[titzer]

America needs to realize that this is absolutely not the land of the free anymore. The government and big business are in cahoots to screw you out of every cent they can and to make sure you're not about to commit some unspeakable act of terror, like hold up the wrong protest sign.

Edit: case in point by https://www.techradar.com/pro/quote-of-the-day-by-oracle-co-...

[mannanj]

Or maybe it is the land of the free, and its the ones acting the most unfree (and resigning to their agency and sense of empowerment) and pretending to strongly proclaim everyone else isn't free that are ruining it for others?

For example, you have a right to bear arms.

Peaceful protests, with guns, are a historically great way to remind those in power that the power comes with duty and obligation to protect the people. If that power is abused, there is always the legal right to bear arms and personally as a class of citizens jail and hold citizen justice. It is not just the state, local and federal elected officials, who hold all right to initiate legal process.

[b40d-48b2-979e]

    Peaceful protests, with guns, are a historically great way to remind those in
    power that the power comes with duty and obligation to protect the people.

That worked out great for Alex Pretti.

[mannanj]

According to what I've read, Alex stepped in between an altercation with a woman and an agent. He physically inserted himself into a situation with law enforcement; thats different from what I'm saying.

[ncr100]

Democratic responsibilities need reinforcement IMHO - it requires engagement:

* Knowing what rights we, the citizens, most care about

* Knowing how to effectuate change with Voting, Protesting / Discussing (civic attention), and Funding

[drnick1]

Where do you suggest we move to then, China?

[ryanisnan]

I think that's a bit of a false dichotomy. It should be possible to live in the US and resist the surveillance state. Keep fighting.

[hammock]

The countryside. Near-zero public surveillance, near-zero violent crime, and conservative sheriffs and juries who work to keep it that way.

[rootusrootus]

This is only true if you conform to social conservatism. Conservatives embrace authority and condone using it to enforce conformity. They only want less government when it comes to their own taxes & guns.

[hammock]

Everything has a tradeoff

[rootusrootus]

True. But I can get no surveillance and no crime by moving to a nice suburban neighborhood, too, without getting pressured into accepting the right wing attitudes. Nice thing about suburbia is it tends to be purple, there is not much ideology being inflicted by either side.

[drnick1]

My goat herding skills are rusty. How do I make a living in the countryside?

[hammock]

You have options. Doctors and nurses clean up, better pay than in a city. Work at a factory (either in the plant or in the office). Lawyers and financial advisors to the farmers who sold out to developers/energy/data centers. Or work remote

[titzer]

"Run to the hills" is a heckuva a way to deal with the breakdown of the rule of law.

[hammock]

I mean it’s what people have been doing for all of civilization. It’s that or war