How much will Americans accept before they start acting?

[guillaumeb]

Many Americans will happily accept restrictions on free speech. The vast majority of Americans do not demonstrate anyway, and do not write letters to the editor. Free speech is a theory, a concept to them, something they might have briefly read about in school, and then promptly forgot after the test.

Many Americans will accept that the press is mainly corporate owned. These Americans get their information from FOX. They are far more interested in their reality television, or sports news, than in reality.

Many Americans will accept that the war machine consumes 60% of discretionary spending. They unquestioningly accept the myth that the US war budget is actually defensive in nature. They do not know that the US has thousands of military bases all over the planet, and if they did know, they would rationalize this also as defensive in nature because America is the good guy.

Many Americans will accept that the oil industry is ruining the planet. As long as their gas is relatively cheap they do not care about ruined rivers, ruined landscapes in coal country, and the other ruined land in the many national sacrifice zones. They care about their daily commute, and their ability to go places quickly.

Many Americans accept without question that capitalism is the best economic system in the world. They call themselves capitalists even if they have no savings to rely on. They accept that capitalism is of course better than socialism because they have been taught, or rather indoctrinated, that capitalism=freedom and socialism=rationing. And this indoctrination is not questioned even as income inequality grows every year.

So what will it take? Is it the frog in a pot of water syndrome, where the frog does not jump as long as the heat under the pot is slowly increased?

[SHRED]

1. The streets filled the day after inauguration

This momentum needs to be sustained.

[guillaumeb]

2. Agreed. But I also feel that more people neeed to make the connections

between capitalism and the natural results of a capitalist philosophy.

[brooklynite]

3. Can I point out that most people in the world believe capitalism is better than socialiam?

Even in "socialist" countries in Scandanavia?

[guillaumeb]

5. Surveys show a strong appreciation of socialism.

And unrestrained capitalism is much like a cancer. And US capitalism is predatory as well. The endless mergers that do nothing for the workers while hugely rewarding the 1%.

The Walmart model of business.

[MineralMan]

4. That will vary widely among different groups.

[guillaumeb]

6. Would you elaborate? eom

[MineralMan]

7. Really? Different people do different things.

I'm surprised you hadn't noticed that. The crowds that showed up the day after the inauguration and who are showing up at town halls and elsewhere are doing one thing. Others are doing nothing. Still others are communicating with legislators.

Everyone acts in his or her own way.

[guillaumeb]

8. True, a very few will take direct action of any type.

But the vast majority sit back and ignore what is happening, or do nothing because they feel it is useless.

Millions did demonstrate, but in a country of 325 million, 3 million is 1%.

And in an election between a very well-qualified, experienced person and a misogynistic, racist, lying con man who uses bankruptcy as his preferred tool, the con man won. And 41% of registered voters could not be bothered to vote. Their inaction had a huge consequence.

[MedusaX]

9. When it "hits home"

Old joke:

Communist is talking to farmer...
promoting "benefits" of communism..
He is providing examples of how such a system works...
C: "if a farmer has 2 tractors, we take 1 and give it to a farmer who had no tractor. Now both farmers have a tractor to use."

F: "Sounds pretty good so far... but could you give me one more example just to make sure I am understanding it right?"

C: "Sure, let's say a farmer has 2 cows. We take one cow and give it to a farmer who had no cow. Now each farmer has a cow to provide milk."

F: "Communism is horrible. I am not interested."

C confused) "But, you said it sounded good, what changed your mind?"

F: "I have 2 cows."

[guillaumeb]

10. Thanks for the "humor". Humor teaches us much.

But in the US, widening income inequality is promoting the rats in a cage syndrome, where, as food is decreased, the rats become less social and fight over what food there is.

So we have workers who are barely making a living fighting undocumented immigrants rather than banding together in unions and demanding more from the bosses.

[Zoonart]

11. IMO

When they kill net neutrality... and it becomes prohibitively expensive to spend all day on Facebook and Tinder. When they cannot spend every waking hour streaming music and entertainment at will. When it becomes too expensive to maintain the texting and selfie habit. THATS when they will get angry.

[guillaumeb]

12. So when the GOP takes away their digital drugs?

Well, the GOP, acting for the 1%, has already taken away living wage jobs from millions, replacing them with Walmart type jobs. So I have less hope than you.