this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2025
127 points (97.0% liked)

Ask Lemmy

34296 readers
1804 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


6) No US Politics.
Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world or !askusa@discuss.online


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Distributed as in non centralized. Many people feel like there is nothing they can do to contribute to meaningful change, especially with how spread out Americans are, but surely there has got to be something.

Using the trend of blocking traffic as an example, I think a coordinated effort to not just block a highway in one city, but to block state routes and other arteries in many places would be more effective. Instead of one city having bad traffic for a day, it would be many towns and it would be harder to dismiss as a local problem if people across the states are engaging.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] happydoors@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

The fact that top comments on Lemmy, a sophisticated platform, still don’t provide much leverage is a little worrying. I hope we can find a collective way to raise awareness in a news blind world. Shows how far the system has worked to block out civil protest moving markers anymore. My hope is that organized non-violent marches and banners becomes so prevalent that it’s impossible to ignore. Like how MAGA got its image annoyingly all over rural America.

[–] SuperEars@lemmy.world 8 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

Everyone, DRIVE FUCKING SLOW.

"C'mon, that'll just piss myself off." Do you think the French living under nazi occupation wouldn't love to dangle their bumper in front of every German driver that comes along?

Do 58 in a 65.
Do 41 in a 45.

Don't worry, because when I see you on the road driving slow, I'll join you for solidarity. I'll keep a safe distance behind, just attempting to ~~navigate international waters in the South China Sea~~ drive as slow as we legally fucking want.

Stick to the rule of "Stay to the right". Don't break traffic laws. Provide no incriminating behavior beyond "slower than normal".

Let the rest of the bastards deal with it. Those bastards, whose privilege blesses them with the worst part of their day being "shitty traffic," who then arrive to the office and bitch about it to the other old ladies who share that same privilege, ALL OF WHOM proceeded to wax poetic about the nostalgia of their gun-laden childhoods the morning after another elementary classroom was shot up, yet who didn't acknowledge THE SHOOTING amongst each other.

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Huh turns out I was already resisting without knowing it.

It pisses me off when people accelerate so quickly off the red light and whip around me just to slam on their brakes at the next light, while I'm trying to save gas. It seems so unnecessarily dangerous.

Same thing when accelerating onto a highway or up a hill with a downhill on the other side. I get that people are in a hurry - sometimes I am too - but don't do it behind me in the right lane.

[–] PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 1 points 50 minutes ago

Actually accelerating quickly uses less fuel than accelerating slower as engines are more efficient at higher rpm.

[–] Sir_Premiumhengst@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Well tjst was a trip...

[–] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 28 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Something I liked about the response to LA was people showing up at hotels where occupiers were staying and driving them out. There's a sort of group denunciation happening, and then also it just makes it hard to do the work - they don't have enough sleep, they have to travel farther to the intended area of action.

What about other ways to foul logistics? And what are other ways to shame/demoralize people supporting the regime? Totalitarians require everyday people to carry out their orders. The more people we peel away or disillusion the less control a totalitarian can exert.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 7 points 9 hours ago

ICE Pigs are going to have to eat regularly, so make it difficult for them. Undercook, overcook, serve it cold, spit in it, add extra onions when they ordered it without, slow service, slow delivery, refuse orders, forget ingredients, forget condiments, lose orders, short orders, etc.

Mess up EVERY meal, and it doesn't take long to start making people really unhappy.

[–] SuperEars@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

We need a community dedicated to these questions.

[–] pleasestopasking@reddthat.com 80 points 22 hours ago (4 children)

Opting out of consumerism. Not that it's legal disobedience, but it's certainly social disobedience that would get the attention of and take power from the corporations who control our politicians. Yes we can't stop buying everything completely, going to a barter system for everything is not feasible. But we can at least stop buying so much crap.

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 4 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

There was a 'single day consumer stop' recently that was just plain silly. That won't even show up on a weekly report, let alone concern even managers.

Also, if they don't know it's due to a standpoint, they will look for every other likely reason available. It needs to be a movement

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 6 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Target is an interesting case study. Largely self-inflicted, but conservatives remember them having trans bathrooms and liberals remember them taking them away (not that that was the only issue, they have become blatantly racist as well). It's too narrow and too slow, but that's what results when society rejects an institution.

It would be great if we could narrowly focus on a few egregious examples and wreck them, but getting everyone to non-organically agree on who to target (no pun intended) is going to be difficult.

[–] pleasestopasking@reddthat.com 4 points 5 hours ago

The target needs to be capitalism. Not Walmart, not Target, not Amazon. Just quitting the sheer amount of shit we buy that is not necessary. Reassessing our understanding of the word necessary. And for the things that are truly necessary, buying from companies who don't race to the bottom with the most low-quality instant garbage they want to break so we'll but another one.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 32 points 22 hours ago (4 children)

Yep

Modern American economy doesn't give a shit about labor strikes.

But a consumer strike?

Everyone literally cutting out all extraneous purchases and cancelling every subscription except utilities...

That would get the wealthy's attention.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 hours ago

US corporations have been paying real attention to Canadian boycotts of US products. At this point, it has become habituated and will not be reversible.

[–] StrawberryPigtails@lemmy.sdf.org 23 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Can’t speak for your household, but ours is already there, by necessity. Shit’s gotten too damned expensive. At this point we’re buying only what we actually need with an eye on how to make it last as long as possible. And me and my wife make $140k combined.

[–] happydoors@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

Same. Making less but similarly the consumerism has all but died in our young family. Just healthcare and food for the most part.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] ItemWrongStory@midwest.social 16 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

That's true, but at the same time, aren't most people already boycotting what they can? I think anyone who feels bad about supporting shitty companies are already avoiding them when they can, and if they can't, well there isn't much more to do until we hit mutual aid networks.

[–] pleasestopasking@reddthat.com 17 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I'm not talking about boycotting shitty companies, though. Just like, boycotting capitalism. To the degree that's even possible. We need food, shelter, and utilities.

But clothes? Repair, swap, thrift.

Entertainment? Cancel streaming services, stop going out to movies. Don't use social media sites that make money by showing you ads. Play cards or board games, read or listen to books from the library. Trade things with friends when you get bored of what you have instead of just buying new stuff. Touch grass.

I'm not saying I do all of this stuff or that it would be easy, but lots of people doing this consistently would make a much bigger difference than boycotting shitty companies piecemeal.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 hours ago

In that case, I was boycotting before it was cool.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 16 points 21 hours ago (6 children)

You need to extricate yourself from your bubble if you think American's are meaningfully boycotting anything.

load more comments (6 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 33 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

If every blue state stopped paying federal taxes simultaneously they'd be fucked. Tax season isn't for another sixish months, just saying.

[–] chaospatterns@lemmy.world 14 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

It has to be the employees not the state because companies withhold it and remit directly to the IRS. Not saying you should do this, but if you increase your withholdings then it won't go to the IRS. Though you will owe it in April and may have to pay penalties for underwitholding.

[–] KittenBiscuits@lemmy.today 2 points 6 hours ago

Small technical correction:

To DEcrease withholdings (the dollars shown on the Fed line of your paystub)

One must INcrease exemptions claimed on Form W-4

But the rest is correct. If you underwithhold/underpay you risk penalties come April.

However, if you try to claim so many exemptions as to get to zero federal withholdings, employers are required to second-guess you and make you document the exemptions you are claiming (not all will do this but they're required to nonetheless). But if you go to very little federal withholding, just not zero, employers generally don't give a shit and will just make the payroll adjustments accordingly.

[–] ImgurRefugee114@reddthat.com 13 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Be happy and grow a supportive, active, and independent community network of helpers

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 16 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (2 children)

Birthstrike - stop reproducing

[–] jwmgregory@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (5 children)
  1. reproduction isn’t a choice for some people. that’s fucked up but it’s cold & hard reality.

  2. this just increases the ratio of parents in the next generation that are shitty people, effectively strengthening fascist movements by increasing the proportionment of lil hitlers vs everyone else in the kindergarten class.

i think this strategy is highly problematic if you think about it for literally even just a second, and i say that as someone who would never voluntarily have kids.

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

this just increases the ratio of parents in the next generation that are shitty people, effectively strengthening fascist movements by increasing the proportionment of lil hitlers vs everyone else in the kindergarten class.

This is one of the reasons I want children despite everything. If all the conscientious people stop reproducing, the future population will be composed entirely of people raised by selfish assholes.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 1 points 1 hour ago

So what is your plan? Try to outbreed the selfish assholes? Because otherwise, being the conscientious minority among an assholish majority is not a great place to be.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] _cryptagion@anarchist.nexus 7 points 19 hours ago

People are already doing that. Birth rates globally have been trending downwards for decades, but in the US they've been below replacement for over fifty years.

It's not as bad as someplace like South Korea, which is already doomed and past the point of no return, but it's still not great, and we're headed towards the same end if we don't turn things around very soon.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 16 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

Step 1. Enter the main office of a corporation en masse
Step 2. Refuse to leave

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 18 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

I have been fantasizing about figuring out where epstien is buried, digging his evil ass up and catapulting his corpse onto the white house lawn.

That would force them to release the files. It is so outrageous that it would get national attention, and people would support it because RELEASE THE FUCKING EPSTIEN FILES.

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

I think this would actually have the opposite effect. It’s essentially the Dead Cat Strategy. That’s a political tactic where if you’re losing an argument and can’t see a way to turn it around, just throw a dead cat on the table. Now everyone is suddenly talking about the dead cat, instead of the argument you were losing. It refers to when a politician is losing a debate, so they just start making outrageous statements to grab attention and divert the debate away from the argument.

Epstein’s body would be a dead cat, as news would divert towards covering that instead of covering the files.

[–] SuperEars@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

So like, all of 2025 so far.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 24 points 22 hours ago

This sounds like copium even if it was realistic. The idea that Epstein is some kind of anti-fascist silver bullet fundamentally misunderstands how fascist movements work.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›