It is so deeply frustrating. This just tells me the Dems are continuing to learn the wrong lesson.
They’re asking “why didn’t anyone listen to us?” instead of “why didn’t enough people vote for us despite listening to us?”
I voted for Kamala, because obviously, but they are continuing to underestimate how much people hate, despise, the Democratic establishment. Delusional old fucks.
I think the sentiment expressed in the OP is exactly why he decided to do this now. It didn’t do anything material, not really no, but what it did do was skyrocket Booker’s name as a possible replacement for the widely hated Schumer. People are begging for someone to replace Schumer, this is Booker throwing his hat into the ring.
Whether or not the Dems will learn the right lesson from all this remains to be seen…but given their track record, I hope you’d forgive me for being skeptical of that.
I’m so tired of people telling me I was overreacting or being alarmist when I said…
Now it’s: Detention centers and El Salvadoran prisons are just the start. They are testing the waters for something much, much worse. (Edit: And to be clear, I wasn’t the only person saying all these things. This isn’t some sort of humble brag. I just listened to the countless experts, historians, and others much smarter and more well informed than me.)
I feel like I got gaslit by the media and Republicans saying that everything was going to be ok. That it was business as usual despite the rhetoric and to hunker down for the eventual pendulum swing back to the left. “Maybe I am overreacting, there’s too many good people, systems, and checks that would stop the worst aspects from happening, surely…”
The best time to act was 4 (or even 8) years ago. The second best time is NOW. “It could never happen here” is so damn entrenched in the subconscious of our society people refuse to see the evidence in front of their eyes.
“But we don’t make it illegal to be homeless. We just put spikes on all our benches, shut down all the shelters, and had police crack down on “loitering.” You can be homeless if you want…just do it over there. I have my property values to worry about.”
This country makes you sick, because it IS sick.
The problem with this is there are actual Neo-Nazis in the government and MAGA militias. Regardless of what bad actors or the twitter mob that doesn’t know any better say, if it looks like a Nazi, shouts like a Nazi, and salutes like a Nazi…
Have you checked The Big List of Protests for your local area?
Good comment.
Only have one thing to add: Americans are woefully out of practice when it comes to protesting, or being otherwise politically active. Most have never even been to one. Many can’t even conceive of the process of going to one, let alone where to start to find information about one. And this is after decades of protesters being demonized or mocked (or misconstrued, to your point about demands being obfuscated) in the media.
I think foreigners, especially ones from other wealthy countries, don’t realize how powerless the average American feels. “You’re the wealthiest country in the history of the world!” Sure, but that’s all bundled at the top. Most of us are struggling to stay housed (hell, half of us are literally one missed paycheck away from homelessness–and this is in a country with dystopic care for the homeless). Hard for someone to imagine traveling 12+ hours away (assuming they even own a car) for a single protest in a major city when they are hungry.
Of course, this is by design and we should fight anyway. Doesn’t change the harsh reality of the hurdles in the way.
Reminds me of grade school again. Get bullied, nothing happens. Fight back, get punished.
Only in this case the school is Reddit, the bully is DOGE tearing the country apart, and fighting back is posting memes. What a world.
Still can’t get over the Republicans out there with “Support Tesla” signs. Do they know it is an EV company?
Gee, they really can’t stop proving how small-minded they are with their constant projection, huh?
“The liberal meanies keep accusing me of doing a propaganda…well, I’m gonna tell everyone THEY are doing a propaganda instead!” This is how a child’s mind works, jfc.
Very well put.
Yeah, this is why the term “scientific racism” grinds my gears so much, including when people balk at the phrase “race is a social construct”. If these people actually cared about the science, the notion of “scientific racism” would last about as long as it takes for it to enter their head. They cherry pick studies and sources to confirm their pre-existing prejudices.
Let’s gooooooo!
In 2024, Spartz voted against a crucial $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, shortly after being accused by a primary challenger of prioritizing aid to Ukraine over domestic Republican priorities including the border wall. Her vote against the U.S. aid for Ukraine came just three days after a Russian missile strike on Chernihiv, where her family lived, killed 18 civilians and injured 78. Having previously been lauded in Chernihiv for her life story and as “one of their own”, some inhabitants reactions were described as pride turning into “anger” and a “sense of betrayal” due to her vote against the aid, intensified after the Russian bombing during rush hour on her hometown.
This is after years of advocating for sending aid to Ukraine. Wonder what changed?
It is deeply frustrating that the vast majority of Americans agree on most things (at least we did a few years ago), and yet we fight each other over arbitrary nonsense anyway.
I’d also mention that the Dems are profoundly unpopular right now. I can’t tell you many Trump voters I’ve talked to the past few weeks that have a short circuit when I tell them that I hate the Dems too, probably more than they do. Many Trump voters (and non-voters for that matter) are as Anti-Dem as they are Pro-Trump, if not moreso.
I’m not sure how to convince these people to vote for a Democrat in the short term. Even if in the long term the goal is a new party or a radical restructuring of the current one.
Seeing the numbers laid out, even though I already knew it was bad, is profoundly depressing.
They want to go back to a past that doesn’t exist except in their minds.
Bring water and know where the bathrooms are. Wear comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather.
Seems obvious, but if you are going to be standing around the same spot for a few hours this will help. Also it is easy to get bored out there (depending on what the organizers have prepared) so don’t forget to mingle with the other protesters. You meet lots of interesting people at these events and you’ll never run out of engaging conversations to have.