When is it time to GTFO? - Page 9 - Politics and Economics

Nich, how does any of this seem doomsday prepper to you? There's a good handful of countries that are at least arguably if not clearly better places to live than the US aorn, including yours.

02-14-2018 , 12:11 AM

#202

Johnny Truant

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There are a number of stops between here and concentration camps that may warrant relocating. And interestingly, even in that worst case scenario there are usually many stops along the way where people absolutely believe it won’t get as bad as it does, like right up until it does.

But you are probably right. Nothing like that could ever happen here. Americans are just too exceptional. Smart. Tough. Freedom loving. Brave. It’s right in the song, ffs.

02-14-2018 , 12:16 AM

#203

Nichlemn

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Quote:

Um, if I lived in Russia I'd be trying like hell to GTFO.

Maybe so, but there'd have been no real need to preemptively plan your escape.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zikzak

Nich, how does any of this seem doomsday prepper to you? There's a good handful of countries that are at least arguably if not clearly better places to live than the US aorn, including yours.

The OP invoked the spectre of Nazi Germany, while Trolly claimed that minorities should have already had an emergency escape plan. Let's not be obtuse and pretend this is a thread about discussing what the nicest places to live are. This is about people who genuinely fear that Trump is some kind of proto-Hitler.

02-14-2018 , 12:24 AM

#204

ScreaminAsian

For President

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33,333

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nichlemn

If you want to argue that Trump is slowly undermining democratic norms in such a way that the probability of the US falling into authoritarianism in the next few decades is somewhat higher, then I don't really disagree.

However, if you genuinely think that it's a worthwhile use of your time (in an instrumental way, not like a "haha how would you prepare for a zombie apocalypse" kind of way) to have a plan to move before Eternal Leader Trump sends you to a concentration camp, then you really are just as deluded as any other doomsday prepper. Even if your fears were totally justified and Trump managed to turn the US into a clone of Putin's Russia, Putin isn't sending random internet forum posters to the Gulag or preventing them from leaving Russia. To be in genuine danger as a random citizen the US would have to become a totalitarian police state like North Korea, and if that happened, nowhere else in the world would be safe anyway.

i agree. i think it's much more likely that vast areas of the country fall into a state of lawlessness and armed militias start going door to door ethnic cleansing like they did in yugoslavia less than 30 years ago. i mean, why else are these militias hoarding weapons? they're waiting for their chance to strike. and i'm a little worried trump might let that happen, sure. i'm a worrier.

if he tries to bloody kim's nose and kim detonates a nuke in sub orbit frying our entire power grid i'm walking across the ice to canada, i don't have faith that trump will stop his base from taking their country back for real.

02-14-2018 , 12:34 AM

#205

Nichlemn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ScreaminAsian

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict there won't be an apocalypse in the next 3-7 years.

02-14-2018 , 12:36 AM

#206

ScreaminAsian

For President

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33,333

buy my ScreaminAsian food buckets now

02-14-2018 , 01:21 AM

#207

Johnny Truant

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Nichlemn

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict there won't be an apocalypse in the next 3-7 years.

The perfect free roll.

02-14-2018 , 01:48 AM

#208

Nichlemn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Truant

Yes, in the many, many historical examples of long-established democracies falling into dictatorship! They too, were preceded by a devastating war the elimination of the free press the President being crude in his public statements.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Truant

The perfect free roll.

Oh wow, the fact it's hard to make a proper bet on an apocalypse means it must be likely!

02-14-2018 , 01:51 AM

#209

microbet

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Nichlemn

Yes, in the many, many historical examples of long-established democracies falling into dictatorship! They too, were preceded by a devastating war the elimination of the free press the President being crude in his public statements.

Oh wow, the fact it's hard to make a proper bet on an apocalypse means it must be likely!

Dude, the President of the United States declared the media an enemy of the American people.

02-14-2018 , 02:00 AM

#210

Max Cut

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If you characterize the sum of Trump's detrimental behavior as just crude public statements, you are either very under informed, arguing in bad faith, or in the cult.

dat locker room talk

02-14-2018 , 02:12 AM

#211

Nichlemn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by microbet

Dude, the President of the United States declared the media an enemy of the American people.

He also said he was going to prosecute his main opponent! And in a blatant violation of the First Amendment, he also promised at campaign rallies that everyone was going to be saying "Merry Christmas" again! This Trump fella sounds like he'd be ultra dangerous if he ever got into office!

02-14-2018 , 02:16 AM

#212

Nichlemn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Cut

If you characterize the sum of Trump's detrimental behavior as just crude public statements, you are either very under informed, arguing in bad faith, or in the cult.

dat locker room talk

It's snark, not what I literally believe.

02-14-2018 , 02:20 AM

#213

Max Cut

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or snark

fmp

02-14-2018 , 02:51 AM

#214

Johnny Truant

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Nichlemn

Actually that is one of the things usually. Along with a lot of others that have already happened. I am too tired to list them, they are obvious though.

Quote:

Oh wow, the fact it's hard to make a proper bet on an apocalypse means it must be likely!

That was a joke. The joke was that if it happens we won’t be able to tell you you were wrong, not that it was likely because it’s hard to predict.

It’s also not more likely to happen because you don’t think it will and people always think it won’t before it does, but people always think it won’t before it does.

02-14-2018 , 04:09 AM

#215

Nichlemn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Truant

Actually that is one of the things usually.

Just like how Silvio Berlusconi is dictator-for-life in Italy.

Quote:

Along with a lot of others that have already happened. I am too tired to list them, they are obvious though.

I'm sure the margin is too small to contain it.

Quote:

But that's true of literally every apocalyptic prediction. And what they've got going for them is a terrible track record.

02-14-2018 , 05:09 AM

#216

spaceman Bryce

anything you guys want

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 20,646

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nichlemn

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict there won't be an apocalypse in the next 3-7 years.

I don't think there will be an apocalypse but i think the situation is worse than people realize.Russia has gone rogue. we are at the beginning of a technological explosion and a demographic cliff.

02-14-2018 , 09:36 AM

#217

SuperUberBob

Not interesting enough

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 48,217

Trump's stupidity is our own saving grace. If he was a smooth political operator, he'd be much further on his way to becoming a dictator operating a banana republic.

Unfortunately the day will come when somebody just as malicious but far more intelligent becomes POTUS. That's the day we should all fear.

02-14-2018 , 09:47 AM

#218

microbet

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperUberBob

That's why it's imperative to reduce concentrated authority whenever a non-authoritarian is in office. Cut the military, prisons, police and spying. Don't let the potus take more power just because they are cool.

02-14-2018 , 11:34 AM

#219

Johnny Truant

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Nichlemn

Just like how Silvio Berlusconi is dictator-for-life in Italy.

I'm sure the margin is too small to contain it.

But that's true of literally every apocalyptic prediction. And what they've got going for them is a terrible track record.

I’m pretty sure since you still are treating an obvious, then explained joke like a point worth debating, this is a waste of time. But here:

Quote:

If you go to the U.S. Holocaust Museum, you can see a sign hanging there that tells you what to look for if you’re worried that your country may be slipping into fascism. Let’s take a look at their twelve early warning signs of fascism

https://www.google.com/amp/s/washing...f-fascism/amp/

If you can’t find your own blatant examples of these there are some links for you in the article.

02-14-2018 , 11:45 AM

#220

heh

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Nichlemn

Should have seen that strawman coming. I am not at all saying that you should not protest or criticise Trump. I am saying in that even in the fantastically unlikely event that Trump is able to do to a ~250 year old democracy what Putin was able to do to an always-authoritarian regime, you're still very unlikely to be in any real danger. So the only way this doomsday prepper talk makes any sense is if you think there's a realistic chance that the US turns into North Korea, which is even more ridiculous.

You don't have to be in physical danger to not want to live in such a country.

02-14-2018 , 02:23 PM

#221

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 99,984

Haven't had the full Nichlemn experience in a while. Feels bad man.

02-14-2018 , 02:24 PM

#222

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 99,984

Quote:

Originally Posted by heh

You don't have to be in physical danger to not want to live in such a country.

This. I don't want to live in a country where 40% of the people are in a brainwashed racist cult. It bums me out. I'd rather be somewhere else.

02-14-2018 , 02:26 PM

#223

ScreaminAsian

For President

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33,333

rome was a republic for 500 years

02-14-2018 , 02:33 PM

#224

SuperUberBob

Not interesting enough

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 48,217

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzzer99

This. I don't want to live in a country where 40% of the people are in a brainwashed racist cult. It bums me out. I'd rather be somewhere else.

I self-banned from 2p2 for a week and it calmed me down. Still listened to Pod Save America and kept track of the news but staying away from deplorable arguments and severing contact with said deplorables was pretty helpful.

Give it a go and see if you're less bummed out.

As for getting the **** out, I definitely don't regret it. Not that life is super-awesome in Scotland but having to deal with a ****ty next door neighbor is tolerable when compared to having 40% of your country enamored with a far-right cult.

Last edited by SuperUberBob; 02-14-2018 at 02:41 PM.