this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2026
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A lot of replies here (obviously from people not already aware of The Discourse on this point) were genuinely confused variants on "But why, they're right, that's a valid concern." Let me leave a short thread for future readers explaining why that stuff is always unwelcome on here. (1/n)

It's totally understandable if you're dooming about any facet of the American experiment right now. So your feelings are "valid" in the sense that they represent real anxiety, and I get that. But to vent that anxiety in other people's spaces is wrong for three reasons.

First, it's factually wrong. There will be elections in 2026 and 2028 under Trump, just like there were elections last year under Trump and during his first term. This despite one of the two major parties now harboring a lot of anti-democratic elements and ideas.

I'm not particularly interested in convincing anyone on this point and won't try, the future is the future. But if the left side of the political spectrum is still the domain of scholarship and expertise, take note that you don't find scholars and experts you worrying about canceled US elections.

Second, and probably most importantly, it's tactically wrong. "No point discussing political opposition to fascism, there won't be elections anyway" cedes victory to your enemies. It's defeatism and nihilism.

Finally, it's wrong AS A MATTER OF ETIQUETTE. Entering a total stranger's discussion and leading with your private anxiety is as off-putting in social media replies as it would be in real life. If you wouldn't interrupt a stranger at a party to announce that America is doomed, don't do it here.

If you are anxious and sad about the state of the world, that's fine, and there are plenty of strategies for dealing with that. But I think you already know that drive-by online dooming isn't a strategy. It's selfish and adolescent. It's a contagion that only spreads the worst of you, not the best.

Take a second and think before posting the easy Eeyore reply. You might have something substantive to say instead. Or, even better, you can say nothing at all.

https://bsky.app/profile/kenjennings.bsky.social/post/3mbuedepurs2x

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[–] Daft_ish@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

What a fucking waste. You will all deny the reality of the situation until the last second and go, "who could have known?"

Dont be a pussy and block the people who are issuing you a warning. Realize this is the world you are living in right now and stand up.

[–] Glytch@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He lost me at "but to vent that anxiety in other people's spaces...".

It's not "your space", it's a public forum.

Don't want people commenting on your opinion? Don't air it in public, or just block and move on.

No need to write a book about how they're wrong to express their opinion in the same way you just did. It just comes off as sanctimonious.

Fell free to point out my own hypocrisy and we can go in circles.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

It's not "your space", it's a public forum.

I'd argue there's a spectrum from a totally public forum to a totally private forum, and replies to social media posts on platforms where users are followed are somewhere in the middle.

It's kinda like comments on a blog post. The blog owner still controls the space, including the power to block users and delete their comments from that page, and enjoys a privileged position with respect to what is essentially publishing and moderation powers in that particular space.

It's within that particular accountholder's powers to block, ignore, or mute other commenters' ability to interact with the content posted (including simply turning off replies for certain users or all users). So in that sense, the platform itself is public while that particular user's profile page and the feed of that user's posts is curated by that user.

And perhaps most importantly, these commenters are leveraging Ken Jennings' account popularity to magnify their own comments' visibility. They could post something on their own, but they also know that their replies to Ken Jennings have a much higher reach than their own original posts would.

In other words, there's a fundamental difference between capturing a screenshot and posting a reply somewhere else, versus replying on platform.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 17 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I've been saying that all along. These people who say we can't run on punishing Trump, we have to have something to vote FOR, need to understand that until we crush MAGA, and purge it from our government and society, we can NEVER move forward. MAGA is a SERIOUS National Security Threat, and if they aren't dealt with decisively, they'll keep destroying any good in this country, until they are.

I've got a list of improvements America can make, including Medicare 4 All and Campaign Finance Reform, but right now, crushing MAGA is absolute top priority. The time for diplomacy is far past. We need Warriors to be candidates, not appeasers. It's time for LEGAL retribution for their CRIMES, not their politics.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’ve been saying that all along. These people who say we can’t run on punishing Trump, we have to have something to vote FOR, need to understand that until we crush MAGA, and purge it from our government and society, we can NEVER move forward. MAGA is a SERIOUS National Security Threat, and if they aren’t dealt with decisively, they’ll keep destroying any good in this country, until they are.

Democrats ran on that once already but were unwilling to actually do it. They have no credibility now.

I’ve got a list of improvements America can make, including Medicare 4 All and Campaign Finance Reform, but right now, crushing MAGA is absolute top priority

Centrist democrats won't crush MAGA. They're ALLIES. Schumer and Jeffries just fucking proved it.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 2 points 1 day ago

Oh, yeah, if the Dems can get the majority in the House, the first rule of business needs to be to fire the MAGA comedy act of Schmuck & Jeffries. We need to meet toughness with toughness, and we need leaders who are willing to do that.

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[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wow that's a lot of projection from someone terrified that erudite and well reasoned civility politics might not actually be a good assumption to just carry forward.

But if the left side of the political spectrum is still the domain of scholarship and expertise, take note that you don't find scholars and experts you worrying about canceled US elections.

Oh, really Ken?

Its that simple huh?

https://theweek.com/politics/america-competitive-authoritarianism-trump

Yeah try maybe actually catching up with the experts on how fucked the situation actually is.

Yeah yeah there are likely to technically be elections, but they're likely to not really be legitimate or actually serve truly democratic (small d) purposes.

This is a cope turned into a scold about Ken's little fantasy hugbox reality not being respected by actual reality.

Grow the fuck up.

[–] fishos@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Hugbox is the right term. The line about invading someone's personal discussion, that you posted yourself in the fucking internet, reeks of so much entitlement. This wasn't a good take by Ken at all. Very out of touch.

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If you are anxious and sad about the state of the world, that's fine, and there are plenty of strategies for dealing with that. But think you already know that drive-by online dooming isn't a strategy. It's selfish and adolescent. It's a contagion that only spreads the worst of you, not the best.

This is the juice for me. Worried about the next election? Me too! What are you going to do about it? Dooming in the comments isn't action, and if you're trying to get me to act, then insisting that there's no point in any of this is a weird way to do it.

If you believe that and don't think there are any action steps, fine. But don't slather that despair everywhere. We don't need it; we've already got enough despair. Some of us are trying to do something about it.

Have a plan, try to get people on board with it. But just insisting that everything is doomed is just as useless an online activity as insisting that everything is great.

If you think you've already lost you're guaranteed to lose. Hope is NECESSARY to make a successful attempt.

[–] fishos@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Entering a total strangers discussion

Yeah, you lost me here. You posted it ON THE FUCKING INTERNET FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. Heaven forbid someone comment and interact. Oh no! Woe is you!

What a load of entitled bullshit.

Suck an egg.

[–] Jhuskindle@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is gonna age like milk lol

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[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

its hardly pointless dooming when trump has literally expressed vivid interest in getting rid of elections because he is terrified of losing and facing accountability.

I'm not a doomer about having elections. We repeat the same dismal spiral and the shitshow that is election season is an important part of making me hate living with all of you even more every year.

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 26 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If you actually think the current American regime is ever gonna get prosecuted then I have a bridge to sell you.
"Just vote out Hitler next election"
Good luck with that, we will see how that goes for you. I am preparing my thoughts and prayers.

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[–] Furbag@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

But if the left side of the political spectrum is still the domain of scholarship and expertise, take note that you don’t find scholars and experts you worrying about canceled US elections.

Sure Ken, that's because all the scholars and experts on fascism have already fled the country.

[–] nomy@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

Wow all of them? Not a single scholar left in the entire country?

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 72 points 2 days ago (2 children)

It's not about "there's no point discussing opposition because there won't be an election anyway," it's about "don't wait until 2028 to act and hope on voting your way out of fascism."

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[–] hesh@quokk.au 89 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (11 children)

I do believe there will probably be elections (and that they'll do everything they can to make them unfair).

But to think there's a 0% chance Trump could move to cancel elections is naive at this point. Add it to the mile-long list of things "he'll never be able to do" that he has done. He's literally already threatened to do it.

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[–] cheesybuddha@lemmy.world 47 points 2 days ago (2 children)

"Entering a total strangers discussion" - They posted it on a publicly accessible forum, my dude.

Also, you are probably right the US will have elections, but will they be fair? Will they be free of federal tampering? Will ICE be posted at polling booths and arrest anyone brown who tries to vote? A rigged election is not a legitimate election

[–] grue@lemmy.world 16 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Will ICE be posted at polling booths and arrest anyone brown who tries to vote? A rigged election is not a legitimate election

Will voters stay home for fear of that because of what ICE is doing now, even if ICE doesn't actually interfere on election day?

[–] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 6 points 1 day ago

The chilling effect of ICE, dang.

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[–] mavu@discuss.tchncs.de 34 points 2 days ago

If you wouldn’t interrupt a stranger at a party to announce that America is doomed, don’t do it here.

I would totally tell that to a stranger at a party, if he talks about the next election. You are technically correct though. There will be "elections" just not free, equal, democratic ones.

Let me ask one question: Do you expect there to be ICE officers at voting locations?
that answer alone constitutes the difference between free elections and a something you would expect in russia.

[–] drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone 54 points 2 days ago (6 children)

If you wouldn’t interrupt a stranger at a party to announce that America is doomed, don’t do it here.

Apparently the microblogging format has made people so socially dysfunctional that they've forgotten what a conversation is.

[–] tomiant@piefed.social 50 points 2 days ago

The entitlement is bizarre. It's the whole fucking point of a forum. "They're invading my space" is a rich god damned thing to say online.

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[–] jontree255@lemmy.world 68 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I think we should at least be prepared for him to try to suspend elections this year and in 2028 (if he’s still alive). Now that the violence is ramping up and they’re threatening military action against the entire Western Hemisphere, the only way they stay out of prison is by staying in power through force.

[–] collapse_already@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago

I think staged elections with rigged results is even more likely. That's the typical dictator modus operandi.

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[–] Chozo@fedia.io 34 points 2 days ago (12 children)

Gotta disagree with Ken on this one. First, as other have pointed out, there is a very real possibility that Trump may find a way to cancel the elections. Laws do not matter to him or his base, and to ignore this fact is leaning too far toward "optimism" that you land in "gullible" territory.

Second, Ken is not the Arbiter of Conversation. I mean, have you seen him make small talk on Jeopardy? For crying out loud, the guy is one of the worst conversationalists on TV today. He's a fucking genius, but not somebody I'd like to spend more than 2 minutes with at the bar. People can input whatever they want, especially when you are having an open conversation. As he mentioned, their thoughts and anxieties are valid, so fucking stop trying to invalidate them.

If you don't want to see doomerism in your feed, I totally get that. I'm tired of it, too (even though I regularly contribute to it). You can totally just block or mute people if you don't want to see that, but to suggest that they shouldn't be saying it to begin with is crossing a line, IMO.

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[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Shit give Ken Jennings a position in the next administration. I have no idea what he's qualified for, but I do know for a fact he's good at trivia so he knows some things, and going by this tweet he believes in the rule of law.

Bam, yuh hired. Based on those 2 qualifications alone he's already more qualified for the highest office than 100% of the Nazis in the current administration.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 4 points 1 day ago

He's super smart, and has morals. He could do anything better than 90% of the current politicians of either party. Hell, I'd vote for him for president over whichever tokens the parties put up on 2028.

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He's a game show host. Apparently that qualifies him for the top of the ticket.

[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

True, I guess if it's a prerequisite we only elect U.S. TV celebrities, Jeopardy is going to be the closest we could hope for to provide somebody remotely qualified. He may be humanities last hope.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't think hosting Jeopardy gives any kind of special status, but I'd argue that being one of the greatest contestants in the history of the show counts for something.

But honestly if you absolutely had to choose between putting your own life and the entire lives of the entire country in the hands of the host of jeopardy vs any other American game show or talk show host, or reality TV star, who would you assume is most likely to fuck things up the least?

[–] qualia@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)
[–] architect@thelemmy.club 30 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The entire point of saying there won’t be (fair) elections is to plan what the fuck to do it that proves true.

God damn these people for blocking those on their side because they aren’t saying what they want to hear.

There are plans in place to split this country and to destroy 100 million Americans.

Doomerism is burying your damn head in the sand and pretending they aren’t legally starting to set up their split in LAW (which they are starting with Texas right now). Come on!

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[–] morphballganon@lemmynsfw.com 17 points 2 days ago

Ken Jennings is not prepared for the possibility of no elections, emotionally, so he tries every trick in the book to shut down that topic. That or he's being paid off.

If you find the subject distasteful, translate that into action rather than whining about words.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Lily white rich cishet celebrity throwing toxic positivity at everyone nearer to the business end of the "then they came for" list than he is. Surprised he's not singing "Imagine."

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't think it is toxic positivity to identify a problem, wants a course of action to fix it, and pushes back on people saying don't do it because it is too hard.

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[–] tomiant@piefed.social 22 points 2 days ago

You don't have a right to privacy or your "own space" in a public forum, and the fucking self importance to tell people what they may or may not say online because you personally feel morally superior to them is straight up juvenile. You can always leave.

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