this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2026
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It’s always wild to me how Americans can’t fathom effective protests (redlib.catsarch.com)
submitted 1 day ago by powerstruggle@sh.itjust.works to c/stupidpol@sh.itjust.works
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https://redlib.catsarch.com/r/stupidpol/comments/1s16dd2/its_always_wild_to_me_how_americans_cant_fathom/

This is specifically in regards to the most recent No Kings, because I’ve been seeing, for the first time, normie libs being jaded toward the No Kings protests, I’ve seen surprising amount of “what are these actually accomplishing?” But what’s wild/sadder to me is all the responses being “well, I know they’re useless, but we can’t do anything until November”

Like Americans venerate non-violent protests, to the point all protesting is just completely symbolic, but can’t even take a page out of the civil rights movement and do a nonviolent protest that are actually a protest, like blocking a highway or a sit in, physically blocking people/things from getting places, you know, actually being disruptive, they just accept this tepid shouting parade for a couple hours every 6 months. I’ve been a doomer on American protesting for years now, sorry about the rant post

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[–] PuddleOfKittens@sh.itjust.works 3 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Disruptive protests work by drawing attention to the specific system that's being disrupted by being reasonable, and the injustice that's inflicted by cops in response.

Like, a sit-in on a segregated bus: black guy gets on a bus, is beaten by cops for it.

Disruptive protests don't work for more abstract problems, because opponents can focus on the protest and it's disruptiveness without acknowledging the problem it's in response to. Like, if protestors throw soup on (the glass barrier in front of) a painting, people can discuss the ethics of soup-throwing without mentioning climate even once.

In other words: disruptive protests are a tool, and only useful if used right.

PS: the civil rights protesters were all specifically trained for what to do, and to expect police brutality and to not retaliate. None of it was spontaneous, and it wasn't random jackoffs thrown in with a "figure it out".

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

Majority of Americans do not give a shit. They just want to make money and if anerica goes to shit they'll take their money and go live somewhere else. It's all a scam. That's why these protests are weak, that's why they vote for trump. They just want a tax cut this year they dont worry if next year america descends into chaos. They'll sell their house to a foreign investor and retire in costa rica they do not care.

[–] KiwiTB@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

Americans do indeed suck at protesting. What's worse, choosing non violence is great, as long as violence doesn't happen because if your inaction. 750,000 + dead in the last year alone, how many abducted, abused, and so much more all because Americans won't do anything.

[–] neatchee@piefed.social 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

There are multiple contributing factors which all boil down to "Americans have lost the ability to cause prolonged discomfort for the people with authority".

Some of those factors include: the large number of Americans living paycheck to paycheck; leadership calling the bluff on the implicit threat of future violence that protests represent; the isolation of federal representatives from their constituents; etc

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

Even if you're not living paycheck employee protection is such a joke here that there is a high likelihood you could end up losing your job, they just have to make up some other excuse.

[–] neatchee@piefed.social 1 points 8 hours ago

Yup, totally true. Now, when we're talking about major societal issues, losing your job to protest might be worth the sacrifice, but it's dependent on a lot of things like how much savings you have, you family obligations, the industry you're working in and the likelihood you can find another job, etc

[–] timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works 0 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Yes and I'd add that in general people are lazy AF. People couldn't be bothered to vote for not fascism in 2024 and in general if they can't even do that what makes you think they'll protest or even vote next time?

We're locked in here with the most apathetic people who are comfortable enough and just. Don't. Care.

To me it seems it needs to get A LOT worse (as if it isn't bad enough) to jolt the bulk of people into doing anything, even the mundane.

[–] toad@sh.itjust.works 1 points 41 minutes ago

Genocidal pos

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 1 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

As much as people blame nonvoters, the problem is the actual trump voters. 70M voters hate their neighbors enough to vote for a child rapist.

[–] neatchee@piefed.social 2 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

It's both. Trump voters are horrible people, but it's a statistical fact that if every American voted, Democrats would never lose an election.

[–] toad@sh.itjust.works 1 points 40 minutes ago* (last edited 39 minutes ago)

And gaza would still have been flattened

You spent time on jeffrey island didn't you

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

I mean but they dont idk how else to explain it lmao.

also a lot of trump supporters too lazy to vote too.

I guess i honestly respect the people who are like "I know im dumb, you guys both confuse me, i wont vote, let the smart people figure it out"

The problem is all the people who went to ivy league schools and work in washington and literally work for trump and do not give a fuck he is ruining the country because they got one promotion from trump.

Even the ice losers, like imagine being some deadbeat dad with a drinking problem, can't hold a job longer than you can hold your piss. And ice comes along offers you $60k to start with benefits and bonuses? No questions ask just are you loyal to the country and the president? Can you really blame them for taking that opportunity?

But yeah idk this is all fucked it's such an unbelievable failure of humanity from top to bottom imho wcyd

[–] neatchee@piefed.social 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Low voter turnout is not a universal problem. There are a lot of places where voter turnout is very high. America just does a really bad job of it for multiple different reasons.

We can't hand-wave it away as "oh those people would never vote, no matter what". There are reasons they don't. They're not always good reasons, but some of them are.

We can talk about multiple problems at the same time. We can talk about bigger problems and smaller problems at the same time, acknowledging that one is more important to solve than the other. We don't have to say "I won't talk about this problem until we've solved that problem".

And for the record, of the people who don't vote, it is a tiny fraction of them that genuinely do it because they don't think they're smart enough. And those people are usually wrong, because while they may not be geniuses, there are people a lot dumber who ARE voting and why the fuck would you leave it up to people dumber than you?

Remember: decisions are made by people who show up. And people a lot dumber than you and me and the non-voters are showing up

[–] zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It is kinda hard to imagine an effective protest in America given some that have happened and the results. The LA riots back in 92 did not solve the problems that lead to the George Floyd protests that didn't solve the problems that lead to the anti-ICE protests. In 92 there were over a thousand buildings burned down.

[–] the_mighty_kracken@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I understand how you feel, but there were tangible positive results from the George Floyd protests. Maybe not the societal shift we were all hoping for, but a quick Google search could lay it all out for you, if you want to look into it.

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

They convicted one cop who was doing exactly what he was trained to do. Nothing changed.

[–] echo@lemmy.today 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Without universal healthcare there will never be real protests in the US.

[–] digitalFatteh@lemmy.ca 3 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Heh,  maybe they should,  I don’t know,  go out and protest the changes they need like Healthcare and livable wages.

Guess it’s a catch 22 for the them.

[–] echo@lemmy.today 3 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Guess it’s a catch 22 for the them.

It absolutely is. I absolutely cannot lose my job. If I lose my health insurance then my wife and I are as good as dead. I would also be financially ruined.

[–] hornywarthogfart@sh.itjust.works 3 points 13 hours ago

System is working as designed...

[–] halfapage@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago

Pepsi commercials will do this to ya