I feel so bad for my Ukrainian friend who enlisted in the national guard specifically so he could get us citizenship and not be drafted in Ukraine and who has now to be called for these idiotic assignments.
Oh no, the poor military occupying my home feels awkward about it. The useless gaggles of reservists leering at me at every street corner are unsure of the mission. The bands of loitering soldiers at every Metro station want to go home. Do it, cowards, go the fuck home.
I understand this reaction, really. But in cases like this, where people in positions of power are expressing doubt, this sort of reaction pushes them away, possibly further into the direction they were just doubting, and potentially extinguishing the possibility that they could spread those seeds of doubt among their peers and/or be able to actually enact change.
I’m not saying that their doubt alone immediately undoes any harm they’ve already done or grants them any sort of forgiveness or redemption, but by essentially spitting in their face at this junction, you are squandering a chance to educate them of the errors of their ways (or at least to allow someone else the opportunity to do such) and covert a former enemy into an ally
They're not doubting their mission because they're good rational people realizing their tools of a corrupt system. They all volunteered to serve the corrupt system. They're doubting their mission because they've been made persona non grata in the majority of DC. No one will speak to them unless they're being detained. People avoid whatever escalator they're loitering at. Every sign and light post has flyers telling the Guard they're unwanted and to go home.
Bullying is the only think they seem to respond to (not surprising, really), and it's working.
Yeah I’m sure some, probably most unfortunately, are doubting simply because they’re becoming pariahs, but still, that initial selfish reason could open their eyes to the actual reason that they’re being treated that way. It’s not very likely I realize, but it still feels like the wrong move to bully them for expressing any doubt at this point.
When they’re actively doing fascist shit, absolutely bully the ever-living fuck outta them haha, because you’re right, it does work. But the reaction to any sort of self-reflection they show should be something more like harsh criticism with underlying support rather than straight-up bullying. Because we all know how astoundingly rare it is to find any level of self-reflection whatsoever in these kinds of people, so we need to use opportunities like this to encourage any kind of doubt to grow. Even if it doesn’t lead them entirely to a more progressive point of view (because again I realize that’s not super likely) it could be enough at least to drive them away from MAGAtry, and any way we can fracture fascism is good
Just to add to your point on how selfish or otherwise internally focused emotions can break people away from reactionary ideologies. I was pushed to the left starting in highschool because I came to the conclusion that Musk was an irredeemable fuckweasle circa 2015 and similarly Trump sets off too many of my "No bad" instincts that in 2016 I started to drift away from the reactionary ideology I was raised on. Note it took till about 2019 for everything to solidify into the proto version of my current ideology but still.
Though to call my internal systems of morality and ethics an ideology is rather generous given the fact its basically me being a feral asshole proposing to kill/maim/torture politicians and billionaires until ideally I run out of piss rags to commit crimes against humanity on. As ive said in the past, I am not better than my ancestors and given how they were bandits and slavers that's saying s lot. But hey at least I want to kill people who mostly deserve it.
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I feel so bad for my Ukrainian friend who enlisted in the national guard specifically so he could get us citizenship and not be drafted in Ukraine and who has now to be called for these idiotic assignments.
Oh no, the poor military occupying my home feels awkward about it. The useless gaggles of reservists leering at me at every street corner are unsure of the mission. The bands of loitering soldiers at every Metro station want to go home. Do it, cowards, go the fuck home.
Disrespectfully, fuck them all.
I understand this reaction but they have to follow orders even if they enlisted during an administration that was not completely crazy.
I understand this reaction, really. But in cases like this, where people in positions of power are expressing doubt, this sort of reaction pushes them away, possibly further into the direction they were just doubting, and potentially extinguishing the possibility that they could spread those seeds of doubt among their peers and/or be able to actually enact change.
I’m not saying that their doubt alone immediately undoes any harm they’ve already done or grants them any sort of forgiveness or redemption, but by essentially spitting in their face at this junction, you are squandering a chance to educate them of the errors of their ways (or at least to allow someone else the opportunity to do such) and covert a former enemy into an ally
I think in this case its the opposite.
They're not doubting their mission because they're good rational people realizing their tools of a corrupt system. They all volunteered to serve the corrupt system. They're doubting their mission because they've been made persona non grata in the majority of DC. No one will speak to them unless they're being detained. People avoid whatever escalator they're loitering at. Every sign and light post has flyers telling the Guard they're unwanted and to go home.
Bullying is the only think they seem to respond to (not surprising, really), and it's working.
Yeah I’m sure some, probably most unfortunately, are doubting simply because they’re becoming pariahs, but still, that initial selfish reason could open their eyes to the actual reason that they’re being treated that way. It’s not very likely I realize, but it still feels like the wrong move to bully them for expressing any doubt at this point.
When they’re actively doing fascist shit, absolutely bully the ever-living fuck outta them haha, because you’re right, it does work. But the reaction to any sort of self-reflection they show should be something more like harsh criticism with underlying support rather than straight-up bullying. Because we all know how astoundingly rare it is to find any level of self-reflection whatsoever in these kinds of people, so we need to use opportunities like this to encourage any kind of doubt to grow. Even if it doesn’t lead them entirely to a more progressive point of view (because again I realize that’s not super likely) it could be enough at least to drive them away from MAGAtry, and any way we can fracture fascism is good
Reinforcing their doubts is the way to go. Keep planting the seeds of cognitive dissonance.
Just to add to your point on how selfish or otherwise internally focused emotions can break people away from reactionary ideologies. I was pushed to the left starting in highschool because I came to the conclusion that Musk was an irredeemable fuckweasle circa 2015 and similarly Trump sets off too many of my "No bad" instincts that in 2016 I started to drift away from the reactionary ideology I was raised on. Note it took till about 2019 for everything to solidify into the proto version of my current ideology but still.
Though to call my internal systems of morality and ethics an ideology is rather generous given the fact its basically me being a feral asshole proposing to kill/maim/torture politicians and billionaires until ideally I run out of piss rags to commit crimes against humanity on. As ive said in the past, I am not better than my ancestors and given how they were bandits and slavers that's saying s lot. But hey at least I want to kill people who mostly deserve it.
If they need education still, they're a lost cause. Have they not opened their eyes in 10 years?