https://todon.eu/@CrimethInc/112782702007709408

The Trump campaign aims to use today’s shooting as a sort of Reichstag fire to incite his supporters to step up street violence while calling for more state repression targeting his enemies of choice.

The Biden campaign has already paused all outbound communications and withdrawn their television advertisements, ceding the entire field of narrative to Donald Trump, who will have no compunction about using his status as a victim to advance his efforts to victimize others.

One of the classic mechanics of totalitarianism is that protecting the safety of the leader becomes a justification for violence against large swathes of the population.

As centrists join the far right in paving the way for totalitarian rule under Trump, we have to organize to defend our communities. If you have been in denial about the challenges ahead of us, this should be a wake-up call to find each other and prepare for them.

  • grue@lemmy.world
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    • Beer Hall Putsch Jan 6? ✔
    • Enabling Act of 1933 Trump immunity SCOTUS ruling? ✔
    • Reichstag Fire Failed assassination attempt? ✔

    Night of the Long Knives coming up next, and soon.

    • snekerpimp@lemmy.world
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      I am soooooo glad someone else is seeing the similarities. “Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it.” Well someone studied it and said “well damn, I can do it better”

    • prole@sh.itjust.works
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      Don’t know if I should feel vindicated after years of warning people about this and being mocked and derided and banned, or if I’m just sad that we’re allowing this to happen.

      It’s some bizarre mixture of the two, but sadness definitely makes up the bulk.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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    The Biden campaign has already paused all outbound communications and withdrawn their television advertisements, ceding the entire field of narrative to Donald Trump, who will have no compunction about using his status as a victim to advance his efforts to victimize others.

    This is why we can’t have nice things. Fucking feckless Democrat leadership being timid in the face of a fascist takeover 🤦

    • perestroika@slrpnk.net
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      Knowing psychology, almost any PR advisor will advise to temporarily cease media attacks against a person who’s been shot.

      As a minimum, messages may need to be reworded, because Trump is likely to change his messaging after his narrow escape.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        I see what you mean, but to go completely incommunicado is just shooting themselves in the foot and tacitly admitting that “Trump is even worse” is their ONLY strategy to avert what’s by now looking like almost inevitable defeat.

        • perestroika@slrpnk.net
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          The interesting part: Democrat officials made public statements about going silent for a while, and those statements reached headlines even in Europe. You can go silent and still have your statements in headlines.

          Also, as far as money and efficiency are involved - if they save money now, they can advertise more later. Currently, advertising against Trump would have a low efficiency, since he currently receives positive attention. I think their current action plan is “let’s wait for Trump to open his mouth”.

          • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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            You can go silent and still have your statements in headlines.

            Yeah, but those statements were statements of sympathy and the Dems patting themselves on the back for taking the high road. At best, they won’t do anything, but more likely those statements all help Trump.

            if they save money now, they can advertise more later

            Sounds good in isolation, but the campaign was at the very beginning of an emergency push to claw itself out of a hole with a major PR offensive. They can absolutely NOT afford to take their foot off the gas right now.

            Later, they’ll just be bailing water from a ship that’s already on the bottom of the ocean.

            Currently, advertising against Trump would have a low efficiency

            Continuing to try to convince people that Biden is capable of doing the job would be just as effective and just as crucial for the survival of the campaign’s chances for success as it was yesterday.

            I think their current action plan is “let’s wait for Trump to open his mouth”

            Which is a ridiculously unwise plan. The right wing echo chamber music other for profit yellow press will treat any direct reaction to one of Trump’s ridiculous lies and fascist policy statements as a mean bully attacking a poor shooting victim who never harmed anyone.

            They were slowly beginning to either fool the country into believing that Biden is capable or picking a replacement but now neither is likely to happen and this will be the last free presidential election.

      • prole@sh.itjust.works
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        OK, but this isn’t PR for a big budget film, this may decide whether we have a future as a republic or not.

        Definitely re-worded, but to just stop altogether is foolish and so short-sighted.

      • Muffi@programming.dev
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        Why wouldn’t it be smart to go full-on anti gun ownership as a PR response from the Democrats now?

        • GroundedGator@lemmy.world
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          Because you are a reasonable person.

          Everytime there is a violent act involving guns and the left says that we need to do something, the right will make excuses. This will not sway a single one of them to think the guns might be the problem.

          Gun sales will increase now because liberals are coming to take them.

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      Republicans have no principles. Democrats have no spine - Professor Alan Lichtman.

    • rayyy@lemmy.world
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      ceding the entire field of narrative to Donald Trump

      Does anyone else see a great money grift coming on? MAGAs will be sending their entire paycheck.

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      I was worried about this since people were whipping a frenzy about how this had to be antifa.

      The shooter is a white male gun enthusiast Republican. How awkward for MAGA.

      • octopus_ink@lemmy.ml
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        I was worried about this since people were whipping a frenzy about how this had to be antifa.

        The complete and utter failure to understand what antifa is and is not has been one of the most entertaining aspects of the maga cult.

        Remember that very neatly painted “anarchy” symbol that “antifa” painted on that guys garage? lol

        https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/minnesota-trump-supporter-pleads-guilty-fire-blamed-left-wing-vandals-rcna51799

        Could a Democrat or a “leftist” have been responsible for the attempt on Trump? Sure, but it seemed unlikely to me, and not because I have some belief that the left doesn’t have guns or nutjobs. Just didn’t feel like that kind of thing.

        But “antifa” coming to assassinate anyone? No. Sorry magas, antifa seems as hard for you to understand as is basic empathy for people unlike yourselves.

      • EmptySlime
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        You can type 2 ~ on both sides for strike through text. So ~~brownshirts~~ becomes brownshirts

        • Che Banana@beehaw.org
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          sub sub makes the font smaller, its “~~” on either side that made it work, but thank you for giving me the tip so i can fart around with formatting now!

          • EmptySlime
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            Ah, I couldn’t tell on my phone what specifically you were going for lol. It looked like you were trying to do the strike through text joke and the formatting didn’t work. Either way I’m glad it helped. I love using formatting tricks to play around with words in comment sections like this. Have a good one!

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    Some notes:

    • almost no doubt: this will have a mobilizing effect for Trump supporters (“our great leader is being attacked”, etc)

    • possibly: this will improve Trump’s ratings among voters with no clear political preference (a big story where he’s not the villain is what he needs)

    • pattern: historically, surviving an assassination attempt has improved a candidate’s chances of getting elected; in the most recent example, Slovakia’s prime minister Fico enjoyed a boost in ratings while in hospital after being seriously wounded

    I don’t blame Democrats for temporarily ceasing campaign advertisement. Two principles dictate this: “you don’t kick a person who is already down” (Trump was incredibly lucky and isn’t) and “you don’t attack someone who has martyrdom effect”. Generally, you wait until the dust settles. Democrats too will wait until the dust settles. They will also check the popularity ratings and decide how to proceed.

    In my opinion, Democrats would strongly benefit from a younger candidate. I would advise getting someone under 55 to run. Among the wider population, not enough people understand that, as things are, the Democratic candidate is Kamala Harris, her name is just currently Joe Biden. :o

    Overall, it seems that Trump has considerable chances of getting elected president. Preventing that will require exceptional effort and considerable luck. Only if the Democrats manage to paint a clear picture of what a Trump presidential term would bring about, and only if that picture causes their voters to show up and vote nearly without exception - only then will things turn out differently.

    My personal view from Eastern Europe - contingency plans for a Trump presidency ceasing aid to Ukraine have a very high probability of occurrence now (estimated time: early 2025). Over here, everyone and their cat will researching cheap weapons systems to replace things that only the US can provide. I think that group will now include myself.

  • VeganPizza69 Ⓥ@lemmy.world
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    The Biden campaign has already paused all outbound communications and withdrawn their television advertisements, ceding the entire field of narrative to Donald Trump, who will have no compunction about using his status as a victim to advance his efforts to victimize others.

    Classic liberals.

  • sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip
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    And to think I had people downvoting and screaming at me in other threads when I pointed out that this would happen.

      • bamboo
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        You wrote “or” but really it’s “and”. Anyone not like them is the enemy in their eyes.

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        As someone privileged enough to be the first two of those things, and grew up in a very Christian household, I have been considering for a while now what I would do if it came down to: keeping my head down, blending in and pretending to be a Christian so as to survive and hopefully live out the rest of my life, or stand up for what I believe in and go down fighting.

        This comment will probably be read at the hearing that will determine this (if there is one), so I guess I’ve made my choice already. To the camps!

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            Seriously people are getting crazy with paranoid, it’s funny though because they’re like ‘I’m gong to be murdered if this happes’ so you suggest they go out and campaign for Biden or a senate democrat or something and they’re like ‘no, I don’t really feel like doing anything like that…’

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    This really sucks. If you aren’t armed already. The violence ahead will be bad.

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    In an abundance of caution the Biden administration should keep Trump somewhere safe until the election is over.

  • Bieren@lemy.lol
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    Without a doubt they will. And when he wins the election, he will ban guns and take them away. Can’t have a chance of something like this happening again.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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      Ever heard about firearms? Turns out you don’t have to be in shape to fire them and one shot can be enough to kill. Maybe want to read up on that.

          • SeattleRain@lemmy.world
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            Uh how are they going to get me after losing a war. You do understand what happens to people that lose wars right?

            • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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              Judging by your username, some of them are already your neighbors.

              That’s the thing with a civil war: your enemy isn’t only on the battle field.

              And in a country with ridiculously lax gun laws and extremely insufficient mental health care system, you could be next to a deranged MAGA cult member and future murderer at any time.

              And on that cheery note, I’m gonna go to bed! Have a pleasant day 😁

    • shalafi@lemmy.world
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      Keep beating the drum that they’re all fat losers. You have no idea how wrong you are.

      • SeattleRain@lemmy.world
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        You are fringe minority of a minority. You will absolutely wilt at any real fighting just like you did with the BLM riots. You’re only good at coopting the government to do your dirty work.

        Only liberals are afraid of these people and it’s because they’re deeply sympathetic to them.

        And yes most of you are overweight aging Boomers.

        • shalafi@lemmy.world
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          Boomers are my parents. I doubt there are many 65-80 year old people going to take up arms.

          How about the ex-military guy down my street? Young man, in fine shape, flying his Trump flag from the day he moved in. And he has loads of friends, just like him. His neighbor, also young and fit, would join the Red Hats as soon as they became popular enough. As would many of these local boys.

          Bought a canteen at a gun show after 01/06. Overheard the guy talking to another attendee. Ex-military, Oath Keeper, literally talking about awaiting a signal. If I wasn’t so shocked, had my wits about me, I would have pointed the FBI to him. I invite you to visit a gun show and scope out the crowd, see what we’re up against. (Tried to find the vendor list for the show, failed. But I did turn in my neighbor’s brothers!)

          I’m in a wildly conservative area, military town to boot (heh). These men could easily be rounded up into vigilante groups, especially after the events of yesterday.

          You’ve bought the memes as if they’re reality. People post memes of idiots, because they’re pictures of idiots. Money says you’re surrounded by like minded liberals with no exposure to these people. Or guns.

          And what the fuck are you on about assuming I’m a sympathizer? 01/06 gave me low-key PTSD, I’m still not the same. FFS, after yesterday I’m not leaving the house unarmed.

          Keep playing like they’re not a threat, whatever helps you sleep at night. I’m keeping my AR by the bed, a Colt .45 in my desk and a subcompact in my waistband. When they come knocking, don’t give me your shocked Pikachu face.

          EDIT: Your username explains much of your position. But hey! You might be safe up there. For a time.

          Also, I honestly can’t make sense of the rest of your post.

          • SeattleRain@lemmy.world
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            Oh no not the Oath Keepers! Bruh they’re a bunch of beer swilling fat LARPers too even if some of them are ex military.

            And just because you have military training doesn’t make you a good insurgent.

            1.) Ex military are trained to fight within a larger army. If you Trumpers really start something you will be 100% on your own.

            2.) Most Ex military have a head full of screws loose. The number one way vets die is by suicide. If you think they will be an effective fighting force you are delusional. Many of them got sectioned out for this very reason!

            3.) In fighting. You Drumpfters all think your snowflake ideology is the true way. Turns out the shooter was a Republican. This will be amped up 100x of y’all start actually getting desperate.

            And so what of your parents are boomers. They’re part of the problem. They’re most likely reactionaries that are culpable for where we are now.

            I am not afraid one iota, anyone that puts in the necessary time to defend themselves shouldn’t be either.