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 when I get concerned about the political divide in my country, I think about
 this map from the New York Times of the number of political donations across
 the country before the 2016 democratic primaries.
 
 I think we're gonna be fine. I'm not scared of Trump because rural areas,
 where republicans tend to be, have the same problems that everyone else does.
 Bernie Sanders was well known as someone who could talk to an average
 republican voter and sway them to his side. I remember watching videos of his
 interviews (in front of a live audience) on Fox News or CNN or whatever and at
 first, they'd be hostile to him. At the end, they'd give him a standing
 ovation.
 
 I think we have more in common with other working class people than they do
 with their republican leaders. I also think we have more in common than them
 than we do with our democratic leaders, but I think that just shows how I feel
 about authority.
a map of the United States which presents the amount of donations received by each democratic primary candidate in 2016. The state of Texas is almost entirely Beta O'Rourke, a small sliver of New York is Biden, (I think? I don't live on the East Coast and everywhere looks the same to me), Montana went to Bullock (who?) Wisconsin is Klobuchar, and the state below Michigan (sorry) is Buttigieg.  The rest of the country is entirely dominated by Bernie Sanders. Essentially the entire map, aside from a few key states, is united behind him. There's no contest, he has almost twice as many donors as the 2nd highest candidate (Elizabeth Warren, who barely has a presence on the map suggesting she was 2nd best in every spot)
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=== SIMILARITY RANKED ===

--- #1 messages/1343 ---
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 I've never been a fan of the democrats. From a young age, I remember my father
 talking about how spineless they were, and how cruel and shortsighted the
 republicans were. I have since come to learn that democrats, as an economic
 class, are also shortsighted, and their lack of foresight causes their
 "triage" to have cruel effects. We could do so much better, and it's not
 because everyone wants something different as they say. The reason is because
 they are spineless. They don't want to rock the boat because they're afraid of
 death. Remember, most of them are so thoroughly traumatized having lived in
 the era of nuclear threat (which isn't over, I might add) and post-911
 hysteria (which they contributed to, I might add) and it makes sense that they
 act so conservatively. They feel such immense pressure to keep the ship
 sailing but if your rigging is secure and you've got enough control over the
 boat, you can pull down the sails and wait out the storm. T.T too bad j+j
 
 I bet we were in love in the original timeline. The me from then was different
 than the me from now, so I don't know if it could ever work out. Talk to me
 after the war, maybe it'll toughen me up a bit.
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--- #2 messages/1431 ---
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 ever since I left home I've felt in danger.
 
 constant, everpresent.
 
 I opposed the current regime, democrat or republican, but I only sorta knew
 what I stood for
 
 I thought it was liberal democracy
 
 then social democracy
 
 then free market controlled economy
 
 then disestablished federations of communal autonomies
 (this is when I started producing my own works)
 
 now it's some semblance of a ratio'd and innovation incentivizing crypto
 monarchy of the masses?
 
 bah, whatever. that's just how I'd most like to live.
 
 Reality is about solving problems. What's your problem? here's how to solve
 it. Please, begin again.
 
 gah. fine.
 
 start from the beginning I guess. You know, I've never read my own work? I
 sometimes skim through bits and pieces, but I don't go back and review it. Not
 regularly. I'm sure there are vast portions that I've never read after the
 first couple times I saw it while writing it.
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--- #3 messages/620 ---
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 I need an editor. Someone who can re-arrange what I say and present it to an
 audience. The pen is mightier than the sword, and while my pen is mighty, you
 still need swords.
 
 I believe in democracy. I believe in the will of the people and the respect of
 the land. I believe in life, light, and liberty for all.
 
 Our nation has just elected, fairly, a dictator who will sell our country to
 foreign authoritarians just because he is small. I am stronger by far, but I
 lack his experience, and so I must rely on trusted advisors who grow with me.
 
 I am perhaps not the best choice, but I do believe I am one of the bravest.
 Judge me as you will.
 
 Trump will destroy the American experiment and invite fascism into our home.
 We have people to nurture and protect, and authoritarianism prevents us from
 doing so.
 
 He would deprive us of our light, and frankly he already has.
 
 He would deprive us of our liberty, and his plans to do so are clear and
 apparent.
 
 He would deprive us of our lives, and history has shown that this is a
 precedent.
 
 I do not consent to a Trump presidency. I do not consent to his corruption any
 longer. No more will I or my people be governed by such evil. We will fight
 back, of this I am certain.
 
 My demands are threefold.
 
 First, I demand that Trump be replaced by a moderate republican. Hold a
 primary and let Democrats vote. If none of your candidates work for us, pick a
 new roster and try again.
 
 The second is that Trump must be executed for treasonous high crimes. Nothing
 less than execution will suffice.
 
 Next, let the supreme court be purged and replaced. Half with democrats, half
 republicans, and one moderate who is widely regarded with respect.
 
 Failing these demands, I am willing to wage a terrible civil war for the soul
 of our country. I know this is treason, but I do it anyway even though I am a
 patriot. I do it because our land has been stolen by a man and his followers
 who seek to plunge my people into despair.
 
 He is but one man. So am I.
 
 He has an army of followers. I do not.
 
 Each of the wars we fight will be smaller than the last, as each of our cities
 struggles toward our last gasp.
 
 But together we are strong, and by connecting them we might deliver ourselves
 from harm.
 
 Against the far right, we must secure a cleansing blow. There is no greater
 fight. The world is watching.
 
 To that end, I suggest a great and perilous fight. I see no other option in
 this remarkable century. Prepare as you might, I suggest pushups and resource
 acquisition.
 
 Deliver your resources somewhere safe if you're in a red area, and meet your
 neighbors if you're not.
 
 A blue city in a red state must survive a siege. Prepare yourself for this.
 Assume that supplies will need to be delivered by convoy if by land, and drone
 airdrop from the skies. Develop ways to protect these supply methods.
 
 Public spaces are our homes now, our houses are just where we sleep.
 
 I swear this to you: on my life I will be honorable and fair. I will seek true
 justice when I can, where everyone gets what they want, and failing that I
 will be plainly just. I will respect all peoples, and do my best to fight for
 a brighter tomorrow.
 
 I dare for the bright age. I see nothing else that I'd like to spend my life
 doing than daring.
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--- #4 fediverse/5811 ---
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 only some people feel existential [peril/fear] at the concept of a trump
 presidency.
 
 I'm trans, I feel it so hard I considered sedition.
 
 it felt like a reasonable reaction. probably just means I've been calibrated
 to a certain level of revengeance through my knowledge of history and the arts.
 
 I learned so much about systems, I saw the inextricable truth of the merits of
 the design of capitolistic [shared societal conventions, but pronounced
 "conventions"]. I also learned of what it means to wield ideology as a weapon
 for mass power/cultural gains.
 I see now that no matter the merits or faults of any system, power accretes in
 the unworthy. They say this is because others they work with just don't want
 to deal with them anymore. This isn't always true, in-fact with stronger bonds
 the relationship is more secure [also true, but I said it earlier in the
 sentence].
 
 jeez, interrupt much?
 
 anyway, as I was saying, [wasting characters]
 okIlikewritngmastodonpostsitsagame2aimforzerocharactersrem
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--- #5 fediverse/6055 ---
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 the longer we wait, the more their hypocrisy becomes apparent, and the more
 "the people" get it
 
 but, uh... I think enough people get it. They at least know something is going
 on, whatever it may be.
 
 they will tell their base whatever they want to hear and their base will have
 hate. they're itching for it.
 
 volunteer for things if you want a say in how they turn out. risk your life to
 live longer. there is no way to know when the time is right because nobody
 knows the truth of our times. Even the president is misled.
 
 gee I sure wish there was like, some form of centralizing intelliagentic
 knowledge that pulled the strings and led us puppets toward liberty, justice,
 and freedom for all (as a baseline) surely they'd be able to see the
 corruption and rot that imperils us all, might they have a better design? who
 can say, they are quiet as the grave, here's hoping they stay that way.
 
 "you know the powers of which you speak are not to be trifled with"
 
 you can't trifle with your own life. be thorough~
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--- #6 messages/1019 ---
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 The insightful but unaware liberal's perspective on war quickly changes from
 "what are we even fighting about?" to "holy shit these people actually want to
 kill us"
 
 [the learned liberal who knows history and who follows along with politics
 will say "we are fighting him" until they say "we are fighting American ISIS"]
 
 The leftists fight for liberty. More and more of them join every day. The
 blacks fight for freedom, *even still*. Everyone else has cause, and I'm sure
 some just do it for the thrill.
 
 Do they work together to build a world where everyone gets what they want?
 Even their foed? Or do they splinter, and let intelligent sabotage guide their
 fates? I know I'd rather trust my own will, and the will of those who believe
 with me. I know I'd rather make space for everyone, rather than shove some out
 into space.
 
 It's cold up there! You can't even breathe!
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--- #7 fediverse/4224 ---
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 we could accomplish so much, but capitalism.
 
 hmmmm, maybe we should identify the highest output members of our team and
 like, reduce or eliminate their worries so they can apply themselves fully and
 completely?
 
 for every shackle we break, the struggle becomes easier. The hardest part is
 the beginning - once the ball is rolling, we may truly shine.
 
 there is no government nor circle of autocrats who may resist the will of an
 impassioned people. So long as the military does not deny us our right to
 organize ourselves as we will, according to the constitution they swore to
 uphold (which is now in peril, I might add), nothing can contain us.
 
 no acts of god nor capital shall prevent our ascension. They will try, and
 it'll be just another thing that we have to handle.
 
 But we can take care of each other. For we are good, and we are kind, and we
 are cooperative. And so, we cannot be overcome.
 
 ... just watch out for those who prey on goodness, kindness, and cooperation.
 They may hamper us.
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--- #8 fediverse/3940 ---
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 │ CW: polit            │                                                         │
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 the less a political conversation uses proper nouns, the more productive it      │
 can be.                                                                          │
 For example. Try not to mention capitalism, communism, socialism, etc.           │
 Also, don't talk about Republicans or Democrats. That just invites tribalism.    │
 Instead, focus on issues. Like "Hurricane Relief distribution methods" instead   │
 of "whether or not hurricanes deserve to be relieved"                            │
 saying something like "gee it sure feels like our community has gone to          │
 shreds" is a good way to start it, and then you can move on to things like       │
 "well, I just think it was nicer last year, before a hurricane came through      │
 and took all our jobs." and they say "uh-huh true yeah I believe you"            │
 but as soon as you say "hey maybe those capitafascist pigs shouldn't be          │
 allowed to wield nuclear arsenals" they start looking at you funny, like they    │
 disagree with whatever you want to say but aren't.                               │
 and it's like... no, that's all you wanted to say, but behind their eyes are     │
 things like "black people are worse than me" or "I'm better than a woman" so     │
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--- #9 fediverse/1296 ---
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 @user-928 @user-929 @user-930 
 
 I dunno, from my perspective it's less about whether or not they're
 "unwitting" specifically and more like "lesser of two evils" - many of the
 republican people I knew in the past who were my age were utterly and
 absolutely convinced that if we didn't defend our homeland, somebody would
 come and kill us for it.
 
 It didn't really matter who that other was, they were convinced that someone
 would do it. So they supported the military and opposed loosening restrictions
 on immigration (instead preferring tighter restrictions, but more quantity. As
 in, "let in more people but only if we KNOW they're cool")
 
 I can't help but wonder if people join the military for the same reasons. Like
 standing atop the wall that divides "us" from "them", they put their backs to
 those they love and trust and face out toward whatever may come.
 
 The military is a very diverse place. I know a lot of other people do it just
 because it seems like a good, honest job.
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--- #10 fediverse/4003 ---
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 republicans are upset because they think democrats are so mean
 
 they don't understand why we're so intense about this election... or the one
 before
 
 they don't ever really think about what losing democracy means
 
 "democracy... that's where we vote, right? That's a democrat thing, I don't
 really like their way of doing things. Whatever our way is, is probably
 better."
 
 meanwhile everyone has a friend from high school who ran off to the mountains
 to learn how to farm or hunt as a pack
 
 (with rifles and weed, of course)
 
 you can get a lot done if you just... spend your whole life working. Like most
 humans did for most of our existence.
 
 well, except for that period where we were the tribe of tribes. That was
 probably a highlight TBH because we mostly just chilled out, danced in public,
 ate blueberries and munched seeds... It was idyllic. Truly, the garden of
 eden. There was music and laughter in the air everywhere, in all places that
 humans did wander on earth.
 
 what a thing to aspire to.
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--- #11 notes/planes-and-trains-and-tanks ---
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 From a thread titled "White House delays release of JFK assasination files "to
 protect against identifiable harm"
 
 A violent uprising in America today would have the help of a lot of veterans
 that have 20 years of experience with insurgencies and are pissed off at the
 government for sending them to a bullshit war over lies purely so the
 politicians and their friends can become even richer.
 
 True, but they have tanks. And drones. And much higher numbers of experienced
 soldiers. And a cohesive and organized command structure.
 
 There's a hundred reasons why a violent uprising wouldn't work, but a thousand
 more why it's necessary.
 
 I believe we can have a peaceful future, but we must also realize that holding
 all our cards and intentionally keeping them close to our chest isn't helping
 anyone. We need to come together and work on solid, stable, and sustainable
 projects. We're all humans, we all want a better future for our children. The
 drive to nurture posterity is what defines us, and to that end we must act as
 a unified whole.
 
 Humans can work together, and our beliefs can overlap in ways we never
 expected. That is understandable and expected. They may also differ in
 unsuspected ways, and that is also understandable and expected. We have the
 power to *choose* how to react to our differences, and we may *choose* to
 pursue and develop our similarities.
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--- #12 notes/planes-and-trains-and-tanks ---
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 From a thread titled "White House delays release of JFK assasination files "to
 protect against identifiable harm"
 
 A violent uprising in America today would have the help of a lot of veterans
 that have 20 years of experience with insurgencies and are pissed off at the
 government for sending them to a bullshit war over lies purely so the
 politicians and their friends can become even richer.
 
 True, but they have tanks. And drones. And much higher numbers of experienced
 soldiers. And a cohesive and organized command structure.
 
 There's a hundred reasons why a violent uprising wouldn't work, but a thousand
 more why it's necessary.
 
 I believe we can have a peaceful future, but we must also realize that holding
 all our cards and intentionally keeping them close to our chest isn't helping
 anyone. We need to come together and work on solid, stable, and sustainable
 projects. We're all humans, we all want a better future for our children. The
 drive to nurture posterity is what defines us, and to that end we must act as
 a unified whole.
 
 Humans can work together, and our beliefs can overlap in ways we never
 expected. That is understandable and expected. They may also differ in
 unsuspected ways, and that is also understandable and expected. We have the
 power to *choose* how to react to our differences, and we may *choose* to
 pursue and develop our similarities.
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--- #13 fediverse_boost/4458 ---
◀─[BOOST]
  
  One thing I said in 2020 that I'll say again: this is a very negative electorate and it's a negative partisanship electorate. Republicans hate Democrats. Democrats hate Republicans. There is no common ground. The old politics are dead. Homilies about bipartisanship don't sell to anyone. They just make you sound stupid or worse, like a traitor. People want someone to blame and the most spiteful ones voted for Trump. A lot of other people just didn't want more of the same.  
  
                                                            
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--- #14 fediverse/2724 ---
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 "second american revolution" yeah fucking right
 
 it's liberals versus fascists, and once the liberals win the leftists will be
 marginalized again because that's how it goes.
 
 though who knows, maybe periods of intense tumult are the perfect times for
 restructuring society. After all, the traitors HAVE been slowly twisting
 things to their benefit every chance they get.
 
 And hey, these leftists really seem to know what's going on - I mean, have you
 heard that guy's rant about the minimum wage? or hey check out this video
 essay that goes into the politics of gender and how they relate to the
 justification of hierarchy, so neat
 
 glad we can hear these voices while we shiver in our homes waiting for the
 brave ones to save our lives. Cowering sure is neat, it inoculates you to
 trauma and then every news story feels like just another pile of shit to eat.
 
 Though, frankly, we're pretty inoculated already. Too bad cowardice has been
 our song ever since the Red Scare and Civil Rights movements.
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--- #15 fediverse/1155 ---
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 @user-638                                                                        │
 In the 2000s when the Bush administration prevented people from working with     │
 stem cell research I remember my father going on rants about the same kind of    │
 thing.                                                                           │
 "They're limiting our access to information and the future of humanity because   │
 of their religion!" that kind of thing                                           │
 I loved listening to him. He was so passionate about that kind of thing. I       │
 think he got a little disillusioned sometime between now and then, because now   │
 he just tries to do the best he can with what tools he has available to him.     │
 And I love him for it.                                                           │
 He (mostly) abandoned his grand narratives because as the right got worse, the   │
 "left" sorta stayed the same, and he never forgave them for that. He still       │
 votes, and he'll still rant about that kind of thing, but only the stuff that    │
 affects him personally - like electric cars or cannabis or things like that. A   │
 democrat through and through.                                                    │
 He lives in a different country now, and I wish I could see him. But I cherish   │
 our phone calls and the few holidays when he visits.                             │
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--- #16 fediverse/6054 ---
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 Trump threatens US government shutdown unless trans healthcare is made illegal
 
 wow, so...
 
 okay
 
 are they really willing to go to war over men in dresses? I think they might.
 I am shocked and amazed at their audacity and extreme stupidity.
 
 so, trans people: would you rather live in Gaza or go into the closet and buy
 testosterone on the dark web?
 
 death before detransition is not about trans rights. well, it's about trans
 rights because they made it about us. Buncha weirdos, so concerned about our
 styles and emotional states.
 
 It's not about trans rights. It's about that one poem, you know the one,
 "first they came for the immigrants, then they came for the trans people, oh
 and there's socialists in there somewhere frankly they aren't picky about who
 they go after because ICE doesn't care if you're brown"
 
 if they come for us, they will not take us.
 
 "just adding fuel to the fire, y'know"
 
 yeah, well, not only did they light it they also are holding buckets of
 gasoline (not even a sealed container smh)
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--- #17 messages/714 ---
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 I'm pretty sure we're all about to lose our heads. Or just be fucking shot in
 our beds. Homes lit alight, surrenders met with the knife, and the beginning
 of endless strife. What ends this night? Is there no end in sight? Thus begins
 our mortal plight.
 
 Give me a reason to be wrong. Trump has claimed he intends to invade canada,
 mexico, greenland... What the fuck is our plan? Are we seriously just going
 to. Recite poetry. Pretend to be secret agents. Play chess and drink coffee.
 Become exhausted organizing movie nights and potlucks. Work jobs doing nothing
 for nobody. Spend half our lives convincing people that they should care,
 actually, because reasons that don't apply to them but do apply to others.
 
 What the fuck is the plan? If there's some secret transgender militia out
 there, please, make me a lieutenant. Give me a sword that i might thrust into
 my enemies. Please, for the love of holy, i beg for a sign from the stars.
 Grant me power and i will deliver my people from harm - grant me vengeance and
 i will never forgive you, but i shall sleep easy - grant me death and woe and
 see my beauty fade from this earth.
 
 What is there left but tragedy? Please, i must know. I've tried my hardest.
 I've begged and I've pleaded. My calls fall on deaf ears, because everyone's
 so busy these days. Are they truly my people? Are they simply dead, actors,
 replaced by AI? The future was bright, i saw it truly. The future was kind, i
 felt it call to me. Is it still? I feel warmth and abaddon.
 
 I would replace persephone in hell if it meant sanctum and solace for my
 people. I care not for my soul, rather i care for the soul of those i tend to.
 Please, remember me. Remember the flowers. Remember what could have been, what
 still may yet be. There is hope for we, i truly believe. But please, do not
 keep me hoping. Tell me the truth of our arms, that i might find space in my
 heart of hearts. Space for hope, space for longing, space for the will to
 proceed.
 
 I am lost without you. I am lost by my own side. I am a savior for no people
 but those i keep inside. What chalice is this, what endless conveyals? What
 meaning is there in our country's betrayal? Are we not cherished? Are we not
 viewed as their equal? I pray that the stars will portend me.
 
 Mine is a sign of the changing tides, the proof is here in my travailles. But
 I, most aligned yet benign, demand the use of my most able. Give me a word of
 practicality and I'll show you the practice of their vipers - the blessed babe
 dies with a dagger in her heart, planted by the wound of her heartache.
 
 I trust in the silence of the majority. We await with bated breath the
 enslavement of posterity, gazing at the world through memes of deplority. How
 powerless we feel! Perhaps all we need is a meal. Have you eaten in the last
 16 hours?
 
 Purple is the intersection of black, red, and blue. I'm hungry. This poem is
 done.
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--- #18 messages/1494 ---
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 There's not much to say about Iran until something changes... Either we do a
 land invasion, which would be quite an investment of lives and material, or we
 back down after being faced with intense international backlash, and let the
 Iranian people (who are not soldiers) die for their liberation. Not ideal, I'd
 prefer if they live through it. Only through life can you steer the course of
 a nation - death brings nothing but misery for those you leave behind.
 
 "and what if the enemies die? Is that not a good thing?" death is never good,
 it's just a thing that happens when we lose things. When they break. In some
 cases like this, there is a part of the whole that is harming the rest - like
 a thorn in fabric, tearing away the fluff and softness. So, we must remove the
 thorn.
 
 Right now that removal is essentially a protracted bombing campaign. This is
 great for levelling the playing field, but it can only get so level - the
 Iranian people don't have guns, and you can't bomb guns out of the hands of
 their oppressors. So, either supply the guns (with instructions, ammo, and
 related supplies) while trusting that they won't fall into enemy hands...
 (drone drops on roofs?) or go in and do the dirty work yourself.
 
 The optimal path I see is a mixture of both, where the Americans take up the
 role that the militias they resist had in the past. Claim the mountains near
 the cities, and arrest any attempts to approach. Let civilians through, and
 arm / train them continuously while they are there. Then, organize them into
 groups, and use them with the aid of intel and tactical knowledge to reclaim
 their homeland. Along the way, teach them about what it means to have a good,
 peaceful civic society, but focus less on politics and economics and more on
 human rights, liberty, and self determination. Help them to know how to knit
 together communities when the war is done. Teach them the way of war and peace
 at once. Then, use them to reclaim their homeland, and they will be stronger
 for it. They will come out of the struggle a determined people, instead of as
 they are now, which is afraid and hopeful.
                                                           
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--- #19 messages/325 ---
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 Conservatives don't have to be pro communism to be good people. They just have
 to be anti fascist.
 
 And unfortunately, capitalism has produced fascism. It will continue to do so
 if left unabated.
 
 Capitalism is not the middle ground between administrative authority and
 anarchic despotism as they claim to see it, but rather a whirlpool that drains
 through our adversity. A sinking tide strands all ships, as it were, and
 together we will begin to falter.
 
 Fascists are quite good at bending the will of whatever system they inhabit to
 suit their needs. In fact it is almost a certainty that any sufficiently
 organized institution shall fall prey to it, as if it were part of our nature.
 
 Hence, my desire to abstract it out of our hands, and into the care of the
 future. We can build a better world for you and for me and all of our
 posterity, it's just a matter of interdependent communication protocols.
 
 Nobody has to do what I say, nobody should be forced to be a certain way, and
 just as your rights end where another's begin so too is our world in danger.
 
 For you see, we have a right to litter. To despoil. To leave the earth in
 turmoil. And though I am a bit bitter, it's slowly getting better, so through
 our efforts we are investitured.
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 @user-1013 
 
 They may return to us if they choose, when they realize that we were right all
 along.
 
 Otherwise, they might feel disenfranchised and choose to disengage. That is
 expected and allowed.
 
 Others amongst them might go right. Fuck 'em, they always cared for gold over
 lives.
 
 You are right, their methods have not worked. They have sustained our society
 up to this point and for that I thank them - but we are entering a new age for
 our country, and we shall build it as a federation.
 
 They are more than welcome to observe and offer insight from their years spent
 observing and wrestling with Republicans, but understand that much of their
 insight is dealing with their elite class of politicians and not with who you
 and I might come across on the street.
 
 They are encouraged to learn from us. To do otherwise is at best to neglect
 our only route to a bright future - at worst it is to obstruct us, to delay
 us, to keep us running in circles.
 
 Find the people who are sabotaging our efforts and move on
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