Older?

I’ve always felt like Star Wars the original 3 (4,5 and 6) were a product of their time. They aren’t bad movies but they aren’t great movies either, but for whatever reason they struck a chord with the population in the late 70’s and early 80’s. George Lucas should have just let them be there really was no reason to make any more of them, but money.

History shows us that you can safely assume Trump is lying when he says something will be good for the Amrican people. Full stop.

FTFY

I seem to remember a story from trumps first term that there was a few hundred children that went missing from their detention centers and ICE didn’t have a clue as to where they went.

Did this happen? And was there any follow up?

Because if it’s true then ICE has been at the very least turning a blind eye towards human trafficking for years.

Another data point (if you needed one) that republicans and billionaires only give a shit about something when it affects them personally.

Illegal deportations - not their problem

threats to journalists - not their problem

dehumanizing specific groups of people - not their problem

thousands of federal employees losing their jobs overnight - not their problem

defying constitutional amendments - not their problem

Fuck with their ability to hoard more money - Shit we need to do something!

Its right up there with the bumper stickers I saw that said “I want MY country back!”

Guess the race, gender and age of the driver of that car - Bonus points to guess the type and design on the cap they were wearing.

“The changes haven’t affected me (yet) so I have no problem with it”

When you don’t have a solid social safety net, 30+ years of indoctrination of “individualism good, family and friend support bad”, a medical system that is built for profit and generations of both subtle and obvious propaganda that the more money you have the better of a person you are, I can understand why people protect their small stack of chips.

well, it’s been a quick and painful way to educate the American population on specific economic theories and topics

shifting to the right instead of listening to the massive calls for more progressive policies

My thought is that the center-right Democrats that hold power in the federal government saw what happened to the center-right Republicans when MAGA took over, the centrist lost power to the more right leaning politicians. If the centrist Democrats do the same they will lose power as well. So their strategy has been to ignore and undermine the more left leaning policies and candidates so they can stay in power longer.

Just the opposite.

With the potential of medical expenses rising, medication costs going up, insurance becoming shittier (if you’ll be able to afford it at all), staying healthy to continue to earn a paycheck (that is a depressing phrase), the potential of wide spread violence, I think its imperative to be as healthy and strong as you can be.

You may also find yourself in a position where you’re the only one you can count on and if you are sickly, and weak then it will make things that much worse. Or you may find yourself in a position to help someone that has less ability to move and you’ll need to be in good health for their sake.

I think that most billionaires are clueless to how savagely hated they are by the larger population.

I’ve always thought that most trump supporters just projected what they wanted trump to be on to him and trump never corrected them. Why would he?

so it’s no surprise to hear these regrets because their false images of him are cracking and they don’t know what to do.

This is a realization that I’ve come to:

that humans survive (and thrive) when there is a genuine organization based in part on empathy. When a human tries to disrupt this organization for their own gain then it’s in the best interest of the group to ostracize and remove that human from the group.

it was 2 years ago but I got perma banned for saying some trump’s cult members are mouth breathing rednecks. Or at least I think that was the case all I was told was my account was banned for violating the “rules”. I appealed by asking what rules I violated - the canned response was “we reviewed your appeal and are holding up our ban of your account.”

Haven’t been back to the site since and don’t miss it.

I’ve been bitching about this for a few months now. I think that someone will step up to the plate at some point but as of right now I don’t know who that is…

As for the other movements - I don’t think it’s just the right-leaning media that paints these left leaning protests in a bad light, the more “middle of the road” media does the same. I think that most of the agitators are plants by law enforcement, with the purpose of giving them a valid argument to use overwhelming force to shut the protest down.

The media eats up this violent protestors narrative for the ratings and for their ability to convince people to not engage or become a part of what is going on.

If there isn’t enough violence to report on the on the street journalists will interview the dumbest person they can find to show the viewers that it’s just a bunch of idiots out here that don’t really know how the “real world” works.

If neither one of those tactics work then the politicians will get involved and try to take over the movement so they can get more exposure and then start to water down the message of the protestors.

If that doesn’t work then the politicians will “negotiate” with the leaders but do it in a way that puts the protestors in a bad light. Like doing a full media blitz where the dirty looking, young protest leaders are walked into a large well appointed room with a bunch of well groomed politicians and using this lopsided power dynamic of the media and the environment start to pick apart the arguments of the protestors making them look weak and ineffective.

I’m sure there are many other tactics that are used to keep the plebeians at bay.

I write all of this to say that if there isn’t a well spoken, intelligent, charismatic, strong leader to this movement, it will get shut down.

Ex-spouse: (on the phone with parents) My ex-wife has invited us over for beef wellington.

Ex-spouse’s parents: Hasn’t she tried to kill you like four times before? Why would you accept this invitation?

Ex-spouse: well her beef wellington is to die for!

Ex-spouse’s parents: Well that’s good enough for us, were in see you a 6

Yet to many of this followers these stories are all just bullshit lefty propaganda to smear the name of their great leader. They aren’t completely dumb they just have been brainwashed to only believe certain people and certain news organizations.

This is a great starting list from @Doctor_Satan@lemmy.world to questions I had about running for office, because it does seem overwhelming:

Definitely good questions. I couldn’t find any “Beginners Guide to Running for Office”, so I sat up for a while chugging coffee and reading a whole bunch of local election board websites and other related sources, and this is what I came up with. This is by no means a comprehensive list or plan, but I tried to break down the main components of running for a local office in the most general terms possible, so it could be applied more broadly.

Preparation

Figure out which office you want to run for, where you think you can make the most difference with your skill-set in your community.
Research the responsibilities of the office you’re seeking. Attend school board or city council (or whatever) meetings to see how they operate. Take lots of notes or record it if allowed.
Identify key issues in your community, your potential opponents, and the demographics of your district.
Clearly articulate why you’re running and what you hope to achieve. This will be the foundation of your campaign.
Check your local election board for eligibility requirements like residency, age, filing deadlines, and paperwork.
    Here’s a portal to all state and local election offices - https://www.usa.gov/state-election-office
    Leon County, Florida Supervisor of Elections has a great breakdown that should give you a general idea of the necessary requirements, deadlines, and paperwork - https://www.leonvotes.gov/Candidates-Elected-Officials-and-Campaign-Finance/How-to-Run-for-Local-Office

Campaign Team

Campaign Manager: Appoint someone to oversee operations. Preferably someone with some political savvy and/or managerial experience.
Treasurer: Appoint someone to manage finances and ensure compliance with campaign finance laws.
Volunteers: Recruit a team of dedicated volunteers for canvassing, phone banking, and event support. The number of volunteers will vary, depending on the size of your campaign, but there’s no such thing as too many.
Advisors: Network with local community leaders and activists who share your vision, and listen to them. They have their ears to the ground, and can offer critical advice on what your community needs.

Campaign Strategy

Set a budget and determine how much money you’ll need for materials, advertising, and events. Focus on grassroots fundraising. This seems to be the most difficult part with no clear answer, so look into the campaign financing of previous candidates running for the same office to get an idea of how much it’ll likely cost.
Develop a clear, concise message that resonates with voters.
Identify your base and tailor your outreach to their concerns.
Map out key milestones like filing deadlines, debates, voter registration deadlines, and Election Day. Set realistic goals to accomplish by those dates.

Build Your Brand

Create a professional logo and a memorable slogan that reflects your values. Say what you want about Trump, but “Make America Great Again” and “MAGA” are a great slogan/logo combo. It’s simple, clear, and easy to remember.
Build a simple website with your bio, platform, and contact info. Use social media to engage voters and share updates.
Print flyers, yard signs, and business cards to distribute in the community.

Community Engagement

Knock on doors to introduce yourself and listen to voters concerns.
Show up at community gatherings, fairs, and town halls to build visibility.
Organize meet-and-greets, town halls, or fundraisers to connect with voters.
Seek support from local leaders, organizations, and activists to boost your credibility and visibility.
Volunteer at homeless shelters, food banks, and other places. Even just a day here and there can make all the difference. Engage with employees, customers, and residents about your campaign. Listen to their concerns, and offer viable solutions.

Fundraising

Focus on grassroots fundraising by asking friends, family, and community members for small contributions.
Set up a donation portal on your website and promote it on social media.
Keep detailed records of all donations and expenses to comply with campaign finance laws.

Messaging

Send press releases to local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations to announce your candidacy and major events.
Participate in candidate debates and forums to showcase your platform.
Post regularly about your platform, events, and endorsements. Engage with people in the comments.
Send postcards or letters to targeted voters highlighting your key issues.

Get People to Vote

Help eligible voters register before the deadline.
Encourage supporters to vote early or by mail if available.
Organize volunteers to remind voters to cast their ballots and offer rides to the polls if needed.

Again, this is by no means a comprehensive, foolproof plan. I didn’t include many resources, because requirements, deadlines, and paperwork all vary by state and county. These just seemed to be the most common points I picked up from a number of sources, and should at least give you an idea of how and what to research further.

Personally, I have no ambition to run for office because I’m already 50 and don’t want to add to the pool of geriatrics running this country. We need to hand the torch to young people. That said, I will help any way I can if someone younger wants to run. Speech writing, phone banking, logo design, or pretty much anything else, I will gladly offer my services for free.

What are the realistic potential outcomes of everything going on?

Not sure. I don’t think anyone really is.

Part of the reason that there are not big protest yet is that many many people that do disagree with the administration have/had been looking towards the Democratic party to fight back. But that isn’t happening which is adding to the shock and awe of things. Truly Americans don’t really know what to do and without a large organizing presence to help drive a big push back there really isn’t anything being done.

I do hope that someone steps up soon and starts to organize a push back. Haven’t seen it yet.