Donald Trump’s win continues to bring out the very worst in his supporters.
Summary
Donald Trump’s re-election has fueled a surge in misogynistic, homophobic, and racist rhetoric among young men, reportedly emboldened by the president-elect’s history of inflammatory remarks about women.
In schools, boys have been caught using phrases like “your body, my choice” against female peers, prompting districts like Minnesota’s Hopkins Public Schools to issue warnings to parents about harassment.
The impact extends beyond schools, with activists on Texas State University’s campus displaying signs asserting that “women are property.”
This hostile climate has left many women feeling unsafe as a new far-right administration takes power.
College-educated white women backed Harris. All college-educated groups did. Maybe Democrats should work on making college more affordable, and accessible to women with small children. Frankly we should anyway. We should also start helping girls that get pregnant in high school finish with their diploma so college will be an option in their future. Especially since more of them are going to be forced to carry the pregnancy to term.
Maybe Democrats should work on making college more affordable
Why do you think the wingers reacted so much to having loan forgiveness? Anything that educates more people is something they fear. Having people not being saddled with crippling debts after school only sends a message to others that maybe education is a path for them. The wingers don't want an educated citizenry.
The DoE is already under attack. It’s part of Project 2025, and they’re laying the groundwork for it already. They’re going to work hard to ensure education is difficult to access and/or neutralized as much as possible.
We thought we could bargain with and persuade "conservatives". They voted for this, they are okay with women dying in hospitals because the doctors can't legally intervene. The supposed "Pro Life" party. I wasn't okay with abortion early in my male, hetero, American, white, life but now I see. They are only pro-fetus. Once a child is born, Republicans don't care if they starve, if they have access to clean water, if they can afford food, if they have shelter, if they are raped, etc... Multiply that by about 100x if they don't have white skin.
"Conservatives" are almost as bad as MAGAts, and just as unreachable with reason, logic, and empathy. I don't have a solution, I'm just pissed off. And I'm far from the most-harmed people will be the result of this greed, racism, apathy, and hate. Sorry...
Wow, the guy who bragged about how he sexually assaults anyone he finds attractive, talked about how he had the same "on the younger side" tastes as his best friend Jeff, talked about how he liked hosting beauty pageants because it gave him an excuse to walk in on girls while they were changing, etc emboldened other people to act the same way? Utter shock. This could never have been anticipated
Tbh, for me, I’m realizing it’s triggering a sort of sea-change in terms of how I, as a citizen, want to interact with American society.
Laws, ethics, human dignity and empathy clearly aren’t important to people here. Money and power are. This is fully incongruent with my personal beliefs in a variety of fundamental ways. I’ve tried to aim my career at areas that are going to help better society - that’s a big part of why I work at an oncology-focused biotech now. But like… I’m faced with the realization that this country just doesn’t share my values, and doesn’t actually care that I willingly take markedly less compensation than, say, working at Meta, and it’s primarily because I want to make the world a better place.
I admit it’s starting to feel like an abusive relationship. I don’t think the world is going to become a better place in my lifetime. It’s going to get a lot worse in a lot of ways. My initial reaction was to begin taking steps to just fully fuck off from this country, and find someplace else with a society that hasn’t fully eaten itself. Try to keep my sanity and ethics in one piece by finding a new society to call home that’s not America.
But I ALSO have begun to realize in the last couple days that there’s another darker path I could take that denys the society I’ve honestly come to resent pretty strongly the my true capabilities and abusive consumption of my efforts: Malicious compliance. I could just fully jettison my ethical guidelines and engineering principles and simply min/max the absolute fuck out of comp and just retire early. Work for Meta or OpenAI or some health insurance company or whatever the fuck is the absolute most lucrative job I can find and just fully shoot for leadership metrics, not really fucking caring about the toxicity of the management class, the morale or well being of my team, the impact my work has on society, the quality, reliability, and integrity of the code I ship, or any of that ivory tower crap I’ve previously held as crucial elements to my profession. Stop trying to move the needle in the right direction. All gas, no brakes. If this country is determined to not give a fuck, why should I? Why shouldn’t I try to get to a place in my career where I can just retire, or do whatever I want without worrying too much about the personal consequences, because I can just fuck off at my own discretion due to money?
And the second, darker option has the added benefit that I wouldn’t have to essentially abandon my family here, who are definitely not considering moving away as seriously as I am. My parents are both not in the best of health; maybe I should try to at least spend some more time closer to them before I just fuckin leave - or at least, as long as I can stand it here before the “fuck off and leave” route is truly the only viable option.
America is dead to me. As a European, I already had a pretty negative view of the states, I especially hate the worse parts of American culture that seep in into our lives, since sniffing US ass is what we do best apparently. But now, what makes America any better than let's say Russia? The fact that people have running water at home? America doesn't even have a human rights committee! This moment for ever changes how I see Americans, a sort of no way back. It's a nation of bloodthirsty traitors! Blessings and good luck to anybody who still has a hint of normalcy in them. May you one day rebirth your country as a force for good once again.
I'm feeling the same mostly. I don't make as much money as you, but I'm ok because I don't have kids and I'm in a low COL area. Which means I travel much of the time and leave my wife undefended. She is open to getting a pistol and learning. I'm getting a rifle. We can't leave because her mom is elderly and will not leave. Hell we've just got her convinced to move 20 miles to live with us.
Once her mom lives out her life we will have options. We can see how bad it plays out. I want to move to Uruguay or Costa Rica badly.
When I have gone through this thought process lately, I’ve concluded that even if I plan my life in the most cold robotic way possible, my mental health and general well-being are at their best when I am compassionate towards those around me.
So first you must ask yourself what your true goal is. Do you want to “win” some shallow materialistic version of life? Or do you want to help others, or just be happy regardless of what it takes? Then that helps inform later decisions.
My automatic assumption has always been that saving everything, retiring early, and being a recluse was my path to a happy existence. It’s just what I felt I wanted to do. I bet I’m not alone there.
But then I had the great luck to have COVID come around and fuck up my career and finances in a few different ways. Now I’m stable again at work and my finances are a disaster, but I’ve waded through so much shit mentally that even though big retirement account balances feel great, that’s not what creates real joy, contentment, and even optimism.
…In my brain anyway. It’s like we all have slightly different owners manuals but we don’t get a copy of it and have to reverse-engineer it. In my case I had some things I cared about a lot get torn away, but I still had my family, and I realized that without that stuff that got taken away I was still the same person and was just fine. That definitely flipped a switch or two. Well, that and a grueling couple years dialing in medications, lol. Anything that helps!
I originally wanted to do what you've done, but eventually fell on the idea that the country is essentially beyond saving. Should this hold true, the best option then is to join a grassroots movement and begin building an alternative economy from the ground up as a ready replacement for the collapse of the current system. Join a socialist organization, work for a land trust, start building cooperatives and alternative food systems, etc.
Anybody who's surprised should take a deep look in the mirror. You bitches elected a literal rapist into the white house. This is the "great" leader republicans rally behind!
This is all those bastards at CERN's fault! Somehow the LHC pulled us into a shittier universe where Hitler 2.0 rises to power and there is a series of books called "The Barenstain Bears" instead of "The Bearenstein Bears."
And people need to stop giving that 40% a free ride. They also wanted this. Fuck them.
We have the same issue in Ontario where our conservative leader Doug Ford won a majority with like 19% of Ontarians actually voting for him. This means for the majority of Ontarians they were comfortable sitting at home fingering their grandma. So fuck them yes they did want this.
More like 74.2 millions out of over 231 millions eligible to vote. Still not a majority, but the 86 millions who didn't vote are at least complicit. And 160 millions are a majority.
Those of good conscience running in fear from orange stupidity didn't understand why others of good conscience were digging trenches: You can't outrun stupid. We fight or we die.
Weren't the Gilead states [1] already doing measures like that under Biden? I thought people (sheriffs, deputies, "concerned" citizens) were watching certain roads that led to free states like Colorado.
[1] I still chuckle at a certain poster on Denver Post forums that would whine every single time I used that phrase, claiming there was no such thing. I'd ask him if he didn't think his own con movement and Republican Party weren't striving for exactly that kind of treatment. He never had an answer of course. But he'd go whining to the mods about it and how unfair it was to point out their own agenda.
I've been very frustrated that these guys bad behavior is being generalized to all guys. I'm viewed with suspicion despite taking active steps to make things better for the women in my life. I'm not perfect, and I have my moments, but I'm not the undatable Republican dude we're talking about here.
This isn't the women's fault, but I wish I could give some of these asshole misogynists a kick in the face for fucking it up for the rest of us. Having said that, I will be ban happy as a motherfucker the next time I run public events (used to teach classes, think dance, yoga, etc.)
It's the point where we have to be anti instead of just not.
Being anti racist, anti sexist, etc. Calling out the behavior at every turn instead of when it's especially egregious or burying our heads in the sand as was the norm for decades before.
women shouldn't need to kill people in order to live in the US. And their assailants almost certainly also have access to firearms because, the US (either legally or in violation of red flags etc).
people shouldn't need to kill just to go about their fucking lives.
I will tell you that middle schoolers these days just say the dumbest shit. Like lines they've heard others say but have no idea what it means.
And they argue over the dumbest shit too. Anyways this is just me saying this story fits well with my current understanding of young kids in school. I think its only news because it related to trump and the election, and thats worth money nowadays.
Remember, the news stories we are served are chosen by profitability rather than social impact.
As someone who grew up pre-Internet, I will say that the Internet was not required for middle schoolers to say dumb shit. In fact, as I saw the "information superhighway" blooming, my hope was that the dumb shit would be squelched a bit by people being able to look up and fact-check all the really stupid stuff I'd hear.
That didn't pan out, and in fact, I wonder if Gen Z will be one of the very most reactionary "generation" to come down the pike. Boomers got a lot of shit despite a lot of them pushing leftward very hard when they were young, and now I'm hearing lots of dumb things about Gen X and Gen Y (and people in the Gen X age bracket falling for "but mah expensive bacon" I kind of get - both age groups are perhaps in the place where they are caring for older parents AND younger), but Gen Z?
WTAF. I mean they are very, very young, and they broke right? When donnie was the option? I seriously do think the Youtube/Tiktok effect is being seen here...
Tbh, this is all a fucking distraction from the class war that the oligarchs are winning without competition. And what a distraction it is! The cure to all these ills is higher taxes on the wealthy, but I don’t think any of those reforms are going to be remotely possible now lol
LPT: I’m not opening this shit. I’m holding my family close. I’m gonna work my job. I’m gonna exercise and get sleep. I’m gonna stay healthy. I’m gonna vote in 4 years for a better president.
But I’m not going to turn my guts into knots over shit I cannot change. I’m not going to let the noise bury me.
Voting won’t save us. Not trying to throw a wrench in your plans to stay healthy and happy. But true mutual aid is what is most necessary now. Voting is what got us into this mess. Incrementalist politics will not save the climate, will not save us from fascism.
It’s the hard truth that the ownership class has brought to our lives. It’s the logical outcome of capitalism. This is sort of the endgame. We fight now. Relying on voting alone only enables more of the same. We’ve been trying to vote as long as the system has been around. And it’s led us here.
Voting is most likely still part of they way forward. Most of your comment is true, but as long as we have a democracy we have to vote.
Not voting is what got us into this. Harris turnout was lower than Biden's. Trump turnout was about the same as last time. Don't ever tell people not to vote. It's too easy to for us not to take advantage of it.
What's your plan to overthrow the government, in practical terms? How many casualties are acceptable? Do you even have a plan? Or are you just trying to vent?
Next election is in two years. Don't forget midterms. Make sure you're informed about local elections too. They can make more of a difference to you, and they also get people into positions they can move upward from.
Unrelated, but there was another article that showed up when i scrolled down about the Dems holding the PA House that was really interesting:
"Burns, a conservative anti-abortion Democrat, has drawn the ire of the Pennsylvania GOP for some time now, as his seat was viewed as a vulnerable blue dot in a sea of red. But he was able to maintain his seat thanks to an influx of cash ($3.4 million from the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee) and a potent advertising blitz to keep Democrats in control of the state House.
One ad the Burns campaign ran capitalized on his conservative views, stoking anti-immigration based fear and casting Bradley as against Trump’s draconian immigration plans. “President Trump supports secure borders and putting America first. But Amy Bradley doesn’t,” the ad stated menacingly. It was a successful tactic for Burns in his otherwise deep red district."
That's a sign to me that people aren't as huge a fan of MAGA as one would believe and the voting base is more fluid. Not saying Dems should shift to anti-immigration / anti-abortion, but locally they should be more strategic about how they play these things. We don't have to agree with everything a down-ticket Democrat does... if they need to adjust their positions based on local sentiment we should be open to that as long as nationally we know where we stand.
That's what MAGA did with abortion...nationally oppose it, but claim to "give the choice to the states" to placate local fears. Localized and targeted messaging. If they don't want student loan forgiveness, don't run a single ad about student loan forgiveness in that state/county. If they mainly about immigration, make every ad about what the immigration bill would've done, that Trump/MAGA blocked it, that "BLOOD IS ON THEIR HANDS" as MAGA would put it.
Don't give up our overall ideals but start to better recognize that everyone has different priorities and we need to build a popular movement that connects with everyone.
Very much this. Democrats largely saw big wins for state-wide elections in my state (North Carolina). Yet, Trump took the electors, implying that there were people who voted for Democrats locally but not for Kamala. I know people on this site like to say that MAGA is what America wanted, but I think the support is tentative at best. If a good choice from Democrats emerges, they can definitely sweep.
i really love seeing this narrative again. i watched it last time he was elected, now i'm watching it again. it's the left's own brand of mysogyny, and it's not making women any safer.
Expect this to escalate to really bad levels. Not just by women getting raped, but those awful men getting "what they deserve", which will lead to further escalations. All because of they wanted what those stupid Coca-Cola and gas stove ads depicted.
The 2nd Ammendment remains a thing in MAGAstan America, and women retain the right to arm themselves for self-defense. Stand your ground is for women too.
I think that is the way we could get them. Just take their points and extrapolate to accelerate their narrative to a point they can't control it any more.
Eventually I will be divorced but I can't exactly cash out my half of the equity in the home without making her homeless. If she's still my property anyone I'll take $80k, no warranty, sales final. Comes with free baggage and would make a great drill instructor. Low mileage, but unreliable and untrustworthy. Pretty to look at though.
While I understand the implications, the headline is still pretty misleading. The article mentions no threat of rape.
Of course, "your body, my choice" could be taken that way, but I read it as them lording their control over women's bodies, not as a direct that of rape.
Overall though, this is still bad. Like third act of a film with no happy ending in sight bad.
Doing something to someone's body, neglecting their will is the definition of rape. Well as long as it's sexual, which in this case it is. But if we want to take implications a bit further, since abortion is illegal now in some states, it could also be seen as a death threat depending on where you are.
I’ve lived with someone who came out as an unapologetic white Christian supremacist shortly before moving out. He definitely held these beliefs and cited “the old ways things were”.
Sounds a lot like "we wish all the men just disappeared", "I would rather be with a bear", and "they are useless anyway and we dont need them for anything". I just can't figure out why men didn't vote for more of that?
Equalization often feels like oppression to the dominant group that's been favored and catered to in society's history. Like Christians being upset over secular public institutions, or some white Americans thinking they were the victims when Jim Crow laws were overturned.
Um, but even if that were true, how is donnie going to change the minds of millions of women? I swear, some people seem to think he has a magic wand or something. Like he's going to somehow set up every incel with a bombshell that's so very into him...