4 ms·

I understand why these things have to be posted, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't utterly exhausted by the constant shit that the Trump administrati

I understand why these things have to be posted, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't utterly exhausted by the constant shit that the Trump administration is spitting at us. I mean, I get it, bad shit needs to be reported on, the Trump admin does a lot of bad shit, it makes sense, but it's just extremely tiring. I know that's kind of the point, to bombard us with all this shit all at once so that we are exhausted and withdraw, but I kind of just wish that about half of America had just elected a fucking grownup instead of a stupid manchild and his Diablo-cheating South African toadie (or maybe the other way around). I vote in every election that I am legally allowed to vote in, and I'm not sure what else I can do. I guess just stay informed and prepare for four more years of being exhausted.

Afforess 2y ago
Voting is the minimum of civic duty, not the maximum.
- tombert 2y ago
  Sure. What are you doing outside of voting?
  - Afforess 2y ago
    I’m an active DSA member. What about you?
    - bmitc 2y ago
      And how is that attacking the problems that led here?
      - Afforess 2y ago
        [flagged]
    - tombert 2y ago
      Sure, but is that actually doing something? This isn't meant to be passive aggressive; presumably if you're advertising it, you're doing more than "just being a member", I'm just curious what that is.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - bongodongobob 2y ago
    Civil disobedience. There's an entire spectrum of what you can do with that.
- sheepscreek 2y ago
  Regarding civic duty, I would start by “being civil with your fellow citizens”. The irony is not lost on me. Edit: To be clear, my comment is not aimed at you. I mean we’re missing the A in the ABCs of civic duty. It’s each person for themselves.
  - Afforess 2y ago
    How was my response uncivil? Your reply is bad faith because it provides no evidence.
    - sheepscreek 2y ago
      I didn’t intend to offend you, neither did I mean to say you were wrong. I apologize if my words came across that way. My point was a play on the word “civil” and how the bare minimum duty of a citizen should be to love thy neighbour.
- timewizard 2y ago
  Voting is not a civic duty. I have every right NOT to vote. It's my voice and I can use it as I please. Forcing me into a ballot box to pick between two awful choices is not civilized.
  - tombert 2y ago
    I didn't force you to do anything. No one did. I'm just judging you.
    - timewizard 2y ago
      > I'm just judging you. Ah so your sense of civics is that easy to depart with? I take it you think no one could judge you for your position?
      - tombert 2y ago
        > Ah so your sense of civics is that easy to depart with? I don't really agree with the sentiment of "be nice to people doing stupid stuff" that seems to permeate around here, so it's not really a "gotcha" to point out that I'm being a judgmental asshole. > I take it you think no one could judge you for your position? I don't give a shit if people judge me. I have my opinions. You're free to think that position is stupid if you want. There's eight billion other people on this planet, there's always going to be people who think my opinions are stupid. I think yours is stupid. It's a beautiful system.
        timewizard 2y ago
        > I don't really agree with the sentiment of "be nice to people doing stupid stuff" What is your goal? > I don't give a shit if people judge me. I have my opinions. People would hear more of them if they weren't so coarse. Be generous. You'd might be surprised what you're missing.
        tombert 2y ago
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
kmeisthax 2y ago
You might have an interest in this: https://globalcomment.com/how-to-defeat-an-autocrat-flocking-behaviour/ https://globalcomment.com/how-to-defeat-an-autocrat-flocking...
- outside1234 2y ago
  Yes - we ALL have to flock together around the basic concepts that unite us. I think this is what we are seeing with the Tesla protests and we need to push harder to get to the 3.5% of the population that forces the system to adjust.
dgacmu 2y ago
You said you didn't know what to do, so some ideas to start the ideas flowing for you: - support media, particularly local. - there are protests to attend if that's your thing. Tesla takedown is one set that's getting a lot of traction. (Note: these are peaceful protests; don't hurt people's cars). There's a broad "hands off" protest April 5, as another example. - build and stay in touch with community. - encourage others to do the same. Can you get folks to move off Twitter? Get some web site you're associated with to replace their twitter share icon with a masto/bsky one? Get folks to make a plan to vote in the next election? To themselves support local media or organizations? Perhaps to run for school board or other local office?
- tombert 2y ago
  > support media, particularly local. Agreed. No argument on that. > there are protests to attend if that's your thing. I'm afraid they're not. I'm happy to donate money to causes for people to protest but just being honest, I'm probably not going to do it. > Tesla takedown is getting a lot of traction I don't really want to damage strangers' property. I don't own any car as I just take public transportation, so I can't really say I'm "boycotting" Tesla any more than any other brand. > Can you get folks to move off Twitter? None of my family or friends were really using Twitter even before Elon bought it. > To make a plan to vote in the next election? All my family and friends vote in every election anyway. > To themselves support local media or organizations? Again, agreed on that. I'll mention that to parents next time I talk to them. > Perhaps to run for school board or other local office? I've debated it, but I think I'm a bit too eccentric to be a good politician. I am also afraid it would turn me evil. I don't really disagree with anything you said, just that I'm already doing most of what you suggested.
  - ryanwatkins 2y ago
    > I don't really want to damage strangers' property. I don't own any car as I just take public transportation, so I can't really say I'm "boycotting" Tesla any more than any other brand. Divest of Tesla. In a 401k move from index funds to other funds without or less TSLA. Or invest in inverse EFTs that essentially short Tesla - TSLS, TSLQ, and TSLZ. Not buying a Tesla or torching a Cybertruck are not the only options.
petesergeant 2y ago
You do you. Continue to vote, and if you can find a local cause that you can give time and attention to, do that. If you can find some small way you can help people who are affected, do that. Subscribe to news sources you trust and think are shining a light on the right things. Maybe setup small donations to candidates you think are pushing the country in the right direction. Not everyone needs to fight every fight.
- tombert 2y ago
  I do donate to candidates that I think are less evil than the average politician. A bit more locally; my wife is Mexican and as such I have a lot of Mexican in-laws. I have been helping my brother-in-law deal with immigration lawyers (and paid for them) in hopes that he might be able to get his citizenship soon-ish. If I felt like anything I did in the grand political scope would do anything, I'd do it. I used to be a lot more active in this stuff, but it's pretty easy to get disillusioned and cynical with this stuff.
  - petesergeant 2y ago
    Impossible to care about everything all at once, and easy to get disillusioned and shut down to nothing. Keep pushing in the ways that you can, give the energy that you can, and what more can anyone ask of you?
carterschonwald 2y ago
Run for office and aggressively fight back.
bilegeek 2y ago
Not just an inferred point, it's been explicitly stated before. In the longer form interviews (can't find everything in full at the moment), the context is the news media in particular, but it applies to the general public as well. [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiaU8P9y-wU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiaU8P9y-wU [2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm5xxlajTW0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm5xxlajTW0 (short clip) [3]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iTSgL_R1CC4 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iTSgL_R1CC4 (another short clip)
throw0101d 2y ago
> I understand why these things have to be posted, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't utterly exhausted by the constant shit that the Trump administration is spitting at us. From 2017: * https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2017/3/7/14844120/how-to-fight-trump-fatigue-syndrome https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2017/3/7/14844120/how-to-fight... The firehouse is also a deliberate strategy: > The firehose of falsehood, also known as firehosing, is a propaganda technique in which a large number of messages are broadcast rapidly, repetitively, and continuously over multiple channels (like news and social media) without regard for truth or consistency. An outgrowth of Soviet propaganda techniques, the firehose of falsehood is a contemporary model for Russian propaganda under Russian President Vladimir Putin. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firehose_of_falsehood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firehose_of_falsehood * https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html If you need to take a break, certain do so ("touch grass"), but be mindful that everyone's support is needed, and this will be a marathon. See also recent post on Snyder's book On Tyranny: * https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43503004 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43503004
- AnimalMuppet 2y ago
  Think in Bayesian terms. If you update your priors at all when the lie comes, then the firehose will overwhelm you, because the lie (or a similar, related lie) comes so often. If you update at all, then you wind up believing it. But the only defense is to not update your priors. That means that you don't update on things that are actually true, either. This is basically the death of epistemology. How do you know, and how do you know you know? It's no longer possible in this environment. Postmodernism talked about a post-truth world. Putin has made it a reality.
outer_web 2y ago
There are a few things that are on their way to SCOTUS. Be prepared to react to the elimination of independent agencies or the legalization of impoundment. Yes, the noise is to make you exhausted/miss the important things. Probably safe to ignore talk about invading Greenland.
amitport 2y ago
People voted for Trump because the democratic party is THAT bad. Instead of keeping attacking Trump maybe it is time to ponder what is it about the current democratic party that made so many people disapprove of them.
- someothherguyy 2y ago
  Plenty of other reasons they could have voted the way they did? https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-the-reasons-for-voting-for-trump-and-harris/ https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-the-...
  - amitport 2y ago
    I haven't listed the reasons I am pointing the underlying lack of internal critisism in the democractic party and their supporters. The democractic party was terrible in regards to many issues many people cared about. You should stop caring about Trump and care about what people care about.
    - someothherguyy 2y ago
      > You should stop caring about Trump and care about what people care about. Not sure what you mean? All I shared was a set of exit polls?
Throwaway5369 2y ago
Protest. Go onto the streets. Doing nothing means accepting the way things are

Afforess 2y ago

Voting is the minimum of civic duty, not the maximum.

tombert 2y ago
Sure. What are you doing outside of voting?
- Afforess 2y ago
  I’m an active DSA member. What about you?
  - bmitc 2y ago
    And how is that attacking the problems that led here?
    - Afforess 2y ago
      [flagged]
  - tombert 2y ago
    Sure, but is that actually doing something? This isn't meant to be passive aggressive; presumably if you're advertising it, you're doing more than "just being a member", I'm just curious what that is.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- bongodongobob 2y ago
  Civil disobedience. There's an entire spectrum of what you can do with that.
sheepscreek 2y ago
Regarding civic duty, I would start by “being civil with your fellow citizens”. The irony is not lost on me. Edit: To be clear, my comment is not aimed at you. I mean we’re missing the A in the ABCs of civic duty. It’s each person for themselves.
- Afforess 2y ago
  How was my response uncivil? Your reply is bad faith because it provides no evidence.
  - sheepscreek 2y ago
    I didn’t intend to offend you, neither did I mean to say you were wrong. I apologize if my words came across that way. My point was a play on the word “civil” and how the bare minimum duty of a citizen should be to love thy neighbour.
timewizard 2y ago
Voting is not a civic duty. I have every right NOT to vote. It's my voice and I can use it as I please. Forcing me into a ballot box to pick between two awful choices is not civilized.
- tombert 2y ago
  I didn't force you to do anything. No one did. I'm just judging you.
  - timewizard 2y ago
    > I'm just judging you. Ah so your sense of civics is that easy to depart with? I take it you think no one could judge you for your position?
    - tombert 2y ago
      > Ah so your sense of civics is that easy to depart with? I don't really agree with the sentiment of "be nice to people doing stupid stuff" that seems to permeate around here, so it's not really a "gotcha" to point out that I'm being a judgmental asshole. > I take it you think no one could judge you for your position? I don't give a shit if people judge me. I have my opinions. You're free to think that position is stupid if you want. There's eight billion other people on this planet, there's always going to be people who think my opinions are stupid. I think yours is stupid. It's a beautiful system.
      - timewizard 2y ago
        > I don't really agree with the sentiment of "be nice to people doing stupid stuff" What is your goal? > I don't give a shit if people judge me. I have my opinions. People would hear more of them if they weren't so coarse. Be generous. You'd might be surprised what you're missing.
        tombert 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

kmeisthax 2y ago

You might have an interest in this: https://globalcomment.com/how-to-defeat-an-autocrat-flocking-behaviour/ https://globalcomment.com/how-to-defeat-an-autocrat-flocking...

outside1234 2y ago
Yes - we ALL have to flock together around the basic concepts that unite us. I think this is what we are seeing with the Tesla protests and we need to push harder to get to the 3.5% of the population that forces the system to adjust.

dgacmu 2y ago

You said you didn't know what to do, so some ideas to start the ideas flowing for you: - support media, particularly local. - there are protests to attend if that's your thing. Tesla takedown is one set that's getting a lot of traction. (Note: these are peaceful protests; don't hurt people's cars). There's a broad "hands off" protest April 5, as another example. - build and stay in touch with community. - encourage others to do the same. Can you get folks to move off Twitter? Get some web site you're associated with to replace their twitter share icon with a masto/bsky one? Get folks to make a plan to vote in the next election? To themselves support local media or organizations? Perhaps to run for school board or other local office?

tombert 2y ago
> support media, particularly local. Agreed. No argument on that. > there are protests to attend if that's your thing. I'm afraid they're not. I'm happy to donate money to causes for people to protest but just being honest, I'm probably not going to do it. > Tesla takedown is getting a lot of traction I don't really want to damage strangers' property. I don't own any car as I just take public transportation, so I can't really say I'm "boycotting" Tesla any more than any other brand. > Can you get folks to move off Twitter? None of my family or friends were really using Twitter even before Elon bought it. > To make a plan to vote in the next election? All my family and friends vote in every election anyway. > To themselves support local media or organizations? Again, agreed on that. I'll mention that to parents next time I talk to them. > Perhaps to run for school board or other local office? I've debated it, but I think I'm a bit too eccentric to be a good politician. I am also afraid it would turn me evil. I don't really disagree with anything you said, just that I'm already doing most of what you suggested.
- ryanwatkins 2y ago
  > I don't really want to damage strangers' property. I don't own any car as I just take public transportation, so I can't really say I'm "boycotting" Tesla any more than any other brand. Divest of Tesla. In a 401k move from index funds to other funds without or less TSLA. Or invest in inverse EFTs that essentially short Tesla - TSLS, TSLQ, and TSLZ. Not buying a Tesla or torching a Cybertruck are not the only options.

petesergeant 2y ago

You do you. Continue to vote, and if you can find a local cause that you can give time and attention to, do that. If you can find some small way you can help people who are affected, do that. Subscribe to news sources you trust and think are shining a light on the right things. Maybe setup small donations to candidates you think are pushing the country in the right direction. Not everyone needs to fight every fight.

tombert 2y ago
I do donate to candidates that I think are less evil than the average politician. A bit more locally; my wife is Mexican and as such I have a lot of Mexican in-laws. I have been helping my brother-in-law deal with immigration lawyers (and paid for them) in hopes that he might be able to get his citizenship soon-ish. If I felt like anything I did in the grand political scope would do anything, I'd do it. I used to be a lot more active in this stuff, but it's pretty easy to get disillusioned and cynical with this stuff.
- petesergeant 2y ago
  Impossible to care about everything all at once, and easy to get disillusioned and shut down to nothing. Keep pushing in the ways that you can, give the energy that you can, and what more can anyone ask of you?

carterschonwald 2y ago

Run for office and aggressively fight back.

bilegeek 2y ago

Not just an inferred point, it's been explicitly stated before. In the longer form interviews (can't find everything in full at the moment), the context is the news media in particular, but it applies to the general public as well. [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiaU8P9y-wU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiaU8P9y-wU [2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm5xxlajTW0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm5xxlajTW0 (short clip) [3]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iTSgL_R1CC4 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iTSgL_R1CC4 (another short clip)

throw0101d 2y ago

> I understand why these things have to be posted, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't utterly exhausted by the constant shit that the Trump administration is spitting at us. From 2017: * https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2017/3/7/14844120/how-to-fight-trump-fatigue-syndrome https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2017/3/7/14844120/how-to-fight... The firehouse is also a deliberate strategy: > The firehose of falsehood, also known as firehosing, is a propaganda technique in which a large number of messages are broadcast rapidly, repetitively, and continuously over multiple channels (like news and social media) without regard for truth or consistency. An outgrowth of Soviet propaganda techniques, the firehose of falsehood is a contemporary model for Russian propaganda under Russian President Vladimir Putin. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firehose_of_falsehood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firehose_of_falsehood * https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html If you need to take a break, certain do so ("touch grass"), but be mindful that everyone's support is needed, and this will be a marathon. See also recent post on Snyder's book On Tyranny: * https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43503004 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43503004

AnimalMuppet 2y ago
Think in Bayesian terms. If you update your priors at all when the lie comes, then the firehose will overwhelm you, because the lie (or a similar, related lie) comes so often. If you update at all, then you wind up believing it. But the only defense is to not update your priors. That means that you don't update on things that are actually true, either. This is basically the death of epistemology. How do you know, and how do you know you know? It's no longer possible in this environment. Postmodernism talked about a post-truth world. Putin has made it a reality.

outer_web 2y ago

There are a few things that are on their way to SCOTUS. Be prepared to react to the elimination of independent agencies or the legalization of impoundment. Yes, the noise is to make you exhausted/miss the important things. Probably safe to ignore talk about invading Greenland.

amitport 2y ago

People voted for Trump because the democratic party is THAT bad. Instead of keeping attacking Trump maybe it is time to ponder what is it about the current democratic party that made so many people disapprove of them.

someothherguyy 2y ago
Plenty of other reasons they could have voted the way they did? https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-the-reasons-for-voting-for-trump-and-harris/ https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-the-...
- amitport 2y ago
  I haven't listed the reasons I am pointing the underlying lack of internal critisism in the democractic party and their supporters. The democractic party was terrible in regards to many issues many people cared about. You should stop caring about Trump and care about what people care about.
  - someothherguyy 2y ago
    > You should stop caring about Trump and care about what people care about. Not sure what you mean? All I shared was a set of exit polls?

Throwaway5369 2y ago

Protest. Go onto the streets. Doing nothing means accepting the way things are