Oh I absolutely loved it, don’t get me wrong. I lived through that decade as my own political awakening, so every single event described was something I watched super closely and posted about and participated in as part of the online activist space (and sometimes in person!)

Your observation that the social media companies can leverage and benefit from these protest movements (and perhaps even create them) is important, I think. It’s probably why Musk bought Twitter, he wanted to wield that kind of power over the masses and their ability to organize. It seems to have worked, too. We don’t see anything like what we saw in the 2010s these days.

To quote Mao:

When we discuss the terms ‘front’ and ‘rear’ it must be remembered, that while guerrillas do have bases, their primary field of activity is in the enemy’s rear areas. They themselves have no rear.

The guerilla must move among people as a fish swims in the sea. While you say we only face poor outcomes, I see this as a strategic opportunity. I’m in the enemy’s rear, in the heart of its operations. Right where I need to be.

I read another book along similar lines called If We Burn, which was a broader look at the 2010s protest movements that sprung up from online activism. What I took away from it is that most of that activism was hollow and didn’t have a political vision or party program, it was just the masses shouting “No!” at their shitty governments. It was also easily put down once people in power got used to it.

I’m in the heart of the empire.

I’m right where I need to be.

Empires can not be improved, they can only collapse or be destroyed.

Count your blessings!

I hope you have a gun.

The US empire is an ongoing environmental and humanitarian disaster.

That’s called multipolarity.

I’m trans in a red state. I am not safe.

I just recognize that the US is a blight and must be destroyed, and that one candidate is more likely to result in the US’s defeat.

That’s more of a silver lining, though.

Can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs!

He could also destroy the US, which would be a dramatic improvement for the rest of the world.

octouses

Octopodes 🐙 🐙 🐙

Hotter take: patents shouldn’t exist.

Trump is the most American president we’ve ever had.

Objectively speaking, the US nuking itself would solve a lot of the world’s problems.

Mostly I’m just being flippant as a way to cope with a very real fear that I am going to die.

The IDF are known torturers and murderers, any testimony from the people they interrogate is essentially worthless as evidence.

It’s already in decay. A fascist turn would just destabilize society so much that the country breaks up into independent warring state-regions in a civil war. The US will probably nuke itself.

Those at the margins of the world will be saved from the long arm of the United States government.

It’ll be pretty bad for US Americans though.

Imagine not being excited for the collapse of the US government.