> Yet, this doesn’t seem to end in any kind of policy concessions or compromise for rightwingers like the ones you saw for the violent Black Lives Matter rioters in 2020
That wasn't a case of concessions to rioters. That was a case of using the rioters as an excuse to implement the policies they already wanted to implement.
Addendum to the boomer posting phenomenon you describe. Sorry in advance bc this is an advertisement for the GOP but everyone here needs to hear it. My local GOP is all boomers, and v few millennials or zoomers. The boomers are lovely people and to a T pro Donald. Some of the commenters (not on this article but elsewhere on your substack) have been stigmatizing local political participation. This is wrong. The only way forward is through the Republican Party, at local and state levels -- which will become national power. In addition to advancing our policies, you will meet great older guys and ladies who will enrich your life
Always follow the money. Revolutions are not started by the rabble but the wealthy. Even the so-called Peasant Revolt after the plague came about because they felt they’d secured enough power and wealthy to overturn things.
Same goes with The French Revolution. Wealthy, educated, atheistic liberals who’d bought small offices and became lower nobles wanted to become the nobles.
What do you think of Tuckers 2024 prediction-- by next fall Trump is winning vs Biden in all polls, so the regime manufactures a crisis as a pretext to fortify the election. They start a hot war with Russia in Ukraine. Sounds like a nightmare that ends with all of us in camps
The legitimate hope is that people get angry enough to get out of their chair once every two years and vote. But ironically, that's what these fantasies stand in the way of. Too many conservatives have bought into the idea that some means other than voting will be what straightens everything out. It's pure poison, a red herring of hope that pacifies and deactivates them from acting on real solutions in favor of an illusion of an inevitable solution that's just around the corner.
For what it's worth, and I know you read it too, McMeekin estimates that the German high command gave the Bolsheviks the equivalent of ~$2bn in current money for their propaganda and bribery efforts.
We just spent the better part of three years having a nationwide argument about the right to show one's face in public. But, sure, the rightwing pendulum swing is right around the corner, guys.
I agree with all these, but am wondering what an effective counter would look like in this day. You brought up how some people in a European country created "volunteer firemen" who were just a front for violent resistance to the commies. What would be a modern equivalent?
Are we thinking about infiltrating current institutions? If so, how do you avoid people smelling you out or, worse, becoming like them?
Are we thinking of creating alternate institutions? If so, how do we avoid intelligence agencies with near infinite funds?
Are we thinking of becoming wreckers? If so, how can this be coordinated?
> Improving the situation is going to require everyone, young and old, to tighten things up rather than blow off steam.
How though? Despite the oft-repeated “no one is coming to save you” line on twatter, I don’t see any possible coordination mechanism for the right other than a hero riding in on a white horse to be our champion
Right now that’s trump, but eventually it will have to be someone more disciplined
Your advice is to "tighten things up" rather than "fed posting?" You may be dead right about everything you say but your prescription is pure essence of nothing.
He should've just voted Republican? When the power in R leadership is in on it as much if not more than D's that not a solution. They've all been rigging elections for longer than most of us knew or cared to admit. Do you really believe Murkowski won a write-in election in Alaska? A write-in? For her?!?!? A sore loser rejected in a primary? Right. Rigged.
I take no issue with the rest of you piece. But voting alone in this corrupt and rigged system isn't solving anything. The results are fraudulent, counted by the thieves themselves.
Perception. Public perception of the declared winner. That's what counts. Is the declared winner a *plausible* winner? Plausible enough to retain the public's support for the declared winner.
What factors into the plausibility perception? The conversation. The national dialogue. And state. And local. Within churches. Within families. Which is influenced by mass media and social media. And anecdotal daily human interactions.
Mass media and social media are heavily censored and filled with propaganda to give false perceptions that support politcians and policy. We know this. But we limit ourselves to echo chambers that don't reach enough minds to dispel the plausibility of election results. The numbers in alt media are growing, but not there. And if they become a true threat they are neutralized. The powers that be own that battlefield; they built it. All we have on them is a guerrilla warfare campaign.
But our interpersonal day-to-day interactions. We control them. For now. Until the idea of a Stasi becomes acceptable we have our voices and our relationships, formal and informal. Family, co-worker, teammate, congregant, cashier, rideshare driver. We have these opportunities to shape public discourse and perceptions. Yet we've been taught not to talk politics in polite company. We seek not to divide. We avoid conflict.
We consent. Our silence is consent. We must stop self-censoring, feeling the need to preserve the peace by allowing the false narratives of popular support for values and leaders that isn't there. When you speak up, bravely defying the attacks by haters and indoctrinated others who feel and believe as you take note. Courage is contagious. Others will join something but fear to lead it.
Our voices. For as long as we have left to share our voices freely in our immediate world we must speak up. Inspire others. Change perceptions. So that vast majorities will speak as we speak, our numbers reflect our true strength. So that when the illegitimate rulers we suffer under announce winners entire communities will know the results aren't plausible.
Because that's all these rulers need, plausibility. They rig the most important elections to their agendas. Always. But it's always with an eye on plausibility. Once they lose that they have nothing. And we gain everything. Yes, we still must vote. But primaries matter. And plausibility is the threshold we must defeat. Not just a rigged vote tally.
The threat to our beliefs and worship of God, the *ACTUAL* on going sexualization of our children and promoting pedophilia, the threat to our very constitution and way of life, our very GOD GIVEN freedoms.....if these aren't the hill to die on...then I ask the author this...... if not now, when? If not this, what? If not here, where?
> Yet, this doesn’t seem to end in any kind of policy concessions or compromise for rightwingers like the ones you saw for the violent Black Lives Matter rioters in 2020
That wasn't a case of concessions to rioters. That was a case of using the rioters as an excuse to implement the policies they already wanted to implement.
Addendum to the boomer posting phenomenon you describe. Sorry in advance bc this is an advertisement for the GOP but everyone here needs to hear it. My local GOP is all boomers, and v few millennials or zoomers. The boomers are lovely people and to a T pro Donald. Some of the commenters (not on this article but elsewhere on your substack) have been stigmatizing local political participation. This is wrong. The only way forward is through the Republican Party, at local and state levels -- which will become national power. In addition to advancing our policies, you will meet great older guys and ladies who will enrich your life
Always follow the money. Revolutions are not started by the rabble but the wealthy. Even the so-called Peasant Revolt after the plague came about because they felt they’d secured enough power and wealthy to overturn things.
Same goes with The French Revolution. Wealthy, educated, atheistic liberals who’d bought small offices and became lower nobles wanted to become the nobles.
Thanks for this. People need to join the county GOP and organize!
What do you think of Tuckers 2024 prediction-- by next fall Trump is winning vs Biden in all polls, so the regime manufactures a crisis as a pretext to fortify the election. They start a hot war with Russia in Ukraine. Sounds like a nightmare that ends with all of us in camps
And of course, the typical boomer is not actually interested in dying over the right to fedpoast.
Once it becomes obvious to them that the feds *will* in fact kill you for doing this, they'll just stop doing it.
The legitimate hope is that people get angry enough to get out of their chair once every two years and vote. But ironically, that's what these fantasies stand in the way of. Too many conservatives have bought into the idea that some means other than voting will be what straightens everything out. It's pure poison, a red herring of hope that pacifies and deactivates them from acting on real solutions in favor of an illusion of an inevitable solution that's just around the corner.
Did you read “the Populist Delusion”? If so, what did you think of it?
Excellent article as always.
For what it's worth, and I know you read it too, McMeekin estimates that the German high command gave the Bolsheviks the equivalent of ~$2bn in current money for their propaganda and bribery efforts.
We just spent the better part of three years having a nationwide argument about the right to show one's face in public. But, sure, the rightwing pendulum swing is right around the corner, guys.
Okay so:
- Fedposting does not work
- Public protesting does not work
- There will be no civil war
- No one with power cares about the rules
I agree with all these, but am wondering what an effective counter would look like in this day. You brought up how some people in a European country created "volunteer firemen" who were just a front for violent resistance to the commies. What would be a modern equivalent?
Are we thinking about infiltrating current institutions? If so, how do you avoid people smelling you out or, worse, becoming like them?
Are we thinking of creating alternate institutions? If so, how do we avoid intelligence agencies with near infinite funds?
Are we thinking of becoming wreckers? If so, how can this be coordinated?
> You shouldn’t count on common decency to stop them from acting against you in horrible ways, especially when you give them the perfect excuse.
You shouldn't count on common decency to stop them from acting against you in horrible ways without an excuse either.
> Improving the situation is going to require everyone, young and old, to tighten things up rather than blow off steam.
How though? Despite the oft-repeated “no one is coming to save you” line on twatter, I don’t see any possible coordination mechanism for the right other than a hero riding in on a white horse to be our champion
Right now that’s trump, but eventually it will have to be someone more disciplined
Your advice is to "tighten things up" rather than "fed posting?" You may be dead right about everything you say but your prescription is pure essence of nothing.
He should've just voted Republican? When the power in R leadership is in on it as much if not more than D's that not a solution. They've all been rigging elections for longer than most of us knew or cared to admit. Do you really believe Murkowski won a write-in election in Alaska? A write-in? For her?!?!? A sore loser rejected in a primary? Right. Rigged.
I take no issue with the rest of you piece. But voting alone in this corrupt and rigged system isn't solving anything. The results are fraudulent, counted by the thieves themselves.
Perception. Public perception of the declared winner. That's what counts. Is the declared winner a *plausible* winner? Plausible enough to retain the public's support for the declared winner.
What factors into the plausibility perception? The conversation. The national dialogue. And state. And local. Within churches. Within families. Which is influenced by mass media and social media. And anecdotal daily human interactions.
Mass media and social media are heavily censored and filled with propaganda to give false perceptions that support politcians and policy. We know this. But we limit ourselves to echo chambers that don't reach enough minds to dispel the plausibility of election results. The numbers in alt media are growing, but not there. And if they become a true threat they are neutralized. The powers that be own that battlefield; they built it. All we have on them is a guerrilla warfare campaign.
But our interpersonal day-to-day interactions. We control them. For now. Until the idea of a Stasi becomes acceptable we have our voices and our relationships, formal and informal. Family, co-worker, teammate, congregant, cashier, rideshare driver. We have these opportunities to shape public discourse and perceptions. Yet we've been taught not to talk politics in polite company. We seek not to divide. We avoid conflict.
We consent. Our silence is consent. We must stop self-censoring, feeling the need to preserve the peace by allowing the false narratives of popular support for values and leaders that isn't there. When you speak up, bravely defying the attacks by haters and indoctrinated others who feel and believe as you take note. Courage is contagious. Others will join something but fear to lead it.
Our voices. For as long as we have left to share our voices freely in our immediate world we must speak up. Inspire others. Change perceptions. So that vast majorities will speak as we speak, our numbers reflect our true strength. So that when the illegitimate rulers we suffer under announce winners entire communities will know the results aren't plausible.
Because that's all these rulers need, plausibility. They rig the most important elections to their agendas. Always. But it's always with an eye on plausibility. Once they lose that they have nothing. And we gain everything. Yes, we still must vote. But primaries matter. And plausibility is the threshold we must defeat. Not just a rigged vote tally.
The threat to our beliefs and worship of God, the *ACTUAL* on going sexualization of our children and promoting pedophilia, the threat to our very constitution and way of life, our very GOD GIVEN freedoms.....if these aren't the hill to die on...then I ask the author this...... if not now, when? If not this, what? If not here, where?