Because when we do the state government calls out pinkertons to violently crush our rebellion. This country is based on a rebellion but modern day rebellions are not viewed very positively at all.
Thats the irony of it all, America should really have a better way to allow change to occur than the rigid and corrupt system it has, especially since it was founded by rebellion
Sorry lads, the great rebellion is American Mythology. The USA was a country created by rich, white men for rich, white men. Everything we think America "stands for" was actually Americans standing up against the status quo to push for better conditions. History tells all, but be wary of any history written by the victor
I think this is a big one. But honestly, I think the biggest factor is that we’ve been conditioned to think we deserve it. We’re told over and over that poor people are poor because they’re lazy and stupid, and if you just work hard and use your head, then you can make your fortune and join the ranks of the super-rich.
It's the classic work, bread, and circus strategy that so many oppressive governments have used over the centuries. A population that is working, is relatively well feed, and has all the entertainment you could imagine is a lot less likely to revolt until things became glaring obvious.
Because Boomer have a ton of wealth and the government does everything to make them happy and in turn they agree with all the shaddy stuff going on. They are selling out our future to make their last few years great.
To add to this, mental health conditions here are so common and unchecked that a lot of people are exhausted from trying to do all of the above and also keep sane. I know personally I can barely focus enough to work much less rebel.
I think conditioning and lack of education kind of predicate why we put up with 1 and 2. If most Americans actually had any idea how we’ve been herded like cattle into wage slavery I think we’d see a lot more people ready to overthrow this bullshit. But so many people just won’t or can’t absorb what has happened, so we’re living in some weird Orwellian sand trap
your point 3 reminds me of Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher. very depressing but very true book about how capitalism is so pervasive in every area of our lives that we aren’t even capable of imagining a society without it. education is power
This makes me think when children ask questions and are confused by the adults answers, it’s not because they’re dumb or completely ignorant, it’s that our answers aren’t natural, and our society is fucked. “Mom why doesn’t that man have a house?” “Because he is homeless honey.”
Agree completely! Not to mention our media industry turned into an oligopoly a long time and gets worse every year. There are agendas to keep us orderly and in place. It's not a crazy conspiracy theory, it's common practice that's been utilized throughout human existence.
Tying healthcare to employment is one of the most evil things this country has done. People are terrified of losing their job because they would also lose their health insurance, and considering that prescription drugs here are literally 10-100x the cost they are in other parts of world, people stay at terrible jobs because if they leave or get fired they could literally die (google stories about diabetics dying because they can’t afford insulin in this country…). And even with insurance you are one major accident or illness away from being completely destitute. Like I said, pure evil.
Cultural conditioning is a hard thing to realize you're in. Like a fish in water. Remember how everyone was prowar for Iraq? Not war sucks, but it's necessary, but actually pro-war. Seems insane now. We felt moderate because we weren't saying to glass the desert. I'm sure a lot of people feel like 15/hr is fair when they're used to 7.
On top of this are the results from the "occupy wall street" and people were very disillusioned and no longer believe revolt riot or protest will do anything other than get them killed. Arrested or at minimum loss of job
The conditioning is a really important aspect, and it is nefarious. In context of protests and rioting, think of how everybody says it has to be peaceful and that a non-peaceful action is somehow morally reprehensible. We're told to be peaceful and work at it and change takes time and . . .
In 2020, we had the largest protest movement ever against police violence and it produced a singular slogan: "defund the police." Then we elected someone who wants to explicitly wants to do the opposite of that.
Was going to say I think they underestimate the police reaction and people tend to think of the united states as one unified country. When really the states tend to have their own things going on. And we're so massive and separated it's hard to get nationwide support on anything really.
I wish I could upvote this like a million times. And the link afterward. I had literally NO IDEA that the Haymarket riot was even a fucking thing. I am originally from Philadelphia and now live just a stone's throw away from Chicago. That is insane. I didn't know the propaganda of Henry Ford making the 8 hour work day but now I'm glad I know where it ACTUALLY originated. Fucking lies! All lies! I'm so angry! I wish I wasn't the only guy that wanted to really do something about this shit. Or at least the only guy that I am aware of that would.
I think it would be so good for the whole globe if the US had a revolution. I live in Australia and our conservative governments love to copy America but we are like ten years behind.
Because we have a little something called the Federal Bureau of Investigations and they don’t like the R-word. Civil rights organizers have a nasty little habit of getting on their bad side
We’re just tired. I come home from a job where I get yelled at all day- and sit in a chair- and I’m tired. I want a glass of wine and goofy tv show. My mind is blank. I’m tired.
I work for UPS. Unionized and all across they’re country they’re scaling back adjusted pay rates as they just finished the most profitable year they’ve ever had.
well when American's have nothing left. When homelessness, and hunger, and suicide start rising, law makers are going to have a fuck ton of violence on their hands. It's gonna be like children of men here. Terrorism is gonna sky rocket. I'm planning on immigrating ASAP.
Yeah. People who are born into servitude are born into fear. And fear keeps you in line. It keeps you blind. It keeps you watching your behind. Because fear tells you it can get worse. And we're all waiting for the point where it can't. Where we have nothing left to lose. And that's when fear loses its grip.
And there’s people who wonder why communism was so popular in the twentieth century. It’s because people were being taken advantage of just like they are now
Same as American lobby groups are legalised political corruption. You get never get away with that shit in my country; people have tried and they've lost everything for it
I feel like those of us that have nothing to lose, the single people no families no kids need to step up for everyone else. I can live off of dumpster dived food and sleep in a tent no problem. We need to be actively out there raising hell on behalf of everyone who has responsibilities and things to lose.
That’s what happened to me. Six years ago I was maybe six months away from hitting a $120k salary and fell critically ill. Lost my job, my career lost its momentum entirely, and then the long-term damage from my illness started and now I’m completely disabled. I had enough in savings and tied up in assets to keep me afloat two years, but it’s all gone now. State still refuses to recognize my disabilities, and if it weren’t for my family I’d have long since been homeless. Hell, I doubt I’d still be alive, but my family has made it clear that my life means more to them than the burden they bear keeping me alive.
Sickness in this country is a joke. I got sick the last two years and racked up over 100k of medical debt in one year and I’m still looking at more surgeries in the coming year bc stuff keeps going wrong. I’m in my 30s as well and my husband and I declared bankruptcy this year bc we simply couldn’t afford anything. The funny thing is? We make too much to declare chapter 7 so we’re paying the companies who filed against us for the next five years.
I’m not even sick, work full time in healthcare, and I’m homeless. Couldn’t afford to keep up with rent and I couldn’t afford to move, let alone switch jobs. So now I live in a van and work full time
I bet there wouldn’t be such of a mental health problem in the country if debt and health anxiety were even a little bit better. That stuff must be the cause of so much stress, burnout, depression and anxiety.
I mean, much of America’s rise to global dominance, from a bunch of settled colonies, was due to actual slavery, so I don’t know why we are surprised by an engrained, genetic propensity toward it.
You’re correct. Luckily I am a professional with a graduate degree making a healthy salary so I can afford a decent lifestyle BUT regardless of that I’m considered lucky to get three weeks of vacation per year, which I can only take one week at a time.
This is true - but when it comes to slavery & it’s longevity in our country and it’s lasting impact, people turn the other cheek. “That’s a thing of the past.” No it’s not. Slavery & racism are the building blocks of the US. We have built on top and improved yes, but can’t forget how we got to where we are.
You don’t have universal health care either, because people will ‘take advantage’. Y’all need a huge mindset shift, but if it hasn’t happened during the pandemic, it’s never going to happen.
I'm not sure if you've ever heard the saying "If you throw a frog into boiling water it jumps out, but if you put a frog into a pot of cold water and slowly boil it, he will sit there until he dies". I honestly never bothered to find out if that's true because regardless the lesson remains. You were thrown into a hot pot of American working conditions and jumped out. We've been sitting in it since it was cold.
Honestly why isn't the entire world rioting? We're getting to a point where some people have more wealth than half a continent combined while children are starving... Why isn't the whole world dragging rich people out in the streets?
4 - a gross amount of people actually think the system is fine. Propaganda tells people this is ok and they eat it up because it's easier than fighting for change
1b. Once you have very quietly, very peacefully protested: We will carpet bomb you socially. We will force words into your mouth and then punish you for being the origin of those words. We will constantly try to wear at your right to protest. We will assassinate your character.
People demonize riots but they’re literally THE way to get what you want. If you stand outside a building and just say,” hey I want this” you’ll be ignored. You need a mix of civil protest and riots to get shit done. That’s how M.L.K. did it. Do riots and then peaceful to show them what happens if we don’t get what we want. Nah though that’s bad and not moral :( fucking hate people like that
I ain't rioting because I don't want to get shot. I am a full-time caregiver and handyman in the building I live in, and I work a full-time time retail job
Sorry, I've had two bottles of wine and I'm really angry, and probably came off as really insensitive. Wasn't trying to shame you guys for not doing anything, of course it's not that easy. It's just really hard for me to understand how people in a "democracy" can be treated this way for such a long time and it makes my blood boil.
Surprised I haven't seen much of this sentiment yet. We don't get kid gloves if we riot here (unless the rioters are waving Nazi flags); our cops are this close to using fully lethal munitions on a "riot" for anything even vaguely "left", and a third of the country will cheer them on when they finally do.
Yes, more of a lay flat and doing nothing (which more Americans can be assed to join since we literally have to do NOTHING) will get more done than any number of riots, marches,etc.
This is how to do it. Gather, stock up, and distribute food and supplies. Communicate within your communities and support each other during the couple of weeks it would take to shut everything down. It’s the only non-violent way. Traditional protesting is too much of a risk with the police who serve to protect property and businesses, not support the people. Don’t give them fuel for their narrative. Just stop participating in the system for two weeks.
I'm in full agreement with you. We need to stop everything and batten down the hatches until something gives. I think it would take a lot more than a couple weeks though.
I was looking for a comment like this. We fix it by going into a stand still. Once we have their attention we give our demands. If people can rally and meet at Area 51 as a joke I feel like it's possible to rally on a serious issue. What would you guys consider step 1 be?
Not in Ottawa. When the white folks do it, the police literally turn away. I heard a lot sad stories this past week of people calling the police to deal with blatant criminal activity, and the cops are just saying they won't arrest them because it might escalate things.
Corporations have monopolized the means to live. That includes Starbucks, if not directly than by complicity. If you stop working, the woods are your home and no doctors or hospitals will even give you the time of day. No one will open their doors. Even your family, will tell you to get up off your ass and work, stop being lazy. It's a mixture of utter necessity and Stockholm (no pun intended) syndrome as a majority of American serfs will actually protect and defend their corporate lords under the guise of self respect and work ethic.
I’m hoping the end result would be companies forced to use labor benefits as PR. “We treat our workers well so buy our burgers”. That type of thing. Much like they shifted to eco friendly products because it’s good for business. Someone needs to start the trend.
This is quite common with small tech startups. They can't compete for talent against large corps so they compete through benefits and life work balance.
This sounds like what amazon tried to do with terry gross. Yet he was wearing a watch worth thousands in the ads he did, so no one believed his ass, that ass.
Bro, we get destroyed by working conditions and high cost of living that we turn to substances and brain dead TV to escape from this hellscape we call society. I thought Covid was gonna be a zombie apocalypse but somehow it fucked the working class even more by showing us the true class warfare we are up against. I would rather have zombies because that shit is tight
100%. I remember thinking in 2020, “This is the worst version of the world I’ve ever lived in.” But there was still that glimmer of hope for workers, especially with people rooting for essential workers and talk of hero pay and whatnot. Now that’s all gone and it’s worse than ever. Never thought I’d actually miss 2020.
Because we don’t know any different, we are born in to it. Opting out of the system could have you living in a tent along a freeway. There is too much corporate money in politics.
So very true, I feel this is a close to the answer as I have seen so far in this post. Most of us have not know anything but the struggle just to stay alive. And the people that came before us didn't have that problem and don't understand what it is like since they closed the door behind them once they got what they wanted.
The craziest part is you're not even exaggerating. If you have a serious life crisis and don't have a dense support system (other people with money to support you) you could literally be dumped on the street with next to nothing. The cases of frostbite are at an all time high in my state right now. There's few reasons someone would subject themselves to negative tempatures all day.
Honest to God I don't know. What we really need is a lot of immigration from France to get a lot of those French people to show us the way.... One problem is that we allowed the elite to divide us and battle each other over ridiculous stuff like Christmas trees and vaccines.
There is an amazing amount of social engineering going on in the US. We have been conditioned for generations that this is the way things should be, anything else is "communism", which is of course the ultimate evil.
I’ve been with my French immigrant boyfriend for years and it has RADICALLY impacted the way I treat my time for the better. Although sometimes we have argued about my impatience at the two hour lunch thing hahah
IMO there’s a reason the British wanted the remaining French genocided. Their propaganda campaign against Napoleon was effective too. Cajuns, we became. Then just “white”.
We’re too tired, occupy Wall Street didn’t amount to jack, we can’t just skip out on our lives and protest- we’ll lose the small amounts we have and our healthcare too (and probably our immediate family’s healthcare). We’re literally between a rock and a hard place.
Half the population won't admit there's a problem, so us rioting doesn't matter. Almost no kind of significant change can happen because we aren't united. Some people are CONTENT working 80+ hours and just use it to flex how hard of a worker they are.
Exactly this. Half out fucking country calls the other half lazy because they won't do manual labor for $9 an hour... And they literally think they are the good guys
Because our police will kill us for being the wrong shade of skin and standing in the street let alone protesting. Have you learned about the mass incarnation and forced labor? How about how disabled people can make around $2 and hour. We are all slaves. They keep sugar in all the food, drugs on the street, meds on TV, and the real criminals in office. Oh and good luck going through college or navigating the medical system. 'Merica!
Cold hard facts right here. They spare no expenses trying to discredit you and call you a conspiracy theorist if you point this out. Brainwashing generations for the greed of the elite. But just vote right.....
Recently, I had to see a psychiatrist. I wanted a second opinion after I spoke with the initial psychiatrist. Went to look for another one and only found Drs around me that didn’t take insurance. Their initial fee was around $300.00. The next closest thing was a university over 30 minutes from my house, which had 6 month waiting periods.
I was watching a British show where a character wanted to quit his job to give guided tours in London. My first reaction was that a job like that probably wouldn't have health insurance and that would be a risky move. Then it hit me that health care was a government service in the UK and basically everywhere else, and that I too would quit my office job to give guided tours if not for the health insurance part.
People here are more concerned about mask and vaccine mandates. Not to mention, conservatives have been spreading propaganda and misinformation for decades that social democracy = socialism = communism.
Conservatives believe that Socialism is when the government does stuff. It's more socialism the more stuff it does. And if it does a real lot of stuff, it's communism. (
I remember everyone putting such an emphasis on the rioting and defacing of the capital, but I didn't even care about that. If someone has a good cause, by all means. Riot all you want. Shit on whatever you want.
America is really really big. Europeans truly don't understand how spread out this country is. Making organizing very difficult. I have to drive 1-2 hours to get to a major city and 7 hours to get to my state capital. Getting to DC and doing a protracted demonstration would cost a ton of money. That's hard to do when most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.
100%. I can drive 15 hours in Texas and still be in Texas. Texas and California alone are large land masses and the overall consensus of their ideologies are vastly different. America is a VERY large place and I’m not sure people outside of America really understand how different everyone who lives here is. There’s no way that enough people could riot and make a difference, and even if there were enough people they would just have the national guard come invade and suppress the situation.
There's no class solidarity and there are way too many comfortable people either who don't care about others' struggles or may even enjoy know that there are some who have it worse than they do.
That and there is always a large group of indoctrinated toadies that will protect the elites just in case they ever become one. And those that fell for the constant streams of propaganda. Or they have a lot of their future tied up in the markets via 401k plans so if they poke the Corporations their own money will be at stake (collateral). This is a carrot to chase while you suffer so that later you can retire. Of course the real pressure comes from the whales that hold large amounts of stocks, many of them in the military equipment sector, and I wonder why we're constantly trying to get into wars even if we have to fake the reason (WMDs! git em!).
I have a decent job but I would love to find more meaningful work or start a business but I will lose my health insurance which covers my son's ABA therapy at 100%. I literally can't afford to leave my job even if I made more money. 5 days a week of therapy at $60 a session with 70/30 coverage, I have reached out to others at similar companies and this is the normal coverage for the financial services industry. We would be homeless to make sure my son gets the help he needs to succeed.
Our government wouldn't hesitate to kill us all if we rioted like we should, for the hundreds of reasons we should. This is the kicker, on top of all the other reasons people have already pointed out. Maybe we'll hit a point where we realize it's worth that risk, but we aren't there yet. They've successfully made us divided and scared.
They don’t know that things can be better. I know tons of stories about my friends trying to tell their parents common sense things like “we should raise the minimum wage” and their parents get mad at them because they think they’re entitled.
Many Americans believe "socialism is evil" and that's what they have been taught their whole lives. They have never bothered to find out how it works in other countries.
Our cops are more heavily armed than most militaries and would Tienanmen everyone in the streets, then the media propaganda machine would have 1/3 of the country cheering our deaths, and another 1/3 who don't give a shit either way.
Because health care is tied to employment. Because the 1% has worked continuously since Nixon to get us to this place. Because the 1% own the media. Because we repealed the fairness doctrine. Because the 1% have been fomenting hate between different groups in this country to keep us divided. Because the 1% has convinced us that politics is an unending football game of us versus them instead of two sides of the same coin playing good cop, bad cop to make us think we have a choice in representation. Because religion is a serious influence against the working class and poor. I truly believe that no one will riot in this country until all those still comfortable with their income and position are at the edge of the precipice of total ruin. Even then we have a huge part of the population that believes they are going to get their reward in heaven so suffering on earth earns them that reward.
You should be more angry that the progressive caucus that we are trying to grow inside the democratic party is being quickly snuffed out because it doesn't fit the establishment's narrative. I'd love to resolve our current woes without violence, but when the conservative politicians and pundits push violent rhetoric to their base, it's like a 3 vs 1 battle. You're right, we shouldn't be arguing over dem vs republican because we are slaves to both, but when we try and do the right thing by electing progressive politicians to positions of power and they get shoved into the closet, you've got to start with the ones that can do the most damage. And currently, that is the republican party. The establishment dems can either join us or face the same fate, but either way, the republican party is the sole reason the ratchet effect in our political spectrum exists. Without it, there would be no establishment dems to prevent progress towards a true leftist society.
Political parties reflect the balance of power in the wider society. A leftist caucus can't survive long without the backing of a larger movement. The sorry state of labour organisation explains the weak state of resistance within the major parties.
The elites have been masterful at the drip drip drip approach to work slavery. It kept slowly getting worse and worse and sometimes it was hard to see it happening, until now, when we’re getting hammered on absolutely all fronts and it’s finally obvious to everyone.
My friends and I were shot with rubber bullets and tear gassed when we protested to stop police from murdering Black people. If that’s what they do when our stance is “hey, don’t murder people,” what do you think the response will be if we were to revolt and demand better lives? America sinks millions upon millions of dollars into the police and military and they have shown us time and time again that they will use those resources against their own citizens.
I would it's the same reason the people in China or Vietnam, or even mexico aren't rioting when they are making pennies a day. 1) they are used to it. 2) the forces to stop their riots/strikes/protests are stronger than their ability to do so.
It is a question of perspective, from an American perspective Sweden is great, but from someone living in Sweden you will see problems, for example: pensions are very low, it is difficult to rent apartments in medium and big cities and in Stockholm for example you have to wait many many years in the queue to be able to rent somewhat near the center. Sickness payment can take months to kick in, it is retroactive but you still have to survive those months waiting for the payment, same with the unemployment benefit, I think it can take up to 3 months of waiting for approval.
A mix of "can't afford to", narrowmindedly scrabbling towards affording today so you can afford tomorrow, brainwashing, propaganda, and of course, the 100% certainty that this big beautiful bountiful military America has gallivanting around would be called back to stand beside the militarized riot squashers police force if we ever did anything actually meaningful. Throw in absolute jaded certainty that nothing ever changes coming from our political system that supposedly lets us choose but doesnt, and the frequent mysterious disappearance of all of our union organizers and especially protest organizers, and the goons they pay to loot during protests as an excuse to arrest people, and you're close to nailing it down.
Because employers are keeping people 2 paychecks away from homeless, because they can’t wrap their heads around the fact that the working class is it’s own economy. If there are too many workers in one field and not enough demand, their paycheck on average goes down, so if there isn’t enough workers to fill demand it should cause the same reaction the other way around, no?
System is designed to work as long as a minimum amount of people can be exploited. So as long as about 80-90% of us don't strike at the same time, the remaining work force just gets pushed harder.
Because when we do the state government calls out pinkertons to violently crush our rebellion. This country is based on a rebellion but modern day rebellions are not viewed very positively at all.
Thats the irony of it all, America should really have a better way to allow change to occur than the rigid and corrupt system it has, especially since it was founded by rebellion
They were black bagging people into unmarked vans at the BLM protests in 2020.
Sorry lads, the great rebellion is American Mythology. The USA was a country created by rich, white men for rich, white men. Everything we think America "stands for" was actually Americans standing up against the status quo to push for better conditions. History tells all, but be wary of any history written by the victor
Keep in mind that the USA was a rebellion of wealthy british subjects against their overseas king.
We’re tired from working so much
Yup. I have work Monday, like hell I’m gonna miss a whole 8 hours of pay. I got bills
"If you make existence bleak enough, people will be so focused on survival, they'll forget they can revolt" - Zari Tomaz from DC Legends of Tomorrow
I think this is a big one. But honestly, I think the biggest factor is that we’ve been conditioned to think we deserve it. We’re told over and over that poor people are poor because they’re lazy and stupid, and if you just work hard and use your head, then you can make your fortune and join the ranks of the super-rich.
Not just tired, protesting requires time. Time you likely need to be at work to survive.
It's the classic work, bread, and circus strategy that so many oppressive governments have used over the centuries. A population that is working, is relatively well feed, and has all the entertainment you could imagine is a lot less likely to revolt until things became glaring obvious.
Then maybe you should all (and I mean all) take a week off and remind your overlords who actually does the work.
Also our police are very dangerous
Because Boomer have a ton of wealth and the government does everything to make them happy and in turn they agree with all the shaddy stuff going on. They are selling out our future to make their last few years great.
I've been thinking about this, and I have 3 guesses:
To add to this, mental health conditions here are so common and unchecked that a lot of people are exhausted from trying to do all of the above and also keep sane. I know personally I can barely focus enough to work much less rebel.
I think conditioning and lack of education kind of predicate why we put up with 1 and 2. If most Americans actually had any idea how we’ve been herded like cattle into wage slavery I think we’d see a lot more people ready to overthrow this bullshit. But so many people just won’t or can’t absorb what has happened, so we’re living in some weird Orwellian sand trap
Many of us are ONE MISSED SHIFT from losing everything.
your point 3 reminds me of Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher. very depressing but very true book about how capitalism is so pervasive in every area of our lives that we aren’t even capable of imagining a society without it. education is power
You guessed right.
This makes me think when children ask questions and are confused by the adults answers, it’s not because they’re dumb or completely ignorant, it’s that our answers aren’t natural, and our society is fucked. “Mom why doesn’t that man have a house?” “Because he is homeless honey.”
Agree completely! Not to mention our media industry turned into an oligopoly a long time and gets worse every year. There are agendas to keep us orderly and in place. It's not a crazy conspiracy theory, it's common practice that's been utilized throughout human existence.
Tying healthcare to employment is one of the most evil things this country has done. People are terrified of losing their job because they would also lose their health insurance, and considering that prescription drugs here are literally 10-100x the cost they are in other parts of world, people stay at terrible jobs because if they leave or get fired they could literally die (google stories about diabetics dying because they can’t afford insulin in this country…). And even with insurance you are one major accident or illness away from being completely destitute. Like I said, pure evil.
Agreed
Cultural conditioning is a hard thing to realize you're in. Like a fish in water. Remember how everyone was prowar for Iraq? Not war sucks, but it's necessary, but actually pro-war. Seems insane now. We felt moderate because we weren't saying to glass the desert. I'm sure a lot of people feel like 15/hr is fair when they're used to 7.
Especially 3. Why the fuck are so many middle class people against increased minimum wage?
On top of this are the results from the "occupy wall street" and people were very disillusioned and no longer believe revolt riot or protest will do anything other than get them killed. Arrested or at minimum loss of job
The conditioning is a really important aspect, and it is nefarious. In context of protests and rioting, think of how everybody says it has to be peaceful and that a non-peaceful action is somehow morally reprehensible. We're told to be peaceful and work at it and change takes time and . . .
In 2020, we had the largest protest movement ever against police violence and it produced a singular slogan: "defund the police." Then we elected someone who wants to explicitly wants to do the opposite of that.
You imply that a person needs to actually take action against a cop to be charged with assaulting a police officer.
Education as well.
Adding to point no 1, I think that the functionality of the US economy is largely propped up by credit cards.
Dang i went to an Uber right wing religious school and I learned about Haymarket 😂
Was going to say I think they underestimate the police reaction and people tend to think of the united states as one unified country. When really the states tend to have their own things going on. And we're so massive and separated it's hard to get nationwide support on anything really.
I wish I could upvote this like a million times. And the link afterward. I had literally NO IDEA that the Haymarket riot was even a fucking thing. I am originally from Philadelphia and now live just a stone's throw away from Chicago. That is insane. I didn't know the propaganda of Henry Ford making the 8 hour work day but now I'm glad I know where it ACTUALLY originated. Fucking lies! All lies! I'm so angry! I wish I wasn't the only guy that wanted to really do something about this shit. Or at least the only guy that I am aware of that would.
I think it would be so good for the whole globe if the US had a revolution. I live in Australia and our conservative governments love to copy America but we are like ten years behind.
Because we have a little something called the Federal Bureau of Investigations and they don’t like the R-word. Civil rights organizers have a nasty little habit of getting on their bad side
Rip Malcom, Hampton, and Luther.
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We’re just tired. I come home from a job where I get yelled at all day- and sit in a chair- and I’m tired. I want a glass of wine and goofy tv show. My mind is blank. I’m tired.
People that most need improved conditions can't afford to strike.
I work for UPS. Unionized and all across they’re country they’re scaling back adjusted pay rates as they just finished the most profitable year they’ve ever had.
Nail on head.
well when American's have nothing left. When homelessness, and hunger, and suicide start rising, law makers are going to have a fuck ton of violence on their hands. It's gonna be like children of men here. Terrorism is gonna sky rocket. I'm planning on immigrating ASAP.
Yeah. People who are born into servitude are born into fear. And fear keeps you in line. It keeps you blind. It keeps you watching your behind. Because fear tells you it can get worse. And we're all waiting for the point where it can't. Where we have nothing left to lose. And that's when fear loses its grip.
And there’s people who wonder why communism was so popular in the twentieth century. It’s because people were being taken advantage of just like they are now
Personally. This is too real.
That's when you unionize.
Don't forget to mention that people also don't give a fuck about each other.
Same as American lobby groups are legalised political corruption. You get never get away with that shit in my country; people have tried and they've lost everything for it
I feel like those of us that have nothing to lose, the single people no families no kids need to step up for everyone else. I can live off of dumpster dived food and sleep in a tent no problem. We need to be actively out there raising hell on behalf of everyone who has responsibilities and things to lose.
Nothing you said is wrong. Genuinely, thanks for caring enough to share.
Yeah, seriously. Warms my heart to hear that a Swede is rooting for us ❤ thank you
Definitely the best drunk Swede I know
It’s true. America found a way to legalize slavery. You have to go into debt to get and education and heaven forbid you get sick.
That’s what happened to me. Six years ago I was maybe six months away from hitting a $120k salary and fell critically ill. Lost my job, my career lost its momentum entirely, and then the long-term damage from my illness started and now I’m completely disabled. I had enough in savings and tied up in assets to keep me afloat two years, but it’s all gone now. State still refuses to recognize my disabilities, and if it weren’t for my family I’d have long since been homeless. Hell, I doubt I’d still be alive, but my family has made it clear that my life means more to them than the burden they bear keeping me alive.
Sickness in this country is a joke. I got sick the last two years and racked up over 100k of medical debt in one year and I’m still looking at more surgeries in the coming year bc stuff keeps going wrong. I’m in my 30s as well and my husband and I declared bankruptcy this year bc we simply couldn’t afford anything. The funny thing is? We make too much to declare chapter 7 so we’re paying the companies who filed against us for the next five years.
I’m not even sick, work full time in healthcare, and I’m homeless. Couldn’t afford to keep up with rent and I couldn’t afford to move, let alone switch jobs. So now I live in a van and work full time
I bet there wouldn’t be such of a mental health problem in the country if debt and health anxiety were even a little bit better. That stuff must be the cause of so much stress, burnout, depression and anxiety.
Sad and boring dystopia. I at least hoped for flying cars by now.
Don't forgot the actual slavery that is our prison system. Because the best way to rehabilitate people is to work them for no pay until they die.
Don’t forget the 13th Amendment that banned it… has a loophole baked in that the prison industry has been exploiting for centuries.
I mean, much of America’s rise to global dominance, from a bunch of settled colonies, was due to actual slavery, so I don’t know why we are surprised by an engrained, genetic propensity toward it.
What's really crazy is how our politicians and corporations sold us this ideology.
You’re correct. Luckily I am a professional with a graduate degree making a healthy salary so I can afford a decent lifestyle BUT regardless of that I’m considered lucky to get three weeks of vacation per year, which I can only take one week at a time.
This is true - but when it comes to slavery & it’s longevity in our country and it’s lasting impact, people turn the other cheek. “That’s a thing of the past.” No it’s not. Slavery & racism are the building blocks of the US. We have built on top and improved yes, but can’t forget how we got to where we are.
You don’t have universal health care either, because people will ‘take advantage’. Y’all need a huge mindset shift, but if it hasn’t happened during the pandemic, it’s never going to happen.
Healthcare needs dictate every part of my life.
Yup. I have epilepsy. Without insurance just my meds are 2k a month. I haven't had a seizure in 5 years. I want to keep it that way.
If I could strangle every single private health insurance executive in America, I would in a heartbeat.
I am doing my best to pay off everything I can do I can downcycle to a less stressful job.
I'm not sure if you've ever heard the saying "If you throw a frog into boiling water it jumps out, but if you put a frog into a pot of cold water and slowly boil it, he will sit there until he dies". I honestly never bothered to find out if that's true because regardless the lesson remains. You were thrown into a hot pot of American working conditions and jumped out. We've been sitting in it since it was cold.
Wow. I never heard this saying and it is ... depressingly true.
Honestly why isn't the entire world rioting? We're getting to a point where some people have more wealth than half a continent combined while children are starving... Why isn't the whole world dragging rich people out in the streets?
THIS is the real question!!! How do I pin a comment?
Oof where do I start, mixed with the facts that :
4 - a gross amount of people actually think the system is fine. Propaganda tells people this is ok and they eat it up because it's easier than fighting for change
1b. Once you have very quietly, very peacefully protested: We will carpet bomb you socially. We will force words into your mouth and then punish you for being the origin of those words. We will constantly try to wear at your right to protest. We will assassinate your character.
People demonize riots but they’re literally THE way to get what you want. If you stand outside a building and just say,” hey I want this” you’ll be ignored. You need a mix of civil protest and riots to get shit done. That’s how M.L.K. did it. Do riots and then peaceful to show them what happens if we don’t get what we want. Nah though that’s bad and not moral :( fucking hate people like that
I ain't rioting because I don't want to get shot. I am a full-time caregiver and handyman in the building I live in, and I work a full-time time retail job
The fact you're forced to work another job full time just to make ends meet is fucking ridiculous.
Sorry, I've had two bottles of wine and I'm really angry, and probably came off as really insensitive. Wasn't trying to shame you guys for not doing anything, of course it's not that easy. It's just really hard for me to understand how people in a "democracy" can be treated this way for such a long time and it makes my blood boil.
Surprised I haven't seen much of this sentiment yet. We don't get kid gloves if we riot here (unless the rioters are waving Nazi flags); our cops are this close to using fully lethal munitions on a "riot" for anything even vaguely "left", and a third of the country will cheer them on when they finally do.
Instead of rioting, I recommend Americans just STAY THE FUCK HOME beginning May 1, 2022.
I’ve always wondered this scenario if everyone at the same time just said no more. A complete global strike.
Because the establishment knows what to do when we riot.
Yes, more of a lay flat and doing nothing (which more Americans can be assed to join since we literally have to do NOTHING) will get more done than any number of riots, marches,etc.
This is how to do it. Gather, stock up, and distribute food and supplies. Communicate within your communities and support each other during the couple of weeks it would take to shut everything down. It’s the only non-violent way. Traditional protesting is too much of a risk with the police who serve to protect property and businesses, not support the people. Don’t give them fuel for their narrative. Just stop participating in the system for two weeks.
I'm in full agreement with you. We need to stop everything and batten down the hatches until something gives. I think it would take a lot more than a couple weeks though.
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lsO_SlA7E8k
I was looking for a comment like this. We fix it by going into a stand still. Once we have their attention we give our demands. If people can rally and meet at Area 51 as a joke I feel like it's possible to rally on a serious issue. What would you guys consider step 1 be?
Not in Ottawa. When the white folks do it, the police literally turn away. I heard a lot sad stories this past week of people calling the police to deal with blatant criminal activity, and the cops are just saying they won't arrest them because it might escalate things.
Corporations have monopolized the means to live. That includes Starbucks, if not directly than by complicity. If you stop working, the woods are your home and no doctors or hospitals will even give you the time of day. No one will open their doors. Even your family, will tell you to get up off your ass and work, stop being lazy. It's a mixture of utter necessity and Stockholm (no pun intended) syndrome as a majority of American serfs will actually protect and defend their corporate lords under the guise of self respect and work ethic.
Whenever you work for someone else, someone is profiting off your labor
I’m hoping the end result would be companies forced to use labor benefits as PR. “We treat our workers well so buy our burgers”. That type of thing. Much like they shifted to eco friendly products because it’s good for business. Someone needs to start the trend.
This is quite common with small tech startups. They can't compete for talent against large corps so they compete through benefits and life work balance.
This sounds like what amazon tried to do with terry gross. Yet he was wearing a watch worth thousands in the ads he did, so no one believed his ass, that ass.
Bro, we get destroyed by working conditions and high cost of living that we turn to substances and brain dead TV to escape from this hellscape we call society. I thought Covid was gonna be a zombie apocalypse but somehow it fucked the working class even more by showing us the true class warfare we are up against. I would rather have zombies because that shit is tight
At this point I keep praying to get nuked.
100%. I remember thinking in 2020, “This is the worst version of the world I’ve ever lived in.” But there was still that glimmer of hope for workers, especially with people rooting for essential workers and talk of hero pay and whatnot. Now that’s all gone and it’s worse than ever. Never thought I’d actually miss 2020.
Because we don’t know any different, we are born in to it. Opting out of the system could have you living in a tent along a freeway. There is too much corporate money in politics.
So very true, I feel this is a close to the answer as I have seen so far in this post. Most of us have not know anything but the struggle just to stay alive. And the people that came before us didn't have that problem and don't understand what it is like since they closed the door behind them once they got what they wanted.
The craziest part is you're not even exaggerating. If you have a serious life crisis and don't have a dense support system (other people with money to support you) you could literally be dumped on the street with next to nothing. The cases of frostbite are at an all time high in my state right now. There's few reasons someone would subject themselves to negative tempatures all day.
Honest to God I don't know. What we really need is a lot of immigration from France to get a lot of those French people to show us the way.... One problem is that we allowed the elite to divide us and battle each other over ridiculous stuff like Christmas trees and vaccines.
There is an amazing amount of social engineering going on in the US. We have been conditioned for generations that this is the way things should be, anything else is "communism", which is of course the ultimate evil.
We should remember and honor the French’s gift of the Statue of Liberty
I’ve been with my French immigrant boyfriend for years and it has RADICALLY impacted the way I treat my time for the better. Although sometimes we have argued about my impatience at the two hour lunch thing hahah
I adore the French. They're courageous and don't let people mess with their life/work balance.
It's not just France that's better.
IMO there’s a reason the British wanted the remaining French genocided. Their propaganda campaign against Napoleon was effective too. Cajuns, we became. Then just “white”.
Because police are equipped and excited to beat and kill us
We’re too tired, occupy Wall Street didn’t amount to jack, we can’t just skip out on our lives and protest- we’ll lose the small amounts we have and our healthcare too (and probably our immediate family’s healthcare). We’re literally between a rock and a hard place.
Cold out, riot season starts in April, ends mid-late October.
Groundhog said 6 more weeks of slavery
I honestly think if there isn’t some massive student loan relief we have a good chance at another season of solid rioting
We quite literally don’t have a choice.
We did have some riots to overthrow the government, but it was the wrong people at the wrong time.
“People are starving and dying in the streets”: I sleep
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If they haven't realized that in 20 years, they never will.
Violent revolution is the only way the proletariat will see change in working conditions, pay, benefits, etc
Half the population won't admit there's a problem, so us rioting doesn't matter. Almost no kind of significant change can happen because we aren't united. Some people are CONTENT working 80+ hours and just use it to flex how hard of a worker they are.
Exactly this. Half out fucking country calls the other half lazy because they won't do manual labor for $9 an hour... And they literally think they are the good guys
YES like it is a badge of honor to work so much. But damn we are tired.
1, because just about everyone around me is armed and own multiple guns.
Because our police will kill us for being the wrong shade of skin and standing in the street let alone protesting. Have you learned about the mass incarnation and forced labor? How about how disabled people can make around $2 and hour. We are all slaves. They keep sugar in all the food, drugs on the street, meds on TV, and the real criminals in office. Oh and good luck going through college or navigating the medical system. 'Merica!
Cold hard facts right here. They spare no expenses trying to discredit you and call you a conspiracy theorist if you point this out. Brainwashing generations for the greed of the elite. But just vote right.....
Not to mention that committing a crime legalizes making you a slave, and prevents you from voting in future elections
I’m crying rn
Recently, I had to see a psychiatrist. I wanted a second opinion after I spoke with the initial psychiatrist. Went to look for another one and only found Drs around me that didn’t take insurance. Their initial fee was around $300.00. The next closest thing was a university over 30 minutes from my house, which had 6 month waiting periods.
I was watching a British show where a character wanted to quit his job to give guided tours in London. My first reaction was that a job like that probably wouldn't have health insurance and that would be a risky move. Then it hit me that health care was a government service in the UK and basically everywhere else, and that I too would quit my office job to give guided tours if not for the health insurance part.
We’re all tired and hungry. You’re welcome to come help pop shit off if you like.
I guess it starts with no sun and low salaries compared to CoL
People here are more concerned about mask and vaccine mandates. Not to mention, conservatives have been spreading propaganda and misinformation for decades that social democracy = socialism = communism.
Conservatives believe that Socialism is when the government does stuff. It's more socialism the more stuff it does. And if it does a real lot of stuff, it's communism. (
don’t forget about much conservatives hate unions.
We did riot. Remember? Jan 6th 2021.
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Lmaoooo right? I remember seeing it on TV, getting excited, and then immediately deflating realizing it was dipshit conservatives.
I remember everyone putting such an emphasis on the rioting and defacing of the capital, but I didn't even care about that. If someone has a good cause, by all means. Riot all you want. Shit on whatever you want.
This is the #DarkestTimeline
Yes, and those rioters are the stop-complaining-and-get-your-lazy-ass-to-work people. They are pro-enslavement but call it freedom.
America is really really big. Europeans truly don't understand how spread out this country is. Making organizing very difficult. I have to drive 1-2 hours to get to a major city and 7 hours to get to my state capital. Getting to DC and doing a protracted demonstration would cost a ton of money. That's hard to do when most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.
100%. I can drive 15 hours in Texas and still be in Texas. Texas and California alone are large land masses and the overall consensus of their ideologies are vastly different. America is a VERY large place and I’m not sure people outside of America really understand how different everyone who lives here is. There’s no way that enough people could riot and make a difference, and even if there were enough people they would just have the national guard come invade and suppress the situation.
Because I'm not looking to get
There's no class solidarity and there are way too many comfortable people either who don't care about others' struggles or may even enjoy know that there are some who have it worse than they do.
"Why are you not rioting?"
That and there is always a large group of indoctrinated toadies that will protect the elites just in case they ever become one. And those that fell for the constant streams of propaganda. Or they have a lot of their future tied up in the markets via 401k plans so if they poke the Corporations their own money will be at stake (collateral). This is a carrot to chase while you suffer so that later you can retire. Of course the real pressure comes from the whales that hold large amounts of stocks, many of them in the military equipment sector, and I wonder why we're constantly trying to get into wars even if we have to fake the reason (WMDs! git em!).
I have a decent job but I would love to find more meaningful work or start a business but I will lose my health insurance which covers my son's ABA therapy at 100%. I literally can't afford to leave my job even if I made more money. 5 days a week of therapy at $60 a session with 70/30 coverage, I have reached out to others at similar companies and this is the normal coverage for the financial services industry. We would be homeless to make sure my son gets the help he needs to succeed.
Our government wouldn't hesitate to kill us all if we rioted like we should, for the hundreds of reasons we should. This is the kicker, on top of all the other reasons people have already pointed out. Maybe we'll hit a point where we realize it's worth that risk, but we aren't there yet. They've successfully made us divided and scared.
You saw what DEMOCRATS did to Bernie and the labelling of his supporters.
They don’t know that things can be better. I know tons of stories about my friends trying to tell their parents common sense things like “we should raise the minimum wage” and their parents get mad at them because they think they’re entitled.
yup, people making $1 a hour more than minimum wage don't want minimum wage going up. it's brutal
I’m drunk too and this makes purple sense
Because half of Americans are blindly screaming that AMERICA IS THE BEST, and to suggest any positive change is to be a liberal snowflake commie.
Many Americans believe "socialism is evil" and that's what they have been taught their whole lives. They have never bothered to find out how it works in other countries.
Probably because the chance of getting killed or injured by the police is very high, and we can't afford the medical bills.
I’m a black guy in America, poverty stricken, working to survive 🇺🇸
Wouldn’t they just gun ythem down with a 50cal if they did ?
Don't forget religion. Dumb people will believe dumb things.
Our cops are more heavily armed than most militaries and would Tienanmen everyone in the streets, then the media propaganda machine would have 1/3 of the country cheering our deaths, and another 1/3 who don't give a shit either way.
Because health care is tied to employment. Because the 1% has worked continuously since Nixon to get us to this place. Because the 1% own the media. Because we repealed the fairness doctrine. Because the 1% have been fomenting hate between different groups in this country to keep us divided. Because the 1% has convinced us that politics is an unending football game of us versus them instead of two sides of the same coin playing good cop, bad cop to make us think we have a choice in representation. Because religion is a serious influence against the working class and poor. I truly believe that no one will riot in this country until all those still comfortable with their income and position are at the edge of the precipice of total ruin. Even then we have a huge part of the population that believes they are going to get their reward in heaven so suffering on earth earns them that reward.
Because we are a selfish country. We are only working so we can rise above the problems not fix them.
When we riot the cops shoot us. That simple..
Fear. Plain and simple.
You should be more angry that the progressive caucus that we are trying to grow inside the democratic party is being quickly snuffed out because it doesn't fit the establishment's narrative. I'd love to resolve our current woes without violence, but when the conservative politicians and pundits push violent rhetoric to their base, it's like a 3 vs 1 battle. You're right, we shouldn't be arguing over dem vs republican because we are slaves to both, but when we try and do the right thing by electing progressive politicians to positions of power and they get shoved into the closet, you've got to start with the ones that can do the most damage. And currently, that is the republican party. The establishment dems can either join us or face the same fate, but either way, the republican party is the sole reason the ratchet effect in our political spectrum exists. Without it, there would be no establishment dems to prevent progress towards a true leftist society.
Political parties reflect the balance of power in the wider society. A leftist caucus can't survive long without the backing of a larger movement. The sorry state of labour organisation explains the weak state of resistance within the major parties.
Lol cuz we are not all white, and if you're not white you'll get killed for rioting.
Cause the last time we did a riot, it was for racial justice that got us all beaten, so rioting again is brutally discouraged
The elites have been masterful at the drip drip drip approach to work slavery. It kept slowly getting worse and worse and sometimes it was hard to see it happening, until now, when we’re getting hammered on absolutely all fronts and it’s finally obvious to everyone.
The thing that's amazing to me is there is a lot of talk on here about how we are too tired to strike, beat down, etc.
Because its not just out government, it’s our people. Half of them are part of the problem
My friends and I were shot with rubber bullets and tear gassed when we protested to stop police from murdering Black people. If that’s what they do when our stance is “hey, don’t murder people,” what do you think the response will be if we were to revolt and demand better lives? America sinks millions upon millions of dollars into the police and military and they have shown us time and time again that they will use those resources against their own citizens.
I would it's the same reason the people in China or Vietnam, or even mexico aren't rioting when they are making pennies a day. 1) they are used to it. 2) the forces to stop their riots/strikes/protests are stronger than their ability to do so.
You don't even need to riot. You just have to strike.
You say it sucks there, how? Sweden seems like paradise.
It is a question of perspective, from an American perspective Sweden is great, but from someone living in Sweden you will see problems, for example: pensions are very low, it is difficult to rent apartments in medium and big cities and in Stockholm for example you have to wait many many years in the queue to be able to rent somewhat near the center. Sickness payment can take months to kick in, it is retroactive but you still have to survive those months waiting for the payment, same with the unemployment benefit, I think it can take up to 3 months of waiting for approval.
A mix of "can't afford to", narrowmindedly scrabbling towards affording today so you can afford tomorrow, brainwashing, propaganda, and of course, the 100% certainty that this big beautiful bountiful military America has gallivanting around would be called back to stand beside the militarized riot squashers police force if we ever did anything actually meaningful. Throw in absolute jaded certainty that nothing ever changes coming from our political system that supposedly lets us choose but doesnt, and the frequent mysterious disappearance of all of our union organizers and especially protest organizers, and the goons they pay to loot during protests as an excuse to arrest people, and you're close to nailing it down.
why aren't we rioting?
what are the immigration standards for Sweden .... asking for a friend .
Because employers are keeping people 2 paychecks away from homeless, because they can’t wrap their heads around the fact that the working class is it’s own economy. If there are too many workers in one field and not enough demand, their paycheck on average goes down, so if there isn’t enough workers to fill demand it should cause the same reaction the other way around, no?
We lose everything if we riot.
The overlords have an army called the police who shoot us.
We'd get shot by the cops.
System is designed to work as long as a minimum amount of people can be exploited. So as long as about 80-90% of us don't strike at the same time, the remaining work force just gets pushed harder.
Why are we not rioting?
Can't stop to riot. Too busy working so I can pay my bills on time and try not to get evicted!
Mainly fear. Americans for the most part are living in fear, hence the guns.