Exactly. This is a conservative-majority SCOTUS saying, “We decided long ago what we were going to do about this issue and many others. Nothing you can say will change our course. This conversation is over.”

The problem is the Federalism. Individual States have legislatures of their own, with, AFAICT, unchecked power to pass whatever laws they want within their borders. Congress, when it works, can only pass laws that regulate commerce between States, ensure citizens can move freely between States, collect taxes from those States, and other things.

But again, when a State with a conservative legislature has control, they can enact parts of Project 2025, but only within their borders. They can’t force other States to follow suit unless they want SCOTUS involved.

We literally created the Electoral College as DEI for slave states. It went hand-in-hand with the infamous “3/5ths Compromise” that allowed slavers to cast ballots in the names of their slaves, so slavers could cast as many votes as they had slaves.

Exactly. Conservatives hold as their highest values, conformity, compliance, cohesion, authority, sanctity, and tradition. They love adhering to their established norms and standards rather than challenging them. They defer to those whom they view to be in a position of authority. They have lines they do not want crossed, things they hold sacred. To be called “weird” is to be called as existing outside the norm.

I don’t think that’s true. The “left” as I understand it, is a largely heterogenous, loosely united coalition of all kinds of different factions beset by a mountain of conflicting interests and decades of infighting. Some factions are united by choice, and others are there because they would have died out once the USA became consumed by the dominant two-party system we currently languish under.

The Right isn’t like this, or at least it’s not as bad. Despite having just as many if not more factions with just as many if not more differences and conflicting interests, they value loyalty and in-group cohesion, which keeps them coming together every 4 years to form a surprisingly unified front. It also helps that they all fucking hate anyone even slightly left of center and most will vote for a Republican they despise over a Democrat they kinda sorta like on a personal level.

Consider your average Democratic Senator/Representative. They lean left on many things and have the backing of party leadership. To win their election, they need two things, votes and funding. They know that there are many things their voter base is passionate about, such as healthcare reform, police reform, campaign finance reform, housing and income inequality, and so on. They know their voter base has no hope of ever getting these things from Republicans, but unfortunately they are things that the donor class tends to despise. When faced with the challenge of appealing to all the different factions of the left while staying within the good graces of the wealthy donor class, the Democrat will pivot away from “policy” and focus more on “process”. Generally uncontroversial things like bipartisanship, decorum, and compromise. They don’t really take stances on wedge issues unless they run in a solid blue district where they can take that stance and not break up the coalition or lose donor support.

Honestly if we could get space elevators figured out, the best place to put solar panels would be in the upper atmosphere. Tethered to the ground by massive columns that feed the energy they collect to massive capacitors on the ground?

This. Part of the reason we are in this mess now is that Obama won. The fact that we dare put a black man in the WHITE House, for not 4 but 8 years, broke their tiny little racist brains. They dogged him for every little thing they could, spent 8 years blocking, obstructing, bad faith arguing, and outright refusing to collaborate with a black man.

Like, who do they think they can replace him with, huh? They got a dark horse waiting in the wings? Or are they cooking up the perfect President in a secret cloning lab somewhere?

I want everything SiegedSec found. I intend to copy it and store it for safekeeping.

You were an experienced master or your craft at the age of 35

Yep. Gotta figure someone who’s 35 has been around the block, seen some things, knows some things, the office of POTUS doesn’t seem like one you should be able to run for right out of high school. Oh, but imagine if we could. I’m sure it would be hilarious to put a high school graduate in office. Especially a Gen Z kid lmao.

That is true, I hadn’t considered that. Project 2025 does indeed call for curtailing the sovereignty of the individual States. Perhaps not explicitly, but they will leverage the Supremacy Clause as well as the Commerce Clause to usurp the powers of States they don’t like.

Which wouldn’t be very “muh states rights” of them, but they don’t care.

But how does Federalism line up with fascism? What the other user is talking about in the original setup where if you don’t like the State you live in being stuck in the 1800’s, you can leave if you want, the Federal Government guarantees your safe passage to a State living in modern times.

You’re not wrong. The main issue is that the Democratic Party is more like 15-16 different smaller parties in a big trenchcoat. Some are in there by choice, others had to get in because they weren’t strong enough to stand on their own, and didn’t want to have their ideas not be heard by somebody.

So you’ve got all these different groups beset by a mountain of conflicting interests and decades of infighting, and you are a Democratic Party candidate for the House. Now, to win you need votes and funding. There’s a lot of things that you know your base cares passionately about that you know they have no hope of ever getting from Republicans, but unfortunately they are also things the big ticket donors despise. So, this begins the delicate dance of appealing to all the different groups AND to wealthy donors. Faced with that challenge, what should you do? Well, in practice what happens is your average Democrat tends to pivot away from policy and focus more on process. Y’know, uncontroversial things like bipartisanship, decorum, compromise. And while the lack of these things in DC is something everyone left of center is sick of, they’re not things Democrats can make happen all by themselves, and, moreover, none of them are results. They are means by which results are achieved. “A willingness to compromise” is not a position.

But see, most Democrats see that the fragile coalition that makes up the DNC rests upon their backs. Should the coalition survive, or should we let it die?

Personally, I think we should do away with it. Yes, we are the “Big Tent Party”, willing to welcome all who do not identify as “conservatives”, give them a home and a place for their ideas to grow and be heard. Once upon a time, I think the coalition served a genuine purpose. But now, we are a rudderless ship, at the mercy of the storm. One day, someone will take command and right the vessel. On that day, some of the crew may disagree with the captain, and either mutiny or jump ship, and that’s on them if they do.

Well, if you want the history of the Heritage Foundation, look back to the 70’s. Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell penned a memo to the US Chamber of Commerce titled “Attack on the American Free Enterprise System” in 1970, and in this memo, he detailed his concern that America’s best and brightest students were becoming anti-business because of our involvement in Vietnam. Powell’s agenda included getting wealthy conservatives to set up professorships, setting up institutes on and off campus where intellectuals would write books from a conservative business perspective, and setting up think tanks. Three years later, the Heritage Foundation was founded.

Why do that when they can just declare us all in violation of some obscure law and make prisoners of us all? The 13th Amendment has a loophole that allows slavery as a punishment for a crime.

And once we’re dry, they’ll find someone else to fleece. Most likely when we ourselves can’t afford the stuff they’re forcing us to make. At that point the US will fully shift to an export economy based on slave labor that ships goods and products to nations with growing middle classes that can afford them, like China.

They’re using the same language as rapists, thieves, murderers, and cops.

If I hurt or kill you because you chose not to comply, its your fault, not mine. You forced my hand. You could have just let me have my way, but no, you had to resist.

Honestly. It would be nice if a former fascist government sent troops to liberate us. Germany, want to return the favor we did you back in the 1940s? We need the help, and maybe you can prevent a new Holocaust. Now, I’ll grant that it will be tougher, as we are a nuclear power and nuclear powers can pretty much do what they want on the world stage. You guys didn’t have those when we came along and cleared out your fascists. Don’t worry, though. If you do send a force to liberate us, I’ll comply with all their orders and give them whatever assistance they need.

Look at his words a little deeper, and you’ll pick up the thinly veiled message. He’s not saying anything that a rapist has not said to a victim before, during, and after the act. What he said was “as bloodless as the left will allow”.Said another way, “Don’t resist our brazen coup attempt and you will not be harmed. Everything is going to be okay. Don’t resist, don’t struggle, don’t fight. Just let it happen. You want this, I can tell.”

Yes, beset by a mountain of conflicting interests and decades of infighting and ideological purity testing. Most Democrats are terrified of taking stances on wedge issues because any stance they take could break up a coalition that has all the durability of a Faberge egg. Republicans either don’t have this problem, or they don’t have it as bad. Despite having as many if not more factions than the Left, they all value loyalty and in-group cohesion, which allows them to come together every 4 years to form a unified voting bloc.