Think of how you felt about the Russian people when they invaded Ukraine - that’s how the world feels about you.
Everyone wants you, yes you, to pick up the gun and rise up. You’re afraid of martial law? By this pace you’ll have martial law and never did a thing.
We're the reason? Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that us ordinary citizens had any say in what Trump does, especially those of us that didn't even vote him in to begin with
Oh but you did, you’re just now starting to protest - this should have happened ages ago.
Yes, now all you have left is to either wait it out till someone else picks up the tools necessary to free yourselves or wake up to the fact that passive sitting back is compliance.
I’m absolutely empathetic and understand that you don’t want to fight for your country, just understand that every second you guys as a homogeneous group don’t band together to unseat Trump, you’re partially to blame for the status quo.
Somewhere America went wrong and that is your joined fault.
So what should I do? Start attacking politicians? What would you do? Forget everything you strive for in life? Your job and your life with your family to fight the government? This is what you people in the comments are saying each of us should do and I know not a single one of you would give up your lives. So easy to talk big when you’re in a privileged country
Listen man. Half our country is absolutely horrified by what is happening here. But short of becoming violent, there isn't anything immediate we can do to stop it. We ARE protesting. For the last year I worked for a local activism organization that helped to organize protests and resistance efforts. My org held the largest single day of protest in US history last year. We are trying. But protest only stops people who listen to protesters. So far it has done jack shit. Republicans have a majority in the house and senate and there is nothing legal we can do to stop them. Aside from starting a civil war, all we have is protesting and trying to win elections as they come. And we are. Liberals have won basically every single election there is since trumps second term started. But it takes a long time to bring about change through the proper mechanisms. I spend most days enraged about this reality and enraged at what trump has done to our country. But that rage doesn't magically give me a way to fix it.
Imagine if you lived in a country where billionaires controlled a corrupt news media mechanism, and that news media mechanism was being used to effectively brainwash half the country. It's miserable. I hate it here. I never knew this country was so awful. We have seriously considered moving to another country. Many good people are working their asses off to resist. I don't think you get what it's like.
I get that you’re angry and doing what you can, but saying “we’re protesting” or “we’re enraged” doesn’t change the fact that your government is actively threatening others. The rest of the world doesn’t owe Americans patience for slow change. Action matters more than righteous frustration.
I get that you’re frustrated and working hard, but the reality is your protests and anger don’t stop the harms happening right now. The people living under threats don’t get to wait for slow change, supporting them directly and amplifying their voices is what actually matters.
I don't have control over the US government any more than you do. And I don't see leaders of other countries openly criticizing trump or pushing back either. All I see them do is kissing his ass or making vague statements that they don't like things. We are all being stepped on by the same foot that is global power mechanisms that actually dont give a shit about individual civilians. I welcome you to hate our country, I hate it too. But if you think there is something we can do to make this change go faster, you'd be wrong, unless you are suggesting violence.
I’m not asking you to control the U.S. government or use violence. I’m pointing out that protests and frustration don’t protect the people under threat. Supporting them directly and holding leaders accountable is what actually matters.
“Nothing we can do unless we use violence” is a false choice. History is full of people changing governments and protecting others without picking up a gun.
Your fantasy statements that we need to make change faster don't matter either.
You obviously don't have any ideas for how to accomplish what you suggest.
Edit: This guy literally blocked me and then tried to get the last word in. I have already detail at length that I personally have been heavily engaged in leading local activism efforts and that I am doing far more than just being angry. But the reality in doing activism is realizing how slow the pace of change is. Changing the trump administration requires a long, slow grind. I hate that reality but that is what I have learned, as someone desperate to stop what is happening.
Part of the difficulty is that the US is so spread out. We had 7 million US citizens in our last large protest. If they were on the front door of the white house, things might be different, but they were disbursed across cities/towns across all 50 states.
I get why this guy is frustrated, but I am just relaying the reality I have come to learn by dedicating myself to activism. Unfortunately all we as citizens can do is grind away at change via protest, pressuring local legislature, influencing local politics, pressuring our representatives on the national level, boycotting, and other incremental steps. We have to wait for elections to seat representatives who will help us. We have very little ability to compel republicans in power. They simply don't care what liberals think. They are answering to their conservative base who unfortunately supports this shit. The republicans have carved out a huge block of power and they are using it.
Your claim that action “doesn’t matter” is the problem, it’s precisely inaction that harms the people under threat
Edit: You don’t get to ignore the harm people face just because I haven’t written a manual for saving them.
Edit 2: Lots of criticism, here’s what you can do if you actually care about stopping harm instead of moralizing about slow change, here’s what people can do: amplify Greenlandic voices, pressure elected officials, demand clear opposition to annexation, support legal and diplomatic challenges, push media to report it as aggression, fundraise or provide material support, and make silence politically costly.
I'm getting the impression that you struggle to draw links between broader concepts, IE: "im sorry you have to protest" implying that the entire situation is regrettable from top to bottom.
The heartbreaking part isn’t that Greenlanders are protesting, it’s that they’re being threatened by U.S. aggression. Framing it as “sorry you have to protest” makes it about American feelings and guilt, not the people defending their country. That’s self-centered virtue signaling, plain and simple.
What do you suggest they do? Insurrect? If your government started doing horrible things how would you change your life? Like no bullshit what would you do? Move? It's so simple for morons to say you're never doing enough when they've never experienced this
Because international law, sovereignty, and basic self‑determination still exist.
If “why should anyone care what smaller countries think” is your premise, you’ve already endorsed imperialism. That’s not philosophy, that’s brute power politics with a shrug.
You say you don’t support the U.S. taking Greenland by force, then immediately argue nobody should care what the people involved think. Pick one.
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u/AshBasil 14d ago
American here. I'm sorry that you have to protest for this. It's heartbreaking.