I’m an American who has been living abroad for 20 years. I’m shocked, as I watch my home country being dismantled by oligarchs who sold US democracy. And I talk to other Americans and they’re just like “Oh, well, both sides, you know?”
Do y’all not realize what you’ve done? The US literally has no allies now, no rule of law, and no democracy. You’re living in an authoritarian dictatorship now, run by clowns.
How are so many Americans just going on with their lives like normal?
Consider brexit, an idea so dumb in every way every way, and yet it happened. Many journalists pointed out how russian influence and social media formed peoples votes, how it brought out the worst side in many of my countrymen, how many regretted it almost immediately. Turns out its really easy to get stupid people to hate things.
The fundamental issue really does seem to be education, which is why conservatives everywhere try to cripple and dismantle it. Conservatism in the US spearheaded anti-intellectualism, but the ideology everywhere else is not far behind; constantly appealing to the lowest common denominator. This proves that conservatism does not believe it can survive with an educated populace.
I’m guilty of calling them stupid myself, but the only thing that separates anyone from cavemen is education, and the psychopaths and narcissists of society have shown us that our education systems are not fit for purpose, and holding society back from progress. The failure in our ability to educate the majority sufficiently is one of the greatest threats we face.
Turns out its really easy to get stupid people to hate things.
That’s going to be the byline of this entire era of history. Oof.
What’s the alternative? I want to protest, but if I miss work then I might lose my job, which would cost me my health insurance and likely my house. I want to get back on social media and show people where I stand, but these MAGA people are rabid and will come after me for it. I’m ready to step up, but not while Trump has half the country behind him. I’m waiting for a numbers advantage. His approval rating is tanking, and once it gets low enough, I think people like me will be more willing to take bigger risks. Until then, we’re doing what we can while keeping our heads down.
I want to protest, but if I miss work then I might lose my job, which would cost me my health insurance and likely my house.
I think this is exactly why protesting is necessary. It is the entire reason why unions emerged in the first place. Pool together resources, so everyone can join in on a strike and the strike can take weeks or months without people going hungry.
I blame the barely existance of affordable health care, unemployment systems, social housing etc. as a main reason for where the USA got to where it is now. It’s always everyone for themselves and people like Trump or Musk are the very personification of this basic idea underlining every aspect of USA society, on steroids. There is no society, there is only eternal struggle between all individuals who are all very scared of not being succesfull and/or ending in absolute poverty because they dare to think outside of this dominating idea that everyone is what they themselves chose/do/are…
Vote with your wallet. Try not to buy from the big companies if you can help it. It used to be a pain doing this but with a password manager it’s easy to create another account and don’t save your CC on the site if it’s just a one time purchase.
Protesting is fine to let others know they are not alone but the people in charge will not care or see it.
I want to protest, but if I miss work then I might lose my job
Great point.
A better option is to find and join your local union. You can do it quietly, and it might save your job someday. Even if it doesn’t, it’ll absolutely get you paid and treated better.
I went to a weekend protest for my job.
I’ve started being more active in the community and finding people like me out there. It helps.
Remember the Arab Spring? Massive protests in multiple North African countries, mostly peaceful regime changes. Those protests were hundreds of thousands of people - less than 1% of most country populations. Most of those nations were still going about their daily business like normal. Complaining about the awful government. Complaining about the disruption of the protests.
It’s really had to get people out of their daily routines.
In the US, there’s the extra issue that a significant part of the population are actually happy with recent events because they think it’s going to work out well for them, personally. Some of them think that the chaos is exactly the overthrow of 4 decades of terrible government they’ve been hoping for, and they don’t care what comes after.
Some of us understand. Some of us understood before this even happened. But we got the same “Well, both sides-.”
Now I’m just furious.
There is nothing we can do. We haven’t actually been represented by our government in many many years. That doesn’t appear to have changed. For all the talk about owning guns to stop fascism, it is the vehement gun owners who won. A few of my friends and family are trying to leave the country. A few are too old, and a few still think their cult leader will actually make things better.
I would add that most of us aren’t allowed to talk about politics at work, and outside of work it is usually so explosive we avoid it there too so we can still have freinds and family. That leaves some social media as the only place these conversations take place.
Almost half don’t care. Of the remaining, almost half do know and are appalled, while the rest also do know and applaud.
People have to eat.
Fundamentally the US is broken, and people don’t have themselves to support themselves very long.
Medical debt can wipe out your meager gains incredibly fast. The stock market tanking erases your only real savings you may have had.
Under those circumstances, it’s hard to take action when your hustling to survive.
They’re utter morons. The trump cunts, the republicunts. They’ve always been this way. And now someone has harvested their crop.
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Some know, but it’s very hard to see how to have a positive impact. I don’t have millions of dollars, and getting into politics is daunting (also, no money).
I’ve seen some say that the best thing is to make sure you have strong local communities and that at least I can try to work on. It doesn’t have huge visibility but knowing there is a network of people to count on when everything gets worse is a good thing.
It’s social media. It’s TV.
So I bounce between 3 Trump states, and much of my family is glued to Facebook. Many don’t even know how to use a browser, just apps that serve them. Others religiously watch fox, a lot of cable opinion segments, things like that. I know a kid lost in Discord and YouTube.
Also, you should see the things pastors are saying in one of their churches, in spite of what the clergy have done…
I don’t know what it’s like overseas, but again, Americans seem totally consumed by social media, which is all just algorithmic propaganda that warps their world. And Trump/Musk are literally the top of that world.
It’s only getting worse.
That really is the root issue. No amount of protest, policy, empathy, anything is going to get through as long as people are immersed in these warped views of the world, and any political opposition is completely incapable of realizing that.
At this point: Move to the EU or Canada. The USA has changed for the worst.
There are two kinds of Americans. One kind fully understands what’s going on and is horrified. The other kind thinks it’s fine(if they think about it at all) but only because they figure they won’t be affected by it. Right now, that second group dominates. At some point, the numbers will tip in the opposite direction, but it won’t be pleasant.
Yes we do.
And in the meantime we still need food, shelter, medicine, and to provide for our families. Physiological needs do not stop because we’re under stress.
There are actions to be taken. Keep having the conversations you’re having. Find groups to support that can resist. Be visible and loud. Call their bluffs. Protect the vulnerable.
Don’t panic. It’s counterproductive.
No they don’t. At least not in the broad populace. Blame the lack of education and critical thinking for it - it is done on purpose to keep the people docile.
