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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   35100 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of March 3, 2025

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Signs point to Donald Trump soon invoking the Insurrection Act (paywalled, but you can get around it with Reader View):

The clock is ticking down on a crucial but little-noticed part of President Donald Trump’s first round of executive orders — the one tasking the secretaries of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to submit a joint report, within 90 days, recommending “whether to invoke the Insurrection Act.”

Many of us are now holding our collective breath, knowing that the report and what it contains could put us on the slippery slope toward unchecked presidential power under a man with an affinity for ironfisted dictators.

Adding to the suspense was the recent “Friday Night Massacre” at the Pentagon — the firing of the nation’s top uniformed officer and removing other perceived guardrails (i.e., the top uniformed lawyers at the Army, Navy and Air Force) standing between the president and his long-stated intention to declare martial law upon returning to power.

And here's the linked EO they're referencing:

(a) Within 30 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the President, through the Homeland Security Advisor, a report outlining all actions taken to fulfill the requirements and objectives of this proclamation; and

(b) Within 90 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a joint report to the President about the conditions at the southern border of the United States and any recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.

The Insurrection Act of 1807 essentially allows the President to declare martial law by deploying the military to "suppress civil disorder, insurrection, or rebellion".

I still don't think that Trump is going to make a serious attempt at establishing permanent one-party rule. What would be the play, exactly? Declare permanent martial law and then cancel elections in four years? I don't think there's much appetite for that, either with him or with the members of his inner circle. But then again, I also never predicted that he would cut off military aid to Ukraine either, so my predictions have already been wrong once!

It seems like we've had a slight uptick in leftist (or at least anti-Trump) posters lately so I'd be particularly interested in hearing their thoughts.

It seems like we've had a slight uptick in leftist (or at least anti-Trump) posters lately

Sorry to derail, but same, and while I welcome their presence I'm more than a little bemused at it's implication. All this time we were told that the reason they're leaving is that they were being mistreated, my current conclusion is leaning towards: they were leaving because they felt they're winning, and no longer need us - they're coming back because they're feeling like they're starting to lose.

It'll be interesting to see what the Motte looks like in 5 years, assuming we survive the AI botspampocalype.

We're on such a razor's edge where I can see us either purity spiraling into QANON land, or being taken over by leftists (either as part of a deliberate activist effort or just because every space seems to move left over time).

On the plus side, we're protected by very good mods. As long as they don't get pissed off and quit, we'll probably be alright. And I suppose we're also protected by our low visibility and importance. Few people stumble upon us. So there's not any real value in ideologically capturing us as opposed to other similar spaces like Reddit or HackerNews.

Probably the biggest risk is just going the way of Slashdot, gradual loss of users and interest over time.

We're on such a razor's edge where I can see us either purity spiraling into QANON land, or being taken over by leftists (either as part of a deliberate activist effort or just because every space seems to move left over time).

Ah, yes, O'Sullivan's First Law wins again.

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