I had that exact conversation with a friend the other day, almost word for word. Spooky.
They are willful idiots who want a strongman so they don’t have to actually pay attention to anything and to offset their worry about their world view having to be challenged.
It doesn’t just fall under “politics” the way we’ve always used the word. It’s human rights issues now.
Not just rights but survival. For many it’s existential. We have some history to cross-reference the next steps, if left unapposed.
Human rights have always included being about survival for marginalized people.
I see your meaning. I equate talk of rights more with legal proceedings, but absolutely you can’t have safety/survival without your rights being recognised.
same
Relatable. But… I’ve never been to politically frustrated in my 40+ years of life. What the fuck is happening to this world?
Social media is what happened. Consuming negativity all day every day makes people angry and depressed - who would’ve thought.
Social media is just the sparkles and decorations.
This isn’t new. Authoritarians aren’t new.
The current events are nothing new - social media is.
You are making my point. This isnt new. Social media is, but this situation isn’t. So social media didnt create the problem.
Pronounce it, maybe. But didn’t create it.
The point is that social media is a major contributor.
No kidding these issues existed. “Newness” isn’t what’s up for debate.
The fact that people are constantly talking and making everything about politics is the “problem” I’m talking about here and that is what I’m almost entirely blaming social media for. It’s not the world events I’m blaming social media for but the reaction people have to them.
It’s not just social media. It’s the fact that everyone is struggling to make ends meet, and so it makes it easy for hateful factions to use bogeyman and spread fascism.
Surprised nobody noticed the massive and highly profitable push to convince young people they’re mentally ill and need expensive medicine
David Bowie died, that’s what happened.
David Bowie & David Lynch died… Geez I hope David Cross is safe.
Here’s my thing. I treat people how they act. Not how they try to appear. So if you SAY you’re an of-age legal adult wanting to purchase wiskey, but 20 minutes ago I saw you in the dumpster feasting on garbage, I might realize you’re actually 3 raccoons in a trench coat.
Trump tries to make his image of himself as some great leader, with a name of class, and a winning mindset.
However, I see him as a decades long conman and criminal who has gotten away with all his crimes. Democrat voters like to treat him like he’s gonna get his. He’s gonna be held accountable next time, just wait.
I don’t. I do not look for his crimes to ever see him held accountable. He’s forever untouchable. And he knows it. He even publically bragged that he could shoot someone on 5th avenue, in broad daylight, and get away with it. And he’s right. If he did that, he would not see punishment. Don’t look for it to happen.
I still see him as a conman, and a sexual predator, and a criminal, and a bad faith actor. He’s a greedy fuck who’s only there to enhance his own ego. It’s not even about wealth to him. It’s about power and ego. Money is just the high score to him.
And so you think yin and yang, if the republicans are evil, democrats have to be good, right? Ehhhh…
The democrats like to present the image of being good, but again, 3 racoons in a trenchcoat. Politics have gotten so sports minded of cheering for your team that everyone has lost track of actual policy. Democrats create headlines, and soundbytes. Not policy. They like to say “oh look. We TRIED to pass this law, but republicans said no.”
Fuck that. We’re not talking about some meaningless topic here. We’re talking about healthcare, peoples rights, education, abortion, food and drug safety guidelines, access to water, real world shit that literally affects life and death situations. You can’t just say “well we tried, and failed, better luck in 4 years, ol chap!”
We are not living in a world where republicans are acting in good faith, and have one set of opinions and views, and democrats are acting in good faith and have an opposing set of views. If that were the case, I’d be mad at voters. Because at that point voters would actually be in charge of whos ideas are implemented.
Instead, republicans are ticketmaster, and democrats are the band. There’s all these bad ideas that everybody wants to get implemented. But democrats can’t do that. Its against their image. So instead, they put up a weak fight against someone who openly acts as facists. While they get to pretend they did something to stop it.
I mean my god. 2024 had almost as many featured republicans as democrats at their rallys. You bring on Beyonce, but she doesn’t sing. Can’t have people having too much fun at your rallys. People might actually turn out and vote.
Then you run the same gameplay as you did in 2016, against the same guy you lost against in 2016. There’s a teenager who works at my job. Real dumbass kid, but then again what teenager isn’t, ya know? Even he said on election night “why would they run an unpopular woman against trump, when that’s what they did in 2016?”
So the republicans do all the dirty work. They repeal abortions. They kill healthcare. They kill public services. Meanwhile, the democrats don’t lift a finger and just say “Oh noooooo, look what they’re doing. Awful. Just awful. Wish there was something we could do…”
We are not living in a democracy. You did not chose the leader. Regardless of who you voted for, your vote didn’t count. It doesn’t even matter who the president is. They’re a figurehead. The real ruling party isn’t even in politics. It’s corporate owners who now do hitler salutes at inaugurations. Just to show they can get away with it. The real rulers are guys with billions of dollars who have bought and paid for this country long ago.
Look at the health regulations of Europe. Scientists in the 1970s discovered red dye #3 causes cancer. Europe banned it. Europe bans a LOT of things that cause cancer.
Explain to me why USA knew it caused cancer, and yet 2025 is the year we made the bill to ban it, which won’t take effect until 2027. I’ll tell you. Big food brands have been paying to keep it legal. I would bet they have only recently found a cheaper way to dye their foods. So now they don’t need it anymore. So no more payoffs.
We are not living in a society where anyone has your back. Your blue president doesn’t have your best interest at heart. Your red president doesn’t have your best interest at heart. And all the citizens fighting saying “no my guy wins” “no MY guy wins!” is all just a wave of the hand. Look over here. Distract yourself and divide yourself from your neighbors, while we take away your rights, your power, your ability to survive. It’s all theater. It’s all an act. It’s pro wrestling levels of predetermined. You can vote for this guy, or you can vote for that guy. Either way, fuck you, fuck your rights, but here’s a donkey and an elephant. Fight over them while quality of life continually diminishes.
Funny you mention red dye- I think it was banned in the US too many years ago, but sometime in the 90s maybe, it came back. I thought at the time I remembered hearing that an alternative had been found…
Actually I think what I was remembering was red 40, and red 3 was the alternative…
cute
