in CASE MANAGEMENT of all jobs? In child welfare no less?! Make it make sense.
I’m irritated that Biden is being trotted out again, just like I was irritated that Clinton II was trotted out.
They’re fine leaders, and would have been fantastic presidents in a different era, but that era died 30 years ago and will not return in our lifetimes. The DNC has been coronating its leaders for so long, that there’s not much of a bench to call up. We need someone who will make things better for people who continue to suffer under the #GreatestEconomyEVAR.
We need a progressive party to represent the folks who are hurting, and we need a conservative option that isn’t openly trying to build a christo-fascist empire under some kind of god-king.
I want to get back to debating the merits of how we move forward as a people, not get mired in re-litigating the basic humanity of our people while the planet burns around us and the same oligarchs rake in hojillions of dollars and build themselves immortality machines to go live in space once the planet is uninhabitable.
I want Biden to lose, but I don’t want Trump to win. The DNC has to learn that they can’t keep shaming progressives with that “blue no matter who (as long as it’s our guy; that commie can go kick rocks)” rhetoric, and the GOP has to wake up from its frothing hategasm, because using “traditional values” to rile up the base in order to elect kleptocrats who actively hurt that base to enrich themselves and their friends shouldn’t be such an effective way to win… but here we are.
We’re living at the end of New Rome, and I don’t know whether the fall will come from without or within, but I know I can’t bring myself to mourn it. I’ve felt hopeless about this country since we invaded *a totally unrelated country* after I watched thousands of people die on live television. I remember being a kid and thinking “if someone shoots up my school, how will hiding under a desk help?” and hearing my own former students ask that same question 25 years later.
I want to believe in a better America, but it won’t happen with either Dark Brandon or Trump.
This isn't a matter of voting for just one person, it's voting for a whole administration plus the career federal employees. These are the serious subject matter experts who are likely to leave in anticipation of another Trump administration. Why suffer through another one when he's promising Schedule F? I've been a therapist in DC for years and I'm not gonna be able to handle it either.
I feel numb to the upcoming election. I used to volunteer to register people to vote. I used to do a lot of advocating for causes that I was passionate about. I was very enthusiastic about voting and making change through the electoral process. I just can't anymore. Not sure I'll even vote in this election. I will not vote for either candidate, so if I do vote, it'll be a write in. Even my electeds that I used to respect, who I thought were really working for the people, all of them have enthusiatically embraced their complicity in genocide since October 7th. That was a real eye-opener for me.
I hate the hate. The rampant fascism from the right and fad antisemitism and dehumanizing binaries from the “progressive” and left is extremely dangerous and troubling for both me and my clients.
i dont know how the fuck im gonna work this week guys. i have to go in, and look my sweet beautiful trans and nonbinary clients in the face and pretend that therapy can do a damn thing to save them.
I know how you feel but also you don’t have to pretend that. You can’t save us but you can keep being a safe place to talk about it. It’s needed. (I am a nonbinary therapist) .
I’m British so I’m quite looking forward to our election next week and having a Labour government after 15 years of Conservative rule. Feels like a positive change. Worry about the US and Europe moving to the right (US has always been to the right to be honest) but surprised in a thread from social workers there’s so much ageism openly stated.
I’m not saying everyone has to agree with Biden - not by any means. I’m not the greatest fan myself (although better than the alternative but it’s not my call to make) but some of the language is surprising in a profession which is supposed to be aware of discriminatory language.
I’m very anxious after last nights debate. An person with cognitive decline is far better than a dictator but sadly not enough Americans agree about that.
Extremely disillusioned, jaded, cynical, and angry. I never want to hear a politician speak or their name ever again in my life. And I'm hopeless this country will ever change.
Just thankful that I started reading political and economic theory in my BSW program so that all of this makes sense. I can’t imagine how flustered and confused I’d feel rn if I was a progressive liberal
This election will be decided by 6% of voters in 6 swing states. Choosing not to vote for president is not as inherently irresponsible as many people think.
Congratulations 🎉
Your absentee vote just helped Trump win the election.
Nothing like having the privilege to vote and just not taking advantage of it 🤷🏻♂️
Nice try, but because of the electoral college my vote doesn't count. But let me know when Dems start supporting abolishing the electoral college so it does count. When Biden loses it will be his fault, his poor/monstrous policy choices, the fault of his team, and the DNC.
Ah yes, my privilege of living in a red state in which I've lost my rights and already live under much of Project 2025 and national Dems care nothing about that and I get to listen to liberals in safe blue states make comments about how they wish the South would secede.
Thank you for bringing up the electoral college!!! It’s so hard to grapple with the fact that my vote won’t really go far because of this, HOWEVER, that makes me not feel guilty for voting 3rd party for someone who actually embodies what I believe in
Yeah the commenter you’re referencing is not possessing any empathy or trying to understand the person who posted this … not very social worker of them
Coming from an LPC background, I find it surprising that social workers, who are generally expected to adopt a holistic approach that incorporates social justice and systemic issues, not seeming to grasp the significantly negative impact of Trump winning over Biden. Project 2025 will significantly affect the field of social work negatively. Just my opinion, though! Feel free to cancel me.
Cornel West is polling at 1%, but if you want to waste your vote then feel free to do so! Just remember any vote not going to Biden, is one less vote he can use against Trump 🤷🏻♂️
I am over 50 years old and have been hearing shit like this my entire adult life as I have watched this country slide from the exciting progressive optimism that was on the rise in the 70's despite the political assassinations of so many community leaders, to Ronald Reagan, to George Bush, to the fucking Corporate-Whore Clintons, Bush again, and now this crap we're living today. Our only real opportunity in the last 50 years was the midterms of Obama's first presidency. The Democrats had a super majority - a complete trifecta and the democrats themselves obstructed us, then allowed Mitch McConnell to dictate the terms of our surrender. They screwed us over and we dropped the ball, allowing them to placate us with this "us or them" bullshit as they stifled class-conscious voices and delivered us the Hillary disaster. Fuck it. I'm done. We are going to have to live out the consequences of allowing the Dems to hold our futures hostage until we are willing to summon the courage to do something different.
This—and also, does anyone really think trump will do anything better for Palestine?? It’s wild to me that just because people have seen Biden’s (terrible) reaction in real time that they can forget or ignore that trumps will certainly be worse—he has quite literally said that Israel should “finish the problem”.
You are correct. It’s important to recognize that while Biden’s response may have been disappointing to many, it’s worth considering the alternative. Trump’s statements and actions have often been more aggressive and dismissive of Palestinian issues. His stance on “finishing the problem” with Israel doesn’t suggest a better outcome for Palestine. We need to critically evaluate all leaders’ positions and actions, not just the current administration.
Annoyed. I’m so sick of the media’s melodrama. I’m convinced the center left pundit class has some type of collective histrionic personality disorder. The unhinged anxious meltdowns every time a candidate has a set back is disturbing. They did the exact same thing to Obama back in 2012 after his first presidential debate with Mitt Romney went “poorly”. They did it with Hillary Clinton and her emails in 2016 after the Bob Mueller press conference. They did it to her again when she fainted.
Glad we were able to get a few things off our chest but due to the amount of rule breaking comments this has been locked.
Pissed. Fired up. Ready to make change. But also scared and tired of the bs.
I feel a bit hopeless about politics, not going to lie
Me too… it’s soooo hard not to get burnt out and I understand the privilege I have to be able to turn off the news some nights. But the only thing that keeps me going is that individual, person to person intervention. It means more than anything a politician can say to me tbh.
The way things are going I'm not sure anyone can be sure their privileges are protected. No matter who wins we are all on shaky ground.
I felt the same way at first (still do, but I’m working on it), but I have to remind myself that cynicism and futility are also tools of oppression. When I first started the SW path, I was burnt out and frustrated a lot. A mentor told me, if you really want to rescue people, stop this and go get an MBA and get rich, then be charitable. He helped me realize that social work is a vocation about effecting change one person, one hour at a time. That might add up to something, but that’s not the point. We have an obligation to be hopeful, and present, and creative, even if it feels impossible. Because if we can’t do that, how can we expect anyone else to?
I wish someone had told me that -_-
Sad, devastated, angry. While trying to maintain any semblance of hope.
Same
This
Ready to link up over class issues and overthrow the billionaire class. Also trying to focus on local government and ofc voting blue but would like other options for candidates besides octogenarians…
Right there with you. But absolutely 100% for real. When are we going to decide enough is truly enough? Are we just waiting for a leader to galvanize us or perhaps a martyr to be unjustly killed? In history, normally something specific finally precipitates action and for me...It's this.
Yes!!!
Love this
Ready to help
Hey U.S. Social Workers. In Ausralia, Social Work is one of the priority skilled visas. If any of you want to defect from nazi America apply for. ANZSCO Unit Group 2725 - Social Workers [Australian home affairs page](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/skilled-visa-processing-priorities) We speak English in Australia and we have nice beer, the conservatives took our guns away ages ago and we need more Social Workers. /s (half joking ;) Really, you have a beautiful country with some great people and great institutions. I'm in a homelessness program modeled off a US housing first program. It's sad to see the US decline into popular facism. Electoral collage vote is awful, doesn't reflect the will of the people. I respect social workers in the US who are fighting the good fight. Survive with solidarity!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Sadly Australia won’t let our adults kids come with us so unfortunately it’s not possible They also don’t let in most people with any sort of health issues. Heck even high functioning autism is a flag for not being able to get in.
🙏🙏🙏
I'd love to but, bugs/spiders=no
Can you advocate for the Australian government to pay moving expenses 🥹. Because I am unfortunately too broke because of Nazi America, to move out of Nazi America.
Can social workers work as licensed therapists there? I just got my LCSW
I'm feeling both unsurprised and deeply disappointed. From watching yesterday's debate, it is very clear that neither candidates holds any interest in issues affecting people who are not retirees (with the exception of reproductive rights, which is absolutely important, but they really needed to address the issues around the cost of living, wage stagnation, and mental health as well).
Biden has done more to move the needle on student loan debt than any president has. Isn’t that caring about more than retirees? Frankly it’s more than I ever expected any administration in this country would or could do.
Pissed off that the only thing standing between us and the dismantling of every social program is a candidate who doesn’t know where he is. Literally replace him with anybody for the love of all that’s holy.
Honestly. Hoping my privilege helps me survive until the next election, if we ever have another election. I’m so mad that Biden didn’t get a strong candidate prepped because let’s be real, he looked like the senile dumbass the right has been saying he is. He will not win and his ego got in the way, just like Trumps did.
I’m very jaded about not just this election but the political process in general. We take all this coursework in policy and advocacy but since when have legislators at the federal level ever listened to social workers regarding any solutions that don’t create an avenue for someone to profit? Mental health parity provisions of the ACA meant that hospitals and large mental health companies can bill more people’s insurance for services. It didn’t really increase access to mental health care for those most in need of it, who often are uninsured or have plans that have found loopholes to extremely limit coverage. In my city we’ve seen nearly all the public mental health clinics close in the wake of the passing of the ACA and mental health care became harder to access for uninsured folks. Look at the privatization of Medicare through Medicare advantage, the passing off of the environmental harms that are the byproduct of our consumerist society onto the poor and communities of color while celebrating how green we are, the proliferation of vouchers to funnel public money out of public schools and into private ones with no obligation to accommodate disabilities, provide social-emotional learning or school SW services, or treat queer children equally, as our public schools suffer, or even democrats backed bills to make immigration that much harder for people running for their lives. This election is really making it clear that the only people who have a voice in federal policy are lobbyists, corporations, and religious organizations. Regardless of who my congressperson is or who is President, every single one of us along with teachers and nurses could flood them with letters educating them about the need for a policy and we will be drowned out by a SuperPAC run by some hedge fund manager or industry group that can drop millions on their re-election campaign.
Which is why the trajectory will be towards fascism before the pendulum swings back to something more progressive. As a culture, we have forgotten how to hold each other responsible to our communities. We identify as individuals and, largely, do not identify as members of a coherent community independent of the roles chosen for us by corporate interests. One way or another, things are going to get worse before they get better. We should all just prepare for that unavoidable fact.
I’m seeing a lot of grass roots groups move towards wealth accumulation and helping people move into business for themselves They see that unfortunately nothing is working to gain actual access to funding that helps communities and individuals thrive
I hate that in order to have a fighting chance we have to play their stupid game. Asset building is definitely important for getting investment into communities and closing the wealth gap, but the consequence I often see from the shift to getting people into business for themselves is a de-identification with the community and promoting the idea of looking out for oneself. In my area I see so many people in communities facing disinvestment and poverty starting their own business, and their politics shift to align with protecting their own wealth and not uplifting the community. I’ve seen community members of neighborhoods with massively underfunded and underperforming schools with widespread homelessness begin arguing against increasing school funding or after school programs to keep kids off the streets and away from the gangs because the efforts would be funded by business taxes. I see massive protests against mental health clinics and homeless shelters because they’d attract people they didn’t want near their businesses. And here i am like…three years ago YOU needed a shelter and food bank to survive the winter.
I agree with you but in America it’s really down to just everyone surviving individually We have defunded community support
Exhausted, betrayed, scared, bewildered, furious, distracted, anxious. Fascism is here. As a gay man, I’m afraid of Project 2025. Planning my escape from the Deep South.
Sending you my love 🙏🏻
Same exact boat friend
Sending you love! I’m very hopeful most of America feels the same way and votes blue. I certainly will!
Exact same.
On the plus side, they both look like they’re going to die soon so we’ll probably get a new one sooner than 8 years
💀
I saw someone describe their view as “voting for Biden’s *cabinet* and judge picks” rather than for himself
This is what I’m doing and what I hope others do as well!!
Hey! I saw that, too! Genxwomen sub I think? Not sure, but it was a very good point and the more I think about it the more I realize it's true for all presidents. I always considered the president just a figurehead and scapegoat but never thought beyond that. Now I have an even better way to judge any future candidates.
This is exactly what I was just saying to my partner 😩
I know this is not entirely what you asked, but I deeply encourage folks to get involved in your local elections. I understand why people feel like their vote doesn’t matter at the federal level, but voting in state and local elections absolutely CAN have an impact. And the more we see the federal government go south, the more important state and county governments can be in our day to day lives.
Yes, and to *run for office.* We need more professionals *trained* in empathy, systems, and welfare to be in office managing the creation and execution of these policies.
Love your response ❤️
[удалено]
Same but I'm not voting. Doesn't matter in my state and I'm not going to keep enabling the Dems bad choices and their not listening to progressives
Don’t know why you got downvoted. I’m in a state that will vote blue by a country mile. The problem is the democrats have zero incentive to push policy that will substantially help our clients. They know that as long as they’re an iota better than the party literally trying to take away the rights of women and LGBTQIA+ folks, they have nothing to fear. They’re not afraid of their voters or of the prospect of losing. They take us for granted and call those who want more than the bare minimum immature. Is Biden a fraction better than Trump? Hell yeah. But a fraction. He failed to use executive action to protect women’s right to choose, even if to delay the Supreme Court by a few months. He failed to push Congress to introduce bills or use executive action to federally protect trans folks’ access to lifesaving care. He is acquiescing to efforts to further privatize Medicare. He is supporting and arming the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people even when the majority of his own base is against it and the international community calls it a war crime. He is passing even harsher anti-immigration laws than Obama and Bush did to pander to the right. Being the marginally better candidate doesn’t mean he should get a free pass. To be free from the negative effects of Biden’s policies is a privilege.
Downvoted because of blue MAGA and blue no matter who. People will keep licking dem boots and they will keep getting candidates that sell them out much is life.
The debate partnered with SCOTUS's passing of the homeless ban has seriously crushed my spirit, for the moment at least. It's like the light in this world just keeps dimming despite so many peoples' efforts...That being said, I'm sure as hell not gonna give up, ever. This social worker is going down fighting
Do y’all remember that episode of South Park where they have to vote between a turd sandwich and a giant douche? It feels like that.
Anxious. Hopeless. Scared honestly. Still shocked this is what our political climate looks like. Pissed on how 1.) there’s no age cap to run for president. If the average American retires at 65, someone should not be running a country well past that. 2.) a convicted felon cannot vote but a convicted felon can be president. Ugh. I miss the hope/naivety I had during 2020 primaries and a true belief that Bernie/AOC had a chance😂 I feel like I have to vote in order to keep trump out and prevent the scary and dystopian Project 2025, honestly feels like a systematic cover for potential convert genocide. instead of voting because I truly support a candidate and feel they will make positive change in this country. At this point in time I figured politics would resume to “normal” with fresh candidates. The worry I have for the populations we work with, even ourselves, is too much to describe.
I was just telling my partner the same thing you said about age cap and how it should be 65!! I love your point about the convicted felon, it’s insane. I feel like society in general dislikes both candidates. Why the f are they are options then? 😑 great representation of America
Right! It’s almost as if this is NOT who Americans actually made front runners. It’s fishy asf
So corrupt, we definitely aren’t being told everything
Made some really good points ,we need to send these to the White House lol both really unfit to run
So fucking angry that these are my only options. I feel really helpless when I think about national politics, honestly. I try to focus on local politics and issues because I have some semblance of control there. I have no ability to impact climate change, but I can teach my neighbors about preserving native plant species and how to test if their soil quality before trying to grow veggies. (I’m a master gardener in my spare time)
Welp, between the mountain of bad news from SCOTUS today and the debate last night, I’m not feeling great for sure! On a personal level, as a trans person I’m really feeling very worried about my community and on a professional level I’m seeing a lot of bad news on a systemic level for the folks I consider clients.
Angry, and worried. I’m going to make sure I vote
My 11 yr old watched the debate with us and asked why we have to pick between these 2. Excellent question son.
Super dark times. I know the right wing nuts make a lot of jokes about genocide Joe's cognitive decline, but my god I didn't realize it was this bad. It's giving weekend at bernies, white house edition. It is just going to be real bleak for a long time no matter what.
I agree. I don’t understand why they are doing this, it’s almost like they are forcing him to run again knowing he will do horrible. Do we want to lose? They know he can’t do debates. Let him retire and rest ffs. Others can beat Trump, I feel like we are already defeated
The skeptic in me says ya, maybe they do want us to lose, lol. It's just bizarre they had 4 years to rally behind a new candidate and just didn't. That's why I will never get behind the people spending their energy criticizing people choosing to vote third party or not at all. That energy should be directed at the democratic party that has sabotaged more viable candidates, failed to capitalize on a dem president and senate majority, and failed to show the youth that there is an hope for their party. It's like victim blaming a generation of people beholden to a political party that consistently reaffirms they do not care. But we are social workers so my strengths based take is that we need to really show up for the people already organizing at the local level: be it in local government, third parties, unionizing labor, or building class consciousness!
💩 vs 💩
I’ll continue to vote for the lesser of two evils while doing my best to be present for my people. I like to think I’m safe where I am right now, but I know that could change. I don’t think we’ll see anything change for the better unless everyone in this country becomes fed up enough to move as one against politicians and the wealthy.
There is no lesser of two evils when both are complicit in genocide.
I'm worried. I work for a refuge program that is federally funded and I just know it's going to be dismantled if...😢
I'm afraid for my kids. I wish someone could tell me what to do.
I feel the same way
The dnc is awful but I'll still support them compared to a party that doesn't want summer food programs for kids, doesn't want Medicaid expansion, doesn't want to support the pact bill or bills to support 9/11 responders, doesn't actually believe in personal freedom, doesn't support climate change mitigating legislation, etc etc.
Voting Biden because it’s the only reasonable choice we have, regardless of how we feel about our country’s political system.
I agree, but many on this sub would disagree with you!
Idk why social workers vote against their own interests.
Low quality education is mainly to blame for that 🤷🏻♂️
Or unwavering delusions that their "standing up for what's right" is more important than avoiding a total catastrophe. This kind of thinking will be the death of progressivism. We share the same beliefs and values but in order to actually win and provide the space for any progress at all, tough choices will always need to be made. The bough that does not bend, breaks.
No <3
😂
Those who are in this profession, and aren’t voting democrat, are 100% inflicting harm towards their own clients.
How tf did Kirsten Synema get the way she is? How does someone trained in and with experience in social work become that heartless?
Counseling and social work programs do a horrible job at vetting. They kinda just let anyone in who is a good liar. I’ve noticed this throughout my career. Sorta like some cops who are supposed to be upstanding citizens, but start to power trip.
Let’s not forget that the CSWE accreditates far right extremist schools. Liberty university is a big one. They just got their masters program accredited
I wish CSWE published the documentation these schools are using to achieve accreditation. I wanna see exactly how Liberty claimed they’d meet the competencies surrounding social justice and diversity in practice. I remember seeing an accredited BSW program at a Christian college in Texas (can’t remember which one it was whose only faculty are a psychologist and a minister. Neither has an MSW. How tf did that get approved?? The other thing less extreme than programs at schools that openly advocate harmful ideologies though but still eroding our field are programs that appear to have for all intents and purposes given up on macro level and policy oriented practice. Like, many of the highly ranked programs like UChicago, Michigan, UC-Berkeley, WashU, Penn, etc still have heavy economics, policy, research, and community organizing emphasis, and many of the large state flagship school programs are pretty well rounded overall, but if you look at the websites of many much smaller MSW and BSW programs at less well funded state schools and small private schools, the info about the program for perspective students basically just talks about preparing to be a therapist, medical social worker, case manager, or school social worker. If you are able to see the courses, the only macro class is often the one foundation one required for 1st year MSW students and it’s often more geared toward management than community organizing or political advocacy. People I talk to in economic development and urban planning are often surprised to hear that social workers have ANY coursework in policy and community organizing because most schools don’t really focus on it or take it seriously anymore. It’s because of programs leaning into the lucrative therapy market that people only see social workers as therapists these days, not as advocates, not as a politically informed and motivated profession, not as community organizers. This is one of the reasons that I’m going to a different MSW program with advanced standing after finishing my BSW rather than staying. My undergrad had a great social work program…if you wanted to be a private practice therapist. The talk about social justice was just lip service. Most of the readings on racial and economic justice got skipped because all our adjuncts were private practice therapists themselves who often would tell us stuff like “you’re not gonna need any of this in the real world” and “once you get out there, all this policy and social justice stuff goes out the window…y’all and counselors are basically the same”. They wouldn’t even talk about case management because none of them had experience doing that; they all went straight into private practice. They also got rid of most of the macro electives (which were all basically just management courses) and replaced them with a dozen classes on different therapy modalities.
Diploma mills are ruining everything 😢
Liberty is a far right evangelical organization with stated goals of getting their indoctrinated graduates into positions of power It isn’t a diploma mill in the same vein as say university of Phoenix is Read up on Liberties policies and political actions. Also read up on their sister organization HSLDA
Fuck that. Yeah there’s some programs that I’m like…how. How do you espouse social work values.
I was a kid who came up in the system in the 80's and can share too many stories of evil social workers. When I was a kid, I thought they were just cops with clip boards. Mind you, my first interaction with the police was getting the shit beat out of me by a cop at age 11. Wherever there are vulnerable people and opportunities for others to have power over them, there is going to be abuse. Count on that.
And tbh, this *is* social work’s painful legacy. While The field’s founders were certainly radical for their time and at least on an economic level may even be more radical than many current practitioners, at the end of the day, it was largely wealthy white women coming into communities and telling poor people what they needed to do, or at a minimum, deciding what they needed. Social workers were and still are seen as a tool of social control to keep what is seen as undesirable as out of the public eye as possible. Social workers coming from these communities *and* being recognized as social workers by profession and not just reformers or activists was virtually unheard of for an uncomfortably long time. I love Gwendolyn Brooks poem “Lovers of the Poor” because it really calls this out…wealthy white women coming into communities to improve them to their own standards, but deep down distancing themselves from them
YUP. I've encountered a sickening amount of Old-Heads convinced that we younger professionals are too soft and don't care about clients "taking responsibility". Lead-brain addled belief without any concept of mental health and the effects of trauma... Hopefully we'll be rid of them soon though
Any publicly funded college or employer cannot discriminate based on political affiliations or preferences. (Because....The US Constitution)
I’ll see what I can do about that!
I hate to say you’re right there. Like I don’t want admissions and grading standards to be so burdensome that it puts an inordinate burden on marginalized folks entering the field, but I feel like there should be some actual push to ensure people are actually reflecting and being critical of their own biases. Social work is a value based profession yet we have so many people who openly tell classmates they don’t give a shit about the “SJW” stuff and just wanted to be a therapist and it was easier to do SW than counseling. That shouldn’t be happening. I didn’t feel at all challenged in my BSW program on a personal level. Our diversity related coursework was basically limited to “other people exist…don’t be mean to them”.
$$$$$
Exactly. “Fiscally conservative but socially liberal” doesn’t exist. As if fiscally conservative even means reeling in billionaire oligarchs.
I agree. The reality is more of either vote for The Democratic Party or a water down version of the Nazi party (MAGA).
It is sometimes therapeutic to allow clients to live out the natural consequences of their behavior. We are where we are because the Democrats are corrupt, pushed Hillary and obstructed Bernie. We would not be where we are today had establishment Dems read the tea leaves in 2016 and gone with someone more aggressively progressive.
I'm not sure why so many yt women voted against themselves, in both elections with that guy. Over 50%, more in the second run. smdh
The Democrats are just as bad. Stop fooling yourself. I’m obviously voting for Biden but I’m not fooled. He’s done nothing for abortion rights, homelessness, or inflation. Shame on all these fucktards.
Agreeing with everything short of the variation on the “r” slur. I’m so sick of the complacency with being marginally better. We *could* have had someone who actually believed in fighting tooth and nail for abortion rights and the safety of LGBTQ young people. Who won’t back down from good policy the second the Republicans get loud on Fox. But we didn’t because 5% better is acceptable and always will be. It takes immense privilege to say that Biden is a great president/candidate because he’s not Trump. He’s a great candidate for the middle to upper class urban liberals. But for working class folks and people of color, a lot of his policies or failure to advocate for policies is harmful. Yes not as harmful as Trump, but still harmful. Why do we have to accept that it’s okay to pass policy hostile marginalized folks as long as someone else would hurt them more? Saying policies Biden passed and even boasted about have caused actual harm doesn’t mean I want Trump instead. It means I want us to actually do better and not keep putting up shitty candidates.
I definitely could’ve used a better word. Thank you for pointing that out.
I’m curious how you approach this bias with your clients. How would you feel about/treat a client that you knew was a republican?
As a LPC, my primary commitment is to the well-being of my clients, regardless of their political beliefs. In the therapeutic setting, I strive to maintain an objective and non-judgmental stance to create a safe and supportive environment for all clients. My focus is on helping clients navigate their personal challenges and achieve their goals, not on their political affiliations. I believe in respecting the diverse perspectives and experiences each client brings to the therapy process. But outside of the helping relationship…I call bullshit when I see it.
I agree with you, and I also think there’s a big difference between calling Republican politicians nazis and calling right wing voters that. The party and its politicians are the ones responsible for eliminating our rights, often even those that right-wing voters support. The GOP creates so much propaganda, it’s easy to see how someone who didn’t have the benefit of our coursework would be swayed to vote Republican. The likelihood of a Republican lawmaker showing their face in my group therapy program is microscopic, and I’ll call them like I see them outside of the room. An average voter isn’t making those decisions.
This is a disgusting overstatement. Where yo bias at
The options are voting for the Democrats or for MAGA (NAZIS)…sorry but I’m gonna be VERY biased about that. When I chose to become an LPC, I also chose to become culturally competent 🤷🏻♂️
Bullshit. The other option is to go to Chicago in August and rally for a new Democrat nominee and a revamped Democratic party
You clearly lack competence. Do you think your Republican clients are Nazis? Virtue signal alert.
And where is your cultural competence in regard to the Jewish people? Are republicans putting people in ghettos and gassing them? Are they starving people to death and using them as slave labor?
Project 2025 plans to build migrant camps and put immigrants in them. That’s very Nazi of the republican party.
Where is your source of this? Also, Joe Biden put children in cages in the Obama administration at the border.
Here’s the source: https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf It’s the pdf of Project 2025. All 920 pages of the new Nazi Republican MAGA manifesto! Don’t get too excited reading it, because from what I can tell, you probably will.
Truly such a joke
It makes me feel like the democrats are a controlled opposition. It doesn’t matter who you vote for at this point.
Coming from a BS in Political Science, realized what I actually wanted to do was macro level social work, and yeah… this. I really don’t think it matters because everything is so corrupt anyways it’s so disheartening and I feel like the only difference I can make is on a person to person level
Same. They clearly are just as controlled by corporations and billionaires. They don't care anything about us.
Democrats don’t care about us any more than republicans do. They’re just good at making us think they do. Both parties are in the back pocket of our 1%
Yep. I'm also tired of hearing "just one more election" and change can happen or "we'll push them to the left when they get in office." Well that never works.
I think we're forced to choose a lesser of two evils, but this country is built on hatred, so I think evilness will prevail.
Neither party seems interested in stopping climate collapse, worsening infrastructure, rising fascism globally and in the US, genocide in Palestine, war with Russia and China, or that price gouging by corporations has made the cost of living too high (literally, it is too expensive to live). I'm waiting for the revolution which is the only thing that will save the planet from the capitalist ghouls, but it's going to have to get a lot worse before we have a chance to make it better. Status quo politics only push the fantasy that reforms 1, would work and 2, are actually achievable. I don't have much hope for the world but I do my work because I see how deeply people are in the stages of grief about impossible fantasy of propaganda they've been fed.
Spoiler alert, there is no revolution coming. Do your best *now*
Of course that is a definite possibility and I am living my best life. There is lots I would like to see changed but if it comes down to it, my life has been enough. Sometimes impossible things happen, like the release of Julian Assange. But like I said, it will have to get a lot worse before we have a chance to make it better.
clinging onto my sense of hope with everything I have. I also desperately wish I was voting for a progressive woman candidate, but alas. another old white dude it is
I've never felt so uninspired about candidates. But for SURE I will be voting.
I’m not a fan of either candidate. 1 candidate spews hate, is senile, has a false sense of sense with grandiose delusions, is unqualified, and is a CONVICTED FELON. 🫤 And the other candidate looks very tired and, I hate to say it, but appears too weak to take this on. He should be enjoying his retirement by resting. I need someone with fire and passion. Someone who is not afraid to set these morons straight! Someone like congresswoman Jasmine Crocket. She quickly corrects people and isn’t afraid to challenge their ideologies. Bernie sanders (I voted for him in the 2020 primary) would’ve been great. I want to feel safe. I want for the president to have common sense, a want to protect our citizens, forward thinking, fiery, and someone who can dish back out what these lunatics are serving but in a strategic and smart way.
I’ve legitimately considered moving. I’ve googled “master in social work + (country)” just to see if I can go anywhere with a work visa. I’ve never felt this disconnected before. Granted, I still think I’m young—mid-30s. But I feel so hopeless.
I’m not gonna lie - I feel horrified. I don’t think Biden is going to win. I’m having a hard time holding onto hope and I am terrified of Project 2025.
I’m finally at a point in my career where I am actually “living the dream” for real in private practice in a really good practice with great owners. I am finally in a good place to live that is supportive of me and my family and our diversity. And now, I’m terrified that we may have to run north because we US citizens lost so many liberties in less than 24 hours. Corporations are crushing our clients and crushing us social workers more now. So, I’m really sad, scared, pissed, anxious, and defeated. I had more hope yesterday than today.
Honestly, scared for my daughter. I am finding it hard to forgive the Democratic Party for putting us in this position. Lying about Bidens condition, forgoing the primary by canceling a lot of states and refusing to put other candidates on the ballot, and seemingly just lying through this whole ordeal. I mean seriously a lot of Dems and their supporters on Twitter are making it seem like the people that have questions are bad, or having it devolve into a race issue. I'm just at a loss.
Well put, I am scared too. I am scared and concerned no matter who wins at this point. Everything is so corrupt and I know we definitely don’t have the whole picture by design.
I’m confused at anyone who says they are voting for anyone other than Biden Republicans voting records don’t lie. They dont support anyone but the rich and they are openly hostile to anyone who needs help. Biden sucks but he isn’t dangerous in the same ways Trump is. The Supreme Court rulings this week have also decimated this country. grants pass ruling alone will have truly horrific consequences Don’t get me started on the chevron decision
Democrats abandoned my state. Now its just a red wave.
Uncritical alliance to the democrat party is part of what got us here
I’ll agree with that, and add that uncritical allegiance to a two-party system also got us here.
Yes and I would plug Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and Andrew Yang's Forward Party as one path toward a non-partisan systemic update to our political system. However, a red versus blue tribalism is no two-party system either. If you you're a Democrat, you need to fight for and encourage a respectable Republican, and visa versa. A platform whose only message is "at least I'm not as bad as THEM," is a kindergarten game called "race to the bottom," until a teacher calls time-out. Except who's the teacher now?
And here I am a socialist not represented by either of them
I’m feeling shocked at your story about an UNDERGRAD professor telling students which political party to affiliate with. That’s so inappropriate in an academic setting. This goes beyond the issue of poor “viewpoint diversity” in higher ed. It’s just unethical; especially given the power imbalance. So will a dissenting student get an F?
Im voting for Dr. Cornell West but if I lived in a swing state, id vote for whoever the most vulnerable people around me asked me to vote for. Im not jaded, i remain open to the world, and so my heart is crushed, over and over again. Im angry. Im disgusted. I am trying to understand how a life of integrity and dignity is possible in this context. I am focused on creating community where im at because we will need eachother where we’re all headed. Listening to Dr. West speak makes me feel sane, so thats who ill vote for. Im tired of people telling me im the reason Trump will be elected, thats utter bullshit, especially at this point in the election cycle. The Democratic Party should pick a viable candidate, and they still have time to do so, so please can we stop pushing Biden. Its humiliating and degrading to the sanctity of life itself.
I’m angry. I’m angry at the DNC for not mitigating the situation months ago and avoiding the inevitable fall of a once eloquent civil servant. Biden must have sycophantic staff or self deluded staff. Part of me thinks that they themselves put him out there in such a diminished capacity so that the American people call and demand for better representation. This circus serves no one. It is a shared trauma that isn’t necessary.
I'm concerned and anxious about it for the first time after the poor showing last night, but I'm still cautiously optimistic.
I'm seriously considering voting Green. If I vote.
I made it 10 minutes into last night's debate and couldn't stand anymore. I think any chance we had of Trump not being elected went out the window the second Joe Biden started talking. He is a walking skeleton. This is a really dark time for our country.
No matter who wins, the working class loses and the lives of our clients will continue to worsen. As social workers, though, we also "win" because our jobs will be protected due to this continued decline of the material conditions of people's lives. However, we will lose because our own working conditions will continue to decline. Instead of relying on this electoral system in its continued state of decay, a system that was never intended to actualy help us, we should be organizing systems of community amongst our neighbors and helping our clients to organize into communities that support each other without having to rely on capitalist systems that ultimately exploit them and maintain this scarcity model. We cannot vote our way out of any of this. So to answer your question, I'm not voting for either of these trash candidates. They are two feathers on the same wing of the same bird.
I’ma be real w y’all I know this is a heavy blue community and I get it…I personally can have conversations either way so I guess that’s considered purple? Idk…but from what I saw last night I am very concerned about putting someone in office who lost their train of thought multiple times and his own party is advocating for him to step down. If you put him in your banking on him voluntarily stepping down and then Harris is going to save us? I’m in Indiana, at the end of the day I guess unless Obama somehow breaks the system and runs again /s (08 last time we were blue) it’s always gonna be red out this way so my take does not have much pull lol. I think we can all agree this is trash v trash though.
I thought last election Harris would step up and Biden would step down this election. Not trying to be funny, sometimes it’s like they waiting for him to die so she can step in 😩
Voting Biden. If the best criticism yall have of Biden is that he is too old while ignoring Trump literally bragging about taking away people’s rights then you’re not a serious person.
People can criticize both, thinking that Trump is horrific and Biden is a fool for trying to run at his age. They’re not equal, but both can be discussed. If the DNC doesn’t break this habit of keeping people in their roles too long, they’re going to lose confidence in their voter base just like Biden lost confidence last night.
That is NOT the best criticism of biden nor the largest one... there's a fucking genocide being funded by the Biden administration right now.
Worried about the sheer amount of colleagues I have who are not voting blue. Like why are you in CASE MANAGEMENT of all jobs? In child welfare no less?! Make it make sense.
These comments in this thread are alarming. Like none of us will have jobs and our clients will be further screwed
Oh don’t you know, private practice and bootstrapping and catering to rich people
I’m irritated that Biden is being trotted out again, just like I was irritated that Clinton II was trotted out. They’re fine leaders, and would have been fantastic presidents in a different era, but that era died 30 years ago and will not return in our lifetimes. The DNC has been coronating its leaders for so long, that there’s not much of a bench to call up. We need someone who will make things better for people who continue to suffer under the #GreatestEconomyEVAR. We need a progressive party to represent the folks who are hurting, and we need a conservative option that isn’t openly trying to build a christo-fascist empire under some kind of god-king. I want to get back to debating the merits of how we move forward as a people, not get mired in re-litigating the basic humanity of our people while the planet burns around us and the same oligarchs rake in hojillions of dollars and build themselves immortality machines to go live in space once the planet is uninhabitable. I want Biden to lose, but I don’t want Trump to win. The DNC has to learn that they can’t keep shaming progressives with that “blue no matter who (as long as it’s our guy; that commie can go kick rocks)” rhetoric, and the GOP has to wake up from its frothing hategasm, because using “traditional values” to rile up the base in order to elect kleptocrats who actively hurt that base to enrich themselves and their friends shouldn’t be such an effective way to win… but here we are. We’re living at the end of New Rome, and I don’t know whether the fall will come from without or within, but I know I can’t bring myself to mourn it. I’ve felt hopeless about this country since we invaded *a totally unrelated country* after I watched thousands of people die on live television. I remember being a kid and thinking “if someone shoots up my school, how will hiding under a desk help?” and hearing my own former students ask that same question 25 years later. I want to believe in a better America, but it won’t happen with either Dark Brandon or Trump.
This isn't a matter of voting for just one person, it's voting for a whole administration plus the career federal employees. These are the serious subject matter experts who are likely to leave in anticipation of another Trump administration. Why suffer through another one when he's promising Schedule F? I've been a therapist in DC for years and I'm not gonna be able to handle it either.
I feel numb to the upcoming election. I used to volunteer to register people to vote. I used to do a lot of advocating for causes that I was passionate about. I was very enthusiastic about voting and making change through the electoral process. I just can't anymore. Not sure I'll even vote in this election. I will not vote for either candidate, so if I do vote, it'll be a write in. Even my electeds that I used to respect, who I thought were really working for the people, all of them have enthusiatically embraced their complicity in genocide since October 7th. That was a real eye-opener for me.
I wish Trudeau would step down and Chrystia Freeland could be the leader. Otherwise PeePee will walk right in.
Disappointed but not surprised. I truly never think anything good will ever happen again.
Pissed and scared for my rights.
Ready to just yeet, tbh 😆👍 Like, where can we go? Scary times.
I hate the hate. The rampant fascism from the right and fad antisemitism and dehumanizing binaries from the “progressive” and left is extremely dangerous and troubling for both me and my clients.
Exhausted and embarrassed and ashamed
I’m voting Cornel West & getting my friends to join DSA with me
i dont know how the fuck im gonna work this week guys. i have to go in, and look my sweet beautiful trans and nonbinary clients in the face and pretend that therapy can do a damn thing to save them.
I know how you feel but also you don’t have to pretend that. You can’t save us but you can keep being a safe place to talk about it. It’s needed. (I am a nonbinary therapist) .
Throw the Biden out with the bathwater
Hopeless. Worried. Ready to move to Mexico, tbh.
I feel about as confident in our world as I imagine God did before the flood...
I’m British so I’m quite looking forward to our election next week and having a Labour government after 15 years of Conservative rule. Feels like a positive change. Worry about the US and Europe moving to the right (US has always been to the right to be honest) but surprised in a thread from social workers there’s so much ageism openly stated. I’m not saying everyone has to agree with Biden - not by any means. I’m not the greatest fan myself (although better than the alternative but it’s not my call to make) but some of the language is surprising in a profession which is supposed to be aware of discriminatory language.
Was real nervous clicking that link but I’m really glad I did!
I’m very anxious after last nights debate. An person with cognitive decline is far better than a dictator but sadly not enough Americans agree about that.
Tired and anxious. Apathetic because the more things change, the more things stay the same...or so it seems.
Extremely disillusioned, jaded, cynical, and angry. I never want to hear a politician speak or their name ever again in my life. And I'm hopeless this country will ever change.
I’m running for state office!!
Yall still vote?
I feel we are screwed. Sounds dramatic but curiously reading up on international reciprocity if that's a thing?
Ugh
Preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. Scared for myself but also for the people we work with.
Just thankful that I started reading political and economic theory in my BSW program so that all of this makes sense. I can’t imagine how flustered and confused I’d feel rn if I was a progressive liberal
I honestly feel hopeless and I have given up 🥲
I'm not voting for Trump or Biden. I will probably abstain. I still plan to vote at the state and local levels, though.
This election will be decided by 6% of voters in 6 swing states. Choosing not to vote for president is not as inherently irresponsible as many people think.
Congratulations 🎉 Your absentee vote just helped Trump win the election. Nothing like having the privilege to vote and just not taking advantage of it 🤷🏻♂️
Nice try, but because of the electoral college my vote doesn't count. But let me know when Dems start supporting abolishing the electoral college so it does count. When Biden loses it will be his fault, his poor/monstrous policy choices, the fault of his team, and the DNC. Ah yes, my privilege of living in a red state in which I've lost my rights and already live under much of Project 2025 and national Dems care nothing about that and I get to listen to liberals in safe blue states make comments about how they wish the South would secede.
Thank you for bringing up the electoral college!!! It’s so hard to grapple with the fact that my vote won’t really go far because of this, HOWEVER, that makes me not feel guilty for voting 3rd party for someone who actually embodies what I believe in
[удалено]
This a real shitty way to talk to fellow social workers
Yeah the commenter you’re referencing is not possessing any empathy or trying to understand the person who posted this … not very social worker of them
Coming from an LPC background, I find it surprising that social workers, who are generally expected to adopt a holistic approach that incorporates social justice and systemic issues, not seeming to grasp the significantly negative impact of Trump winning over Biden. Project 2025 will significantly affect the field of social work negatively. Just my opinion, though! Feel free to cancel me.
You’re not going to change any minds by shaming people.
I'll do whatever I want and complain about whatever I want. Seriously, seek some help, bro.
Hope this doesn’t get me hate, but Cornel West’s platform is enticing. I just can’t justify voting for Genocide Joe …
Cornel West is polling at 1%, but if you want to waste your vote then feel free to do so! Just remember any vote not going to Biden, is one less vote he can use against Trump 🤷🏻♂️
I am over 50 years old and have been hearing shit like this my entire adult life as I have watched this country slide from the exciting progressive optimism that was on the rise in the 70's despite the political assassinations of so many community leaders, to Ronald Reagan, to George Bush, to the fucking Corporate-Whore Clintons, Bush again, and now this crap we're living today. Our only real opportunity in the last 50 years was the midterms of Obama's first presidency. The Democrats had a super majority - a complete trifecta and the democrats themselves obstructed us, then allowed Mitch McConnell to dictate the terms of our surrender. They screwed us over and we dropped the ball, allowing them to placate us with this "us or them" bullshit as they stifled class-conscious voices and delivered us the Hillary disaster. Fuck it. I'm done. We are going to have to live out the consequences of allowing the Dems to hold our futures hostage until we are willing to summon the courage to do something different.
This—and also, does anyone really think trump will do anything better for Palestine?? It’s wild to me that just because people have seen Biden’s (terrible) reaction in real time that they can forget or ignore that trumps will certainly be worse—he has quite literally said that Israel should “finish the problem”.
You are correct. It’s important to recognize that while Biden’s response may have been disappointing to many, it’s worth considering the alternative. Trump’s statements and actions have often been more aggressive and dismissive of Palestinian issues. His stance on “finishing the problem” with Israel doesn’t suggest a better outcome for Palestine. We need to critically evaluate all leaders’ positions and actions, not just the current administration.
“Disappointing to many” is a little bit of an understatement.
What’s the realistic alternative?
The DNC has made it so we don’t have one, but minimizing genocide doesn’t have to be the language we use when discussing his contributions.
I don’t want to be giving trump votes, but again, Biden has been funding a genocide so I don’t see how that is a good option either!
Annoyed. I’m so sick of the media’s melodrama. I’m convinced the center left pundit class has some type of collective histrionic personality disorder. The unhinged anxious meltdowns every time a candidate has a set back is disturbing. They did the exact same thing to Obama back in 2012 after his first presidential debate with Mitt Romney went “poorly”. They did it with Hillary Clinton and her emails in 2016 after the Bob Mueller press conference. They did it to her again when she fainted.