Now that we have a new thread, in order to ensure that this thread continues to meet TL standards and follows the proper guidelines, we will be enforcing the rules in the OP more strictly. Be sure to give them a complete and thorough read before posting!
NOTE: When providing a source, please provide a very brief summary on what it's about and what purpose it adds to the discussion. The supporting statement should clearly explain why the subject is relevant and needs to be discussed. Please follow this rule especially for tweets.
Your supporting statement should always come BEFORE you provide the source.
On February 08 2025 00:49 GreenHorizons wrote: This is surreal. Some random dipshit can just tell Congress they aren't allowed in to the Department of Education and they just listen.
Maybe get your own muscle, open the door, and stop the criminal white supremacists hacking on the US government computers inside?!?
What I do I know, I'm sure repeating to him that "you can't do this" while he in fact "does this" is going to work.
EDIT: The reporter saying "who is in the brown, uhh, tan looking shirt." was a little too on the nose
This just in: Dems refuse to get violent with someone and therefore are toothless in their attempt to stop the buttfuckery of trump and his brown shirt goons. This and more at 6.
Unironically yes. Not necesarilly just Dems, but most of the civilized section of society. If all it takes to take over a government instutition is a single moonlighting bouncer paid a 20 to sit in front of a door I don't like our odds. This is a caricature of the paradox of tolerance.
I've been trying to explain this to them since before Biden was even the nominee. They can't draw a line. Not even at losing control of government buildings to a random brownshirt and some teenage tech bros raiding the computer systems.
They all advocate fascism tolerance absolutism. As if they don't also readily know "free speech absolutism" is stupid.
No, this is some nonsense bad faith argument you made up. You seem to genuinely believe that it's some kind of amazing point but to everyone else you look like Kanye.
The line isn't defined, the action to be taken it the line is crossed isn't defined, and there is no explanation of why any of us should be the ones enforcing that line.+ Show Spoiler +
You never provide your line, or the actions you have taken, or will take, when it was crossed.
How many smurfberries is the economy worth? Name the number if you dare.
Yes, I look like I'm praising Hitler during a mental health episode because I'm pointing out that you all don't have a line for which your primary plan for staving off fascism will no longer be relying on voting for the Democrats in a couple years, fleeing the country, or joining the fascists. You are embarrassing yourself. Do better.
As to what action? I've said countless times, but I personally endorse revolutionary socialism. I'm open to any good idea. My point is and has been that your plan just shouldn't/can't be relying on voting for the Democrats in a couple years, fleeing the country, or joining the fascists. Because that's literally just a plan to lose to fascism.
Dan was rightly pointing out that if not just Dems, but regular everyday people, can lose their government buildings to just some random dipshit brownshirt, we're in trouble. Anyone that can't recognize that is being irrational.
The other point that comes along with this is that I don't actually expect Democrats to do much of anything, I just need them to stfu and fall in line to support the people that will and are, instead of siding with the fascists like they typically do.
You keep saying that. I sympathize. But I'm (1) not a revolutionary, and (2) over in Spain and can't do much about your fascist government. But I'll say that if the Falange was seizing power again here in Spain, I'd probably be doing more to stop them than you are. At the very least, I'd be joining one of the mass protests that absolutely would be happening all over this country, not complaining about my fellows' inactivity.
Kwark, Mohdoo, and others are in the US, for now. This is also the US politics thread.
I've obviously made it clear that any socialism (within reason) is better than relying on primary strategy of voting for the Democrats in a couple years, fleeing the country, or joining the fascists. So no one need jump straight to being revolutionary. . If you are wondering specifically how you could help people in the US prevent the rise of fascism without being revolutionary, you could start with supporting socialist orgs in the US. Not a penny or a minute to spare for the fight against fascism (surviving capitalism is gnarly)? Redirecting a fraction of the time spent in the US politics thread to participating in good faith in my blog is an excellent start for anyone that actually has any desire to do anything about the rising tide of fascism beyond the primary strategy of relying on voting for the Democrats in a couple years, fleeing the country, or joining the fascists.
As to the opinion column you posted...
Most of all, prepare for the midterms elections next year
yeah, no, seems like they understand the urgency perfectly... @Neb, this is an example of when I was describing how lib/Dems exploit their more ostensibly progressive members to argue against the actually functional direct action politics we require in the US to accomplish anything of positive significance.
I don't know what you're actually doing. But your blog isn't stopping Trump from installing his yes-men or Musk from sending brownshirts to shut down government agencies he's targeted.
Here are some things you could look at to actually try to stem the tide:
Of course, organizing your protests against Musk on twitter seems doomed to fail. But so far Musk doesn't seem coordinated enough to shut his opposition down on his own platform. Still, probably best to follow them on bluesky instead of twitter. Although I lament that none of these use mastodon or other fediverse tools.
And I'm not claiming that you weren't standing in your state capital protesting. Just that pointing people to the kind of organisations that do that, even if they aren't socialist (shocker), is going to do a lot more than pointing people to your blog. The first step to stopping fascism isn't "become a socialist". It's let the fascists know that what they're doing is NOT ACCEPTABLE.
I have been and am participating at various direct actions, but Zam talked about this before.
On February 04 2025 04:32 Zambrah wrote: Protests dont do shit in the US, we've seen that over the last few decades, I dont blame people for not wanting to go out and waste their time. Protests work when they can't be waited out or are targeted towards people who will listen to the protestors, Trump and the fascist brigade isnt that.
If people wanted to make their voices heard they should boot up GTA and toss some bricks through key houses windows and make life a nightmare for the powerful people of GTA whenever they can get away with it in GTA.
The blog isn't supposed to stop him. The people that participate it in it can collaborate with each other on learning how to effectively oppose the rise of fascism though (myself included), if they try.
The twitter part notwithstanding, thank you for demonstrating my point. You are unironically telling people that the strategy they need to employ is the status quo methods that got them here; calling their congressperson and regular ass protests that are designed NOT to be disruptive. Other than perhaps the AFL-CIO Department of Labor which I already mentioned as an example of what should have been done with other departments that have been compromised already (and be repeated and improved upon to protect others).
I had already mentioned and included a link to part of what I would recommend. In contrast with what you're suggesting, which is basically the strategy people have been using for decades trying to pass stuff like Universal Background Checks that 90% of people support to no avail. Because US "democracy" is quirky like that.
If there's anything we can rely on Democrats to do, it is to redirect the people that need to be doing effective direct action into the ineffectual nonsense you're endorsing (our agreement on the Dept of Labor protection protests, organized by labor, aside).
One thing I want to point out: there are options beyond guillotines and protests. General strikes have been very effective throughout history. People don’t need to be heroic enough to risk their lives to help. Organizing and participating in strikes have been major contributors to social reform.
I think people are so used to being snarky whenever GH brings up revolution they aren’t seeing when everything he is saying is way more situationally relevant.
It doesn’t need to be Molotov cocktails or assassinations. Participate in protests, let people know you are protesting so it becomes more normalized and less fringe. Plug into communities. There are a lot of small things that will move the situation towards the right direction. And perhaps eventually a general strike can be organized.
On February 09 2025 03:08 Mohdoo wrote: One thing I want to point out: there are options beyond guillotines and protests. General strikes have been very effective throughout history. People don’t need to be heroic enough to risk their lives to help. Organizing and participating in strikes have been major contributors to social reform.
I think people are so used to being snarky whenever GH brings up revolution they aren’t seeing when everything he is saying is way more situationally relevant.
It doesn’t need to be Molotov cocktails or assassinations. Participate in protests, let people know you are protesting so it becomes more normalized and less fringe. Plug into communities. There are a lot of small things that will move the situation towards the right direction. And perhaps eventually a general strike can be organized.
While Luigi set off a genuine wave of anti establishment and solidarity, too many assassinations or political "Peoples Will" style attacks can lead to brutal crackdowns and the regime/conservatives winning the end game. Worker strikes are far more effective. Blowing up the Tsar led to the end of socialist resistance for decades, where as general strikes by the people in 1905 and then 1917 ended the Tsar. If longshoremen and train workers today wanted to shut down the government, it would take just a few thousand of them.
The conservatives/regime at hand have and would probably crackdown on worker strikes too, theres a long history of strikes being cracked down on hard there simply is no action you can take that would be meaningful that also insulates you from the brutality of the state.
On February 09 2025 03:38 Zambrah wrote: The conservatives/regime at hand have and would probably crackdown on worker strikes too, theres a long history of strikes being cracked down on hard there simply is no action you can take that would be meaningful that also insulates you from the brutality of the state.
I mean you can look at history, worker strikes and general strikes by far get the most social, economic and political change than any other type of resistance or protest. If the longshore, rail folks shut down the transportation and caused massive delays, and the government started to crackdown, other fields would strike in solidarity and the government would have to ease up. Look how fast Trump folded like a chair when Canada and Mexico went 1:1 with his tariffs. These people in charge are weaklings. And despite how extreme the online right and media sphere / politicians are for the republicans, normie republicans aint nazis yet, so when things get real, I think Americans will do the right thing
Strikes do work, but they're almost always defense. You can't win in the long run if you don't also play offense. If you play offense, what that means is that you break through the defense and thus stop a counter-offensive dead in its tracks before it happens, thus allowing you to relieve your defense and score more goals. Your goalie shouldn't have to work around the clock, that role is supposed to be supportive for the most part.
In Starcraft terms: the corporations are doing continuous harassment and thus scoring goal after goal (expanding). Workers are doing absolutely no harassment whatsoever because they're not even allowed to. This double standard is why corporations always win.
On February 09 2025 03:08 Mohdoo wrote: It doesn’t need to be Molotov cocktails or assassinations. Participate in protests, let people know you are protesting so it becomes more normalized and less fringe. Plug into communities. There are a lot of small things that will move the situation towards the right direction. And perhaps eventually a general strike can be organized.
They're the majority. The average American either voted for Trump or didn't care to vote against him. General strikes etc. are for an unpopular out of touch government which doesn't have the support of the organs of state violence.
On February 09 2025 03:38 Zambrah wrote: The conservatives/regime at hand have and would probably crackdown on worker strikes too, theres a long history of strikes being cracked down on hard there simply is no action you can take that would be meaningful that also insulates you from the brutality of the state.
I mean you can look at history, worker strikes and general strikes by far get the most social, economic and political change than any other type of resistance or protest. If the longshore, rail folks shut down the transportation and caused massive delays, and the government started to crackdown, other fields would strike in solidarity and the government would have to ease up. Look how fast Trump folded like a chair when Canada and Mexico went 1:1 with his tariffs. These people in charge are weaklings. And despite how extreme the online right and media sphere / politicians are for the republicans, normie republicans aint nazis yet, so when things get real, I think Americans will do the right thing
The history of strikes indicates to me that the government wouldn’t ease up, they’d just ship in brown people from their new immigration detainment concentration camps to work as scabs while the cops beat and killed the strikers. If the power of strikes is severe enough that’ll be the process, not to say that striking isn’t worth doing, I’d advocate for mass general strikes too, but I also have to say that it would be a bloody protracted conflict and would lead to a lot of maimings and death. People in power will not cede their power without violence, one way or another.
On February 09 2025 03:38 Zambrah wrote: The conservatives/regime at hand have and would probably crackdown on worker strikes too, theres a long history of strikes being cracked down on hard there simply is no action you can take that would be meaningful that also insulates you from the brutality of the state.
I mean you can look at history, worker strikes and general strikes by far get the most social, economic and political change than any other type of resistance or protest. If the longshore, rail folks shut down the transportation and caused massive delays, and the government started to crackdown, other fields would strike in solidarity and the government would have to ease up. Look how fast Trump folded like a chair when Canada and Mexico went 1:1 with his tariffs. These people in charge are weaklings. And despite how extreme the online right and media sphere / politicians are for the republicans, normie republicans aint nazis yet, so when things get real, I think Americans will do the right thing
The history of strikes indicates to me that the government wouldn’t ease up, they’d just ship in brown people from their new immigration detainment concentration camps to work as scabs while the cops beat and killed the strikers. If the power of strikes is severe enough that’ll be the process, not to say that striking isn’t worth doing, I’d advocate for mass general strikes too, but I also have to say that it would be a bloody protracted conflict and would lead to a lot of maimings and death. People in power will not cede their power without violence, one way or another.
Yup.
Also makes it harder (as even Chris Murphy pointed out) to get people to rally and treat Trump/his cabinet like an existential threat when Democrats are voting for all but 2 of them so far though. This cabinet is getting approved faster than his last one or Biden's.
That is instead sending the message that he, his fascist cabinet, and his fascist legislation have bipartisan support.
On February 09 2025 03:08 Mohdoo wrote: It doesn’t need to be Molotov cocktails or assassinations. Participate in protests, let people know you are protesting so it becomes more normalized and less fringe. Plug into communities. There are a lot of small things that will move the situation towards the right direction. And perhaps eventually a general strike can be organized.
They're the majority. The average American either voted for Trump or didn't care to vote against him. General strikes etc. are for an unpopular out of touch government which doesn't have the support of the organs of state violence.
There's a different toolkit for this situation.
Mod edit - an animation of Luigi doesn't meet the thread's standards.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
Nice to see Jordan Peterson reads my stuff on TL.
If Alberta joins the USA the newly announced 25% steel/aluminum tariff will obviously be removed.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
Nice to see Jordan Peterson reads my stuff on TL.
Oh he does? Please tell him to go away. Thanks!
nah, i'm not into echo chambers.
...You literally just posted a video of someone agreeing with you. That's an echo.
And it's JP... definitely not the kind of person you want to advertise as agreeing with you.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
If Alberta joins the USA the newly announced 25% steel/aluminum tariff will obviously be removed.
Please stick to the Canada politics thread where your stupidity is more readily ignored.
nah, it is a legit inference to make. Trump stated he wants Canada to be the 51st state. He wants Alberta's oil. Trump loves talking about oil. Alberta is right wing and more likely to vote Republican than any other province in Canada. It'd be a nice little pick up for Trump.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
Nice to see Jordan Peterson reads my stuff on TL.
Oh he does? Please tell him to go away. Thanks!
nah, i'm not into echo chambers.
...You literally just posted a video of someone agreeing with you. That's an echo. And it's JP... definitely not the kind of person you want to advertise as agreeing with you.
great, you have 1 data point. i disagree with JP a lot. he has some interesting insights. What kind of person is JP? A flawed person? yep. meh.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
If Alberta joins the USA the newly announced 25% steel/aluminum tariff will obviously be removed.
Please stick to the Canada politics thread where your stupidity is more readily ignored.
nah, it is a legit inference to make. Trump stated he wants Canada to be the 51st state. He wants Alberta's oil. Trump loves talking about oil. Alberta is right wing and more likely to vote Republican than any other province in Canada. It'd be a nice little pick up for Trump.
On February 05 2025 00:36 JimmyJRaynor wrote: Trump keeps saying he wants Canada to become "the 51st state". Canada is far too big to be a single state. What Trump really wants is Alberta and its oil. Alberta gets a raw deal from Ottawa as its primary concern is saving the environment. The USA can give Albertans the freedom they crave.
Alberta is either the most and 2nd most right wing province in Canada and a sure win for Republicans.
Nice to see Jordan Peterson reads my stuff on TL.
Oh he does? Please tell him to go away. Thanks!
nah, i'm not into echo chambers.
...You literally just posted a video of someone agreeing with you. That's an echo. And it's JP... definitely not the kind of person you want to advertise as agreeing with you.
great, you have 1 data point. i disagree with JP a lot. he has some interesting insights. What kind of person is JP? A flawed person? yep. meh.
Annexing and taking over a foreign country would be "a nice little pick up for Trump"?
You whine about the good old days of Canada, so you're well aware of the conversations we've had regarding the secession and potential sovereignty of Quebec. You know how complicated and involved that is in a case where the province itself is/was largely willing to and desire(ed) secession.
Then you're like "Canada shud just giv Alberta to the US lul" like it's any kind of an actual point. It's stupid. Congrats on being stupid and having a flawed person agree with you.
A bit rich for someone to say they don’t like echo chambers when like 90% of stuff posted by said person in the Gaming Industry thread are videos of Asmongold reacting to content and parroting talking points curated by Asmongold’s own community.
Like how many posts from Jimmy are accompanied by a boring ass 10-30 minute long video of some right wing influencer going through the motions? Not even real content from a conservative, every single video is from influencers obviously repeating talking points, reacting to other boring right wing influencer content, or theoretically putting out information that fits Jimmy’s argument so he can use the influencer to fight his forum debates for him.
And that last bit is theoretical because I don’t think a single person has bothered to watch the videos he posts to verify if he isn’t just linking random shit he knows no one will watch.
On February 09 2025 03:38 Zambrah wrote: The conservatives/regime at hand have and would probably crackdown on worker strikes too, theres a long history of strikes being cracked down on hard there simply is no action you can take that would be meaningful that also insulates you from the brutality of the state.
Worker strikes in Germany (late 1970 to mid 1980ties) established the 35 hour workweek in core industry sectors in germany.
Coroporations were beyond PISSED at the time and tried to use illegal tactics, police, politicians to "crack down" on the workers and unions.
But the arguments still hold, with giant leaps in automation at the time, a 40 hour workweek was becoming inhumane since workers now basicly just were reduced to do very repetetive tasks that would be done by a machine, if a human wasn't cheaper.
35hour workweek saved hundreds of thousands of jobs, since it directly kept the Corporations from slashing away at their human ressources and demand more hours out of them.
EPT
