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Comment by martinky24 | Hacker News Reader

What exactly are you suggesting by "Wake up"? How can I actionably do something to "wake up"?

It's getting to be about time for pitchforks and torches in front of the offices and homes of your elected Senate and House representatives demanding they exercise their constitutional duty of checks and balances against the executive.

At the very least send letters, make phone calls. Let them know if they don't stand up to a dictator they've lost your vote.

Comment on all of the elected Democrats' posts "oh no repulicans just did this!" and let them know that whining isn't leading and they need to shut up and do something.

I'm encouraging every Democrat to register as a Republican, vote for the most centrist candidates in the next primary, and if they win, vote for any Republican that has an independent thought over a Democrat who knows nothing but how to sit around uselessly and complain.

And when the revolution comes, the first people who should get the most blame are those who chose not to use the power they had to do anything about it.

This.

People abroad don't realize, the average American person is completely powerless.

Yes, we may lament the troubles that the current administration is causing for our allies, (or, I guess, former allies) abroad, but there's next to nothing we can do about it.

Again, buyer's remorse is all we can muster right now and it doesn't do anyone any good. At this point, we have no choice but to search for what positives we can work with that come out of the current administration, and just live with the consequences of the rest.

The second amendment was put in place very explicitly as the final check against a despotic overthrow of the Constitution. Realize we're at the very brink and prepare yourself for a revolution. And stop fooling yourself into thinking things can't be that bad.

There won't be a revolution, who do you think the gun owners all voted for? As long as Trump doesn't touch their guns, they aren't going to do a damned thing.

I think you're missing the point of what was meant by "prepare for revolution", and confusing the folks who are vocal with their political views and those who aren't.

I guess we'll see, but I'm not holding my breath.

its funny that dems are those who suppress second amendment.

Doesn’t look that suppressed to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_...

Yes, options are to have some number(potentially insignificant compared to deaths caused by obesity or overdoses for example) mass shootings or kiss the feet of the dictator.

The thing about the second amendment is that if only the side in power believes in it and is willing to uphold it, then you don't really have a right to bear arms, you have a right to oppress the citizenry with violence.

Maybe start with protests, like normal people.

We've been having them. the media ain't covering it.

I said final resort. We’re not there but we’re closer than we’ve ever been in hundreds of years of republic. A responsible citizen has to start thinking. It’s not a last resort that should be taken lightly.

Young people often feel powerless today indeed, not only in the US but in most parts of the West.

One of the reason is that they never had to go through really tough times - as a country. We're living in times of prosperity and stability pretty much all of our lives. And we take it for granted. It's not !

But the thing is, that people do have power. Start calling your representatives, take it to the streets. All of you. If the 50% of voters that voted for Harris show up on the streets protesting, things will change. Take real action.

If the 50% of people voting for Harris show up, that would be maybe 30% of the US. Probably, not, but I feel like being generous. And that's assuming they all show up. Which we both know they won't.

I think people severely underestimate the level of apathy out in society right now. Until things affect them, they likely aren't gonna be terribly interested.

100% agree. But if 30% of the US showed up on the streets, that would already be unprecedented.

But somehow, people feel better doom scrolling and feeling powerless. It's kind of a nice excuse to not to do anything.

That worked most of the time, in the recent past. But it looks like we're at a major turning point in US history.

30% of the population protesting - that would be absolutely enormous! Revolutions are made by single digit numbers

What about all that talk about the second amendment and it being an essential right to fight an oppressive government? Aren’t the “good guys with guns” supposed to be keeping the government in check?

Slovaks are protesting, Uktainians protested with their Euromaidan. Where are your protests?

Maybe you didn't read the part where I said we don't care?

We, as a people, don't care. We don't even care about the problems we have. It's not gonna be easy to make us care about the problem some other people have.

I think start participating in protests to begin with.

I remember when that was tried and ignored.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_against_the_Iraq_War

I find this sort of suggestion to be 100% reminiscent from Ship of Fools, or to be slightly more charitable and work-safe, the protestors in the lemonade episode of Boondocks. The captain is nuts, Jasmine is almost a slave, and you're going to protest?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn-BXw_8RbI

Smell the coffee.

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