this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2024
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[–] audiomodder@lemmy.blahaj.zone 52 points 6 months ago

What the actual country fried fuck? It’s the folks protesting the Gaza genocide shutting down “opposing views”? Was that before or after their pro-Israel presidents called the cops to arrest them?

[–] livus@kbin.social 39 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Asked what kind of protest might be appropriate, Smith cited a recent instance in an armed services hearing in which “people came in and they didn’t say anything, they just held up bloody hands. And the chairman noticed that and said, ‘You can’t do that, you’re out, and they got up and left.”

I can't even.

[–] JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 15 points 6 months ago

lol he just wants there to be no protests, just shut up and accept whatever the government wants is his ideal situation

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 13 points 6 months ago

I don't think protest works without risk to the protestors. They have to be willing to take those risks to stand up for a cause, otherwise it's not a protest, it's just a group complaint.

If someone said "you can protest over there, at these certain times" you'd fuckin bet that I'd protest anywhere and any time except for what was specified.

Kennedy said, "Those who make peaceful protest impossible, make violent protest inevitable", the modern version should be "those who don't listen to peaceful protest, are signaling that they will only respond to violent protest".

So if protestors are disrupting classes, delaying traffic, and forcing the general public to acknowledge the issue at hand, then good, that's what a protest should do. If they are causing immediate danger to themselves or others, then they should expect to be removed, hopefully voluntarily.

[–] Therealgoodjanet@lemmy.world 29 points 6 months ago

Congressman Adam Smith says ‘totalitarian’ protesters are ‘trying to silence anyone who dares to disagree with them’

Well, isn’t that ironic…

[–] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 28 points 6 months ago (1 children)

This is why we need a new system. Have a single head of state, President, in a two party system is broken. We need a multi party and rank voting system. Both parties care about the same thing in the end, 💰.

[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 13 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Sounds great, who should I vote for to make that systemic change?

[–] mlg@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

Not any of the two parties.

It's actually decently easier to vote for state and local representatives first because the stakes are lower so independent, and 3rd parties are more likely to ssucceed.

Still difficult, but not impossible

[–] billbasher@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

I feel like the easiest way to make that happen is by getting it into state level voting systems first. IIRC MN has started.

Either that or get a president in who doesn’t talk about it and then pushes for it after getting in. And the only way that would succeed is when all the dinosaurs retire or pass

[–] thesporkeffect@lemmy.world 22 points 6 months ago

This is people being NICE about it, buddy, and you are clearly not a student of history. Maybe now is a good time for you to become one

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago

The dude is old enough to remember the 1968 protests, and then says shit like this? He can fuck all the way off.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 11 points 6 months ago

Poor dude can't even hear himself talk.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Using the usual conservative definition of fascists as "people I don't like."

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 2 points 6 months ago

That's the global definition at this point.

[–] Lemmeenym@lemm.ee 8 points 6 months ago

To be clear, Adam Smith thinks that the protesters who were arrested for sitting at whites only lunch counters were fascists and the people who violently attacked them were defending democracy?

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 2 points 6 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


Protesters calling for Israel to cease fire in its war with Hamas who have disrupted US public events and infrastructure are practicing “leftwing fascism” or “leftwing totalitarianism”, a senior US House Democrat said, adding that such protesters are “challenging representative democracy” and should be arrested.

“Intimidation is the tactic,” said Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democrat on the House armed services committee.

Smith was speaking – before the outbreak this week of mass protests on US college campuses, many producing arrests – to the One Decision Podcast and its guest host Christina Ruffini, a CBS News reporter.

Disruptive, aggressive protests are “illegal … completely wrong … and enormously dangerous”, Smith said, adding: “I really want people to understand – and I put out a statement after they shut down a town hall meeting that I was trying to have [in March] – what’s going on here.

Asked what kind of protest might be appropriate, Smith cited a recent instance in an armed services hearing in which “people came in and they didn’t say anything, they just held up bloody hands.

But he said: “You go back to the civil rights movement, they expected to be arrested, they knew they were violating the law.


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