this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2024
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Popular Chinese outlets have been suggesting that events in Texas have led to deep divisions in the US widening to a point where unrest has become a stark reality.

More than 6.3m migrants have crossed into the US illegally since the beginning of 2021 - record highs that have intensified a standoff between President Joe Biden and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

As part of his Operation Lone Star, Mr Abbott has sought to block or deter entry into his state, including by installing about 30 miles (48km) of razor wire barriers along the city of Eagle Pass.

The US Supreme Court ruled last month against Mr Abbott, but the Republican has vowed to add more razor wire to crack down on what he calls an "invasion".

Trending social media posts in China allege Mr Abbott was preparing to go to war with US federal authorities.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

We only have ourselves to blame.

Ever since Nixon, we've allowed the elite of the "law and order party" to repeatedly get away with criminal conduct resulting in no charges, or charges being put on the person on the bottom rung (Lynndie England, for example, being our scapegoat for War Crimes).

Honestly, China is talking about this in more stark reality than American media. Our media consistently downplays it and treats the unhinged desire for Civil War from the right-wing lunatics in our country as just "normal political discourse." No, I'm sorry, when a whole ass group of white people who all follow the same religion have all decided that they need to kill you in the name of God, you've rounded the fucking bend, and that is in no fucking way legitimate political discourse.

Anyhow, the point being, we only have ourselves to blame for the international community viewing us and our society so poorly. We've allowed this to go on for 50 years non-stop, with nobody really stepping up to do anything about it. The few voices of reason we've had generally were systematically shut up for the sake of the status quo. Martin Luther King Jr was absolutely right about the white liberal being dedicated to a negative peace. We're witnessing that right now, with the milquetoast response to literally ignoring a Supreme Court order. This is the kind of stuff we're always saying the Democrats can't do because of decorum or what the fuck ever. Sorry, it doesn't matter what we do, or how high the high road we take is, they're always punching below the belt, and it's way past time to start fucking acting like it.

I have to preface this by saying I'm voting for Biden because otherwise y'all will jump down my throat but read my lips:

Biden is a fucking pussy, and this shit proves it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

They've all been weak in some way for a long time, either because they're actually weak (Biden), they're insane (Trump), they're constantly blocked by the other party for no reason other than said other party needing to be contrary (Obama), or they're overgrown drunk children (Bush Jr). We haven't had a leader in a very long time.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

I mean, it's true in regards to the Republicans, all their ideas of "strong men" actually exemplify deeply insecure and weak mean.

However, I think these remarks attributed to Karl Rove speak to why they're effective, politically, despite that:

The aide said that guys like me were "in what we call the reality-based community," which he defined as people who "believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality." I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. "That's not the way the world really works anymore." He continued "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors … and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."

I mean, to be fair, that's pretty spot-on for how the entire Republican apparatus has operated for the better party of 30 years or more. That's when they really threw out the book on the hand-shake norms that were "expected" in governance. People act like Trump refusing to concede was something shocking, but rather to me, it seems like the end of a long-worn path that was always going to lead to the outcome of a Republican refusing to accept an election loss. Even without Trump, they've been growing into a regressive regime seeking religious Monarchy for quite a long time now. It's been an incredibly effective play and shows that while they are weak, they understand the execution of power within the system as it exists. Without the system as it exists, they flail, but they're not really concerned with the future because they're weak and can't conceive that far ahead. In the meantime they're willing and effective actors for destroying the system on which they rely so deeply.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I have to preface this by saying I’m voting for Biden

And this is why things will not change. Why should he, or any DNC member, do anything for you? You have given up the one bit of leverage you have, your vote, and promised it to your designated betters no matter what they do to you and how much they sold you out.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

This is something I’ve thought a lot about in my life, and I’ve gone back and forth as I’ve gotten older. I believe in anarchism. I consider myself an anarchist. But—and although this is quite unpopular in anarchist circles—i agree with Chomsky. I don’t think voting is a betrayal of anarchism.

The problem with the American left is we don’t do anything. We aren’t a force to be reckoned with in any way. So not voting doesn’t help anyone but the person not voting, because all it does is put you on a higher road than even the democrats. You’re just washing your hands of the blame when all we leftists do is turn around and bitch about voting on the internet.

Praxis. It’s the only way. But in the meantime, there are far right, well, fascists trying to amass more and more power.

I get it. It’s frustrating. But we only have ourselves to blame if not voting is about all we are offering. It’s not helpful. It’s just doing nothing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

But in the meantime, there are far right, well, fascists trying to amass more and more power.

The problem there is, the DNC are the very people helping promote these far right fascists in an attempt to foster that attitude of lesser-evil-ism. There's been a bunch of leaks on that topic, but still by far the most prominent was 2016 Trump (if you want to know more about that, google "pied piper trump hillary"), and there's no reason to think they've stopped.

I don't know what the solution is. Voting for any good candidates in local elections, and green in the general (unless one of the other parties does something to earn your vote) maybe? But the problem is so entrenched that I'm not sure it even can be solved by voting. Situation just sucks in general.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Well another problem is that they raise more money when there is a loathesome Republican in office. So, losing elections is actually very profitable for them.

The system itself is unquestionably broken. But there are more people suffering under harsh Republican rule. Yeah, plenty of people suffer under democratic rule too. Voting democrat won’t fix capitalism, it won’t fix electoralism, it won’t fix anything. But it will keep the incredibly harsh Republican policies that see women lose healthcare, or trans people lose healthcare, or making it legal to run over protestors out of reach—for the time being.

There are objectively worse, more harmful policies for marginalized groups under Republican rule. They shove through hyper conservative judges that strengthen their ability to make these laws. The democrats put judges on benches that will be middle of the road in an attempt to appeal to “fairness,” and yes, that is a problem in and of itself that needs to be addressed. But there is measurable damage done to an already incredibly fucked up system when republicans win.

We need to do more besides voting, no question. But not voting and then not dedicating your life to helping vulnerable people just isn’t nearly acceptable. Anything less than complete devotion to righteous action when railing against voting is completely unconscionable.