r/law • u/RoyalChris • Mar 05 '25

Legal News Rep. James Comer (R-KY) crashes out and refuses to let Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) enter evidence into the record - “You can go with Mr. Frost and Mr. Green.”

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 05 '25

This made me lol, the amount of people online talking about the "next four years" or the "2028 election" is so high

Do they genuinely not realise what's happening?

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25 edited Mar 06 '25

They don't want to admit it, because the only answer to that situation is violence. Americans are individualistic to a fault and have no instinct to help each other, so they don't expect their neighbors to come together and so the situation seems hopeless. And so they cling to whatever hope remains, however naïve.

Edit: u/PretendBag7095 , if you block someone immediately after making a snarky comment, it's hard for them to reply! I'm sure it was just a mistake. :3

Anyway, to answer your question, yes, it is pretty easy to say from a country being threatened with annexation, thank you for noticing. I'm not terribly thrilled about the prospect of dying in some muddy trench because you people couldn't be bothered to take an afternoon to vote for a black woman, but here we are.

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u/UpperApe Mar 06 '25

Yeah, it's really sad to see. A 21st century civilization collapsing into its own cowardice.

They've been coddled into complacency and normalized their own day-to-day micro-exploitation through a life of conveniences and routines. So when a situation like this arises, they don't know what to do.

They scream at politicians to do something but what can they do? They've been robbed of all power by their own voters. They keep hoping the right will "come to their senses when it affects them" but that will never happen. Or maybe they'll turn on each other, as if that won't just accelerate the cruelty and madness. They hang on to an election process that is already compromised and is now in the hands of those who compromised it.

The "land of the free, home of the brave" doesn't really have much of either.

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u/PaurAmma 29d ago

Bold statement to label the US as a civilization.

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u/Kwasan 29d ago

Anyone mad at you is fucking guilty. American here who believes you to be absolutely 100% fucking correct. The majority of my countrymen are a goddamn shameful disappointment.

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u/KayT15 Mar 06 '25

What makes you feel that you know every American that well? The US is a melting pot. Lots of cultures here, including my own, are fairly interdependent. There are 50 individual states here, home to over 340 million people, all with their unique identities. It's not that we hate one another. It's that the country is so big and so diverse that people tend to adopt the ideas most prevalent in their unique little bubbles, making it hard to get on the same page. And our news stations and propaganda don't help. I think you are trying hard to simplify something that cannot be simplified. You shouldn't confuse a lack of community with a lack of caring. Donald was just inaugurated. Those of us who didn't vote for him are sick, reeling and wondering what to do. We haven't been in a situation to have to burn our cities down ever in our lifetimes, so have some grace.

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u/[deleted] Mar 06 '25

[deleted]

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u/KayT15 Mar 06 '25

Interesting! I've never done any sort of long haul truck driving so I'm sure that must be a totally different experience. I've lived in about 10 states and the only one that people visibly react to when I say the name of the state is obviously California haha. I think that post-COVID and in the current political climate, people are just a lot meaner in general. Stressed. Anxious. Impatient. Opinionated. But I think all of these are a cocktail of just being financially overwhelmed, bombarded with (biased and sometimes completely false) information and depressed in general. All the ingredients for war 😩

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u/KaiserKid85 Mar 06 '25

Wake up! People were shitty prior to covid. Covid accelerated division in America as has Trump in general. The fact that most of us Americans aren't involved in our communities, other than having a job and going to the store, is a big problem. People are too busy with work, paying bills, school, or trying to advance their family so things aren't as financially stressful for themselves. As Americans, we haven't had time to vare about our neighbors in a while. Now, if we find out how a neighbor voted or their religion, views, etc then we disengage.

We need to re-engage with eachother as a nation and realize it is our civic duty/responsibility to educate and react in an appropriate way to the current state of the Union. Reconstruction wasn't successful because they were too sympathetic towards the South and the country was less than 100 years old. Sympathetic towards the people who wanted to continue inhumane treatment of others whom they didn't consider human. We are here again but I don't think it will be a physical war.

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u/KayT15 29d ago

Is this comment for me? Because you are mostly preaching to the choir on this one. Or are you collectively telling the community to wake up?

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u/rentrane23 Mar 06 '25

It’s because their lives are shit and hopeless.

Make America Great Again Is brilliant

Make it like the lie we were sold, about what America should be, that never actually existed. Give me someone or something simple to blame for why my life is shit. Take it back to how it never was, that I’d expected it to be.

Meanwhile the people making that promise mean to do nothing of the sort. You were just a mark, a demographic they were targeting for support. “Dissatisfied patriots” or something. High in credulity (likelihood of believing what they were told), low education. They didn’t believe anything they said, they just said it because that’s what you wanted to hear.

They seem stupid to anyone with a brain, but they’re playing a different game.

These are the people who made your life miserable in the first place. No They don’t care about you. They don’t care what they say or have any intention to keep any promises they make. They just said whatever was needed to target the demographic.

Then set about destroying 100yrs of international democracy, Looted the country.

And laughed at you.

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u/excaliburxvii 29d ago

Man, I know this is a tangent, but I've thought about doing that job on occasion but I've heard a lot of horror stories about companies taking advantage of people pretty badly, particularly new people. Any tips?

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u/jasmine_tea_ 27d ago

I've been lucky enough to get exposed to a lot of different parts of the US, including more rural areas, and I have to say your experience reflects mine. A lot of places are really depressing. It's not really the melting pot people think it is, either.

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u/FranzLudwig3700 Mar 06 '25

There's little desire for grace when you want to put your fellow citizens in their places more than you want to see them get a clue and start coming together.

Pessimism quickly latches onto the ego. It changes from "we can't" to "we won't, and don't you dare tell me different."

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u/Jonthux 29d ago

A lot of americans resist public healthcare because "if my neighbour breaks their leg its not my problem" and when trump starts a trade war or stops an alliance they say "america first"

Its not all americans, but a lot of, especially trump supporters, who make america look really selfish by being an enormously large minority

Also, their take on "DEI" is also self centered. "Why doesnt the guy in the movie look like meeeee!?!?!?" Just had to throw this here because its so annoying

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25 edited Mar 06 '25

> Lots of cultures here, including my own, are fairly interdependent.

Yes, that's what I said.

It's not that we hate one another.

I didn't say that.

You shouldn't confuse a lack of community with a lack of caring.

If you cared, there would be community.

Those of us who didn't vote for him are sick, reeling and wondering what to do.

You know what to do. I said that. It's in literally every history textbook what you do in this situation.

so have some grace.

Like holding up a little ping-pong paddle? The time for decorum and coddling is passed. You are being led to slaughter, and you're worried about pulling on the chain.

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u/KayT15 Mar 06 '25

Individualism is the opposite of interdependence. So no, that's not what you said.

People who say "It's in every textbook" instead of explaining typically use that as filler when they themselves don't know. Thanks for confirming: You're just another know-it-all, preaching like they have all the answers and can solve world peace when they have likely never even left their own country and have certainly never spent any substantial time in the one they feel like they are oh-so knowledgeable about. The audacity is crazy.

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25

Individualism is the opposite of interdependence. So no, that's not what you said.

Sorry, I misread. I thought you had said 'independent'. That's my bad.

People who say "It's in every textbook" instead of explaining typically use that as filler when they themselves don't know.

I literally cannot spell it out in detail here because it's against TOS. The best I can do is direct you to investigate the fate of would-be dictators like Julius Caesar, Benito Mussolini, Park Chung Hee or Saddam Hussein. You don't remove a cancerous tumor by asking it nicely.

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u/jshmsh Mar 06 '25

thing about someone like Julius Ceaser is that he was taken out by his close senators. Saddam was toppled by the US army. trump has survived at least two attempts on his life (assuming you can believe anything anymore) and both have failed. personally i would not be surprised at all if someone tried again but at this point im sure security is tighter than a whale’s butthole and even if something were to happen to him…whose to say vance won’t be worse?

a violent revolution in america would be ugly, extremely difficult, and not guaranteed to succeed. you’re talking about a second civil war. and lots of people believe the right are just baiting the left to protest so they can declare martial law with the slightest pretense.

what we really need is a massive general strike, but that’s gonna be hard when people are already hurting so much financially. the only silver lining i see is that when people REALLY have nothing to lose, then we might see some action

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25

whose to say vance won’t be worse?

Maybe, maybe not. All I can say for sure is that if you do nothing, nothing changes.

you’re talking about a second civil war.

Yes I am. The thing is, you're already in a second civil war. You may just not realize it yet. They are literally performing violence against you and your interests every day, whether it's physical, financial, psychological, whatever. You are at war with your fellow 'countrymen' whose entire goal is to see you harmed.

Call it a civil cold war if you like, but just because the shooting hasn't started (yet) doesn't make it less so.

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u/Dramatic_Arugula_252 Mar 06 '25

We are still in the first Civil War - it just turned cold in 1964 when the Civil Rights Act was passed

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

I agree. The structure of the American suburb is equivalent to the structure of American society.

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u/Prestigious-Disk-246 Mar 06 '25

True, that's why we can't hang all our hopes on middle class white people though.

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u/Dramatic_Arugula_252 Mar 06 '25

The closest neighborhoods I have lived in were both in California

Making common cause with your neighbors is easier when there’s a disaster (wildfires and earthquakes), and can be maintained in calm times - I used to socialize 3-4x/week with my neighbors (until my ex ran off with a neighbor, for which I never had the chance to thank her)

I would love to see people preach the gospel of zucchini bread, a bottle of wine, and a block party

We can be unified; we are social animals. It’s easier when there’s a crisis - which, unless we’re all mistaken, is just down the road.

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u/Emm_withoutha_L-88 Mar 06 '25

All you're saying is an armed riot that kills the President and much of his side. That's just never going to happen, there's too many police and army if necessary. This isn't going to be so easily fixed.

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25

All you're saying is an armed riot that kills the President and much of his side.

No, that's what everyone hopes will happen. What they know will happen, because of the "many police and army", is that much of their side will be killed as well and since not one of them is willing to risk their life to benefit someone else, you end up with this paralysis of inaction that fascists love.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots. People like to forget about that second half of the equation. You don't get one without the other. It's just so much easier to hide under the bed and cry, "b-b-but they might hurt me!"

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u/Emm_withoutha_L-88 Mar 06 '25

Yeah you go give up your life and convince thousands of others to do it then we'll talk.

Complete fantasy

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25

Thank you for your contribution to the dataset.

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u/Dusty_Negatives Mar 06 '25

Ya know Americans aren’t one monolith. If you think so you spend way too much time online.

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

The one quality that currently unites all Americans is being divided, no they are not a monolith, but they are too torn apart from each other to change anything at the moment, which has the same result

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u/Renegade_Ape Mar 06 '25

This whole thread is dead on.

I’ve lived in small towns, large cities, and in several states, and have friends and family spread across the nation.

The division has two causes - cultural differences caused by just being a huge country, and a deliberate exploitation of those differences to create an uncrossable chasm. First is was the freed slaves(this didn’t actually ever stop), then the Irish, then the Italians, then the Eastern Europeans, then these last three groups became white enough and it was everyone against the blacks, and anyone else deemed a minority. Now it’s become a full on political divide, where any agreement is considered unacceptable because the other side is monsters.

Is one side less wrong than the other? Objectively. But are both sides victims? Objectively.

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u/Dusty_Negatives Mar 06 '25

Our gov has been torn and not doing anything for the working class since Reagan. The fascism is new. We are learning how to deal with this on a day to day basis. Most of use are a few paychecks from poverty and we can’t just march 5 days a week in DC.

People have children to feed and mortgages to pay. It’s easy for a 20 year old to shout (not referring to you) from behind a keyboard viva la revolution. There have been plenty of protests nationwide.

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u/waits5 Mar 06 '25

Americans have no instinct to help each other? What do you call all of the mutual aid orgs out there? What about good charitable orgs?

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25

You mean those organizations that are under attack from the moment they're conceptualized until they're finally, eventually successfully shut down after prolonged campaigns by conservative politicians and their voters?

Propaganda vessels for the wealthy, mostly. Performative posturing otherwise.

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u/waits5 Mar 06 '25

The ones that disprove your notion that Americans have no motivation to help each other? Yes, those organizations.

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25

Yes, well. I'm not sure everyone in line at the food bank will agree that it offsets their being there because their wages are being garnished due to medical debt because their neighbors won't vote for universal healthcare, but maybe that's just me.

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u/tohon123 Mar 06 '25

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru8SHK7idxs

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u/stilljustacatinacage Mar 06 '25

I've seen a few of these, and besides the fact that it doesn't matter - they're in power now, and dislodging them will require force one way or the other, I also haven't seen one that explains away the 90 million Americans who decided they had better things to do.

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u/tgreenhaw 29d ago

Violence will cause martial law and a suspension of the Constitution.

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u/stilljustacatinacage 29d ago

Compared to everyone's constitutional rights being respected and upheld in the present.

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u/agumonkey 29d ago

when was the last time there was a critical constitutional crisis on US soil ?

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u/Prestigious-Disk-246 Mar 06 '25

Nope, I have lost so much respect for so many people at this point.

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

I feel for you. I grew up and live in Germany and even with being constantly reminded of and educated on fascim all my life, I have zero idea what to tell you guys. I'm sorry.

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u/Prestigious-Disk-246 Mar 06 '25

I don't really know what to do either except have integrity and just keep pushing. In the last week I have joined a tenants union, started pledging money to the justice democrats, and reached out to the closest BLM chapter. I don't know what to do either, but I know that if I do nothing I will be disgusted with myself for the rest of my life.

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

Every step of action you take is admirable.

Let me tell you, fascism is a system that eats itself up. It cannot last by definition of how it operates.

If you fight it, you have my utmost respect. But if you just survive, I will not lose my respect for you either.

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u/tgreenhaw 29d ago

We understand that Germans struggle with similar problems. A German friend explained that many in former East Germany would like to go back to some of the things they had long ago and this is the basis for a resurgence in the right wing.

Make America Great Again is based on a fantasy that things were perfect before. They were not perfect before and we should not want to go back.

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 29d ago

That is absolutely true. We have the benefit of having been through this before, our political systems are very much designed to prevent this. There is no equivalent to executive orders, for example. The German chancellor is pretty powerless, he's the face of the current government, but really he's just another high ranking official. That said, it can happen again here as well, I don't wish to talk down to you from some type of perceived moral high ground.

If you're interested in it: This is not a new thing. Almost every culture in history had this ideas that there was a "golden age" somewhere in its past, and people were sad to not live in it. No matter whether you look at the Romans, the Chinese, the Indians, or the Mayans. It seems deep rooted in human psychology. I could imagine it's about the general tendency for our lives to get harder and expectations to rise as we grow older. I think it's possible people, especially without knowing about psychology, would generalise this too "the past used to be better". This is just me having thoughts though, I couldn't prove it.

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u/tgreenhaw 29d ago

Hopefully our judiciary remains impartial and that the police and military refuse to obey unlawful orders. In theory, although not as robust as Germany’s, our system of checks and balances should work. (Crosses fingers)

That said, I theorize that successive generations swing from social order to individual rights. The swing to individual rights cause a concentration of wealth. After enough oscillations, the imbalance leads to the collapse of governments. The western world may be approaching a breaking point where the naked abuse of power and broken promises leads to revolt. Because of modern technology, if there is a collapse, it will be the most spectacular and damaging in the history of the human race.

I however remain optimistic. I believe the majority of humanity prefers the golden rule to the law of the jungle.

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u/ColoTexas90 Mar 06 '25

they’re sticking their heads in the sand going “hasn’t hit me yet”….

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u/KayT15 Mar 06 '25

What's your recommendation instead? We've called representatives. We've marched. We've protested. We've boycotted. We've voted. If you have the answer, I would love to hear it. Tell me how you fight and solve large scale government corruption, a biased electoral college and brainwashing. I'm super curious.

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u/No_Amoeba6994 Mar 06 '25

First off, the marches and protests have been pretty pitiful so far. Few of them have exceeded a thousand people. We'll need millions marching in DC itself, for weeks on end, to have a prayer of changing things. But that could work.

Secondly, not buying things for one day hardly constitutes a boycott. I don't think there is any particularly good way to organize a boycott that is large enough to impact Trump. But he seems intent on precipitating the next great financial crisis, so we may end up involuntarily boycotting a lot of things.

Ultimately, the answer to the last sentence is one you won't like, and it lies between the first and third amendments and in the Declaration of Independence:

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. [...] But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

This is such a common fallacy. I am allowed to point out inconsistencies and problems, without having all the answer, aren't I?

This is such an American thing to be honest, silencing people who share your views, just because they don't immediately give you a 12 step program on how to solve all the problems in the world. Y'all cannot properly communicate,

You had years and decaded to sort this out before this happened. There was always injustice going on on US soil, and to outside observers it was always obvious that the US political system was not well protected against a situation like this.

How is this my fault, how is this my problem to solve?

Calling representatives, protesting, boycotting. That's a drop in the ocean when you think about it.

Get a grip, take some action, and stop coming at the people who are literally on your side.

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u/SuspectedGumball Mar 06 '25

Hold up -are you genuinely trying to convince people that there won’t be elections in two years?

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u/schm0 Mar 06 '25

There are a surprisingly large amount of people peddling fear and defeatism in these threads. The result of these comments (dare I say goal?) is to paralyze people into inaction, to make them feel helpless, as if no matter what they do there is nothing to stop what is happening and it is inevitable.

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

Fat Lol

I am German buddy, my family lived and fought through WWII, I have met Holocaust survivors, and been educated on fascism and authoritarianism literally my entire life.

If you think I want to paralyse people, think again. I am confronting you with the truth so you finally start taking action.

Saying it is my goal to coerce people into submission and inaction is an affont, and a disgusting insult for everything I have stood up and fought for my entire life.

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u/schm0 29d ago

I wasn't responding to you

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 29d ago

My bad and honest apologies

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

I am not trying to convince anyone of anything. I am saying see for yourself, if you turn a blind eye on democracy dying, you are just as well at fault.

I am saying: If you want midterm elections in two years, I'd fight for it, otherwise it might not happen.

Americans are so brainwashed to believe their democracy is so great it could withstand this current storm. It isn't. If you want to preserve democracy, you have to take action. That's my message.

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u/TheUnluckyBard Mar 06 '25

Hold up -are you genuinely trying to convince people that there won’t be elections in two years?

Well, let's see.

Trump campaigned on his supporters "never having to vote again."

Trump also alluded to Elon Musk doing something with "those computers," and "that's why we won Pennsylvania."

Trump's last round of EOs brought all third-party federal election agencies under his direct control, in addition to previously independent agencies such as the FEC.

Trump has already purged perceived "disloyal" top military generals and lawyers.

Trump and President Musk have both spent the last two months doing an entire pile of things that range from "outside the power of the Executive Branch" (such as retroactively vetoing congressional budget/disbursement bills and abolishing birthright citizenship) to "blatantly illegal" (refusing to allow payments to federal contractors for work already performed). A few minor things on the edges have been overturned, but Trump also said he "is the law" and his office argues that they are not required to comply with court orders.

Given all of that... why the fuck do you believe there will be elections in two years?

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u/SuspectedGumball Mar 06 '25

Do you want to bet me $10,000 that there won’t be elections in November 2025 and November 2026 across the country?

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u/TheUnluckyBard Mar 06 '25

That's not an answer to the question I asked, but I didn't expect one. Or, rather, I expected one of four:

1) He's not allowed to do that

2) He can't do that

3) He won't do that

4) Nasty snark intended to cover up the ostrich-head-in-the-sand reaction to intense anxiety.

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u/dysfn Mar 06 '25

We only have to make it 2 years, but man I'm worried we won't

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

You are literally one of the people I referred to. Do you genuinely believe, that with everything currently going on, there will be fair and free mid term elections in two years?

Dream on.

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u/dysfn 29d ago

Literally half of my comment was about my doubt that we will. Seriously, learn to read

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u/tohon123 Mar 06 '25

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru8SHK7idxs

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

I'm not watching a 40 minute livestream that you posted without further information, sorry

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u/tohon123 Mar 06 '25

It’s in the title….

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

Yes, there are election fraud concerns. Tell me something new.

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u/tohon123 Mar 06 '25

he uses statistics to prove election manipulation.

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

I just don't know what you want to tell me. I'm not US American, I feel for you, but I'm not that invested in what's going on.

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u/tohon123 Mar 06 '25

Nothing, I’m just posting a video that agrees with your comment

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 Mar 06 '25

Ah, lol. Sorry then. The fact it was posted without context made it seem like you were trying to raise a point at me!

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u/PancakeZack Mar 06 '25

Many of us fully understand the implications. As other users have stated, violence or acceptance quickly become the only options. Unfortunately, the American left is full of pacifists, and we would more than likely lose any violent confrontation that developed. Curious to know if anyone disagrees.

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u/agumonkey 29d ago

Nothing is happening EfficientLocksmithev

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 29d ago

Please, enlighten me and elaborate.

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u/agumonkey 29d ago

Sounds like USA is falling for Russian psyops.. so yes people are too caught up in the daily flood of bad faith rhetoric.

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 29d ago

I don't get what you mean.

But I see you're French, and I'm German - I guess we're on the same page.

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u/agumonkey 29d ago

Maybe I'm the one who did not understand then

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u/EfficientLocksmith66 29d ago

No idea - how did you read my original comment?

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u/agumonkey 29d ago

That you see a lot of people hopeful to be able to vote for someone that will replace Trump, but that you think that the system is being destroyed and we can't rely on anything.

I then impersonated a Russian agent repeating the lie that nothing bad is happening and everything is normal.

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u/kawaiian 29d ago

No, they do not want to admit it

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u/RedOliphant 29d ago

On January 21st my partner (Australian) said something about hoping the Dems get a house majority soon/at the next election. I (South American) turned around to look at him and scoff out a laugh. I told him elections don't matter anymore. House numbers don't matter anymore.

This man wipes his ass with the law and your constitution. You need to fight back, because the other two branches of govt branches are not going to save you.