I think this is exactly the type of movement that needs to catch on in a big way!
These leftists preach environmentalism as they wait in line for the new iPhone every 6 months. They seek out products with built-in obsolescence arriving on overseas shipping carriers that are polluting the planet worse than literally anything else.
We should all try to learn to fix appliances and other forms of technology--if it's impenetrable or unfixable, then it's probably not something we should be using in the first place, because if you can't understand how it works, then it controls you (rather than the other way around). Technology is becoming the master rather than the tool.
My boyfriend recently found an old drill from the 1950's at a thrift store, which works (and also looks/is designed) way better than any you can buy at a big box store right now. For decades, America prided itself on manufacturing products that were built to last. We prided ourselves on resourcefulness and self-sufficiency. Now, our culture and economy are engineered in the opposite direction.
Working with your hands is calming, rewarding, and therapeutic, whether it's gardening, cooking, crafts, woodworking, mechanical stuff, etc. It seems pretty obvious that we as humans are not feeling "satisfied" or happy with our mindless consumerist/instant gratification-based society; maybe the activities of a simpler time will help to fill this void. I don't watch TV either.
I got very similar messages to what you did! Some of them were just old friends who felt that the whole reason W won in 2000 was "because they voted for Nader" so they were scarred from ever voting third party again--which I can sort of understand, but it's also kind of a dumb and self-defeating mindset. And then I got those same kind of threats that you did--"a vote for third party is a vote for Trump and THE END OF THE WORLD!" And I know when someone is bullying me, know what that feels like, and I realized that these people didn't believe I should have a choice in who I vote for. That set off all my alarm bells.
I actually did vote for Stein as a sort of snarky protest vote because back then I was terrified that people would somehow figure out if I voted for Trump (I might not be able to lie to them? Or something? I guess I was still just really afraid of being rejected by everyone I knew.). And with Stein, I thought it was hilarious because everyone I knew was like 'It's HER turn, you have to vote for a woman!" and so I did vote for a woman, because fuck you people! And then I celebrated when Trump won, and then I laughed when Hildawg tried to blame her loss on the Jill Stein voters. I guess I did my part!
I had a very similar trajectory as you (am also female). In 2016 I was a big Bernie supporter so I then questioned why the DNC was giving the nomination to Hilary, said I was considering third party options as a result (not even Trump at that time) and got ripped to shreds by crazy psychopaths either guilt tripping me/bullying me or outright threatening me in the case of two guys I barely knew on FB. It was so shocking that I actually started examining Trump more and soon discovered that the news and leftists were completely full of shit, and then I only supported him more and more as time went on. I left FB a year and a half ago and don't miss it at all, and everyone seems to have forgotten I exist because I guess if you're not on social media these days, then you're not alive at all in their eyes...
I think their motto is simply, "Deny, deny, deny until you die." I don't think they have the intention of ever actually listening to the truth. They think they can force reality to confirm to their personal narrative.
This debate you both are having is where I often get stuck too. Can we simply walk away from them and start a new society? Will it be allowed? If we assume not, and if we "preemptively strike" them (out of fear that we won't be allowed to separate from them successfully), then won't that act just be twisted and used as more ammunition against us (as is currently happening) to layer on more guilt and "obligation" to them? But if we wait too long to act, are we just allowing ourselves to be led to the cage/slaughter and will soon regret that we didn't act when we had the chance?
I ponder this question every day, and I wish I had the answer. Usually I have regretted acting rashly more times than I have regretted waiting for more clarity before acting, but that doesn't apply if you are making excuses to bury your head in the sand and avoid the situation until it becomes a mountain that was previously an (easy to manage) molehill.
I moved over a thousand miles to escape from a more oppressive area to a less oppressive one, but I still find myself often fixating on the people "back home" and "what's going on there," even if it's simply hoping that their eyes will open to the truth and I can finally be proven "right." But then I waste days doing this and then wonder why I can't find more productive and uplifting uses for my time, or at the very least why I can't I relax and enjoy my newfound freedom more? Ugh...
I agree with this. These sites are cesspools that will just make you miserable if you spend time there. The more good people remove our energy from them, the more of a nasty, filthy, boring echo chamber each will become until they are just empty shells that sooner or later become completely irrelevant, as their predecessors did.
Your original comment made it sound as if the female coach was very high-up and influential, so looking at the page I linked, I was surprised to see how low-level she actually is. But apparently a team having any female coaches whatsoever is a problem in your eyes?
Why would you imply that having a female coach is a negative thing for the "yuccaneers" if they just won the Superbowl and their defensive strategy was obviously a big part of that success? If a female coach contributed to that success, then maybe more teams ought to hire women coaches?
Do you see an equal problem with so many womens sports teams having male coaches?
It's just disappointing to see this type of attitude in the MAGA movement and on this site.
When you say "their coach is female," I doubt anyone is assuming you mean some extremely low-level coach (out of dozens of men) that you have to scroll really far down the page to even find. And are there no other NFL teams that have any female coaches at all?
Good as he's ever been! And a lot of people hate him, but it seems to be mostly out of jealousy because he's a pretty great guy and a really good role model, which is hard to find these days. He uplifts his teammates and that's why he wins so often. And as he is now "well past his prime" in football years, his accomplishments are especially impressive.
No they don't? https://www.buccaneers.com/team/coaches-roster/
I understand the NFL hatred, but you all are overlooking a pretty cool redemption arc. New England was going to retire Tom Brady to the glue factory for being too old and for refusing to kneel; he then moves to a red state and leads his team to their second super bowl ever. He said fuck you to restrictive blue state politics and sought greener pastures. As a former New Englander who also moved south, I'm gloating a bit.
Nice! And yes I got Brave recently too (after using Firefox forever) and I really like it so far. I may give Protonmail a try or see if there are other options, it's just super tough to switch everything over to a new account. I never had my own Netflix or a Prime account, but I used to sell a ton of stuff on Amazon back in the day and bought some too (even when it first launched and only sold books!)--I have not used it to buy anything in many years, I can always find something comparable on eBay or ideally at a brick-and-mortar shop.
My hope is that as more and more of us get "canceled" or boxed out of these evil places, that really good alternatives will be developed. We are a major market and you are already seeing a wonderful effect for companies who cater to conservatives (My Pillow, as an example)--they get rewarded as long as they stay true to their principles (Black Rifle Coffee being an example of what NOT to do, but they did do really well before they showed their true colors).
I moved to Florida last Fall so I am very hopeful about Ron's new legislature here, and that it will prompt people in the state to find or develop other options. Since Elon has major presence here as well (through SpaceX), I am hopeful that he will help to spearhead some of it!
Abso-fucking-lutely.
They've messed with our minds to try to get us to think we're alone and unsupported. And if we don't support each other, then it's true--but there are way more of us than there are of them. It's time to be bold!