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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago

George Takei lived during the Japanese Internment during WWII, so I believe him when he says that he's been through worse and that the fight isn't over, but I'm not convinced we haven't fought a single skirmish yet. We've been on the back foot fighting the rise of fascism for 8 years. This is trench warfare and the enemy is perfectly happy to advance inch by inch. The election win for them was a massive defeat for us. Regaining the ground we've lost to xenophobes and racists will probably take the rest of my lifetime advocating for and voting for progressive candidates just to reach a point where things are kinda okay-ish again. It sucks and it feels bad to be in this situation.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A big part of the fight is asking yourself one simple question. How much of this defeatism is real? The bot/troll/fraud problem is massive and leading to the dead internet theory becoming reality. Anywhere there's comments, there's fake bullshit. Figuring out how to stop that is a huge priority.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 days ago

People need to learn critical thinking. Feeling defeated right now is natural, and some of that energy here is organic. But I have noticed that you can find the bad actors by looking at how they explain themselves.

Good faith actors admit that they feel completely crushed by the current state of politics, fear for the future, and want to give up. They will tell you about their own anxieties, because that's where that energy is coming from.

Bad faith actors will tell you that you are powerless to do anything to stop fascism, and that you should give up. They aren't expressing their anxieties, they are telling you to give up. To fall in line with fascism, because you can't stop it.

People need to start asking these defeatists why the feel defeated, and pay attention the the answers. They need to ask themselves if they are talking to a defeated leftist venting their frustrations, or a propagandist trying to demoralize the left.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 3 days ago (4 children)

don't know what else I can do really. I've stopped spending money and cancelled all subscriptions. I'm voting with my wallet. Most big tech and big box stores support the repubs. All I can do is not give them any more money than I have to. I'll continue to vote as long as have that option.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

join a community organization, join a union, support local progressive community organizations.

If you get organized and start taking direct political action you can have an impact between elections.

If US labor was organized a general strike would bring the government to its knees. Build that momentum.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Yeah I have lost a lot of faith in the country (US) and don't see or know a path forward. You have multiple generations not willing, unable or just plain don't know how to fight back and now the males of zoomers and generation alpha are swerving into the new young nazi party territory. The population is less educated than ever before thanks to the constant attacks on educational institutions and social media and the environment is collapsing rapidly while govs ignore the causes.

I'm so over the folks sharing these hopeful platitude snapbacks - It's pointless and really comes off as "I did my part" when people post and then proceed to do nothing more. The last protest I saw before Roe was overturned was a fucking depressing party of people instagramming their stupid, cheeky signs and saying "we will vote harder next time". Making a sign for your instagram "protest" appearance where everyone shouts platitudes and posting to social media about it is clearly not an effective strategy for change or progress, but it seems like the only thing the left knows how to do... other than sit out elections and further ostracize young males so Rogan and Tate can scoop them up.

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[–] [email protected] 82 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (14 children)

I want to be more optimistic, but I'm looking for the ingredients we'd need to push back effectively on the creeping fascism any time in the near future, and they don't seem to be here.

Democrats need a massively leftward and populist shift to differentiate themselves from Republicans in the eyes of uninformed voters, and I think there's just too much pushing against it. All the biggest channels of information are controlled by billionaires. They are not going to present any progressive efforts in a positive light, and they've become really effective at setting people who have common interests against each other. That, or inundating us so much that people understandably become numb to it and tune out. Trump was about as blatantly awful as a candidate could ever be, and he still won.

I'm fearing all we have to look forward to is 10 steps back under Republicans then 1 step forward under Democrats before Republicans take control again. Democrat leadership seems to prefer losing to winning with a progressive agenda.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 4 days ago (1 children)

A foul-mouthed, shit-talking, no-bullshit pro union pro lgbtq pro healthcare ballbuster who's sick of pussyfooting, eggshell walking, and capitulating could do wonders.

Trump's irreverance, but paired with competence, a heart, and basic, decent, sensible views.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 days ago (2 children)

The DNC would never allow such a person to pass through their filters. In many ways, the Democrats themselves are as much an enemy of the people as the most extreme Republicans.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago (9 children)

Tim Walz gives me hope, if he runs for president in 2028. He's too big of a name now for the DNC to keep him under wraps. He might not even want to, though.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

It's been what? Two weeks? We sure give up quickly.

Fighting against fascism is about constant small victories. Saying no. Suing at every step. Making it to the next election with things as intact as we can make them. Maybe it won't work, though it is sure as hell better than expecting the Democrats to step up. If we want reform, let's cause reform.

Trump won by 1.6% of the popular vote. Not a single one of us are as alone as we think. Yeah, sure, a break would be great. We don't get that. Moreover, we are a young country and in that time there have been governments who to many people were fascist in nature, repressive on a good day. We came out of those times better than we were because we stood up together. It's time to hold accountable those who deserve it once again. Freedom has a price and we are mostly here because of our apathy, make no mistake, and our unwillingness to engage in greater numbers locally and in midterms. However, from there it's on the people near and at the top.

We are the ingredients. Every action we take, even something as small as standing up for a couple in a restaurant, is a small push back.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 days ago (1 children)

.Fighting against fascism is about constant small victories.

That's not generally the way fascism is defeated. Sometimes yes, but it usually takes a somewhat more aggressive approach. We should take that possible future seriously as well, even as we work to avoid it.

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[–] [email protected] 64 points 4 days ago (7 children)

The Democrats gave up so easily and went "I guess we hate transpeople now? Is that why we lost? We didn't hate transpeople enough?" so quickly, that I"m wondering if Trump's election was part of the fucking plan to begin with.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I think at least part of the problem is that Democrats believe in The System. So when someone cheats and whines about fake votes and stuff, they can resist that with faith that the system is working, but when the system willingly chooses the other side they have no choice but to concede that this must just be the Will of the People. And who are they to stand against the system they uphold...

[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Don't forget about big money. The Democrats, Republicans, Harris, and Trump all avoided pointing the finger at what's to blame, it's big money in politics. Trump and the Republicans have openly accepted all the money from the big donors and the power that gets them. Elon Musk was a huge part of his campaign while they blame immigrants. The Republicans know how to work a broken system, just get more money.

Meanwhile the Democrats and Harris have to thread the needle of accepting big money too but not showing it. They can't outright say it's the billionaires that are screwing you, so they say Trump is, and that he's a fascist. All true but Trump's second presidency isn't the cause of America's facist decline, he's a co-morbidity of it. Then they are shocked when the system they refuse to fix is broken.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I don't believe the Democrats actually wanted to win this election.

Losing, while upholding the facade of "fighting the Republicans," means donations will likely go UP, their "underdog" status remains intact, and they won't have to pretend to govern, nor offer the public the milquetoast accomplishments that only verify they capitulate to their oligarch/corporate backers. Losing IS their strategy.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

A Billion dollars in donations. Outspent the Republicans twice as much and yet spent on campaign managers and the salaries of their rich friends kids working for them and nice lunches out to expensive restaurants.

They are the party of money. And saying whatever gets them more of it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

No no friend, the Harris campaign had 1.5 Billion dollars.

And the DNC just threw all their workers out on their asses without even offering severance, because they're "broke?" People who had worked there for decades. THAT is their caliber of financial management?

The Harris campaign threw wasted dollar after dollar into Republican pits to gain exactly NOTHING, as 94 fucking percent of Republicans voted Republican (as one would expect of a cult). Meanwhile the top Harris consultants were people making millions a year from Uber who flat out steered the boat away from any negative messaging about the corporate hands that pull their strings.

They WANTED to lose. All the surface animosity is a facade; they're controlled opposition.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Biden isn't even using a tiny bit of his fucking brand new immunity to save the country. It's like he said, "Oh no, but they meant that just for Trump." I don't know what there even is to save if no one is gonna do a goddamn thing that still has the power to.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I mean, that special immunity is just for Trump. It's a gift from his supreme court picks to himself.

But that said, yeah, I don't think the fact that the court would crucify Biden is a reason for him to just sit there twiddling his thumbs.

I remember after Roe v Wade, there was the question of what they could really do about it, and on one hand, maybe not much, some blue states can do their best, but on the other, I dunno, something? anything? We could run ads, build the narrative that Republicans are who did this, they're the ones hurting you right now, and maybe we won't lose in 2024? But instead they really, truly did nothing.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 days ago (3 children)

dude they banned a trans congresswoman from the women's bathroom and being a democrat she just went "ok, I'll pee in the men's room I guess"

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 days ago (12 children)

For fuck's suck.... Anywhere else in the country and that's a discrimination lawsuit.

What the fuck?

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 days ago (1 children)

If you ignore the urinals, there really isn't much point in separate bathrooms anyways. Especially in posh bathrooms like I'm sure they have in Congress where they pay the extra bucks to have actual doors on the stalls. This is one of those cases where arguing with idiots just makes you look like the idiot. Going along shows how ridiculous the moral panic was in the first place.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (5 children)

idk why you're downvoted, I agree. gendered bathrooms are pointless; it's not like people get naked there anyway. and fuck urinals. they're dumb.

that being said of you're gonna have gendered bathrooms you can't police genitals; gonna have to go with the honor code.

it's all pointless and the security excuse is bullshit. it's ridiculous that these rules would assume a rapist wouldn't get deterred by the laws against rape but would totally be stumped by a fucking sign that says "biological".

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That I get from a certain angle. There's immense pressure on "firsts" to show that they're not there to implement radical change. That they can just be a functional member of an organization. First woman in a fighter jet, first trans person in Congress, it's the same pressure mechanism. They want to show they can do the job first and foremost.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (7 children)

how did that work out for Obama? he capitulated and capitulated, and removed progressive options from the table just to get them to sit on it, and negotiated with himself on their behalf, compromised on his compromises. what happened? radical Marxist. lol.

you think she's suddenly going to be accepted because she basically agrees she's kind of a man, a little bit, actually? no.

nah democrats just don't have a spine. and that is a really bad thing to lack when the things the other side lacks are shame and honesty.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 days ago

No, some of them were already transphobic but thought they'd lose an election for admitting it. Now they think they will win because of it. They need to learn a lesson.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The people giving up are the ranking officials of the Democratic National Party. What can you realistically expect people to do when the people they thought would lead them through this are rolling over and collapsing at the first sign of pressure? For fucks sake, they're not even defending their own trans colleague!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Hey, Biden did come out to call the ICC putting out an arrest warrant for Netanhayu "outrageous", and stepped in to stop Bernie's bill from blocking arms shipments to Israel, so it's not like they're doing nothing.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 3 days ago (5 children)

This guy experienced what we can only read about. It shames me to say I was born less than a hour from where he was held in a camp. Few around there have learned anything from history. To most of them history began when they did and will end when they do.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 days ago

I very much think we will be seeing something similar happen to immigrants soon. I hope I'm wrong.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Im sure compared to the interment camps, this is nothing.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 days ago (5 children)

We don't have internment camps again yet.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago (3 children)

So sick of inspirational posts from rich celebrities. As if any of this is going to affect them in any meaningful way aside from shifting more of the tax burden onto us.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 3 days ago

This particular celebrity spent time in a concentration camp, though. Let him speak truth to power.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago (3 children)

If I recall correctly, he was put in a Japanese-American detention camp when a child. So I’d tend to believe him on this.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

It's easier to start a fire with a lighter than with two sticks.

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