An Honest Question

[Cain]

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[Kai]

I don't think the US Government can do anything overt to change it, especially over the short term. Any intervention will be instigation.

What can /we/ do? Absolutely nothing. Much like gravity, our usefulness drops off rapidly with distance.

[Pergamos]

Since when has targeted assassination worked?

Israel has been "targeting" Hamas leaders for assassination since 2003.  Obama with Al-Qaeda since 2009.  Hasn't really worked now, has it.  Do you really think states are top down, hierarchical structures and striking at the top will bring the whole thing grinding to a halt?  This isn't 1095.

True enough,  I'm just pissed and feeling powerless and flailing about.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Since when has targeted assassination worked?

Israel has been "targeting" Hamas leaders for assassination since 2003.  Obama with Al-Qaeda since 2009.  Hasn't really worked now, has it.  Do you really think states are top down, hierarchical structures and striking at the top will bring the whole thing grinding to a halt?  This isn't 1095.

True enough,  I'm just pissed and feeling powerless and flailing about.

It's generally considered "bad form" to talk about murdering government officials when you're "flailing about." Might wanna ask Barrett about that one, except now he's got a gag order.

[Pergamos]

Since when has targeted assassination worked?

Israel has been "targeting" Hamas leaders for assassination since 2003.  Obama with Al-Qaeda since 2009.  Hasn't really worked now, has it.  Do you really think states are top down, hierarchical structures and striking at the top will bring the whole thing grinding to a halt?  This isn't 1095.

True enough,  I'm just pissed and feeling powerless and flailing about.

It's generally considered "bad form" to talk about murdering government officials when you're "flailing about." Might wanna ask Barrett about that one, except now he's got a gag order.

I dunno,  I think more people ought to at least advocate for it.  Might get them a little bit scared of the people and a government that is scared of it's people is going to do a better job of governing.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Since when has targeted assassination worked?

Israel has been "targeting" Hamas leaders for assassination since 2003.  Obama with Al-Qaeda since 2009.  Hasn't really worked now, has it.  Do you really think states are top down, hierarchical structures and striking at the top will bring the whole thing grinding to a halt?  This isn't 1095.

True enough,  I'm just pissed and feeling powerless and flailing about.

It's generally considered "bad form" to talk about murdering government officials when you're "flailing about." Might wanna ask Barrett about that one, except now he's got a gag order.

I dunno,  I think more people ought to at least advocate for it.  Might get them a little bit scared of the people and a government that is scared of it's people is going to do a better job of governing.

What on earth would make you think that could scare them? They don't just have the better hand, they have all the cards. They already have a story ready and waiting for any idiot willing to start shooting up congress. You won't be a "freedom fighter" you'll be "mentally disturbed" and drugged before trial to look the part. For your own good. Unless you're brown, then you're a terrorist and a Muslim, of course. And the more you talk about it the more case they'll have for throwing you in a bin somewhere the moment you look like you might be accomplishing anything they don't like.

And I'm aware how much "us" and "them" thinking I'm using here, and that's not helpful either but I really don't have a better frame for these thoughts.

[Pergamos]

Well, what I am seeing appears to be the consensus as to what we should do is do our best to relax as we take what the powers that be choose to give us.  I may be resigned to that at some point but I'm not yet.

[Pergamos]

Also, if I were killing congresspeople for political reasons I would be a terrorist.  That's sort of the definition of terrorism (killing people for political ends) so they wouldn't really be mislabelling me.

[Cain]

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[Pæs]

the definition of terrorism (killing people for political ends)

Not going to Requia on this, but is it?

Also, Cain, your post was excellent.

[Kai]

the definition of terrorism (killing people for political ends)

Not going to Requia on this, but is it?

Also, Cain, your post was excellent.

I forgot about Requia. Where did she go anyway?

[Nephew Twiddleton]

You are framing "we" as our government.  Although the US is nominally a democracy we, as in you and I, don't have much say over what our government does.  I think a better question is not what should we, the government, which we, the people don't actually have much control over, do.  A better question is what should we, you and I, people without a strong voice in government, do to make things better for ourselves as well as for those poor bastards over in Syria.

And I'm strongly leaning towards Roger's solution of killing them, but them is our government.  Clearly protests don't work, letter writing campaigns don't work, petitions don't work, hactivism doesn't work.  Maybe targeted assassinations of politicians who vote for complete assbaggery would be a step toward actually taking control of the country.

Unfortunately I don't have the skills or resources to do this sort of thing.

I'm more than a little disturbed by this statement.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Also, if I were killing congresspeople for political reasons I would be a terrorist.  That's sort of the definition of terrorism (killing people for political ends) so they wouldn't really be mislabelling me.

You're still advocating murder for your own political ends. It's just that your ideology is directed outside of your borders.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

the definition of terrorism (killing people for political ends)

Not going to Requia on this, but is it?

Also, Cain, your post was excellent.

I forgot about Requia. Where did she go anyway?

Decided to autistically continue her beef with Roger while his grandfather was dying. Predictable results followed.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Anyway, in answer to the question, and sort of building on what Nigel said about getting rid of exploitation helping a lot, (and really excellent post Cain, that said a lot that should have prevented Pergamos from advocating international vigilantism), the only thing that will really fix this is a post-scarcity Earth. War, even internal wars, aren't really about ideologies or religions or political systems or what not. It's mainly about resources, as far as I can tell. Note, that power and education are also resources, just as much as energy, or food, or shelter, or clothing. What causes governments to crack down on their populations? What causes populations to overthrow their governments? Could you see a government existing where the people have little rights and little say but being perfectly fine with the status quo? I can.