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[–] 346 points 1 year ago (5 children)

This took less than 3 days.

Less than 3 days of mild protest in one city and Trump is saying the governor needs to be arrested and is using the military against civilians.

This wasn’t even classed as a riot.

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  • [–] 94 points 1 year ago

    That's because it was nothing on Saturday. Trump sends in the National Guard and they make a lot of smoke. There were 3 or so waymo fires and some cop cars damaged. Protesters were hit by rubber bullets a lot though.

    See for yourself.

    Saturdays Live Streams:

    Sunday's Live Streams:

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  • [–] 75 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    This weekend is the totally not celebrating the rapist in chief's birthday military parade.

    There are... a LOT of concerns that is just an excuse to militarize DC ahead of midterms.

    But yeah. That also means trump wants protests to go away NOW and an excuse to attack California always makes him happy.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    Hasn't there been national guard, and a literal wall around the white house for the last decade?

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    There are military resources available and heightened security around the white house. In a country where children either buy an AR-15 or get shot by one, that only goes so far.

    Contrast that with an actively deployed and on guard... guard. Protests in DC will become next to impossible and "dissenting" congress people will be much less likely to ever try to get a photo op while pretending they care about stopping doge et al.

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  • [+] 136 points 1 year ago (4 children)
  • [–] 85 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Doesn't matter if it's illegal, if there's no consequences

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  • [–] 24 points 1 year ago

    This is what so many people fail to understand.

    When your boss steals $100 from your paycheck, you're supposed to file a wage claim, wait years for your day in court, and even when you show that the company stole from you, the punishment for them is a small fine ($50 per person first time, $100 per person every time after that). You don't even get the fine. The fine is paid to the state.

    Now flip it around and imagine what happens when you steal $100 from the company. Immediate legal repercussions, multiple court dates, probation if you're lucky and jail if you're not.

    The entire system is designed to fuck people as hard as possible while reserving the kid gloves for corporations and oligarchs.

    I am gleefully awaiting the day protesters start disappearing federal agents/national guard. Fuck all fascists, even the ones "just following orders". No habeas corpus is a two way street motherfuckers

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  • [–] 129 points 1 year ago (18 children)

    Did Trump declare martial law while I was asleep? Because last time I checked, he can't deploy the military on US soil unless the country is in a state of emergency. And peaceful protests don't count.

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  • [–] 113 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Until one of the other branches of government decides to grow a spine, Trump is free to do whatever he wants.

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  • [–] 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    The people can't do much against an MQ-9 reaper, much less strategic bombers that can fly well higher than civilian aircraft.

    If it comes to something like Red Dawn, we are fucked.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    "The people" aren't going to engage in traditional warfare against the undivided might of the US military. If there is armed resistence it's going to be attacks on individuals and sabotage/explosives, and it's going to divide the armed forces.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    since when does it matter what the law says? he's been breaking the law every single day since he took office. nobody is gonna intervene.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago*

    Almost everything Trump has attempted to do, has to some extent, been blocked in the courts. Sometimes temporarily...other times completely. And the temporary blocks are all still active cases, that stand a good chance of getting permanently blocked in the future.

    The problem is, the media isn't covering that enough. They like the drama...so, all they report in is the shit that gets clicks. And boring court details don't attract a lot of interest. Especially considering that by the time anything is resolved, the news steam has long since moved on to other, more recent scandals.

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  • [+] -43 points 1 year ago* (9 children)

    I don't condone deploying the military, its illegal, but burning waymo's isn't peaceful.

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  • [–] 49 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    The people setting those fires should absolutely be charged for their actions. But their actions don't negate the Constitutional rights of everyone else who is protesting. And calling in the National guard before the local authorities have declared the situation to be out of their control, is a direct violation of Constitutional law.

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  • [+] -26 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Agreed that the national guard shouldn't have been deployed as well. I'm just saying they aren't peaceful.

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  • [–] 26 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    But, when you say, "they"...you are painting the entire protest as violent, unless you make the distinction that it isn't. And the vast majority of protestors are simply exercising their 1st amendment rights, in a perfectly legal manner.

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  • [+] -15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    I never said they were violent, I haven't heard of anything violent (edit: from the protesters) yet personally. There's a difference between peaceful, not peaceful, and violent.

    If there's enough bad actors doing things like setting cars on fire, then it warrants a larger police presence (but not the national guard at this level or ever the military)

    Edit: Just to add clarity, it warrants a larger police presence, because they are in fact no longer peaceful. Sure most people are, but the protest itself isn't.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Waymo's are ultimately used for surveillance to intimidate protesters. Ideally they wouldn't get burned, but at this point they have chosen to side with authoritarians (tho that is expected of corporations)

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    I'd love to see proof that Waymo is providing live footage to the police to help manage the protests if you have it. That's pretty fucked up if true. (edit: Burning is still bad, but I'd be down for defacing (e.g throwing paint on it) if so.)

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    An example

    Granted, this is not about the protest, and it is too early for that footage to be used so far. Still we know the current admin is not happy about any protest and was elected on themes of revenge. It is worth taking steps to protect protesters from being targeted in the coming days and weeks.

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  • I think it comes down to did waymo freely provide it (article doesn't say up to where it wants me to sign up) or did the police have a warrant.

    If they have a warrant, I think that's legitimate. I don't think Waymo should be responding to police requests without a warrant though, otherwise it will breed distrust, and rightfully so.

    The police have been known to demand footage from Tesla's in the area of crimes as well, again as long as its with a warrant, or the individual owner decides to provide it, I think that's fine. I want to make the distinction that if an owner of a car that has cameras wants to provide it, i think that's okay, but as a corporation, with a fleet of vehicles, that should never happen without a warrant.

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  • [–] 122 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Congress could end this immediately, by revoking Trump's emergency powers. Spineless traitors the whole lot of them.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    Well, there's like 40 he's declared to choose from, but specifically rescinding the Southern Border Emergency enacted on day one. These unprecedented circumstances provide him the ability to deploy military against civilians.

    Edit- Adding an NYT article with better overview

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  • [–] 211 points 1 year ago (9 children)

    Officially using the military against civilians. Yup we're cooked

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  • [–] 45 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    There are several historical examples where a dictator tells the military to shoot civilians, they say no, and the regime collapses.

    https://bsky.app/profile/gowder.io/post/3lr3wsvffds2l

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  • [+] 17 points 1 year ago (4 children)
  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    On the contrary, people are pessimistic as hell. Source: this thread.

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Yeah, really if anything we need optimistic and angry

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  • [–] 63 points 1 year ago

    Don't worry. All the heroic men and women in the armed services will decide THIS oppression of a civilian populace is too much and some of the officers will resign. Then, in just a decade or so, they'll have O-5s who are only qualified to be O-3s and it will all come crashing down! And if you disagree, you are just a doomer!

    Yeah... This does not end well in any conceivable way.

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  • [–] 44 points 1 year ago
    [+] 84 points 1 year ago (4 children)
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    Assist with what, motherfucker? Continuing denial of due process rights?

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  • [–] 93 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Every military and law enforcement member needs to understand right now that attacking protesters for exercising their First Amendment rights is crossing a line that they can never come back from. I, for one, will always hold it against any MAGA for the rest of my life. They deserve to be mercilessly shunned, ridiculed, and discriminated against for the rest of their miserable, stupid, treasonous lives. I own a business, and I will never hire a MAGA supporter, ever.

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  • [–] 27 points 1 year ago (7 children)
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Not American and maybe I'm just OOTL but this confuses me as well... I'm aware of a peaceful protest against the mass deportations, but what else? Why do they need armed soldiers??

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  • [–] 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    To prove empirically that he is a king and the constitution is dissolved.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)

    It's the next step in his takeover. He already controls the government. He controls business through tariffs. Now he needs to control the people.

    Once he's got control internally, he'll turn his eyes to other countries. What we've seen so far with his threats will become reality as he annexes Canada, Mexico, and Greenland to secure natural resources and wages a full economic war on anyone else who challenges him (China, EU)

    It's pretty textbook rise of Nazi Germany 1930s. None of this should be surprising.

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  • [–] 53 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    The Silver Lining: Media coverage of the extensive protests in every city in America has been so light, that some people are asking why nobody is doing anything. Meanwhile Millions of people are protesting across America. Some protests have been higher than 5 million nationally, and they are growing. At 12 million, we reach 3.5%, which experts say is the threshold for a "tipping point," which leads to trends like revolutions.

    But since the media isn't covering it, most people have no idea how much is happening. That is, until HitlerPig and The MAGA Morons hit the stage and start puking all over everybody. THAT makes the news, and now EVERYBODY knows about the protests.

    Somebody should explain the Streisand Effect to these jokers.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    That's really interesting, where did you read about that tipping point. I'd love to know more if you have a recommendation.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Two books:

    Mark Penn's Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes

    Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

    I especially like Gladwell's book, and his other books as well. Blink is another favorite of mine. I haven't read Penn's book in a long time, it may be getting a little dated.

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  • [–] 26 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Article 4 of the Constitution, they can’t take your house to do anything.

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  • [–] 51 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    Kinda seems like the US has gone to war with her citizens: what with the deploying of troops against them and all. Maybe her citizens should start acting like they are at war.

    Too bad there are no cases in history of a guerrilla force standing their own against the "undefeated" US military. /s

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  • [+] -14 points 1 year ago (6 children)
  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    California didn't accidentally become wealthy. Lots of smart & capable people there, albeit with much to lose.

    They'll reasonably try to keep a lid on things, but there's a line not too far from where Californians have currently gotten pushed to.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Well, I recently bought two guns and tons of ammo in preparation.

    So have a few friends of mine in the last few months. And I know we aren't the only ones.

    If this administration wants a war, they'll get it, but they will not win.

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  • [–] 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Plot twist: they round up ice and throw them in the brig

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  • [–] 76 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    RIP America July 1776-June 2025.

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    [–] 20 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Isn't there a law against this? Not that Cheetoface cares about those...

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)

    Did he suspend the Posse Comitatus Act and no one reported it?

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    what stops a member of the armed services from denying a command or order if it is unlawful? what about if it may be unlawful? (ie needs to be proven as such but “right now” just smells unlawful?)

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Officially the guidance is to comply but document and raise the question after...

    Unofficially if you refuse and make it clear you're taking the court martial and chain of command folds.

    With this situation the real question is if they standby and watch ICE/cops abuse citizens, or if they interject and stop the violent side.

    The military has much higher standards on what acceptable.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    Indoctrination/brainwashing.

    The official stance is that they SHOULD ask questions and point out their objections... to their superiors. Who will, in turn, raise their own questions. Until it gets to a lifer who doesn't give a fuck and just wants to burn a family to death so that they can take credit for a successful mission and maybe get promoted in a few years.

    But, in the meantime? It doesn't matter if you support The Mission. Hell, your NCO doesn't either. But what matters is that you want to protect the men and women, but mostly men (because women are for raping back at base), in the foxhole next to you. So go get the gas can and follow some orders.

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)

    Piece of shit traitor. America will swallow him whole when this is over.

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago

    Cool and normal! 😬

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Right... Because you need 700 highly trained military personnel to deal with civilians.

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