I’m not wringing hands, I’m calling for guillotines. You can’t legislate and litigate your way out of dictatorship. It’s a design feature. If you could, they wouldn’t be dictators.

Aside from voting NEXT YEAR and armed insurrection, there aren't a whole lot of effective options here. But you go have your little protest or whatever that Republicans laugh at as a distraction while they go about their business of marching us toward ruin.

And for some of us, learning is its own reward. Besides, knowing these things makes us less likely to be manipulated or dazzled by propaganda.

Armed may be our last resort, but I believe we need to try everything else first; protesting, speaking out, learning from people like Krugman so we can be better able to counter misinformation in the moment.

Protests can work, as in the Civil Rights movement, the 1980 Solidarity movement in Poland and the fall of Milosevic in Serbia in 2000. Protests are for the protesters too. We learn that we are not alone, connect with like minded people and speak out. We won’t slide quietly into darkness.

Armed may be our last resort, but I believe we need to try everything else first; protesting, speaking out, learning from people like Krugman so we can counter misinformation in the moment.

It seems like whenever someone defends protests as effective, the examples are from other countries or half a century ago. If people want to do it, fine. But dont act like they're a solution. Btw, armed revolt in the US would be a fucking disaster, no matter how you cut it.

I wonder why you think that just because something was effective in the past it can’t be effective now?

Occupy Wallstreet, the March for Our Lives, the Women's March, the Science March, BLM, essentially every large protest in this country of the past 20 years has accomplished exactly 0 tangible, lasting change. That's why.

When we march and protest, we also do it for those who cannot, those who are afraid or in pain. As our numbers grow with each march, we hearten not only each other but also our elected representatives, those who care and are paying attention. As they speak up and take action they encourage us.

But such indifference is perilous. It makes it easier for evil to take hold and flourish. He remembered the rage and compassion he saw in the eyes of the GI’s on the day he was freed, which told him they saw and understood. He said he would be grateful for that as long as he lived.

As Elie Wiesel, who as a boy survived being interred in a concentration camp, said: “Indifference can be tempting, more than that, seductive. It is so much easier to look away from victims. It is so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams our hopes.”

Since you seem convinced that protests are futile, what are you doing instead? What do you suggest the rest of us do instead to resist the current regime. For more dangerous than taking action that turns out to be futile is indifference, taking no action at all.

Maybe you didn’t pick up on that or maybe you did and thought it didn’t matter.

I disagree. Shifts in awareness and attitude, while perhaps less visible and concrete than you would like, can still change our perceptions, attitudes and what kinds of choices we make. For example Black Lives Matters protests raised awareness about what it is like live in a black skin.

The Civil Rights Movement changed the course of our country. Ghandi’s civil disobedience movement helped free India from British rule. You don’t know when you begin what the outcome will be. But it’s important to try. Unless you’re happy with the way things are going now. Then yes, discourage away

However, this time they’re working. For us. For our country. For our democracy.

As for protests, I disagree. But we’re both entitled to our opinions.

Well, it sounded as if you were recommending it. Glad you’re not. I stand corrected.

Getting all of these people out of office is the only way this ends. However that's accomplished.

The power of street marches is substantial and has brought change to policy many times in history

Only because you weren’t led by dictators

Time will tell

Not when Nazis take over. What have protests in Russia achieved?

Ah yes. That's why we have those strict gun control measures and fair and equitable policing.

Vietnam war? Civil rights?

So 60 years ago. Got anything slightly more relevant to our hyper-partisan, post-Citizen United, gerrymandered times? The situations aren't even remotely equivalent. You can't expect the same tactics to work on different battlefields.

Tell that to the brave people of Serbia and Romania. Tell that to the founding fathers... it is ALL part of a successful plan. As is your bitching and moaning via Bsky...

...as is your bitching and moaning about his bitching and moaning... and so on...

The founding fathers? All of their goals were definitely achieved through marches and peaceful protest. Not a protracted conflict involving multiple world powers. Nope. Must have been a different founding of the United States. What are you even talking about?