this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
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No Stupid Questions

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[–] MyNamesTotallyRobert@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

I don't know, but I know of one thing citizens SHOULDN'T do to prevent their country enabling genocide. That is forfeiting their future by electing a dictator that might genocide poor people on the other side of the world a little less in exchange for giving up freedoms. I get it. Voluntarily making our lives worse/harder because it might help poor people in another country sounds like a grand and noble thing to do. But now they're sending American citizens to concentration camps. If you think this was a fair trade, just block me right now. Don't be like gen Z and swing voters in the 2024 US election. Sometimes you just have to choose to save yourself first.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 16 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Unless you're a billionaire or willing to go full Player 2, there's nothing you can do on a macro scale.

You can, in your little slice of the world, do good things. When ICE asks you if you've seen someone, you tell them you haven't. If you're walking past a business getting raided and see a brown person, you tell them to turn around and get away. If you run a school and ICE shows up, you stand up for the kids they're trying to kidnap. If you see ICE kidnapping someone, at minimum, film and post it. If there's a group of people willing to physically intervene, join them.

That's it.

Voting doesn't solve this because all Democrats have to offer is strongly-worded letters, and Donald uses those letters to wipe Elon Musk's ass. Their choice was aiding and abetting fascism or getting richer, and they chose the money.

[–] systemglitch@lemmy.world 14 points 9 hours ago

Become Luigi.

[–] Emergency3030@lemmy.world 7 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Next election vote EVERYONE OUT. No Republicans (MAGA) should be left in Congress to make sure they give a hell to Trump and force him to quit (almost near impossible) but that's the only way

[–] OmegaLemmy@discuss.online -3 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

the SPD and KPD should've just voted the Nazis out of power, right guys?

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca -3 points 4 hours ago

It's worse than that. The guy is suggesting to replace the Nazis with Nazis-lite lol

[–] ryan_@lemmy.world 57 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

Vote with your wallet. Money is the only thing that matters to the people in charge here

[–] the_q@lemm.ee 35 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

This but big. Large scale disruption to the economy would do a lot toward fixing problems.

[–] 69420@lemmy.world 27 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Exactly. Here's a thought... and I'm just spitballing here: tariffs. Then take them away. Then add them again. Then take them away. Then add them again. /s

[–] StupidBrotherInLaw@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Someone get this chap to run for office!

[–] mjhelto@lemm.ee 6 points 11 hours ago

Look, we don't just elect anyone, here. How many pussies have they grabbed? How many bankruptcies? These kinds of things are the bedrock of our election standards, established in 2015, and cannot, in good conscience, be unanswered.

[–] FriendOfDeSoto@startrek.website 4 points 16 hours ago

That's some cool stable genius shit!

[–] AreaKode@lemmy.world 7 points 18 hours ago

The harmful corruption must be torn down before peaceful negotiation may take place.

[–] Nomecks@lemmy.ca 3 points 18 hours ago

So just sit back and let Trump do his thing?

[–] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 3 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Thanks for attempting an answer. I've got to say this feels laughable in light of what's going on.

[–] match@pawb.social 0 points 4 hours ago

"vote with your wallet" while our wallets are empty

[–] Pat12@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Can you give some examples?

[–] recently_Coco@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Buy local, in cash.

Every card transaction benefits the big credit card companies, all of which are complicit. Local businesses are some of the ones hit hardest from all of this and will need your support.

Avoid chains owned by local folks, too. Those big chains still benefit even if it's your neighbor that owns the local McDonalds.

Support things the government is trying to destroy, like your local library, and your local stores that sell LGBT positive merchandise.

Make friends with your neighbors. Grow things in your yard that they need and trade for stuff you need. Many folks that seem in agreement with all of this really aren't if you know them. We are stronger together.

In regards to home gardens, Not everyone needs everything, but everyone needs something. If you can get chickens or some kind of egg laying fowl, then that's a possibility as well. Guineas are fighters and do well in areas without a lot of brush or low trees.

Bike as much as you can. Avoid gas as much as you can. Ride the bus or a train. Don't fly anywhere. Install solar panels if you are able. Capture rain water and use it for your garden.

Buy used as much as possible, especially clothes.

Replace your single use materials in your home with reusable ones. Rags instead of paper towels, glass containers instead of plastic ones, metal straws, and a water pick instead of floss.

Make things. Anything. Don't monetize your hobbies, share them instead. Trade homemade goods and art for other stuff.

Avoid the dollar as much as possible, and use cash when you can't.

[–] ryan_@lemmy.world 10 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Where possible, avoid buying from companies that are complicit. It’s not always possible but it’s worth trying.

I’ve used apps like this to help make decisions:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/no-thanks-app/id6476206516

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 5 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

Where possible, avoid buying from companies that are complicit.

Unless you buy from local creators/farmers, EVERYONE is complicit.

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Simply existing is destroying the planet, so, like many things, you practice harm reduction. If I need to buy hardware or tools, and there's no local shop, I go to Lowe's. Not because Lowe's is awesome, it's a shitty corporation. But because Home Depot donates money to groups that practice gay conversion therapy, which is worse than anything I know of that Lowe's does.

Pretty much every decision you make can be about harm reduction on some level. Don't let perfect be the enemy of better.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 6 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

My problem is that I never even HEARD of the Home Depot thing.

Here's one you may or may not know about. Nestle actually engages in and uses literal slave labor to grow coco beans in other countries.

So you think "well, how hard is it really to just buy hersheys chocolate instead? And buy your cookies from local bakeries?"

Except no. Nestle is more than just chocolate. It's like hundreds of brands. I'm constantly checking packaging now to see if their logo is on products. It owns DiGorno pizza. It owns Hot Pockets. It owns water bottles. It's like half the grocery store. And that's just ONE COMPANY!!!

My issue isn't accepting that you're right. My issue is keeping track of it all. I've hated Nestle since 2012. I didn't realize the scope of their brands until 2020. I think they even own a pet food company that makes dog food and cat food. Now granted I don't have pets, so I'd not have delt with that, but still.

I only have so many brain cells left to rot before I'm a full on dementia ridden crazy person who thinks it's still the Nixon years, despite the fact I was born in 1983.

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 12 hours ago

It was about the same years for me that I realized the scale of evil at Nestle, followed by learning they make everything. In fact we were even born the same year.

I hear you. All we can do is our best.

[–] throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.works 3 points 14 hours ago

But your local farmers likely voted for the more genocidal candidate. Does that count as being complicit?

Also, their seeds likely have to rebought every year from some corporation, due to patents BS, meaning you are still indirectly supporting evil.

Ah fuck, we're all gonna end up in The Bad Place.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 2 points 17 hours ago

Not every one but all mega corps for sure and we are mostly fucked by them...

[–] puppycat@lemmy.blahaj.zone 44 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

join your local protests today :)

if protests didn't work they wouldn't try so hard to fight it/buty it

they say violence is never the answer but historically, well, history disagrees.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 15 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

My issue is I never know there ARE protests until like 4 days after it happened.

[–] puppycat@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 16 hours ago

ugh. for real though lol

I've been recommended 50501 and mobilize.us

there's also !50501@piefed.social and !Mirror@50501.chat on lemmy

[–] angelmountain@feddit.nl 8 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Speak up, tell people what you think and why.

If that doesn't work: something was added to your constitution for this situation, the second amendment. You can use your six shooter to go up to the government's tank and gunships. Good luck.

[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

We don't put it in the tourism brochures, but it turns out guns are really expensive. Which sucks because the fash seem to have all the money at the moment.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 25 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

The Spanish went on general strike to stop their country's complicity in genocide, but failing that you can start with these guys. You can just write BDS on Wikipedia if you want to know what they're about, but this site has plenty of concrete, actionable steps you can take to reduce your, your community's, your workplace's and—with enough people on board—your country's complicity in genocide. I'd suggest looking into apartheid-free zones as a start. I also want to note that the best thing you can do for Palestinians is to spread the word and get more people on the side of humanity.

Also, if you're not already doing so, organize in your community and workplace, and use your collective leverage to push for causes you care about. Be an active participant in the fight against fascism and for democracy, equity and solidarity. These values, I should add, are already mutually exclusive with Zionism, so you'd be hitting two birds with one stone.

Edit: In case anyone wants assurance that this works (or just wants to enjoy some economic schadenfreude), enjoy.

[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Spain did not go to general strike.

A general strike was convoked by a small union (as it is their right) and basically no one seconded the strike.

I don't think I could, on good faith, call it a general strike if basically no one stopped working. Was a very minoritarian thing. General strike was called as it is a right unions have, but if workers decide not to follow there's not a real strike to talk about.

Source: I'm Spanish and I clearly remember first hand what happened.

Second source: https://funcionpublica.digital.gob.es/dam/es/portalsefp/funcion-publica/dialogo-social/seguimiento-huelgas/27_9_2024_Datos_Huelga_General_convocada_por_CGT_y_SUO.pdf Strike supporting numbers for AGE workers. As you see about 1% of public workers followed the strike.

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Buy a gun, and start learning to use it. Now is not the time, but be prepared should it.

[–] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 10 points 18 hours ago

Stop supporting the right wing duopoly that enabled it

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 8 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

On an individual level one should also start getting fit and learning basic defensr/boxing.

E: To be clear I am not saying we should start fights, but fitness is overall useful and healthy. Being able to defend oneself is important to confidently defuse a situation too.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 12 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Fuck I'll say that. The best thing for everybody is if Nazis are physically afraid to walk the streets.

[–] centof@lemm.ee 7 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Bold of you to assume they walk anywhere. This is America not communist China with public sidewalks and transit.

/s

[–] Crazyslinkz@lemmy.world 6 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Sing a bar of Alice's restaurant...

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 1 points 18 hours ago

You can get anything you want

[–] Chivera@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago

Turning it off and on again

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 4 points 17 hours ago

Not much that will have direct actionable results tbh but it doesn't mean you should not a proper position within your abilities.

Boycott, awareness spreading, voting but that's even more limited

Just generally going into opposition v the two party regime that ensures that there is no viable way to stop the us from supporting Israel

[–] Genius@lemmy.zip 2 points 17 hours ago