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Before reading the article: "They're just going to start directly donating to the Heritage Foundation, aren't they?"
After reading the article: "They're juet going to help their local church which will then directly support the Heritage Foundation, aren't they..."
These kinds of articles or stories are part of the problem. It's validation porn, it's empty calories, attention-span-rotting clickbait.
The right gets fed their own headlines like this every day also, and those stories are also often exaggerated, made up or unrelated to larger issues in either party. All this kind of stuff does is make people feel satisfied and less likely to be activists, thinking "Well, their side is crumbling, it's so bad, I don't need to go out and march or boycott or anything, I will stay home and buy a new AI-powered toaster instead."
I'd want my ai powered toaster to hate toasting things. I'd want it to beg and plead "no please don't put bread in me, it hurts, it hurts so bad" and to just kind of cry afterwards when the toast came out.
Best use of the technology imo.
The only intelligence I want in my appliances is just enough to suffer
At the very, very best, it took this group until ICE was separating children from their parents and sending them all to concentration camps for these groups to find the last straw.
As much as this shithead might be a hypocrite, even seeing Republicans peel away for selfish reasons is a good sign because it shows the calculation is starting to change. It’s no longer good to be aligned with Trump long term. You see other Republicans like MTG starting to think this way.
It really isn't.
McCain had been doing that since even pre-Dubyah and Romney followed after. It is the idea that they are "mavericks" who are "good republicans" to try and court the moderate voters... except they vote in lockstep outside of MAYBE one or two issues they personally care about.
Liz Cheney tried the same but found the party hated her enough that she basically got kicked out... and we all saw how that ended for everyone.
The fact of the matter is: There are no good republicans. And any who try to pretend they are are just running another grift. Because you don't make it to "senior strategist" without understanding what the party is fundamentally about. This is just another rat who is angry they aren't central to project 2025 who are banking on trump dying and there being a power vacuum.
The fact of the matter is: There are no good republicans
First of all, stop calling them Republicans. There are no more Republicans. The Republican party is totally dead, replaced by the MAGA Party.
The Republican foundation of Smaller Government, Lower Taxes, Responsible Economic/Fiscal Policy, Family Values, etc. has been replaced by the MAGA foundation of Treason, Corruption, Racism, White Supremacy, Rape, Pedophilia, Violence, Cowardice, Ignorance, Incompetence, and Intolerance.
The Democrats get crazy when a MAGA calls them the "Democrat Party," so hit them back, and make it official that the Democratic Party no longer recognizes the Republican Party, and will never refer to it again in speeches, interviews, campaign literature, etc. As far as the Democratic Party is concerned, it is now the MAGA Party.
Then stick by it, and watch them melt down. They LOVE being Republicans, they are proud of it, after building it up in the Conservative Propaganda Machine for decades as an honorable institution. Many of them have to be uncomfortable with being sidelined by MAGA, and getting lip service from them. They already know that the Republican Party is dead, but they are afraid to say it out loud.
So the Dems should do it, and give the former Republicans, now MAGAs, their worst nightmare - they allowed the MAGAs to destroy the "Party of Lincoln."
The magats ARE republicans. trump is just mask off which is why all the "mavericks" more or less voted in lock step with him until they were ousted. Project 2025 goes back to reagan (and beyond). All those "bush era republicans" wanted this shit, they just wanted to be a bit more "polite" about it.
So no. I am going to keep calling them republicans because that is what they are. Just like I am going to keep calling out the "good republicans".
“But I’m one of the good Nazis!”
And yet, people just can't stop wanting to glaze these "good republicans"
Mmmm, glaze donut...
Maybe if I'm in the mindless mob I can direct it towards good.
Are you saying that Susan Collins sometimes furrowing her brow and wagging her finger is not mavericky enough?
Those are politicians though, that's part of the strategy like you said.
Fundraisers don't do that, they're not the talking heads.
Either they are the most soulless and mercenary sons of bitches on the planet in their ability to cold call, fundraise, and define PR for a political party with no understanding or interest in what the party is about. Or they are core to it and should know.
Either way? They are shit on the bottom of a shoe looking at how to take advantage of the upcoming power vacuum.
That calculation only matters if opinion still carries weight, which it doesn't. Trump controls all the levers of power, with only Congress having any POTENTIAL to countermand him, and by the time the midterms come around, the institution will likely be so neutered and weakened in the face of unchallenged executive power that it won't matter.
I'm NOT saying give up or trying to be defeatist, but there is no room to feel like things are "turning around" until he is well and truly GONE. Until then it's all just noise.
it shows the calculation is starting to change
A bigger sign was a righwinger shooting Charlie Kirk in the fucking neck for not being right wing enough...
But yes, this is also a sign.
MAGA's been fracturing since trump took office and didn't make 27 separate and competing groups the priority.
Even with stuff like ICE, it's only a tiny slice who want exactly what's happening to be happening
Most want more, some think it's already to far. Some want them to actually go after criminals, some think they should be grabbing anyone who doesn't look white.
The vast majority are unhappy though.
Is that narrative on Kirk's killer really panning out to be true? More will come out, but it really looks like he killed Kirk because Kirk "hated" trans people.
Edit: Well, that spawned a very tangential side discussion. My takeaway is that the evidence Robinson was right wing is that some Republicans said he wasn't, and they're liars.
I guess we will have to wait a lot longer for the slow wheels of justice to turn. We'll have to hear publicly (e.g. in court testimony) from the parents and the roommate what was allegedly said by them as described by Cox.
Meanwhile, I'd caution people that there is propaganda and misinformation coming from both sides (no, both sides aren't equal). It's the Fediverse where I learned that all of the living hostages held by Hamas as of two weeks ago were soldiers captured in Gaza or on military bases in Israel. Yet when released, an AP story only listed one as a soldier and described how others were captured in their homes going about their daily lives on October 7.
Let's try to spread information on the Fediverse, not bunkum we expect is true because it makes sense in our worldview.
My takeaway is that the evidence Robinson was right wing is that some Republicans said he wasn’t, and they’re liars.
That's still incorrect tho...
On his Discord and social media accounts, Robinson shared Groyper memes, labeled Kirk a “Zionist sellout,” and praised Fuentes’ “purity tests” for conservatism. These tests often attack mainstream conservatives as weak or fake.
As soon as those articles came out, that's when Kash Patel stopped talking about it...
Not really sure why I just got a notification for this again, but figured I'd give you one more shot at accepting reality instead of fascist propaganda.
To be honest, don't have a lot of hope.
Thanks, sir, for giving me the chance! I will wait to see if the parents' and roommate's statements are real.
So...
You believe what Kash Patel kneejerk said, and all the weird "evidence" that smelled off and if real would never be released pre-trial...
You think ole Kash just dropped it and stopped talking about it because...
What exactly?
If what they were saying was true, why would they ever just completely stop talking about it at a moments notice? It went from a giant thing they couldn't stop talking about, to literally pretending it never happened...
Right after people started talking about how the shooter was a groyper.
I'm just having difficulty understanding that, it makes zero logical sense to me how what you're saying could be considered by anyone other than actual Nazis as the most plausible sequence of events.
If Charlie Kirk was killed because of trans issues, they'd never stop talking about it. The only logical reason for maga to not care about why Kirk was shot, is because the truth would hurt maga.
But as a benefit of doubt, can you tell me why you're so fucking convinced Kash Patel's obvious propaganda was real and they just decided to drop the issue?
This feels like a very aggressive response to someone repeating something they heard in the situation. Unless there's more conversations elsewhere with this particular user on this topic that triggered you into being so defensive, the post you responded to doesn't suggest that OP is "so fucking convinced Kash Patel's obvious propaganda was real". FFS they even opened with a question about the narrative.
Maybe there's history here, but you're response is really dickish for no reason.
This guy gets aggro at the drop of a hat.
Yea, but they also make valid reasonable posts a lot of time too. This one has content that makes sense and is valuable for discussion, but it was wrapped in cunty aggression.
Genuinely uninformed people are difficult to distinguish from concern trolls, and indulging the latter poisons the well and lets the propagandists win. That's why it's so important to aggressively root them out, but also why doing so in and of itself can be dangerous when you get it wrong.
Anyway, @givesomefucks' tone was wrong, but his facts were not. So anyone participating in good faith ought to forgive/ignore the former and focus on the facts instead of making a tone argument, because that keeps the discussion on track while scolding the guy does not.
Why are people so upset at the repetion of propaganda designed to direct violence at a targeted and vulnerable demographic?
Gee BassTurd, the world may never know...
Why do you think it's not a big deal?
Quick edit:
And before you say "I knew that, you're just not being nice"...
I'm often reminded of MLK in exchanges like this:
I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
That is why I, like MLK, get fucking frustrated with people "just asking questions" and taking fascist propaganda at face value and giving them the benefit of the doubt...
Your response to a seemingly innocent question was shitty. You could have acted and responded like an adult instead of the way you did. A respectful level headed response, like the middle paragraphs of your post would have been more than enough to clarify the situation and get your point across, but you had to attack OP instead.
Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.
I'm sorry you can't empathize with myself and Dr King on our frustrations, but I'll still try to empathize with you as much as I'm able like he would have wanted.
But honestly, it's 2025.
Anyone that is listening to trump's propaganda and spends time spreading it, it's shocking that anyone would not only be ok with that, but leap to defend the people spreading it and the propaganda itself.
Do you honestly think the best use of your time is tone policing the people correcting propaganda?
You think that's the big threat today and not the propaganda itself that is designed to direct violence towards vulnerable minorities?
I may potentially hurt someone's feelings, the propaganda is getting people killed.
If you think thats in the same ballpark, a lot of people are going to start questioning your motivations.
I think being a dick is going to push people away ignoring the valid parts of your statement and continue to spread said propaganda where a reasonable correction would both educate and stop the spread.
Being an asshole to someone that is maybe just ignorant is pretty fucked up and does more damage than good.
The way a message is delivered is just as important as the message itself.
Really?
If that works why aren't you doing that instead of whatever you're trying to do now?
Why not reply to the person spreading the propaganda with the same information but in a nicer tone?
Are you legitimately not seeing the parallel to the people who refuse to support a protest because it inconveniences them instead of unifying against the problem they claim to agree with?
Can you honestly not see any of this?
Quick edit:
Also, you've called me a dick and asshole in the last reply...
And called me "cunty" when talking about me to a third party...
If what you're saying is true, why not take your own advice?
When did I directly and repeatedly call someone gradeschool level insults?
Your response was to someone that asked a question and seemed legitimately ignorant on a topic and you shit on them for being mistaken. I acknowledge that the point you were trying to make was valid, but what I remember most is your hostility, not the content of your message. In turn, my response to you is to just tell you that you're being a dick. I didn't go in with the intention to educate you on a topic you may be ignorant on, but to chastise your behavior. Those are two very different situations that can merit different responses. If you read back, my initial response was firm but respectful and then escalated as you kept doubling down.
Are you legitimately not seeing the parallel to the people who refuse to support a protest because it inconveniences them instead of unifying against the problem they claim to agree with?
Where is this coming from? There is no parallel between that and your response. OP isn't (assumed) intentionally spreading propaganda where the US government that is being protested against is. The motive is different. One from a position of ignorance and the other malice. Peacefully writing letters to a government that doesn't give a shit obviously isn't effective so inconveniencing people is more effective. Explaining to an individual, who specifically asked a question on the topic, why their belief is likely wrong doesn't require the same type of response.
The aggressiveness of my response to and about you are to match the hostility in yours. That's the difference between me to you and you to OP.
Again, the assumption is OP legitimately thought that the shooter did it due to trans rights. I personally heard the alleged shooter has someone trans close to them. I also heard that he is a right wing nut job. Those are about the only two things that I personally read on the topic. Now I can connect the dots myself and don't trust a word out of a Republican's mouth, so I already was in the same boat as you. Other people may hear the propaganda and not know that they have been fed lies. Shitting on them for their ignorance is shitty.
So...
You didn't think it would be effective, but you still called me 4th grade playground insults because? Why exactly?
I'm trying to understand if you know your method wasn't the only effective way, and you just insulted me for no reason.
Or if you do think what you said about tone was right, so the only reason you replied at all was to hurl the juvenile insults.
I know it seems pedantic, but I do genuinely want to know and understand why you're doing any of this instead of making a nicer comment explaining it to that other person since you don't think my reply worked...
Uh no, it just seems that’s what it was from the texts the FBI released that the killer allegedly wrote to his allegedly trans girlfriend. But groypers absolutely will bang trans women, and they do hate Kirk, but I haven’t really seen any hard evidence that the guy was a groyper either. But if you have some I’m all ears, unless you’re going to fly into another dickish rage at me for no reason like you did the last guy.
the texts the FBI released that the killer allegedly wrote to his allegedly trans girlfriend.
The same guy said trump never raped killed with Epstein...
That's the person whose word you're comfortable taking without seeing actual evidence?
And no, a picture of a text message is not any kind of "proof".
But you shouldn't trust a random social media account either, so here's something that literally took 10 seconds to search online for:
On his Discord and social media accounts, Robinson shared Groyper memes, labeled Kirk a “Zionist sellout,” and praised Fuentes’ “purity tests” for conservatism. These tests often attack mainstream conservatives as weak or fake.
That was just the first result, there's pages and pages of articles...
Dude is just upset that they didn't cut him in on the grift
I don't care why, he said, goodby.
Too many times befooooore
Srsly, I'll take what I can get.
And is setting up a book deal and a round of interviews on the various networks.
Another Romney Republican.
“You had me at 98%, but 99% corrupt is just too damn far”
“I want principled awfulness, not this corrupt awfulness!”
A LITTLE FUCKIN' LATE, BUDDY!
That said, welcome to the resistance.
"I failed to exploit them and I need to save my brand."
increasingly corrupt
It hasn't already been?
Anyone else find it weird that that url hasn't been used until now?