this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2025
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We don’t learn. Trump is a lolcow. He generates outrage over absurdity to gain media leverage. This recent media cycle is not an accident and I am disappointed that we didn’t learn our lesson the first decade of this.

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[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 21 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

I get what you’re saying so no hate but…

Its not that Americans don’t know

Except, no. In most cases Americans don’t know. See: every single post in c/leopardsatemyface. Americans near universally prefer policies further to the left than the candidates they elect. Example.

The entire Republican platform is based on lying and then distracting voters.

  • Trump caters to racist America by promising to deport migrants, but doesn’t say how that is done (detention camps and similar which are very unpopular).
  • Republicans cater to transphobes by promising to ban trans women from sports, but doesn’t say how this is done (penis inspection day which is very unpopular).
  • And other examples.

The majority of voters don’t want detention camps or harrasment of trans children. The majority of voters wanted Trump.

It’s totally fair that you didn’t know this, but I hope it can be vindicating now that you do. The gap between public preferences and actual political outcomes is massive, and is kept that way precisely by the strategic ambiguity, distraction, and misinformation that I made this post to illustrate. Does this perspective make sense?

[–] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 8 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

And we spent 8 years trying to educate people. Anyone at this point who is pro trump literally cannot be convinced to vote for their own self interests until they are harmed.

[–] uberfreeza@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Not just "until they are harmed" but "until they are directly harmed." I'm convinced at this point that unless Trump himself personally comes to their homes and executes them, they'd blame prices, immigration, illness, etc. on something else.

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 0 points 4 hours ago

i think you’re on the right track but all these descriptions are a bit oversimplified

they are a tiny minority, but the case of Dearborn-Palestinian families shows how someone who is being directly harmed can even be encouraged to vote against their self interest. as someone else said in this post, Americans are voting for emotion, not candidates or even policies really.

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe -2 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Every election cycle there are a non zero number of voters who switch from red to blue so your assertion is false. But if you want to be doomerist and accelerationist and boring “literally cannot be reached” I can’t stop you

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

The majority of voters don’t want detention camps or harrasment of trans children. The majority of voters wanted Trump.

...and trump and the GOP deliver detention camps and harrasement of trans children in the past and will again in the future.

trump's first administration had children separated from their parents at border crossings. Desantis of the GOP signed state legislation banning gender affirming care for children before the election. Dewine of the GOP has now signed state legislation banning bathrooms to trans children in public schools.

Trump caters to racist America by promising to deport migrants, but doesn’t say how that is done (detention camps and similar which are very unpopular).

So unpopular, they voted in the guy that says he was going to do deport people.

Republicans cater to transphobes by promising to ban trans women from sports, but doesn’t say how this is done

So unpopular they voted in the party that does it.

They may grumble about the methods, but at the end of the day, this is what the majority of American voters are. They've announced in a loud voice that they are racist, bigoted, sexist, and anti-trans. A majority of American voters want the guy and the party that is pro-camps and anti-trans.

In your OP you said that you're disappointed that "we didn't learn our lesson". Why is it that you are still denying this is who American voters are today?

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 4 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

Precisely. These policies are so unpopular that Republicans know that to communicate or even allow discussion of them in the media is dangerous. So they force the narrative to be about something else. Erasing that destruction and violence for the sake of clicks and engagement.

Why is it that you are still denying this is who American voters are today?

I am not. You are correct, this is who American voters are today. I am pointing out that the current media cycle is part of a system that ensures they stay that way.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Precisely. These policies are so unpopular that Republicans know that to communicate or even allow discussion of them in the media is dangerous.

What is erased? This was known long before this recent election. This is who trump was in his first term. We saw it. It wasn't a secret. It was in the headlines then and in the last two elections too.

So they force the narrative to be about something else. Erasing that destruction and violence for the sake of clicks and engagement.

You're laying this at the feet of the media. Its not. Its American voters either advocating for it or apathetic to it.

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 3 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

You’re laying this at the feet of the media.

Didn’t say that, no. I am laying this at the feet of Republicans.

It’s pretty simple. Americans aren’t crazy smart. They forget things almost immediately. The media serves to remind dumb, overworked Americans of what happened, and so it has some sway among voters. I’m not saying it’s 100% or even more than half, but some. And Republicans are using that power.

If you can’t admit that, you’re just silly, and if you can then we agree. 👍

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You're being too charitable. All that doesn't excuse the fact that half of Americans willingly embrace hateful policies in the first place. The logistics of implementation are not all that relevant if you hear something like "we will deport one million immigrants" and think yeah, that sounds great to me.

[–] WhatYouNeed@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Not half:

Total US population who voted for tangerine: Around 22%, or 1 in 4

US population who could vote and did vote for tangerine: 31%, or 1 in 3

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 7 points 1 day ago

Did not say excuse. Explain does not mean excuse. Explain means to shine a light upon what happened and perhaps inform what can be done about it, and no more than that.