Quote (Goomshill @ 15 Jul 2024 00:52)

My running question for years now is whether the cycle of constant escalation would push us over the edge into catastrophe, or if we could fall back into civility. It seemed like there would be no organic crest, no point at which it just stops on its own, so would we reach a critical event at which either the country could destabilize and break out into chaos and the democracy be broken, or it could snap us back to reality and give people a reason to unify. Seminal moments like this. We've been in a car traveling at high speeds falling asleep at the wheel, and the moment we hit those rumble strips, will we wake up and drive straight or will we tumble off the road, roll over and hit a tree and burst into flames?

I'm hoping this is the former. It doesn't matter who wins the election between Trump and Biden as much as whether the country can get back to a civil path. If Trump gets a second term and the democrats go down the same path as they did for his first term, with endless witch hunts, sabotage, spying, leaking, charges and riots and burning down cities- we're not going to return to civility. If Republicans decide to fight fire with fire and prosecute all Trump's political opponents, hold inquisitions and lock up journalists and mass arrest protesters and give them decades in prison because we disagree with their politics- we're not going to return to civility.

People are acting like Trump being shot at is some unprecedent gigantic escalation, but the truth is its one very small step on the long road up to this point. Democrats have been arguing Trump should be put in prison for life, they are literally seeking to give him hundreds of years of prison time over some completely made up bullshit charges, ones that would find Biden guilty on the same theory and evidence. Tell me, what is the difference between killing someone and putting them in prison for life? I've said before in arguments about the death penalty that its a pretty minor functional difference, a life sentence is just as brutal. Democrats wanted Trump in prison for life, this kid wanted him dead, a pretty minor extra step from one official policy to one unofficial policy the democrats had already been toying with anyway

Quote (Black XistenZ @ 10 Jan 2021 20:09)

America does not just have a problem with the normalization of political violence. The reason violence is normalized and that people are turning their backs on democracy itself is that democratic elections in America are increasingly failing to resolve political tensions. Polarization and antagonism have increased for over 25 years, and neither side has been able to achieve a lasting victory in this conflict via sustained electoral success. The political power in the country keeps being balanced on a knife's edge while people feel like the consequences of either side winning keep going up all the time. Just to remind everyone: flip 35k votes in the right places from Trump to Clinton in 2016, and she becomes president. Flip just 20k votes in the right places from Biden to Trump, and Trump remains president.

The problem America is facing is not just one of the means of conflict escalating - the true problem is that the conflict itself is getting increasingly fundamental. The country is breaking apart into two sides whose views, ideologies and ideas of the future are increasingly disparate and irreconcilable. Meaningful compromise might no longer be possible, and, as Wednesday shows, democratic elections themselves might also have lost their ability to resolve this conflict. It seems like, if forced to choose between their political beliefs and democracy, an increasing share of the population would ditch democracy. If electoral defeat is not an option anymore, civil war is the only remaining exit.

Quote (Budgeting @ Jul 14 2024 06:42pm)

trump gonna win now. lmao

Quote (zorzin @ Jul 14 2024 04:11pm)

The important thing to look at is wether or not this guy was on ssri's and what his parents political affiliations are.

Quote (inkanddagger @ Jul 14 2024 07:56pm)

SSRIs yes but his parents? My parents are to the right of Trump and I'm a commie so that's not really a tell.

Quote (Goomshill @ Jul 14 2024 05:52pm)

My running question for years now is whether the cycle of constant escalation would push us over the edge into catastrophe, or if we could fall back into civility. It seemed like there would be no organic crest, no point at which it just stops on its own, so would we reach a critical event at which either the country could destabilize and break out into chaos and the democracy be broken, or it could snap us back to reality and give people a reason to unify. Seminal moments like this. We've been in a car traveling at high speeds falling asleep at the wheel, and the moment we hit those rumble strips, will we wake up and drive straight or will we tumble off the road, roll over and hit a tree and burst into flames?

I'm hoping this is the former. It doesn't matter who wins the election between Trump and Biden as much as whether the country can get back to a civil path. If Trump gets a second term and the democrats go down the same path as they did for his first term, with endless witch hunts, sabotage, spying, leaking, charges and riots and burning down cities- we're not going to return to civility. If Republicans decide to fight fire with fire and prosecute all Trump's political opponents, hold inquisitions and lock up journalists and mass arrest protesters and give them decades in prison because we disagree with their politics- we're not going to return to civility.

People are acting like Trump being shot at is some unprecedent gigantic escalation, but the truth is its one very small step on the long road up to this point. Democrats have been arguing Trump should be put in prison for life, they are literally seeking to give him hundreds of years of prison time over some completely made up bullshit charges, ones that would find Biden guilty on the same theory and evidence. Tell me, what is the difference between killing someone and putting them in prison for life? I've said before in arguments about the death penalty that its a pretty minor functional difference, a life sentence is just as brutal. Democrats wanted Trump in prison for life, this kid wanted him dead, a pretty minor extra step from one official policy to one unofficial policy the democrats had already been toying with anyway

Quote (Sixers @ 14 Jul 2024 20:09)

Sadly, Trump will use this to act like he's some warrior. The same unathletic draft dodger will act like he's a war veteran now 😂

Quote (Tocino @ Jul 14 2024 07:24pm)

Every event probably has some level of threat(s) that are constantly being evaluated by secret service. If they took Trump off the stage for every potential incident it would be bad for Trump’s image. I don’t think it’s unlikely that Trump has these kind of conversations with SS. He doesn’t want to ruin his speech and image, unless they are certain of imminent danger. I don’t mean to blame Trump, I actually applaud him for his bravery.

Obviously the SS failed, but at the same time their job is hard. Especially if they could not visually confirm a rifle. It would be pretty horrible publicity to kill some photographer kid climbing a ladder to take a long “shot”.

Edit: typos

Quote (inkanddagger @ Jul 14 2024 07:56pm)

SSRIs yes but his parents? My parents are to the right of Trump and I'm a commie so that's not really a tell.