• mozz@mbin.grits.dev
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    78
    ·
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    They’re not trying to win the popularity contest. They’re trying to win the “do what we say or maybe one of our violent followers will try to kill you” contest. That’s what Hannity means by “think twice.”

    They abandoned the pretense of nonviolence and freedom of speech for their enemies quite a while ago.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      9 months ago

      I guarantee you Taylor Swift has some of the best security in the world, so I’m guessing that doesn’t worry her much.

      • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        27
        ·
        9 months ago

        They could still bomb one of her concerts, or drive a car into fans waiting in line, or some other type of stochastic terrorism. Like a lot terrorism, it’s not necessary to do enough to actually endanger a real high percentage of people, just enough to make anyone who won’t toe the line a little fearful about their safety because of it. A little bit’s enough.

          • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            10
            ·
            9 months ago

            Yeah, maybe so. I hadn’t really realized it before you said this, but historically the violence that helps usher in a fascist takeover is either police violence or big, public, mob-style events – not this sneaking around planting pipe bombs nonsense. I think you may well be right that stochastic terrorism ultimately inspires more resistance then obedience.

            The only analogs I can even think of where a successful fascist takeover was accompanied by terrorism in secret, are the Reichstag fire and the false-flags from Putin’s early days – and both of those inspired a strong reaction against the party that, supposedly, was the one that had perpetrated them.

        • Uranium3006@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          9 months ago

          although getting a lot of people who are apolitical but have progressive values to pay attention by bombing their favorite pop star isn’t going to have a favorable outcome for the bombers

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          9 months ago

          Maybe, but I don’t see how that would end up helping Republicans, so if that does happen, it will be some lone crazy. That’s always a risk.