TF is wrong with people.

I mean, this was in 2016.

People made worse decisions that year. A lot of people.

2024: hold my beer
And not just in the US.
- But sovereignty, mate.
Does this mean if we see a display like this today, a lot of people are about to make another bad decision?

At this point, is being American basically a religion? Such weird cult-like displays of patriotism...

It has actually been described as such. (It's called Civic Religion) Many countries have elements of this, like France or the Soviet Union.
- Only a couple countries on Earth where every member of Congress has¹ to wear a pin: the US and North Korea.
  
  Yes there’s no law, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to.
- Patriotism is ingrained from birth like religion — They're forced to pledge allegiance to the flag through schooling, taught little about the world outside the US, and constantly propagandised by politics, hollywood, and capitalism from all angles; non-stop affirmation that the USA is the greatest Democracy™️ in the world, and their Freedoms™️ are the free-est free that ever freedomed.
- Yes I know nearly every country has elements like this. But in the US it's a bit more than just some elements.
  
  I can see it in American advertisements, TV series, movies, political speeches, and a lot of rather loud opinions.
There’s probably like 40% of us, at least, who aren’t jingoistic fuckbrains.
- And they can't afford to miss a day of work to vote, thanks to that other 60%.
There are few large countries in the world where this isn't the case. Nationalism, in general, is absolutely a cult.
It kinda is
Pretty much. Secular education tends to begin with Columbus sailing across the Atlantic and seldom ventures north or south of our boarders -- let alone touch on the rest of the planet until World War 2, after which a lot of curriculums just end. Elective courses are better... which is why nearly every year at least one of the states try to ban them.

Most of our protestant schooling likes to make special note of the fact that people fled here to escape religious persecution, that this or that sect wouldn't be possible without American Freedoms™. Hell, Mormon scripture straight up says the US is a promised holy land.
No, it's just what's on my passport. There's not much I can do about it.
They call themselves Patriots. They are a cult.

How old is this photo? That’s a good price for a 12 pack of soda…

I just wanna see the person who decides that this art is cool and all but they really do need a few packs of Coke Zero so…

This is solid level 2 Walmart art.

There are 7.5 known levels.

What happened on the 9th of November? I forgot.

1307 – Knights Templar officer Hugues de Pairaud is forced to confess during the Trials of the Knights Templar. He was persecuted on the charges of false idolism and sodomy.

This may come off as ignorant, but what is that whole "We will never forget" supposed to mean? Like for what purpose will you keep reminding yourself of this?

I think it was just the brand of right wing patriotism under Bush. That's back when people used to wear NYPD hats and t-shirts even though they weren't cops.
- FDNY shirts/hats were everywhere.
It was pretty much stolen from Holocaust survivors. The original idea was 'never forget the Holocaust so that people will understand that hatred leads to genocide.'

It has no concrete meaning in this context as far as I can tell.
Control.

"You have to take off your shoes at the airport and then let a random person take pictures of you naked before getting on a flight because we need to prove that you're not a terrorist. Remember what happened the last time we didn't do that? You can either submit to us, or we can have another terrorist attack."

It also marks a time in history when people started going back to church in order to find some semblance of an explanation, and the churches like the increased attendance. They've got to keep us scared that the "terrorists" are around every corner, and they have the only solution.
If you keep pickin’ that scab it ain’t gonna heal right.

Now you too can help destroy the twin towers

What the fuck was this merchandiser thinking?

..Is this putting shoppers in the role of the hijackers?

"A second customer has hit the tower."

The answer to the question “who thought this was a good idea?” Is Coca Cola. The companies (and distributors) selling these products to stores negotiates with those stores to build these displays and decides what they look like.

Fuck em.

Capitalism gonna capitalize. Gotta get all the monies any way they can.
- Nationalism, not capitalism. Nothing about this is private ownership of means of production.

I'll never forget... when you could buy a 12pk of brand name soda for under 5 bucks. Got a 12pk of mtn dew baja (well the free 3 cans ver.) and coke last week... 20 bucks! 😿

There is a sale this weekend at a nearby store, 2/10$ and It felt like the soda apocalypse in there with everyone running around grabbing up case after case. I don't get it, one can and my mouth feels nasty while my body is demanding water to wash it down. I guess if your body is addicted to it you get a different reaction.

The really disturbing part was seeing all the kids gleefully freaking out as they helped carry case after case (some could barely carry one case because they were so young). I have addictions myself and the parent's purchase is their own prerogative, but I would never let my kid participate in my bad habits.
- Definitely understandable, I am addicted but I'm trying to be better... But where the 2 for 10? 🤔

It was 23 years ago now. It's entirely possible that the manager who had that put up doesn't even remember 9/11.

i bet all the innocent afghanis whose lives were destroyed so the us could find and "kill" their former ally won't forget either

Meanwhile the Saudis are over it

Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?

yes, but where would we get an elephant and 12 penguines from?
- I have an idea but you need to bring a corkscrew and 7 tickle-me-Elmo’s to make it work.
- Pinky, is that you?
- ...erm...
I mean.. I could get an RC plane..
I think so, but how are going to crash a plane into coca-cola headquarters?
?
Narf!

Yet we’re still doing business with Saudi Arabia, who actively participated in planning the attack at a state level

The reason, same with Israel, is because the US needs allies in the Middle East. A lot of "shock and awe" was launched from bases in Saudi Arabia. Which is extremely unsettling. But it highlights why the US keeps these countries as allies.
who actively participated in planning the attack at a state level

None of this is true. He was an outlaw in Saudi Arabia and left it in the 1990s and never returned. The US though was still working with Alqaeda in Central Asia before 9/11/2001.
- there were state officials sending video in DC etc. They’ve found evidence of all that after. State officials played a role in helping.

Oh, I won't be forgetting any time soon, thank you for reminding me

Imagine how different the world might be if the U.S. hadn't systematically interfered in every popular, leftist movement in South America in the last 50 years; that's even without mentioning the Banana Wars in Central America in the preceding 50.

Cursed jenga?

Man those things already look ideal to knock over, you're asking for some tiktok stunt to take this down lol

P l e a s e

That would be gold

Somehow I have that burning desire to buy exactly that case of soda(?). Just for fun.

Yeah where's tower 7?

Tacky AF

These coke can arrangements are getting wild lol

There ain't no -ism like capitalism.

I hate buying 12 packs and then finding out that half of the cans are depressurized(and unfizzed!) from being crushed because of these stackings :(

Peak capitalism

Twin peak even

Nothing wrong with this

Anyone else remember South Park episode Jared has Sides? Takes 22ish years before something is funny. Probably not this but it was pretty close to that for timing.

It’s not the time that makes stuff funny but the skill of the comedian

I remember there were funny jokes about 9/11 10 years ago. something with plane and dumb terrorists I can’t remember now but it was hilarious
- I'm partial to this one personally
- Kumail Nanjiani had a good one.
- I agree mostly but you do need some time, that was sort of the key, not the actual timeframe. The best jokes one month later would not work regardless how good they were. Well anywhere in the US. Even you said a decade later, that's over half an adult worth of time for a human growing up.
Years not days?

33

😡