"Have you considered that I can sound very smug?"
libs always go this route
Worked in the West Wing so why not real life too? Dunno what the gen z equivalent of that is though.
It is always interesting how American libs always take the authoritarian talking point when it comes to international politics: The world needs a benevolent but firm leader who will guide them in the right direction. Any country that dares to challenge it is an enemy of what's right because we say so.
Also you definitely can get in trouble for talking bad about the US publicly, especially if it gains enough influence to the point it effects their business or military ventures. Why else do Central American union leaders end up getting killed after gaining a following that criticizes American corporations?
Also you definitely can get in trouble for talking bad about the US publicly
:mlk-yes:
Now it’s Asians and Russians.
According to the Ukrainian Nationa Institute of Remembrance, Russians are actually just Asians.
The ability to openly, publicly complain about it without ending up disappeared or dead
Damn, remind me what the Ferguson BLM organizers are up to nowadays?
Remember when Trump bragged about having some protest organizer murked
no thats different, because Trump Bad so nothing he did really counts as American, because America Good
The ability to openly, publicly complain about it without ending up disappeared or dead
But this is only true if your speech doesn't embarrass or confront American empire. Like sure, you can post "Fuck Biden" on Twitter without an unmarked van of Feds snatching you up (which is also not what happens in China lmao), but that's a meaningless gesture that changes nothing. If you actually organize and agitate you get imprisoned or killed like the countless (mostly leftist) radicals throughout US history. Just within the past couple years we've had Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Daniel Hale as prime examples that freedom of speech only exists in the US so long as it is convenient for maintaining American empire.
And this treatment isn't reserved just for people with state secrets - JT from the Deprogram podcast recounted how he got a visit from Feds investigating "Un-American activities" because he posted a video calling the CIA a terrorist organization. McCarthyism never ended in this country, and making up stories about how much worse it is in China and Russia doesn't change that.
half of the reason the US "tolerates" some forms of dissent is to bait out ineffective and/or ridiculous dissent so that the press can pillory it to indirectly prop up the status quo.
but yes, as you've said, effective criticisms at best don't get reported on, these days get outright censored, and at worst result in incarceration and death of the person.
Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Daniel Hale
Sir, SIR! Are you aware that those people committed crimes? They should have gone through the proper channels to voice their concerns. If we don't respect the rule of law we'll end up with another January 6th!!!
:liberalism:
as prime examples that freedom of speech only exists in the US so long as it is convenient for maintaining American empire.
Plus all the little people who got rounded up during 2020 and are facing god knows what charges for marching and protesting and maybe doing a little arson.
Show libs the flip side of this coin. If Russia and China are totalitarian dictatorships then their people have zero responsibility for any crimes of the state because they're forced into compliance.
However, if America is a democracy then each and every American is jointly responsible for all crimes committed by their country. In no legal or moral system is criticism of a crime while committing it a defence against being convicted for that crime.
Where people are murdered on a whim
Michael Reinoehl would like a word
When I become dictator ill control the state with an irony hand.
FR, give me absolute power. Not only will I do a communism, I'll do really funny public works projects like nuking Mars for no reason and putting a statue of a chimp riding a giraffarig from Pokémon in every major city cause its funny.
When I ascend the throne as King of America things are going to change. Not for the better. But they're gonna change.
Oh, I can easily guarantee better. Better is shooting fish in a barrel.
Saying "erudite" when you mean "eloquent" is such a Reddit move.
42 Upvotes here but the comrade in that thread is still downvoted, lol
Reddit has disabled the ability to up/downvote for a ton of people who were active on the old subreddit. It even happens to any alts I make on the same IP
It's really ironic given the thread. Amazing you get liberals admitting corporations hold power over the state who will then turn around and insist it totally cool and good when corporations violate their sacred free speech.
Reddit has disabled the ability to up/downvote for a ton of people who were active on the old subreddit. It even happens to any alts I make on the same IP
Shame, but it looks like at least one of us is tearing him a new one in there
:rat-salute: Salute to whoever that is
Meanwhile I got perma banned from an Indian subreddit yesterday for mentioning Abu Gharib on a thread regarding America targeting India with the usual human rights concerns.
Not to grant their assertion that there are no forms of tolerated dissent in China/Russia/etc...
But, even if that were true, I can safely say I'd rather have nothing to complain about than the right to complain - easily.
