That’s what they want you to think. The people’s power doesn’t end where the ruling class decides. Elections didn’t end the Vietnam war; mass popular resistance did. Most things you believe the government “gave” to you were actually taken by force.
I don’t know that the suppression by the government during those protests was anything like what is going on today though. The government has been detaining regular protestors alongside movement leaders/organisers to scare people into thinking that nobody is safe. The Trump administration has even been targeting people for deportation based on the fucking Canary Mission.
Another big difference is the fact that many of the protestors back then were at risk of being directly affected via the draft, whereas the impact of the Palestinian genocide on the majority of Americans is minimal to nonexistent.
I don’t know that the suppression by the government during those protests was anything like what is going on today though.
The 60s and 70s were the height of COINTERPRO and CIA shenanigans so if anything protesters today have it good, but that aside:
Another big difference is the fact that many of the protestors back then were at risk of being directly affected via the draft, whereas the impact of the Palestinian genocide on the majority of Americans is minimal to nonexistent.
True, but we’re really not looking at just the genocide here. There’s a whole full-speed march to fascism that already is and will continue affecting the majority of Americans, so really what we should be seeing is mass anti-fascist resistance that would naturally have strong anti-Zionist presence. The fact that there’s no mass anti-fascist resistance is the big problem here, but that’s not due to lack of impact on the average American. Also given that the IDF trains American cops using lessons learned from their subjugation of Palestinians, I’d say there’s a fair bit of impact on minority communities.
What I meant was the difference in who was targeted. My understanding, which could be wrong, is that specific groups (and more specifically, their leaders) were primarily targeted by the operations carried out back then, whereas today they are also detaining/deporting etc people who genuinely have no offenses or ties to such groups. Even Trump supporters and their family members are being persecuted. I think it’s these seemingly indiscriminate actions that make the average person less willing to take a stand, especially if they don’t feel as though they’ve been affected badly enough yet to risk sticking their neck out.
In any case it’s a terrifying and truly fucked situation.
Neat, where is it? I am not trying to be an asshole here, but many of my fellow lefties here keep acting as if the elections didn’t have a consequence. There aren’t mass protests, certainly not at the scale we need them. Insofar as what the relief Palestine needs; nothing is in place and it will take months we no longer have.
I’m not saying that the election had no consequences; I’m only saying that things can (and usually do) change without elections, so elections weren’t really the last chance for anything. Whether they will this time aside, they at least in theory can; the problem is lack of popular will, not lack of opportunity. Again not dismissing the impact of the election, just keeping things in perspective.
That’s what they want you to think. The people’s power doesn’t end where the ruling class decides. Elections didn’t end the Vietnam war; mass popular resistance did. Most things you believe the government “gave” to you were actually taken by force.
I don’t know that the suppression by the government during those protests was anything like what is going on today though. The government has been detaining regular protestors alongside movement leaders/organisers to scare people into thinking that nobody is safe. The Trump administration has even been targeting people for deportation based on the fucking Canary Mission.
Another big difference is the fact that many of the protestors back then were at risk of being directly affected via the draft, whereas the impact of the Palestinian genocide on the majority of Americans is minimal to nonexistent.
The 60s and 70s were the height of COINTERPRO and CIA shenanigans so if anything protesters today have it good, but that aside:
True, but we’re really not looking at just the genocide here. There’s a whole full-speed march to fascism that already is and will continue affecting the majority of Americans, so really what we should be seeing is mass anti-fascist resistance that would naturally have strong anti-Zionist presence. The fact that there’s no mass anti-fascist resistance is the big problem here, but that’s not due to lack of impact on the average American. Also given that the IDF trains American cops using lessons learned from their subjugation of Palestinians, I’d say there’s a fair bit of impact on minority communities.
What I meant was the difference in who was targeted. My understanding, which could be wrong, is that specific groups (and more specifically, their leaders) were primarily targeted by the operations carried out back then, whereas today they are also detaining/deporting etc people who genuinely have no offenses or ties to such groups. Even Trump supporters and their family members are being persecuted. I think it’s these seemingly indiscriminate actions that make the average person less willing to take a stand, especially if they don’t feel as though they’ve been affected badly enough yet to risk sticking their neck out.
In any case it’s a terrifying and truly fucked situation.
Neat, where is it? I am not trying to be an asshole here, but many of my fellow lefties here keep acting as if the elections didn’t have a consequence. There aren’t mass protests, certainly not at the scale we need them. Insofar as what the relief Palestine needs; nothing is in place and it will take months we no longer have.
I’m not saying that the election had no consequences; I’m only saying that things can (and usually do) change without elections, so elections weren’t really the last chance for anything. Whether they will this time aside, they at least in theory can; the problem is lack of popular will, not lack of opportunity. Again not dismissing the impact of the election, just keeping things in perspective.