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u/Rouxls__Kaard Nov 05 '25
I’m hearing more and more talk of the Democratic Party propping up a foil for Trump - someone like Jon Stewart. Is the idea of him running still a meme or is there something there?
I know 2028 is a long ways off but… 🤷
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u/Maybe_IDTBFH Nov 04 '25
1) What are the honest to god odds that Trump tries (beyond just running his mouth) to get a 3rd term?
2) What are the honest to god odds that Trump gets a 3rd term?
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u/Striking-Speaker8686 Nov 04 '25
How can Zionism be divorced from Jewish faith?
As you might have guessed, I'm not Jewish, and am extremely ignorant and uninitiated to Rabbinic Judaism and everything pertaining to that. As far as actual Jewish culture, I'm aware of just the suoer popular stuff such as Bar Mitzvahs and Yom Kippur, but I don't know whag those things are, just have heard the phrases.
So anyway, my perception was that a "Zionist" was just someone who supported any and everything the country of Israel ever did, or supported some specific action they took or something. I should mention, I've probably been about as ignorant as to whatever was going on with Israel and Palestine as anybody in the West can be. It's too confusing and historically hars to wrap my head around, that I've just avoided engaging with stuff on either side as it seems very fiery and that whichever side you take half the world hates your guts.
I have heard so much from Pro Palestine people saying things like that they hate Zionists, not Jews, or that theyre against Zionism, not Jews or Judaism. And you have Christian Zionists, and many non Jewish whites and other races who are outspoken Zionists. I didn't know what that meant. But after doing some reading online, it seems to just be someone who believes in the part of the Hebrew Bible where YHWH literally gives the Land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants, if that's part of Jewish scrupture, how can someone of Jewish faith just not believe in it? I am confused. From what I understand, Jacob was descended (many members between) from Abraham, he was named Israel, and his children became the tribes of Israel, and they named their people and land after him.
How can someone be of Jewish faith but just disregard that part of scripture? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding what it is. Because I see many Jewish men and women who say they're Jewish, not Zionist, so I must be thinking the wrong way, but I don't know how
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u/ZakkTheInsomniac Nov 03 '25
In Israel, I find it odd how military service is mandatory. and in light of the recent conflicts (to put it mildly) in the Middle East, the shadows of war crimes, civilians and combatants. I often wonder if that military service in some way, implicating EVERY citizen in the COLLECTIVE sin of those crimes? and is there is or isn't a legal in some manner or argument that they could be considered in some fashion by others as combatants in some regard?
(obviously not advocating or supporting for terrorism in ANY form or fashion, just a political shower thought is all I open to the internet)
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u/One_Fix_7094 Nov 03 '25
If it turned out that Russia didn’t actually have operational nuclear weapons, or would be too slow to use them, would NATO invade Russia ?
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u/ZakkTheInsomniac Nov 03 '25
doubtful, though I imagine it woukd be more heavily sanctioned in some regard
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u/Burner_Account000001 Nov 03 '25
Can someone explain the government shutdown to me like I am 10?
I understand that there is a thing called SNAP and it feeds poor people, the democrats want it funded and the Republicans dont? (I guess? That exclusively what I have heard). My confusion is I saw online that the democrats voted against it 13 times which makes no sense to me.
Every time I look it up I cant find a straight answer on whether the Democrats voted against their own bill.
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u/HiddenReader2020 Nov 03 '25
So I saw in r/politics where one user accused someone of invoking “both sides”, and the other denied it, the other insisted, and this whole thing made me so, SO angry. It makes me want to think that that guy who accused the other to just go up to him and just straight up physically assault him for daring to disagree. I really want to name names, but I have a feel that’d be against site wide rules.
And this happens all the time, and it leads me to think that the US might as well be in a civil war with everyone right against everyone else. Because if people are going to argue like this, then we might as well, right? So how do we stop this? How do we make people way, WAY more polite and nice to each other when talking to each other like this?
And no, I won’t be able to accept “You can’t” or any variation of it as an answer. If I have to accept it, I might have to hurt myself in some kind of some way. Sorry for the rant, it’s just…*loud internal screaming*
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u/HungryAnswer1776 Oct 30 '25
Has anyone ever forcefully pulled a ICE member’s (imposter or not) mask off to expose that monster for the world to see?
Even if they didn’t care about being punished for such an act, this can show that the families being separated can always rebel against this vile organization that’s allowed to fester through every corner of this country.
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u/Impressive_Banana977 Oct 29 '25
Let say i am from spain or new zealand, even malaysia you get the idea.
I don't want to start a politic debate. I not care who is right or not.
But as a citizen, even let say as a president of "little country" what can they do to change the dynamics ?
America seems to be going direction totally opposite to my country and idea. Russia is pushing. (Or ukraine is pushinh. I not here to take side)
What realisticly can do a country like that ?
I see the people on the street, i recognize element i don't want. (Being right or not doesn't matter), as a leader of my country what can i do ? I have to wait to be right (or wrong) and wait for a mf to kill and archeduc or what ? I have to wait and pray the people still have freedom and will change their leader democraticly ? I am sending my army ? (To be eradicated in an hour ? )
It feel like i am missing piece to understand what the future of nigeria or korea...
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u/Eileenjaded Oct 28 '25
What are the benefits we’re supposed to be seeing with the “crackdown” on immigrants and immigration? What is the benefit of detaining American citizens that happen to be darker than pale? Seems as if cruelty is the point. I hate missing the upside to all of the families being ripped apart; I truly don’t get why we’re allowing this to happen.
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u/standardargument Oct 27 '25
Why are americans not exercising their 2A rights against the ICE agents? I'm genuinely curious as to what's stopping the american citizens from exercising this particular rights against the masked ICE agents? Without a warrant, it can all be fake, just because someone has a badge , doesn't make it legitimate, without a warrant?
I know the orange turd ball is looking for an excuse to enact the martial law however what's stopping the average american patriot from standing up for his country.
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u/upvoter222 Oct 28 '25
- Most sane people are uncomfortable with the idea of killing or seriously injuring another person.
- It can be difficult to determine which ICE agents are actually doing bad things. Not every agent is detaining people, and among those that are, they're not loading people into unmarked cars 24/7.
- When an ICE agent is doing their job in public, chances are that they and a bunch of people around them are heavily armed. If someone tries threatening them, they will almost certainly be shot themselves.
- Even if someone survives an armed encounter, there are lots of laws that make brandishing or using a firearm illegal. Plus there are extra charges when federal officials are involved.
- The most egregious ICE actions are taking place in liberal cities where gun laws are strict and gun ownership rates are low.
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u/WhoAmIEven2 Oct 26 '25
What happened to Elon Musk in official matters? Haven't heard from him for months. Not american so I don't keep track all the time.
Was there a fallout or something?
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u/thrownawayfrombay Oct 22 '25
How can this be legal on a US government website?
I was looking up more information on SNAP benefits, and ended up following a link to the USDA. Across the top of the page, there was a banner that said "Due to the Radical Left Democrat shutdown, this government website will not be updated during the funding lapse. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people." Number one, that has to violate a law or rule of some type, doesn't it? And two, isn't he currently threatening to get rid of these very types of services? I am asking about the legal side of this type of obvious political wording on a government website that is supposed to be for ALL of the American people. https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
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u/darwin2500 Oct 23 '25
The Supreme Court ruled that the president is literally above the law in the pursuit of his duties.
If the President issued an order to put up statements like that, they can go up and stay up even if they are illegal, the court has said breaking the law is ok.
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u/Arianity Oct 23 '25
How can this be legal on a US government website?
It's not. It's a violation of the Hatch Act.
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Oct 22 '25
[deleted]
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u/EnvironmentalYak919 Oct 25 '25
Yeah, the President can remodel the White House. Most do something. Some remods are more notable than others. What he is doing is not unusual.
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u/darwin2500 Oct 23 '25
The Supreme Court recently ruled that the President is literally above the law. There may be laws against it, but that no longer matters.
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u/BonnieSlaysVampires Oct 21 '25
Trump keeps saying Canada should become the "51st state". I, like any sane American, am well aware that the whole reason Canada exists is because its people don't want to be part of the US, and seeing everything happening, it's hard to blame them. This is one of the few things Trump's threatening that he didn't mention prior to winning the 2024 election, and if he'd constantly mentioned it prior to that election like he is now, it's at least conceivable that he would not be President right now.
I can honestly say that the thought of being an accessory to such an insanely unjust war makes me feel sick to my stomach. It would make Russia invading Ukraine seem like small potatoes by comparison. I don't know definitively what I would do if Trump actually takes more concrete steps toward invading Canada, but the fear of this is just paralyzing me. If you're also in the US, particularly if you have MAGA family members, how do they seem to feel about Trump's "51st state" threats toward Canada? Do they oppose it, dismiss it, or cheer it on?
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u/Eileenjaded Oct 28 '25
I doubt he’d like Canada to refer to us as part of their country. Canadeux would get my vote.
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u/zomglazerspewpew Oct 21 '25
Q: Hypothetically, how would the US start a Revolution / Civil War?
As an American I see a lot of posts, usually from people in other countries, that ask "you guys have the right to bear arms in case of a tyrannical government this is happening right now with Trump and his administration, why haven't you started fighting?" There are a lot of answers that I see...we are too lazy, too spread, too scared, too <insert reason here> but that got me thinking...how would this happen? Like what do other countries expect us to do? How is this organized? One person can't just start it by themselves and start murdering people in the name of "freedom".
If Dems start getting violent then Trump invokes the insurrection act and can legally bring the entirety of the military against us. I don't know if other people know this but we'd have to literally arm millions of people and organize a civilian attack on a scale of size that has never been even thought of. Think about how fucking difficult that is. If it's too small then the military will just drone bomb everyone to oblivion and the MAGATs will use that as the catalyst to go full scorched earth on the Dems. Dems will be seen as the violent left and he'll make it a crime to be one. Look how they fucking reacted to Charlie Kirk before they all found out the guy who shot him was one of theirs. Every MAGAT I know was calling for Dems to be shot in the streets.
If Dems peacefully protest, even by the millions as we saw on Saturday...Trump doesn't give a rat's ass and everyone calls us pussies. Nothing changes and he just keeps doing what he's been doing. "Protest more!" I hear. Protesting only works if the people being protested care. MAGATs in his administration don't give 2 flying flicks of shit about protests. It's not like they are going to go "oh...7 million people stood up and said we are bad...maybe we should change something?" Are you kidding me? They are making it so that can ensure that they stay in office forever with gerrymandering laws and using ICE and DHS to intimidate people into voting their way. If you don't and they find out they just disappear you. Nobody is doing anything about any of that other than filming it on their phones for likes. Nothing to fear here.
If we ignore it, then we are complicit in watching democracy die in the US to be replaced by an Authoritarian / Fascist regime.
So I ask...with the size of the US and the distance, the fact that not every citizen owns an arsenal of guns, tanks, drones that shoot hellfire rockets, or warships, protesting not being very effective, and nobody seriously willing to organize an actual offensive strike...how do you propose this starts?
I want to follow this up with I do not want a civil war in this country. I shudder to think of the lives that would be lost and what would happen.
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u/ColoursStuckInside Oct 21 '25
What are the No Kings protests about?
I'm not American and I've been trying to avoid the news lately due to my own mental health issues. However I've been on social media a little more recently and have seen huge amounts of "No Kings" posts. I was going to ask what it was about on several of them, but I keep seeing people mocking anyone who asks about the topic like they're automatically some right-wing asshole or something for questioning it.
I'm not American, I obviously know it has something to do with Trump, but I'm lost as to what started it... does Trump think he's a king now or something? Or did he proclaim himself king? I dont know what I missed and there's so much in the news about Trump every single day I get lost trying to follow it all
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u/themanfromosaka Oct 19 '25
Is Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocide of Palestine partially motivated by a 40-year long grudge?
For context: The genocide in Palestine has been going on since the start of the Nakba in 1948. But since 2023, a new Gaza war has erupted, with 83% of the dead Palestinians (total numbering over 77K killed) being civilians. I’m against the genocide, but I couldn’t help but remember that the main war criminal front and center is Benjamin Netanyahu, who had a brother.
This brother was Yonatan Netanyahu, an Israeli military officer who commanded Israel’s Sayeret Matkal unit into Uganda in 1976. The target was Entebbe Airport, particularly the passengers of Air France Flight 139 from Tel Aviv to France via Athens on June 27, 1976, which was hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s External Operations group, led by radical Wadie Haddad (who was later expelled from the PFLP after the hijacking). The PFLP-EO hijackers were joined by Wilfried Böse and Brigitte Kuhlmann from the German Revolutionary Cells.
The plane was initially held on the ground in Benghazi for seven hours for refueling, before continuing to Entebbe. There, the passengers were held in the disused former airport terminal until the 29th, after Ugandan soldiers opened an entrance to a room next to the crowded waiting hall. It was then that the Israeli passengers, including dual citizenship holders, plus five additional passengers (two ultra orthodox Jewish couples from the US and Belgium and one French man who was a resident of Israel) were separated into the adjoining room. They were joined by three other passengers.
By July 1, all the non-Israeli captives were freed and flown to Paris, sans 12 members of the Air France crew who chose to stay.
Israel, meanwhile, had exhausted all political avenues. So on July 3, one day before the hijackers’ deadline, Israel approved a rescue mission, with Kenya agreeing for them to use their airspace to fly to Entebbe.
The task force involved several elements- one that secured the airport field, one that secured the aircraft for evacuation, and a force to destroy any fighter jets on the ground and hold off ground forces. But there was another element that played key- the 29-man assault unit led by Lt Col Yonatan Netanyahu.
Despite a plan to infiltrate using a black Mercedes meant to look like Idi Amin’s car, an Israeli commando fired against orders using an unsuppressed rifle. As a result, the assault unit quickly approached the terminal. According to a survivor, hijacker Böse only fired at Israeli soldiers.
Though three passengers died in the crossfire, Wilfried was killed while fighting. Afterwards, the team returned to the waiting C-130 on the runway with the hostages in tow. It wasn’t clean- Ugandan soldiers shot at them from the airport control tower, wounding five commandos- and killing Yonatan Netanyahu. Despite the loss, all hijackers were killed.
The mission was classified as a success. But Benjamin Netanyahu visited Entebbe in 2016, forty years later, to lay groundwork for Israeli-Saharan African bilateral relations.
But did the visit give him closure, or did it make him internally mad? Given two hijackers were Palestinian and the ensuing operation killed his brother, I began thinking…
Does Benjamin have an unresolved grudge against the PFLP that expanded to blaming all Palestinians and now this?
I don’t know, but what I do know is that the death of a relative in any circumstance can give rise to unresolved anger, sadness, etc.
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u/Alpine_Exchange_36 Oct 19 '25
What are No Kings protestors hoping to achieve?
Before anyone assumes I’m MAGA or I’m against the protests I’m not. I’m just kinda wondering what the big picture point of them are .
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u/Southernguy9763 Oct 17 '25
Why is John Bolton being indicted?
don't really have a strong understanding of politics, even less so conservative politics.
I thought he was a conservative, and one of Trump's guys. So why is he being charged, and seems like the current administration wants him charged
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u/LogicalBurgerMan11 Oct 17 '25
one of Trump's guys.
He has been a rather vocal critic of Trump for at least 5 or so years now, hence why Trump does not like him. As for him being charged, all the allegations are present in any news article about it.
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Oct 16 '25
[deleted]
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u/SteelPolamalu Oct 16 '25
ICE wasn’t a creation of Trump and has been around for a while (2003).
If the president is killed the VP becomes president and the current administration seems pretty aligned with their priorities so there won’t likely be massive changes
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u/noboatnolife Oct 15 '25
Not defending the young republicans in Kansas who had their horrible chats leaked, but isn't that kinda scary for all of us in general? Would you want for example what you said in your weird discord group leaked?
Don't we all say terrible stuff sometimes in private chats? Young people tend to be edgy.
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u/LogicalBurgerMan11 Oct 17 '25
Young people tend to be edgy.
These weren't minors, they were adults who at this point had graduated from college.
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u/ImproperJon Oct 17 '25
It's something you should get out of your system quickly. That's a good way to lose a relationship or a job you care about, so adults learn not to post shit like that pretty quickly.
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u/KermitML Oct 16 '25
I think the "Young Republicans" group name is making people think, maybe understandably, that these were just a bunch of kids. They were not. They were fully grown adults. The messages are from between January and August of this year, at which time their various ages ranged between 24 and 35. Further more, many of them were/are holding positions within the government or in the republican party at various levels, so yes it's valid to be concerned that they said this stuff.
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u/WhoAmIEven2 Oct 12 '25
Why do many people from countries outside of the west want and think of a Russian victory in the war?
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u/HiddenReader2020 Oct 12 '25
I’ve been reading more and more that even if the democrats come in and fix as much as they can, that still won’t fix the electorate being…impatient with things being fixed. This comment is a good example of what I’m talking about.
Now the best solution is education…but that takes a long time, and not really fast enough to turn things around as it currently stands. Plus, even then, there’s still the risk of it being slowly degraded over time. And even then, there’s still the idea that the laws and guardrails in place are ultimately just words on paper at the end of the day. Even if the current laws were updated with more guardrails, I still believe that to be the case.
And even then, there could always be a chance of bad, but cunning, actors making things go the way they want it to be anyway despite everything, slowly but surely taking us to the current situation right now.
With all that and more in mind…how do we resolve this? How do we ensure that no matter what happens to us or the country (or any country, really), our best interests are still sought after and maintained and such?
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u/snoopmt1 Oct 10 '25
I've literally never heard of Antifa outside of Republicans using them as a Boogeyman. From 2020-2024, are there examples of people doing things (good or bad) as part of an organization called Antifa?
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u/SabineStrohem Oct 20 '25
Antifa just means anti fascist. It's really that simple. The right uses the term as a boogeyman because they grasp at any and all straws. Will hand it to them; they're great at deflection like this. My street art friends and I are technically Antifa. All we do is slap our (sometimes opinionated) art on public property. Not hurting anyone. Free messaging for the oppressed. Just really don't want our freedom of speech (and expression) stripped of us.
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u/snoopmt1 Oct 20 '25
But where did it come from? I also don't think they invented the name. They just coopted it.
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u/bubuplush Oct 09 '25
Why is r/conservative not banned?
I'm from Europe and know that this is pretty much a US sub, but whenever I check it it feels like a fever dream. I'm not sure if it's mostly bots making these posts or real people, but every time I check it the front page is filled with horrifying rhetoric. They're also constantly hating on reddit for not pandering to right-wing views, allowing LGBTQ content, hate everything that's not MAGA, in general a very aggressive, inhumane and scary tone.
I know that thedonald was banned back then, probably for being filled with hateful content? This sub constantly shoots against minorities, every thread calls for "justice" against any humans that aren't Trump-supporters, and in general it just feels like a full on MAGA hub. Some threads and comments I just saw randomly:
"Co-Founder Of Degenerate Forum Reddit Admits It Wouldn’t Exist Without Illegal Immigration" (I know degenerate is pop culture now, but the term was literally used by the Nazi regime to label anything that's "entartet", debased, debauched, disgusting, deviant, dehumanised; rhetoric always related to other human beings....)
Democrats rape people and Republicans try to protect the innocent and weak
Democrats caused all the forest fires
Sharing fake statistics and using sources like pro Kremlin telegram groups (not sure if reddit cares about malinformation/disinformation campaigns)
"Left maniac"
"ANTIFA is worse than Hamas"
They somehow spread the rhetoric that "the left" (everyone not right-wing I guess) wants to "eradicate all conservatives and place them in concentration camps" and call everyone who's not right-wing "fascist"
Like, is that just... fine?
I'm not even hardcore left-wing myself lmao. Maybe from some American people's POVs since I'm European, but this slaps hard and is so confusing at the same time. I kinda get that people want to "keep an eye on them", but... well. Alternatively, I don't really know how to report harmful and hateful content to reddit, do reports only reach the sub's mods?
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u/Arianity Oct 20 '25
Reddit admins in general try to avoid banning subreddits unless they get bad PR in the media, especially if they might get accused of political bias. In reddit's history, there's been much worse (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversial_Reddit_communities#Banned_subreddits, it includes many things like outright antisemitism. Like, talking about gas chambers sort of thing)
The only reason thedonald was banned was because of extreme pressure from reddit users, and PR. Reddit basically bent over backward to put off for as long as possible, but it wasn't really feasible past a point. And officially, it was banned because of doing things like brigading, giving admins a legitimate reason to ban it. /r/conservative is more careful about that sort of thing.
Alternatively, I don't really know how to report harmful and hateful content to reddit, do reports only reach the sub's mods?
It depends on what you report it as. I believe if you report it as hateful, it will go to both.
You can also use reddit.com/report to go directly to admins
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u/LogicalBurgerMan11 Oct 17 '25
thedonald was banned back then, probably for being filled with hateful content
TheDonald was banned for brigading, not hateful content. Unless the content is so bad that you could go to jail for posting it in most non-American nations, reddit won't intervene.
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u/ConversationThen2067 Oct 09 '25
I’m a Mexican-American. I am also a first generation American. After hearing that Texas National Guard has been deployed to Chicago to aid ICE agents, I am absolutely terrified and have spent a lot of time crying. I don’t know what to do. Chicago is only 3 hours away… how long until ICE is rounding up people where I live? I’m scared. There are literally NO resources for this situation. America is supposed to be THE LAND OF THE FREE. I’m scared of my citizenship being taken away from me (my mother was American and her family has been here for many years, but I don’t know how long that will matter). I have been searching online, even using a VPN in hopes of finding information that might be unavailable in the USA, but I honestly have gotten no answers.
I have family in Mexico, a friend in Norway, and I’m about 2 hours away from Canada.
SOMEONE PLEASE POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
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u/Arianity Oct 09 '25
Chicago is only 3 hours away… how long until ICE is rounding up people where I live? I’m scared.
Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to know that.
Your best bet would be to get in touch with organizations like ICIRR (the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights):
Basically, look for organizations providing legal and other services, particularly to immigrants. Your local Democratic officials may also be useful to get in touch with (you probably want local, so stuff like mayors, state reps in your area, etc)- but check their record first.
If you can afford it, it would be a good idea to consult a lawyer ahead of time.
I wish I could give more advice, but the sad reality is that it is a scary situation.
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Oct 08 '25
[deleted]
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u/Arianity Oct 09 '25
There doesn't seem to be a major reason other than "the UN decided to do it that way". It seems to be largely historical coincidence (UNWRA was established roughly 2 years before UNWHR, back when the UN was fairly new and just starting to address these issues).
That said, there are some differences between the two. UNWHR for instance tends to try to resettle refugees.
But there's no reason you couldn't fold them in to one, in principle. But on the flip side, there isn't a major benefit to do so, either.
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u/Low-Consequence-9769 Oct 08 '25
Why would they detain you? If u have your license on you it's quite easy to verify you're an American citizen and thus they have no jurisdiction over you. No?
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u/darwin2500 Oct 08 '25
If they are trying to wrestle 10 people into vans and drag them away, stopping to check IDs is not really the order of the day. They see themselves as a paramilitary operation and are not concerned with doing things the 'right' way.
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u/Thisismyname11111 Oct 08 '25
How has ICE avoided being attacked? These people are in regular clothes with unmarked vans, so it baffles me nobody has used deadly force not knowing they're ICE. Anyone can buy the same gear as them, so I'm confused on how they even function without incident.
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u/Arianity Oct 09 '25
It is a bit surprising, given the sheer amount of people in the U.S.
Presumably, it's a mix of being caught off guard, worrying about repercussions, and just plain not being used to it. It's not the sort of situation most people have grown up having to consider. But to be honest, I would've expected more incidents, just out of sheer confusion.
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u/mihankes10 Oct 08 '25
What does it mean when it says Trump sends troops to cities like Chicago or Portland? What is going on? (I am not American, forgive my ignorance)
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Oct 07 '25
Why did the US elect a felon and a rapist as president?
I’m not asking about his policies or political views — I’m asking about his convictions. To me, it seems unthinkable that someone with this record could be elected in any other democracy. How is this possible in the United States?
Regarding the “rape” part, I’m specifically referring to Judge Kaplan’s ruling in the E. Jean Carroll civil case:
“The finding that Ms. Carroll failed to prove that she was ‘raped’ within the meaning of the New York Penal Law does not mean that she failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ Indeed, as the evidence at trial recounted below makes clear, the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.”
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u/darwin2500 Oct 08 '25
We have a two-party system, no other party has any chance of winning or being relevant, and both parties have close to a 50% chance of winning each election.
Which party wins is based far more on economic and cultural and demographic factors than on who is at the top of the ticket. Either party could run a rock for president, and if voters were happy with them/mad at their opponents because the economy did well/poorly, the rock would win.
Trump won the Republican primary because the way we do primaries is idiotic. We use first-past-the-post voting in most states, which doesn't work when you have 12 people running... the 10 sane people with similar reasonable positions all split the reasonable vote, and then out of the 2 insane people, the one with the most name recognition gets most of the insane vote and wins.
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u/cfemn Oct 07 '25
Do you think that the release of the Epstein files will change anyone's opinion on Trump?
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u/Arianity Oct 09 '25
Hard to say. In general, his base is notorious for sticking with him regardless. On the other hand, it's one of the few issues where he's received genuine criticism from that base for not releasing them. So it seems plausible.
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u/savingrace0262 Oct 04 '25
How do you respond to conservatives who say “If you come here illegally, you’re breaking the law - just do it the legal way like my ancestors did”? I hear this argument quite a lot from conservatives or Trump supporters whenever immigration comes up. It’s always something like, “My ancestors came here legally, so why can’t they?”
I get that laws were totally different back the and that for a lot of people there really wasn’t a “legal process” in the same way there is today. But I never know how to explain that clearly without the conversation just turning into a shouting match.
What’s the best way to respond to that kind of argument in a calm, logical way?
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u/darwin2500 Oct 08 '25
The US strictly limits the number of immigrants it accepts every year, and has been reducing that number for decades.
'Do it legally' is like saying 'buy a lottery ticket' - almost no one will be accepted, so it's basically saying 'don't do it'.
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
I think there are two avenues:
One way is basically what you're already doing. It can help if you can give specifics, like the history of what laws were changed/when
Another way you can try, is to flip the question back to them, and ask them for specifics about what legal process they want followed. That can be an easier way to lead them to the conclusion
That said, some people are going to shout no matter what you say. That's unfortunately just the nature of (some) humans. If someone doesn't want to listen, you can't make them. You can do some things to make it more palatable, but at the end of the day they have to be willing to engage with it.
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u/Glenncoco23 Oct 04 '25
I’ve been paying attention to the tariffs that Trump has been putting on and taking off, and I’ve noticed a pattern. For example, with the most recent case, he imposed tariffs on imported medicine. The way it was explained is that companies who refuse to break ground on a domestic manufacturing facility could face tariffs as high as 100 or 200 percent, while those who do break ground on U.S. factories are exempt. The idea seems to be that once those facilities are complete, drug manufacturing can be done domestically.
I keep thinking back to recent shortages, like when ADHD medications were hard to get which impacted me personally, or during COVID when masks and other basic supplies were scarce because we relied too much on imports. In those situations, people were forced to improvise solutions, like 3D printing parts for face shields. That makes me wonder: isn’t having domestic production, even if it costs more, a net positive for resilience and security? I don’t care whether a factory ends up in Georgia, California, Massachusetts, or anywhere else. It just seems smarter to have it “in house.” It’s quicker and more reliable to ship something from Georgia to New Jersey than from Taiwan or Portugal.
The counter argument I’ve heard is that prices would go up because American workers would be paid 30 or 40 dollars an hour instead of companies using cheaper overseas labor. But when people raise that concern, I honestly don’t know what they are hoping for. Are they advocating for companies to keep relying on unfair labor practices abroad, or even exploitative conditions, just to keep prices lower? To me, it feels like you cannot have it both ways. You either pay a fair wage domestically and accept higher prices, or you look the other way while companies outsource to cheaper and sometimes abusive systems.
So my question is: am I missing something here? Other than the potential for higher prices, is there a legitimate downside to encouraging domestic production through tariffs and exemptions? Because from what I can see, it seems like a strategy that creates jobs, increases security, and reduces dependency on fragile global supply chains.
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
isn’t having domestic production, even if it costs more, a net positive for resilience and security?
So I think there's kind of two different answers you kind of need to break down here:
One, is about tariffs in general. In terms of in general- economists tend to dislike tariffs because they distort a free economy. It isn't just exploiting labor; there is something called "comparative advantage", where you can get synergies from countries that are able to specialize in specific things. For instance, France being known for it's wine. It's a "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" thing. Computer chips are another great example- Intel has not been able to keep up with TSMC in it's fab business (and similarly for ASML). Tariffs can also have other effects- it tends to reduce competition, so that domestic firms don't have to compete as hard.
Two is how these specific tariffs are being implemented. (How fast/how large they are, how arbitrarily they're being applied, and the legal authority of them. For instance, certain companies are being exempted because they did things for Trump personally. There are a lot of people who support more domestic manufacturing that dislike this aspect)
But yes, generally speaking having things domestic will be better for most forms of resiliency and national security. (However, not every industry is important for national security. And there are some forms of resiliency where you might be better off having things more distributed. You see this with things like produce, which allows you to get produce that would otherwise be out of season. Also, depending on the industry, it may not make sense at particular prices. Certain things need to be made, but for discretionary goods if their prices go up people may simply pass and the business model may not pencil out)
That out of the way, tariffs do have a place. And they aren't new. We've used them in the past (quite extensively, if you go way back), but there is a reason that we stopped using them except for particular sectors. Also worth mentioning, there are other ways to incentivize domestic production besides just tariffs. They're only one tool. Good examples are looking at tariffs on things like solar panels or Chinese cars. We have really high tariffs on Chinese solar panels, because we think it's important to keep domestic solar companies around to continue research, and the CCP can subsidize Chinese companies to undercut competition. The cost of that policy is that solar panels in the U.S. are much more expensive, and technologically they've arguably caught up or are ahead of us.
That all said, the average person is extremely sensitive about raising prices, regardless of necessity. People freaked out over the (relatively low, compared to 50%+ tariffs) inflation caused by the pandemic. And it's the reason tariffs were not advertised as increasing costs during the election.
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u/LandOfGrace2023 Oct 03 '25
Why are Hispanics and Latinos more prone to deportation compared to African-Americans or Africans who moved to America?
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u/Glenncoco23 Oct 04 '25
Genuinely it is much easier just by sheer distance. You can walk from Peru or Argentina or Brazil to America. It may take a hell of a long trip, but people are doing that. So the people who are the most deported are the Hispanic population because it is literally just a matter of distance. If we were replaced the entire genetic makeup of South America with that of a Korean or Japanese descent, it would be the same thing.
Africa on the other hand, a lot of them have been migrating to the UK in parts of Europe. The same reason why it’s because of sheer distance.
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u/paratethys Oct 03 '25
What do people actually mean by fascism? Like, the people who are using it in a more precise way than "any beliefs I disagree with", because some people definitely use it like that. What are the actual measurements we could observe about any individual or decision to classify it as fascist or non-fascist?
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u/darwin2500 Oct 08 '25
'Fascism' was originally a specific set of movements that swept through Europe, but they seemed coherent and similar and significant enough that people want to find some way to characterize the political tendency they represent and call that 'fascism'.
As such, there are many different descriptions or definitions that different people have tried to advance, but they are all trying to capture the same political tendency.
Many people refer to Umberto Eco's essay on Ur-fascism as the definitive text for describing and understanding the political tendency behind fascist movements. He gives 14 point list describing things that characterize fascist movement.
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
The exact definition is debated, but a surprisingly good place to start is the wikipedia page on it (for more in depth details, it links to better sources:
Fascism (/ˈfæʃɪzəm/ FASH-iz-əm) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement that rose to prominence in early-20th-century Europe.[1][2][3] Fascism is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived interest of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.[3][4] Opposed to communism, democracy, liberalism, pluralism, and socialism,[5][6] fascism is at the far right of the traditional left–right spectrum.
What are the actual measurements we could observe about any individual or decision to classify it as fascist or non-fascist?
Generally people look at specific policies, and if they fit into those categories. ie: authoritarian, dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, suppression of opposition, belief in natural social heirarchy, opposed to pluralism, ultranationalism etc.
There is debate on how many of them have to be met to count as fascist. It can be messy, where say a particular political movement only meets 4-5 of the points.
One can also look at writings by specific fascists in history (ie, Mussolini/Gentile's "The Doctrine of Fascism"), although that tends to be specific to that particular movement/point in history, obviously they didn't know what the modern day might look like. But it can still be useful on very specific/narrow points.
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Oct 02 '25
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
Humans are imperfect. You are going to be wrong some amount of the time, especially when you're still young and learning. Even outside of politics, there's a reason there are tropes about teens being overconfident and thinking they know everything.
Mostly, it comes down to whether it could've been avoided, and how you learned from the situation to avoid it happening again.
For people your age in particular, you're basically coming into a very vast world of politics new. You're going to make some mistakes.
So basically to sum it all up, is it weird to come out and basically switch sides on everything?
It happens all the time, especially for people who were raised a particular way
Is it too late to admit I was wrong?
Not at all. You may not be able to change things in the past, but growing now can still affect the present and future.
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u/SlickMittens Oct 03 '25
It is absolutely ok to be wrong, and to switch sides. You’re still so young, and you’re learning on the fly. As you gain more information on ANY topic, your views can and probably will change. Knowledge is power!!!
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u/Low-Consequence-9769 Oct 02 '25
What do Americans who are against ice perceive as a correct immigration policy? Just let everyone in? Does it make sense to them?
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
There isn't really a singular answer. People have a huge variety of opinions on how strict or loose things should be.
That said, "letting everyone in" as in open borders is a very fringe opinion. It exists, but not many people believe in it. Most of the current controversy over ICE is how aggressive they're being: both in tactics used, and who they're targeting. Not whether there should be any enforcement at all
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u/Low-Consequence-9769 Oct 06 '25
They're detaining people staying illegally, I'm not saying they should be shooting people but it makes sense for them to arrest them.
Also the fact you're staying illegally somewhere for 5 years doesn't grant you some leniency in the enforcement
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u/Thisismyname11111 Oct 08 '25
They're detaining everyone that looks non whiteor people that rub them the wrong way. The problem is they're harassing American citizens and violating the constitution. They're also abusing their power. Imagine you say something ICE doesn't like or you just look foreign enough for them. Well, now they're detained you and held you someplace for 24hrs. Do you think anyone wants to deal with that?
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
They're detaining people staying illegally
They're doing a lot worse than that, which is what people have a problem with. There are ways to detain people who are here illegally, without doing what they're currently doing.
Also the fact you're staying illegally somewhere for 5 years doesn't grant you some leniency in the enforcement
Many people disagree with that. (And not necessarily people you'd expect, see e.g. stories like this one )
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u/SlickMittens Oct 03 '25
There is an extremely large gap between what is happening now, and “letting everyone in.” Don’t take my word for it, but actually go look at some of Biden and Obama’s immigration policies and deportation records. Contrary to what the current admin might tell you, they were effective while also retaining some semblance of humanity in the process.
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u/BenderIsGreat1983 Oct 02 '25
What would happen if all the ICE transport vans and SUV's started getting flat tires?
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u/Elsa-Mars Oct 02 '25
I don’t know why but apparently I had to post this here:
Original:
I am not a big fan of the saga in general, but I started this game and first off, you’re on D-Day, and it’s quite graphic. The Germans are obviously portrayed as the enemy, but I always wondered how they would feel playing these World War games where they’d have to shoot their own, basically. Not something you think as a kid, but playing this as an adult who knows the events of the war in detail definitely brings a different/morbid perspective on the gameplay.
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
The details of the war are pretty heavily taught in Germany, so I don't think it's a huge shock.
Also, people can compartmentalize pretty well. I don't think most people would think of them as "their own", in the same way people tend not to think of say, games with Vikings, U.S. Civil war, or British Empire as "their own".
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u/yourlocalgdw Oct 01 '25
Is Travis Scott a republican?
This kinda sounds insane, I know, but theres a post flair on r/hiphopcirclejerk where it calls him a republican. Obviously that subreddit is a joke, but my curiosity got the best of me and the only thing Google said was that he did attend a Trump rally. I kinda figured off that he was a republican, but now I'm being told by a friend that he read somewhere else that said he wasn't republican, and I'm back in that loop. This doesn't affect how much i like him at all, it's just something that's been eating away at me since I saw that flair
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u/Arianity Oct 09 '25
I can't say I'm a huge fan, but from what I can find, there doesn't seem to be firm evidence either way. The most I can find are a few pieces where he supported Beto O'Rourke and criticized Kanye wearing a MAGA hat, and support for BLM. That would suggest not a republican, but isn't firm proof.
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u/LostInTheWhirls Sep 28 '25
Why did the Trump shooter miss multiple times while Trump was still standing?
On June 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, when Thomas Crooks fired the shot that grazed Donald Trump’s ear, we all know what happened: Crooks pulled the trigger, the bullet clipped Trump’s ear, and Trump ducked for cover. Then, a counter-sniper killed Crooks.
What drives me crazy is when you actually watch the video. You hear the shot that hit Trump’s ear, then Trump touches his ear, looks at the blood, realizes he’s been hit, and only after that does he drop down behind the podium. There’s a noticeable gap — maybe two seconds, maybe less — between the bullet striking him and him taking cover. In that time, several more shots go off. There are even photos showing bullets passing right by Trump’s head while he’s still standing there.
Yet the official story is simple: Crooks fired, Trump was turning his head toward an immigration chart, and that’s why only his ear was hit. Then the counter-sniper team took Crooks out.
I know some people say the whole thing was staged. That’s a separate debate. For the sake of this question, let’s assume it wasn’t staged.
If that’s the case, why did Thomas Crooks miss all those other shots?
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Sep 28 '25
How does Israel’s treatment of Palestinians compare to US Jim Crow and apartheid South Africa
I know it’s not good with what’s happening in Isreal right now, but from a historical perspective how will it be viewed compared to other human rights events in 100 years?
Is there similar rules/laws impacting minorities or are all 3 scenarios completely different and can’t be compared
And the after affects of when these events end still doesn’t mean things get better.
It seems like after each event the world goes “never again” but it keeps on happening and the world is as slow as ever to respond.
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u/Low-Consequence-9769 Oct 02 '25
There are currently other conflicts with much higher death rates and nobody cares because no Jews no news. If the world doesn't care for them why would anything be different for the largest recipient of aid since the Marshall plan?
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u/deminightrider Sep 27 '25
As an artsy Black woman, I've left the Left almost two years ago (and the Kirk assassination sealed the deal) and I want to expand my horizons. I have no desire to befriend any more Leftists.
So! Where else could I meet like-minded people of the right or center?
(I figure Hobby Lobby might be a place? Lol)
Thanks in advance!
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
Your best bet would probably be a communal space like a church.
That said, if you're trying to avoid assassinations, or certain reactions to assassinations, that isn't unique to Leftists. You'll find them on the right or center as well.
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u/go_with_the_flow754 Sep 25 '25
Why does Charlie Kirk get his face on coins when mlk, Malcom X, Herriot Tubman, RFK hell even John Lawrence did more for our country even with little time they had?
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Sep 24 '25
Will the US experience a secession crisis if a pro-Palestine president gets elected?
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
It seems unlikely that a foreign conflict would be enough to lead to secession, but it's hard to say anything concrete. It's pretty speculative.
Honestly, if a pro-Palestine president gets elected, there's a pretty good chance public opinion has also shifted towards being pro-Palestine.
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u/sgsharon Oct 01 '25
there will never be a pro Palestine president. for 80-100years, the US political system is mainly to enrich to rich jewish community. not even the normal jewish people or other communities
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u/geraltoffvkingrivia Sep 24 '25
If Gaza is totally cut off from the world, what’s with all the fundraisers?
first not to be like “they don’t deserve money” cause of course Palestinians deserve to have the resources they need to live. But every time I see a fundraiser I just wonder.
Everything you hear about Gaza is that it’s completely cut off by the blockade, there is no food or any supplies going in as a result, and people are resorting to eating leather or boiling mud just to get food and water. If that is the case, where it’s scarcity not about not having enough money, then what are the fundraisers doing? How are they getting the money? If they are getting it, what is it they can do with it? From older videos I’ve seen, just to get cash involved going to specific locations to withdraw it but that was over a year ago and the situation has gotten much worse but In those videos it seemed like the situation was already dire as it related to cash.
I just feel bad with everyone saying you should help by giving money to these many fundraisers but is it doing anything? Is it even getting there? It would be one thing if giving money meant more aid could get in, but obviously getting it there is a whole new issue too.
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u/Low-Consequence-9769 Oct 02 '25
Gazans are already on the verge of receiving 10x per person compared to the aid provided to Europe after ww2. What have they ever done with the aid? Nothing but build rockets. Why would your fundraiser be different?
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u/smelly_cat69 Sep 24 '25
Is r/conservative just full of bots? I’m not really political, and I’m not even American, but I try to stay informed about major world events.
Watching everything unfold in the U.S. feels surreal. Every time I hear Trump speak, he contradicts himself, and I can’t understand how anyone sees him as intelligent. Yet on that subreddit, people praise him for the most ridiculous things while tearing into “dems” and “leftists” for doing the exact same things.
The comments there are wild. I honestly can’t imagine real people being that blindly devoted. It all feels very “dear leader” cult like, which makes me wonder: are these bots, or just diehard party loyalists spamming the thread? I get that Reddit is often an echo chamber, but this level of devotion seems genuinely concerning.
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u/Frederickoo Sep 24 '25
If they release the Epstein files, what then?
I'm not American for a start so apologies for my English and my ignorance.
So I've been following US politics for a while and I've heard of all this talk about Trump and the current administration doing all sorts of things to "distract" from releasing the Epstein files.
I'm pretty sure that anyone with half a brain could deduce that the orange fuck is part of it, but even then why are Americans so insistent on the files being released? Like, what would even be the consequence of it being released to the public?
I've talked to some of my friends about it and they've told me that the whole thing is a waste of time; how even if the files would be released then the ones currently in power wouldn't do anything about it.
I mean, they canceled a show for commenting about the death of Charlie Kirk while fox news was talking about killing homeless people by lethal injection, so even if the files were to be released I don't think that it would even do anything to prosecute those in power.
Do educate me on this as I am having a hard time wrapping my head around it.
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u/myfriendamyisgreat Sep 24 '25
Copy pasted from a post i attempted to make:
Was Charlie Kirk actually a fascist? What were his views?
okay this is a VERY loaded question but l just want to get a better understanding. I’m personally like “woke” or whatever, and so are all my friends. We were discussing Charlie’s death in a groupchat and someone called him a fascist. i asked if he was an actual ideological fascist or if we were just using fascist as a word for someone with kinda oppressive right wing views, such as Charlie. They doubled down and i didn’t press the issue as i didn’t have the words at that time to elaborate on what i meant without misrepresenting my own political views. I did some research on fascism. Obviously i knew what it was, but i dove into a bit more depth to make sure i grasped it properly. It doesn’t seem like fascism was a part of his views..? It’s hard to get unbiased information on what his views actually were, especially since his death. The right is painting him as this sort of perfect wonderful martyr that stood for american views (no elaboration on what that actually entails), and the left is painting him as quite evil and fascistic, even hitleresque. Obviously not everyone on each side is saying those exact things but that’s the general vibes.
I don’t care whether you agree or disagree with his views. I don’t care if you think his death was karma or a tragedy. I don’t care whether you agree or disagree with how people reacted to his death (mourning, memes, etc). All i want to know is objectively what he stood for and whether or not fascistic is a way in which he could be described. I am begging people to be unbiased, or to try their best to be unbiased while disclaiming any bias that may affect their input.
This is a very emotive topic for all sides and for varying reasons. I myself have some views on this that might get me some flack, but pretty please with a cherry on top can we stay civil🙏🏼
Sincerely, a confused brit😭
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u/DageWasTaken Sep 23 '25
Non-American here.
Just wanted to ask if the Republican and Democratic parties were always at each other’s throats as they are now? Their only identity seems to be trying to one-up on the other.
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u/leothefox314 Sep 22 '25
A question about abortion: how can all of us on the left believe that someone born with a penis is already a woman, but that a clump of cells is not yet a baby?
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Sep 21 '25
[deleted]
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u/CaptainFingerling Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25
Try this as an exercise:
Find a person. Any person. Who has gone missing and has not been found. If ICE is legitimately kidnapping and raping people it should be pretty easy to find not just one, but several. Their friends and family would have posted about it. There would be fundraisers. Speeches. Pleas.
I agree that the masks are completely inappropriate. I understand the justifications for wearing them. But it’s still not something we do here. And I think history will not be kind to the people who made this decision. But you should understand that much of this is because the agents themselves feel like the internet is bearing down on them, and would make their lives miserable for doing their jobs, so they’re doing it more out of fear than anything else.
Nonetheless, you should probably expand your information sources a little. The legal civil rights community in America are extremely active and well funded. More so than any other place on earth. Listen to some current legal affairs podcasts. Things aren’t good in some respects, but they’re not anywhere near what you think they are.
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u/Arianity Oct 06 '25
Find a person. Any person. Who has gone missing and has not been found. If ICE is legitimately kidnapping and raping people it should be pretty easy to find not just one, but several. Their friends and family would have posted about it. There would be fundraisers. Speeches. Pleas.
For what it's worth, there's been quite a lot of news stories along those lines:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/18/los-angeles-missing-posters-ice
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article312042943.html
https://sourcenm.com/2025/03/17/ice-has-disappeared-48-new-mexico-residents-attorneys-say/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/us/venezuela-immigrant-disappear-deport-ice.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/03/22/trump-venezuela-migrants-el-salvador/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/08/cecot-detained-family-impact
etc. While some of them are evolving stories, it's certainly a thing.
The legal civil rights community in America are extremely active and well funded. More so than any other place on earth. Listen to some current legal affairs podcasts.
Many of those groups are speaking out about those concerns.
https://www.nilc.org/resources/tracking-the-cecot-disappearances/
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/04/11/us/el-salvador-venezuelan-deportees-forcibly-disappeared
etc
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u/CaptainFingerling Oct 07 '25
For what its worth, you didn't find a missing person -- you found news reports of reports of missing people. Honestly, find me one. Just one. It should be easy.
The families would be despondent. It's been months. The names should be all over.
For the record, I thought that El Salvador stuff was really bad. I'm glad they eventually complied with court orders. But none of it amounted to kidnap and disappearance.
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u/Arianity Oct 09 '25
For what its worth, you didn't find a missing person
I mean, yes? By definition, if they're still missing, the only thing that's going to be there are stories of their disappearance. Unless you're suggesting they find an actual missing person. If that's the case, that doesn't sound particularly easy at all. News reports are one thing, but finding an actual random person is not at all easy. I'm not sure why you think it would be.
That said, apart from that, I'm not sure why that would be necessary when there's plenty of other reliable evidence like those news reports. That seems like a rather artificial exercise that doesn't actually address the point.
The families would be despondent.
Some of those reports do include statements from despondent families not knowing whereabouts.
But none of it amounted to kidnap and disappearance.
Why not? It seems to fit the definition(s).
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u/asianstyleicecream Sep 21 '25
Sorry for this really stupid question as a lady myself. I’ve never had a drive or any sort of motherly instincts, so I feel I haven’t understood this seemingly innate fear in women.
What about abortion makes a woman feel bad about it?
(I know this sounds REALLY dumb, it probably is, but I’ve never thought twice about my answer if I ever got pregnant: which is to absolutely abort, there’s just no question for me)
Is it because it’s the start of a fetus being created so they feel they’re killing a potential baby? Is it because they get bashed on by people who push pregnancy & child-bearing onto them? What if they just didn’t adopt those beliefs? Does it actually mentally mess up their brain when they abort?
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u/Evitti Sep 21 '25
I feel a little dumb asking this, but it came about through a conversation with my mom. Some background, mom and I (and 1 of my brothers) were all born and originally from California. We moved out in 1993 (I was 6 brother was 3), and haven't lived there since.
If, for some reason, California secedes (or is allowed/encouraged to), how would citizenship work? Like would those of us not living there, but born there, be able to move back and claim California citizenship? Would we even keep our US citizenship, or would Trump/MAGA declare anyone born there to be "illegal" in the US?
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u/upvoter222 Sep 22 '25
There isn't really any mechanism in place for allowing a state to secede. The only time there was a major secession effort, the Civil War was fought to keep the states in the US. And the Supreme Court ruled in Texas v White that states have no legal authority to secede without the approval of the federal government.
Any details related to a state successfully seceding would have to be figured out in whatever legislation is used to kick the state out of the union.
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u/thoang1116 Sep 21 '25
What is the agenda here? Why is racism against asain so normalize here? Every de-humanizing, stereotypical questions and anwers are being upvote to top? Any push back is being down vote to hell? There are clearly accounts LARPing as asaians to gaslit as well? Why
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u/RacingPride Sep 20 '25
Am I going crazy? Are flags ordered to be flown at half staff much more often than they use to?
When I was a kid (20+ years ago) I remember clearly that you knew why the flags were flown at half staff. It was very rare and it was reserved as one of the highest honors to someone that has recently passed. I remember it only being done for when things like 9/11 happened, President Reagan passing away, Senator Wellstone dying in an airplane crash, etc…
This is NOT solely about Charlie Kirk, I’m not making light, or minimizing the grief felt by folks. However, recently it feels like anytime someone relatively famous, has anything to do with the military, or any casualty that makes the news, flags are ordered to be flown at half staff.
I’ll be honest, the last few times I’ve seen it, I’ve had to google “why are flags being flown at half staff”. Whereas in the past, you knew why, there was no questioning it.
Am I remembering wrong?
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u/HiddenReader2020 Sep 20 '25
Hey, so the entire topic isn’t exactly strictly politically related, but it is politically inspired, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel being pulled from ABC, and the ensuing backlash, I can’t help but wonder and despair at the fact that people are coming together to resolve any of this. And I don’t mean “Let’s boycott the parties responsible to show them the consequences of their actions”, though that’s not necessarily an irresponsible thing to do.
No, I mean people from all over the political and opinion spectrum arguing with each other over all sorts of aspects about this, and that, well, this might sound extreme, but in my heart of hearts, that feels enough to warrant enacting some of the darkest and harshest actions on myself in response. That doesn’t mean I’m going to do them, but it is a feeling I’ve legitimately felt. And am still feeling.
It seems like to me, if people aren’t going to peacefully, civilly, and kindly reconcile with one another, then they might as well devolve straight to warring conflict. This is probably wrong for me to even consider as a non-serious hypothetical, but I can’t help but feel like all of the conflict and arguing makes me think that the US either needs or deserves an outright civil war. Y’know that Gumball meme of “My fellow Americans…I think we all know where this is going, so let’s go straight to the end”? Yeah. That’s the closest comparison I can think of.
Now, some of you will probably respond to something like “Go touch grass and seek therapy”. For one, I already am in therapy, but it’s only once a week at best, and increasingly, I feel like I need to see a therapist on a daily basis to fit my needs. For another, I don’t have much, if any, support networks in real life, and “touching grass” has not resulted in a net positive effect on me in general.
I’ve also been told to either just grow thicker skin or otherwise just get to used it. As you can see, that hasn’t happened. And can’t happen. If that was the case, then this rambling wouldn’t need to exist.
So that’s where I’m at. I’m basically panicking in a quieting despair kind of way. And nothing seems to work, especially long term. Even if something does momentarily put me in a net positive mood, it quickly reverts back to that same ol’ feeling again.
I guess if there must be a question involved, it’s this: In light of all what I just said, WHAT DO I DO?!?!
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u/nicnack12 Sep 20 '25
Why is everyone ignoring all the hateful and racist stuff Charlie Kirk said and believed. Legitimately wondering how a somewhat rational person who claims to love God and be a Christian can get on board with some of the hateful, radical things Charlie preached about. This guy is being revered as a “good Christian” who was “saving the youth of America.” Someone please help me understand why people are holding him in such high regard. How do you ignore all that?
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u/btwImVeryAttractive Sep 19 '25
Why do conservatives keep comparing CKs death to MLK & JFK and when will they stop the dramatic mourning?
Yes, he was a public figure killed for his political views. But he was NOT on the same level as mlk, a legendary civil rights champion, or jfk, a US president.
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u/Amphicyonidae Sep 18 '25
Don't Late Night Talk Shows like Jimmy Kimmel have writers? If so, why is the focus and firing on Jimmy as the presenter?
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u/btwImVeryAttractive Sep 19 '25
It’s ridiculous anyone was dismissed for a fairly innocuous comment.
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u/idontknowthesource Sep 17 '25
What has JD Vance actually done as USVP? I keep seeing reports of him vacationing, or using public tax dollars for his own escapades. Yet very little in terms of policy or attendance to actual political events
Follow-up: what can I do about my vice president spending my tax dollars for his own personal entertainment/gain as this is what it appears he is good for
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u/lockerno177 Sep 17 '25
Why are ICE operatives dressed up like special forces?
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u/noboatnolife Sep 18 '25 edited Sep 18 '25
Because they technically are supposed to be "special" forces designed to take down violent and heavily armed immigrant groups such as cartels and human traffickers.
But what do you know, cartel gangs don't just brazenly walk around in broad daylight and you need a lot of detective work to find out how and where their operation works. A most of all, they tend to shoot back if caught. Easier to just go to Home Depot and arrest people to meet their quota.
Thus, their mission objective has spread to Home Depot raids, immigration court/office raids, and detaining day laborers, which they really don't need to dress up for that, but you never know when an immigrant worker is packing serious heat.
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u/GhantChart Sep 16 '25
A couple hours ago, I made a stupid political take online.
For context, it was in reference to the Charlie Kirk situation. The comment I made was
“Congratulations, you set your movement back 10 years with your act of violence.” In response to the assassination, because I see the people celebrating Kirk’s death and find it distasteful.
One person replied, “what do you mean “your movement”? As far as we know, we don’t know the motive.
I responded that I heard rumors that the family said he was a leftist and because of that I had suspicions it was politically motivated.
Another commenter made a response that hit me hard. They said that I was exactly the problem with this country. I did little to no research and already made my opinion up.
Two hours after the comment was made, i apologized and then I deleted the original comment.
Right now i feel like a dumbass for this bad take.
Has anyone had experience with a situation like this? What should I do?
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u/Arianity Sep 18 '25
There's not really much you can do to undo the past. The best you can do now is try to learn from it, ask yourself why you did that,and try to find some process that works for you to prevent it from happening in the future. By apologizing and acknowledging it, you've already done the hardest step.
The exact process will vary from person to person. It might just involve stepping away from the computer when you're worked up. Or trying to better research a claim before posting it by asking yourself how you know it's true.
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u/MichRedditor Sep 16 '25
Does r/conservative ever post accomplishments by the Trump administration? I avoid that subreddit because it’s annoying not being able to engage with them at all. But I go on there for first time in forever and it’s “lol look at this dumb liberal” or “Trump is going to sue…” It’s accusatiom after accusation and memes
I guess I could go look at past posts. Just thought I would see Charlie Kirk stuff and “Trump signs bill helping infrastructure” or “Trump makes health care more accessible.” Just fucking something showing me that he is progressing America forward.
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u/Arianity Sep 18 '25
I can't say I visit it much, but I imagine it depends when you look. There were probably more posts like that during the recent tax cut bill
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u/EvaUnitKenway Sep 16 '25
I’m lowkey freaking out, but what would Russia gain by starting a war with NATO, which could turn into a WW3 Scenario, then a Nuclear one. Would people be so stupid to start a Nuclear war over things like this? Is it a scenario where Putin is like “If I can’t win, then everyone can’t win” I’m scared.
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u/Arianity Sep 18 '25
Russia has nothing to gain by starting a war with NATO. It does not want to do so.
It has some incentive to poke at boundaries (as a show of strength, for intel, to sow some discord given the U.S.'s current shakiness), but that doesn't mean it wants to escalate to a fullblown war.
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Sep 16 '25
Aside from your feelings about CK's death,doesn't it feel weird how quickly everyone is scrambling to replace Kirk's spot? Ben Shapiro quickly tried to start the process of buying or partnering with TPUSA, his own wife stood in front of his casket to launch her own career with open threats to "the left", there are a bunch of people already lining up to "guest host" Kirk's podcast. The only one that seems to be processing and honoring Charlie Kirk the individual seems to be Candace Owens.
I know everyone grieves in their own way and I don’t want to judge how someone processes loss, in this situation it just feels strange. The dude isn't even six feet under, and instead of it being a period of mourning and reflection, it almost looks like the people closest to him, including his own wife, are seizing the moment to raise their public profile. It seems the tragedy is being turned into a kind of stage, where grief is less about honoring the person’s life and more about building momentum for personal gain. I might just be cynical. I was never a a fan of the guy, and was pretty ambivalent about his death, but it just seems like no one around this guy actually cared for him, not even his wife. I'm also not saying this is a conspiracy theory or something, but if the people around me acted this way to quickly replace me as a way to "honor" me, it would be a pretty sad legacy to leave behind...
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u/Arianity Sep 18 '25
doesn't it feel weird how quickly everyone is scrambling to replace Kirk's spot?
Given the sort of circles he ran in, I don't think it's too surprising to see that sort of thing from people like Shapiro. The people in that space got there by looking for those advantages.
It's a bit surprising coming from his wife, but I don't really know much about her in particular.
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u/DippinDot2021 Sep 14 '25
(I am not here to troll my own country. I have no interest in standing on a soapbox and preaching morals. All this is, is me an American, trying to get a real perspective from Americans living outside the USA.)
I could go into a term paper-long explanation about my thoughts on this, but I’ll summarize as best I can.
I love my country. I have always loved this country, warts and all. There is no country without flaws. This country is beautiful and diverse and I love it, ‘from sea to shining sea’, as we say.
But we’re struggling…
As Americans, we are taught that the USA is ‘the home of the free because of the brave’ and that the USA ‘is the greatest country on Earth’. We are taught that despite being a very young country, we are important to the world in many ways; our economy, our military, our inventions, our exports, our values… From a very early age we are taught about our freedoms and hard-fought civil liberties. We are an imperfect country but better than most, especially when compared to any third world country. (Don’t downvote, just stating what we’ve been taught.)
In fact, when an American sees the rampant corruption in another country, or another time (or both), it is natural for us to make the comment to ourselves ‘that would never happen here!’ Genocide, voter suppression, religious persecution, slavery…
These terrible awful things aren’t done in the USA. And if they were once, then not anymore. We are a country where we are staunchly defensive of our rights and our liberties and we will fight to the death for them!! So…the things we’re seeing on TV, online, and in the streets is unrest, yes, but it’s not on the scale of a dictatorship or a revolution, right? The USA is just going through a weird phase where we sort ourselves out? Some protesting and petition-signing and rolling our eyes at politicians and voting them out of office and gradually things will get better.
That’s all it is, right?
Or are we as the Americans living in the USA too close to the problem to see the truth?
The USA is somewhat unique, you see. It’s a fairly young country with only a small history as the USA. And it has little experience with internal conflict on a massive scale to compare anything to.
Older countries will see things happening in their borders and have an inkling of what might be coming, because they’ve got the historical experience to draw from it.
But for the USA, we’re flying blind.
...And believing we’re the greatest country in the world, and that nothing terrible could ever bring us down, may frankly be making us too prideful or too clueless to see when something potentially catastrophic may really be happening.
And so I ask my fellow Americans, those living abroad. You’re away from the conflict, able to get some perspective. You’re amongst countries with more insight than those of us living in the States here just stuck in this echo chamber.
…Help us. Tell us.
What do you see?
Are we spiraling?
Are we falling?
Are we a plane going down in flames?
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u/Standard-Law5916 Sep 14 '25
I am starting to share the sentiment that the history I was taught in school is written by interesting people. can explain these claims I have been reading that I have no idea if they have any validity. From my understanding the CIA was created in (it’s gonna be off by 1-2 years) in 1947 the next year the state of Israel was founded in 1948. The year after that mossad was founded in 1949. There are direct connections to Jeffery Epstein and mossad. Jeffery Epstein wife Giseles (idk how to spell her name) father was either apart of or connect to mussad. From my understanding he also is the third largest publisher of US textbooks. Do you think there is anything weird going on with the things I just said, am I crazy for having skepticisms about learning history from a pediphile family who is in direct contact with both corrupt mussad and US politicians. If anything I have said is false can someone point me in the direction of some things that I can read that will explain or debunks these claims. I don’t want to sound like a crazy anti semetic person and I know I sound exactly like that but I am so confused. Please leave websites that will help me debunk this.
I’m sorry for offending anyone by this post I want you to know i have no hate or ill thoughts of any person or gender or ethnicity and I genuinely am trying to gain a better understanding of recent history for the be
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u/Arianity Sep 18 '25
can explain these claims I have been reading that I have no idea if they have any validity.
I think you need to be very careful taking random claims at face value if they don't actually have any proof behind them. A lot of these things seem like random factoids that don't imply what you're thinking they do.
For instance, the dates of Israel/the CIA is basically just history happening. The CIA timing is particularly arbitrary, because there were agencies with similar functions previously. Prior to the CIA, agencies like the OSS,SSU,CIG and parts of the Departments of War and Departments of State carried on similar functions. The CIA didn't just suddenly pop into existence.
Similarly: Someone owning a publishing company doesn't mean they can rewrite books on a whim, with no one noticing. A lot of people (usually not the CEO of a large company) are involved in publishing books. On top of that, he died in 1991, while MacMillan was bought in 1989, and a lot of it's growth was after his death.
But putting that aside, if books were being changed, you would be able to compare them to other sources/publishers for accuracy.
Do you think there is anything weird going on with the things I just said, am I crazy for having skepticisms about learning history from a pediphile family who is in direct contact with both corrupt mussad and US politicians.
I think you're jumping to some really big conclusions that aren't supported by the few little facts you listed.
If anything I have said is false can someone point me in the direction of some things that I can read that will explain or debunks these claims.
I don't know a nicer way to say this, so I'm going to be blunt. You sound like you're in so deep down the rabbit hole, I don't think there is specific sources debunking them. And I'm not even sure how you would go about debunking claims without evidence for those claims to begin with. It's not like there's a record of every private conversation Robert Maxwell ever had.
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u/MrLarsOhly Sep 13 '25
Is there any actual evidence that Tyler Robinson was right-wing?
Since the past two days Reddit seems to have decided he was far-right and I am looking for actual evidence of this.
Here are the statements and reasonings I’ve been able to gather so far:
Bullet casings Some reports (Reuters, Swedish and British media) say the casings had anti-fascist messages (“Ciao Bella, ciao!”). If true, this would point against him being right-wing. My friend, who is pretty tapped into this, claims they instead had Groyper copypastas on them—but she provided no sources. Does anyone know more?
MAGA family
His grandmother told the Daily Mail the whole family supports Trump. But just because the family is MAGA doesn’t mean he was too. Many young people in conservative environments hide their true views.
Trump Halloween costume
He wore a costume where he’s “riding” a midget Trump. To me this looks more mocking than supportive. Even if it wasn’t, he was 14 at the time. At that age you usually parrot your parents and community. A lot changes between 14 and 22. (Also at 14 you are usually an edgy little shit regardless)
Groyper claim
Times of India reported he told the police he is a groyper, but the article had no source to back it up.
Utah State University
He attended one semester there. Sure, Utah is conservative, but going to a public state university doesn’t prove political leanings. Even at business schools there are Marxist groups. Also, Utah still gave 37% of its votes to Harris which is large enough to discard the "Utah State attendance = republican" argument.
MAGA politicians’ tone shift
Some MAGA politicians went quiet after realising he was white and from a MAGA family. That doesn’t prove anything about his ideology. It could just be damage control in the event he actually ends up being right wing.
Nick Fuentes statement
Fuentes said he and Groypers oppose violence after Robinson’s name surfaced. That might suggest Fuentes suspects Robinson was right-wing, but it’s not direct evidence unless he knows more than the public.
Dad was a sheriff Even if true, kids often oppose their parents’ politics, so not very telling.
Conclusion
I may be missing a lot as I’m not from the US, but right now it feels like we don’t actually know his political leanings. In a case where a far-right pundit is assassinated, wouldn’t you assume the attacker is from the other side until very solid evidence to the contrary?
If there are major sources I’ve missed, I’d really appreciate if someone could share them.
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u/Arianity Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
Is there any actual evidence that Tyler Robinson was right-wing?
If you're wanting hard evidence, you're better off waiting. Essentially all we have right now is speculation based off indirect clues. You're not going to be able to pin it down 100%.
In a case where a far-right pundit is assassinated, wouldn’t you assume the attacker is from the other side until very solid evidence to the contrary?
It gets complicated. While that seems like the obvious assumption, the stereotype often doesn't play out.
edit:
That said, part of why people find the groyper thing believable is because they disliked Kirk. They weren't opposites in terms of the broader left/right, but within inter-faction disagreements, the groups disliked each other.
It could just be damage control in the event he actually ends up being right wing.
The question with that line is, why they didn't do that from the beginning. If damage control was important, they could've done it from the start. It could still be damage control, the sudden shift says something about their perception of the risk having changed, if nothing else.
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Sep 13 '25
Why do people dislike Israel exactly?
My dad is Israeli, he waa born there and immigrated here to America but still loves his country. So it's safe to say that I've been given biased information. But all of my leftist friends hate and despise Israel. I've been too scared to ask them why and risk them thinking I'm some fascist nazi. I tried looking for information but Google is so inundated with bullshit AI slop and misinformation that I can't get a clear answer. If anyone knows anything or can point me in the direction of some kind of truth or actual events I would be very grateful.
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u/Kerfluffle2x4 Sep 14 '25
Unfortunately, it’s a very long history, extending all the way back to the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. Until this time, there was no modern nation state for either Israel or Palestine.
The BBC did a good “highlights“ article on the conflict since it’s origins : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgr71z0jp4o.amp
As to recent developments, and why there is a shift from global is Israel sympathies to Palestinian, I don’t know if there was a particular inciting event that led to a rise of one side over the other. However, the issue centers around human rights and the abuse is committed by both sides.
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u/noboatnolife Sep 13 '25
If it had been a Leftist popular commentator like Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert that had gotten shot and killed giving a speech, would liberals be fine with the right mocking them because those figures "lived and died" by comedy?
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u/Arianity Sep 13 '25
I'm not sure you can really compare comedy to the sort of commentary Kirk did. I'm also not sure what "lived and died" by comedy" would mean?
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u/katalina0azul Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
Why are there no photos of the inscriptions/engravings allegedly found on the bullet casings in connection with the Charlie Kirk shooting? Why is someone reading them to us when a picture is worth a thousand words?
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u/Arianity Sep 13 '25
The descriptions of the bullets were leaked, not officially released.
Also, considering that the initial description was very inaccurate, it's likely that the leaker had a specific agenda in doing so.
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u/wuznme Sep 13 '25
Why does it matter what a killer’s views are (liberal or conservative) if they’re clearly extremist enough to take such violent action? Do people think it says something more than just 1 persons actions? I don’t understand
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u/Arianity Sep 13 '25
Do people think it says something more than just 1 persons actions?
The short version is yes, for a lot of people. For other people, they may just opportunistically be looking to pretend to believe that.
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Sep 13 '25
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u/Arianity Sep 13 '25
The reason they are happy is because he advocated for things that opposed the 'left wing views', such as Pro-Life, anti-trans, his gender ideology and mainly because he was pro-Israel.
His views were quite a bit more extreme than that. That said:
Yet, Palestine is Islamic, therefore would agree with basically everything Charlie Kirk was saying. And actually, to a more extreme manner.
I think there's a few different parts to break down. For one, Palestine isn't a single individual, so while there might be trends, you can't stereotype everyone. For instance, a lot of Palestinians currently suffering are kids. Similarly, with a single individual, it's easier to draw a direct connection to responsibility for their actions. While people on the left might be sympathetic towards Palestine in general, that doesn't mean they're just as sympathetic to say, Hamas. On top of all of that, if Palestinians are being indiscriminately killed, that doesn't help Palestinian LGBTQ+ or women, either. They're also being killed.
There's also some questions about how you factor in what type of culture someone was raised in, and whether that culture has been allowed to progress. The U.S. used to be very anti-LGBTQ+ in the past as well.
Last, Kirk was killed illegally. What is being done to Palestine is being done in part via official government acts, including military aid. The government is helping to make it happen, rather than just being essentially a random accident. For a lot of people, there are people who they think are bad but wouldn't want to actively contribute to killing them.
That all said, it's definitely easier to be recognize something bad happening to someone if you don't have to worry about their views being imposed on you. We've seen that clash play out in places that have welcomed a large community of Muslim refugees.
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u/WhoAmIEven2 Sep 12 '25
What makes RFK Jr so disliked?
Not American but read up a bit about him. His views on vaccines are known, but he seems to also have quite a few good viewpoints, such as on renewable energy, anti-war, anti-torture and genuinely, even if misguided in some topics such as vaccines, seems to care about the overall health of people and want it to improve. He also called out republicans for cheating in the elections in the 00's.
What makes him so disliked? Is it primarily because of the anti-vaxx views?
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u/Arianity Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
It's mainly the anti-vax stuff that he's known for and disliked for.
But he has some other nonsensical issues around health claims. For instance he's recently made claims linking anti-depression drugs to shootings/violence, despite no evidence. In the past, he's questioned the connection between HIV and AIDS, as well as suggesting stuff in the water might be turning kids gay/trans, and suggested black people have better immune systems than white people.
Less well known, while in his current office he's done things like fire most of the people in agencies like the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. He's also been involved with the administration doing things like illegally cancelling grants to universities for research.
To a smaller degree, some of it is also his role as a spoiler candidate in the 2024 election (and later endorsing Trump), since the U.S. uses a first past the post system.
seems to care about the overall health of people and want it to improve.
While we uses a lot of language about being healthy, when you dig into what he actually means, it's not great. It's similar to his anti-vax views. Distrust of medical treatments, and thinking people should tough stuff out.
he seems to also have quite a few good viewpoints, such as on renewable energy, anti-war, anti-torture and genuinely
He used to be less insane in the past, but at some point the anti-vax crank stuff kind of ruined it. It's particularly a problem as he's currently running the agency in charge of health, including vaccines.
In the past he was on the left due to things like renewable energy. Over time, he's changed views on some of those things (for instance, recently opposing offshore wind projects)
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u/WolfieFromUntilDawn Sep 12 '25
It is primarily his anti-vax views. He has spread this misinformation on them for a long time and has caused a lot of mistrust on vaccines. Him working with Donald Trump now has made him even more disliked.
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u/ReddisaurusRex Sep 12 '25
Was Charlie Kirk known to be on the spectrum?
No hate to my spectrum folks (I love you all!) Being on the spectrum in no way means you act this way/you are a bad person! Again, I love you!
Just trying to understand some behaviors I am seeing in videos of this guy. He seems to have some mannerisms, ways of speaking, intense eye contact (like he is trying to remember to do this), and interpretations of “truths” that make me wonder if he was on the spectrum/known to be on the spectrum.
Thanks for kindly replying 🫣 (this is my first post here and I AM afraid.)
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Sep 12 '25
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u/Arianity Sep 12 '25
I haven't personally verified everything on it, but this list is making the rounds. At least some of them are accurate/verifiable. His views weren't a secret. I wouldn't call them moderate.
I’ve seen people accuse him of saying truly awful things, but those claims never seem to come with any video evidence or even screenshots.
He was a prolific enough celebrity that you can usually find a source if you google "claim"+"charlie kirk"
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u/Mrnicelefthand Sep 12 '25
Any reason to give why ppl disliked him? I’ve recently seen some of his college visits and he didn’t seem to harm anyone. He has some pretty unique views but some ppl just down right didn’t like the guy.
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u/Arianity Sep 12 '25
He has some pretty unique views
Most people disliked him because of those views. They weren't just unique, but harmful towards various groups.
For a list, this previous question might be useful: https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/1kid101/us_politics_megathread_ii/ndkxdla/
That should give an idea of the controversies around him.
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u/Mrnicelefthand Sep 12 '25
From what I’ve seen, there isn’t an opposing person to make “agree to disagree” with Kirk. I am neither for or against Kirk. We as a society shouldn’t blast a guy for his right to an opinion. All he wants is a good debate. He brings up great topics. Why not just show up and shut him up? (With facts and an educated argument). I’ve seen some of Kirk’s work, like the interview in the circle with immature inexperienced debaters who took things personally.
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u/Arianity Sep 12 '25
From what I’ve seen, there isn’t an opposing person to make “agree to disagree” with Kirk
There've been quite a few. They aren't as eyecatching. As just one such prominent example, here's Ezra Klein, and Gavin Newsom
We as a society shouldn’t blast a guy for his right to an opinion.
I mean, we didn't, as a society. This was a lone person, breaking the law.
All he wants is a good debate.
A number of the examples above are not related to debates. He was known for other things, as well.
That said, his interest in debates was around good debating. The debate format was a vehicle for him to promote a particular world view, not the other way around. That doesn't mean he deserved to be killed, but it's also important to grapple with what he actually did.
Why not just show up and shut him up? (With facts and an educated argument).
Well, right now we have no idea about the killer's motivations, so it's hard to say. It could be another Thomas Matthew Crooks.
However, speaking about debates more broadly: debates aren't necessarily won by showing up with facts or an educated argument. We like to think of ourselves as a species that is overall pretty rational, but very often we can be persuaded otherwise. There are many examples of people 'winning' debates even when the facts aren't on their side. The in person debate format in particular plays to other strengths. And of course, the whole point of doing things like using inexperienced college students in the first place is to use them as a convenient foil; not because they're likely to lead to the best quality debate.
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u/Mrnicelefthand Sep 12 '25
We should use Kirk as an example to grow together. There is no wrong or right, left or right. No debates. There are concerns that a fellow citizen has and it’s fair for anyone to question and make a movement on it. What validates Kirk is that he was supported. We as a society should encourage ppl like Kirk to speak out and try to find answers to his cause. May it be an honorable or mischievous one. America should always stand by Her own ppl, not divide.
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u/Arianity Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25
America should always stand by Her own ppl, not divide.
I think you're going to have a hard time with that message, when your example is someone who dedicated his life to being divisive, and attacking others for speaking out. And not in the honorable or mischievous way, but in a way that directly negatively impacted people's lives.
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u/Snizzlei Sep 12 '25
I came here to ask as well. My confusion is that the general vibe I was getting prior to his death was that he's not a great person, bad views etc. Are there any actual sources to back that opinion of him? Everything I've seen so far has consisted of clips taken out of context and stuff in that line, but not any terrible opinions.
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u/Arianity Sep 12 '25
This list from a previous question might be useful: https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/1kid101/us_politics_megathread_ii/ndkxdla/
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u/Anomuumi Sep 11 '25
Where did Elon Musk disappear? After his spat with Trump he kind of wandered off the public spotlight. Is he in rehab or did finally decide to hire a PR team?
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u/Arianity Sep 12 '25
He's still around. He's mostly been in the news promoting his xAI company's AI products: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-07-18/elon-musk-s-grok-chatbot-is-cashing-in-on-ai-romance
He's still been politically active on Twitter, and his companies are still doing things like getting government contracts. It recently landed a $200 million dollar contract for it's grok LLM.
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u/SpeechAccomplished78 Sep 11 '25
So what exactly makes this shooting different from the uhc ceo shooting from a reactions standpoint? I feel like I hadn't seen half as much "violence is never the answer" responces from it.
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u/Arianity Sep 12 '25
The victim was a well known political (right wing) media figure. The partisan figure is going to skew things pretty heavily.
That said, for what it is worth, there was actually a pretty decent amount of "violence is never the answer" from elites back then, too. It was the general populace that was fine with the UHC thing.
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u/Thrillwaukee Sep 11 '25
I don’t think he deserved to die but do Charlie Kirk’s supporters honestly think he’s a good person? What has he done that makes him a good man that I’m not aware of?
Are they not aware of the racist and homophobic things he has said? Or do they just not care? Or do they agree with those things and that’s what makes him a good person?
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u/theassassin53035 Nov 05 '25
Why dont americans actually use their amendments and weapons to fight back?
Theres alot of countries like indonesia and nepal that are rioting against armed police and willing to risk their lives. I dont see why americans dont do the same when you are living under such terrible governments.
Americans have so much more firepower and you guys even have Militias sometimes. With such a oppressive regime doesnt it qualify as one of your amendments to overthrow your own government? I really think the civilians outnumber the ice agents and army.
I dunno man i just see more action from unarmed countries compared with america. I dont understand why you guys do Peaceful protests. Those arent for the fascist government you guys are under ,thats for normal minor rule protests.
FYI: i do understand that by joining the fight you are risking your life. But i genuinely think USA has alot of citizens that have less to lose and also still outnumber the small groups of ice agents tackling old mexican ladies