This is only because we have fire departments.
this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2026
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Late Stage Capitalism
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Give it a few years, and we won't even have porn...
Come to Texas, it's nearly like that. A VPN is required to get porn
We can still protest. We still have a legal right to free speech. It's not worth the hyperbole. It also perpetuates a misconception that authoritarianism doesn't allow for protests and free speech.
The model we are emulating is competitive authoritarianism. For the past four decades it has been an increasingly popular form of government.
There will be elections. There will be protests. There will be opposing parties and anti-government speech.
But the tables will be tilted heavily. They will allow small opposition wins, but the majority will stay with one party.
Speech won't be illegal, but you will be harassed. Asked questions by law enforcement. Press will be sued.
They will leverage the private/public surveillance apparatus to monitor public sentiment on all topics and how far they can push (and release pressure when needed) and what opposition to monitor/harass. Decades of data from political science, sociology, and psychology will make this an art.
It's dangerous if we perpetuate the idea that authoritarianism only exists when we can't protest or say anti-government things. The underlying institutional foundations are being changed now. The referees are being captured now. Press and citizens can legally say what they want, but the chilling effect is happening now.
We need more mobilization. Hyperbolic takes and not being clear on what authoritarianism actually looks like in the 21st century will make it harder.
this nerdy declaration of facts serves what purpose? the OP's points would ring true with your average american and make them think deeper about the culture they live in and the dynamics swirling around them.
right-wingers don't care about facts and it would appear year after year after year that militantly pointing to all these obvious contradictions and mistruths never accomplishes anything, no more than it does to the religious zealot that ignores the gospels.
but anyone left of center is expected to lay down absolute undisputable facts at all times.
who does that help?
The pot is calling the kettle black.
I broadly agree, but the idea that the USA doesn't have protests at all is overstating the case to an obvious degree, given the widespread coverage each No Kings protest gets, with particular emphasis on how large the crowds are. One could argue that these protests are ineffective, but the phrasing in the OP is "no protests", which is provably wrong.
I point this out because in my experience, when attempting to persuade, it's better to make 99 good points than to make 99 good points and 1 weak one. Because people hostile to your overall argument will focus on that 1 weak point and make it seem (to casual observers) like your entire argument must be that weak.
To put in in perspective, China has over 10,000 protests every year, and the CPC responds to the vast majority of the grievances that triggered them, imprisoning corrupt local officials, fixing infrastructure, etc. That’s why the satisfaction rating with the central government is at 90+%.
If the protest is meaningless then it is effectively the same as not even being allowed. One could argue it’s almost worse because it gives the illusion of the right.
the idea that the USA doesn’t have protests at all is overstating the case
One could argue that these protests are ineffective
I believe the argument is that they are functionally criminalized.
Protesting is legal.
You are describing a chilling effect. Those weapons are not used at all protests and that is the point. They want you think twice before going to protest. Still though, in general, it's not criminal to attend or organize a protest.
It's good that you and everyone here knows that these things are happening. If the twitter post was just speaking to the choir, then what's the point? Circle jerk to make us feel better? Retweets and upvotes aren't going to save us.
If the post is trying to reach people and wake them up, then they are speaking to people who are not aware of the story you cited. To them it just seems like OP is lying and the post does nothing to help anything.
Protesting is legal.
If the police are shooting you in the face with teargas and dragging you away in handcuffs, it does not appear to be.
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How about no protests where you don't feel like your government is putting you on a list?
Sure, but my point is that if that's what you mean then that's what you should say. It's important to keep a message simple, but not at the expense of honesty. Otherwise a lot of people tune out.
Not even capitalism right now, it's full on fascism.
Fascism is the inevitable result of capitalism.
Fascism is the inevitable result of all government. Government is an accumulation of power, and it continues to accumulate power throughout its existence. Over the generations, it acquires more and more power exponentially.
Fascism is the inevitable result of all government. Government is an accumulation of power, and it continues to accumulate power throughout its existence. Over the generations, it acquires more and more power exponentially.
Every self serving entity desires to accumulate power. The same can be said of anything that serves itself and can last beyond a single generation. A family, a commune, a group of like minded individuals, a business or a corporation, etc.
The goal should be for the organization to serve it's membership and for the organization's membership to include everyone. Capitalism's values and incentives are inherently self serving. Most capitalist "market theory" assumes, if not requires, self serving participants. Its an inherently self-destructive system.
And every product looks the same and has shitty quality
Finally got my full bill for my no-insurance emergency “we have to do this or you die” surgery from a month ago. (At least I think that’s it - who knows if I’ll get more random “I was in the room for five minutes that’ll be $1000” bills)
$24,000. That’s after the self-pay discount from something like $300,000. I’m making around $2400 this month.
Hey hey! 29k just a month ago! I cried until I laughed because that's absurd, I'll literally never pay that off
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