The Americans who spout off about things like standing up to tyranny and how much they love having guns are not the same people participating in this protest. The government is actively supporting those people.

The protesters are the ones expecting the rule of law to eventually win, but also know how important it is to protest so that the rule of law continues to exist. It may not be as violent as you’re expecting, but it seems to me that they are walking the walk.

We haven’t done this in a while and we’re a little rusty, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t fighting.

Hello Midwestern neighbor!

I’m not sure if I’m allowed to swear on this sub so if my post gets deleted, that’s why, but it stands for “fucking Illinois bastard.” It’s super common on the southern side of Wisconsin and the people from Illinois are often aware of it and use it too in a joking fashion.

He also lost because, in his mind, money = influence. He didn’t realize that even conservative Wisconsin voters do not react well to people throwing money at them to win.

We border Illinois and constantly deal with FIBs coming to our state, utilizing our parks, lakes, and woodlands, while acting like they are better because they have money. This is particularly common in the north woods where a lot of the conservative voters are.

Illinisians also think money makes them important. The difference is that we tolerate them because they are our neighbors, and we have a long history of hating on each other but also relying on each other - similar to siblings who disagree with how the other lives their life. Musk is a complete outsider and people were not happy about it.

This is a method that my non-confrontational midwestern mind can work with! Being exceptionally interested and kind to the point that they might realize you’re f-ing with them and don’t actually care at all. Whether or not they realize doesn’t matter because you know.

Similar to when we say “oh that’s interesting,” but actually mean that we don’t give a crap about what you’re saying but don’t want to be rude to your face.

“Common sense is a flower that does not grow in everyone’s garden”

Fair enough. I’m out of the loop these days.

That’s assuming the country providing the “security guarantee” will actually do what they say they will when worse comes to worst. These days, that’s a BIG assumption.

I know that you likely meant “sweety” at the end there, but I really, really enjoyed that it said “sweaty” instead. It just tickled me in the best way.

I had been planning on deleting my… I think 15 year old account? that I haven’t touched since baconreader stopped working but hadn’t pulled the trigger yet because I put so much work into those years of posts. But, you make a good point. I may need it for a thing someday.

They know that we know that they know that we know!

#2. 100%

Tired or not, you’re absolutely right.

Yeah, a LOT of Americans are treating this as business as usual, and it most certainly is not usual. Just because bad leadership has blown over in the past doesn’t mean this is the same thing.

People are not panicking anywhere near the level they should because we need to take care of this NOW. Like now, now. I can’t believe it ever got this far to begin with, but you are 100% right in saying that 4 years is far too long, and by then, it will be too late.

I think it’s more like a sibling that you grew up with who was taught the same moral code as you. They were living a healthy, normal life for a while but got offered a very high paying job that is at odds with those childhood morals. They decided to take it, and at first, they did just a few unethical things. Then, they realized that they could make more money by being more unethical and the people who were supposed to be chastising them were not very good at punishing people with money and were really easy to manipulate, so they leaned in to the lack of ethics.

They know what their doing is hurting people, and they don’t care because they want to drive their Lamborghini to family Christmas and bring an ostentatiously expensive bottle of wine so that people can praise and fawn over them. But, if you call them on their bad behavior, they become enemies because how dare you?! Now we’re the sibling who is powerful but has completely gone awry due to that same power.

I’m hoping we gave a nice family reunion someday where my country has learned the error of its ways and can once again be accepted by its lovely Canadian relatives.

My understanding is that when they bite you, they also inject a bit of anticoagulant to prevent clotting as they suck blood out. The foreign material creates an allergic reaction that itches.

I don’t think there would be much of an evolutionary advantage to irritating your victim until they start a pesticidal war against you and your kind.

I think it looks legit. I’ve had several different cheeses that look like this, especially aged ones. Usually, I don’t buy that big of a chunk of the wheel, but it looks right to me.