So, are we going to take up arms and fight fascism or are we just gonna sit here and let it happen to us?
Just wondering, man. I mean, I'm willing to go to prison or die anyway- I can't afford neither rent nor food in either case, so for me the equation isn't super complex. Just wondering how much more we are going to spread our ass cheeks, my sphincter is getting pretty sore.
Edit: Just so we're clear, don't actually speak up or rise up or anything, violence has literally never solved a single problem in the history of mankind even once.
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Show up alone, you get arrested. Show up with 100 people, you get shot. Show up with 100,000 people, we can change things.
GET FUCKING ORGANIZED!!! Join PSL, DSA, fuck I don't care join Indivisible. Join something and start making an impact.
https://generalstrikeus.com/
Hit em where it actually hurts
https://www.fiftyfifty.one/
^
Is this worth the effort you guys reckon?
I'm a bit more radical than the 50501 folks. In general, 50501 simply want a pre-trump status quo. What they don't understand is, a pre-trump status quo is how we got trump. Status quo doesn't work, status quo isn't acceptable.
This of course will vary by region and chapter since it's not really being led by anybody specific. That's also it's issue: without clear goals and leadership it's easy to get co-opted by the bourgeoisie. See blm, women's march, occupy, etc. all fizzled out without real leadership and long term goals.
By all means join them and get active, but joining a true leftist group is the way to go. Hell, even a union would be great!
Not as cynical as most of lemmy, but joining those groups makes me feel I'm painting a target on my back, and I already have one or three. Guess it's better than dying alone.
EDIT: And they all want donations. Fair! But I'm unemployed, so dollars count. I'd rather put my meager funds into bullets, which I know how to use. Short sighted? Probably. Just going with what I know.
Does indivisible have some baggage?
It's a liberal status quo organization. All they want is pre-trump status quo. Remember, Democrats increased ICE funding every single year. Dems still had kids in cages. Dems still funded Israel to carry out their genocide. Kamala boasted to be even tougher on the border than Trump. Biden strike-busted the railroad workers. Etc...
Status quo is what got us trump. Lesser evil is what got us here. It's not the solution. Sure, Dems are less outwardly cruel then Trump, but my god the bar is so fucking low ... Most Dems/libs can't even condemn Israel for the most obvious genocide, funded by your tax dollars, in our lifetime.
I've worked with Indivisible. They're a tool and a resource, but I am under no delusion that their goals are my goals.
Yeah, it's just gonna basically happen now. Things will have to turn much, much worse before a large enough number of people will be willing to risk their very existence. The US dropped democracy and it might take a long time before they get it back.
I mean I feel like at least getting my one last vote in the bucket before the thing goes, you know?
Voting in the midterms might be challenging enough. From the Wikipedia page about elections in 1933 Germany:
Full page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1933_German_federal_election
Trump also seems to like the classical dictator as a role model, so there is always the tried and true method of simply declaring a state of emergency and suspending elections.
Yeah I mean we already have all that. What are they gonna pull that they haven't already?
“I mean, I would rather sleepwalk into fascism than put myself on the line to stop it.”
That’s what you said.
What do you realistically expect this person to do?
I honestly couldn’t understand why we weren’t collectively beating the shit out of cops when they brutalized people in 2020 at protests and videos were all over twitter. Don’t count on our compatriots. They are mostly asleep.
Organized mass resistance does not require and honestly doesn't particularly benefit from armed resistance. But it's the popularity and mass involvement that gives you power, no matter your tactics. So the focus needs to be on building mass organization(s). Unfortunately, this is not sexy or fast but it is necessary.
And as far as small groups of individuals doing violent attacks, I challenge you to find a single case in history where that worked.
Totally agree, but I still believe everyone should be armed for the absolute worst case scenario. It's a last hope kind of thing, as everything else should be attempted first. We don't want to be like the people in the videos we see from 3rd world countries who have reached that last hope scenario and are throwing rocks at their oppressors.
There are lots of guns in the US so I don't think this is a major concern. Perhaps more sophisticated weapons like drones or other things could be worthwhile to acquire if that can be accomplished safely.
I kind of wish there was a leftist militia that was committed to nonviolent struggle first but prepared for self defense as a last resort. Maybe there is somewhere but I don't know of it.
Violent no. But acts of sabotage to disturb the system yes. Go find the irs offices. "Unplug the routers" with cable cutters or something. Create congestion on highways during non rush hour traffic. Fuck around with rail ways. And canal locks. Slow down the logistics of the nation. Late deliverys, produce gone bad before it hits shelves. Prices go up. The people who don't care because it's not them getting shot up all of a sudden become more uncomfortable, more angry, more ready to take to the streets.
Go to a john deere dealer or cat dealer and fuck with their routers too. Machines always need repairs, cant get the repairs, parts can't use Machines. Infrastructure work slows down. Gov needs to spend more money because delays.
See they figured it out that you can't just dangle the carrot infront of the donkey, you gota let it have a few bites here and there so it won't realize how shit things are.
When you come home exhausted from work and hungry you are damn glad to just get off your feet even though your sitting on milk crates.
I read this recently
Jello's Laws of Rioting:
I mean I can go first, I've been queueing for some time already.
I feel like this thread is beyond the boundaries of "casual conversation"...
Sir, this is for casual conversation
Yeah. I'm just casually inciting revolt. What are you in for?
No you’re not? You’re playing all sides of the fence.
Deep.
You know, actually saying my true unfiltered thoughts out loud publicly seems to attract police attention, so I'm trying to deeply convey them through thoroughly peaceful means.
One was murdered by ICE just two days ago.
Yeah, but she shouldn't have been existing in front of an ICE officer, because Fox News said so.
A great summary here:
https://infosec.exchange/@tinker/115832508196201635
And a lot of links here:
https://piefed.social/post/1629996
As for violence never having solved anything...
I'm not advocating for or against violence, I'm doing my thing and I let other homies do theirs. Though I believe at the very least the least amount of harm possible should always be aimed for.
But there has also been a lot of disinformation around the history of non-violence. I'm no expert, and this is from memory. Anyone who cares enough or wants to know for sure, should look at the mentioned resource or others. Web searches will generally be unhelpful ime, because they propagate the narrative that MLK and Malcom X were polar opposites over violence/non-violence.
I think I heard it in Dan Carlin's "So you want a revolution" episode (free on youtube) where he mentions a quote from MLK basically saying something along the lines of, "I guess violence is here now, so we gotta work with it." While what I'm saying is pretty hazy, what is clear is that it has been framed consistently that MLK had a fallout with Malcolm X over violent methods. Similar things about the non-violence of Gandhi.
Violence is used by controlled opposition to delegitimize progressive moments, but they obviously also don't like it if people are fighting back, making it harder for them to keep oppressing.
Edit: Also just realised this is casualconverstion. A bit too political imo. I frown now!
I’ve got ammo and I’m just waiting for the go ahead at this point.
The vote is in. Y'all are going to sit and watch it happen. Time to act is quickly eroding and most of the damage has already been done. It will take decades to recoup what's been lost already, if ever.
This is the answer. These people commenting online are considerably more mad than the people in the real world scrolling their lives away on AI bullshit on Facebook. No one cares. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The billionaires have already won, and their dogs will continue to run the government.
Not enough people care to do anything. Maybe if food gets scarce, they might be motivated to finally shut off their phones and get off their asses. Until then, the masses will be pacified and enslaved.
China is coming for you.
I'm fine with that
Look up what leftist organizing happens in your area, get offline and go meet with other people who are building political power in your communities
Mamdani won because young people in NY showed up and made it happen
Just a completely random un thought through thought. Maybe peace is the best thing, and it will happen if we just do nothing. What do you think?
Doing nothing isn't working out so far
I'm beginning to think sarcasm isn't working out either. Now whada we do?
Ah I missed the sarcasm. Its hard these days, the line between satire and real life is gone.
That’s some real dumbass shit to say.
Let's not fight, guys.
OP dropped the /s, but it was heavily implied.
First step is to help people get armed. Help them get trained.
Most people just aren't familiar with the process and need help. Googling isn't the same as someone reaching out and helping make it become a reality.
If you already own a firearm, start talking to your friends/family that don't.
Form networks. Communicate via end-to-end encrypted messaging apps and make sure to set the comments to auto-delete after a short period of time.
I don't know about "take up arms" but something is happening - https://piefed.social/f/50501
Democratic state disarmed me
You can purchase a firearm in any state in America, short of being a criminal. How did they disarm you?
Even a felon can have a black powder rifle. Not ideal. :) Takes practice and know-how, but 200 grains pushing a .50 ball is no fucking joke. I have a modern rifle that will knock an armored man on his ass, at worst. With a shitty red-dot sight, it's stupid accurate at 50', one shot through the same hole as the next. Black powder revolvers are a thing as well.
And for anyone wondering, you can easily roll your own black powder. Sulphur, stump remover and charcoal (which you can make at home), that easy.
A single-shot 12-gauge hangs over our front door. Ammo is stupid cheap and I can send a hell storm of lead downrange, 9x .33 caliber balls per shot. Given the long barrel, those balls are moving very fast in a very tight pattern. Also, I can reload surprisingly quickly, because I practice. I'd guess you have such an option?
Just today, finished fixing up my vintage Sears & Roebuck semiautomatic .22! Loads 18 .22LR, but you can also load .22 long or .22 short. Bought some shorts tonight to see how many will fit. And yes, a .22 short will penetrate, rather surprisingly so.
There's a 12-gauge pump leaning on my desk and Colt .45 in the drawer. I'm not aware of any US state that bans such weapons.
You might not be legal to own an AR-15, but mine leans on my nightstand and holds 20x, green tip, amour piercing rounds. But you don't have to have such a weapon to defend yourself. Feel me?
For the rest of you questioning my gun nuttiness; I have a legal, brown immigrant wife. ICE is nowhere near here ATM, but eventually they will be. I no longer leave the house, nor sit in it, nor shit in it, without a gun with which I am well acquainted with it's manual of arms.
America is already building and filling concentration camps. Yes, it's that bad. I feel many folks didn't get a solid education on WWII.