When do we riot?

[pnwest]

When do we start rioting in the streets? At what point have we had efuckingnuff of this dictator? When do we wake up and acknowledge the slo-mo coup that’s taking place right in front of our faces? I’m ready. We’ve waited too long for Dems to act, waited for the Mueller report to bring about the beginning of his end, and THATS even being corrupted and covered up. IMHO we have passed the point of waiting politely (as Democrats are wont to do), and have arrived at civil disobedience and / or rioting.

[Fullduplexxx]

1. November 2020

[DontBooVote]

5. It would not, in the face of the evil now taking over our government, be hyperbole to suggest that

2020 may be too late.

Meanwhile, we watched as they came for Muslims. We watched as they came for Hispanics. We watched as they snatched babies from the wailing arms of their mothers. Next, we will watch as they come for us and there will be no one left to save us.

[MineralMan]

2. Riot? Against whom? Toward what goal?

We don't riot. Instead, we join together and vote FOR good and AGAINST evil.

A riot is just random violence that has no identifiable target. That energy needs to be directed toward a common goal, rather than be used up randomly.

So, the answer to your question is never.

[Ninga]

8. I back away from the "riot" word, and substitute "demonstrate". I demonstrated in the

streets many times to protest the Vietnam War. Perhaps if Democrats and people of good will
had demonstrated against the Supremes stopping the 2000 Florida recount we might have been able to save lives from being lost in Iraq.

I firmly believe that the GOP exactly knows the reaction of Democrats and people of good will and they count on it.

[MineralMan]

12. Demonstrations are very different from riots.

I'm responding to the original poster's words.

[Ninga]

19. I understand. Reading the passion in the OP caused me to give benefit of the doubt. There

is absolutely no doubt that there has been absolutely no progress or evidence that the full Mueller report will land in the House anytime in the near future.

Barr has stymied the Dems.

I include myself with the OP when I say I feel that Democrats are standing across the street watching their bank being robbed and accounts drained and throwing their hands up and staying we can start savings once again in 2020.

[MineralMan]

22. Well, no. Some people are doing that, of course.

Others are trying to plan change for the future.

Most are hiding out, calling on the others to do something.

It's the old, "Let's You and Him Fight" thing.

History moves slowly, really. Change happens, but also slowly.

Trump is change in the wrong direction. He is President because of the slow movement of history.

We have an opportunity to shift the direction of change - slowly.

Impatience and violence are better at preventing change than at causing it.

[Ninga]

26. I truely hope you are right. I am a dinosaur...I don't want to believe that Civil Disobedience is

no longer effective.

[MineralMan]

33. Well, I'm 73 years old, so I'm a dinosaur, too.

I'm a veteran of protests. Civil rights, the Vietnam war, women's rights, and others. I no longer go into the streets, though. Were our protests really the cause of change? Maybe. They might have helped. But, we've slipped backwards.

In those earlier days, we believed we were making common cause, and perhaps we were. But, common cause is difficult to define, and seems to be getting even more difficult to define. We appear to be splitting into even more factions that existed back then.

Taking to the streets made everyone feel better. It might even have contributed to change, but change is not permanent. Change changes. Trump is change, too. Not good change, but change nevertheless.

We have work to do. Perhaps some will work by taking to the streets. I can't do that any longer, and am not sure how useful it is any more. This might be my last presidential election. I'd like to see us succeed in a way that will make it more difficult to slide backward.

[pnwest]

54. Thank you. Riot being a poor choice of

words borne of anger and frustration and a desperate fear that 2020 is going to be too late. Massive protests in every city, national strike, making ourselves heard and impossible to ignore. Fight for the America that is being systematically dismantled by this puppet and his handlers. Most days I can maintain a bit of optimism and hope, but this morning I was overwhelmed with hopelessness and I just wanna shake the shit out of some of these legislators and scream “Wake the fuck up and do something fer Chrissakes!!!!!” AAAAARGHH!

[Ninga]

55. You are welcome. It happens often here. For some reason people feel the need to latch onto

one word or one thought and make that a huge issue rather than the over all sentiment of an OP.

There is little to no stomach for civil disobedience here...

Quite frankly there is nothing on the horizon to indicate any Democrat will ever see the full Mueller report......but hey,let's all just focus on 2020 shall we?

[California_Republic]

21. +1 !

[customerserviceguy]

49. Indeed, never

You and I are both old enough to see how the riots of the mid-1960's played right into Nixon's hands in the 1968 election. And that was with George Wallace bleeding off the worst of the racists in all fifty states.

Trump would love chaos in the streets. First, it would not directly impact his base, because it would be confined to essentially big cities, where we already do well. But it would scare off a bunch of purple suburbanites who like to go into the city for an entertainment event, if they feel unsafe doing that, then they get over their being miffed over the $10K state and local tax deduction cap, and go for the "law and order" candidate.

[manor321]

3. I'm just as suspicious of DUers attempting to stir up trouble

Trouble that could literally cement authoritarian power by turning the American people against us. See 1968.

We have an election in November 2020, with a weak unpopular President who can't get any laws passed.

[brooklynite]

4. Never: it's not the way people protest in this country.

Always fun when someone tells everyone ELSE what they should do...

[Paladin]

18. Bullshit.

Nation-wide protests were instrumental in bringing the Vietnam debacle to an end. When it gets down to it, nothing takes the place of enraged people in the streets. If trump tries to restrict a free press any further, I say we hit the pavement by the millions. We're overdue for such a response against this madman.

[JI7]

6. after the tea rolls

[bearsfootball516]

7. Not gonna happen.

[Polybius]

9. Never

Rioting would hurt our side tremendously.

[Ninga]

10. I happen to believe, based on previous experience, that citizens speaking from the streets

is effective.

I demonstrated several times during the Vietnam War. I am not sorry, I would demonstrate again, even tomorrow.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

11. 7/4/19

Ten or so million in the streets of D.C. + general strike running concurrently might be a good start...

[SharonClark]

36. We've had a million or more in the streets of DC repeatedly

and nothing happened until the Women's Marches went nation-wide and people rallied in many cities and states.
It invigorated local women to run for office and people to support and vote for progressive candidates.

DC-centric marches make it easy for those outside of DC and politicians to ignore the marchers, they costs tons of time and money to organize, and it costs marchers time and money that could be spent better elsewhere.
Local marches brings it home to local politicians, allows more people to participate and be empowered, and allows people to connect to local campaigns.

I've been to DC for ERA and pro-choice marches. It felt good and powerful at the moment but the impact was minimal. We need national demonstrations but at the local level, we need follow up, and we need to vote the repugs out.

[rzemanfl]

39. I have to wash socks. BBL n/t

[MineralMan]

13. So, are you in the street now?

I believe you are posting on an internet discussion forum. That's actually more useful than rioting, although not as useful as walking the streets and getting people out to vote.

Want a riot? Well, good luck with that, I guess.

[Socal31]

14. ....

"Civil disobedience and/or rioting"


Please don't include a peaceful practice used by oppressed people's to further civil rights, in the same sentence as calling for assault, property damage, and homicide (riots).

[unblock]

15. people just don't react like that when the economy is growing.

it's very rare to have major social unrest when the economy is doing ok. that's not to say our economy doesn't have serious structural problem, but we're not contracting at the moment.

when a contraction hits, it could get ugly, though.

[RKP5637]

25. Excellent point!!! It is the economy, IMO, that keeps this administration propped up. n/t

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

30. You do know that it's a FUCKIN' FAKE ECONOMY... riiiighttt?!?!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[unblock]

37. like i said, it's got structural problems...

and we're basically in an asset bubble. and there's a ridiculously skewed distribution of wealth.

not clear when the bubble bursts, probably within a year or two, and it will be ugly.

but for now, most people who want jobs have jobs and are getting by, and most businesses are making profits and getting goods and services to customers. it's a working economy.

it could use some improvement by someone who actually knew what they were doing, but that doesn't mean it's a "fake economy" now.

it does mean that we're in for trouble on the horizon, though....

[Clarity2]

32. Which is why

an economic boycott is the only thing that will work. Grab your wallet. Only necessities. Money talks as far as republicans, koch bros and other big money donors. Its all they care about. Stats show it works better than protest. Getting everyone on board is another story.

[unblock]

38. organized boycotts would be great. we need a good mechanism for this.

we need to figure out how to "reward" people for buying blue.

too many people won't change their personal economic behaviors in this country, so businesses continue to get away with murder.

[Bonx]

43. Not One Damn Dime Day!

[leftynyc]

16. Riot? NEVER

Protest - anytime you like.

[Codeine]

17. You first?

Seriously though, rioting accomplishes nothing except cementing opinion against whatever your cause is.

[MineralMan]

20. Let's You and Him Fight!

I'll watch from over here...

[DontBooVote]

41. That is not fair. You don't know the OP. Some of us are feeling desperately hopeless and want

to do something to stop this madness. But we can not do it alone. We keep waiting to see when enough is enough. But it never seems to be. Meanwhile, the day is coming when it will be too late.

[democratisphere]

23. Waiting for the full Mueller Report to be handed over to the appropriate

members of the House and Senate. If Barr doesn't follow through with handing over the Mueller Report THEN we have a major crisis coverup that will need to dealt with by MASSIVE protests. This BS can not be allowed to go on much longer.

[DontBooVote]

46. "If Barr doesn't follow through with handing over the Mueller Report" ... What's the latest

deadline? How many have already come and gone? How many deadlines are allowed?

[democratisphere]

47. No more.

Barr will not get away with THIS!

[sarisataka]

24. You say you are ready...

So be a leader and go.
Or is posting on line the limit and rioting not really your thing

[beachbum bob]

27. we riot by getting off our asses and getting democrats elected at every level of state, local and

national offices.

Thats how we riot, with getting voters registered and to the polling places, working/contributing to campaigns. We saw the results of 2018, no reason to think 2020 and 2022 can not be a repeat.

[louis c]

28. Try voting

[jberryhill]

29. Oh, much later in the day

I'm still on my first cup of coffee.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

31. The sooner the better...France's Yellow Vest rioters understand how to effectively advance change.

We should learn from them!!!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[jberryhill]

42. ...by attacking journalists and Jews

Yeah, that's a tried and true method of advancing "change".

https://newrepublic.com/article/152853/ugly-illiberal-anti-semitic-heart-yellow-vest-movement

The Ugly, Illiberal, Anti-Semitic Heart of the Yellow Vest Movement

[Tommy_Carcetti]

34. We don't riot. We don't threaten civil war. The right does that.

We protest, forcibly but peacefully.

And God forbid our peaceful protests are met with force, the world will see all of that.

As they did in Kent State. And Tiananmen Square. And in Ukraine's Maidan.

And history will be on our side.

[fescuerescue]

35. Try to give us a heads up where you plan to riot

So I can avoid that area.

[Oneironaut]

40. Never, because that would be a gift to them.

Imo, there’s nothing worse than acting out the “scary left” stereotype right now. It would be playing right into Trump’s hands.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

44. May 1st

International Worker's Day or Labor Day.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

45. Get to organizing!

[HipChick]

48. Another 4yrs of Trump is going to happen..

if all we can do is sit and complain on an Internet forum..

[LanternWaste]

50. Evolution works much better than revolution.

[G_j]

51. National strike could be a effective

but it would probably never happen

[SoCalDem]

52. the 32nd of Never

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

53. Maybe Nov 2020, when Schultz pulls enough votes to re-elect Trump.

Maybe then.