Nearly a third of Americans – 30% – say people may have to resort to violence in order to get the country back on track, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll.
It’s a sharp rise from 18 months ago, when 19% of Americans said the same.
It’s a horrific moment to see that people honestly believe that there’s no other alternative at this point than to resort to political violence.
I mean… is it? I think it’s pretty obvious in the context of the regime essentially giving itself carte blanch to perpetrate political violence on its desired scapegoats and opponents.
I’m frankly getting pretty fucking tired of people complaining about how this is a startling development and being shocked by what’s happening. They wrote a playbook back in 2019. They published it on the open internet. They said they would follow it. They are now following it. You are not allowed to be surprised by any of this.
This country is BUILT on political violence. The revolutionary war. The civil war. Hundreds of thousands of people died in those conflicts. Only more recently have non-violent protests accomplished anything and that was only possible because of the more free atmosphere those wars established in this country. That freedom is now almost entirely gone. What choice do people have left?
Incredibly recently. The Civil Rights movement included advocacy for political violence, and arguably one of the only reasons it worked was Malcolm X and the Black Panthers saying “hey here’s our alternative if our nonviolent fight doesn’t work, we’re all strapped and willing to hand out more guns if shit requires it”.
Don’t forget the riots and strikes between 1900 and 1920 (or 30?).
Successful application of violence today is complicated by the sophistication of surveillance and the electronic, centralized distribution of money.
It’s difficult to pull together a large enough coalition to be able to fight effectively because the process of finding those people is short circuited by early discovery.
Nonviolence is the only way until a large enough segment of the population is desperate enough to trigger action.
Before that happens, effective leaders must be found and a support network must be readied to go into action quickly to professionalize and unify it when it happens, but before that is used to manage nonviolent action…
While I agree that non-violent is the way to go, I think we need to change our definition of “violence.”
Property destruction should not be considered violent. Especially when precautions are specifically taken to ensure that no people were harmed during act of property destruction or sabotage.
On the other side of things, actions such as destroying wildlife habitat or polluting the air, water, and soil systems of the Earth should be considered “violence.” It is violence towards all of humanity, and towards life itself.
This is just people waking up to reality. Trump has the White House, the senate, the House of Representatives, and the courts. He controls the military and has already begun deployment to “democratic” cities. His buddy in Texas is redistricting to help him consolidate power, and I am sure Abbot is not the only one. Every move Trump makes is designed to cripple opposition to his regime. Republican states are purging voter rolls and enacting bullshit laws designed to disenfranchise people of colour.
Milquetoast democrats have made only the most pathetic gestures of opposition to Trump. The first genuine thing Trump ever said was when he expressed surprise yesterday at how little resistance he has faced from the left. Republicans were right about one thing: the American left is a bunch of pussies.
If more Americans think political violence is the only way out of the mess Americans made, it’s probably because they are starting to develop a vague but accurate understanding of what is happening in their country.
Perhaps the Democratic Socialists (DS) can become the unifying source of resistance. They are the ones fighting, but there are too few to have political impact.
It’s up to the citizens to back them, and the DS must drum up the leaders and present them so citizens can choose them.
I think the DS values are the closest to the new deal approach that made America a wildly successful nation and beacon for just treatment of humans.
Heck, Europe and Japan took their governing cues from America during the Marshall plan. They are examples of following the ideals our leaders used to value. This is the real “make america great again”.
This is my fondest wish. I think many Americans are ready to rally around someone mounting a serious opposition to Trump, but no one has stepped up so far. I love Bernie and i believe he is important to the movement, but they need a young, charismatic, inspiring leader to start getting very loud about the real situation in the US. It will be an uphill battle because the media have been captured by people either cowed by or sympathetic to Trump. Maybe Lemmy can be the platform for DS in the states. Legacy media has failed (with maybe 1-2 exceptions).
Well, I think AOC is leading the fight, but she needs support to become a major player politically. Mamdavi is evidence of her rising power, and he can now be one of those leaders.
Jasmine Crockett is another. Sure, not DS, but easily a coalition member. I hope there is strong effort foran revolution of leadership in the Democratic Party.
Mamdani
Thanks.
Nearly a third of Americans – 30% – say people may have to resort to violence in order to get the country back on track,
Did the survey question specify what “the right track” is?
Because MAGA has a very different definition than progressives do.
It’s alright we don’t have to listen to a word they say. They’re not American anymore, they’re traitor magats.
They control all 3 branches of government and basically every local PD and Sheriff’s department.
So don’t listen, but be prepared to not listen as they’re screaming in your ear.
Gee, almost as if Russian propaganda is working.
Before the Civil War one politician opined that if a war started you’d be able to mop up all the blood spilled with one handkerchief.
Anyone who thinks a new fight will be any easier has probably never been in a real fight.
So which hashtag would you use to end slavery?
Let’s turn it around.
I say violence won’t work.
Please explain in detail how you see the conflict going. I mean, I’m certain that the same people who couldn’t get past the DNC to get Bernie nominated will have no problem facing off against “military contractors” hired by the billionaire class.
Details, please.
I mean, I dread whatever violence is upcoming. But the reality is liberation has never happened with solely nonviolent means. Even King and Ghandi were buttressed by groups that used a variety of tactics, including violence, to force the state to come to the table with them.
This isn’t to advocate indiscriminate or senseless violence, but if your resistance group is nonviolent, and condemn any violence by other resistance groups, they have severely limited the range of tactics acceptable for use, and cede the power of justified violence to those in power only.
There’s a good book called “How Nonviolence Protects the State” that goes into depth on this, you should check it out.
Hi, my name is ICE, off to a death camp for you, according to me and my paramilitary goon squad who broke into your house/apartment at 3 am.
Don’t bother arguing, that’s what the gag and spit hood are for.
Violence is already here.
Thoughts and prayers are not an effective defense.
I would suggest either hiding, very, very well, which is probably impossible for most social media addicts who’ve publicized half of their existence, and for morons who think that their VPN isn’t keeping logs that can all be subpoenaed by the government…
Or maybe some kind of actual local community organizing, involving you know, actually speaking with your neighbors in meatspace, getting to know them, forming at bare minimum a plan for how to deal with say, food shortage, brown out/black out, etc.
And what’s the plan?
Going to start shooting Federal officers in the street?
Here’s what happens; Federal government shuts down the power to the whole city. Mobilizes the National Guard. Brings in overseas ‘military contractors’ like after Katrina.
Meanwhile, the 0.001% is at its beach house on Bali.
That all happens if you do nothing as well.
Infact it literally already is happening, half of what you describe as a potential reaction.
I am not going to give you the plan on an unsecured, publically accessible communication platform, you are a moron for asking for that.
I, personally, am crippled, and plan to do nothing and remain as close to an unthreatening digital ghost as possible.
That might, might actually work for me, because I am white, and have never registered as any kind of party affiliated voter, have never given my biometric data to any company or device for any reason, haven’t been on an air flight in 20 years, don’t have any social presence beyond this here psuedonomyous account.
Maybe you could start your plan with learning some basic opsec.
We need a general strike. The country would be brought to its knees if deprived of profit and labor. That tactic was extremely effective in Chile in 2019, and had they not fallen for the trick of liberal reform, they would’ve had a successful revolution on their hands with virtually no bloodshed.
If you aren’t in a union, then please consider joining the IWW to unionize your workplace (bonus: you’ll get higher wages, better benefits, and more time off if you succeed!) to strengthen a general strike if we finally manage to enact one (the UAW is planning one for May 1st 2028, but it could happen sooner)
And for our international friends, you should join one as well, as fascism is gaining momentum globally. If your country isn’t listed below, just contact the IWW directly in the link above.
Can you afford not to get paid for 2 weeks? If so you’re in the minority. Most people can’t. Not to mention they have kids they are worried about, medical conditions that they can barely afford even with insurance. Rising housing and grocery costs. Etc…
I’m not trying to be a downer. I would love to see this happen, but we need a “realistic” way to accomplish it, to convince a majority to participate.
Can they afford to live under a fascist dictatorship that crushes dissenters and disappears citizens at will? It seems that by “realistic” resistance you mean “without inconvenience” but we’re never going to get to that point. That seems to be what people are hoping for and it just doesn’t work that way. The longer we wait the more sacrifice will be required.
No I mean “realistic” as in getting enough people to participate that it would actually have an impact.
On track to what …for fuck sakes?
Healthcare, housing, hope
And you think violence will get that?
No, I think the violence is a symptom, and that political violence is happening and we have to stop pretending it’s not. This is the state we’re in, no amount of crackdowns or “turning down the temperature” is going to change things
If you look at the cause, it’s obvious there’s just going to be more and more violence. That’s what happens when you make people desperate, and people are getting more and more desperate
Actually, yes.
The ruling class has such a stranglehold on power, the only way to take it away from them is to take it back by force.
They will never give up willingly and have more than enough resources to make sure people like you are complacent in their abuse.
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
Suprisingly, both of them are on the same side of the barricade.
Yea for sure, suck the copium. There is a reason why patriots rhymes perfectly with idiots
Those are nationalists, not patriots. They love tyrants.
Depends on how you define “patriot”. If it is strictly nationalism, then yeah. If you define “patriot” as someone who loves, in this context, democracy and human dignity, then I would disagree.
Every patriot loves his country as long as it’s feed with propaganda and lies about it. Ah, and as long as patriot is in the gaining side of the country. If not, they will start spreading bullshit about “the other group is not group of true patriots”.
Idiots rhymes with patriots perfectly, and for me it’s the perfect comedy.
magats are not patriots.
Patriots love their country and criticize it when its wrong.
Nationalists create a fantasy narrative of what their concept of a “country” is, and think that’s the best thing in the world.
I probably fit into the category of “patriot”, I love the multiculturalism of the US, I love the progress that has been made on Civil Rights and the protection of people with disabilities and recognition of the rights of LGBT+ people, I love the constitution (well… some parts need to be tweaked), the 1st and 2nd amendments, separation of powers, the idea that “American” is not a race, but an ideal; And I do recognize that the history is dark and those dark history should be taught so we can prevent those from happening, and I do NOT support this administration’s blatant violation of the constitution and anyone involved should be thrown in jail.
These “nationalists” don’t even love the country, they do not support freedom, they are traitors, and should be dealt with accordingly.
magats are not patriots.
They are. That’s the dirty truth of the Post-Cold War state of the nation. What we’re getting a taste of is authentic Real Americana.
All the flowery liberal hagiographies of noble, selfless liberty lovers was propaganda. Trump is the beating heart of American oligarchy. And the oligarchs have had this country by the throat since the day settlers put boots on the soil of the New World.
These “nationalists” don’t even love the country, they do not support freedom
The “freedom” this country promises is a lie. It’s the old Auschwitz line. “Work shall set you free”. Horseshit. These people want to work you into your grave.
They are. That’s the dirty truth of the Post-Cold War state of the nation. What we’re getting a taste of is authentic Real Americana.
You are getting a taste of long running russian media manipulation, enabled by rich oligarchs who care more about their power and money than country.
A russian literally wrote the book on how to take down the country.
And this shit thats happening right now is literally what was written in it.
You’re not seeing anything authentically americana from the right. You are seeing gullible idiots manipulated by outside forces to destroy the very ground they stand on out from under themselves, and do it while praising a country that they and their predecessors hated and vilified as the great communist evil.
A russian literally wrote the book on how to take down the country.
Sorry bro, but the calls are coming from inside the house.
Part Two of Washington Bullets begins with a nine point manual on how the US goes about enacting regime change against those who defy their interests. Prashad uses the events of the 1954 CIA backed coup of Jocobo Arbenz in Guatemala, and a myriad of other examples, to describe the repeated strategies used by the CIA, and other regime change arms of the US State Department. There are patterns of imperialism which play out again and again. Understanding these patterns is vital when analyzing what the State Department is currently looking to do to their enemies such as China, Venezuela, and Iran.
The first step in any US regime change effort is to manufacture public support for intervention. This involves a propaganda campaign not just at home, but also within the target Nation. Prior to the coup in Guatemala, journalists from NYT, Chicago Tribune, and TIME all received payments from the United Fruit, the multinational company which dominated Guatemala. In reality Arbenz was a popular leader who sought to enact minor land reforms. In the media he was portrayed as a dangerous communist, drunk with power. As the US corporate media fell in line, the CIA filled the streets of Guatemala with anti-Arbenz propaganda. This strategy of propagandizing both the American Public, and the people of whatever country the US is targeting, has been repeated again and again. Libya, Syria, and Venezuela have all seen money from the West used to bolster right wing media campaigns inside their borders. Control of public opinion has been one of the most vital components to US regime change efforts from the beginning.
Step four in Prashad’s manual of regime change is to “Make the Economy Scream.” A reference to directions given by Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon to the CIA in 1970, as the US looked to overthrow the Democratically elected Salvadore Allende in Chile. Here we see a vital component of what Prashad calls ‘hybrid war.’ Isolating from the world those Nations who seek to develop themselves, and reclaim their own natural resources. Sanctions and blockades are used to starve smaller nations of financing and trade, as corporate media outlets point and say “look. Don’t you see socialism clearly doesn’t work?” US sanctions recently led to many deaths in Venezuela and Iran during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the US has continued their murderous regime change efforts, with techniques they designed almost 70 years ago.”
A russian literally wrote the book on how to take down the country.
Which Russian, the one that says gay atheists take down the country or the one that says gay Jews take down the country?
Russia pushes every angle. The point is to spread division.
FTFY
“Israel pushes every angle. The point is to spread division.”
FTFY
You are getting a taste of long running Israel media manipulation, enabled by rich oligarchs who care more about their power and money than country.
They literally are. The same goes for Israelis commiting genocides, as to the Russians commiting it. All of them are patriots to the fullest, and you can suck you copium freely, because as it seems, you are very simillar to them. Just waiting for your own patriotic front to be on the rise.
That’s part of why I’m neither a patriot nor a tyrant.
