I'm the weird one on this. I like the ugly to it. But I'm the weird guy who also liked the Pontiac Aztec. When I saw pictures of it it was the "It's so ugly it's endearing."
Seeing one in real life... my biggest complaint (on looks) is my complaint with all trucks in the US market, it's too fucking big. If it was the size of a 90s Ranger, I'd love the looks. And admittedly two days ago I saw one that hit exactly all the buttons of the "I like that" looks, and it was done in the wrap with UNSC logos and looked like a Halo Warthog.
Now that I've said all the virtues for it I can think of... EVEN IF the swasticar problem wasn't on it... holy shit if we make it 30 years out it'll go down in history as one of the worst built cars ever.
That's what scares the shit out of me. I'm in a VERY red state, surrounded by red states, in a blue pocket of urban.
And lets be honest, civil war is not off the table, and much of it will be religious. If you've lived in the South, the Southern Baptist Church has been wanting a chance to turn the country into a full Christian cult whether you like it or not. And would be happy to get rid of the "Mary worshippers" (Catholics). And weirdly I'm side eyeing the Mormons because I'm actually relatively close to their holy land in Missouri and I'm sure it's not forgotten the state had Missouri Executive Order 44 (the Mormon Extermination Order). Doesn't help the Salt Lake of Salt Lake City is disappearing and spreading toxic dust.
Last time we had anything remotely close to this was 160 years ago. And this time the sane ones would be the ones going against the federal government.
I've been on the edge before, called the police on myself and it caught me interesting that my movement he did reach for a weapon when I went to hand over the knife, so I should feel empathy. I feel empathy for the officer who was in a damned if you do damned if you don't situation, but...
I don't know. I'm out. This is a person who 1: Willingly joined in a coup to attempt to overthrow an election to
3: AFTER getting pardoned, get pulled over with a suspended license enough times for it to be a felony (I don't know about y'all, but it's kinda rare for me to get pulled over. And the times I have... I'll 100% admit I was way over, generally because I've missed the speed sign)
4: His FIRST interaction with an officer is how he was a Jan 6 pardon like it's a get out of jail free card. This shows he has zero actual fucking remorse for what he did and instead hoping the cop is on his side.
5: Go to his car and reach for a gun.
This is a man who has shown an actual pattern of not caring about anyone's safety but himself. His upset moment is when he's affected, but anyone else, damn them.
It's why I can't blame the cop in this one. This was a man in an unpredictable scenario who has shown these very things in decisions. Man could have easily said "I'm shooting myself" and instead shoot the cop. In EMS I've worked alongside too many cops, and I've talked to some who's had to shoot, most of them it bothers them. It should, honestly I'd question the ones that take a life and aren't haunted by it. This cop just dealt with a man reaching for a gun and the last thing he heard from the man is telling him he'd end his own life and the cop did it for him. So I can't help but to think that this is a Jan 6er who's managed to fuck up yet another life.
I don't even think it was an accident. It's like anything he does, he blames "someone" else and he knows if he blames "past administration" his followers will believe it's a democrat even if he was the one that signed it.
Walmart. They're one of the funders of the heritage foundation with Project 2025, they're one of the biggest killers of unions and any worker rights in the US. Walmart remains at the top of the most money by revenue with only Amazon nipping at its heels before Chinese government backed Corps and Saudi Aramco .
It's ran like a cult, crushes any competition in an area and holds entire towns hostage with its buying power. I know I'm discussing things like Amazon and the like, but I grew up in its home town and wish for the company to just burn.
I agree with the person you respond with. I haven't voted for a Republican once and I'm very much here saying the people who didn't vote "because the democrats didn't give us a reason to" are as culpable... but I also live in a very red state and one of the few saving graces is in order to participate in the primaries one doesn't have to be registered to a party. Something I've avoided, but also something the state is trying to get rid of. I'm seriously considering registering Republican just to keep targets off my back.
Plus I think we may be passed elections anyways so those not "of the party" are likely to be targeted anyways.
The third of the people who didn't vote had Trump previous to realize what he'd do and still said "Meh, either's fine with me." They're complicit.
And 2. I get so fucking sick and tired of the "Dems are corporate shills" when the left can't be faffed to show up at voting. I don't mean the 4 year presidential votes. I mean the yearly all the way to the local shit. You want to know how we got Trump? Because the ultra-right made it a point to get in bed with the republicans and beat down doors to tell people to vote to secure the supreme court, to secure state positions, to secure fucking school board positions.
I have never met someone who had interest in Republicans who didn't think they paid attention to the news. It may be Fox and Infowars but they paid some attention. If I had a nickle for every individual who was interested in left wing ideals but told me "I don't know. I don't like politics" I'd have enough to afford a plane ticket out of this fucking country.
I'll blame the voters every time. Not just this election. It's the yearly elections, the local ones that cover local and state elections. The not showing up has allowed the long game of the republicans who are good at getting people to show up. This is on the regular of people "not paying attention to politics." And them voting local is what pushes the upper. How do you think Trump took over the party?
The reason you're getting downvoted is it's a problem even here in the country. It's the "Why aren't you doing anything about it?" to all of us.
In the case of me, I live 1000 miles away from the seat of power, our representatives actively are dismantling things we voted for, not national I'm talking, state level, because we're outright surrounded by the people who are actively cheering for this. (and the example of the voting against, state voted to get rid of the most strict abortion law in the country, legalizing it... and now the representatives on state level are trying to get a pregnancy registry "to try to stop preventable abortions." while the state rep at national level is trying to get a national abortion ban going. This is one of many many many things in the state by itself. Hell, I just learned the state just gained police control to the other city after they managed to vote that out.)
I didn't downvote, but I want you to read "What are you going to do about it?" out loud. Hell, you yourself said it's the apathy. But the fuck am I going to do? Show up and wave a sign at the people who already have shown they couldn't give a flying shit about our opinions? Or be there when the fight starts and be a martyr. The second option the best case scenario is getting to be like Tank Man, but honestly demographics I'd be one of the many forgotten in the Tiananmen Square Massacre. And that's what it's going to look like, because this administration you better believe is looking for an opportunity to go full martial law, and if we don't do it, their brownshirts will for them.
So the best I can fucking do is stock up, prepare, keep my head down, keep in contact with the people who are in the same boat as I am being in effectively enemy territory and use the privilege I have of looking like a standard white conservative to see how many I can keep safe when being that demographic is important.
I'm from Kansas City. Josh Hawley doesn't even live in the state. Uses his sisters address for running for senator.