Be the rule

I've recently made this decision with my lifelong closest friend. I've known about his changing views for a while but its really hard to let go of a friend I've had for 15 years. I justified it to myself because I wanted to make sure he had my perspective around and I thought he was starting to mellow out. Turns out he was just learning to avoid politics around his friends.

It came to a head when I moved to a new city and he stayed with me for 2 weeks. After hanging with my local friends for a year, I realized I was always avoiding the elephant in the room with him. When I introduced him to my friends, I realized I was really hoping he wouldn't say anything crazy. I was really hoping my trans friend wouldn't show up in case he decided to make that a focal point. He's been "getting more religious" (dominionist, christo-fascist). And I can tell he's still disguising himself even when we talk openly about politics and religion.

More recently, two other friends stayed with me for a week. They're also long-time friends with the first guy. We all collectively realized that we were much more comfortable around each other than we were around him. I was excited to introduce them to my local friends. I never had to pick my words or hold my tongue. So I'm going low contact with him. It sucks but I can't call someone a friend that has such fundamentally opposed values to my own. If it were just a difference in how much taxation is the right amount or how healthcare should be administered, I could look past it. But he's gone pretty authoritarian and believes some of my other friends shouldn't exist. I can't reconcile that.

I'm getting emotional whiplash from the amount my emotions go from "fuck them all violence is the only answer" to "you should keep an open door for when their faces are undoubtedly eaten by leopards and need help"

Let them know they'll be welcome once they stop being fascists. The only good fascist is a dead one, but killing fascists isn't the only way to get rid of them.

This 100%.

Sometimes you can be the hug they never got when they were a little kid and their fuckhead dad beat them instead of letting them be gay (or whatever authentic self got crushed).

I'm not saying you should put a huge amount of work into this but sometimes being kind and meeting someone where they're at even if they're super wrong does more to break the mold than to be a dickhead back. These people have a lot of experience doubling down to resistance, and if you surprise them with kindness it can shake up the whole setting.

That said, if you're kind and try to teach them, and they're still bastards/non-receptive, then move on and change the minds you can. Don't waste your time on people that don't want it.

Excluded?

Bro they have all the power in USA.

Someone who has to push others down to raise themselves up has no power at all
- Not a great quote to use about a country with largest air force and navy...

Be the reason why a fascist feels unsafe.

I'd been needing some new weightlifting motivation, and this is so it
- Do it!

I actually have been that in the past year. Helped organize his victims to kick him out of a local community.

So low-strata fascists are typically like low strata cultists^† in that they're typically drawn in by neo-nazis (or whoever) giving an ounce of regard to them when they're alone and socially isolated. The indoctrination and costly identity markers follow.

At least this is my take based on stories I've heard from those who have escaped hate groups, militant groups and dangerous NRMs. Transition from membership to outsider (optimally involved in more benign social groups) is difficult and takes a while.

That said, fascists are dangerous both by being politically active (in the US, politically active in a system where safety checks have been stripped away or subverted) and by being violent or engaging in direct action. And in these cases, doing what is necessary to stop them can qualify as self-defense.

† As a cult researcher, I feel the need to define this, since cult is a loaded word. By low-strata cultist I mean a low-rung member of a dangerous NRM or seller from an MLM.

I am :( but they keep telling me we need fascism to get rid of fascism.

Tankies are just fascists with a different hat on
Ah, the ol' managed democracy.
- It’s still socialism… just with more tanks!

I find this depressing. The only thing this world isn't really trying these days is to reach out and be there for people almost unconditionally. It's lame, but, we still need to be the change we want to see in the world. The less light there is in the tunnel. the darker it gets.

A conservative sees empathy as a weakness. Save your light for those who will value it.
I think you may not realize that for most people they were already “almost unconditionally” supportive of others.

However, a lot of people feel that the conditions have been met, or, the line has been crossed where they can no longer morally support the other side.

So people have been “almost unconditionally “ supportive as you say you want.
Reach out to unforgivable, unredeemable sociopaths?
I really did used to think like this. Like, what would make a person adopt such an ignorant stance such as fascism, racism, etc. I used to feel sorry for them.

It's just been too much lately. I don't feel sorry for them anymore. They are in the wrong and should know it. They should feel unsafe regurgitating the foul rhetoric they believe. It used to be (at least somewhat) that way.

I'm not even American, but everyone is feeling the repercussions of this travesty we all witnessed on Tuesday. It's not direct repercussions, but soon will.

Jesus wept (I'm not a Christian).

When your friend has an addiction, you try to support him to quit. If a friend turns into a fascist , you should support him to quit, exclusion will only make him more extremist :(

Excluding them is how you force them to quit. But you need to not just exclude them from your group; you must also prevent them from joining other fascists. Make them rightly feel that fascism leads to being alone.
- How do you do that? Unless they're your kid, you don't usually have that kind of control over another person.
- ^^^^^^^^
No, if you're a fascist you deserve only horrible things and no redemption, period :3
But I like excluding people because it creates a strong sense of unity and identity within my group, making me feel superior and distinct. This gives me a sense of control and power, which is deeply satisfying, and it simplifies the world into clear categories of "us" versus "them," providing comfort and certainty in an otherwise complex and chaotic environment.

Edit: plus, I can't relate to fascists at all
Hey look, literally the second post I've seen in this community since coming back and already the fascism apologia has started. Fuck off and die with your nazi friends 💕
This.

Is that the TF2 font?

I can't find it anymore, but I remember enough to say that that's not what it was labeled on textstudio.com lol

Be the reason someone votes Republican again next time

Steve Bannon is a fascist.

Trump supporters are not en masse

We're beyond the point where anyone can claim ignorance of what Trump stands for.

Trump supporters are dangerous sociopaths.
- People didn't know Biden dropped out of the race until they were looking at the ballot. There is no end to the ignorance.
But there is a pipeline from "I vote for him out of protest" to fascism and we should not underestimate that
- And you are fighting this pipeline by standing at higher moral ground. Wait and see how your country drops lower and lower
The long time supporters are, but those who voted for him might not be. There will be people who realize a mistake was made.
- There will be people who realize a mistake was made.
  
  A Trump voter, even an uninformed one, will never realize a mistake was made. Maybe the first time around that was true. But, this time everyone knew who he was.
  
  Anyone who was ignorant at the polls this time will always be ignorant. No new information will be enough for them to finally "get it".
- Hey. What if his cognitive decline is so bad, that he overflows from far right all the way back to left, and his deeply hidden business acumen comes front and center while also inverting to ethical. And he uses it to demolish those who extract value without ever paying back into the system, and we all sing kumbaya.
  
  -posted from an alternate, cheerful universe
- I'm afraid that nobody realizes their mistakes until the society as a whole does, but at this time no one will be left to blame
- There is no mistake to be made. Everyone but liberals knows what the GOP is, and anyone who votes for it is a heartless cunt. Don't defend them, nobody who voted for him this year deserves an ounce of sympathy or mercy
Anyone who votes for Hitler is a nazi. Same with anyone like you who defend him or his followers. Fuck off forever collaborator