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President for Life | Donald Trump is trying to amass the powers of a king.
(www.theatlantic.com)
this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2025
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politics
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A Kings fate is often regicide.
Not in the United States of Obedience.
Oh hey, you again,
Per our agreement, please hold all complaints until 7/12/2178
I very much enjoy that I occupy a space in your mind.
I figure any time you're replying to me is a time you're not being a pest to someone else
Thanks for being the lightning rod for the FUD spreaders.
🫡 thanks for your service.
I really like that he seemed to think it wasn't an effective tactic, but it sure seemed to keep him busy all day instead of bothering other people.
That tactic is about as effective as a peaceful protest.
7/12/2178
You could also be out buying ammo or whatever instead of doing this.
I could just be like you and enjoy what’s happening.
Kind of seems like you are, can't really think of any other good reason you'd be on here bothering people like this. You're not helping win anyone to your cause by doing it, you're not adding anything useful to any discussions, you're note even particularly funny or interesting, so I can only assume you just enjoy being a prick, and this gives you an excuse to do it.
Unless you're getting paid to do it, which is certainly a possibility.
There is always the possibility that you are getting paid to shut down anyone who says to do more than just a biannual protest. 🤷♂️
So, I assume you enjoy the direction that the United States is going? I assume you enjoy the current effectiveness of the No Kings protesting (zero change)?
Will you continue to ignore those direct questions, essentially proving me correct?
Do you know that there is a state between peaceful protesting and killing people? Or can you only see in black-and-white?
There certainly is a possibility, but if either or both of us are paid shills this conversation won't go anywhere so let's go ahead and discount that possibility.
What do you mean "continue" to ignore these direct questions? So far you've just been accusing me of being maga for some reason, you haven't been asking any questions.
And yes, so far I'm quite happy with what no kings (and other protests) have achieved. There's still a long way to go but we are slowly waking people up to the fact that things are not ok and that they need to do something.
Yes more people need to be doing more, but great masses of people are slow to mobilize. If we can't even get most people to show up to a protest that is more of a party than anything, how the hell do you think you're going to get people to go from 0-100, from doing nothing to taking more direct action? You're certainly not going to get them to do it by browbeating them over not doing enough, they have to want to do more.
Every new person who shows up to a protest is someone who's taking that first step towards more action than they were the day before. Some of them may never be convinced to take more direct action, that's just the way the world is, but some of them will and they have to learn to crawl before they can walk and eventually run.
And people like you are doing nothing to encourage them, in fact you scare them away.
And even if they don't take direct action themselves, since they're more aware of what's going on and what's at stake, it means they might be more likely to lend support to those who are when they're able, or at least turn a blind eye to them.
Do not split.
And I think your premise is flawed. There really isn't much if any space between peaceful and killing. There's a lot that you can do under the category of peaceful protest, including a lot that we haven't started doing in any great scale and need to start, but once violence is introduced, killing is not far off. It doesn't take much to kill a person, people die all the time from stupid accidents tripping over their own feet, one shove or thrown punch and some bad luck could be all it takes, so the moment you've decided to escalate from peaceful protest to violent action, you have opened the door for killing, and once you've set that precedent, you had better have the numbers behind you to continue down that road and win if the other side decides to respond the same way.
This is exhausting. There’s a lot of stuff that can be done that is not peaceful, but not killing. Direct action does not have to be taken against humans. There are lots of physical things that could be done to non-humans.
As an example, in Portland they put up a bunch of posters all over town. That’s a good start, but what we really need to do is find the home locations of ice employees and put those posters on their homes. No one died, but the people supporting fascism start to feel the heat.
More visible graffiti calling for more direct action is also a pretty low effort way to make sure People can’t forget what’s going on. If a person driving to work Is constantly reminded of reality, they can’t ignore it (as much).
So yes, there are plenty of things we can do besides standing on the street with signs and besides killing people.
If you're exhausted, you can stop anytime you want.
Those are examples of peaceful protest. They're a necessary escalation from where we are now, but we still need to warm people up to taking that kind of action.
That’s not “peaceful” in the way MOST people think of peaceful. Criminal activity is not “peaceful.”
And yes but, warm up doesn’t happen when people like you shut down people saying standing around isn’t enough. I get that you don’t like how I’m saying it, and I am very willing to consider a different message if you want to help me find it.
We are running out of time to do this. I’m hoping November becomes a real hard kick in the face for a lot of people.
For starters, if you want to find your new message, just stop being an asshole to people who are trying to be more engaged and celebrating the steps that people are taking
What you want to be doing is basically the old improv technique of "Yes, and..."
"It's great that you showed up to protest. If you want to do more to help these causes you can...
Help put up these posters
Hand out these pamphlets near home Depot
Use these resources to report ICE sightings
Make sure you show up to vote
Boycott these companies
Show up to the next protest and bring some friends so that they can start helping too
Etc.
As far as people not considering criminal activity to be peaceful protest, consider, for example, sit-ins or Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, etc. I don't think anyone would consider those to be anything but peaceful, but yet those were criminal acts, trespassing for example. When you provide that sort of context, it helps people open their minds to other ways
But seriously, start by just not being a disagreeable prick. You're not helping anyone.
Buddy, you started this disagreement between you and I. Not me. You initialized it. You got triggered at a comment not to you, and attacked. So if anyone needs to stop being an asshole it’s you. You’re just as disagreeable as me.
Oh, and I’m already doing those things. I’m not the one who needs to be convinced. It’s the people who need their hands held… and if they can’t help themselves by now, they deserve the inevitable.
You're posting on a public forum, every comment you make is directed at everyone who can see it. If you don't want people inserting themselves into a conversation, take it to their DMs.
Good for you that you're doing those things elsewhere, now stop shooting yourself in the foot by being counterproductive and scaring people away on Lemmy.
If you don’t like what people have to say to other users take it to their DMs. You’re being ridiculous.
Clearly everything you say is perfect you are never ever wrong you are a god among gods and I really really hope that you live in a red state.
First your asking for a date now you want me to slide into your DMs to tell you how naughty you are, you really are enjoying this, aren't you?
I certainly don't claim to be perfect, when I'm wrong, which I often am, I'm happy to be corrected.
But when I see someone being a prick for no damn good reason and hurting causes I care about, I'm gonna say something about it.
Say something constructive or hold all criticism until 7/12/2178.
I’m glad you’re happy to be corrected. Now, maybe stop obsessing and harassing me—someone on the side you claim to be on.
I’ll shut up when you do.
Not a fan of people shitting on you for how you're trying to contribute to a movement? Gee, I wonder how that feels.
And dude, if you think this is harassment, you're probably way too thin-skinned for the kind of action you're trumpeting for, I think you need a little warming-up yourself before you're ready because the kind of actions you want to see come with consequences you can't just block or log off of Lemmy to avoid like you can with me.
Tell you what, if you agree to knock off being an asshole to other people on our side, then this is the end of it from me, that's all I've wanted from this conversation from the very beginning. But if I log on tomorrow and see your name pop up pulling the same shit in the comment section of the 2nd or 3rd post I open tomorrow like I did today, I'm gonna pick it right back up again. Deal?
I will never stop asking people to do more to help their country. I will never stop pointing out how the current path is not enough. If you have a problem with that then you will either not in the United States or you are a fucking fed. What state do you live in? Are you even here?
There is a huge difference between asking people to help, and being an asshole like you have been. Give examples of what more people can do to help don't just poo-poo what steps they're already taking.
And no, I'm not a fed, and I live in Pennsylvania. And before you start on why I'm up at 2am, I work night shift.
If you don’t want fascism, meaning that you don’t want Trump specifically, then you and I are generally on the same page. However, we disagree on our tactics. It is not important that we argue amongst ourselves and I encourage you to block me so that I don’t encourage you to fight against me in the future. I promise you my tactics, although different than yours, have a purpose that aligns with what I think yours might be.
So, let’s agree to disagree—but also agree at the same time?… and get off each other’s backs.
If you are willing to do that I am willing to do that. Truce?
No, because your tactics are actively harming my attempts to bring more people into our fold.
It's already an uphill battle getting people to do anything without assholes like making them feel like since they're not yet willing to go all-in on a revolution that they might as well not do anything at all.
Be less of an asshole, so that we can get all hands on-deck instead of just a few loudmouthed assholes who won't be able to get anything done by themselves.
I really just think that you’ve got me all wrong. I am never going to stop telling people that what they are doing is not enough. That is not me being a loudmouth asshole. The loudmouth asshole is telling me to shut up, and then when I ask when I’m allowed to speak… You show up?
My opinion is that you were telling me to shut up. Telling me to stop encouraging people to do more than standing on the street with signs. This is my opinion of what you’re telling me.
I just don’t think that you like the words I’m using. I think that you think my words are that of an asshole but my words are not intentionally trying to be asshole-ish. It’s just trying to get people to realize that it’s great they showed up to a protest… But that is like 1% of what they need to do to stop fascism
Pennsylvania. Red state. thinking about it I’m not happy that you live in a red state. While I’m not pleased with you at this moment I don’t wish harm on you. I just think you’re a dick.
Side topic: Humorously, I just found out after we had started all this nonsense that my spouse got laid off from their hospital job. I have been trying to convince them that it was about time to get the fuck out of dodge but they were “making way too much to consider it.” I’m sure you can understand how that might make me frustrated, given our conversation… So I’m excited to announce to you that they have finally come around to the idea of leaving the country. Given their laundry list of degrees and years of experience we are absolute guaranteed quick passage to any country we choose. So, I might not actually be interested in the United States politics in about six months or so. Which is good, because I have June on my bingo list for martial law. You may not have to deal with me for much longer after all
No, I think I got you figured exactly right. You're a whiney loudmouthed asshole who wants to complain.
You weren't offering any solutions, you weren't encouraging people to do more, you were just bitching that what they are doing isn't enough without any advice on what they can be doing better.
Now I've managed to tease some of that out of you over the course of this conversation, but it sure as hell wasn't what you were doing when I started, and I doubt that you would have ever bothered to elaborate on your own. You'd just be another nuisance around Lemmy making everyone's day a little bit worse. Hopefully you'll keep that up in the future instead of just spouting sarcastic whining like
And
Complaining about a problem is only useful if you're following it up with at least an attempt to find solutions if not offering them up yourself. Otherwise you're just a whiney, loudmouthed asshole.