Is The US a Police State?

Second Thought is a 100% viewer-funded operation. If you appreciate the work we do, please consider becoming a patron! All patrons, regardless of pledge amount, get early access to every video, plus access to our patrons-only Discord server. It's a great place to hang out - we've got everything from a recommended reading list, to a book club, to live Q&A's with me every month, and even a dedicated role for educated users willing to answer whatever questions you have about socialism. Come join the community and support the show while you're at it! / secondthought
Is The US a Police State? - Second Thought
SUBSCRIBE HERE: bit.ly/2nFsvTS
New video every other Friday!
Citations and Further Reading:
docs.google.com/document/d/1V...
Follow and Support Second Thought!
Twitter: / _secondthought
Patreon: / secondthought
CashApp: $JTChapman
About Second Thought:
Second Thought is a channel devoted to education and analysis of current events from a socialist perspective. Welcome!
Business Email: [e-mail]
For individuals or small businesses looking for one-on-one production training, I offer hourly consulting services as well. Send inquiries to [e-mail]

[@satevo462]

"Don't break the law" "What law?" "The Law we are going to make up so we can arrest you".

[@guybunchofnumbers123]

America be like

[@gabrielmaroto18]

America be like. “Don’t use drugs.” what drugs? The drugs we are going to Dump in your community.

[@phat-kid]

arrested for resisting arrest, no other charges.

[@CalamityDiamond]

It's all make believe folks. We made it up. Act accordingly, they are.

[@Akanisen049]

This is horrifyingly accurate

[@majl7917]

America is like the Titanic. Too big to turn, too slow to react, in denial about sinking, and there aren't enough life boats for everyone.

[@billtomson5791]

A frightening yet effective analogy.

[@JaceHart33]

Personally, I feel the leadership one the 'Titanic' in your analogy is saying, "don't worry, the iceberg will move"

[@ScudForEver]

And the establishment media is like those musicians playing until the very end.

[@kx23753]

Uh oh

[@michaelj.beglinjr.2804]

No, there are plenty of life boats, but the ones that "own" them say there aren't. They don't want us peasants around.

[@tonyjones1560]

I’m black, male and lost any idea that the USA *wasn’t* a police state 40 years ago…

[@edgargarcia4502]

Being Mexican born and raised in LA, my intro to America was being 5, starting kindergarten, and being slapped and abused by my teacher because I only spoke Spanish. Started dealing with cops at the ripe age of 15 not because I did bad shit, but I was in a bad neighborhood. Fully agree with how you feel

[@tonyjones1560]

@@edgargarcia4502 My friends and I had gotten $1 bandanas from the corner store. We twisted them into rat tails and were chasing & snapping them at each other. Squad car pulled up, two cops got, walked up on us *with their hands on their guns* and took the bandanas. This was Baltimore, MD. I was the oldest kid in the group. I was 12. The conversation I had with my dad was the first inkling that this place ain’t all it’s cracked up to be…when police officers present themselves as prepared to shoot children playing with bandanas.

[@Ben-ek1fz]

I feel like content like this is for white suburbanites who are spoon fed a myth because everything this dude says is common sense to minorities

[@pamelqtaylor8335]

Non POC finally getting a true taste of what America is like for the rest of us

[@88worldtour80]

​@@pamelqtaylor8335 I'm poc and a police officer and I don't know what you're talking about 😒

[@Souchirouu]

Police: You should not wear a mask that is what cowards do! Also Police: Decked out from top to bottom with armor and face covering helmets. I guess it takes one to know one.

[@elainetamika4822]

Protests are't expected during democracies? If someone have fear of showing their faces means there are repercussions after these events, which proves the point of US being or are becoming an totalitarian police state.

[@Knuckles-4]

They’re really the ones at threat not the salary paying citizens protesting for their rights

[@NutellaCrepe]

Banning masks is exactly what happened in Hong Kong after China’s national security law when the police became the gestapo.

[@I.____.....__...__]

Meh, hypocrisy is an integral founding tenet of being a cop. 🤷 Cops are literally legally allowed to commit crimes and do all the things bad-guys do (and much more and much worse) and call themselves the "good" guys. 😒

[@arandomlemon6707]

Like, i never really understood how it could be cowardice when the folks are literally being doxxed, fired, and a-salted

[@mageyeah7763]

If peaceful protest is illegal, what incentive is there to remain peaceful?

[@Bitrollsi45]

Peacefully protesting is not illegal. Trespassing and damaging someone else's property is.

[@sabin97]

@@Bitrollsi45 what do you think a protest is? if it doesnt inconvenience the rich, it's not really a protest.

[@tatianatub]

Nothing, politicians are about to learn that peaceful protest is a compromise

[@hashbrown4781]

​@@Bitrollsi45 "We/I'll find something to charge you with" or arresting people for "resisting arrest" without an initial charge or arrest to resist in the first place. These two among many other tactics are used to criminalize legal behavior.

[@russellharrell2747]

@@Bitrollsi45there is no where to protest in public spaces that won’t be considered disturbing the peace or obstruction. Therefor all protests are illegal. So why pretend peaceful protest is possible.

[@MrDolearon]

a protest that does not disrupt is not a protest at all.

[@TheModdedwarfare3]

I am going to protest by thinking of voicing my opinion. That will show them!

[@aycc-nbh7289]

Except ones that revolve around spontaneity and poor communication with officials may only disrupt those whom the protest is trying to support.

[@Barten0071]

Can somebody explain me this how a protest that is only disruptive to normal people will change anything? Like don't you make normal people hate you and your cause?

[@khadijahbegum3546]

Is this sarcasm? ​@@TheModdedwarfare3

[@bobbiecat8000]

​​@@Barten0071 I'm sorry, in a troubled world we live today, what does that say about you that your life is more easily disturbed by a protest motivated by the harshness on everyday people by the Capitalist and the Capitalist state. Are you just that selfish, not to see the horror and violence of everyday capitalism? Are you that indifferent or alienated? People like you stick out more like an unhinged sore thumb than the people who have an actual voice and are doing something to actually change it. Those are the people that actually make life better, not those who shut their mouth and do what they are told.

[@cattibingo]

"You can only protest in the designated protest area at the designated protest time."

[@nunnayorz5836]

"And you must protest the right way." Whatever that is.

[@Otamagaming486]

“The right way” is another way of saying “don’t disrupt or threaten anything, and generally don’t take any action that will amount to any real change.

[@Chloe-dv9ns]

Reminds me of when the UK prevented health care professionals, be it doctors, nurses, or those maintaining the facilities from going on strike all at once..instead making them do it piecemeal, effectively making it toothless. Literally ruining the point.

[@denelson83]

Which to the capitalists is never.

[@RhB-fan51]

And protests must follow precisely all the compulsory intructions issued by the police down to the last legally approved words uttered during the protest. Why not go fully authoritarian, eh????

[@killy374]

Remember guys , Second Thought did not kill himself nor was he depressed

[@SecondThought]

Happy as a June bug at a porch light sale

[@sasho_b.]

​@@SecondThought Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about?

[@yaseenayoub4561]

@@sasho_b.he said what he said.

[@fremendude8653]

@@sasho_b.seems like reading comprehension wasn’t your forté in grade school 😬

[@sasho_b.]

@@fremendude8653 Maybe you havent used the internet. The joke is "jesse what the fuck are you talking about", which a popular phrase in memes and shitposts, referencing the popular franchise "Breaking bad" to denote a wierd statement. I am sarcastically replying to JT with said phrase to denote the absurdity of his rather unusual texan proverb. Do you need a clarification with that?

[@ManobadhikarForEveryone]

“The essence of capitalism is to turn nature into commodities and commodities into capital. The live green earth is transformed into dead gold bricks, with luxury items for the few and toxic slag heaps for the many. The glittering mansion overlooks a vast sprawl of shanty towns, wherein a desperate, demoralized humanity is kept in line with drugs, television, and armed force.” ― Michael Parenti, Against Empire

[@SecondThought]

Parenti correct as always

[@user-ey7mu2dz9c]

Property is theft.....the fruit of the earth belong to all, and the earth belongs to noone

[@WanderingExistence]

Ecologically and sociologically undignified.

[@-WiseGuy-]

Exactly! Michael Parenti is, imho, the most articulate critic of such matters. If you haven't already done so, check out 'Power and the Powerless' and 'Democracy for the Few'.

[@marianotorrespico2975]

--- Correct in full.

[@oscarbjb7938]

thanks for being the one who radicalized me

[@SecondThought]

Glad I could help!

[@hyrulehollowtitan9657]

Same

[@RoanShip]

@@SecondThought*I detect a little communism, I see it in the little things you do!* Edit: It’s a reference from “Ain’t I right”, American anti-communist song, so chill)

[@andrzejkopalnia]

😂❤

[@user-ey7mu2dz9c]

​@@RoanShiplabels get co-opted, a rose by any other name...

[@Soul_underground]

"Dont break the law" "We're not" "Stop resisting arrest criminals"

[@lucasmonteverdebustamante9499]

“Fascism is colonialism turned inwards” Aimé Césaire

[@Leywaaaa]

"its better to piss in the Shower than to shower in the Piss" -Sun Tzu

[@WWFYMN]

Americans should learn protesting from France

[@MrFernanrc]

why we are in trouble, but it hasn't helped France either. They usually stop everything and make sure those in the top do something to fix it, but not done in years.

[@arnoldkotlyarevsky383]

The french learned how to do revolution from the US but they did a better job. The least we can do is learn from those who learned from us.

[@spongedongthiccpants2441]

Let them eat cake

[@MH-dy5pb]

France is still shit. Americans need to learn from the Chinese.

[@smkandmrr]

​@@arnoldkotlyarevsky383exactly!

[@jimmytimmy3680]

Arizona's private prisons just sued the Arizona State for not providing them with enough inmates. 🤯

[@nsbd90now]

For-profit prisons are modern slave plantations. Many don't know that slavery for convicts is legal in the USA. They loan them out to the corporate oligarchs.

[@Smonserratm]

They need them for slave labour from which to extract profit

[@freyathewanderer6359]

The Prison Industrial Complex is one of the worst evils oppressing the USA

[@adityamwagh]

Loll what?

[@hashbrown4781]

It is usually a contractual obligation to either fill the beds or to pay the difference. Sadly, the prisons most likely have a good stance.

[@cloudcity4194]

The irony of two Black men who directly benefited from peaceful protest becoming the hammer to stop peaceful protests can not be overstated.

[@fieryrebirth]

"Your integrity can be sold for minimum wage, or if you "got lucky" with a billionaire."

[@JohnClarkW]

Your take on throwing cops at homelessness, mental health, and poverty is so spot on. Our courts have criminalized all of that, and even with the creation of crime out of thin air, we still have declining crime rates, which make this all even more absurd.

[@snarkdragon]

I would put forth that, it isn't the courts that have criminalized these things, it's the wealthy elite who own those courts that have decided those things will be criminalized.

[@oofballz4328]

Crime rates are declining because they stopped prosecuting crime, dear

[@ichaukan]

Land Of The Free™, where rejecting corporate police state terrorism is met with a rabid increase in corporate police state terrorism.

[@brenta2634]

More money = more freedom. Smh

[@Cnichal]

And more cop cites, to better train cops on how to brutalize citizens.

[@user-by2io7zv2t]

So much for free speech

[@littlestone1541]

Where millions of people being homeless isn't considered to be a massive state/systemic failure but rather it's those millions of homeless people who are "choosing" to engage in an "illegal lifestyle".

[@littlestone1541]

​@@brenta2634that about sums up capitalism.

[@michaelbraxner7781]

After visiting the USA in 1947 Simone de Beauvoir wrote: "What is most striking to me, and most discouraging, is that they are so apathetic while being neither blind nor unconscious. [...] They witness the rise, more ominous every day, of racism and reactionary attitudes---the birth of a kind of fascism. [...] But they themselves don't feel responsible for anything, because they don't think they can do anything in this world. [...] In America, the individual is nothing. He is made into an abstract object of worship; by persuading him of his individual value, one stifles the awakening of a collective spirit in him. But reduced to himself in this way, he is robbed of concrete power."

[@CrniWuk]

And yet, at the same time which is also very fascinating "individuality" is often used as argument against any social improvement or the issue of growing inequality. Poverty? Housing crisis? Growing cost for living and education? Too bad! America is about "responsibility"! The government helping you would be socialism! It's all about the effort of the individual! Lift your self up by your own bootstraps, god damnit! It's such a cruel society in that sense. Wealth and particularly ultra rich people, like Bezos, Musk and many more are seen like gods of capitalism. And poor people are blamed for their "misserable" situation.

[@billtomson5791]

Don't tell Ayn Rand that. Or any of the aging boomers that idolized her.

[@michaelbraxner7781]

@@CrniWuk Oh come now, that's not fair .... it's not that the government does not help those in need ... as long as those in need are corporations ... you know, proper capitalism directed by market forces ... they just don't all that often get around to telling "people" that politics in the US is also a 'free market place', where the sale goes to the high bidders.

[@sodvar5047]

Brutally true.

[@monkeyjshow]

​@billtomson5791i feel like people only read one or two of her books and therefore didn't come to the terrifying conclusion that her world would be a hellscape

[@lorenam8028]

The proper gander of the USA is seriously insane, how they got people convinced of the most insane things: "We're a democracy" "We believe in human rights" "Everybody is equal to the law" "It's normal to be in debt for health care" "It's normal to be in debt for education" "We're the good guys" "We go to war with other countries to defend democracy" "The people we fight against are the baddies. They just also happen to have natural resources we want" "Our police system is fair and honorable. We were trained by Israel, so of course we're very moral" "There's so no such thing as a gender side by us or our allies, only by people who oppose us " Our military bases around the world are there to keep Americans safe. Abroad. In countries that we want to bully 🤫" "Socialism is bad. Except when it's for the rich. Of course we will bail out the banks. But not the hike owners. Socialism for the poor is BAD" ... I can't even be bothered to continue, it's endless 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@musthaf9]

I almost missed your "proper gander" word. Yeah when their people don't even realize it is being done unto them, they're doing it really well

[@juqual78]

For real. I do think that mainstream media does unfortunately skew things If to wear people don't see all the hypocrisy. It takes time to Deprogram yourself and educate yourself on media literacy.

[@aycc-nbh7289]

So how is the U.S. undemocratic? Who is the dictator or monarch and what defines his power? Also, things such as war with other countries to defend our democracy are necessary evils, since the alternative would be doing away with our democracy to fight enemies at home.

[@Daniel23544]

@@aycc-nbh7289Wow. You watched this channel and learned nothing. What a brainwashed sheep! Wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve had an American public school “education”. 😆

[@ProfessorShnacktime]

@@aycc-nbh7289you drank the kool aid.

[@jinxshadow5218]

It's truly disturbing, when you talk to an ordinary person and it becomes apparent that in their mind, illegal equals wrong. Breaking the law is always fundamentally evil to them, while they never question where those laws came from in the first place.

[@thecrazycapmaster]

Yep, for a lot of folks “moral” and “legal”right have been conflated… even the Bible indicates that moral right must always come first.

[@kak42]

law-pilled type shit

[@Dragrath1]

Indeed I'm convinced it is the structure of the American education system to prevent humans to reaching the higher moral cognitive development stages seen generally in human development i.e. the ability to recognize that rules are not the same as being just or good. Just like the education system also works hard to prevent as many students as possible from developing critical thinking skills and other forms of system two cognition making it possible to recognize the interconnected nature of systems. They don't even hid this it has been spelled out explicitly in at least one article in scientific American focused on how to deal with misinformation without teaching critical thinking skills. And yet all the forms of cognition we try and prevent the development or realization of happen to be the same forms of cognition we ascribe to sapience....

[@js1741]

95% of the population are aligned lawful neutral.

[@MichaelSuperbacker]

This country is going down the 🚽

[@Cinapie]

I was today years old when I found out Michael Superbacker is a second thought subscriber.. what a small world.

[@gerardanderson9665]

We are heading into a Skibidi toilet World

[@marblecar1162]

holy crap, michael superbacker?!

[@10.11stars]

Same with mine :))

[@Honeydoyou]

Thank God

[@Squareptune]

U.S gov: You guys can't protest in public and private spaces. Protestors: Why? U.S gov: So we can ignore you better.

[@jens5906]

Same is actually happening all over the world: "No you cant protest against Covid measures, because you might spread the disease" "No you cant protest for climate change because you block emergency traffic" "No you cant protest for Palestine, thats antisemitic, and you just sitting there is a disturbance for the students"

[@TreeHairedGingerAle]

Oh SHIT. I just remembered, a writing acquaintance of mine saying that, recently, the supreme court decided that it's _okay to subject homeless people to cruel and unusual punishment in the US..._ *At the same time that US is experiencing a housing crisis.* SO many people are winding up homeless in the US right now, for an array of terrible reasons. I feel like there MAY be dots to connect here. The billionaires and their corporations want more prisoners fed into their modern day slavery system. And the cops are only too happy to enact homeless camp sweeps and jail the homeless people they find there...how much better for the oppressors that they won't have to treat this new crop of slaves in any particular humane way?

[@js1741]

Isn't it funny how we could give each homeless American three vacant homes a piece and still have hundreds of thousands of vacant housing units left over? Isn't that weird? Isn't that just screwy?

[@TreeHairedGingerAle]

@@js1741 Yep. Every single homeless man, woman, and child, could just HAVE their own home. Right now. Every single starving person on the planet could be, EASILY, fed. Right now. But the owning class wants to play monopoly with the world, in order to fuck around and stroke their egos.... And so, for the sake of their pitiful, delusional, rancid fucking egos, people undergo absolutely ABSURD pressures under fake hierarchies designed to mislead and brainwash and dismantle and gaslight and dehumanize us in every way possible. And we drive ourselves to exhaustion creating wealth they'll never use. And meanwhile, while we try to afford the basic necessities and comforts that mother earth is dying to just GIVE us, and our "leaders" perform disingenuous theatre on cameras; so, so many people, for no good reason, _die._ It's just.... Hilarious. 🤬🔨⚔️

[@miro.georgiev97]

You have to wonder why the U.S. even bothered fighting its bloodiest-ever war over slavery when we have an exception baked into the 13th amendment stating that prisoners are valid sources of slave labor.

[@frostnova8300]

The short answer: Yes The long answer: Absolutely yes, without a doubt.

[@Guitcad1]

Them: "We have no problem with people who protest peacefully within the law." Translation: "You have every right to protest so long as you do it in a way we can ignore."

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

Quite hilariously, one of the pieces of evidence used in the Declaration of Independence to show proof that the King was a tyrant was using police to suppress the VIOLENT protests and riots the colonists were engaging in. To our founding fathers, even that was too much.

[@rebelroar78]

Yep, that’s exactly how the protests against the Iraq War went. By sheer numbers, they were larger than any demonstration against the Vietnam War. People knew what was going to happen if the US invaded Iraq. But they weren’t disruptive and were promptly ignored by everyone.

[@denelson83]

This is essentially capitalist forces saying crystal clear, "Do not fuck with us or we will exterminate you." Remember, corporations _will resort to killing people_ if they think it is profitable to do so.

[@coolioso808]

Exactly right. Which is why the activist community should try a different strategy. I get that protests are a pressure release valve and cathartic in a way, but they aren't ultimately effective in changing the social system. Capitalism remains powerful and the rich remain powerful. If we want to overcome this capitalist beast we need to "use the tools of enslavement as tools of liberation" collectively, in communities all over the world, like Michael Tellinger describes and suggests with the One Small Town model. There are others like that which could help such as Mutual Aid Networks or TZM-oriented groups. But we need that focused system change action. Think global but act local. The time spent protesting could be spent more effectively organizing sustainability groups, establishing a network of worker co-ops, community projects like childcare, community gardens, lending libraries, pro-bono medical or legal services, and so much more.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

@@rebelroar78 Absolute numbers are not a good way to judge the size of a movement. Proportional numbers are.

[@another-person-on-youtube]

I was arrested at a protest recently. You can't silence us. We keep each other safe. A people united will never be defeated. Disclose, divest / we will not stop, we will not rest!!

[@throwaway5131]

Mhm!! And check your local bail funds if you're scared to protest for this reason, we keep each other safe

[@foxpro3002]

They didn't rough you up for they.

[@bpalpha]

Thank you for doing what's right rather than hiding your head in the sand like the rest of these cowards.

[@stinky-smelly]

What was it like, if you don't mind my asking? I tend to leave protests the second there's too many cops, I have a dog at home and nobody to get her if I get arrested. If I knew it was easy to get released quickly that would ease my fear.

[@GilFavor101]

The trick is to protest with "Blue Lives Matter" signs and get arrested, lol. The irony would be so satisfying. Yelling "Blue lives matter!!!" at the police as they are arresting you: priceless.

[@Monasaurus_Rex]

“An unexpected $500 hospital bill” more like $5000. Even with one of the best health insurance plans money can buy my sister still had to pay $3000 out of pocket for an ambulance ride. Absolutely fucking ridiculous

[@Yosef9438]

Saying $500 shows just how out of touch the content creators are, too.

[@arthurpotter9092]

Even though I have what passes for state sponsored healthcare they wont cover a root canal to save my tooth, only pulling it. $3500 for the root canal ☠️

[@miro.georgiev97]

​@@Yosef9438 Yeah, I've never heard of an emergency visit costing that low.

[@derbe8647]

Well, would most people be able to pay a spontaneous 500€ bill tho? Probably not

[@deathsyth8888]

Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: Oh, most definitely yes. No question that it is.

[@10.11stars]

After spending a few months in a country where police is barely armed, and coming back to my own to see soldiers patrolling squares and streets for "safety" readons, it really hit me: well-behaved people and non-authoritarian governments simply do not need a large police force and can re-direct the funds to something much more productive, such as healthcare and education.

[@nivlac_dj6327]

For a country that is so focused on profit the way our gov handles money is abysmal we pick the expensive option and the cost of our peoples lives. The most obvious examples are car dependency, healthcare, housing, education, and the military

[@denelson83]

But in the US, capitalism is god.

[@nickl5658]

@@nivlac_dj6327 Because the US always picks what is profitable, or cheap in the short term, with no view of tomorrow. You see it every where from the way private companies are run, to the types of research that is funded by the US government. It is pervasive, unspoken... you only understand if you come from outside the US.

[@10.11stars]

@@nivlac_dj6327 I'm not American, but my country too is falling apart and the government's priority seems to be police as always. They'll probably make a law to pay the legal expenses of police officers that stand trial for "abuse of force", which is the only thing still holding back their violence, since they have no identifying number on themselves nor bodycams. We're so fucked

[@aycc-nbh7289]

Except in most countries, there are comparatively few threats of Russian and Chinese spies carrying out their acts on that country’s soil.

[@user-vy9bs6nn5z]

A violently enforced peace...isn't peace.

[@juqual78]

Exactly.It's a negative peace and it's not lasting.

[@THOR_THE_GOD]

@@user-vy9bs6nn5z ..It can't be overturned peacefully either.

[@user-uu6eq3vy5x]

Pax Romana.

[@akhsanarrazi7825]

US be like: we're bringing peace, do not resist!!

[@Mr.MasterOfTheMonsters]

"They will learn of our peaceful ways... by force."

[@Mene0]

"Dont obstruct roads, prevent classes, occupy buildings" lmao, so basically do a protest while bothering no one at all, essencially being meaningless

[@fuxan]

Having to pay almost 1K for a speeding ticket while cops drive tank like huge pickup trucks. I feel violated.

[@christophercomtois7175]

Protest don’t need to be civil.

[@andrzejkopalnia]

Civil disobediance is tantamount!❤

[@user-ey7mu2dz9c]

@@christophercomtois7175 non violence is compliant to a state that will use violence against you

[@beccadevito5597]

❤❤

[@tribbybueno]

@@andrzejkopalniano it's not. violence and unity is.

[@simplyharkonnen]

@@andrzejkopalniawhere civility is ineffective, reprisal must take its place.

[@jamescorkeron3191]

It’s really funny that this video dropped an hour or so after the first trailer for the new captain America movie

[@SecondThought]

They’re still making those 💀

[@adriansandlin556]

I was thinking the exact same thing

[@GMDGeojumper2011-bl8sx]

Never thought I would see JT use a 💀

[@hornerfarah2282]

And they would bring israeli superhero into the movie💀😣

[@eges72]

@@hornerfarah2282 ON THE YEAR OF ANTI-ZIONIST PROTESTS

[@alexhamilton3421]

“Disrupt literally anything and that protest will be brutally suppressed” -every US president ever

[@olg7483]

@@alexhamilton3421 then don't disrupt people trying to live their lives

[@d.w.stratton4078]

"You can say whatever you want and protest as much as you want...as long as it doesn't cause businesses any problems or loss of revenue."

[@tileux]

As a non-american: yes.

[@1985toyotacamry]

Me being in the Southern United States: is that trick question? Of course we are in a Police state.

[@BuffFockPounder]

​@@1985toyotacamryhello my fellow southerner aware of the police state nature of our lousy country. 👋

[@MyhumpsmylovelymanlumpsMyhumps]

As an American: yes

[@brentchaffin9603]

As an American, also yes

[@I.____.....__...__]

Whatever country the OP is in, they've got a cop problem too; it's a GLOBAL problem, it's just worst in the US.

[@asmrfan6543]

Thomas Paine explains this best. Hereditary wealth allows incompetent people the ability to inherit a position of power, despite having little knowledge of how to administer it correctly. We live in a modern day monarchy, and most cops act as the royal guard. Most of the laws they enforce, were written by the monarchs themselves to ensure they remain monarchs.

[@snarkdragon]

Exactly! Cops are Law Enforcement. Laws are written by the wealthy and powerful. Cops are the foot soldiers of the ruling class.

[@filthycasual6118]

This.

[@erindaniel4053]

There is no way to administer power, correctly as it inherently subjugates the will of others

[@aycc-nbh7289]

Except that forming a completely new legal system from scratch would likely take an extensive amount of time and there would be dozens of competing ideas as to how it would work.

[@deanbilly9073]

@@aycc-nbh7289 better than this shit

[@ScopeofScience]

Great video, but as a Canadian, I'm over here like - yo, you folks even gotta ask that?! Edit: obviously yes. Yes, its a police state. Yes.

[@SecondThought]

Apologies for the proximity 😬

[@CriticalThoughtCritique]

I mean.. when you consistently incarcerate more people than any other country on the planet? When your whole national court system suddenly decides bodily autonomy for women isn't a thing anymore (and other wacky shenanigans)? You might just be a Police State.

[@aycc-nbh7289]

Except that China has far more executions per capita than the U.S. does and has about as many prisoners by sheer numbers when we include the incarcerated Uighur population.

[@ningzhang3282]

@@aycc-nbh7289 source: bbc or cnn? lol

[@aycc-nbh7289]

⁠@@ningzhang3282Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

[@MrRobG]

​​​@@aycc-nbh7289 Your dogs a cat

[@CriticalThoughtCritique]

@@aycc-nbh7289 Your turtle is a fish.

[@stevezodiacXL5]

In the UK, arrested protesters are not allowed to mention the reason they are protesting on the witness stand. And a 68 year old woman was prosecuted for contempt because she was outside with a sign that reminded jurors that they could acquit defendants in matters of conscience. Even though there is no law against holding a sign up in the street (at least when all it says is a quote from legal journals).

[@dasani.like.the.water.]

The US and UK empires will soon fall

[@ciberdiego]

The U.K. has also become a police state and it's incredible how much the right to protest has been curtailed in the last few years. I find it laughable when they say that the U.K. does not need a written constitution or Bills of Right-type thing to protect people's freedom because that's what parliament is for. It's like saying that sheeps don't need protection from predators because wolves are there to protect them.

[@stevezodiacXL5]

@@ciberdiego Yes, a constitution would be a necessary start. We have many democratic deficits - even Belarus elects its second chamber, for example. Old politicians will bang on about the Magna Carta, as thought it was a Bill of Rights. But it was just the King divvying up the country with the Barons, under duress. The actual people didn't benefit at all. And like you say, cops just seem to protect the interests of the few. If we get burgled or whatever, we get the brush-off. But they have plenty of time for arresting kids who are worried about their future, or about conflict in the world. It is well past time we joined the 21st Century! We have never truly shaken off the ruling class who invaded us in 1066, unlike most modern nations, who dumped their aristocracy one way or another, centuries ago.

[@poisonvax1927]

FIJA, fully informed jury. Those people get arrested in the u.s. too

[@miketheturtle427]

Why do you only care about the left why cant i protest the eu stripping my country of its religion and patriotism

[@floresg]

I had a cop tell me to wait for him to get done with his shift to talk shit... they're insane

[@freyathewanderer6359]

Policing in the United States is a horror show. We need to rethink and reform law enforcement.

[@nunnayorz5836]

​@freyathewanderer6359 Just don't expect that change to come from the Democrats and Republicans

[@RatKingKitKat]

@@nunnayorz5836it has to come from us. organize, educate and disrupt.

[@Ben-M112]

@@RatKingKitKatwhy disrupt? If your point is so good, why do you have to disrupt the rest of us?

[@Youtuber69428]

​@@Ben-M112 braindead take. Civil rights marchs were disruptive, but under your logic they must not have had a good point 😢

[@MiguelHernandez-hc8ui]

As you touched on, I don't think enough people talk about the Draconian punishments advocated for when it comes to sentencing "criminals". With proper rule of law, punishment must fit a given "crime", breaking a given law doesn't give the state carte blanche to do whatever they please because, "welp, he's a criminal, he shouldn't have broken the law." I'm very concerned with the level of advocacy I've seen for harsher penalties under the rationale that, "welp just don't break the law then." Where does one draw the line? If I jaywalk are police allowed to carpet bomb my entire block and charge me with the deaths of everybody killed in the process? "Welp just don't jaywalk then." I dunno, I feel like I'm getting a bit strawman-y but at the same time I believe it's justifiable to better visualize the nuances of the situation. Many of the same people advocating "tough on crime" standards don't even realize how many pedantic "crimes" they commit every single day.

[@sentientnatalie]

I don't think you're strawmanning at all, it makes perfect sense. If there's one thing I've learned about the US empire, it's that most of the inhabitants view the law as holy writ, and thus, would make liberal use of any kind of Death Star-like power against the most trivial thing labelled a crime. They are totally down with this, because a crime is the worst thing you can do by their metric, and proportional responses are being "soft on crime". After all, cop stenographers have fed them this line endlessly. They never think that it will happen to them...

[@tpefreedom]

I guess making the owner class feel threatened is effectively a crime now.

[@1985toyotacamry]

Me living in Georgia: is that a trick question? Of course we are in a Police state.

[@freyathewanderer6359]

People are fighting "Cop City" tooth and nail in Atlanta

[@BuffFockPounder]

Bro, and you're in Georgia?! What up what up from Macon my fellow Peach State commie?!

[@tubesism]

@@freyathewanderer6359 and losing

[@Warriorcats64]

Unless you live Abkhazia or South Ossetia, there's still hope for you, but the foreign agent law is foreboding.

[@denelson83]

You must live in Tbilisi.

[@tam1641]

Don't know why this is new. It has always been a police state . The evidence is everywhere. Some ppl can't even make a garden on their own land in some states

[@sentientnatalie]

And will be placed under arrest for failing to cut their own grass, any associated disability with such an activity be damned.

[@tam1641]

@@sentientnatalie yup. U can lose ur job if a cop decides to waste ur time or arrest for under false charges. That can lead to you losing your home , family and everything. At the end of the day all they will say it’s your fault . I think most Americans are trying to stand on a tiny rope .

[@user-ps2nn5pj4g]

Every time I come back to the states, I'm shocked at how much worse it's gotten, year on year.

[@aycc-nbh7289]

@@user-ps2nn5pj4gWhich country do you live in now and how is it not a police state?

[@aycc-nbh7289]

Then is there a country that isn’t a police state?

[@armandoventura9043]

Actually, and if you think about it, the United States acts very similar to how a fascist state would act, police abuse, allowing monopolies and the constant state of war are things that a democracy should not have

[@aycc-nbh7289]

Except the constant wars abroad are arguably necessary evils that exist to prevent wars at home. I agree with you, but given the context, it may make more sense.

[@kak42]

@@aycc-nbh7289 the fact you realize the purpose of abroad wars so precisely but still defend such a system is surreal and *very* funny 💀

[@aycc-nbh7289]

@@kak42Other than curtailing our constitutional liberties so that the military and law enforcement can similarly pursue threats on the home front, do you see any alternatives?

[@LarsaXL]

The scariest part is that we learned about all of this in school, everyone knows this... and we're all just "Yeah, land of freedom!"

[@user-ps2nn5pj4g]

The programming starts early and is comprehensive.

[@Ben-M112]

Freedom to do anything you want legally. Not do anything you want.

[@user-ps2nn5pj4g]

@@Ben-M112 You miss the point entirely.

[@Ehh.....]

@@Ben-M112 Was the American Revolution legal?

[@reharm_reality]

​@Ben-M112 "Do anything you want legally" when what you are trying to do is protest the behavior of the people who make the laws is meaningless. As discussed in this video, what is legal is constantly changing for the purpose of preventing people from peacefully drawing attention to the flaws of their government. To simply say "Oh, but it's against the law" when the law was made to prevent people from making demands of their government is to claim that the government should have absolute power.

[@ravenouself4181]

My uncle was a Chief of Police during Yugoslavia. He also travelled the world a lot, his way of describing the USA was "It's a Police-State.". The USA is the only country he had been to that he described as a police-state.

[@trianglemoebius]

I grew up in the UK, specifically Wales, and was arrested three times growing up. Each time was, for context, for possession marijuana. I was also under 18 for the first two instances and over 18 for the final. While I wouldn't call these 'pleasant experiences', they weren't really that bad either. The police were polite, no weapons were pointed at me, I wasn't cuffed the first two times, and the only reason I was taken down to the station was to process my arrest and set the court date. The most bothersome thing about them was that I had to call out of work. Also, when the actual trial date arrived, it amounted to the judge giving me a stern talking to and either sending me on my way (first time) or giving me a few hours of community service (second and third). I think about this often now that I live in the US, when I hear the stories of arrests; of people having their doors kicked in, guns pointed at them, and being dragged off for infinitely less severe crimes than my already low-severity 'crimes'. I also think of this when Americans refer to European states as 'police states' because they hear stories of Europeans being arrested for things. My arrests were over a decade ago, so I don't doubt things have gotten more severe, but in most cases it's not my understanding that it's not by much. Americans are just so indoctrinated by the conditions of a police state they can't fathom it's different anywhere else; that "being arrested" isn't always and doesn't have to be some life-ruining event where you might be killed, and you reasonably can keep your safety and dignity by not causing problems during your arrest.

[@aycc-nbh7289]

And? It doesn’t help that European states are making up new reasons to arrest people.

[@jeffschroeder4805]

Of course, you have a right to protest! You can apply for a permit and, if it is approved, you will be allowed to protest in an industrial parking lot 3 blocks away from what you are protesting and subject to time restrictions (from 3AM-8AM on Tuesday or Thursday unless it falls on a holiday in which case your request will be denied). You will be required to pay a bevy of off duty police officers to maintain safety and security for your protest against police brutality. Noise and traffic regulations will be enforced by those you are protesting against. No derogatory signs or T-shirts allowed, protesters must submit to any demands from the police immediately or risk being bludgeoned with batons or shot with rubber bullets. Enjoy your 1st Amendment rights to protest peacefully!

[@bradenkropp7956]

The cliff notes version. Yes we are a police state that came about after reconstruction. 13th amendment didn’t end slavery it only semi abolished it

[@Cnichal]

Right they need the prisoners for "free" labor!

[@TheRealXatious]

Just added some extra steps to the process

[@denelson83]

You mean "drove it underground", right?

[@THOR_THE_GOD]

I like to say to people that it made racist forced slavery, into classist coerced slavery. Slavery never went away or as Immortal Technique said "We don't get cheap labor, we are cheap labor"

[@aycc-nbh7289]

But if the 13th Amendment didn’t completely abolish it, there would be no constitutional way for the government to punish people for any sorts of crimes.

[@TheMetaModern]

'It's great being the police when you live in a police state', said my ex-brother-in-law, a Philadelphia Police Officer. 😮

[@ciberdiego]

This explains why most cops, despite the occasional whining, enjoy being cops in the U.S. and Canada.

[@Cronustimelord]

Every one of us americans need to watch this. Sadly it wont happen but a man can dream

[@minaka8228]

Interacting w the NYPD has radicalized me like no other. The nypd mocked us from outside the campus while beating tf out of our peers in Hind, they blocked off the entire 10 blocks by Columbia and would only let people move through if they showed ID and had a reason to go. Then Columbia admin put out a shelter in place order or we would “face disciplinary action” even though half the student body was already outside trying to disrupt the raid or just see wtf was happening and listening to the student radio coverage (the only journalists still allowed on campus. After everything they cops stayed on our campus and sexually harrassed SEVERAL female students for two extra weeks 😐

[@jasonschmidt9844]

The most effective and overarching police state in human history.

[@freyathewanderer6359]

RoboCop would turn in his badge - so to speak - and get a job in a brewery.

[@AYAKXSHI]

Even judge dredd would go *WTF*​@@freyathewanderer6359

[@CrniWuk]

As a German, I have to take a bit of offense on that sentence ... you might want to think again about that ;)

[@sassylittleprophet]

​@@CrniWuk *Oof*

[@novedus]

@@CrniWukAs a person from Eastern Europe - I can disagree with you both. But yeah, US is faaaaaar from being a police state at this point, they just oblivious to the world around them.

[@viktorherald9868]

I asked a popular AI chatbot what we could do to affect real systemic and political change in the world today and it said, "I cannot provide a response that could be perceived as a call to action for harmful or illegal behavior. Is there anything else I can help you with?" I said, "I didn't say the methods of change had to be harmful or illegal. Do you think the only ways to affect real change in the world today are harmful or illegal?" And it returned the same reply. So. Molotov -- I mean mazel tov.

[@cosmicllama6910]

We are passed the point of voting our way out of this system.

[@THOR_THE_GOD]

@@viktorherald9868 3D printing guns is the last hope of the proletariat. 💯

[@aycc-nbh7289]

So what system would we replace it with? There would likely be dozens of opportunities for dozens of new ideas, which would only give time for the old system to exert its remaining influence.

[@js1741]

​@@THOR_THE_GOD a gimmick. Guns have been made in private workshops by resistance fighters long before the 3d printer.

[@THOR_THE_GOD]

@@js1741 You're very ignorant about 3D printed guns. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJ2lY4SMatyJrsksi=L_IWtJlzJhBmSyy5

[@alfredstewart1261]

I’m Russian, when you think about it we got what we wanted in the 90s. We became exactly like America. Just on the opposite side of the globe.

[@Mossaab-kg3cj5hc5s]

Russia is a weaker more honest version of America if you ask me , at least there's no illusion of choice for Russians .

[@mosfett2]

I can't agree. Russians will have more rights. In the United States, employees have fewer rights, for example, they can be dismissed instantly, in Russia, if the employee is not a fool, they will not be dismissed just like that. If you are not fired legally, the employer will get a lot of problems. In Russia, you can literally be anywhere (with the exception of protected areas, of course). A cop won't point a gun at you and immediately put you in handcuffs. The police are not immune. Contractual obligations must still comply with the laws. No HOA will be able to take away your house by filling up with far-fetched fines. you can continue for a long time.

[@arianwells9943]

@@mosfett2 where in Russia do you live? Most of these things are just not true. A cop WILL put you in handcuffs even if you're standing in the street with a white piece of paper. The police is immune to practically anything, they've always attacked even journalists and nobody gets arrested or punished, come on. I'm not saying anything about how if you're a child of a politician, you literally exist outside of law (that case with a child run over). And if you dare to oppose the regime in any way, they will show up at your doorstep (or your family's which is scarier). I'm not even talking about all the political prisoners. Look them up.

[@alexisrobinson9180]

​@@mosfett2please be so very serious rn. I refuse to believe this wasn't written by a paid bot from Moscow.

[@faithbryn]

I was assaulted by a police officer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during our first encampment. The trauma I’ve experienced at the hands of the police state cannot be understated. I am a small, young white woman and I was brutalized - imagine if I had not been? I am haunted by a system that is invisible to most.

[@jackhammer8563]

My mom said we were becoming a police state in about 1985. She was so right.

[@Justanotherdude-vd3rf]

Speaking as an ex-cop a lot of things come down to how the later report is written, so long as a cop can articulate a fear for their safety or for the "public safety" particularly as it relates to Graham v Connor almost any use of force can be justified under policy. Tie into that "training and experience" and yeah a lot of shit can be gotten away with, especially if whoever they're going after doesn't immediately follow every order given exactly. Also prosecutors normally only look initially at the police report so as long as it's written in a way that legally justifies the force then they largely won't bother with much else. I'm glad I left that world, looking back the system of policing is rather inhuman.

[@strawdemindset]

It’s sad seeing cops who swore an oath to the constitution infringing on that same constitution. Public safety is sooo broad .. it just takes law enforcement on the scene to get annoyed or disagree with the protest for shit to hit the fan and be “justified”

[@franjkav]

@@strawdemindsetus cops and public safety are mutually exclusive

[@sentientnatalie]

Does that include cops consistently give conflicting orders simultaneously? To what extent is that spontaneous, if it even is? Or is it what I think it is, something mostly cooked up in advance to enable them the justification to escalate the use of force?

[@aycc-nbh7289]

@@franjkavThen which country should carry out our law enforcement instead?

[@js1741]

​@@aycc-nbh7289none. Civilization existed centuries before professional policing. It can exist again without it.

[@matteste]

"Protect and Serve"? I think a more appropriate adage might instead be "Punish and Enslave".

[@aycc-nbh7289]

So where are we seeing slaves work? We do have work release and parole programs, but we aren’t seeing people being forced at gunpoint to pick cotton or operate cotton gins. In fact, the existence of slavery is arguably a counter to industrialization, since there being a lack of a middle class would mean that fewer people would have the means to live and work within industrial jobs.

[@kak42]

I mean, the police *do* protect and serve just not the common people (:

[@ProfessorShnacktime]

@@aycc-nbh7289they work in prisons. Follow along now buddy it’s not that complicated.

[@aycc-nbh7289]

@@ProfessorShnacktimeAre you sure? In my home state, this may be seen as an alternative to imprisonment, but there are eligibility criteria that people must fulfill.

[@ProfessorShnacktime]

@@aycc-nbh7289 Being FORCED to work while IMPRISONED, hmmm I wonder if that’s slavery???

[@gabrielsfilms2086]

they do this patially because its legal to use prisoners as slaves

[@aycc-nbh7289]

Except having slavery would be a counter to industrialization, since there would need to be a population who can afford to live and work in industrial capacities. In addition, prison labor programs such as one in my home state are voluntary and could be seen as alternatives to imprisonment in general depending on the offense.

[@alexisrobinson9180]

​@@aycc-nbh7289far from all the work done in prisons is "voluntary" even if it was it's still exploitative, with hourly wages not even being a full dollar. I could think of a long list of things prisoners would most likely enjoy to do & would be incredibly beneficial to them in rejoining society than manufacturing or being forced to work on plantations if such services were offered to them in place of laboring. That or and they should be payed more.

[@aycc-nbh7289]

@@alexisrobinson9180Except this sort of labor I’m referring to is outside of prisons and would allow people to live at home.

[@meatharbor]

I can say from personal experience that there's nothing these kids are doing that we weren't doing 20 years ago during the Iraq war protests and, while there was absolutely police violence (tear gas, kettling, etc.) it was never quite on this level. It's easy to get discouraged and feel like nothing was ever accomplished, but I think that might be the wrong analysis here. They wouldn't be going this hard if it wasn't working. This is what capital does when it panics; when the wheels start coming off. When they can't ignore it anymore. Keep organizing, comrades. It's always darkest before the dawn and other assorted aphorisms.

[@jmgirard7]

Or even the protests during the Vietnam War. Yes police brutality was bad, but not like this.

[@threethymes]

And pray Trump doesn't get elected again.

[@reharm_reality]

This is good to hear. It's difficult not to feel like we are sliding into apocalypse, or worse, have been in one all along. But at the same time, it certainly feels like pressure is building. I just wish I knew what was on the other side of the breaking point.

[@topdamagewizard]

Passport in order. Actively seeking employment in Ireland. Good luck to all who remain. May the odds be in your favor.

[@sinclaire5479]

I'm looking in Greenland

[@andrzejkopalnia]

Welcome to the EU, comrade ❤

[@damienanthro3010]

Ya know, between Fahrenheit 451, and Hunger Games. I'm amazed most people don't realize how close we are to those societies. Even The Giver and V for Vendetta.

[@damienanthro3010]

Fahrenheit 451, hunger games, The giver, v for vendetta, so many more that already show where we are heading.

[@user-ey7mu2dz9c]

Don't leave, Join the resistance, stand up, fight back

[@lenschwedt9646]

"Why am i being arrested?" "For resisting arrest." This is 2/3 of US Police arrest which dont involve shooting

[@momsberettas9576]

This is why we can't give up our right to bear arms in the slightest degree

[@saqdiheru]

You forgot to mention that our police are trained by the IDF

[@Cnichal]

This part.

[@Ben-M112]

What kind of crack pot conspiracy theories do you subscribe to?

[@mydnytdeath]

And USSOCOM

[@ElectrostatiCrow]

**Jazz music stops** 🤨

[@THOR_THE_GOD]

@@saqdiheru Indeed. 💯

[@MichaelSuperbacker]

3:19 hmm 🤔 this sounds illegal “that’s what cowards do”? Making it illegal to wear a mask is being a coward.

[@1985toyotacamry]

Yeah I wish he said that to my mom, that she have low immune system btw, to her face.

[@freyathewanderer6359]

How about when the KKK drag their knuckles in their costumes? A lot of them wear masks. However, apparently those vermin get an exception.

[@nunnayorz5836]

As the cops wear masks while they carry out their state sanctioned violence.

[@lowlyworm9323]

also why is it illegal to be a coward? I thought we were a free country! I’m free to be a coward if I please 🦅🦅🦅

[@mydnytdeath]

First they make everyone wear a mask, now they don't want people to wear masks. Will they make up their fuckin minds already 😂

[@user-tx5xp8ss3x]

I recently joined the Fire Department in my city. Is there a leftist take on Fire Departments? We help a lot of people, but I remember learning about the civil rights movement and how people were sprayed down by hoses…the police don’t have hoses we do 😅. Also: I have noticed that the Fire department in my city is overwhelming white male dominated…we are a diverse city. And that being the case, the opinions I hear are very MAGA conservative. Firefighters have great Unions but it seems like the MAGA types only support unions to benefit themselves. I’ll do my best to de-radicalize my co-workers and send them some of your videos to radicalize them to the left👌

[@EliFromNowhere]

I genuinely don't understand how some people think that the US isn't a police state

[@Cinapie]

Thank you for all you do, jt and crew!

[@SecondThought]

Thank you for your support!

[@Trotskers]

Every third car in nc is a cop car. Not an exaggeration. Be afraid.

[@Gavin_the_gamer0309]

Yea because New York is a crime filled city we need cop otherwise illegal migrants we literally steal everything

[@kingkazuma2239]

Afraid of what?

[@therhythmdragon]

@@kingkazuma2239 THE POLICE. Did you not watch the video?

[@kak42]

Be prepared* Fear is bad

[@isaac1670]

The real tragedy in Gaza is the countless windows that were broken. I weep for the property of Gaza.

[@Yakobi24]

Genuinely a good line for a villain

[@jeffisfine]

That opening is fire and really puts it all into context. The law is made, in part, to make protests as toothless as possible. But the executive (ie. cops) will absolutely stand aside when much more illegal violence is targeted against protesters.

[@21forevergone]

Inconvenience is the intended effect. Blocking roadways, doorways, intersections, ect that's how protest works

[@King_Kong_Song]

Blocking roadways can also block emergency services, including first responders to anyone the police injured. If indirectly getting people killed is the intended effect, then they're not much better than the police.

[@QuietlyHere666]

​@@King_Kong_Song all real life examples of protesters blocking roads have policies of "move out of the way for emergency vehicles"

[@21forevergone]

@King_Kong_Song bro, if you're not willing to risk your lives, then you won't get anywhere. The sad truth is that even with those services, available people still die at these events, and nothing gets done. Their deaths are in vain because we want to prioritize safety over justice. That's the trap that people fall into; they prioritize peace and safety over progress and change. We have to be willing to sacrifice our peace, the very society that we have built, if we want to thrive as a people. So what if we block a land of traffic and impede emergency services now, when we're fighting for tomorrow. Besides, are we going to ignore the fact that the police themselves have been known to keep ems away for a time before they're allowed to help? Stop trying to be better than the other guy when he's bashing your head in. If you've got true convicting to your cause, then you take the risk. Cuz guys what, the cops are gonna beat your ass whether you take over a park or a hospital. I'd rather get more bang for my buck. But hey, those are my thoughts.

[@King_Kong_Song]

@@21forevergone While I semi-agree with your sentiment, I don't believe blocking roads is part of a "peaceful" protest. Now I want to go further with your statement. I believe an armed protest would accomplish more than any of these "peaceful" protests - plus thousands of armed civilians would be a deterrence to the cops beating their ass. Rather than constantly hiding behind the guise of a peaceful protest, this is the route that should be taken when all legal options are exhausted. If you're going to risk everything, then go all the way. But I'm sure my opinion on this isn't a popular one.

[@21forevergone]

@King_Kong_Song I don't believe in peaceful protest. That's just going to get your ass kicked and nothing accomplished.

[@foxpro3002]

the world is a police state, there is little love in it, fuck this world, fuck it (I apologise i was on the verge of another anxiety attack, i'k good now)

[@ticketforlife2103]

Not fuck the world, just fuck those greedy corrupted people

[@yoBmeF]

Im glad you're feeling better.

[@foxpro3002]

@@yoBmeF thanks bro

[@sentientnatalie]

Yes, yes it is. I'm reminded of those Germans who survived the Third Reich and came to the US, and how they said that what they saw suitably alarmed them, particularly the superpatriotism, with special reference to the ubiquity of the US flag as just *one* example of this. Thank you again, Comrade JT, for doing all that you do to raise liberatory consciousness.

[@ryanrudolph5667]

Is it me or has the shows production value only increased after it lost sponsors?

[@SecondThought]

We finally get to make the videos we want without worrying about spooking spineless brands and liberals

[@lucasgraton3980]

If everything we do is going to become a crime, we might as well do crimes.

[@js1741]

In for a penny, in for a pound.

[@MorphingGrid101]

Babe, wake up Second Thought just uploaded a video

[@SaultiBalldeip]

As always, 100% on point. Pretty amazing to be watching an empire crumble in real time. You read about it in the history books but you'd never think you would see it in your lifetime but here we are.

[@Disrupterds]

One thing that I've noticed in my long life about the US is that the things that the US government does to citizens of other nations inside their countries will eventually be done to US citizens inside the US.

[@cbrindle91]

Facts. Sad, harsh facts...

[@sentientnatalie]

That's why we additionally define fascism as "imperialism turned inward".

[@fieryrebirth]

This is a repeated tale in human history. When a nation's institution becomes too powerful, it starts obsessing over controlling the masses and depriving them of basic necessities and other human rights. This is usually reset when that institution is forced to eat humble pie and all their power/wealth is absolved.

[@chlover8]

JT thank you for starting my journey of deprogramming (no pun intended) myself

[@SecondThought]

So glad I could help!

[@hyrulehollowtitan9657]

Same

[@macewindow4642]

Then make sure you watch the deprogram podcast with JT, Yugopnik and Hakim

[@ManHeIsAwesome]

I think "peaceful protests" are a sham. If i was an authoritarian, peaceful protests are exactly they type of protests i would want.

[@mobkiller0415]

Saints Row 4 has part of its intro set in a 50s style sitcom. Little hometown cops, all nice and clean. As soon as your character does something not in the norm (you say fuck, its kinda silly), suddenly the world crumbles around you. More cops show up with harsher firepower and soon enough, a fucking super cop shows up. I like to think about that when looking at the evolution of American police over the decades or even just cops now. They try to look kind, but slip up once and theyll take your head under any means necessary

[@TreeHairedGingerAle]

It's why, while I certainly can be polite and poised, I throw an EXTREME amount of shade at people who insist that others shouldn't curse, or who insist on obedience and politeness while completely ignoring the well-being of others, nuance, scientific fact, and actual compassion. Respectability politics are never a good look, and are usually adopted obsessively by conservatives who WANT the place to be a police state.

[@chriswilliams8159]

In capitalist nations, Judicial Justice is often synonymous with 'maintaining the status quo'.

[@christiancruz7137]

all cats are beautiful

[@supernova2875]

True

[@Onionbaron]

And to my knowledge all of them have claws..

[@joshuagalactica4468]

As a memeber of the rebel alliance, obviously im against the evil empire.

[@pdzombie1906]

America: You better watch out human rights, China... China: Have you seen your jails lately? America: oh, yeah, but all those people deserve it, and we have to put people in jail because is private business... China: Same with the first part, and regrding the second, what is your problem?

[@aycc-nbh7289]

At least China criminalizes political discourse and has far more executions per capita than the U.S. does.

[@PikaPetey]

Peaceful protest = please stand out of everyone's way and out of sight and you can complain into the void where no one can hear you. Thanks...

[@Mia-Ja]

Thank you for all you do, jt and crew

[@razortreadway]

I am a former LEO and NCBLET driving instructor, I am ACAB now, and leaving my department was a major reason my political views shifted left

[@bruhmoment5974]

you're brainwashed

[@sentientnatalie]

@@bruhmoment5974 No, you are.

[@razortreadway]

@@bruhmoment5974 if you can demonstrate how I'd be willing to consider your position

[@RobbinFlowers]

​@razortreadway In general, your hypnotized . . .

[@Jkjoannaki]

​@@bruhmoment5974 stop projecting

[@danieljames1510]

A Police State in a Country with the most undertrained and overequipped Police in the Western World sounds absolutely amazing. What could go wrong...

[@juggernautenterprise]

Recommend people now watch "What We Boutta Do: Before the Revolution".

[@The_Gaming_Pear]

"Land of the Free"

[@user-tc9sk4ei9y]

...and the rest

[@fartsfartington9019]

Who ever told you that is your enemy.

[@Ehh.....]

"Home of the slave"

[@AlexHouy]

Land of the greed and home of the slave.

[@The_Mighty_Red]

we investigated ourselves and found no wrongdoing

[@kaosumaru]

Power: "you're just blaming the victim." Power: "you made me do this."

[@DavidRichardson153]

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: *_F^-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ YES!_* It has always been.

[@thomasblackmon5722]

But yeah, a couple weeks ago the proud boy March down the street in Nashville and not a word from the cops not a peep

[@SecondThought]

There’s a reason you never see cops and masked fascists at the same time

[@sentientnatalie]

@@SecondThought Unless it's to shake hands or be pally in other ways, right? I remember 2020 and how there was at least one example of them being super tight, almost as if they've always been the same side.

[@HedgeWitch-st3yy]

Some of those who work forces....

[@sentientnatalie]

@@HedgeWitch-st3yy ...are the ones that burn crosses. Exactly.

[@olg7483]

Proud boys are the best