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Posted

Most of my friends are at best deeply concerned, and at most despondent, about the current state of the country. Most are not Democrats or Republicans, just people that want an America that lives up to its values, or at least tries.

To date, many have tried to block out the noise of politics while doing the little things they can here and there to try and help get the Country back on track: voting, attending rallies, etc.  But it just isn’t working and the morale of people is getting really bad. It seems like we are reaching the point where something significant has to be done by the silent public, to not only effect real change and accountability, but also to help pull people out of their deep mental hole. 

What is the right action path forward? Anything that is based on just getting behind Democrats will fail in my opinion. They’ve proven to be so ineffective, they kill any momentum. They also have certain viewpoints that will never be supported by enough people to get control of the government. The actions need to be party independent, well thought out, permanent, continuous, and impactful. 

I’ve thought of a lot of different ideas, such as the creation of organizations that combat all of the disinformation, but frankly the situation is so serious and so big, all of us feel helpless. 

Is there something that can be done?  We don’t want to live like this for the next 20 years, nor do our families. Right now the solution for several of my friends is to live in Europe. They are headed out. For many reasons I hate that. I’m not the type of person to run away from a fight. 

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Posted
12 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

What is the right action path forward? Anything that is based on just getting behind Democrats will fail in my opinion. They’ve proven to be so ineffective, they kill any momentum.

The Democratic Party (any coalition group, really) is what you make of it.  Your "silent public" will need to get involved.  It's that simple.  

On a deeper level (I'm going to keep beating this drum), there's a cultural rot that's exacerbated by social media and siloed online communities and that needs to be addressed.  I'm not sure this needs to be the test of everything, but is there any respect in which social media has increased domestic tranquility in order to form a more perfect Union?

I'm re-touting my own idea from a different thread, but I also think the public needs to be calling for a Constitutional Convention.  There's actually a lot that the public agrees on that can't be enacted because of antiquated law made too difficult to update.  It's also a "big project" that's right in line with the values the Democratic Party claims to represent and it's clear they need a message more compelling that protecting norms.  

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Posted
26 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

What is the right action path forward? Anything that is based on just getting behind Democrats will fail in my opinion. 

I don't know the answer, but your second sentence is correct. 

The Democratic Party as we know it is dead. It's over and there's no going back. That can be a good thing, if power is ever wrestled away from Trump. 

It's all up to the people at this point. No institution will save us. 

 

Posted
1 minute ago, Hank Kingsley said:

I don't know the answer, but your second sentence is correct. 

The Democratic Party as we know it is dead. It's over and there's no going back. That can be a good thing, if power is ever wrestled away from Trump. 

It's all up to the people at this point. No institution will save us. 

Nothing will change as long as the people keep propping up the machine by producing and consuming.

 

 

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Posted

The Supreme Court ruled that ICE can target people because of how they look.  No one is talking about it.

Teachers and entertainers are being fired en masse for publicly stating opinions about a far right wing content creator and his death.

The CDC has replaced multiple tiers of their leadership with anti-vaxxers and are changing the vaccination schedule to reduce access to vaccines.

The president is sending troops to large cities against the will of locally elected officials.

The list goes on.  But there’s enough evidence that this problem is now well beyond the point where participating in the existing system (I.e. voting and protesting) can be expected to work.

It’s pretty obvious that the only actions that can address this problem are very likely illegal in the eyes of the people currently in charge of creating, interpreting, and enforcing the law.  So this thread is probably a bad idea.

I don’t know what the answer is.  But I think we are all now faced with a clear choice to either get in line or risk our lives.  Any organized resistance is going to be very difficult given how easy it is for the government to surveil everyone.

Good luck to all. 

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Posted
33 minutes ago, LCHorn said:

On a deeper level (I'm going to keep beating this drum), there's a cultural rot that's exacerbated by social media and siloed online communities and that needs to be addressed.  I'm not sure this needs to be the test of everything, but is there any respect in which social media has increased domestic tranquility in order to form a more perfect Union?

Have you (or anyone) been following what's going on with The Phillipines? What about Nepal?

If not, and I'm not trying to shame anyone for being myopic or unworldly, but social media (and online communities of discord) has absolutely been the catalyst for political (positive) change. Heck the election for the new leader in Nepal was an INTERNET POLL conducted on DISCORD for cying out loud.

I'm happy to share some interesting reading material if you are unaware or curious.

Posted

https://www.nokings.org

This is probably ineffectual but can’t hurt.  There will be mass protests on 10/18.  Everyone on this board should consider attending.  If there are tens of millions, and if they’re louder than ever, it may give these motherfuckers pause, or at least inspire opposition leaders to act more firmly.

My opinion is that it’s too late.  But I will still attend.

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Posted
28 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

Have you (or anyone) been following what's going on with The Phillipines? What about Nepal?

If not, and I'm not trying to shame anyone for being myopic or unworldly, but social media (and online communities of discord) has absolutely been the catalyst for political (positive) change. Heck the election for the new leader in Nepal was an INTERNET POLL conducted on DISCORD for cying out loud.

I'm happy to share some interesting reading material if you are unaware or curious.

The Arab Spring a long time ago was Facebook driven as well. It’s the disinformation that’s ruined social media. 

Posted
17 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

If not, and I'm not trying to shame anyone for being myopic or unworldly, but social media (and online communities of discord) has absolutely been the catalyst for political (positive) change. Heck the election for the new leader in Nepal was an INTERNET POLL conducted on DISCORD for cying out loud.

I've followed Nepal, and certainly social media has been credited with connecting young people during the Arab Spring and in the periodic protests in Iran.  Kind of like any tool, it's what you make of it.  

That said, I'm taken with Scott Galloway's criticism ("tobacco of our generation") and agree with Jonathan Haidt that it's super harmful for kids, in particular.  It's hard to deny that the world online increasingly doesn't resemble the real world, and that's problematic when so much time is spent there.  

Posted
4 minutes ago, LCHorn said:

I've followed Nepal, and certainly social media has been credited with connecting young people during the Arab Spring and in the periodic protests in Iran.  Kind of like any tool, it's what you make of it.  

That said, I'm taken with Scott Galloway's criticism ("tobacco of our generation") and agree with Jonathan Haidt that it's super harmful for kids, in particular.  It's hard to deny that the world online increasingly doesn't resemble the real world, and that's problematic when so much time is spent there.  

That's fine but it doesn't matter. Globally, social media is not going anywhere and it can and is used for positive change (which was your whole anti-point). Extremely young Americans are, in their own way, just as intertwined with global culture as young Nepalis and Phillipines and Arab Spring youth were.

"Everyone on Earth under 30 was basically born into a world where that’s always been the case. Obviously that’s going to change how geopolitics works! And American lawmakers clearly don’t understand that (yet)."

Posted
7 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

It’s the disinformation that’s ruined social media. 

I would extend this to "it's the disinformation that's ruined civic life".  We've always had the rapacious, the "fuck you, I've got mine", and the power-hungry.  It's only marrying this with the ability to so effectively fragment voter groups with bullshit that's got us here.  

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Posted

The only way to treat a bully is to punch them in the nose.  I would start with ICE.  Every masked Gestapo agent needs to be outed and harassed.  Every unattended ICE vehicle needs to be vandalized. Mix in a few raids on ICE detention centers and a few exploding ICE offices.  We are well passed the time for passive resistance.

Posted
5 minutes ago, Ghost of NMAS said:

The only way to treat a bully is to punch them in the nose.  I would start with ICE.  Every masked Gestapo agent needs to be outed and harassed.  Every unattended ICE vehicle needs to be vandalized. Mix in a few raids on ICE detention centers and a few exploding ICE offices.  We are well passed the time for passive resistance.

I’m inspired by Clara Luper who almost single handedly improved Oklahoma City civil rights, while doing it peacefully. If you can get a bunch of dumb ass racist Okies to change, then it ought to work elsewhere. 

Posted

Organized resistance is like planting a tree. The best time to plant it was 30/20/10 years ago. The next best time is today. I’m heartened that flickers of recognition are spreading, even if I don’t yet have the shade to enjoy.

 

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Posted
11 minutes ago, Ghost of NMAS said:

I would start with ICE.  Every masked Gestapo agent needs to be outed and harassed.  Every unattended ICE vehicle needs to be vandalized.

Aside from being illegal, none of that is helpful.  If the entirety of ICE quit tomorrow it’ll not curb the 100 other antidemocratic behaviors of the Trump government.  
 

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Posted

Which foreign country is going to bail us out? China or Nato seem to be the only possibilities. One is obviously vastly preferable due to what the other would take in return.

Without that we are cooked. I recommend passive resistance. Scrub your online history to avoid being outed by the new SS. Any use of the word "Fascist" will get you flagged. 

Pretend to be one of them and then fuck up whatever responsibilities you can get yourself into. But stay alive. We need you alive.

Posted
3 minutes ago, cmontexas said:

Which foreign country is going to bail us out? China or Nato seem to be the only possibilities. One is obviously vastly preferable due to what the other would take in return.

What are you talking about here? Seriously you lost me.

Posted
10 minutes ago, LCHorn said:

Aside from being illegal, none of that is helpful.  If the entirety of ICE quit tomorrow it’ll not curb the 100 other antidemocratic behaviors of the Trump government.  
 

Attacking duly appointed law enforcement officials for following orders is kind of what leftists do. Murder is their brand.

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Posted
3 minutes ago, Thetexashammer said:

Attacking duly appointed law enforcement officials for following orders is kind of what leftists do. Murder is their brand.

Jan. 6 rioter who assaulted police calls for 'accountability' for 2020  election lies

Number of Capitol riot arrests of military, law enforcement and government  personnel rises to 52 - ABC News

Pro-Trump rioters beat and stomped DC police officer with American flag  pole - YouTube

Posted
5 minutes ago, Thetexashammer said:

Attacking duly appointed law enforcement officials for following orders is kind of what leftists do. Murder is their brand.

Following orders, do you actually hear yourself? The guards were just following orders.

Posted
5 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

What are you talking about here? Seriously you lost me.

There is no way a revolution or resistance has any chance at anything close to resembling plausibility without significant foreign assistance. Otherwise we are talking about sending lambs to the slaughter 

Posted

Profit over People was decided long ago. 

The Apaches flying damn near on top of my house this week are already ready.

It's been fun. I hope you have your escape plan. I don't. 

Posted
1 minute ago, cmontexas said:

There is no way a revolution or resistance has any chance at anything close to resembling plausibility without significant foreign assistance. Otherwise we are talking about sending lambs to the slaughter 

Gotcha. I follow now.

I think that's probably right-- like the French in American Revolution-- you need outside help to win those sorts of wars. And right now the outside help (Russia, Eastern Europe, China) is helping the other side.



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