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Posted
5 hours ago, flatdawgs said:

That's certainly an American way to look at things. OTOH, one of the things I thoroughly enjoy every time I'm back in Europe is that isn't the be-all and end-all of life; quite the contrary. In all the time I've spent in Europe (almost every country; southeastern Portugal now my base when I'm over there), I have never once had a single person ask me how much I made or what giant corporations my US city is home to. I spent a good portion of last winter in Scandinavia and I think most people would consider their quality of life higher than that of the vast majority of the US.

While you're not incorrect about political turmoil in some of the larger European countries, they are still facing what would be considered fairly normal political stresses. It's countries like Hungary and Türkiye, with some of the former Eastern Bloc nations thrown in, where you find similar issues to here. Not saying it's not necessarily coming,  but at least for now in several countries the center-right and center-left parties refuse to form coalitions with the far right. 

I think that's the fallacy. Visiting and vacationing and even a longer term sabbatical, you can romanticize the life. But having to live with standardized medicine (especially if you have a chronic or serious disease or illness) and the day to day isn't for the faint of heart (for most Americans).

And I agree, I have an American bias to what you called out. I'm an unabahsed capitalist, I guess, from years of indonctrination and the guise of value creation that has allowed me to build a little bit of wealth. So I think of Europe as inferior in a lot of ways:

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Posted (edited)
On 10/8/2025 at 5:57 AM, immamac said:

I'm not under the delusion of that being a possibility I'm saying that overall Americans don't really put up with that bullshit and the vocal minority are filled with idiots not with smart people who are sadistic 

Americans can’t follow directions worth a shit.  Either they are too stupid, not willing, or both.  Good luck trying to control 350 million of them.  
 

That’s the one comforting thought I have in this whole situation.  I think if these assholes could control us they already would be.  Shit, if I run into that pussy Stephen Miller in the street I’m gonna kick his ass!

Edited by Horn Dogg
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Posted
1 minute ago, Horn Dogg said:

Americans can’t follow directions worth a shit.  Either they are too stupid, not willing, or both.  Good luck trying to control 350 million of them.

Agree. 

Posted
22 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

I think that's the fallacy. Visiting and vacationing and even a longer term sabbatical, you can romanticize the life. But having to live with standardized medicine (especially if you have a chronic or serious disease or illness) and the day to day isn't for the faint of heart (for most Americans).

Tell me you've never had to schedule a specialist appointment without telling me. American medicine through insurance companies is a worse experience by far. Because you get loaded down with medical debt and they will deny all but the barest and most basic shit. 

46 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

And I agree, I have an American bias to what you called out. I'm an unabahsed capitalist, I guess, from years of indonctrination and the guise of value creation that has allowed me to build a little bit of wealth. So I think of Europe as inferior in a lot of ways:

My problem is that you're labeling "rent seeking and extracting wealth" as "unabashed capitalism". American capitalism does produce massive profits, but it drives horrific inequality - worse than the divide during the French Revolution. 75% of US corporate profits have gone to stock buybacks, not into the business or to their workers or anything that actually grows the economy. It's all been masturbatory paper value creation, that gets converted into tax-free liquidity via loans. It's all bullshit and superior if and only if you're on the extractive side.

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Posted
23 hours ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Man, didnt think id see the day when we would minimize shit like this

Yeah, remember when the people freaked out because they were doing trainings in Bastrop and Greg Abbott went to personal supervise?

I remember.

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Posted
13 hours ago, immamac said:

There are lots of people who identify as Republicans on this site even who don't approve of sending NG to anywhere domesticslly for the purposes of fucking with citizens. 

And they would still pull the lever for the orange dotard if an election was held tomorrow and he was on the ballot.

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Posted
23 hours ago, Satchel said:

Anybody thinking Miller is a nobody in this administration is simply not paying attention.

It appears what’s being reported is true. Trump thinks Portland is on fire because of he was shown videos of protests that occurred 5 years ago. Guess who showed him those videos?

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Posted (edited)
21 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Or if it continues.....

12bda018d635e590b95946474e1e9d44d00025f7

Well if we get to Skynet becoming self aware and initiating Judgement Day before Team Elephant can plunge us into Christiofascist Handmaids Tale scenario...gonna call that a small win

Confused Curb Your Enthusiasm GIF

Edited by Evil Bill Obrien
Posted
On 10/8/2025 at 7:50 AM, immamac said:

I'm not saying there isn't a chance but these guys are so fucking dumb that they couldn't pull it off. They've false started and shit their pants on everything. 

Gator Alcatraz, mass deportations, everything. It's all failed massively at anything but being mean and making headlines. 

When something actually works I'll get fucking worried, nothing has. This ice shit isn't working, the national guard in LA didn't work. Nothing is working its all massive failure after another. 

I have been thinking about this since yesterday.  The concept is that the Trump administration is inept and the foundation of the country and economy is so strong, and even though everything that is happening seems real bad, in reality all of it is a nothingburger.  This is similar to something I have been saying, which is that Trump and Co. are a cartoon version of a fascist takeover.  I've been amazed that the powers that be, with real big shit to lose and their hands on the levers of power haven't done anything while Trump appears to do a bunch of shit to harm the country.  Maybe they know that it's all just performative bullshit; theater without real world consequences for the vast, vast majority of people, including those who might be in a position to do something about it. Or maybe those people don't really exist. Given the way it appears, I would expect to look out my office window and see fires everywhere, armed conflict in the streets, looting, infrastructure failing, the stock market tanking, inflation rising exponentially - but none of that has happened, yet.  I honestly don't know.  I know my own experience, which is that hardly anything has changed for me.  Groceries and other goods are a bit more expensive, but that's about it.  I know there are people out there who have directly felt the effects - undocumented immigrants, government employees who lost their jobs, people overseas who don't have U.S. foreign aid, as just a few examples.  It's just surprisingly hard to tell how bad all of this is, really.

Posted
On 10/8/2025 at 2:05 PM, immamac said:

I'm pissed about everyone being a fucking Debbie Downer all the god damned time here. 

Well, I mean... *gesturing broadly at everything*

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Posted
11 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

I have been thinking about this since yesterday.  The concept is that the Trump administration is inept and the foundation of the country and economy is so strong, and even though everything that is happening seems real bad, in reality all of it is a nothingburger.  This is similar to something I have been saying, which is that Trump and Co. are a cartoon version of a fascist takeover.  I've been amazed that the powers that be, with real big shit to lose and their hands on the levers of power haven't done anything while Trump appears to do a bunch of shit to harm the country.  Maybe they know that it's all just performative bullshit; theater without real world consequences for the vast, vast majority of people, including those who might be in a position to do something about it. Or maybe those people don't really exist. Given the way it appears, I would expect to look out my office window and see fires everywhere, armed conflict in the streets, looting, infrastructure failing, the stock market tanking, inflation rising exponentially - but none of that has happened, yet.  I honestly don't know.  I know my own experience, which is that hardly anything has changed for me.  Groceries and other goods are a bit more expensive, but that's about it.  I know there are people out there who have directly felt the effects - undocumented immigrants, government employees who lost their jobs, people overseas who don't have U.S. foreign aid, as just a few examples.  It's just surprisingly hard to tell how bad all of this is, really.

Negged and reported for not breaking this up into separate paragraphs.

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Posted
17 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

I have been thinking about this since yesterday.  The concept is that the Trump administration is inept and the foundation of the country and economy is so strong, and even though everything that is happening seems real bad, in reality all of it is a nothingburger.  This is similar to something I have been saying, which is that Trump and Co. are a cartoon version of a fascist takeover.  I've been amazed that the powers that be, with real big shit to lose and their hands on the levers of power haven't done anything while Trump appears to do a bunch of shit to harm the country.  Maybe they know that it's all just performative bullshit; theater without real world consequences for the vast, vast majority of people, including those who might be in a position to do something about it. Or maybe those people don't really exist. Given the way it appears, I would expect to look out my office window and see fires everywhere, armed conflict in the streets, looting, infrastructure failing, the stock market tanking, inflation rising exponentially - but none of that has happened, yet.  I honestly don't know.  I know my own experience, which is that hardly anything has changed for me.  Groceries and other goods are a bit more expensive, but that's about it.  I know there are people out there who have directly felt the effects - undocumented immigrants, government employees who lost their jobs, people overseas who don't have U.S. foreign aid, as just a few examples.  It's just surprisingly hard to tell how bad all of this is, really.

 

We have a president trying to send military troops from Texas into OR and IL.

A president who's labeled a non-existent organization called "Antifa" only by the magats, but commonly a loose coalition of people protesting are now a designated terrorist organization.

They're vaporizing Venezuleans in the ocean for no reason, but they've labeled them terrorists so they're getting away with it.

ICE troops are shooting people protesting legally in the head with chemical munitions, kidnapping citizens and other people here legally. They are ramping up the violence and trying to get the public to accept or ignore it. 

I don't know what you think is happening but I'm pretty certain it's not a big nothing.

 

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Posted
11 minutes ago, Chopper said:

 

We have a president trying to send military troops from Texas into OR and IL.

A president who's labeled a non-existent organization called "Antifa" only by the magats, but commonly a loose coalition of people protesting are now a designated terrorist organization.

They're vaporizing Venezuleans in the ocean for no reason, but they've labeled them terrorists so they're getting away with it.

ICE troops are shooting people protesting legally in the head with chemical munitions, kidnapping citizens and other people here legally. They are ramping up the violence and trying to get the public to accept or ignore it. 

I don't know what you think is happening but I'm pretty certain it's not a big nothing.

 

Let's break it down a little:

"We have a president trying to send military troops from Texas into OR and IL.  Right.  He's trying.  Hasn't happened yet.  He's sent National Guard troops into several cities.  What have they done?  They haven't killed anyone yet, as far as I know.  Sure it's dangerous and looks really, really bad.  But if they kill someone, we may have our Kent State moment.

A president who's labeled a non-existent organization called "Antifa" only by the magats, but commonly a loose coalition of people protesting are now a designated terrorist organization.  Yes, so who are they going to actually arrest?  People dressed in black and protesting against Trump?  If that happens, then what?  The govt. has to prove that they are in "Antifa," which doesn't exist.  They'll spend some time in jail, and that sucks bigtime, but they'll be exonerated and freed.

They're vaporizing Venezuleans in the ocean for no reason, but they've labeled them terrorists so they're getting away with it.  They've lit up two boats, as far as I know.  I haven't seen what intel we had or anything.  I've heard they were "running drugs," but again, I haven't seen any of the proof.  Obviously we don't want to be wantonly killing people, from wherever they are from, for no reason.  I don't know what the recourse is or how or if anyone could be held accountable for this.  I don't know if anyone/entity is looking into it.  Someone certainly should.

ICE troops are shooting people protesting legally in the head with chemical munitions, kidnapping citizens and other people here legally. They are ramping up the violence and trying to get the public to accept or ignore it. Chemical munitions?  C'mon, it wasn't mustard gas. It was a pepper ball. And it's happened once. I don't know the extent of his injuries, but he never lost consciousness. Yes, ICE is picking up people it shouldn't. Not in large numbers though. Those people are getting due process and getting released, as near as I can tell from news sources.  I would agree that the Trump administration is ramping up violence, but mainly by rhetoric and the few, actual violent incidents being all over the news and social media.  That makes it appear much more widespread and worse than it actually is.  I don't know if the Trump administration is "trying to get the public to accept or ignore" the violence by the federal government.  They probably are.  But to immamac's point, they are failing.  People aren't accepting it or ignoring it.  From what I can see, it's riling a lot more people up and turning people more against the administration.  It's causing people to become activists.  In short, if that's their plan, it appears to be backfiring.

Look, I know all of this shit is bad, bad.  It looks even worse than that.  There is certainly potential for things to get way, way worse with all of the worst possibilities that we can all imagine actually happening.  I also think it's important for people to maintain some objectivity and their critical thinking skills and see things for exactly as they are, not what they could be.

I don't know what you think is happening but I'm pretty certain it's not a big nothing.

Posted
5 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

Let's break it down a little:

"We have a president trying to send military troops from Texas into OR and IL.  Right.  He's trying.  Hasn't happened yet.  He's sent National Guard troops into several cities.  What have they done?  They haven't killed anyone yet, as far as I know.  Sure it's dangerous and looks really, really bad.  But if they kill someone, we may have our Kent State moment.

What the fuck are you talking about? Texas National Guard troops are there right now.

Quote

A president who's labeled a non-existent organization called "Antifa" only by the magats, but commonly a loose coalition of people protesting are now a designated terrorist organization.  Yes, so who are they going to actually arrest?  People dressed in black and protesting against Trump?  If that happens, then what?  The govt. has to prove that they are in "Antifa," which doesn't exist.  They'll spend some time in jail, and that sucks bigtime, but they'll be exonerated and freed.

That's probably still the case today. There's no guarantee it'll still be the case six months from now.

Quote

They're vaporizing Venezuleans in the ocean for no reason, but they've labeled them terrorists so they're getting away with it.  They've lit up two boats, as far as I know.  I haven't seen what intel we had or anything.  I've heard they were "running drugs," but again, I haven't seen any of the proof.  Obviously we don't want to be wantonly killing people, from wherever they are from, for no reason.  I don't know what the recourse is or how or if anyone could be held accountable for this.  I don't know if anyone/entity is looking into it.  Someone certainly should.

It's four to six boats now. Yeah, this is the kind of thing that got us into WW1, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. It's just a fun little performance for TV, it's not like they're killing anyone who matters, right? Fucking lol at "someone should look into it."

Quote

ICE troops are shooting people protesting legally in the head with chemical munitions, kidnapping citizens and other people here legally. They are ramping up the violence and trying to get the public to accept or ignore it. Chemical munitions?  C'mon, it wasn't mustard gas. It was a pepper ball. And it's happened once. I don't know the extent of his injuries, but he never lost consciousness. Yes, ICE is picking up people it shouldn't. Not in large numbers though. Those people are getting due process and getting released, as near as I can tell from news sources.  I would agree that the Trump administration is ramping up violence, but mainly by rhetoric and the few, actual violent incidents being all over the news and social media.  That makes it appear much more widespread and worse than it actually is.  I don't know if the Trump administration is "trying to get the public to accept or ignore" the violence by the federal government.  They probably are.  But to immamac's point, they are failing.  People aren't accepting it or ignoring it.  From what I can see, it's riling a lot more people up and turning people more against the administration.  It's causing people to become activists.  In short, if that's their plan, it appears to be backfiring.

You have no fucking idea what you're talking about. You have not one fucking clue how many citizens have been illegally arrested by ICE. You have no fucking idea how many people have been shot with various munitions by federal agents. 

How much longer are you going to downplay the severity of the harm he's doing and the danger he poses? You've been doing it since he was elected. What's it going to take to make you think "actually maybe I won't post like Neidermeyer"?

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Posted
I think that's the fallacy. Visiting and vacationing and even a longer term sabbatical, you can romanticize the life. But having to live with standardized medicine (especially if you have a chronic or serious disease or illness) and the day to day isn't for the faint of heart (for most Americans).
And I agree, I have an American bias to what you called out. I'm an unabahsed capitalist, I guess, from years of indonctrination and the guise of value creation that has allowed me to build a little bit of wealth. So I think of Europe as inferior in a lot of ways:
image.thumb.png.e5c529aa762bc76aabbe61f70a17aade.png

Do you think that America has the “most capitalist” system in the world?
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Posted
2 minutes ago, scottsins said:


Do you think that America has the “most capitalist” system in the world?

I do. But the way you ask the question reminds me of the old saw, "a lawyer never asks the question he doesn't already know the answer to" and I'm willing to be educated if I'm wrong.

Posted
9 minutes ago, softlynow said:

“Do something!” Meanwhile all the people we need to see the coming storm are telling us to calm down.

"Someone." Not him, and not us, and not anyone else. But, you know, someone. 

Posted
22 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

What the fuck are you talking about? Texas National Guard troops are there right now.

That's probably still the case today. There's no guarantee it'll still be the case six months from now.

It's four to six boats now. Yeah, this is the kind of thing that got us into WW1, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. It's just a fun little performance for TV, it's not like they're killing anyone who matters, right? Fucking lol at "someone should look into it."

You have no fucking idea what you're talking about. You have not one fucking clue how many citizens have been illegally arrested by ICE. You have no fucking idea how many people have been shot with various munitions by federal agents. 

How much longer are you going to downplay the severity of the harm he's doing and the danger he poses? You've been doing it since he was elected. What's it going to take to make you think "actually maybe I won't post like Neidermeyer"?

You are a deranged asshole.  I don't know what your problem is, but you can take your lunatic rants and shove them up your ass.

Posted
6 minutes ago, Chopper said:

The TNG is already embedded with ICE. They announced that today. If they hit more resistance, they will invoke the Insurrection Act.

Who will they arrest? You seriously think they have nobody to target? Protestors. That's why they are ramping up the pressure. Did you see the march through downtown Chicago last night? That's the type of people who will be targeted. Along with people who help organize it. They arrested a sitting US Congressman on fake charges already and today indicted the AG of the state of NY. They'll go after people who donated money to candidates or causes. More politicians. will be targeted. Advisers to politicians. Journalists. 

They flat-out murdered people on at least 3 boats. All they've alleged (and have offered zero proof) is they were drug running. Even if you take them at their word, drug running is not an offense for which you're legally allowed to kill a person. Now consider they're thousands of miles from the US. They have no fucking idea who or what are on those boats. However, if the wanted to know, the US military has many times before interdicted a suuspect boat and arrested or checked out what's going on. That's the legal way. Just murdering people is flatly illegal. Again, they are blatantly violating the law now on "easy cases" and building their way up to even more violations.

You can think they're failing because you look out your window and don't see war. That doesn't mean it's not happening. Downplaying what's going on is horrible. Oh they only shot a pastor in the head with mustard gas pellet 7 tiimes. For no reason. WTAF. Mustard gas isn't a chemical munition? In fact it's internationally regulated as a chemical warfare agent. 

To claim what they're doing is backfiring requires wearing the rosiest of glasses. They've met some resistance in the courts but that's the only thing so far that's kept us from falling fully under an autocratic regime. You haven't even seen the criminal undertakings they have planned for the elections. Barring a miracle, the USSC will not stop any of this. They have yet to lift a finger, they continue to rubber stamp Trump's crimes and they've given every indication they intend to continue to do so. 

/rant over

I hadn't seen the news about the TNG getting there today.

I know it's protestors and that's what I said.  I see what they are trying to do.  The people they have arrested or indicted will be exonerated.  Do you know of anyone who they have targeted who has actually received a prison sentence?

Totally agree on the Venezuelans.  It was dumb and weak to say "Someone should look into it."  I don't know what jurisdiction that falls under?  International Criminal Court?  Military investigation?  Whatever can be done, should be done.

I agree that if I was in LA, Portland, DC or Chicago right now seeing armed troops on the streets I might feel differently.  Just giving my own perspective. Am I the frog in the boiling pot?  Entirely possible.  I have certain markers that I'm watching.  If those things come to pass I will actively support and join the resistance.  I have a family and shit to lose.  I want to be damned sure what I think is happening is actually happening before I make myself a target and put my family at risk.

Disagree about the courts.  I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about what the rulings actually say and mean.  I do think SCOTUS is trying to stay out of real difficult, important and dangerous decisions as long as they possibly can, which is wrong in it's own right.  I'm waiting until that moment comes.

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Posted (edited)
32 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

If those things come to pass I will actively support and join the resistance. 

October 18th. Austin’s No Kings protest. Use it or lose it.

 

Edited to say: I won’t be armed. And, I will be peaceful. If our peaceful protest is met with violence by the authorities, then that will be filmed, broadcast, and will change minds.

Edited by Willfully Horn
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Posted

If you’re still on the fence with this fucking guy, you are either a disingenuous pos(read: too much of a pussy to own really being a maga racist/christian fundamentalist) or an absolute moron.

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Posted
37 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

I hadn't seen the news about the TNG getting there today.

I know it's protestors and that's what I said.  I see what they are trying to do.  The people they have arrested or indicted will be exonerated.  Do you know of anyone who they have targeted who has actually received a prison sentence?

Totally agree on the Venezuelans.  It was dumb and weak to say "Someone should look into it."  I don't know what jurisdiction that falls under?  International Criminal Court?  Military investigation?  Whatever can be done, should be done.

I agree that if I was in LA, Portland, DC or Chicago right now seeing armed troops on the streets I might feel differently.  Just giving my own perspective. Am I the frog in the boiling pot?  Entirely possible.  I have certain markers that I'm watching.  If those things come to pass I will actively support and join the resistance.  I have a family and shit to lose.  I want to be damned sure what I think is happening is actually happening before I make myself a target and put my family at risk.

Disagree about the courts.  I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about what the rulings actually say and mean.  I do think SCOTUS is trying to stay out of real difficult, important and dangerous decisions as long as they possibly can, which is wrong in it's own right.  I'm waiting until that moment comes.

You are a moron.

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Posted

What's most ominous about the guard movements to me is that he's slowly ramping up to full-scale mobilization of the military.

He doesn't have to order the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to move TNG troops to Chicago or Portland.  And he's probably doing the Venezuelan boat bombings with a container full of CIA "troops," not USAF or Army.  So he hasn't issued any unlawful orders down the DOD chain of command, he's stayed out of it.

But I think he's working up to it.

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Posted

i guess it's ok to still say 'just calm down, you're over-reacting, it's not that bad' today because it's 10/9, there's 9 more days to fuck around like that until we're all gonna find out.

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Posted
12 hours ago, mchookem said:

i guess it's ok to still say 'just calm down, you're over-reacting, it's not that bad' today because it's 10/9, there's 9 more days to fuck around like that until we're all gonna find out.

Find out how big of fucking pussies these guys are? Yeah. Fuck em. 

Posted
13 hours ago, Willfully Horn said:

October 18th. Austin’s No Kings protest. Use it or lose it.

 

Edited to say: I won’t be armed. And, I will be peaceful. If our peaceful protest is met with violence by the authorities, then that will be filmed, broadcast, and will change minds.

I'll be watching us struggle with Kentucky.

Yay.

Posted
8 hours ago, Chopper said:

 

Believe they have the authority??  Can't rule it out??  SCOTUS has explicitly said "Fuck yea they can!" 

Posted
15 hours ago, Ojo Rojo said:

I don't know if the Trump administration is "trying to get the public to accept or ignore" the violence by the federal government.  They probably are.  But to immamac's point, they are failing.  People aren't accepting it or ignoring it.  From what I can see, it's riling a lot more people up and turning people more against the administration.  It's causing people to become activists.  In short, if that's their plan, it appears to be backfiring.

Counterpoint: The Trump administration wants to incite "left wing" violence. They want  left wing activism. They keep needling, and needling, and needling, ready for a powderkeg moment where they can seize more power over people in this country.

And I've said this for a while, everything they are doing is a test. Not for the left, but for Trump supporters and people agnostic about this administration. How far can they go without serious, legitimate pushback from the electorate? Can they normalize this stuff? Posts like yours make me think it's working. 

 

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Posted

I understand the survival instinct and defense mechanisms used to lower one's personal anxiety and concerns. 

But I don't think it's helpful to try and convince others that it's not as bad as it seems. It's just playing into the regime's hands. 

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Posted
2 minutes ago, Hank Kingsley said:

I understand the survival instinct and defense mechanisms used to lower one's personal anxiety and concerns. 

But I don't think it's helpful to try and convince others that it's not as bad as it seems. It's just playing into the regime's hands. 

It's true that the regime is struggling to consolidate its power in many ways and those should be pointed out. But literally downplaying the shit they are actually doing is very dangerous. "Oh it's just one or two ________________" is how people slowly become inured to death camps. 

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Posted
12 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

It's true that the regime is struggling to consolidate its power in many ways and those should be pointed out. But literally downplaying the shit they are actually doing is very dangerous. "Oh it's just one or two ________________" is how people slowly become inured to death camps. 

Yeah, but talking about death camps causes a whole lot of the people who need to pay attention to immediately stop paying attention because they dismiss it as catastrophic hyperbole from the hysterical left.

Posted
28 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

Yeah, but talking about death camps causes a whole lot of the people who need to pay attention to immediately stop paying attention because they dismiss it as catastrophic hyperbole from the hysterical left.

Buddy, given your track record predicting things I've never been more confident that people would take death camp warnings seriously.

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Posted

I forgot where I was, momentarily. This is no place for civil discourse.  To be clear, though, I'm not downplaying anything and I'm not a moron.  I'm legitimately asking how bad is this, really, because I'm struggling to grasp the severity of what is happening.  I know it looks and seems very, very bad.  It may, in fact, be very, very bad.  If so and I'm ignoring something, then list it out. It's possible this is all just reality TV of a fake fascist takeover with the sole purpose of enriching and giving power and position to those who will stoop low enough to play along. I think almost all of this is leadup and, as someone upthread said, a test to see just how far they can go.  Oct. 18th may be the day when shit pops off.  I'll be closely watching.

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Posted (edited)
13 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

I think almost all of this is leadup and, as someone upthread said, a test to see just how far they can go.  Oct. 18th may be the day when shit pops off.

I am not predicting protests will be met with violence, but do think that scenario would change minds. turnip’s comment about the Austin protest was in response to the COA waiving fees.

ICE activities are where the provocation occurs. So far, like the protests, the resistance has been overwhelmingly non-violent. I think this country knows Republicans want violence, and that violence would only give Republicans an excuse to declare martial law under the insurrection act.

 

The No Kings protests appear to be gaining momentum, though, so maybe Republicans will make a mistake.

 

*** FAUX-KING’S THUGS S*CK SATAN’S C*CK ***

Edited by Willfully Horn
Posted (edited)

I think a major question of this moment is: at what point do sane people engage in violent resistance?  Trump has clearly done a lot of authoritarian shit over the last 9 months, so why haven’t we seen widespread violence in opposition of those things?  

 

It’s one thing to talk shit on the Internet and lament how crazy/bad things are.  But if all these things are as bad as most of the regular commenters on this thread are saying they are, then doing shit like message board banter, voting, peaceful protest, etc. is all weak, pointless, and woefully inadequate. 
 

Of all the commenters talking shit about people downplaying things, I am pretty sure none of them have actually done anything other than whine about how bad things are and maybe donate a few dollars to opposition groups.  But taking meaningful action involves serious consequences.  It means risking your life and the safety of your family.  That’s a different animal.  And for just about everyone, the tipping point for choosing that path hasn’t yet arrived, and it’s very very difficult to determine what that point will be and how to recognize it when it gets here.  I do think there’s a chance some real shit could go down on Oct 18.

Edited by Snake Diggity
Posted
22 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

I forgot where I was, momentarily. This is no place for civil discourse.  To be clear, though, I'm not downplaying anything and I'm not a moron.  I'm legitimately asking how bad is this, really, because I'm struggling to grasp the severity of what is happening.  I know it looks and seems very, very bad.  It may, in fact, be very, very bad.  If so and I'm ignoring something, then list it out. It's possible this is all just reality TV of a fake fascist takeover with the sole purpose of enriching and giving power and position to those who will stoop low enough to play along. I think almost all of this is leadup and, as someone upthread said, a test to see just how far they can go.  Oct. 18th may be the day when shit pops off.  I'll be closely watching.

Nah dude you are downplaying it and you are one of the people in the house or like the neighbor whos wondering wtf is going on at the dinner table next door when you ask that and see that maybe theres a nazi and so everyone at the table with the Nazis is included in the how many Nazis are at a table with one Nazi and 7 others 8 Nazis. You are the Nazi because you dared to look and see what kind of nazi shit may or may not be happening instead of burning down your house and shooting at them through the window. 

Posted

All I will add to this thread is imagine if somebody came on to this board's forefather on 9/11 and said, "It's peaceful in Austin....I don't know what the big deal is."  They would have been 100% factually correct and 100% stupid.  

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted (edited)
44 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

I forgot where I was, momentarily. This is no place for civil discourse.  To be clear, though, I'm not downplaying anything and I'm not a moron.  I'm legitimately asking how bad is this, really, because I'm struggling to grasp the severity of what is happening.  I know it looks and seems very, very bad.  It may, in fact, be very, very bad.  If so and I'm ignoring something, then list it out. It's possible this is all just reality TV of a fake fascist takeover with the sole purpose of enriching and giving power and position to those who will stoop low enough to play along. I think almost all of this is leadup and, as someone upthread said, a test to see just how far they can go.  Oct. 18th may be the day when shit pops off.  I'll be closely watching.

It sounds like you know the answer but you just don't want to believe it. We are currently in the "first they came for" phase. 

First they came for protestors in Portland

Will you speak out now even though you're not a protestor in Portland or a permanent resident in Miami? Or will you wait until there's nobody left to speak out for you. 

And keep in mind that the author of that poem wasn't just a guy asking questions and wondering how bad things were, he was actually a Nazi supporter at first. He actually thought what was happening was okay when they were in the phase we're in now. 

The point is that history is repeating itself. If you truly want answers to what is happening they were literally already published 80 years ago, you just have to honestly want to find them. 

Edited by Huckleberry
  • Hook 'Em 6
  • Like 1
Posted
2 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

It sounds like you know the answer but you just don't want to believe it. We are currently in the "first they came for" phase. 

First they came for protestors in Portland

Will you speak out now even though you're not a protestor in Portland or a permanent resident in Miami? Or will you wait until there's nobody left to speak out for you. 

And keep in mind that the author of that poem wasn't just a guy asking questions and wondering how bad things were, he was actually a Nazi supporter at first. He actually thought what was happening was okay when they were in the phase we're in now. 

The point is that history is repeating itself. If you truly want answers to what is happening they are literally already published, you just have to honestly want to find them. 

What exactly is “speaking out”?  I think a lot of people, myself included, are “speaking out”.  That shit isn’t working, and the next step involves a lot more risk.



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