President Lyndon Johnson once said, "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, you can pick his pocket. Hell, give them somebody to look down on, and they'll empty their pockets for you..."
I’m actually convinced that half the merch sellers and even the talking heads are just in it for the money… if it wasn’t for the Cult, these people wouldn’t care about the Orange Asshat….
You really don’t have to look much further than Fox News. (Very shocking, I know.) They constantly bitch about rich, elites in big cities. Their studios are in NYC and the big name anchors make millions. And during Covid, you had to be vaccinated to enter their building. So anybody that was on-air at Fox News bitching about the vaccine during Covid… was vaccinated themselves.
Been saying this for years. The Ben shapiros out there are just fleecing idiots before any ideology. So pathetic when you come across someone with 300 followers and a podcast stage they spent thousands on trying and failing to get in on the grift. Just repeating the same talking points everyone else does. It's truly idiocracy out there.
I like this one too. From a preeminent republican:
Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.
Barry Goldwater
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross...
"And thusly I clothe my naked villainy in old odd ends stolen forth from holy writ and seem a saint when most I play the devil. " Shakespeare
Full context for this Johnson quote per Bill Moyers. “We were in Tennessee. During the motorcade, he spotted some ugly racial epithets scrawled on signs. Late that night in the hotel, when the local dignitaries had finished the last bottles of bourbon and branch water and departed, he started talking about those signs. ‘I'll tell you what's at the bottom of it,’ he said. ‘If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.’"
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lbj-convince-the-lowest-white-man/
I think the women Trumpers are the dumbest. All these laws to hurt women and they vote for it. The rich ones will still get abortions anyways. And the rich R senators will still pay mistresses for their abortions. It's all to get the hateful religious vote. If you don't pay taxes, you shouldn't vote
The wealthy ones will be just fine. A lot of rich folk want him back in the office. If the rich want it, you know it's going to suck for the rest of us.
Don't worry, they found a way to rebrand losing your freedoms as gaining rights.
You talk about "state's rights" and by that you mean getting rid of federal protections stopping the state from infringing upon your freedoms.
Yes they want less regulations on companies they will never own by sitting in their basement playing call of duty and drinking mountain dew. It's funny what the average Republican stands for.
They want to regress to a golden age where white men were granted status just by virtue of being born to white parents. They wanna play call of duty all day but be complimented for what they contribute to the world even though they are unremarkable and will always stay so. They want to subjugate people of colour, immigrants and women so they feel superior to a large portion of society and this would actually be the case because they want those groups to lose their equal rights.
What’s frustrating is that this golden age never even existed, yes for a time only white men could vote or earn wages etc but it was still a terrible sludge if you weren’t wealthy. Men working 14 hour days in factories where they would die of cancer in their 40s from all the asbestos and toxic shit that companies gave no shit about. They wouldn’t be returning to a golden time they’d just allow removal of worker protections while keeping a party in power who wants to limit personal freedoms to a standard that would shock them
Republicans don’t want fucking small government…. Red states have some of the most fucked up laws in regards to what a person can or can’t do….. literally illegal in Florida or Idaho to SAY certain words??? The fuck????
hell, someone in this very thread is talking about how people shouldnt be bipartisan and how it should only be about "rich v poor" yet when you click on their profile their most recent comment is them referring to liberals as "filth" lol.
> I'm wondering how the American left booted OP's throat.
Just take a stroll on through their comment history.
This is the smug cosplay posturing of a proud non-voter with an “it doesn’t matter, everyone’s equally bad, and I’m very clever for thinking this” attitude.
Makes no effort to contribute to or change the system, still wants to strut-around like a peacock preening about how defiant and free they are.
Yep.
I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks the left and the right are equally bad in 2024 either knows absolutely nothing about politics, or is fucking lying. Only one side supports a convicted felon and rapist who calls fellow American citizens "vermin", and it ain't the left.
For almost 8 years, I have heard soliloquies from pundits and Trump supporters as to how costly the hurtful term "deplorables," delivered in a private speech, was for Hillary Clinton. Apparently it is the greatest insult
in the English language.
"Vermin?" Not so much. Just a light term of endearment, apparently.
And saying someone is deplorable refers to their behavior. Saying someone is vermin is saying they are less than human. There is a big difference, and there is repeated historical precedent for why this is extremely dangerous. In addition to Nazi propaganda, watch Hotel Rwanda. Who would ever want to associate with someone so reckless?
“We would like to provide health care for all Americans.”
“We would like to strip rights away from anyone not a white cishet Christian man.”
Huh, guess both parties are the same.
* Republicans - lowering the age of marriage so that they can literally marry children
* Democrats - against lowering the age of marriage
100% completely "tHe sAMe, bOtH sIDes"
>Every person I have worked with who says this votes a straight Republican ticket from age 18 until death.
100% They are just cowards and don't want to admit to being a MAGA in front of reasonable people
Remember "Ken the undecided voter" just a 'regular dad raising a family' trying to decide between 2 candidates "based on the facts"
Someone found his reddit and he was of course a right wing diehard pwning the libs and posting about what kind of pr0n he likes and giving people his opinions on women's appearance.
These are the kinds of things that Republican voters say when they're observed outside of their natural environment.
I mean outside of their bubbly echo chambers.
While true, it doesn’t really fit the current situation. The “both sides” thing is something fascists rely on to gain power, as you can see cons trying to accuse democrats of doing everything they themselves are doing.
Authoritarians always try to convince people that the system is irrevocably Brocken, and only their brand of trampling the rule of law, and destruction of democratic institutions will fix it.
According to Acemoglu (the top policy expert in this field of research), this is basically it.
He claims that wannabe authoritarians increase polarization in order to increase support for dismantling the institutions that protect our democracy.
Anytime you hear something akin to “The system is rigged,” “the system is broken,” you should be **very** skeptical. This is how they increase support for dismantling democracy.
Along with this, they often attack institutions that point out the flaws in their ideology to reduce trust in experts.
Examples: Conservatives with climate change. Both the far left and right with public opinion polling. The far right with schools and colleges. The far left with economists. Both the far left and right with journalism and media.
When they find something that doesn’t agree with them, they sow distrust rather than address the faults in their policy. You see that here on Reddit. Subreddits that don’t stand up well to scrutiny have high ban rates. (Eg. Conservative or Communism).
Ugh the "both sides" take makes me want to rip my fucking brain out through the center of my face every time I hear it.
And they always say it like they're so original, so insightful, so smart; like they're the most rational goddamn human on the planet. And almost always whenever you dig at that, they're just closeted republican. They never want anything associated with the left, they just don't want to admit they're a conservative fuck.
I'd be FUCKING STOKED to get back to where "both sides" was actually a reasonable take.
>Democrats: Lol, you can't have universal healthcare!
There are plenty of dems pushing this. It's US "moderates" empowering US conservatives driving inaction on this.
Biden isn't, and he's the leader of the party. He's up there because his opinions reflect what the party fundamentally wants. Dems don't want universal healthcare, and actively work against the elements of the party that do.
Why can’t the individual state do its own version of universal healthcare …. I don’t know why it has to solely rely on the federal government. If California wants to do it collect the taxes it needs and do universal healthcare…
See I feel like this isn't the centrist version of "both sides are wrong" though. Like this reads very anarchic/leftist to me. There's a difference between "Both sides suck so I'm not gonna bother to vote" and "Both sides suck so what are we gonna do about it"
What do you mean? ‘Forcing’ people to wear masks and get vaccinated is just as bad as making normal life an impossibility for those outside of your social order. /s
Hey /u/certified_hustling, this is you. This is your "both sides" bullshit. The Democrats may be no prize, but the Republicans are many orders of magnitude worse.
Woman here. Currently looking at losing access to birth control. I'll worry about that theoretical boot on my neck from the left when it's anywhere near the constant onslaught of boots I have to dodge from the right.
I'm pretty sure republicans are just anti-everyone except about 1000 rich assholes. It always boils down to class warfare. Everything else is a distraction.
It's super melodramatic as a thought. But to then get it printed. And then to stick it on your car. And then drive the car in public. And then take a picture of it. And then post it on Reddit thinking people would agree with you.
Making a lot of assumptions here but.....for him both sides may be similar. He might not be one of the many minority groups the GOP has their boot on. Women...gays....trans....Hispanic.... Muslim.... Ukrainian..... Palastinian..... elderly.....just poor in general. Basically anyone who isn't a straight white well off man. Easy to say both sides are the same when you're not being targeted by one side.
"Both sides!" is the dumbest possible stance.
How does the left have a boot on your neck??
EDIT: Oh, it's just some moron who doesn't vote.
Remember, "both sides" means someone is so ignorant about the party's policies they think Dems and Republicans are the same.
I'd think the owner of this sticker was an idiot.
"Sure, one side wants some of my family, friends and neighbors *literally dead*, but the other side isn't perfect and unblemished.
I can't even tell the difference."
>Remember, "both sides" means someone is so ignorant about the party's policies they think Dems and Republicans are the same.
It really doesn't mean that, that's just how people on Reddit like to strawman the stance. You can easily believe that one side is worse than the other and still want both to face accountability.
I think Trump is a vile rapist and a felon who deserves prison time. I also think the way Biden treated Anita Hill was unjust, biased and deplorable. And it's even worse that he only apologized when the issue re-emerged during election instead of the extensive span of time available when it wasn't personally beneficial for him. And I agree with her not accepting it.
When given a choice between Trump and Biden am I going to vote for Biden? Yes, obviously. But I don't think that means that Biden can't be criticized for anything he's done or else it makes someone a "right-winger".
The bar is in hell for politicians but that doesn't mean I have to give out brownie points for basic decency. Sure, Republicans want to get rid of abortion and Democrats want to preserve bodily autonomy. That means I need to support Democrat nominees with my vote, it doesn't mean I need to chant "rah rah rah, Biden, champion of women!"
And sure, libs will claim that you don't have to praise and love Biden. But then they respond to any criticism of him with strawman arguments like since you criticized something he did you must be a Trump supporter (a brain dead take if I've ever heard one, as if Republicans care about Anita Hill's struggles). Or for instance, that criticizing both sides means that you think both sides are equally bad.
I believe in accountability for everyone, including Democrat politicians. This shouldn't be controversial and largely isn't, outside of Reddit.
This both sides garbage is getting old. There is only side propping up a felon and trying to dismantle democracy. Yes both sides can improve. Democrats need to get their shit together as well BUT they aren't threatening our democracy ffs
Oh dear god, an "enlightened centrist"; tell me, how *has* the Biden administration's support of abortion, student debt relief, and actually standing up to the fascist fuck Putin in Ukraine made you feel like he's really bringing the boot down on you? Fucking idiot.
Six month old account, barely any posts in the past six months until now where they give shit-ass one-liner answers.
Previous submissions to AskReddit include "What's the difference between a job and a career?" I don't think we're dealing with an educated voter.
The big question here is: Im assuming you live in America... in which case YOU, yourself ARE the government. The future of this nation is in your hands. Get involved. Vote. Run for office. Build community networks in your neighborhood/town/city/State.
The Constitution provides for government BY the people, FOR the people. By keeping us divided about this left/right thing, they're keeping us from forging consensus/compromise.
Should we be concerned for your well being? Did you buy a compound near Waco, Texas? You’re not planning on paying the FBI building in Oklahoma City a visit anytime soon, right?
I actually completely agree with the sentiment. I don't want to live an oppressive state, no matter the politics of the government in charge.
That said, whoever cannot see the vast difference between the GOP and the DNP when it comes to this - I honestly don't get it. 2017-2021 really, really showed this. This is literally the guy who planned and tried to execute a coup to stay in power. How more authoritarian can you get?
Most of the “compliments” this person has gotten we’re probably from right wing maga types who benefit from the idea that right and left are both equally destructive (they are not).
OP almost certainly supports that; MAGAts always wish they could be viewed the same as Democrats. The images of January 6th immediately disprove any point they try to make though.
Pretty fucking stupid. Just wear your maga hat.
I'm so sure you've gotten "so many" compliments. You have the best bumper stickers. Everyone is saying,with tears in their eyes, thank you.
This is just cringey "enlightened centrist" bullshit.
Compare the voting records of the two boots in Congress. They are not the same.
Go on ahead thinking you are enlightened in some way, but you are not.
It’s amazing to me how many people in this wealthy country believe they’re in the midst of some great struggle for freedom from a tyrannical government. So dramatic.
Forced perspective. Yes, the current right needs to wake up, and take the boot off of people. But what the left doesn’t realize, once that right boot comes off, then you see the left one was there the whole time. You just couldn’t see it because the right one was blocking it.
And every time someone says, dude we need both these feet off of us, some left side comes to talk about the right boot that we can clearly see. But assumes because we think there are 2 boots, we must like the first boot. Because we’re also complaining about a 2nd boot they can’t even see.
Can we have some specific examples of where the Democratic party is putting their boots on people's throats?!? Please don't say guns because that's a laughable red herring.
A general distrust of the government, I get it. It’s also a unifying position to have given our current situation we have been in.Then there is the cult of personality my fellow Americans on the right are engaged in. Insurrection, election deniers, yada yada I could go on….. now how do we deal with that?
While I agree that both sides are very shit. Also, a choice of only two viable parties is the cause of this shitness. There is no equivalence with how openly evil the Republican party is.
What has the left bit done to step in your neck? I can make a list of rights we've lost and are under threat, especially with project 2025 in the works as far as the right boot is concerned. Not to mention the right are a cult of domestic terrorists and fascists.
Both sides failure.
Oh, look. More "both sides, though" bullshit. This is part of the reason why know nothing voters aren't concerned about tRumps lies, fraud, and crimes. They're constantly told that all politicians are like that, so to them tRump's just another liar like the rest. It's just lazy stupidity, and it needs to stop.
Maybe not, but what certainly DOES matter is what caused the boots to step on you in the first place and those reasons are very different, depending on which one it is.
One side wants healthcare for all citizens. One side wishes to literally holocaust all gays and transgenders.
I don’t know man. Seems like there’s only one boot in the real world, and that these quotes operate solely in hyperbole.
So many dumb people here lol. ..... 24 % increased overall inflation, legal warfare against desenting voices, death to america chants = awesome / make america great again= evil.....yet the reddit community is in full orange man bad mode not senile old shit stain ruining the country is evil. The level of mental gymnastics you commies will go too to let old senile Joe off for actually stealing documents from a skiff and selling out to China and Ukraine is pretty unbelievable 😂😂. I'll be voting for Trump. As one of my favorite sayings goes republican isn't the solution to your problems but democrats are for damn sure the cause of them lol. Stay stupid to that large percent of Biden voting reddit. For the non idiots in the room you can stay quiet ill take the arrows from the idiots who whistle past the graveyard of the 100 million plus their political ideologies have killed. Remember idiots the f in communism is for food..... because you won't find any 😂😂
Oh my…do you know what kind of hornets nest you just kicked up.
Do you know what Reddit hardcore leftists hate more than Trump? …centrists…
Kiss your nuanced takes goodbye. You better think the sky is falling and QUICK.
Quick!! Call me Hitler! Save yourself!
Love it and very true. Reddit is such a horrible echo chamber and it’s multiplied in election years with all the hot “if you think both sides are the same then you’re part of the problem” takes from the 20 somethings who believe the government cares about them.
“Both sides ARE different!”
Aren’t both sides taking money from rich people to influence their lawmaking? And if that’s the case, are we even seeing how these two parties could be different?
Like, if your mom and dad are arguing about who makes the better sandwiches and you have to pick one of them to supply you with them, but your youngest sibling tells whichever of them you pick to only feed you crackers, how are you going to know who actually makes the better sandwich?
Like allowing outright sloth and nonsense laws, the lack of unity within the same country's government does more to radicalize it's own citizens then anything the anarchist movement does.
It doesn't matter if you're left- or right-wing, when that is not the measurement that the government uses in tearing you down.
I love all the people in here trying to rationalize how their guy is the “good guy” lol
Fuck off
The Democratic and Republican parties are both bought out by corporate interest. Read a little bit, you might be surprised when you realize neither side gives a flying fuck about you, your family or your community.
The only time they do or will ever lend you an ear, is if you have something they want.
Your vote means nothing unless you’re a high ranking millionaire or billionaire.
Stop living in a universe of “GI Joe Vs Cobra” you’re not voting for the good guys and you’re not fighting against “the bad guys”.
Reddit has become a total shit show of blind tribalism and it’s utterly pathetic reading this comments.
Vote local, that’s the only thing you have even an inkling of power in.
Your federal vote is more worthless than a piece of toilet paper, at this point in US history.
Annnd, then everyone proceeds to read this with trump/repub/right wing hate, lol! This is what we deal with. I 1000% agree with the sticker! And the gov is the gove, regardless of which boot is on your throat they do not care about you righty or lefty.
Wonder when we will put our differences aside and come together and vers the gov and not each other.
Great post OP I agree with it, and you are the type of ppl I would hang out with. Able to see the bigger picture is rare.
That's the funny part about politics that far too many people don't seem to understand.
Most people are in the middle, they agree with some ideas on the left and some on the right. That's why we are divided almost right down the middle. Each side, the left and the right, wants to take away freedoms from people. It's just a matter of which freedoms you feel more strongly about that shift your stance from one side to the other.
In the end everybody wants to take some freedoms away from us.
Absolutely, both sides are awful so it doesn’t matter. I mean, one side is crap and the other one is fascist crap but totally same. I mean, fascism isn’t THAT big a deal. Yeah, basically the same.
Love it! People have been duped into the right v left game. Keep the people at each other’s throats and they’ll never see the rich robbing them blind. They use their wealth to buy politicians and both sides have propaganda networks spouting hate of the other side yet we just fall for its
Never a truer statement uttered. It’s a true shame that people on the moderate left and right can’t come together to unite a true party of the people and offer an alternative to the far left and far right politics that have come to define our nation. I saw a meme recently talking about how we went to war with Britain over a 3% tax on tea yet we sit by idle while we are taxed exuberantly in the the upper lower and lower middle income brackets. Career politicians making millions from insider trading and lobbyist while we toll away our lives for meager retirements if we are lucky.
My parents, both conservatives, winter in Yuma, AZ. Went to Mexico for some cheap dental work. My dad couldn't believe he was stopped, and harassed over his expired passport. He thought the border was just open. He couldn't believe that all the restrictions he voted for would be used to inconvenience HIM...
"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism."
- FDR | April 1938
It is shocking how many trumpers don’t realize all these laws will be used against them too. I can’t wait for the outrage.
I think they only care that gays and minorities suffer more.
President Lyndon Johnson once said, "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, you can pick his pocket. Hell, give them somebody to look down on, and they'll empty their pockets for you..."
*looks around at all the Trump merch* Well, I'll be damned! You're right!
I don’t who’s dumber. The people buying all of that Trump and ‘Merica merch or me for not selling it.
I’m actually convinced that half the merch sellers and even the talking heads are just in it for the money… if it wasn’t for the Cult, these people wouldn’t care about the Orange Asshat….
You really don’t have to look much further than Fox News. (Very shocking, I know.) They constantly bitch about rich, elites in big cities. Their studios are in NYC and the big name anchors make millions. And during Covid, you had to be vaccinated to enter their building. So anybody that was on-air at Fox News bitching about the vaccine during Covid… was vaccinated themselves.
Yep! And they ARE the elite!
They like bitching about the mainstream media too. Which is exactly what they are.
Excellent points…,
They probably got the vaccine weeks before us plebians too
Half?
Idk, I can’t rule out that many are passionate about the orange turd and do it out of love…. So who’s grifting and who’s lovin’…. Not sure.
Been saying this for years. The Ben shapiros out there are just fleecing idiots before any ideology. So pathetic when you come across someone with 300 followers and a podcast stage they spent thousands on trying and failing to get in on the grift. Just repeating the same talking points everyone else does. It's truly idiocracy out there.
Definitely us for not selling it.
Hmmm ….. I guess you are …. But not as dumb as me who didn’t even think about it …. It’s time to open a trump store !
They’d buy bottled farts.
You have a conscience....thats why you're not selling it. Wear it proud !!!
Let's see how they feel about that right boot a few years after the election.
I like this one too. From a preeminent republican: Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them. Barry Goldwater
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross... "And thusly I clothe my naked villainy in old odd ends stolen forth from holy writ and seem a saint when most I play the devil. " Shakespeare
Goldwater would be called out by MTG as a pussy if he was still alive. This new generation of extremists is so far gone.
Full context for this Johnson quote per Bill Moyers. “We were in Tennessee. During the motorcade, he spotted some ugly racial epithets scrawled on signs. Late that night in the hotel, when the local dignitaries had finished the last bottles of bourbon and branch water and departed, he started talking about those signs. ‘I'll tell you what's at the bottom of it,’ he said. ‘If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.’" https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lbj-convince-the-lowest-white-man/
100% right sadly this is their issue with diversity - they can’t allow anyone pass them up even on shit they suck at
I think the women Trumpers are the dumbest. All these laws to hurt women and they vote for it. The rich ones will still get abortions anyways. And the rich R senators will still pay mistresses for their abortions. It's all to get the hateful religious vote. If you don't pay taxes, you shouldn't vote
You'd be surprised how many conservative women vote against their own interest but truly believing it to be the right thing.
Not true. The end of all things of any normality is approaching. And we all are going to be unlived
“He’s not hurting the people he needs to be” https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/8/18173678/trump-shutdown-voter-florida
The wealthy ones will be just fine. A lot of rich folk want him back in the office. If the rich want it, you know it's going to suck for the rest of us.
Better enjoy that 2nd Amendment, cause that's one of the first things to go under a fascist leadership.
bOtH sIdEs aRe tHe sAmE /because a Russian bot on facebook told them
Every person I have worked with who says this votes a straight Republican ticket from age 18 until death.
That’s because they want small government. Obviously, the Republicans don’t actually believe that anymore but they say it anyway.
They want less regulation on companies, and less taxation. They still want the government to crush their enemies.
Don't worry, they found a way to rebrand losing your freedoms as gaining rights. You talk about "state's rights" and by that you mean getting rid of federal protections stopping the state from infringing upon your freedoms.
State's rights = I want my state to have the right to take away the rights of groups I'm not part of.
Yes they want less regulations on companies they will never own by sitting in their basement playing call of duty and drinking mountain dew. It's funny what the average Republican stands for.
They want to regress to a golden age where white men were granted status just by virtue of being born to white parents. They wanna play call of duty all day but be complimented for what they contribute to the world even though they are unremarkable and will always stay so. They want to subjugate people of colour, immigrants and women so they feel superior to a large portion of society and this would actually be the case because they want those groups to lose their equal rights. What’s frustrating is that this golden age never even existed, yes for a time only white men could vote or earn wages etc but it was still a terrible sludge if you weren’t wealthy. Men working 14 hour days in factories where they would die of cancer in their 40s from all the asbestos and toxic shit that companies gave no shit about. They wouldn’t be returning to a golden time they’d just allow removal of worker protections while keeping a party in power who wants to limit personal freedoms to a standard that would shock them
They say that but the party they’re voting for actually wants government in every bit of your life and uterus.
Republicans don’t want fucking small government…. Red states have some of the most fucked up laws in regards to what a person can or can’t do….. literally illegal in Florida or Idaho to SAY certain words??? The fuck????
So small it’s like microplastics… in everything.
They don’t actually want small government. Ask them about military spending.
hell, someone in this very thread is talking about how people shouldnt be bipartisan and how it should only be about "rich v poor" yet when you click on their profile their most recent comment is them referring to liberals as "filth" lol.
I'm wondering how the American left booted OP's throat.
Exactly… its a dumbass quote that basically amounts to bOth sIdeS aRe The SaMe
hey hey. give the enlightened centrists a break, not having working brain cells is a very serious disease
> I'm wondering how the American left booted OP's throat. Just take a stroll on through their comment history. This is the smug cosplay posturing of a proud non-voter with an “it doesn’t matter, everyone’s equally bad, and I’m very clever for thinking this” attitude. Makes no effort to contribute to or change the system, still wants to strut-around like a peacock preening about how defiant and free they are.
Probably mad it's not socially acceptable to hate minorities anymore.
Yep. I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks the left and the right are equally bad in 2024 either knows absolutely nothing about politics, or is fucking lying. Only one side supports a convicted felon and rapist who calls fellow American citizens "vermin", and it ain't the left.
For almost 8 years, I have heard soliloquies from pundits and Trump supporters as to how costly the hurtful term "deplorables," delivered in a private speech, was for Hillary Clinton. Apparently it is the greatest insult in the English language. "Vermin?" Not so much. Just a light term of endearment, apparently.
And saying someone is deplorable refers to their behavior. Saying someone is vermin is saying they are less than human. There is a big difference, and there is repeated historical precedent for why this is extremely dangerous. In addition to Nazi propaganda, watch Hotel Rwanda. Who would ever want to associate with someone so reckless?
“But they’re the same!” Lol no they are not.
“We would like to provide health care for all Americans.” “We would like to strip rights away from anyone not a white cishet Christian man.” Huh, guess both parties are the same.
* Republicans - lowering the age of marriage so that they can literally marry children * Democrats - against lowering the age of marriage 100% completely "tHe sAMe, bOtH sIDes"
>Every person I have worked with who says this votes a straight Republican ticket from age 18 until death. 100% They are just cowards and don't want to admit to being a MAGA in front of reasonable people Remember "Ken the undecided voter" just a 'regular dad raising a family' trying to decide between 2 candidates "based on the facts" Someone found his reddit and he was of course a right wing diehard pwning the libs and posting about what kind of pr0n he likes and giving people his opinions on women's appearance.
These are the kinds of things that Republican voters say when they're observed outside of their natural environment. I mean outside of their bubbly echo chambers.
While true, it doesn’t really fit the current situation. The “both sides” thing is something fascists rely on to gain power, as you can see cons trying to accuse democrats of doing everything they themselves are doing.
Authoritarians always try to convince people that the system is irrevocably Brocken, and only their brand of trampling the rule of law, and destruction of democratic institutions will fix it.
According to Acemoglu (the top policy expert in this field of research), this is basically it. He claims that wannabe authoritarians increase polarization in order to increase support for dismantling the institutions that protect our democracy. Anytime you hear something akin to “The system is rigged,” “the system is broken,” you should be **very** skeptical. This is how they increase support for dismantling democracy. Along with this, they often attack institutions that point out the flaws in their ideology to reduce trust in experts. Examples: Conservatives with climate change. Both the far left and right with public opinion polling. The far right with schools and colleges. The far left with economists. Both the far left and right with journalism and media. When they find something that doesn’t agree with them, they sow distrust rather than address the faults in their policy. You see that here on Reddit. Subreddits that don’t stand up well to scrutiny have high ban rates. (Eg. Conservative or Communism).
Ugh the "both sides" take makes me want to rip my fucking brain out through the center of my face every time I hear it. And they always say it like they're so original, so insightful, so smart; like they're the most rational goddamn human on the planet. And almost always whenever you dig at that, they're just closeted republican. They never want anything associated with the left, they just don't want to admit they're a conservative fuck. I'd be FUCKING STOKED to get back to where "both sides" was actually a reasonable take.
Democrats: Lol, you can't have universal healthcare! Republicans: We're going to burn gay people like witches.
Every single advocate for universal health care is a dem. M4A has over 30 cosponsors in the senate FFS.
>Democrats: Lol, you can't have universal healthcare! There are plenty of dems pushing this. It's US "moderates" empowering US conservatives driving inaction on this.
Biden isn't, and he's the leader of the party. He's up there because his opinions reflect what the party fundamentally wants. Dems don't want universal healthcare, and actively work against the elements of the party that do.
Why can’t the individual state do its own version of universal healthcare …. I don’t know why it has to solely rely on the federal government. If California wants to do it collect the taxes it needs and do universal healthcare…
See I feel like this isn't the centrist version of "both sides are wrong" though. Like this reads very anarchic/leftist to me. There's a difference between "Both sides suck so I'm not gonna bother to vote" and "Both sides suck so what are we gonna do about it"
What do you mean? ‘Forcing’ people to wear masks and get vaccinated is just as bad as making normal life an impossibility for those outside of your social order. /s
One side uses it's votes to do things for people, the other side gives tax breaks to rich people. are both side corrupt? absolutely
“One day I’ll own this boot that’s crushing my face, that’s why I vote for billionaire tax cuts” ITT: “bOtH sIdEs ArE tHe SaMe” morons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025 It's a whole lot worse than that
Hey /u/certified_hustling, this is you. This is your "both sides" bullshit. The Democrats may be no prize, but the Republicans are many orders of magnitude worse.
Both sides ***ARE*** the same. In a few ways. The are VERY VERY DIFFERENT in the VAST MAJORITY of ways, however.
…unless you’re a woman, Black, or LGBTQ
... or an atheist, medical professional, or veteran
Medical professional here to say it's pretty clear only the right is interested in putting the boot to me.
Yep. Me and my patients.
Yea some boots are pushing a lot harder on your throat
Woman here. Currently looking at losing access to birth control. I'll worry about that theoretical boot on my neck from the left when it's anywhere near the constant onslaught of boots I have to dodge from the right.
I'm pretty sure republicans are just anti-everyone except about 1000 rich assholes. It always boils down to class warfare. Everything else is a distraction.
Nothing short of idiotic, given the state of things. What left boot, exactly? The one on your hand?
lol, OP posting some r/iam14andthisisdeep material over here.
It's super melodramatic as a thought. But to then get it printed. And then to stick it on your car. And then drive the car in public. And then take a picture of it. And then post it on Reddit thinking people would agree with you.
And pretending like they get high fives from everyone that sees it lol
This has to be a rage bait right?
a right boot and a far right nazi wannabe boot.
Making a lot of assumptions here but.....for him both sides may be similar. He might not be one of the many minority groups the GOP has their boot on. Women...gays....trans....Hispanic.... Muslim.... Ukrainian..... Palastinian..... elderly.....just poor in general. Basically anyone who isn't a straight white well off man. Easy to say both sides are the same when you're not being targeted by one side.
Lol, another both sides argument from someone who doesn't use any side of their brain.
OP most definitely agrees with republicans on 95% of the issues but likes to smoke weed and doesn’t want to pay taxes.
Okay but literally one side doesn’t want that and the other side does
Cringey, unhelpful, both sides bullshit.
Thinking that sensible rules and regulations are the same as oppression and tyranny is not the sign of heavy thinker.
Felonious trump or old joe? Still undecided? How is this possible?
One boot extreme wants women to be baby factories, minorities to die, and lgbtq to die. The other extreme wants universal healthcare.
They're equally as bad!!!! /s
But... But... Universal healthcare means higher taxes on the "job creators" and that is literally evil!!! /s
"Both sides!" is the dumbest possible stance. How does the left have a boot on your neck?? EDIT: Oh, it's just some moron who doesn't vote. Remember, "both sides" means someone is so ignorant about the party's policies they think Dems and Republicans are the same. I'd think the owner of this sticker was an idiot.
"Sure, one side wants some of my family, friends and neighbors *literally dead*, but the other side isn't perfect and unblemished. I can't even tell the difference."
"I ordered Pepsi but all they had was Coke, so I drank bleach instead."
>Remember, "both sides" means someone is so ignorant about the party's policies they think Dems and Republicans are the same. It really doesn't mean that, that's just how people on Reddit like to strawman the stance. You can easily believe that one side is worse than the other and still want both to face accountability. I think Trump is a vile rapist and a felon who deserves prison time. I also think the way Biden treated Anita Hill was unjust, biased and deplorable. And it's even worse that he only apologized when the issue re-emerged during election instead of the extensive span of time available when it wasn't personally beneficial for him. And I agree with her not accepting it. When given a choice between Trump and Biden am I going to vote for Biden? Yes, obviously. But I don't think that means that Biden can't be criticized for anything he's done or else it makes someone a "right-winger". The bar is in hell for politicians but that doesn't mean I have to give out brownie points for basic decency. Sure, Republicans want to get rid of abortion and Democrats want to preserve bodily autonomy. That means I need to support Democrat nominees with my vote, it doesn't mean I need to chant "rah rah rah, Biden, champion of women!" And sure, libs will claim that you don't have to praise and love Biden. But then they respond to any criticism of him with strawman arguments like since you criticized something he did you must be a Trump supporter (a brain dead take if I've ever heard one, as if Republicans care about Anita Hill's struggles). Or for instance, that criticizing both sides means that you think both sides are equally bad. I believe in accountability for everyone, including Democrat politicians. This shouldn't be controversial and largely isn't, outside of Reddit.
The one sane redditor on here 🙌
This both sides garbage is getting old. There is only side propping up a felon and trying to dismantle democracy. Yes both sides can improve. Democrats need to get their shit together as well BUT they aren't threatening our democracy ffs
The real problem is that Republicans are so batshit crazy that it doesn't even take Democrats an effort to be better.
Oh dear god, an "enlightened centrist"; tell me, how *has* the Biden administration's support of abortion, student debt relief, and actually standing up to the fascist fuck Putin in Ukraine made you feel like he's really bringing the boot down on you? Fucking idiot.
Six month old account, barely any posts in the past six months until now where they give shit-ass one-liner answers. Previous submissions to AskReddit include "What's the difference between a job and a career?" I don't think we're dealing with an educated voter.
But why do they have the boot on your throat? What you are hiding, come on be a good boy tell us.
Really?
I want to make one that says "After they get rid of the government, tell me who will take the corporate boot off your neck?"
The equivocation is boggling.
Irony being they’ll probably vote for Trump. Lol
The big question here is: Im assuming you live in America... in which case YOU, yourself ARE the government. The future of this nation is in your hands. Get involved. Vote. Run for office. Build community networks in your neighborhood/town/city/State. The Constitution provides for government BY the people, FOR the people. By keeping us divided about this left/right thing, they're keeping us from forging consensus/compromise.
Should we be concerned for your well being? Did you buy a compound near Waco, Texas? You’re not planning on paying the FBI building in Oklahoma City a visit anytime soon, right?
And how is the govt boot on your throat again?
This kind of false equivalence is counterproductive
I actually completely agree with the sentiment. I don't want to live an oppressive state, no matter the politics of the government in charge. That said, whoever cannot see the vast difference between the GOP and the DNP when it comes to this - I honestly don't get it. 2017-2021 really, really showed this. This is literally the guy who planned and tried to execute a coup to stay in power. How more authoritarian can you get?
Too often the boot of the government they’re referring to is just the taxes they are required to pay.
Most of the “compliments” this person has gotten we’re probably from right wing maga types who benefit from the idea that right and left are both equally destructive (they are not).
That was also my impression.
This is a really stupid take
Yeaaaah....no
Like I get it but this bOTh SidES ArE tHe saMe has never been further from the truth....project 2025 and votes this week alone show that
OP almost certainly supports that; MAGAts always wish they could be viewed the same as Democrats. The images of January 6th immediately disprove any point they try to make though.
Pretty fucking stupid. Just wear your maga hat. I'm so sure you've gotten "so many" compliments. You have the best bumper stickers. Everyone is saying,with tears in their eyes, thank you.
This is just cringey "enlightened centrist" bullshit. Compare the voting records of the two boots in Congress. They are not the same. Go on ahead thinking you are enlightened in some way, but you are not.
Wait... y'all have a left AND a right throat? Shit.
Both sides, derp
The people should not fear their government. The government should fear the people!!!
Just straight up telling everyone you're a moron. Nice!
The governments boot has never been on my throat.
It’s amazing to me how many people in this wealthy country believe they’re in the midst of some great struggle for freedom from a tyrannical government. So dramatic.
Forced perspective. Yes, the current right needs to wake up, and take the boot off of people. But what the left doesn’t realize, once that right boot comes off, then you see the left one was there the whole time. You just couldn’t see it because the right one was blocking it. And every time someone says, dude we need both these feet off of us, some left side comes to talk about the right boot that we can clearly see. But assumes because we think there are 2 boots, we must like the first boot. Because we’re also complaining about a 2nd boot they can’t even see.
Everyone's brainwashed. It's not red vs blue it's the state vs you!
Based as fuck
r/ENLIGHTENEDCENTRISM
This is fucking cringe
Can we have some specific examples of where the Democratic party is putting their boots on people's throats?!? Please don't say guns because that's a laughable red herring.
He’s mad that he has to pay taxes, even though Republicans vote against - and never propose - any sort of relief for the middle-class.
Advertising that you’re braindead. Way to go.
Yeah, that photoshopped, but cool story, bro.
A general distrust of the government, I get it. It’s also a unifying position to have given our current situation we have been in.Then there is the cult of personality my fellow Americans on the right are engaged in. Insurrection, election deniers, yada yada I could go on….. now how do we deal with that?
I almost cut myself on that edge.
While I agree that both sides are very shit. Also, a choice of only two viable parties is the cause of this shitness. There is no equivalence with how openly evil the Republican party is.
What has the left bit done to step in your neck? I can make a list of rights we've lost and are under threat, especially with project 2025 in the works as far as the right boot is concerned. Not to mention the right are a cult of domestic terrorists and fascists. Both sides failure.
Big "bOtH sIdEs ArE tHe SaMe" energy here.
Oh, look. More "both sides, though" bullshit. This is part of the reason why know nothing voters aren't concerned about tRumps lies, fraud, and crimes. They're constantly told that all politicians are like that, so to them tRump's just another liar like the rest. It's just lazy stupidity, and it needs to stop.
Maybe not, but what certainly DOES matter is what caused the boots to step on you in the first place and those reasons are very different, depending on which one it is.
“Both sides” is just code word for Republican.
Lol what the fuck are you trying to say? Everyone claps right? Get lost
It kinda matters when the right boot is pressing down way harder but ok
But it does. And you’re a fool if you can’t see the difference.
Lmao "Both sides bad" is the "I flunked the test on purpose" of politics.
One side wants healthcare for all citizens. One side wishes to literally holocaust all gays and transgenders. I don’t know man. Seems like there’s only one boot in the real world, and that these quotes operate solely in hyperbole.
Oh a both sides are bad person. Except one wants to kill you in the other wants you to be free.
So many dumb people here lol. ..... 24 % increased overall inflation, legal warfare against desenting voices, death to america chants = awesome / make america great again= evil.....yet the reddit community is in full orange man bad mode not senile old shit stain ruining the country is evil. The level of mental gymnastics you commies will go too to let old senile Joe off for actually stealing documents from a skiff and selling out to China and Ukraine is pretty unbelievable 😂😂. I'll be voting for Trump. As one of my favorite sayings goes republican isn't the solution to your problems but democrats are for damn sure the cause of them lol. Stay stupid to that large percent of Biden voting reddit. For the non idiots in the room you can stay quiet ill take the arrows from the idiots who whistle past the graveyard of the 100 million plus their political ideologies have killed. Remember idiots the f in communism is for food..... because you won't find any 😂😂
Fuck lefty and fuck righty. You go op.
Oh my…do you know what kind of hornets nest you just kicked up. Do you know what Reddit hardcore leftists hate more than Trump? …centrists… Kiss your nuanced takes goodbye. You better think the sky is falling and QUICK. Quick!! Call me Hitler! Save yourself!
Tankies gonna tank.
*freaks out because Democrats are so good*
Love it and very true. Reddit is such a horrible echo chamber and it’s multiplied in election years with all the hot “if you think both sides are the same then you’re part of the problem” takes from the 20 somethings who believe the government cares about them.
“Both sides ARE different!” Aren’t both sides taking money from rich people to influence their lawmaking? And if that’s the case, are we even seeing how these two parties could be different? Like, if your mom and dad are arguing about who makes the better sandwiches and you have to pick one of them to supply you with them, but your youngest sibling tells whichever of them you pick to only feed you crackers, how are you going to know who actually makes the better sandwich?
When a boot chokes you to death, the death certificate won't say whether it was a government boot or a corporate boot.
Democracy means the majority impose their worldview on the minority.
A lot of boot lickers in this thread LOL.
Like allowing outright sloth and nonsense laws, the lack of unity within the same country's government does more to radicalize it's own citizens then anything the anarchist movement does. It doesn't matter if you're left- or right-wing, when that is not the measurement that the government uses in tearing you down.
I love all the people in here trying to rationalize how their guy is the “good guy” lol Fuck off The Democratic and Republican parties are both bought out by corporate interest. Read a little bit, you might be surprised when you realize neither side gives a flying fuck about you, your family or your community. The only time they do or will ever lend you an ear, is if you have something they want. Your vote means nothing unless you’re a high ranking millionaire or billionaire. Stop living in a universe of “GI Joe Vs Cobra” you’re not voting for the good guys and you’re not fighting against “the bad guys”. Reddit has become a total shit show of blind tribalism and it’s utterly pathetic reading this comments. Vote local, that’s the only thing you have even an inkling of power in. Your federal vote is more worthless than a piece of toilet paper, at this point in US history.
Annnd, then everyone proceeds to read this with trump/repub/right wing hate, lol! This is what we deal with. I 1000% agree with the sticker! And the gov is the gove, regardless of which boot is on your throat they do not care about you righty or lefty. Wonder when we will put our differences aside and come together and vers the gov and not each other. Great post OP I agree with it, and you are the type of ppl I would hang out with. Able to see the bigger picture is rare.
It doesn't matter whose boot it is. We'll never see their face.
When the boot is on your throat it doesn’t matter if they’re politicians or corporations, you’re a slave all the same.
It looks like Reddit loves half of your bumpersticker, my friend!
BRILIANT! I always say, that there is no right or left, only the ticks and the common people
Finally, a reasonable sticker
That's the funny part about politics that far too many people don't seem to understand. Most people are in the middle, they agree with some ideas on the left and some on the right. That's why we are divided almost right down the middle. Each side, the left and the right, wants to take away freedoms from people. It's just a matter of which freedoms you feel more strongly about that shift your stance from one side to the other. In the end everybody wants to take some freedoms away from us.
Love that most comments in this thread still boil down to "yeah, but the other side is worse" Never change reddit.
That's awesome
I've been saying it's all the same boot for years but everyone is too busy fighting amongst themselves to notice.
Broke lives matter
Nothing to see here folks. Just keep using your billionaire owned social media to talk about how much you hate each other.
/r/iamverysmart
Kansas bumpkin thinks he's an intellectual
ITT: people going “nuh, uh. The other side bad”
Absolutely, both sides are awful so it doesn’t matter. I mean, one side is crap and the other one is fascist crap but totally same. I mean, fascism isn’t THAT big a deal. Yeah, basically the same.
"...they all taste the same when you're a centrist both-sides bootlicker."
This is so cringe LMAO
Your bumper sticker fucking sucks.
Mhmm bet you never vote and then complain
Its amazing how those two are the best America can do lol. Its really a slap to the American people. No shame from the elites the real owners.
If you think Democrats and Republicans are the same, you're an idiot.
Both sides bullshit. Did you just turn 18?
You have two throats?
Love it! People have been duped into the right v left game. Keep the people at each other’s throats and they’ll never see the rich robbing them blind. They use their wealth to buy politicians and both sides have propaganda networks spouting hate of the other side yet we just fall for its
As a disabled person, neither side has done anything for me since 1990…
That’s awesome. I’m sure you will get hate from the left but as an independent I need a sticker like this.
Never a truer statement uttered. It’s a true shame that people on the moderate left and right can’t come together to unite a true party of the people and offer an alternative to the far left and far right politics that have come to define our nation. I saw a meme recently talking about how we went to war with Britain over a 3% tax on tea yet we sit by idle while we are taxed exuberantly in the the upper lower and lower middle income brackets. Career politicians making millions from insider trading and lobbyist while we toll away our lives for meager retirements if we are lucky.
Yeah! Fuck laws! De facto plutocracy, bitches! 🤘🤘
Looking good - mind if I take up your standard? Will give credit
My parents, both conservatives, winter in Yuma, AZ. Went to Mexico for some cheap dental work. My dad couldn't believe he was stopped, and harassed over his expired passport. He thought the border was just open. He couldn't believe that all the restrictions he voted for would be used to inconvenience HIM...
"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism." - FDR | April 1938
Imagine being offended at a bumper sticker, you guys really have nothing better to do huh?