this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2026

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Third track (jlai.lu)

submitted 5 days ago by cm0002@toast.ooo to c/comics@lemmy.blahaj.zone

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[a character holds a lever connected to rails, on which a train is approaching fast]
A train is approaching fast…
Many people are tied to the tracks…
As a bystander, I can do only one thing in this current moment: flip a lever, which would send the train to another track where it would also kill people, but less of them

[next to another separate railway track, someone is trying to get the first character's attention]
Hey you, over there, look!
There is a third track here!
It is not connected to the other tracks, but there are zero people tied to it, so if you do not choose to send the train on this third track right now you are an evil genocide enabling liberal

https://thebad.website/comic/third_track

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[–] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 17 points 4 days ago

Kind of an accurate comic since a lot of people would love to send the trolly to the third track but since it's not connected we can only watch. And somehow people believe this is a failing of the person at the lever for not being able to teleport the trolly or something.

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 23 points 4 days ago

My version:

[–] lena 35 points 5 days ago (3 children)

The only thing I disagree with in this comic is this part:

I can do only one thing in this current moment

You can do a bunch of other stuff. Voting and direct action are not mutually exclusive.

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 14 points 5 days ago (3 children)

In this specific cas you can only vote cause the train is already barelling towards hundreds of people. What you shouldve done is stopped the train at the station four years ago with the help of other people when it was predetermined that this train would kill people either way. Also you have another four years before the train reaches the next switch and you could organize against it, connect the third track later on so you can switch it, or probably the bes lt option to burn the whole fucking thing down. Third parties are not a solution and ive had enough of people saying they are. The system is broken, you have to change the system not elect someone who is still slightly just somewhat better and will probably capitalize on their win immidiately after.

[–] blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 days ago

Two years ago but yeah

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[–] golden@sh.itjust.works 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Unfortunately people think voting is the be all and end all of action. They make no effort to dismantle the system because they naively believe they can reform it as long as they can stop it killing everyone.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago (2 children)

No.

What people think is that there is still some hope to avoid massive violence by protesting and voting (effectively) instead.

If you think the system is broken beyond the ability to affect change, then you need to be in the streets burning shit and being ungovernable. You are saying that a violent revolution is the only way to get the changes needed to put this country back on track, but you won't start shit, and you use it as an excuse not to pull the lever of power that is right in front of you. It's idiotic, it's cowardly, and it's the main reason why we're dealing with the orange turd (for a second fucking time).

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[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 days ago

in this current moment

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

"Well, obviously, the dilemma is clear...how do you kill all 19 people?"

[–] Quadrexium@sopuli.xyz 12 points 4 days ago (2 children)

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Sadly the tracks are always way too far apart to do this (thought maybe not in Michael's illustration).

[–] myyass@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

lol I posted that in the last version of this type of post. Glad to see the Initial D vibe staying strong.

[–] Hawanja@lemmy.world 20 points 5 days ago (2 children)

The artist got it right in that the third track is not even connected to the rail, and the guy couldn't select that track even if he tried. He's missing that if you try to select the third track the genocide happens anyway.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I don't think it was missing, I think it was a "read between the lines moment", a "skill" that seems to be becoming rarer these days.

[–] Hawanja@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, tell this to all these people in the comments

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

This wasn't a private message... So done?

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 4 points 3 days ago

It's more like the people tied to the top rail are also tied to the bottom rail.

[–] orioler25@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

See, and whenever I make up bad guys that only exist in my shower argument fantasies, you guys all get mad about it. Is it the colours I use?

[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 20 points 5 days ago

And if it WAS Connected it would be UNAMERICAN to Use it!

-Democrats CAMPAIGNING FOR REPUBLICANS right now!

[–] arran4@aussie.zone 6 points 4 days ago

State of discourse.

[–] alapakala@quokk.au 10 points 5 days ago

🚆 vs 🪨

[–] CobraCommander@quokk.au 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

Collectively organizing to derail the train and/or build a bridge towards the third track is the only ethical solution by the way, but it takes time and effort, so let's get started.

Derailing a train takes no time, it’s a violent quick act.

The only ethical solution is to end the harm asap while working on building alternative support networks.

You don’t need a fully fleshed out replacement before you start removing the bad. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

[–] Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

It takes no time to derail?

You have 5 seconds and nothing in your hands, are you going to throw yourself in front of the train?

After those 5 seconds, you have no option of choosing to derail. So you better pull that lever. Otherwise all those extra deaths are on you.

This comment is about the primaries.

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[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 14 points 5 days ago (7 children)

How many people are on the train and will die when you violently derail it?

[–] alapakala@quokk.au 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

This depends on how many members of governors you have. Some have one passenger, some have hundreds of them.
Small price to pay for when we are at stake.

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

You're forgetting all the regular folks, citizens and noncitizens alike, who are packed into the cars behind the government officials in the engine car. The violent act harms everyone. And you aren't offering any way forward they can access, even if they survive the train wreck.

[–] alapakala@quokk.au 1 points 4 days ago

You’re forgetting all the regular folks, citizens and noncitizens alike, who are packed into the cars behind the government officials in the engine car.

Who?

The violent act harms everyone

Then why aren't you condemning the government itself? The very monopolist on violent? Why are governments allowed to commit violence on everyone?

And you aren’t offering any way forward they can access, even if they survive the train wreck.

What are you talking about? Are we in the same metaphor?

[–] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Only the conductors and a couple thousands ton of war machinery

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 days ago

And the people packed into the boxcars

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[–] NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

It’s called a metaphor, socio politics don’t work like an actual train.

[–] GeneralEmergency@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Yeah but that other track was built by a woman.

[–] Cheebus@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

and I bet that track leads to a tan suit store too

[–] Juice@midwest.social 1 points 4 days ago

This, except the the lever doesn't actually control which track the trolley goes down, that is controlled by the trolley corporation. The third track is being built by people who understand this, in order to connect it with the other tracks so that noone has to be run over, but the person pulling the lever thinks they are pulling the track-switch.

The trolley corporation rigged it so that when the person pulls the lever, it actually bombs the other track, so that it won't connect to the rest of the tracks, killing a few track builders in the process. The lever puller is told by the trolley corporation that the track would have switched except the track builders are terrorists who blew up the switching mechanism because they hate freedom. But not to worry, keep pulling the switch because it is actually individual switch pullers, not trolley corporations, and definitely not track-building "terrorists," who make all the decisions, and that switch pulling is a sign of a healthy and civil society.

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