this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2026
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[–] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 48 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (4 children)

Your government is threatening to invade its allies! Our countrymen died fighting side by side with your military in your misguided wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We don’t have the patience and time to distinguish between good and evil Americans anymore. As long as your country keeps acting like this you’re all guilty!

Please read up about collective German guilt a term coined by the US when your country was still on the right side of history.

[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 36 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Americans spout all about needing their guns to stop a tyrannical government and then a tyrannical governmnet comes along and they don't take their guns into the streets to stop it.

[–] fireweed@lemmy.world 37 points 23 hours ago

The venn diagram of Americans who think they need guns to stop a tyrannical government and Americans who support Trump is a circle.

(All kidding aside, while this is still painfully close to true, there are signs it's changing, such as the recent resurgence of the Black Panthers. However by and large the people who are horrified over the pain and suffering inflicted by the Trump administration are also anti-gun on account of all the pain and suffering they cause. The peaceful, anti-violence, anti-war types are not exactly well equipped--literally or figuratively--to stage an uprising against the government, certainly not one with a military budget the size of Mt Everest)

[–] Nebraska_Huskers@lemmy.world 11 points 20 hours ago

Because the people afraid of a tyrannical government started supporting the tyrannical. Not to say I hate or am against guns but to think a yokel was going to make a difference in a country this big is absurd. The police are a military force themselves.

I often wonder if the Oklahoma City bombing would happen today by Tim Mcveigh. I mean this is literally the government they feared it's just that they are targeting the people they hate so they don't care. If it was the other way around it def would. And Oklahoma has embraced his ideas hell they might have shut down the FBI office in the last few years.

What am I or we supposed to do? The majority of us are broke. I don't have money to travel to a blue state right now to help resist.

I have a family I very much love and a daughter I want to watch grow up. I know others are losing their ability to be with their families but I'm not putting that at risk unless I absolutely have to and if it was going to make a difference

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 4 points 15 hours ago

Our countrymen died fighting side by side with your military in your misguided wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I really wish NATO nations would have criticized those wars, instead of knowingly sending their troops to die in wars based on lies.

[–] ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com 24 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

The sane Americans here are saying, "Hey, we're your allies in this, we are trying to help," and you're literally saying, "No, you're the enemy." This is basically moral reasoning on the level of "my daughter crashed the car so I'm going to hit my son with a baseball bat." It's too much work on your part to distinguish between innocent and guilty? That's some very firm moral high ground you're lobbing spears from.

Not only is that nonsensical from a moral standpoint, but it's terrible strategic thinking. You just prefer it if we're all to be enemies? You're asking both you (who is allegedly so infuriated because you are demanding a solution) and us (the people best positioned to try to help solve this) to waste our time fighting amongst each other. Great idea.

But to be clear, I understand when you spew hatred like this, you're not thinking. You're lashing out emotionally because you're upset. Now the question is, will you acknowledge this, or will you respond by increasing the volume and digging in deeper?

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 18 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

Every time I see this argument I'm reminded of Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail. If "trying to help" is limited to thoughts and prayers online, it isn't help, it's just masturbation.

I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

[–] ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com 12 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

I understand it may remind you of that, but it's not an apt comparison.

I've been advocating direct non-violent action here like MLK was doing (and, reminder, I assume non-violent protest won't satisfy the angry non-Americans here who are telling us to "arm up"). I don't think anyone is advocating for "wait[ing] for a more convenient season" - we know fascism is here, but the question is what is the move that (a) doesn't cause it to dig in deeper like a tick, and (b) maximizes the good that we pay for with the risk to ourselves and others.

And yes, we're all talking online, that's what Lemmy is. I have called what I am doing "therapy" which I would suggest it in fact is, rather than "masturbation." Living in the US and not being MAGA right now feels like being a battered family member, but usually participating here at least reminds me of sanity. (Though maybe not when we're being told we're awful because our abuser made a mess while they were abusing us.) I come here to vent and commiserate - that's not mutually exclusive from taking action.

I wake up and go to sleep (very poorly) fighting learned helplessness and awful emotions because I see the same headlines we all do here, and whatever the world feels seeing it, it's happening here to us first.

I'm not asking to be a victim, not that anyone is offering any empathy to non-Trump Americans in this thread. I'm just saying, hey, maybe those of us in the US who are doing what we rationally can to stop Trump don't need another abuser? I guess that's my message for comrade_twisty and others gleefully (but definitely not masturbatorily!) piling on the "all Americans can fuck themselves" bandwagon.

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 8 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

Not to dogpile you too much here - I understand this is difficult - but part of the problem is framing this as a Trump issue. It really isn't. Even with all this insanity, he still enjoys a 40% approval rating! This doesn't end only by cutting off MAGA's head, ahtough that would help - it also means salting the earth where it grows by finally eradicating the christofascist, patriarchal, racist current in the population that has been there since the country's founding and before. That fight is just as important as going to DC and [REDACTED].

[–] zd9@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

The fact that his approval rating is FORTY FUCKING PERCENT is absolutely crazy. Makes me so sad for my fellow human.

[–] skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 2 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

I have no idea why people are just taking those numbers at face value.

Any Americans in this thread, have any of you ever been polled about anything regarding any of this? I know I sure haven't. I wish they would poll me, I got an awful lot of opinions for these mfers.

Trump and his associated hangers-on have a long and storied history of pulling numbers directly out of their asses. It perplexes me that anyone takes anything the government says right now at face value.

[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Deep south checking in. His approval rating locally is probably above 90%, because the vast majority of people here are hateful, spiteful, self-defeating morons.

When you see national averages, remember things like Alabama's healthcare, or Oklahoma's education system, etc are there dragging everyone else down.

[–] zd9@lemmy.world 4 points 15 hours ago

No, it's third party, independent polling firms that do it. Of course I wouldn't trust anything this regime says directly.

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, that's by far the most troubling part of all this - that 150 million Americans are on board with it.

[–] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 0 points 14 hours ago

Yeah, no. Those numbers are just wrong. And not only that, in this bright red state, maga hats and signs and stickers are disappearing pretty rapidly. The exact same people who wanted all the rest of us "snowflakes" to fuck our feelings and know exactly what they stood for are now disappearing back into the woodwork hoping we don't remember what they stood for.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 0 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

That 40% is what makes me think a 2nd American Civil War is needed. The festering wound that is the Confederacy still lingers in America, and needs to be cleaned with a thorough Reconstruction.

[–] zd9@lemmy.world 0 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Either Russian/Chinese/American bot or agitator, or incredibly stupid.

No, a second civil war isn't needed. What the fuck are you even saying. Or you might be like 14 years old and not know how anything works.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

We have Nazis on the streets of Minneapolis, going door to door asking about Asians. The odds of those bastards stopping peacefully is pretty damn unlikely.

[–] zd9@lemmy.world 0 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

You have no idea what a civil war even is. Truly go read and learn about historical civil wars in modern times. I think you're just some edgy teen who spends way too much time online. Violence occurring is one thing, but a civil war is a complete different thing.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 0 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (2 children)

Dude. I read an awfully lot of history, watched the entirety of Ken Burn's Civil War and Vietnam series, read over 1,500+ pages of Larry Gonick's Cartoon History, listened to many episodes of Dan Carlin, and Behind the Bastards.

You have a different viewpoint from me, that war is bad and nasty. That is fair. But you are attacking me as a person, and reveal your colors: someone who can't handle the idea that someone else has a different reasoning and perspective about the world. You are trying to infantize me.

I know that the odds of my death are probable if a 2nd American Civil War happens, as I intend to serve as an infantryman or whatever role is needed. But you know what? It is worth dying over, because I don't want the latter half of my life to be ruled by the likes of Thiel, nor do I wish to die in RFK's "wellness" camps. As a minority, I intend to live decently, and die on my terms.

[–] zd9@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I'm glad you've listened to those podcasts and stuff, I love Carlin's Hardcore History and also BtB (also check out It Could Happen Here). Then you should know the level of death and suffering you're calling for, for massive amounts of people that will have nothing to do with anything. Babies, elderly, sick, many of them will die due to infrastructure and logistics issues, water and power losses due to attacks, etc. Massive emigration and refugees all over the world, but mostly to Canada and Mexico, leading to way more international issues.

If you want to die for a cause, go do something that you think will make a difference (though I don't think that's the best idea), but don't call for the deaths of millions of innocent bystanders. There can be limited violence and not an all out civil war. I hope there's no or as little violence as possible, but I think anyone following anything can see which way it's going. However a civil war is never needed.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

I think a civil war is nearly inevitable, thus I want my side to prepare, both mentally and materially. That can be domestic service, states making compacts and foreign treaties, the stockpiling of goods and arms, or offering one's body in the line of combat.

I have no useful skills, so my blood will have to do.

[–] zd9@lemmy.world 0 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Also: go outside for a bit, go volunteer at a Food Not Bombs or something. Get offline.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 0 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Fuck no. You are telling me to bury my head in the sand and ignore reality. You are welcome to ignore the world around you, but don't ask me to carry water for your sanewashing.

[–] zd9@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago

I don't know where you got all of that, I didn't say any of that

[–] ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Great, I agree with everything you just said. Constructive discussion! I'd like for that to be what we spend our energy on.

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 3 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

Unfortunately we outside the US see mostly impotent hand-wringing coming from there. That's why we're so frustrated.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 2 points 12 hours ago

The best you can do is to make the bad parts of America face bad consequences for their malice, while supporting the good parts of the nation. You have different tools from my people, and should make good use of them.

Back in the 1st American Civil War, the Union had retained their international trade partners throughout the war, while the Confederacy was cut off. That starved the serpent, and made it much easier to tread upon as the years went by.

[–] ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com 4 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

I get it. But just like the UK isn't Boris Johnson, China isn't Xi Jinping, and Italy isn't Giorgia Meloni, no country is going to show the reality and complexity from headlines generated by a handful of people.

What is happening here seems to be everyone taking out their frustrations on the exact people most likely to help.

[–] ElectricWaterfall@lemmy.zip 5 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

What about the Americans how are standing up and doing something and not sitting back.

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 4 points 21 hours ago

I wholeheartedly applaud and support them! They're absolutely not the ones I'm referring to. Those I take issue with are the ones who do nothing but seek a pat on the head for being "one of the good ones". I don't care that you voted for Kamala or repost every Occupy Democrats meme you see. I care about praxis.

Was that coined before or after we invited all the nazis here to help with with space program?