Honestly, when the systems turn against you, it’s only logical. Fanon was right about imperialism, oppression, and how resistance movements are motivated in part by their traumas to resist, violently if needed. Same is true with imperialism turned inward.
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I’d never even heard of “unconditional release” before, and it makes sense that I hadn’t, because it really goes against the whole point of prosecuting someone in the first place. Literally the only punishment in this circumstance is now having the label of “convicted felon” hanging over them. It’s reportedly never been the outcome in previous cases for this crime, at least in that particular court system. I can understand that a lot of the usual outcomes wouldn’t work here - the president can’t be asked to do community service, and paying a fine would have been pointless, probation would have been silly, etc. and any sort of punishment would have caused Trump to hold things up in court to delay sentencing. With no punishment, it apparently allows things to move on, and Trump can go straight to appealing his conviction.
For a lot of normal people, I suppose just being a felon would have some impact on their lives, but for Trump, it’s just (yet another) stain on his record, that’s nothing but one big (greasy, smelly, orange) stain. In theory, once he leaves office, it might prevent him from being allowed in some countries, I suppose, or having businesses there, but the office of the presidency, even after the fact, cancels out a lot of normal procedures, so we’ll see. Certainly nothing will happen in the next four years.
Oh, he can issue his “decrees,” but no one can pay attention to them until after he’s inaugurated. I suppose that means halfway through inauguration day, the second he swears in, the flags will go back up. Trump issued a bunch of decrees that went into effect in that moment the last time, too. (One involved booting the guy in charge of his inauguration security, as I recollect. I don’t remember if there was a replacement specified…)
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Our daughter and her husband had plans to meet up with some friends for The People’s March(rebranded Women’s March) on Saturday before the inauguration.
But a-hole orange guy is having a rally Sunday so her and her friends decided to stay clear.
He knows exactly what he’s doing by planning a rally the day before.
I hope the people that do go to the march stay safe.
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Ooof. I have friends who, after the election, suddenly began wondering if they should buy a gun. If things get as bad as it looks like they’re going to, I feel like a lot of “non traditional gun owners” are suddenly going to find out that gun ownership doesn’t actually offer them any protection, however.
Logical within the founding mythology of the US and its ideas about gun rights, anyways. The problem is, is that ultimately the right to own a gun, like the right to defend yourself, is dependent upon being part of a privileged class. Having a weapon can just end up an additional charge - or a justification for a shooting - when the “wrong sort” has it, even when in full compliance with the law. And that’s before the state starts overtly stripping people of their rights. Once we get to the point where people need to violently resist the state, already having a gun’s not going to be much help.
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Though if I became so ill that I didn’t want to continue & there still isn’t any civilized euthanasia law in my state - it would come in handy.
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Well, I suppose that is what guns are most effectively used for - self-harm.
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In that case - self determination.
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[ Benjamin Solomon Carson Sr. has entered the chat ]
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Why is he still even doing rallies?
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Because they are all about him and basically his favourite drug.
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Logical within not wanting to be killed by right wing assholes and government goons, anyways… Was it wrong for the people in Warsaw to resist like they did? I don’t think anyone would argue that. Violence is bad, and should be avoid if at all possible. But what’s worse is refusing to defend yourself and others from forces that are out to kill you.
They are seeking to erase trans people from existence and they’re coming for the rest of the LGBTQ+ community.
Violence via guns is not preferable, but might become necessary.
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I mean that it’s consistent with this particular notion that gun rights exist so that the populace could have another rebellion against the government, if needed. I’m not arguing it’s not morally justified, I’m just arguing it’s insufficient for any sort of actual defense, especially in the 21sth century.
The Pink Pistols slogan mentioned in the article, “Armed Gays Don’t Get Bashed,” may be (sometimes) true, but it certainly doesn’t stop anyone from getting shot, or arrested or persecuted by the state. The current reality is that Kyle Rittenhouse gets a speaking tour and Michael Reinoehl got ambushed and killed by the police rather than given the opportunity to surrender. In a situation where some group is overtly out to kill you, having a gun doesn’t make you bulletproof. A gun is a “defense” only if you can preemptively kill the threat. In the event of anything like a civil war, a scattering of marginalized people even with assault rifles isn’t going to stand up against our militarized police force, much less the actual military and surveillance state. Consumer-grade weaponry alone isn’t going to cut it - an effective resistance is going to need to be organized and strategic and have things like explosives (and other things the government is highly effective at keeping out of people’s hands), drones, etc. If you have that, the guns people bought at Walmart are probably going to be superfluous at that point.
My fear is that more marginalized people with guns isn’t going to result in much of anything besides more dead marginalized people.
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Telling people being threatened with literally genocide not to arm up isn’t helpful, though, is my point.
Neither is going along quietly to the slaughter.
Did you see the story in another thread about FL trans inmates being forcibly transitioned? How many kids do you think are dead now because they’ve been forcibly refused gender affirming care?
No one is suggesting that this is the only or best option. People are looking out for their immediate survival, and they might include having to shoot someone trying to kill you. The best option would be strong state protections, but that is evaporating pretty fucking fast. There are not “right” answers, here, just multiple options for people to try and stay safe. When the state turns against, the best option is getting out, but defending yourself might be part of that.
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January 6th is Insurrection Day in the United States.
In Mexico it is Día de los Reyes Magos, the day of the Three Wise Men. And you have a donut and maybe tamales to celebrate.
I foresee a future American celebration, involving donuts and guillotines: the day of the Thousand Unwise Billionaires. I’ll do my part and get started today with the donut.
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No fascist government has ever been overcome by non-violent means alone. There is no voting them out when there’s no actual voting and appealing to their better nature … well, they don’t actually have one. This isn’t to say those RWNJ fantasies about taking down a corrupt government with their cute little military cos-play weapons is feasible, either, at least not directly. There is no single solution to it, nor is there a quick one. This situation didn’t occur overnight and we’ll be fighting it in many different ways for a long time.
If the state is coming after you directly, being armed isn’t going to stop them and yeah, they probably will use your possession of weapons to justify their actions. Side note, possibly rambling: Take careful note of how certain situations are reported. Look for statements like “… had 200 rounds of ammunition in the vehicle” – which means about as much as you might take to a shooting range on an afternoon. More than once I’ve listened to news quotes listing the ‘bomb making materials’ found in a raid, looked around my utility room and garage, and realized they’re describing the average contents of those areas in most homes. I may disagree with gun strokers about most things, but they’re not exactly wrong about the sensationalized reporting. (They just don’t notice it when that same method is applied to other people and situations.)
Yeah, definitely rambling. Apparently I’m feeling a little paranoid today for some strange reason.
Anyway, if someone is arming themselves over current events, I think most of us understand it won’t do shit if the government is coming after you directly. They’re far more likely to be thinking of the people in that truck with the AR-15 sticker directly over the “#protect our kids” sticker. Day to day, those are more of a direct threat to most of us.
And being armed might not help in that situation, either, but I can still very much understand the reaction.
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Judge Aileen Cannon really is trying to “earn” a life-long Supreme Court squat which they’ll free up by paying off Thomas’ ‘retirement’ [long string of feckless expletives]
Judge Aileen Cannon blocks release of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on Trump investigation
By Tierney Sneed and Katelyn Polantz, CNN
Updated 12:15 PM EST, Tue January 7, 2025
CNN —
District Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday blocked the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on his investigations into President-elect Donald Trump.
Her order prevents Smith and the Justice Department from moving forward with releasing the report until the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals has time to review the emergency motion by Trump’s codefendants to block the report’s release.
…
(dammit, here’s hoping some brave whistleblower will just leak it)
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If a justice appointed by the prospective defendant getting to make that decision isn’t an incredibly obvious sign of corruption and institutional rot that enrages all USians … ugh, disgust and anger are preventing me from finishing that sentence.
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And that’s not even close to the worst decision she’s made on this case. Remember, she slow-walked the case from the start, gave Trump’s defense everything they wanted, then dismissed the case entirely for obviously bogus reasons back in July.
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