I honestly don't know if it is the saddest of times in the history of the United States.
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RE: https://mstdn.social/@Strandjunker/116597631922567904
I honestly don't know if it is the saddest of times in the history of the United States. It's definitely very bad. I suspect that the centuries of outright human slavery was, measuring composite human misery, worse. I think the decades and decades of slaughter, starvation and intentional disease spreading to an entire continent of native Americans was probably, in aggregate, worse.
But this feels pretty bad. Probably because we should fucking know better by now. And apparently, we don't.
@Remittancegirl I think that it may be the saddest time because many (maybe even a majority) of Americans can see their country heading full steam ahead back to those days of slavery, genocide, and misery and feel utterly powerless to stop it. Note that I am NOT saying that they are powerless, For those of us looking in from the outside, watching that (often petty) infighting, division, and helplessness is truly sad.
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@Remittancegirl I think that it may be the saddest time because many (maybe even a majority) of Americans can see their country heading full steam ahead back to those days of slavery, genocide, and misery and feel utterly powerless to stop it. Note that I am NOT saying that they are powerless, For those of us looking in from the outside, watching that (often petty) infighting, division, and helplessness is truly sad.
@LynnD @Remittancegirl I agree with this - it feels worse bc we had just been starting to face some of these past injustices, and what is happening is so retrogressive. The jubilant cruelty and cowardice is disheartening. I long for a US that sees itself as a nation among peers and that could be an example of compassion. So far the other way my country’s gone.
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@LynnD @Remittancegirl I agree with this - it feels worse bc we had just been starting to face some of these past injustices, and what is happening is so retrogressive. The jubilant cruelty and cowardice is disheartening. I long for a US that sees itself as a nation among peers and that could be an example of compassion. So far the other way my country’s gone.
@bbelton I think that your phrase “jubilant cruelty and cowardice” is a perfect descriptor. I also see some joy in the resistance, but they cannot seem to unite enough to channel that joy into something effective. I will also add that what we are witnessing in the US (UK too) is infecting other democracies like
(Alberta’s grievance culture being one example). I hope that those of us resisting everywhere can learn to channel joy in what we are doing. @Remittancegirl -
RE: https://mstdn.social/@Strandjunker/116597631922567904
I honestly don't know if it is the saddest of times in the history of the United States. It's definitely very bad. I suspect that the centuries of outright human slavery was, measuring composite human misery, worse. I think the decades and decades of slaughter, starvation and intentional disease spreading to an entire continent of native Americans was probably, in aggregate, worse.
But this feels pretty bad. Probably because we should fucking know better by now. And apparently, we don't.
@Remittancegirl The worst part is the gleeful destruction of norms and values.
Add to that open sadism, cruelty and brazen corruption.
The treatment of the majority black prison population is heading towards chattel slavery.
Finally there are the senseless wars, open piracy and the systematic unlawful killing of sailors on the open seas.
It's pretty bad. -
@Remittancegirl The worst part is the gleeful destruction of norms and values.
Add to that open sadism, cruelty and brazen corruption.
The treatment of the majority black prison population is heading towards chattel slavery.
Finally there are the senseless wars, open piracy and the systematic unlawful killing of sailors on the open seas.
It's pretty bad.@johnrohde No argument from me. It's pretty bad.
The scary part is just how easy it was for them to destroy all those norms and values the 'conservatives' swear they care so much about.
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@bbelton I think that your phrase “jubilant cruelty and cowardice” is a perfect descriptor. I also see some joy in the resistance, but they cannot seem to unite enough to channel that joy into something effective. I will also add that what we are witnessing in the US (UK too) is infecting other democracies like
(Alberta’s grievance culture being one example). I hope that those of us resisting everywhere can learn to channel joy in what we are doing. @Remittancegirl -
RE: https://mstdn.social/@Strandjunker/116597631922567904
I honestly don't know if it is the saddest of times in the history of the United States. It's definitely very bad. I suspect that the centuries of outright human slavery was, measuring composite human misery, worse. I think the decades and decades of slaughter, starvation and intentional disease spreading to an entire continent of native Americans was probably, in aggregate, worse.
But this feels pretty bad. Probably because we should fucking know better by now. And apparently, we don't.
What I find heartbreaking is that, where repression is happening in other countries - Iran, Russia, China, etc., governments have to limit their population's access to the world internet, for fear of their citizens organizing and kicking the autocrats out.
But in the US, they don't even have to bother. They can rely on media bubbles so shockingly hermetic, that there is no need to limit communications. Americans will reliably refuse to engage with each other.
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What I find heartbreaking is that, where repression is happening in other countries - Iran, Russia, China, etc., governments have to limit their population's access to the world internet, for fear of their citizens organizing and kicking the autocrats out.
But in the US, they don't even have to bother. They can rely on media bubbles so shockingly hermetic, that there is no need to limit communications. Americans will reliably refuse to engage with each other.
@Remittancegirl in the west in general, but the US in particular, the media is owned by the very powers that are in control (i.e. the corporations, not the politicians). What is the same is that a media outlet in the US that is not compliant, and not controlled by the oligarchy is either suppressed or bought out. Look at TikTok - American users don't get the same content as the rest of the world. Meanwhile the concentration in the American media landscape is increasing - even CNN is about to be bought out so it will be aligned with Fox. So in the US, media is manipulated, not as overtly as in China or Iran, but with at least as much effect.
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What I find heartbreaking is that, where repression is happening in other countries - Iran, Russia, China, etc., governments have to limit their population's access to the world internet, for fear of their citizens organizing and kicking the autocrats out.
But in the US, they don't even have to bother. They can rely on media bubbles so shockingly hermetic, that there is no need to limit communications. Americans will reliably refuse to engage with each other.
@Remittancegirl I believe social media algorithms play a role here. Meta is adjusting it to keep people in check.
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@Remittancegirl I think that it may be the saddest time because many (maybe even a majority) of Americans can see their country heading full steam ahead back to those days of slavery, genocide, and misery and feel utterly powerless to stop it. Note that I am NOT saying that they are powerless, For those of us looking in from the outside, watching that (often petty) infighting, division, and helplessness is truly sad.
@LynnD perhaps what makes it so sad is that they are absolutely capable of stopping it but we fear they won’t
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@Remittancegirl in the west in general, but the US in particular, the media is owned by the very powers that are in control (i.e. the corporations, not the politicians). What is the same is that a media outlet in the US that is not compliant, and not controlled by the oligarchy is either suppressed or bought out. Look at TikTok - American users don't get the same content as the rest of the world. Meanwhile the concentration in the American media landscape is increasing - even CNN is about to be bought out so it will be aligned with Fox. So in the US, media is manipulated, not as overtly as in China or Iran, but with at least as much effect.
@hfinyow pretty much the entire media landscape in Hungary was controlled by Orban-adjacent entities but they still found a way to overcome it. Hard work, local action, intense work in rural areas, and a few small, brave news outliers.
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@hfinyow pretty much the entire media landscape in Hungary was controlled by Orban-adjacent entities but they still found a way to overcome it. Hard work, local action, intense work in rural areas, and a few small, brave news outliers.
@Remittancegirl and hopefully that is what Americans will be doing in the lead up to your mid-terms. It was delicious schadenfreuden when JD Vance campaigned for Orban then he lost by a landslide.
