Our future has been completely stolen. Things could get better, but don't expect it in your lifetime. It took Germany 70 years to recover from Hitler, if you need a reality check.

Come to terms with this. Forgive no one who willingly let Trump and his sychophants steal the rest of your years from you.

rsmurphy wrote: Sun Apr 06, 2025 8:31 am

Shananiganz wrote: Sun Apr 06, 2025 7:41 am

rsmurphy wrote: Sun Apr 06, 2025 7:33 am People are dead, dying, or have been physically and/or psychologically assaulted because of maga and the hate it inspires. It will take a lot more than an acknowledgement of fault to begin to set things right. Their come to Jesus moment is because they have suddenly found themselves in the crosshairs instead of being active or passive supporters on the sidelines.

I don't fuck with racists, nazis, or misogynists. They would need to prove their contrition by taking some sort of action to repair the damage they've caused and not hollow speech because their 401k tanked or they've lost jobs. They can get bent.

That is true. This whole thing is so fucking bizarre - and horrible - people are dying because some people are dissatisfied with... Uh, what? It's really hard to see from here why MAGA is pushing your country to civil war or genocide.

Because they are still smarting from their loss in 1865 - it's generational. It's pathological. Forgive the cliché but this is America, it's always been. People en masse have finally received the message only because it's landed on their doorstep. Better late than never ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The personal is political (another relevant cliche). To put a finer point on my original thought: an individual's actions and the fate of an entire voting demographic are two different things. You don't get a do over as an active nazi. There might be an Edward Norton redemption arc somewhere but that is a burdensome hypothetical and I don't know that guy anyway, so yeah fuck that guy. But meanwhile I won't cheer while Ohio burns. I want all of them to have social security. If we ever get this country together I won't slap reasonably priced medication out of someone's hand based on their voting record.

A deeper question is whether every Trump voter is full MAGA. There is a racist/nativist streak running through those millions but I don't know how we come back without some of these people joining up.

losthighway wrote: Sun Apr 06, 2025 10:04 am A deeper question is whether every Trump voter is full MAGA. There is a racist/nativist streak running through those millions but I don't know how we come back without some of these people joining up.

Like, even if they aren't at the very least they don't care which makes 'em just as guilty. Can they become reformed? I guess so but it would take a lot of self-reflection; it happened to Mark Wahlberg! Just kidding, but it has happened. There's this guy, Christian Picciolini, who used to be a violent, racist Chicago skinhead but got out and decided to live his life as aggressively anti-racist as he could. But I'll leave that up to those questioning their life choices. Leave me/us out of it. They need to do the work themselves.

Speaking of testing MAGA loyalties - I’m in Asia waiting for the US stock market to open. Kind of weird viewing the the American news on its nightshift - normally this kind of doomscrolling is reserved for attacks of insomnia.

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 5:01 am Speaking of testing MAGA loyalties - I’m in Asia waiting for the US stock market to open. Kind of weird viewing the the American news on its nightshift - normally this kind of doomscrolling is reserved for attacks of insomnia.

Futures are looking pretty grim.

Gramsci wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 6:56 am

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 5:01 am Speaking of testing MAGA loyalties - I’m in Asia waiting for the US stock market to open. Kind of weird viewing the the American news on its nightshift - normally this kind of doomscrolling is reserved for attacks of insomnia.

Futures are looking pretty grim.

Yeah, I'm weirdly waiting to see the dive. Hopefully Tesla takes an even bigger shit than the last few weeks.

The most interesting take I’ve seen from economists is the world potentially turning its back on the US. Rather than fighting like rats in a sack as Trump wants everyone just says “fuck you” and deepens trade without the US at the table.

This is entirely possible and would result in US decline accelerating beyond its current slow deflation. What governments and businesses hate the most from this is the deliberate chaos.

cakes wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:27 am It needs to be sais out loud--even though it's obvious--that the only reason our system worked for over two centuries until now is because people respected the rules, even when working through the loopholes. It's just shown how flimsy the system is, because even though Trump is a clown, everyone expects the president to be... Well, presidential.

Do we even have a country anymore if our leaders just ignore a piece of paper that says we are?

I've heard it referred to over here as the 'good chap' theory. You can do any number of horrific things, just so long as it's either within the 'rules' or kept out of public view. You get caught with your pants down, you take the golden parachute and come back in an overpaid consultancy capacity ('play by the rules, there's a good chap')

I don't understand how a system that both rewards and is so vulnerable to psychopathy and narcissism managed to last as long as it did.

In an even remotely-sane country, he would be deemed unfit for office. The billionaire class can burn in hell.

One possible bright spot is we might see Musk and Trump go for each other's throats by the end of the week. Fuck 'em all.