this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2025
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He's most likely dead. That's the reason why they can't get him back.
Edit: furthermore even if Chunky Cheeto said on TV that he knows the guy is dead because he killed him himself then absolutely nothing would be done about it.
USA, the land of seemingly unlimited guns yet none of you will do anything about the dictatorship that is happening before your eyes.
Yes. I agree. For decades we should have been fighting.
Remember how America has the largest military on the planet, and how even our local police forces are armed with machines of war and mass destruction. Yeah, every single one of those guys works for the dictator so forgive me if I don’t go John Fucking Rambo on the White House with a repeater I bought at Walmart.
We’re showing up to protests by the millions, we’re using our voices, we’re pressuring elected leaders to stand up and fight back, we’re fucking trying to stop this shit, so honestly fuck off with this sort of reductive armchair general critiquing.
This guy went against a column of tanks with two bags of groceries.
Americans can't get organised to march with their guns to see how far the military will defend the dictatorship, when you make it hard for them.
So for years we've been right about the 2A, completely useless and only there to feed the military-industrial machine, weak egos and gang violence.
He also got disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. Not exactly the example I'd use.
The question is what is the right thing to do, no matter the personal cost.
By pointing out American hypocrisy through a reductionist view of gun politics in the U.S.?
If you can't figure out by now that the majority of blue voters are not the ones who were arming themselves... or that they were the ones voting for gun control... what are you trying to say, again?
Oh, it's quite simple, really:
Thank you for your meaningful contribution.
The time for my contributions to matter to the problems in the US is kinda gone.
The point is that it's up to you now.
I'll do what I can to help but it's not like rational dicussion of policy will matter much now, will it? Now would be the time to utilise the 2A if it had any leg to stand on, but as we've been telling the American conservatives (and other gun enthusiasts) for years, it doesn't.
Ironic it went this way but literally, what can I do?
So, let me get this straight, you think that you're entitled to being a smug prick because of what? Because you've said something to someone? Who? How much do you want to bet that it was someone who already agreed with you?
Beyond which, I've gotten into a discussion with you before - what makes you think you're particularly gifted in convincing... anyone? Of anything? How many people, we're talking hard MAGA conservatives (you know, the people who need to be unbrainwashed) have you convinced?
Please, tell me what you've done Lord Dasus - give me your receipts. Show me what you've done. Prove it.
Several.
Well, depends on your definition, as they weren't strictly MAGA people, but the equivalent of, in my part of the world.
I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I'm weary and making dark jokes about the US.
You get super annoyed, don't you? I'm betting you didn't register even 1% of 1% of that emotional response when standups were cracking jokes about Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Saddam, Afghanistan, Iraq, South American countries, etc, despite those countries also having innocent, suffering people?
You do realise humour is a way of coping, right?
You're just getting upset because you're the butt of the coping mechanism now. I know the US falling is indirectly a danger to me as well. I'm also aware of how chronically stubborn and willfully ignorant people are. But I have got through to several. Maybe one in two dozen, I'd say.
Hell, I once convinced a 75-year old who grew up on drug propaganda, in very drug opposing Finland, that weed should be legalised. It took about 6 hours, several pints and a bottle of Jäeger, but I found the right words and broke through. Although I have to say to he is intelligent, unlike most Americans. He was the head of the local Mensa, but that by itself doesn't mean much. (Oh and this was in 2011 roughly, now people have slightly more liberal attitudes and the discussion of legalisation is actually on the board. And I contributed. Through political parties as well.)
I'm just one person. I actively fight disinfo and I'm in the army reserves.
What more can I do?
Or are you just crying about one joke?
No, I'm pointing out that being an asshole about it after the fact does nothing but suggest you have no idea how this happened.
You understand that, even if you were able prove these handful of people exist and were convinced by you - that there were entire teams dedicated to spreading propaganda online? Thank you for having said something before shit it the fan, it was the right thing to do - are you aware of just how silent your words were compared to the bad actors?
What you're doing is getting mad at someone for not being able to hear your speaking voice over a jet engine. Please point to what good that does, I'm all eyes.
Again, you don't like it when someone jokes about the shitty situation in your country but I'm pretty sure you've made your fair share of "delivering freedom" (as in dropping bombs on helpless victims) jokes without feeling the slightest twinge of "being smug about it." You've probably not even given a second thought that you're actually making jokes on the expense of innocent people.
"Even if these handful of people exist"
Last comment is what "you never convince anyone of anything". Moving the goalposts much?
Here, have a look at this reply I just had a few hours back.
Not that it was about politics, but it's just here to show your assertion about me being shit in "convincing people" is downright false. I don't have a need to prove to you the amount of people I've persuaded and what of. You're just angry I made a joke about the horrible situation you're in.
Oh no, hunny, that's all you. I'm smooth as fuck, I'm trying to go to bed, so I'm on 3mg of melatonin, 20mg of Ambien, 45mg oxazepam and a buttload of weed. :)
No you have nothing to prove, only that you're smug and you feel self righteous about it.
You can fuck off, I sincerely doubt you've ever convinced anyone of anything they didn't already believe.
Yeah, I have nothing to prove. I'm on Lemmy to spend time.
You're lying. You don't sincerely doubt that I've never convinced anyone of anything they didn't already believe, and I'm not convincing you of anything right now either, as you already know this and thus believe in it. :)
The easiest way to "convince" people is to show them what they actually believe. A form of the Socratic method, and it's very efficient.
Did you know anger is the emotion most likely to trigger a response in people? If so, and dark jokes can make people angry — like you are — then wouldn't it stand to reason that due to this anger, you're more likely to take action of some sort? (That's a rhetorical question, because we know it to be true, unless we have to argue about that as well, in case you're one of those "I don't believe in the human sciences people.) If you're American and in a horrible situation, and I believe you to be one of the (and this is reductive) "good guys", then won't I have theoretically helped, albeit in very indirectly?
Or this interaction make you feel better about the situation in your country?
Shaming people into action is also a thing you know.
I'm sorry that I've reacted emotionally to you, several times now. I'm angry, but the anger I've built up was born a long time before I ever knew Trump existed.
I've dealt with depression from a young age because I could see the writing on the wall for the people around me. No amount of personal wisdom, intellect, strength, character; could ever overcome their emotional attachment to their own ignorance. I've told anyone who would listen that things are going to get worse - this has typically been met with indifference and ostracization (I've always lived in the Central Valley of CA - lots of red voters here).
I don't think you're a 'bad person' and I'm sorry for the way that I've treated you.
Honestly, no need, but thank you.
I raise my hat to you for that message. If more people were willing or even able to do what you just did, the world would be a much better place.
I've come to the conclusion that the three hardest words for people to say are "I was wrong." Not that you were, this is a subjective issue, but the idea of uttering those words aloud is so scary to so many people for some reason that I honestly believe it to be a... or the problem the world is suffering from:
https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/one-crucial-word/
Enjoy your Easter, my American friend, and try to keep sane despite the world going crazy.
I can certainly say how I treated you was wrong, there's no escaping that truth.
They can be for anyone, ultimately - negated or amplified by whether or not the people around them allow them dignity in failure. I think many people are taught to be ashamed of failure - which I think is wrong. Not shaming in and of itself, but moreso in the overly-liberal application of it. No one should be afraid to make a mistake unless someone's life is on the line, in fact we should make mistakes so we can learn from them before things are high stakes. Especially when it comes to learning how to fail.
That's getting off topic, though. I don't know what the right path forward is, but it does start with people - one way or another. If you think you can spur people to action, I won't get in your way. I might even help you, at least here.
Well if we could harness the power of Smug you could light up the world.
Oh no, is joking about other nations wrong when the butt of the joke is you and not a developing nation you're bombing or taking over economically?
Yeah and he died. Get off your fucking high horse and stop pressuring people to commit suicide in the name of what you think is right.
Oh no, is standing up to dictators and fascism dangerous?
Well better just lick boots then, huh?
It's not like fascism ever endangered any lives, right? It's not like we had this exact conversation about "resistance not being the answer, we can't be expected to put ourself in danger" 100 years ago.
And back then we let the fascist fucksticks get all the way to engineered killing camps. Are we gonna let them get that far — again?
And if you're gonna say something about me being a keyboard warrior, I'm ready and trained and in the Finnish reserves. I don't like the idea of having to engage in combat, but I'll do what is necessary if it comes to that.
This time we aren't fighting it, because individualism means screw the world.
Lol good luck buddy.
Honest question and I don't want to antagonise: If it came to it, what would you give your life for?
Sit there and wait for them to kill you instead. Guns are your only hope. Until you wake up and realize it you'll watch your countrymen be killed en masse. Possibly your own family and friends. Just because it's not you right now doesn't mean it's not going to be.
Immigration is your only choice
Millions of us are protesting and direct action groups are gaining more support and being more active. We're slow to the draw yes, and this type of movement should have happened much earlier, but it's inaccurate to say none of us are doing anything
Edit to add: https://lemmy.world/post/28297299
What are direct action groups are doing? I've only heard of protests, which have frankly zero effect on the Trump regime. The idea that something will come out of these protests, that someone will escalate is fundamentally flawed; until you and people like you decide to escalate nothing will happen, and if you want to know what your average American thinks of escalation go out on April 19th and ask people around you what they think about participating in a general strike within the year. Like ask 30 people or something, record the answers and see what you'll get. The situation won't change until the people of America change it with their own hands; no inevitable march of history is coming to save you.
i think the point hes getting at mainly is that none of the protesting groups are taking up firearms and removing the potus by force along with his cronies. you are not militant enough compared to what is written in your constitution for this exact scenerio.
protesting where the police allow you to is "controlled opposition" and its part of the allowed illusion of potential change. its what allows viewers at home who may agree with the movement, to feel hopeful, and like they dont have to do anything because someone else is already doing something. resolving things democratically will only take you so far with a head of state and entrenched system of control that not only doesnt follow the rules of democracy, but is actively trying to dismantle it.
protest as much as you wish, but if theres no bite after your bark, it rings hollow.
source? occupy wallstreet. where they poured champaign on protestors from high rises and skyscrapers, laughing, and taking pictures as they continued to rob everyone below. nothing changed. not really. if anything it got worse.
Every protest is a sea of organization. Thousands and thousands of people convening in a public space for a cause compels people to think about those next steps. It's a process of breaking inertia. But yes, these always require a politival mechanism: support for a bill, a race, a party, etc or they will get co-opted by the ruling class.
That's what happened with Occupy Wall Street, yes, though it still resulted in a major wave of political organization. The movement being ignored resulted in a major wave of disenfranchised people who turned to fascism thinking it would be a viable alternative. But at the same time it helped prime people to actually give Bernie a chance in 2016.
Taking up arms at this point would be absurdly foolish. They'd just deploy actual militant forces to stop you and you'd essentially kill any progressive movement for a couple decades, because they'd be associated with violence and extremism
I don't think that's how that works. Historically, peace rarely gets results. Do you think the end of the holocaust came about through peaceful protest? French or American revolution? The hands off protest was marked 3rd largest in US history by Wikipedia and nothing has changed. Black lives matter protests were arguably ineffective considering we elected Trump again. We see time and time again that armed conservatives and police forces freely obtain what they want so much to the point that their most desperate members felt comfortable enough to storm the Capitol and they got pardoned. I think the mindset to advocate for peace isn't one that aligns with results. We see the results. I don't like violence, but I know they'd love to inflict violence against me.
I view both peaceful and violent protest to be tools meant to work together. The hammer of violence and the anvil of peace, shaping the politics of yore into something more useful.
Problem is, the media and education in America has solely emphasized peaceful movements, while ignoring or downplaying the value of violence. This is a deliberate effort made by evil oligarchs and naive peaceniks, whose reasons happen to align with the result.
History is a very biased sample. When peaceful efforts do work, they don't make the news, it just becomes the mundane stuff you forget.
the US itself was a progressive movement built on violence. thats why you have the right to vote, and you dont hail the king. the constitution itself was written by extreme, violent, progressives (well, progressive for their time) also, people rally around (arguably) justified, righteous violence in the US, just look at luigi mangione for example.
also laying down and taking it will kill progressive movements for not decades, but centuries. look at basically all of history. for a long time (millenia) people of wealth were thought to be annointed by god himself. it wasnt until people starved in the face of their greed that violence became the only answer they understood. and its what is largely responsible for the birth of democracy and the shrinking monarchies over time. something trump/musk and co are seemingly trying to reverse. while casting the illusion that you "taking the high road" is somehow morally superior, rather than literally fighting for the rights of your friends, families, and neighbours. dooming them in the process to the whims of a new american fascist monarch.
people have died for your rights, its a shame the american peoples limit for retribution has been watered down to holding a clever quip on a piece of cardboard, compared to the actions that built your country and gave you your rights in the first place.
they want you to remain impotent, meak, and mild. they want you to feel hopeless. powerless. and they want you to think bumper stickers, signs, flags, and liking social media posts are silver bullets in the heart of fascism.
they are not. its just a small piece of rebellion against the forces of fascism. again, bark with no bite means nothing to those who have demonstrated they are willing to do both of those things.
"freedom isnt free, no, theres a hefty fuckin fee. and if you dont pitch in your buck o' five, who will?" - Trey Parker.
This is a matter of timing not principle. It is not the right time yet. Short of successful extremely targeted attacks ala Mangione, you will be branded a terrorist and rejected and hurt everyone you tried to help.
and bumper stickers and rallies absolutely are critical in building the actual movement in the first place. Even if you do take up arms or whatever who are you going to do it with? Or is the plan to just go out on the street and start shooting cops?
please re read my last comment. i feel like you didnt understand it based on what you wrote. try to remove emotion from how you process my words.
targeted action is key to success. mindless violence towards innocents is pointless. and a shameful waste of life.
i wont write you a play by play, but imagine how you would logically carry out a militant plan yourself, and go from there.
(this is a thought excersize, purely hypothetical, and shouldnt be taken seriously by anyone reading this. there is no organized efforts here, same goes for all previous comments on this subject)
I read it as an ideological speech to take more direct action, something you feel has been lost in today's political climate relative to history, in the context of my previous comment disagreeing with your parent comment literally saying to "take up firearms" and not resolve things democratically. I don't know what else you're trying to say.
a call to arms? me? haha, no idea what you're talking about......
The revolution will not be televised.......
I keep telling everyone. Get armed and get trained. Because the war for this nation is coming.
The class War has always been ongoing.
It's here already just loads of you can't see it.