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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#96551: Jul 14th 2015 at 12:46:44 PM

If it weren't for the fact that an actual insurgency would result in a lot of pointless death and destruction I'd welcome it. It would be a good opportunity to show these people that the second amendment doesn't give ordinary citizens the ability to remove the government from power.

edited 14th Jul '15 12:47:08 PM by Kostya

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#96552: Jul 14th 2015 at 12:49:04 PM

Man we sound like a bunch of fascists.

I love it.

Oh really when?
Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#96553: Jul 14th 2015 at 12:50:56 PM

Jesus Christ. First folk were fantasizing about Donald Trump being removed from power by the military and now people are talking as though a domestic insurgency in the US would be anything other than a horrendous tragedy. Like, y'know, the last one.

Get a grip.

Schild und Schwert der Partei
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#96554: Jul 14th 2015 at 12:51:02 PM

[up][up]I know you're joking, but if we were actual fascists, we'd be rounding up dissident elements preemptively with our network of secret police, interrogating them, then stuffing them in prison cells or gas chambers.

[up] Sometimes one cannot help but joke in the face of tragedy; the alternative is to collapse into a ball of despair. After all, if it weren't for the very real consequences of their policies, the entire field of Republican candidates would do very well as court jesters.

edited 14th Jul '15 12:52:12 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#96555: Jul 14th 2015 at 1:52:44 PM

If the Republican party implodes because they keep nominating crazies, you're not going to see another Civil War. Sure, the south is solidly republican, but not solidly Donald Trump level republican, and DEFINITELY not "Secede because our guy didn't win the election" solid.

That's the point. You'd have militia groups turning into terrorists, and that'll be an issue, but it's minimal overall. The governor of Texas isn't going to successfully have a standing army of any seriousness.

Comparisons to the US Civil War are just kind of absurd.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
Gabrael from My musings Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: Is that a kind of food?
#96557: Jul 14th 2015 at 1:59:22 PM

What about the Troubles?

You ask a lot of vague questions. If you have a comment we would be delighted to hear it.

"Psssh. Even if you could catch a miracle on a picture any person would probably delete it to make space for more porn." - Aszur
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#96558: Jul 14th 2015 at 2:03:38 PM

[up]

This, from [up][up][up]:

Comparisons to the US Civil War are just kind of absurd.

Keep Rolling On
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#96559: Jul 14th 2015 at 2:06:00 PM

Ahhh, that's true, I guess you could try comparing it to that.

I'm not convinced.

Look, the people who are going to be outright violent are a highly vocal fringe. We're not going to see people getting violent, on the whole, over things because they're too goddamned busy living their lives.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#96560: Jul 14th 2015 at 2:07:02 PM

Fortunately, The Troubles had a lot of causes that simply aren't present in the U.S., including the annexation of a territory without adequate parliamentary representation and two religious sects with a prolonged history of open warfare.

There isn't a vast history of evangelical Christian insurgency in the U.S., largely because they have for a long time enjoyed the advantages of a political system that was extremely tolerant of their shenanigans. Rather, it's been low level terrorism in the form of targeted violence at racial minorities and specific institutions like abortion clinics.

Generally speaking, when you feel that you have representatives in government who share your beliefs, you don't violently attack that government. The fear that I share is what will happen if those right-wing extremists discover that they are no longer represented, after having enjoyed a brief day in the spotlight. They may be unwilling to give it up.

edited 14th Jul '15 2:11:27 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Gabrael from My musings Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: Is that a kind of food?
#96561: Jul 14th 2015 at 2:09:08 PM

Ireland and England also have a few hundred years of drama and baggage behind the Troubles. No, I wouldn't say that's an apt comparison.

"Psssh. Even if you could catch a miracle on a picture any person would probably delete it to make space for more porn." - Aszur
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#96562: Jul 14th 2015 at 2:10:46 PM

He's comparing the political situation post-theoretical-Republican-party-collapse in the USA to The Troubles. It wasn't a civil war in the "two armies shooting at each other" sense, but it could concievably end up in a situation similar to The Troubles with an entrenched group of domestic terrorists.

Edit — wow, super ninja'd. I guess that's what happens when you step away from the computer for a few minutes after you hit "reply" on a fast-moving thread.

edited 14th Jul '15 2:12:14 PM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#96564: Jul 14th 2015 at 2:13:05 PM

[up][up] Yes, that's what I was thinking. smile

Keep Rolling On
Gabrael from My musings Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: Is that a kind of food?
#96565: Jul 14th 2015 at 2:21:07 PM

Again, as other tropers have pointed out, that is still not a likely scenario.

Again, Ireland had centuries of baggage and even then they couldn't muster enough support for a full uprising.

The States also does have a strong aversion to turning on their own people in outward displays of violence. That is why it is more common to see one person doing massive damage then a group of people doing massive damage. If anything, they will get people who don't have a dog in that fight siding with the government because that isn't how we do things here. Rebellion against our own isn't a widespread idea.

"Psssh. Even if you could catch a miracle on a picture any person would probably delete it to make space for more porn." - Aszur
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#96566: Jul 14th 2015 at 3:02:53 PM

Everyone has a strong aversion to turning on their own people in outward displays of violence. The problem is that people who commit violence don't consider the people they're committing violence against to be "their own people". The Republican party — and especially the Tea Party fringe — has displayed plenty of evidence of this attitude. The whole idea of the "real America" is basically that in a nutshell. Godless liberal socialists are not "real Americans" — the real America is a conservative white Christian nation, so anyone who doesn't agree with that ideal is the enemy. And if things get bad enough, I could see that going from "political opponent" to "target of violence".

Like I said before, I don't think it's as likely as some other people on this thread have suggested. But I don't think it's a ridiculous idea, either.

edited 14th Jul '15 3:03:39 PM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#96567: Jul 14th 2015 at 3:13:12 PM

Donald Trump Campaign Image Celebrates America With Photo of Nazi Troops

Bad choice of stock images and presumed firing of the intern responsible aside, I can't help but feel substantially more nervous about the extreme right wing in this country now.

edited 14th Jul '15 3:22:41 PM by TrashJack

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary
nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#96568: Jul 14th 2015 at 3:37:20 PM

[up]I'm no fan of Trump but that's clearly just a very unlucky choice of a random stock image, it's not like he was pasting swastickas all over the US flag. Although I do question the choice of using WW 2 soldiers on a campaign poster.

edited 14th Jul '15 3:40:15 PM by nightwyrm_zero

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#96569: Jul 14th 2015 at 3:39:18 PM

I feel sorry for the right. I find it highly unlikely that a republican is going to be elected this term, which makes me kind of sad.

Leviticus 19:34
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#96570: Jul 14th 2015 at 3:39:43 PM

Nah despite having many startling similarities to the Nazis the extreme right would never use Nazi imagery on purpose. Because America won WW 2 singlehandedly and all that nonsense.

Oh really when?
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#96571: Jul 14th 2015 at 3:54:00 PM

This is funny: Representative Carlos Curbelo (R-Fl) thinks Trump is a phantom candidate planted by the Democrats.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#96572: Jul 14th 2015 at 3:56:26 PM

God that'd make so much fucking sense though. Look at all the damage he's done.

Oh really when?
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#96573: Jul 14th 2015 at 3:59:51 PM

Yeah, it's not at all obvious that those are Nazi uniforms — they just look like generic GIs to me.

[down]Recognizing specific camo patterns of WWII-era combat uniforms is well beyond the vast majority of people (myself included).

edited 14th Jul '15 4:03:28 PM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#96574: Jul 14th 2015 at 4:00:55 PM

I only recognized the camo pattern on the leftmost dude. I can't even see their patches.

Oh really when?
Balmung Since: Oct, 2011
#96575: Jul 14th 2015 at 4:03:32 PM

I thought it was mostly obvious from the Stahlhelms


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