The ever prescient @kixes:
“Nobody ever told me that the hardest part of living under authoritarianism—especially Singapore’s insidious, “soft” version that seems to be becoming attractive to other governments around the world—is not what they do to you, but what they make you do to yourself and to the people around you”
https://adimagazine.com/articles/no-free-labor-for-authoritarians/
I feel like this person is describing the United States during my entire lifetime, until Trump took over.
@johnzajac @skinnylatte @kixes i say this with the intent to educate but i think you may have massive tunnel vision, or otherwise massively missed the point some other way, if you think this sounds like US.
soft authoritarianism is everywhere but even after the current administration have taken over there is still loads more freedom of speech and dissent than what is described in the article
I mean, are you aware of the Cop City prosecutions? "Bought a sandwich" is apparently a RICO violation.
Prairieland?
The hundreds of felony prosecutions under Biden and Trump for Gaza protesters whose crimes included "grafitti" and "setting up a tent"?
The tendency of police to simply shoot Black people they don't like the look of?
1/
"Due process" is violated routinely in the US; it's just become fashionable to be outraged by it because Trump isn't interested in hiding his contempt for the law.
Due process includes a speedy trial, but in the US avg time in jail waiting for court is 6 months. 400k people are currently incarcerated but innocent. Some have been incarcerated for *years*.
The US system is aspirational, but not nearly as fair or just as you seem to think.
@johnzajac @skinnylatte @kixes where did i seem to think that the US system is fair or just?
well, ultimately i intend to educate on what it is like outside the US, and on having a non-US-centric perspective. i don't intend to argue or get mansplained.
Adrianna Tan
John
atsuzaki