as much as tariffs are a comically bad self-own, I'd actually be happy if this means even a fractional decrease in Temu's non-stop generation of landfill waste.
low cost, ubiquitous knick nack consumerism needs to be curtailed.
agreed. it's appropriate sometimes, especially when humor and mockery is being used to generate a sentiment/vibe. no one believes this meme image is meant to establish an orderly basis of factual reality based consensus about Trump. it's a joke.
besides, there is no amount of "high roading" with facts and logic that will reverse millions of hours of targeted brainwashing that caused a third of the population to vote against their own interests. we need to use multiple tactics, and appeals to humor/vibes/insults is one way we can make those backwards voters feel differently.
end of the day, subtle manipulation of images to create a vibe WORKS on people and shifts perceptions. the left should weaponize it to achieve goals, imo.
in a just world, every person on that panel who dismissed her concerns would have a black bag pulled over their head and they'd wake up in a prison in El Salvador.
it's particularly annoying because a "parallel economy" is something socialists and anarchists have advocated for many decades as a way to weaken reliance on corporate power structures and enhance mutual aide networks.
seeing these "anti-woke" groups co-opting terminology that's traditionally associated with underdog/resistance movements and inverting their purpose to exclusively benefit reactionary in-groups is just... ick.
similar split ticket voters can be found across the country.
Trump represented change, violent chaotic change, but change nonetheless. mainstream Dems cannot (will not) offer that. however progressives like AOC at least promise to fight for change.
your point stands still, just worth considering that Trump voters are not a monolith, neither are AOC voters.
does the richest man in the world think... the "resistance" is... tech billionaires?
does he believe the group recklessly wielding sweeping executive powers, directing raids of homes and schools, imprisoning, threatening, black bag kidnapping dissenters off the street, and deploying the military to the borders.... that they are the resistance?!
i know playing the victim is a standard gaslighting fascist rhetorical maneuver... but if he really thinks of himself as a "rebel" outsider. god help us. this man's continued metabolic equilibrium puts us all in grave danger.
at first I wondered, is that a sun or a moon... then I realized, it's more likely a spotlight from a Google AI powered autonomous weapon system hunter-killer drone.
irresponsible gun owning parents, who literally put firearms into the hands of their homicidal children, need to be held accountable for these tragedies.
dozens of mass shootings in recent years, especially school shootings, were absolutely preventable. if only these fucking lazy stupid ass adults would stop fetishizing guns for 2 seconds, long enough to store their weapons securely like a sane responsible person. or they could, idk, maybe steer their mentally disturbed crotch goblin towards a more pro-social, harmless activity?
firearm ownership is a responsibility too few take seriously.
they mentioned a few of these but I'm adding some of my own suggestions:
LEVEL 1: slightly paranoid
wear a mask, cover your face
leave your phone at home or use a faraday bag
put phone in airplane mode if you must bring it
use end-to-end encrypted or self destructing messages to organize
don't upload pics of other protesters without permission or at least blur faces
limit uploading images of yourself (in general)
LEVEL 2: tinfoil hat
ALL OF THE ABOVE PLUS:
cover up easily identifiable markings or hair color
wear generic looking clothing (eg "black block)
avoid wearing clothes/jewelry/glasses that can be uniquely associated to you in other photos (your cool af signature style can bite you in the ass)
BRING CASH!- don't use a credit card or ATM anywhere near the site of a major protest action
memorize an emergency contact number in advance in case your phone is taken from you by police (or you opted not to bring it)
memorize major intersections and landmarks (in case no phone or no data) and have an escape/exit plan if things turn violent
create alt/burner email accounts for registration or planning your activism (don't use the alt accounts for anything else) see also email forwarders
minimize your online footprint, especially publicly visible social media engagement where you login as yourself
LEVEL 3: can't catch what they can't see
ALL OF THE ABOVE PLUS:
if you need supplies for protest actions, purchase items using cash - do NOT use ATMs near the location where an event takes place; make withdrawals well in advance (weeks to months)
compartmentalize your digital identity; use alias/alt identities which are hard to link back to you for anything protest related
logins that use your real public identity (tied to bank accounts, google, apple ID) should never be accessed on the same devices/IP addresses you use to organize or discuss protest actions - for truly hardcore mode, this means means buying a separate phone/computer. obtaining hardware which can't be easily linked back to you is a whole topic unto itself.
delete old photos and posts from exposed accounts (never too late, but most images on the open web have been scraped by Clearview already so ymmv)
delete social media accounts which connect to your real identity; if you simply can't delete them then at least compartmentalize your protest actions from posts made under your real identity
never give out real personal information. use fake names, addresses, burner emails or forwarders, fake phone (this is harder), on any website or survey or petition you sign. you sometimes have to enter credit card details but everything else can be bullshit.
use privacy cards for online purchases so your retail activity is harder to connect across multiple sites
use a reliable VPN with Tor or other privacy focused browsers when researching anti fascist history, protest tactics, or sensitive topics (sabotage, pranktivism, monkey wrenching, evading police capture, etc)
Controversial take: generally speaking, do NOT use Tor or VPNs when you login to personal real identity websites (Google, Apple, banking, any store that has your real information or keeps KYC details) - many sites keep a record of your recent login IP addresses. there's a lot of complex caveats here but basically you don't want to associate your real identity account activity with your dark web activity because they share the exact same VPN IP address.
Optional: instead of black block, do the opposite. stand out on purpose in a way that doesnt match your normal appearance - apply fake tattoos, wear unusual clothing or a wig as a disguise. only wear it for specific events and dispose your disguise after so it can't be linked to you
The order was announced as White House officials believed they were nearing a deal for the app’s operations to be spun off into a new company based in the U.S. and owned and operated by a majority of American investors,
the extension only happened because after the TikTok CEO, Shou Chew, threw a big party for right wing influencers during Trump's record breaking $200M bribe acceptance party inauguration, Trump mysteriously halted the order (despite being signed into law) to ban the app.
from the article:
Top TikTok executives reportedly rubbed shoulders with American tech leaders and handed out business cards at an elite pre-inauguration donor event on Sunday featuring members of the Trump administration, as the app’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain.
Tiktok executives including CEO Shou Chew and vice president Michael Beckerman were reportedly on hand at the event, which President Donald and First Lady Melania Trump hosted at the National Building Museum in Washington. They joined a reported guestlist including Vice President JD Vance, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and conservative megadonor Miriam Adelson.
geeze, it's almost like the tech oligarchs told Trump to pause the ban until they could negotiate a way to profit more from acquisition of TikTok (or a newly created US based subsidiary that Bezos is trying to invest in) than by outright banning users access to it, cold turkey.
on April 19th there will be protests nationwide in every city.
I plan to be at the one where I live, with as many people as I can get to come with me. attending is the bare minimum i can do, but until we collectively get up enough courage for large scale civil disobedience, simple protests are a starting point to get you connected with local allies and movements.
relevant c/broligarchywatch