OPM takeover by Musk, Federal Civil Servant Firings | DIA (including DCS) now
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I've been avoiding political news, pretty much all news. I dipped a toe into a few threads on here on the last 24 hrs, and I heard from a relative employed at CDC how fearful they were. And now I really want to turn it all back off, but I'm afraid I'm going to miss signal to prep for something bad.
ignorance is bliss but that's what got us to this point.
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The signal to prep for something bad was election night. 99.999% of America missed it. I'd say everyone needs to start furiously catching up. The murderers are in the house and people are arguing over what locks to install. We are 100% in the sustained insurrection period and the more people who realize that, the better off the country will be, but it's for sure too late to prevent it. It's now about wearing it down, if that can even be done. Odds are it's over, at least for a few generations.
I didn't mean mentally prep. I meant prep like stockpiling MREs, buying gold instead of stocks, working on my canning skills...
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So did I. The moment is here.
Groups who seize power tend not to give it up willingly. The only question is how far does it slide. Is it a slow boiling of the frog like Hungary, or a tectonic plate shift like the 1930s. I would say the former, BUT Hungary didn't have President Musk controlling things. Orbon whittled away, Musk is taking a chainsaw to the structure of the government.
The question won't be resolved for a while, but at that point it is too late in my opinion to gather things. Things happen slowly till they very suddenly don't.
I knocked on doors in the week leading up the election. Otherwise I don't know what i can do. We're beyond "call your senator", not that i'd call Tedd Budd or Tillis for anything, but if Dem senate and congress aren't appalled now they never will be.
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I hear you.
Mulberry Heel
Inconceivable Member
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The response of Democrats - not just Congressional Democrats but even the Democratic base - has been far more muted and quiet to start Trump's second term than it was in his first. In his first term there was a great deal more open and vocal opposition and defiance. This time I think many average Democrats are just numb that the American people actually wanted this guy for a second time and have either given up or just withdrawn or walked away from politics. I know a number who have taken the latter route. They may still vote in 2026 and 2028 and all that but they're done trying to convince people or having any hope that they can stop MAGA Nation from pretty much doing whatever the hell it wants to do, no matter how crazy or cruel or damaging to the nation. As for DC Democrats, I think most of them - especially older ones like Schumer - are just stumped by Trump and simply don't know how to effectively respond, and they're also still living in this illusion that the political rules and "norms" have not drastically changed under Trump. Some younger Congressional Dems like AOC get it and seem to realize what is really happening, but they're mostly not in positions of authority or power to do much more than speak out on social media or in committee hearings and press conferences.
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Might want to reverse those roles. Trump does not appear to be calling the shots for the most part.
Its interesting that Trump started with the foreign aid agency from a populism point of view. Politico noted yesterday that Democrats have to be careful of walking into a trap on this one. It's easy to demonize foreign aid so that may be why he started with that agency in particular. So that he can beat Dems up when they come after him on it.
Dems need to counterattack on this one of course, but it may be better to point out most of what he is cutting there is what Republicans approved for decades. And do it with a smile. At this point, why bother if its true or not. I haven't looked it up but I bet most of that spending had Republican buy in.
Dems need to counterattack on this one of course, but it may be better to point out most of what he is cutting there is what Republicans approved for decades. And do it with a smile. At this point, why bother if its true or not. I haven't looked it up but I bet most of that spending had Republican buy in.
Agreed. And it is weird to say that a few weeks ago I think many were okay with saying "fine, let it all burn down under Trump".
But if the EPA, Public Healthcare, Military/Intelligence, etc, etc are a) in disarray, b) led by white-nationalists, christian nationalists, fascists techBros, grifting control freaks, or "useful idiots", then it becomes apparent that this outcome will actually really, really, suck.
superrific
Legend of ZZL
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I do not think anyone is under any illusion that rules and norms are the same, or even relevant any more.
The problem is the effective response. We've now learned that active, virulent racism is now the driving force on the right. If the majority of Americans a) agree with pro-cruelty policies; and/or b) never hear about them or are told that all reporting on them are hoaxes, what are we to do?
That's why I started the thought experiment thread. Under what circumstances should more radical actions be taken; by whom; and how.
JCTarheel82
Iconic Member
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There will be no resistance from Congress for at least the next two years. That much is clear. Trump and fElon have carte blanche.
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I don’t think such things should be a normed discussion, here. The extremity of one’s opposition leads to extreme counter ideation, and this is not the appropriate venue.
superrific
Legend of ZZL
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If you're not even going to contemplate alternatives to capitulation to the fascists, then at least have the decency to stop bitching about it.
There are all sorts of civil disobedience actions that could be taken. Protests ain't gonna cut it. Maybe we need a general strike. Maybe we need to think about what the consequences should be for these people. We tried rule of law and look what happened. We need to think about whether any of Trump's pardons should be honored in the future. We need to think about removing the Supreme Court justices.
If you won't think about anything, then the result will be a bloodbath when and if the pot boils and there's no plan.
Monday I called for "hitting the streets" in protest and I understand that today there was a 50 state capital protest. Great to see.
Protests are more effective, the more allies you get. Perhaps we need a thread for keeping up with allies in surprising places.
Being originally from a farming area, I think my farming friends and relatives are beginning to find out they are being screwed by Trump. Everything from billions in foreign aid purchases of farming products going away, tariff war with China screwing cotton, soybean and pecan markets, and fertilizer or potash coming from Canada being threatened. Couldn't help but notice Senator Chuck Grassely's post on that. Bet he was getting phone calls.
Point is to accumulate allies that Republicans are really sensitive to. Farmers certainly have clout, because they are everywhere in red states.
Protests are more effective, the more allies you get. Perhaps we need a thread for keeping up with allies in surprising places.
Being originally from a farming area, I think my farming friends and relatives are beginning to find out they are being screwed by Trump. Everything from billions in foreign aid purchases of farming products going away, tariff war with China screwing cotton, soybean and pecan markets, and fertilizer or potash coming from Canada being threatened. Couldn't help but notice Senator Chuck Grassely's post on that. Bet he was getting phone calls.
Point is to accumulate allies that Republicans are really sensitive to. Farmers certainly have clout, because they are everywhere in red states.
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Pardon me, super, for questioning what “radical action” might mean from someone recently “hoping for Luigi”.
If Paine, rodo, law, Mulberry, nyc, etc. made your “radical” comment, I’d think nothing of it. Superrific of the zzlp, however, is a very specific character. In the vast majority of conversations, superrific gets my benefit of the doubt (hell, I read nearly every word you type). However, in this particular case, you do not, and not because I don’t trust your honesty, knowledge, or earnestness, but because I don’t presently trust your self-regulation, self-scouting, nor the directionality of some of your recent commentary.
I have said several times, this site is many things to many people. If you think it’s a good space for ideating and organizing resistance to a revanchist, lawless fascist regime, filled with the most resourced and insecure techbros on the planet, go for it. I certainly won’t participate, will likely delete, and that won’t be much loss for anyone given the cynical and snide slice of me I offer this site. But, this site dying would be a loss to many.
IMO, one of the, if not the, fastest way this site dies is if “radical action” discussion trends violent, which, again, your commentary has recently brushed upon. I expect violent rhetoric would be quite off-putting to a number of posters and some I suspect, including myself, would fear association with the potentially violent rhetoric, or hell, even perceived violent rhetoric. Again, your recent commentary has laid “hoping for Luigi”, relative to Musk, and “radical action” contextually near each other.
I fully expect a nsa, fbi, cia, and [insert musk project] filled almost entirely with “yes” men to eventually get around to monitoring the communication of Americans in a detailed and bad faith manner (I deeply hope that’s paranoid). I’d rather my news, politics, and occasional shit-posting site not come under scrutiny because an alarm went off on Musk’s phone that an online persona called superrific placed the words Luigi and Musk and Trump too near each other, a few too many times.
The type of resistance I believe necessary, for what’s coming down the pike, gets done in person, on burners, and through encrypted communication (eta: imo, even for protest organizing). I wrote that in my original comment, then deleted. Remiss. Nothing about this site is private. I’m of the opinion nothing is about to be private. This site is also frequented by maga and several Good German; the moment Gabbard or Patel or Musk or one of Musk’s 20 year old cenobites creates a”make American great again by informing on your neighbors database”, threads ideating on “radical action” that contain hints of violence are going to get reported, post haste. We have several bad faith, deeply insecure, and bitter posters.
Lastly, dude, folks exist in many spaces outside this forum, including “radical” ones. Apparently, I’ve given you the impression I’m a 2D cartoon fox, with a sock on its head. I’m not. Turns out, I exist in spaces with “radical” (not actually radical, just mainstream European style left-of-center) thought, organizing, and staunchly left-wing action. My “bitching” here offers minimal insight into my actions nor my, god’s honest truth, 3D composition.
I encourage you to start a radical action thread, if that’s how you think this site is best utilized. If I’m wrong about the direction I fear it could take, great.
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