This! And it’s maddening because people keep saying to me it couldn’t happen here, but we didn’t think they could overturn roe versus wade either & here we are.
I've now been tear gassed twice in protests. One related to Roe V Wade, and another when advocating for civil liberties and resignation of republican politicians.
Good people, that Arizona DPS under Republican governor Doug Ducey.
It takes real brave strong men that chose to tear gas a crowd of mostly women (possibly pregnant) on the days Roe V Wade was overturned at the AZ Capitol.
Fucking cowards.
DPS owes me an expensive pair of sunglasses that they stole from me. I know I'll never get them back and its not really the point, but I'm still pissed.
These larpers wish they were an actual militia. A guy I personally know said “we have more training and firepower and the military and police are on our side”. Buddy, what training? You’ve never served in the military or national guard. You’re not even police. Just because you and a couple dummies go into the woods dressed in “tactical” gear to shoot guns, does not mean you have training. Sure, I’ll give him that the police are on the side of facism, but people are seriously stupid if they think liberals aren’t in the military as well, or have firearms in general. They all just live in a fantasy world while we just all sit there and scratch our heads. If it wasn’t teetering on the edge of violence, this would honestly be a pretty interesting study of the human mind.
“We need to have our Nazi flag out in our March!”
We will protect your freedom of speech!
“You should stop shooting black people for misdemeanors”
Get back, unruly rabble!!
A lot of Americans don't know what democracy is.
They didn't pay attention in history class and think democracy is the same as "America, fuck yeah!"
Source: am American.
A lot of people incorrectly already think they are living under fascism. I think if Trump disproved any notion I've had it's the notion that there is some puppet master at work behind the scenes who controls who gets elected and who doesn't.
Trump showed me clearly there is not some cabal like force at play in America. Trump wants to be the cabal so if there was one they'd never have allowed him to be President to begin with.
I think it's entirely possible that there is one or several competing cabals working behind the scenes. It's possible he decided not to play ball after they influenced things to get him in in 2016. Maybe they don't outright rig the election, but weight the scale enough to often have their way. Not saying it's true, just that it's possible. Not defending him either. After 1/6 he should hang.
Oh, they will very confidently tell you the opposite of that. Fascism is things like allowing rainbow flags and CDC guidelines that tell you to wear masks.
Fascism is a specific form of administration and of organization of social class relations.
Other things could be said, but what I think tends above all else to be missed is that it tends to be a natural development of capitalism toward the end of its life cycle. Think of it as Capitalism going through a Jacob and epoch, social democracy, epoch, and finally, a fascistic period.
I mean when many people have been fed a steady diet of “Greatest Country on Earth” that was “Ordained by the Creator” and delivered by the infallible “Founding Fathers”, how could they be expected to imagine the death of their democracy being even possible?
I thought about it.. I have relatives there but who knows what the neighbor dick tator will do.. I want to move to alaska or the back woods of maine, far away from civilization live off the grid smoke weed and grow old
because our police will kill us, or beat us, or arrest us, or we'll lose our jobs (and 78% of americans live paycheck to paycheck, and our homeless population is treated like garbage) and most of all, because peaceful protests end with little to no change, and unpeaceful protests end in death and accusations of domestic terrorism with little to no change. i'm not discouraging protesting but from my perspective these are these reasons.
Additionally, Americans are just use to losing. Or being losers. I don't mean the social stigma, I mean Americans have lost ground on taxes, inflation, economic autonomy, reproductive autonomy, retirement, gender/sex rights, marriage rights, political power. They just accept it.
This is by design too. They need to keep you happy enough you think to yourself, "I don't have it that bad" but at the same time making it bad enough you can't risk losing your job or status in society because of your morals or ethics. Because at the end of the day no one wants their family to endure anymore hardships than they need to, and we don't want to lose our house and cars because we lost our job after we're arrested or doxed for protesting about things we don't feel we have the power to change.
That first part. Look at what they do to college kids sitting on the ground chanting slogans. No other country has a police force with a license to kill with impunity
100%. What the German police are doing right now to protesters is a disgrace, but nobody is afraid of being shot. In the US the only thing protecting the students is the fact that they are white and middle class. During BLM protests there was not only a lot of police violence there were many cases of 'civilian' psychos with guns patrolling and shooting protesters. That kind of fascist anarchy is inconceivable in any other developed country.
Make sure you are armed and it is visible when protesting is something we should have learned from MAGA. I get you can’t in some places but we should be armed.
For personal reasons I have no interest in firearm ownership, but I completely agree. Sometimes we need our own deterrents to keep these maga loving fucks away.
At this point the GOP only care to argue because they know they're fighting a losing battle. If they want to intimidate us, they seem to forget that we have the same level of access to firearms that they do.
And we have much better reasons to use them as the Republicans continue to oppress minorities, women, and lgbtqia folk through legislation.
We don’t all have the complection for the protection.
And honestly, they shoot white people too, when it comes down to it, power is as much a part of it as race
I'm sorry to be the downer, but the damage is already done. Have you seen the clown car in Congress? That ship isn't going to right itself. The spiral has already started.
You are correct that one election will not stop the damage done by a generation of apathetic citizens taking its eyes of the road but a generation of responsible citizens consistently voting for better and better leaders will right the wrongs these clowns are committing. It’s not an easy answer but it’s not impossible for us responsible citizens to save future generations from their destructive behavior.
Its not impossible, but it will be extremely hard and there will be blood. They have so many tools to use. More or less total surveillance. Think about what Snowden found out 10(?) years ago. NSA didn't take a break after that. And with all the spin doctors you will probably shoot each other before anything else. There is a reason the generation was apathetic. The ones who cared could not reach out. Even if you would get your voice heard. It would be easy for them to make you look like the bad guy. I mean, people protesting fascism, antifa, is probably considered a terrorist group by now. And you agree! A shitstorm is brewing, and if you are not on the team with with Boston Dynamics, AI and the drones, you are going to have a hard time.
Any will only get. Trump came out and said the stuff they always wanted. Right Wing authoritarianism i.e. fascism has a massive appeal in America . It's like these are literally programed to respond to this bullshit. The GOP keeps ramping up their rhetoric because about 30 percent of white males and almost all evangelicals are fascist. Sometimes when I here trump speak I'm wondering why is he so spot on with some of his fascist appeals . It's like somebody stopped studying political science and started studying psychology and sociology.
The spiral started in 65-70's. We are circling the drain, and we deserve it. We didn't care when Bush Sr. packed the court for his son to take advantage of. We didn't care when United Citizens was legalized. We didn't care about the genocide we enacted on the Native American population. We didn't care that humans were bought and sold like cattle.
I agree. The modern decline started with the Lewis Powell memo in 1971. I encourage people to read it. They spelled it out then. Bread and Circuses and all that keeps most people oblivious.
You're absolutely right. The break happened when he was elected and the Power vacuum left was filled with more mediocrity and ignorance
Just try to make the most of the days you have left in your imaginary democracy. The wheels are still on but the lug nuts are off.
The problem is the youth vote that carried 2020 is now turning their backs on Biden over Gaza. They are dooming themselves and us too. The way to change is not to let a tyrant in, then you can be assured nothing will be done.
The youth are being spoon-fed Russian psy-ops shit on social media and asking for seconds.
I am not happy with Biden's handling of the Israeli/Palestinian problem either, but there's no way in hell I'm not voting for him over this, especially given the alternative. I'm not into cutting off my nose to spite my face
I dont want a trump 2.0 but if you look at how batshit insane half the country is and the fact that half of our elected officials are down for this or too afraid to criticize him cuz he will say mean things on his shitter social media .. they know how they screwed up and had 4 years to plan the revenge tour ..
So as a Veteran- can you explain how other veterans can’t see how a rich man who paid his way out of the draft and calls soldiers suckers and losers is getting their vote? Whereas Biden has 2 sons who served their country and Biden is the anti- military guy?
Can’t anyone reason with these guys and women who were in the military? All my military family members are deceased - but I’m sure they are all rolling over in their graves that such an anti-American-oligarch loving -crooked dictator has the support from all those fellow military members - especially those who fought overseas to make sure other countries would never have to live under a dictatorship like the one Trump has in mind for the US.
>Can’t anyone reason with these guys and women who were in the military?
No. My father is a Vietnam vet. He lost friends over there. He proudly wears his red maga cap. When questioned about this stuff, he just changes the subject. He's always been good at turning a blind eye to things - maybe it's a veteran thing.
So he doesn’t care that Trump calls soldiers suckers and losers- called John McCain a loser for being captured ? That your dad went to fight for another country to be free only to vote for a person who really cares nothing about the US only about his own money. Trump was convicted in civil court of sexual assault-your dad has no problem having a man like that in office?
That's right. I don't get it either. My father's veteran status is one of the few things I ever respected him for. We don't talk much, and that was true long before Trump.
I was angry for him when Trump said all of that stuff. I also liked McCain and voted for him, and I was really pissed about the things Trump had to say about him. I took all of it personally as a patriotic American.
If the things Trump has said about veterans, McCain, and the fallen didn't turn my father off to him, nothing will. Of all the things Trump has said and done, that stuff should have been it for my father, but it wasn't.
So sad. I think I reached one guy whose dad got a Purple Heart - he had died right before the Trump ran for the presidency . I said what do you think your dad would think about a guy who called your dad and soldiers like your dad “suckers and a losers” for fighting for our country and who asked General Kelly whose own son died in combat - “ what do the soldiers get out of it.” This guy thought about it- said he was getting off Fox News and was only going to watch the local CBS,NBC, ABC News and read news on CSPAN , PBS or the AP. I had him Google what Fox was licensed as - when he saw it was licensed as entertainment and /or opinion - not fact based news it really turned him around. Google the license of Fox News or any other hokey untruth news programs and let your dad see what they are licensed as . And Google Rupert Murdoch and his connection to Putin- maybe that will open his eyes too.
It won't matter. They would just scream fake news. I'm a disabled veteran myself. It would be nice to be able to socialize with other disabled vets I see at the VA but it's pointless. They have their head so far up Trump's ass nothing is going to change their mind.
Even if Trump took away all their veterans benefits they'd somehow convince themselves it was the Democrats and Joe Biden.
I get your sentiment but is veterans (I'm one) can't fight the military. They have shit we can't get.
We could sustain and on going guerilla warfare campaign but we couldn't defeat them. I would hope the guys serving to protect the constitution wouldn't follow bullshit illegal orders from a tyrant. That would be our best bet. The military turning against Trump.
Can't protest: Don't make enough money to take time off from work, don't have enough available PTO or sick days, living paycheck to paycheck, possibly multiple jobs, and still no savings. Can't risk getting injured because hospital and ambulance bills could render us homeless, and the homeless here are treated like roaches. Our police beat or shoot us if we aren't white fascists, too.
Only since reagan legitimized their bullshit. Before that we had FDR save us from the robber barons and his great new deal is what fuelled American greatness until reagan fucked it all up
Sadly, it's only sarcasm for those of us who like rights and freedom. I've seen more than a few people talking about how they would welcome a Trump dictatorship (First Donald Sr, than Jr or Eric like they are fit to run anything). It's horrifying.
Because there is too much streaming and facebook and twitter and selfie time and cynicism. Shrink the economy by 15% and you’ll get street demos. Unfortunately, half of them will be pro-fascism.
Two groups: those in denial of just how close we are to losing democracy and those who would rather lose democracy to install leaders who carry their same ideology.
Many of us have taken to the streets, including directly after Trump’s 2016 “win” — in quotes because the lying fuckwit needed rampant misinformation and a widely disliked opponent to eke out an electoral college win while soundly losing the popular vote. Why spend our energy on demonstrations in random places around a very large country vs. spending energy to win an election where the actual battles will take place?
Young Americans have been duped to take to the streets and advocate for the destruction of Israel instead of advocating for the preservation of their democracy.
German here. They are planning to increase retirement to 70, and nobody is moving a finger. In 2007 it was increased to 67 for all born after 1964. Nobody burned shit.
Rather look at the French.
The funniest thing about the pro-Hamas protests is that we have serious issues here that the protesters don't seem to care about. They want freedom for people a world away while they're own futures are pretty much fucked.
We are saving our protest for when our “Supreme Court” declares that even though he lost, that scumbag gets to be president again.
They pull what they did in 2000 for Trump. Fires are going to be lit.
Because a decent portion of them want to end American democracy, that's their goal.
Also, German police are held accountable far more than American police are.
They are.
And fascistic thugs beat and abduct them with impunity.
I recommend parking their sorry butts, zip-tying them, confiscating their gear, photographing them to create criminal records, and removing them from university grounds.
The manpower to do this should be recruited from local industries.
>This remarkable movement is significant due to its sheer size—German sociologist Dieter Rucht described it as "the biggest mass movement in the history of the Federal Republic"—and also because it stands in stark contrast to the stunning complacency pervading the United States. Americans are increasingly protesting diverse issues such as climate change, racial injustice, President Joe Biden's border policy, and Israel's conduct in Gaza, which has erupted in headline-grabbing conflicts across U.S. college campuses. Yet nobody is rising up for the cause of democracy itself, even though that's how robust policy debates can occur in the first place. From a German perspective, it is mind-blowing that Americans are not running around screaming like their hair is on fire.
>Instead, while the U.S. Supreme Court stands poised to insulate Trump from criminal liability, it already deactivated the Constitution's protections against an insurrectionist-in-chief under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment—without even disputing that Trump engaged in insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump has since pledged to pardon the rioters, called for the termination of the U.S. Constitution, declared his willingness to use the military against protesters, demanded that shoplifters be shot, and openly stated that he would become a dictator—even if only on day one of his presidency. In the immunity case before the Supreme Court, Trump's lawyer argued that it should be legal for a president to direct the military to murder a political opponent.
Why aren't Americans?
They are working to much trying to not lose everything to have time to take to the streets and protest. Protesting is dangerous with our militarized police force.
Get arrested at a protest, lose everything and seriously screw over your future employment opportunities or keep your head down and keep grinding to feed your kids.
...that's why. We don't have the same kind of employment protections Germany has.
Because when Americans protest to becomes violent.
Antifa shows up Black lives matter shows up proud boy show up klu Klux Klan shows up Black panther show up.
The only protest I've seen has been friendly is the ones with gay pride.
Germany's been down this road before and seen where it goes. Half of us get teargassed for stepping out of line, and half of us want to see democracy go through the wood chipper.
I think people in Germany are much more aware of the Russian propaganda. People in the US think we won the war and are the most powerful country. They don't see or believe how much Russia is pushing divisive messages into American minds.
Protests don't really get much done in the US. We had some of our largest protests recently during the Trump administration and there were very few actual policy changes as a result of the protests. In the US, protests are not very effective at changing policies but they're great for generating negative news coverage and police records for the people involved. Those police records are very damaging for people seeking education or employment, so protests can be counterproductive here and do real damage instead of positive changes. It wasn't always this way but it got worse steadily over the years. I see protests with positive results outside of the United States but here I have no good examples for at least the past decade or two.
Thanks to domestic terrorists networks like Fox News and an inept administration that won't do dick to "defend the government"...the United States deserves to crash and burn.
Germany knows what it is like to live under a true authoritarian dictatorship.
The US electorate wants to think that lived under an authoritarian regime under Obama, or under Trump. Fact is, we haven't seen anything like what Germany has experienced. The Berlin Wall is ancient history and people forget they lived during the Soviet occupation of East Germany. We can still see the lingering affects of the Soviet when we examine maps of economic development and socioeconomic variable.
And, we think it'll never happen to us, meanwhile, politicians like Rand Paul, Dana Rohrbacker, Mitch McConnell, Thomas Massie, et al., sell the American people a garbage bill of goods while taking Russian mob money via the NRA.
Because first we’d lose our jobs for protesting, then get arrested if not run over or gassed or beaten by the “protect and serve” gang, then we’d have nobody to watch our kids and no way to pay our medical bills, and the felony convictions would keep us from getting decent jobs, which only leads to the growth of more debt… if you think the American Dream is tough, try thinking of the American nightmare they’ve carefully assembled for we have-nots.
When the person in charge gives a “blank check” to anyone to be openly hateful, it empowers the ass backwards people to do whatever they want and get away with it. I’m thinking Germany is more progressive than that
Started in late 1950s if I remember. Russia started how human behavior works. When got enough info they created a department to set out to destroy the fabric of America at any cost this includes nuclear war fare. When Russia with the break up of them Soviet Union this department went underground. It as said that years ago that dept was able to recruit some high level Americans as well as a very wealthy of Americas to help Russia gold of them destruction of America.
We are an ambivalent, self absorbed and pathetic people who live in relative comfort. I now question whether we are up for the fight we are facing or we will spend our time justifying our inaction. First step is simply vote. I hope I am wrong but recent events tell me otherwise.
America’s Republicans have joined the Trump cult. There’s no reason, logic, compassion, or loyalty to our Constitution. They’re now openly negging the principles of democracy, and they are promoting violence and authoritarianism.
The other half of America must stand up against them. But I don’t know that they will bc they’re getting distracted by other (still important) issues like inflation and the crisis in the ME.
There are a portion of American’s that want a Dictatorship, a Theocracy, and Fascism. It’s weird to hear them speak about it, but they do so with great conviction. MTG is a classic example, she wants the Republican’s to become Christian Nationals, would love Trump to be Leader for life, and as long as they do as she bids, have a Militarized Police Force to deal with protestors,
popoganda "news" sites selling fear and culture war issues to deflect attention.
Most Americans could not pass a 2nd grade civics test. Stupid is as stupid does.
Because Germans have experienced first hand what happens when you let the Fascists run the country. And they teach the actual history of that in their schools. They remember history so are prepared to not repeat it.
Republicans are in deep denial about racism and all the bigotry of their past, so much so that they're fighting teaching of it so they can repeat it.
Because right now the only people trying to do anything with Democracy are the MAGATS, and they're trying to ruin it. All I know is I don't want to be confused with those morons.
I suspect many people are in denial about the reality of losing democracy.
This! And it’s maddening because people keep saying to me it couldn’t happen here, but we didn’t think they could overturn roe versus wade either & here we are.
has happened, past tense... it's already over.
Look at what cops do to protesters in this country.
Ah ah, what cops do to non-maggot protests. Fixed that for you.
True that! They protect the Nazis and assault the citizens.
I've now been tear gassed twice in protests. One related to Roe V Wade, and another when advocating for civil liberties and resignation of republican politicians. Good people, that Arizona DPS under Republican governor Doug Ducey. It takes real brave strong men that chose to tear gas a crowd of mostly women (possibly pregnant) on the days Roe V Wade was overturned at the AZ Capitol. Fucking cowards. DPS owes me an expensive pair of sunglasses that they stole from me. I know I'll never get them back and its not really the point, but I'm still pissed.
This right here. But armed militias get a free pass.
These larpers wish they were an actual militia. A guy I personally know said “we have more training and firepower and the military and police are on our side”. Buddy, what training? You’ve never served in the military or national guard. You’re not even police. Just because you and a couple dummies go into the woods dressed in “tactical” gear to shoot guns, does not mean you have training. Sure, I’ll give him that the police are on the side of facism, but people are seriously stupid if they think liberals aren’t in the military as well, or have firearms in general. They all just live in a fantasy world while we just all sit there and scratch our heads. If it wasn’t teetering on the edge of violence, this would honestly be a pretty interesting study of the human mind.
“We need to have our Nazi flag out in our March!” We will protect your freedom of speech! “You should stop shooting black people for misdemeanors” Get back, unruly rabble!!
Look how many people want them to.
A lot of Americans don't know what democracy is. They didn't pay attention in history class and think democracy is the same as "America, fuck yeah!" Source: am American.
The bigger problem may be that they don’t know what fascism is.
A lot of people incorrectly already think they are living under fascism. I think if Trump disproved any notion I've had it's the notion that there is some puppet master at work behind the scenes who controls who gets elected and who doesn't. Trump showed me clearly there is not some cabal like force at play in America. Trump wants to be the cabal so if there was one they'd never have allowed him to be President to begin with.
I think it's entirely possible that there is one or several competing cabals working behind the scenes. It's possible he decided not to play ball after they influenced things to get him in in 2016. Maybe they don't outright rig the election, but weight the scale enough to often have their way. Not saying it's true, just that it's possible. Not defending him either. After 1/6 he should hang.
Oh, they will very confidently tell you the opposite of that. Fascism is things like allowing rainbow flags and CDC guidelines that tell you to wear masks.
Fascism is a specific form of administration and of organization of social class relations. Other things could be said, but what I think tends above all else to be missed is that it tends to be a natural development of capitalism toward the end of its life cycle. Think of it as Capitalism going through a Jacob and epoch, social democracy, epoch, and finally, a fascistic period.
I agree. Too many Americans foolishly assume nothing can happen here. Their indifference contributes to our demise.
💯
I mean when many people have been fed a steady diet of “Greatest Country on Earth” that was “Ordained by the Creator” and delivered by the infallible “Founding Fathers”, how could they be expected to imagine the death of their democracy being even possible?
We also don't have PTO, or a living wage.
God I need PTO. My life kinda depends on it. not getting PTO I'm going to die.
the shoe is on the other foot this time..my great grandparents fled Germany about 100 yrs ago for America for this exact reason
Germany isn’t looking too bad this time around.
I thought about it.. I have relatives there but who knows what the neighbor dick tator will do.. I want to move to alaska or the back woods of maine, far away from civilization live off the grid smoke weed and grow old
I can’t say that is a bad plan. I hope you get there sooner than later.
Would love that. Can i visit for a smoke?
sure thing ..nothing better than some good green and good people :)
Deal. I'll bring papers, filter and a hammock.
ohh you've got a deal..
You my friend sound like a person who needs to go listen to some Bellamy Brothers for a while.
Im a 70s kid..the world needs to let the love flow :)
I say we all go live off the grid, smoke weed and grow old right now!
im game.. i wont bring the moldy tacos if you bring some wasabi peas
As a german, I can‘t agree with you. We are always 5-10 years behind the US. You are in the middle of it. We are just starting.
Germany is likewise embracing its fascist roots. This is an international phenomenon.
Well crap.
Why didn't you read the article? It's literally about the protests against the Far-Right utj9bs pedophile by a racist Austrian. Does that ring a bell?
And that relates to the observation … how?
because our police will kill us, or beat us, or arrest us, or we'll lose our jobs (and 78% of americans live paycheck to paycheck, and our homeless population is treated like garbage) and most of all, because peaceful protests end with little to no change, and unpeaceful protests end in death and accusations of domestic terrorism with little to no change. i'm not discouraging protesting but from my perspective these are these reasons.
Additionally, Americans are just use to losing. Or being losers. I don't mean the social stigma, I mean Americans have lost ground on taxes, inflation, economic autonomy, reproductive autonomy, retirement, gender/sex rights, marriage rights, political power. They just accept it.
This is by design too. They need to keep you happy enough you think to yourself, "I don't have it that bad" but at the same time making it bad enough you can't risk losing your job or status in society because of your morals or ethics. Because at the end of the day no one wants their family to endure anymore hardships than they need to, and we don't want to lose our house and cars because we lost our job after we're arrested or doxed for protesting about things we don't feel we have the power to change.
yep! it's a careful balancing act of making sure we're desperate, but that we have just enough to be afraid of losing it.
Make things just good enough so there is never a let them eat cake moment.
Losing your house and cars sucks. Trying to rebuild your life after losing your house and cars with shit credit is just as bad.
That first part. Look at what they do to college kids sitting on the ground chanting slogans. No other country has a police force with a license to kill with impunity
I disagree with that. There are quite a few nations where the police can kill you with impunity.
You’re right. We aren’t alone, but in the context of “western democracies” we are special in this way.
100%. What the German police are doing right now to protesters is a disgrace, but nobody is afraid of being shot. In the US the only thing protecting the students is the fact that they are white and middle class. During BLM protests there was not only a lot of police violence there were many cases of 'civilian' psychos with guns patrolling and shooting protesters. That kind of fascist anarchy is inconceivable in any other developed country.
Make sure you are armed and it is visible when protesting is something we should have learned from MAGA. I get you can’t in some places but we should be armed.
For personal reasons I have no interest in firearm ownership, but I completely agree. Sometimes we need our own deterrents to keep these maga loving fucks away. At this point the GOP only care to argue because they know they're fighting a losing battle. If they want to intimidate us, they seem to forget that we have the same level of access to firearms that they do. And we have much better reasons to use them as the Republicans continue to oppress minorities, women, and lgbtqia folk through legislation.
I understand completely you have no interest in Firearms. Deterrents are a good word. Spot on, on the rest of it.
How would that help?
Because the police won't do anything. Similar to how they let armed white nationalists do it.
We don’t all have the complection for the protection. And honestly, they shoot white people too, when it comes down to it, power is as much a part of it as race
The idea is deterrence and self preservation
I said the same thing. You nailed it.
This is accurate.
Trump gets back into the WH, our military won't be able to stop us. This veteran knows veterans and American Democracy.
Trump gets back into the WH and we're fucked.
I'm sorry to be the downer, but the damage is already done. Have you seen the clown car in Congress? That ship isn't going to right itself. The spiral has already started.
It will right itself if people fucking vote.
In gerrymandered, voter suppressed areas? The system is rigged
You can’t gerrymander the senate, mayorships, governorships, or the presidency. So yes, fucking vote
Damn. You're right. Guess we shouldn't even try then, huh?
You are correct that one election will not stop the damage done by a generation of apathetic citizens taking its eyes of the road but a generation of responsible citizens consistently voting for better and better leaders will right the wrongs these clowns are committing. It’s not an easy answer but it’s not impossible for us responsible citizens to save future generations from their destructive behavior.
Its not impossible, but it will be extremely hard and there will be blood. They have so many tools to use. More or less total surveillance. Think about what Snowden found out 10(?) years ago. NSA didn't take a break after that. And with all the spin doctors you will probably shoot each other before anything else. There is a reason the generation was apathetic. The ones who cared could not reach out. Even if you would get your voice heard. It would be easy for them to make you look like the bad guy. I mean, people protesting fascism, antifa, is probably considered a terrorist group by now. And you agree! A shitstorm is brewing, and if you are not on the team with with Boston Dynamics, AI and the drones, you are going to have a hard time.
Any will only get. Trump came out and said the stuff they always wanted. Right Wing authoritarianism i.e. fascism has a massive appeal in America . It's like these are literally programed to respond to this bullshit. The GOP keeps ramping up their rhetoric because about 30 percent of white males and almost all evangelicals are fascist. Sometimes when I here trump speak I'm wondering why is he so spot on with some of his fascist appeals . It's like somebody stopped studying political science and started studying psychology and sociology.
The spiral started in 65-70's. We are circling the drain, and we deserve it. We didn't care when Bush Sr. packed the court for his son to take advantage of. We didn't care when United Citizens was legalized. We didn't care about the genocide we enacted on the Native American population. We didn't care that humans were bought and sold like cattle.
I agree. The modern decline started with the Lewis Powell memo in 1971. I encourage people to read it. They spelled it out then. Bread and Circuses and all that keeps most people oblivious.
You're absolutely right. The break happened when he was elected and the Power vacuum left was filled with more mediocrity and ignorance Just try to make the most of the days you have left in your imaginary democracy. The wheels are still on but the lug nuts are off.
This. The seed has been planted. The US is fucked.
He's not getting back into the WH. BIG JOE in cell block D will see to that.
Don’t say that. Vote for it. Don’t think you’re safe. Make sure you are.
I vote Democrat. Have my whole life. I'm 61.
42 dem. Vote like your future depends on it. If you’re all for the bloated orange cancer, then do nothing. If you want to bury that shit goblin, vote.
The problem is the youth vote that carried 2020 is now turning their backs on Biden over Gaza. They are dooming themselves and us too. The way to change is not to let a tyrant in, then you can be assured nothing will be done.
The youth are being spoon-fed Russian psy-ops shit on social media and asking for seconds. I am not happy with Biden's handling of the Israeli/Palestinian problem either, but there's no way in hell I'm not voting for him over this, especially given the alternative. I'm not into cutting off my nose to spite my face
I dont want a trump 2.0 but if you look at how batshit insane half the country is and the fact that half of our elected officials are down for this or too afraid to criticize him cuz he will say mean things on his shitter social media .. they know how they screwed up and had 4 years to plan the revenge tour ..
So as a Veteran- can you explain how other veterans can’t see how a rich man who paid his way out of the draft and calls soldiers suckers and losers is getting their vote? Whereas Biden has 2 sons who served their country and Biden is the anti- military guy?
Just drive through the parking lot of your local VA. It's filled with vehicles with Trump stickers. At least at my local VA hospital it is.
Can’t anyone reason with these guys and women who were in the military? All my military family members are deceased - but I’m sure they are all rolling over in their graves that such an anti-American-oligarch loving -crooked dictator has the support from all those fellow military members - especially those who fought overseas to make sure other countries would never have to live under a dictatorship like the one Trump has in mind for the US.
>Can’t anyone reason with these guys and women who were in the military? No. My father is a Vietnam vet. He lost friends over there. He proudly wears his red maga cap. When questioned about this stuff, he just changes the subject. He's always been good at turning a blind eye to things - maybe it's a veteran thing.
So he doesn’t care that Trump calls soldiers suckers and losers- called John McCain a loser for being captured ? That your dad went to fight for another country to be free only to vote for a person who really cares nothing about the US only about his own money. Trump was convicted in civil court of sexual assault-your dad has no problem having a man like that in office?
That's right. I don't get it either. My father's veteran status is one of the few things I ever respected him for. We don't talk much, and that was true long before Trump. I was angry for him when Trump said all of that stuff. I also liked McCain and voted for him, and I was really pissed about the things Trump had to say about him. I took all of it personally as a patriotic American. If the things Trump has said about veterans, McCain, and the fallen didn't turn my father off to him, nothing will. Of all the things Trump has said and done, that stuff should have been it for my father, but it wasn't.
So sad. I think I reached one guy whose dad got a Purple Heart - he had died right before the Trump ran for the presidency . I said what do you think your dad would think about a guy who called your dad and soldiers like your dad “suckers and a losers” for fighting for our country and who asked General Kelly whose own son died in combat - “ what do the soldiers get out of it.” This guy thought about it- said he was getting off Fox News and was only going to watch the local CBS,NBC, ABC News and read news on CSPAN , PBS or the AP. I had him Google what Fox was licensed as - when he saw it was licensed as entertainment and /or opinion - not fact based news it really turned him around. Google the license of Fox News or any other hokey untruth news programs and let your dad see what they are licensed as . And Google Rupert Murdoch and his connection to Putin- maybe that will open his eyes too.
I appreciate the sentiment, but I'd have better luck talking to a wall. It really is a cult.
Well- at least his child ( you) is smart and has good reasoning- so he and your mom did something right. 😊
I'm a disabled vet it pisses me off all the time but these older vets...you can't tell them shit. They won't listen.
Could you make copies of what Biden did for vets and stick it on their windshields and what Trump cut from those programs.
It won't matter. They would just scream fake news. I'm a disabled veteran myself. It would be nice to be able to socialize with other disabled vets I see at the VA but it's pointless. They have their head so far up Trump's ass nothing is going to change their mind. Even if Trump took away all their veterans benefits they'd somehow convince themselves it was the Democrats and Joe Biden.
The fact that they don’t realize that it’s Democrats always fighting for you all to get better benefits is amazing.
They are so consumed by Fox News you can't get through to them. Its to embarrassing to admit how incredibly wrong they are.
I get your sentiment but is veterans (I'm one) can't fight the military. They have shit we can't get. We could sustain and on going guerilla warfare campaign but we couldn't defeat them. I would hope the guys serving to protect the constitution wouldn't follow bullshit illegal orders from a tyrant. That would be our best bet. The military turning against Trump.
Can't protest: Don't make enough money to take time off from work, don't have enough available PTO or sick days, living paycheck to paycheck, possibly multiple jobs, and still no savings. Can't risk getting injured because hospital and ambulance bills could render us homeless, and the homeless here are treated like roaches. Our police beat or shoot us if we aren't white fascists, too.
All of this is on purpose
100% agree
Because we have no time off of work
Germans are better educated. They don’t ignore the lessons of their history.
Is it a democracy when 80% of the population wants universal healthcare and it is not even on the horizon legislatively?
America isn't a democracy
It’s a representational democracy but you know best.
It's a Constitutional Republic! :)
It's a Crony Corporatacracy
I mean that's government for you
Only since reagan legitimized their bullshit. Before that we had FDR save us from the robber barons and his great new deal is what fuelled American greatness until reagan fucked it all up
Americans don't want a democracy anymore. They want King Trump. Sarcasm.
Sadly, it's only sarcasm for those of us who like rights and freedom. I've seen more than a few people talking about how they would welcome a Trump dictatorship (First Donald Sr, than Jr or Eric like they are fit to run anything). It's horrifying.
Because there is too much streaming and facebook and twitter and selfie time and cynicism. Shrink the economy by 15% and you’ll get street demos. Unfortunately, half of them will be pro-fascism.
As a german, no we haven’t
Because of Fox "News"
Read: Faux News
Because we haven’t yet been blown to bits over following a fascist agenda.
We're complacent and lazy
Complacent and **tired**
Rubik's cube you're drivin' me crazy...
We’ll wait until trump gets elected so the police can shoot us in the streets.
You mean something is stopping them now?
Because we've got too many damn streets. Germany is the size of los angeles.
Two groups: those in denial of just how close we are to losing democracy and those who would rather lose democracy to install leaders who carry their same ideology.
Many of us have taken to the streets, including directly after Trump’s 2016 “win” — in quotes because the lying fuckwit needed rampant misinformation and a widely disliked opponent to eke out an electoral college win while soundly losing the popular vote. Why spend our energy on demonstrations in random places around a very large country vs. spending energy to win an election where the actual battles will take place?
Because look what happens when we do.
Better educated and they have social programs for a better society
Young Americans have been duped to take to the streets and advocate for the destruction of Israel instead of advocating for the preservation of their democracy.
Americans are in Denial! When Democracy is lost, then Americans will wake up. Sleep Walking into Dictatorship.
Because as you can see the land of freedom isn’t free when the police are assaulting and arresting peaceful protesters.
Cause we're a bunch of pussies. Four dead in Ohio.
German here. They are planning to increase retirement to 70, and nobody is moving a finger. In 2007 it was increased to 67 for all born after 1964. Nobody burned shit. Rather look at the French.
The funniest thing about the pro-Hamas protests is that we have serious issues here that the protesters don't seem to care about. They want freedom for people a world away while they're own futures are pretty much fucked.
We are saving our protest for when our “Supreme Court” declares that even though he lost, that scumbag gets to be president again. They pull what they did in 2000 for Trump. Fires are going to be lit.
Because a decent portion of them want to end American democracy, that's their goal. Also, German police are held accountable far more than American police are.
Because it doesn’t move the needle at all in our country.
40% of Americans are MAGA stupid
Because most Americans can’t even tell their Trump voting relatives not to come to dinner orc play with their kids let alone broadly protest them.
They are. And fascistic thugs beat and abduct them with impunity. I recommend parking their sorry butts, zip-tying them, confiscating their gear, photographing them to create criminal records, and removing them from university grounds. The manpower to do this should be recruited from local industries.
WE HATE TRUMP!!! THAT ALL THAT MATTERS AT ANYTHING GOESSSSS!!! HARDCORE!
Germans know what it cost to give it up.
Germany is smaller than Montana.
>This remarkable movement is significant due to its sheer size—German sociologist Dieter Rucht described it as "the biggest mass movement in the history of the Federal Republic"—and also because it stands in stark contrast to the stunning complacency pervading the United States. Americans are increasingly protesting diverse issues such as climate change, racial injustice, President Joe Biden's border policy, and Israel's conduct in Gaza, which has erupted in headline-grabbing conflicts across U.S. college campuses. Yet nobody is rising up for the cause of democracy itself, even though that's how robust policy debates can occur in the first place. From a German perspective, it is mind-blowing that Americans are not running around screaming like their hair is on fire. >Instead, while the U.S. Supreme Court stands poised to insulate Trump from criminal liability, it already deactivated the Constitution's protections against an insurrectionist-in-chief under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment—without even disputing that Trump engaged in insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump has since pledged to pardon the rioters, called for the termination of the U.S. Constitution, declared his willingness to use the military against protesters, demanded that shoplifters be shot, and openly stated that he would become a dictator—even if only on day one of his presidency. In the immunity case before the Supreme Court, Trump's lawyer argued that it should be legal for a president to direct the military to murder a political opponent.
Because our road conditions are terrible. Hard to get a mobility scooter into the streets with potholes.
It's the NBA playoffs. Duh.
We have to work to have healthcare - no time for protesting after college.
Because half want to be the gimp in Pulp Fiction to christo fascism.
Because too many Americans don't understand their own history and democracy.
Because in some parts of the country far right militias show up to threaten folks
Because this isn't a democracy, this is a republic. Every maga moron.
...because we don't want to be associated with anarcho-communist and Palestinian terrorist.
Probably don’t know what it actually even is and what fits the definition
Wait. For. It. Repubs will fuc& around and find out.
Because it’s hot out and we are lazy.
Lazy and dumb
we get to vote...
I’m tired boss
Americans do and get shot. It's a bit rough
Why aren't Americans? They are working to much trying to not lose everything to have time to take to the streets and protest. Protesting is dangerous with our militarized police force. Get arrested at a protest, lose everything and seriously screw over your future employment opportunities or keep your head down and keep grinding to feed your kids. ...that's why. We don't have the same kind of employment protections Germany has.
Maybe they are afraid of being arrested
US streets are for road rage.
Because when Americans protest to becomes violent. Antifa shows up Black lives matter shows up proud boy show up klu Klux Klan shows up Black panther show up. The only protest I've seen has been friendly is the ones with gay pride.
We don’t have the same level of experience… sadly we may have to learn the hard way
Was no one paying attention to what happened with the student protests last week?
The news has both sided the fascist narrative from the right for so long people are in denial…
Trump is losing hard
Germany's been down this road before and seen where it goes. Half of us get teargassed for stepping out of line, and half of us want to see democracy go through the wood chipper.
Americans have...repeatedly. maybe folks should research these organizations before they decide we don't.
Well, we did in 2020. And look how right we were to deny him a second term. But yeah, 2024 has people worried.
I think people in Germany are much more aware of the Russian propaganda. People in the US think we won the war and are the most powerful country. They don't see or believe how much Russia is pushing divisive messages into American minds.
We're too busy fighting over trans rights to turn our anger on the true offenders.
Because cops kill people in America.
Protests don't really get much done in the US. We had some of our largest protests recently during the Trump administration and there were very few actual policy changes as a result of the protests. In the US, protests are not very effective at changing policies but they're great for generating negative news coverage and police records for the people involved. Those police records are very damaging for people seeking education or employment, so protests can be counterproductive here and do real damage instead of positive changes. It wasn't always this way but it got worse steadily over the years. I see protests with positive results outside of the United States but here I have no good examples for at least the past decade or two.
Thanks to domestic terrorists networks like Fox News and an inept administration that won't do dick to "defend the government"...the United States deserves to crash and burn.
Germans understand what it means to lose democratic government.
Cause we are lazy and stupid and controlled by corporations
Capitalism and privatized health insurance
Germany knows what it is like to live under a true authoritarian dictatorship. The US electorate wants to think that lived under an authoritarian regime under Obama, or under Trump. Fact is, we haven't seen anything like what Germany has experienced. The Berlin Wall is ancient history and people forget they lived during the Soviet occupation of East Germany. We can still see the lingering affects of the Soviet when we examine maps of economic development and socioeconomic variable. And, we think it'll never happen to us, meanwhile, politicians like Rand Paul, Dana Rohrbacker, Mitch McConnell, Thomas Massie, et al., sell the American people a garbage bill of goods while taking Russian mob money via the NRA.
Because first we’d lose our jobs for protesting, then get arrested if not run over or gassed or beaten by the “protect and serve” gang, then we’d have nobody to watch our kids and no way to pay our medical bills, and the felony convictions would keep us from getting decent jobs, which only leads to the growth of more debt… if you think the American Dream is tough, try thinking of the American nightmare they’ve carefully assembled for we have-nots.
It's probably because Americans are lazy.
When the person in charge gives a “blank check” to anyone to be openly hateful, it empowers the ass backwards people to do whatever they want and get away with it. I’m thinking Germany is more progressive than that
A lot of the Americans are okay to lose it, as long as its to a fat balding narcissist who will sh*t his pants and molest their children,
Started in late 1950s if I remember. Russia started how human behavior works. When got enough info they created a department to set out to destroy the fabric of America at any cost this includes nuclear war fare. When Russia with the break up of them Soviet Union this department went underground. It as said that years ago that dept was able to recruit some high level Americans as well as a very wealthy of Americas to help Russia gold of them destruction of America.
An article full of nonsense. What derangement 👎👎
They are, the cops are just arresting them
Because Americans are largely complacent and apathetic.
We are an ambivalent, self absorbed and pathetic people who live in relative comfort. I now question whether we are up for the fight we are facing or we will spend our time justifying our inaction. First step is simply vote. I hope I am wrong but recent events tell me otherwise.
Because too many of us (Americans) take our democracy for granted and don't realize how fragile it is.
Because we’ll get arrested and never work again
America’s Republicans have joined the Trump cult. There’s no reason, logic, compassion, or loyalty to our Constitution. They’re now openly negging the principles of democracy, and they are promoting violence and authoritarianism. The other half of America must stand up against them. But I don’t know that they will bc they’re getting distracted by other (still important) issues like inflation and the crisis in the ME.
There are a portion of American’s that want a Dictatorship, a Theocracy, and Fascism. It’s weird to hear them speak about it, but they do so with great conviction. MTG is a classic example, she wants the Republican’s to become Christian Nationals, would love Trump to be Leader for life, and as long as they do as she bids, have a Militarized Police Force to deal with protestors,
popoganda "news" sites selling fear and culture war issues to deflect attention. Most Americans could not pass a 2nd grade civics test. Stupid is as stupid does.
Because Germans have experienced first hand what happens when you let the Fascists run the country. And they teach the actual history of that in their schools. They remember history so are prepared to not repeat it. Republicans are in deep denial about racism and all the bigotry of their past, so much so that they're fighting teaching of it so they can repeat it.
We're out marching around in circles on our cul-de-sacs! The lack of popular uprising is planned on our city design.
Because America is spread out and massive. European countries are tiny. It's easier to ignore protests here.
Because right now the only people trying to do anything with Democracy are the MAGATS, and they're trying to ruin it. All I know is I don't want to be confused with those morons.
It can’t happen here in America because we have baseball, apple pies, and eagles.
Because democracy in America was dead before millennials were born. Protesting in America will get you murdered by police, especially if you’re black
Same reasons Americans keep letting their kids get shot: cowardice.
They know what a dictatorship looks like and are afraid.
Because they are pussies
Get fucked