booly

joined 2 years ago
[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 hours ago

defend yourself criminally

Robust criminal defense

These court proceedings aren't criminal cases. They're more like hearings on restraining orders and things of that nature. Like I said, this is generally less than a single day's work for a lawyer, 2-5 hours.

I'm comparing middle of the road prices for handguns ($500-$1200) to middle of the road prices for a lawyer who can handle one of these hearings ($500-$1500). I still think it's financially irresponsible to own more than 3 guns and not have a $1000 emergency fund.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 1 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

If you can’t see the difference between buying one gun every x months and paying a lawyer 4 to 5 figures all in one go that’s on you.

You're off by an order of magnitude. I'm saying the lawyer would cost between 3 to low 4 figures, generally less than a single gun.

Time is linear and you can’t sell what was taken from you.

The ownership of the gun hasn't changed. That owner can sell the gun even if they can't physically possess it. Federal law requiring relinquishment of firearms (like upon conviction of a disqualifying felony or domestic violence misdemeanor) explicitly provides for selling the guns as a way to comply with the order. Each state is different in their rules on selling weapons already in the police's possession, and states require that transfer to go through an FFL, but most do not.

Look, I'm a gun owner. And I think part of being a responsible gun owner means having the financial means to actually deal with the consequences of owning, and potentially using, that firearm. I think it's a defect of American gun culture that there are so many people with concealed carry licenses who wouldn't even know how to contact a lawyer if they were to actually fire a gun in a real situation, whether it's a legitimate self defense situation or a negligent discharge. Gun ownership carries important responsibilities, and there is such a thing as someone who is too poor to responsibly own a gun (much less enough to where the phrase "all my guns" carries its own implicit meaning).

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 2 points 16 hours ago

The issue with red flag laws is that they completely bypass this.

It's my understanding that every state with a red flag law imposes a procedure similar to involuntary commitment: a court weighing evidence presented to it under penalty of perjury, with a heavy presumption that these orders are only for extremely rare situations.

Florida's procedure, for example, requires a petition from the police to the court, and requires the police to show the court that the person is suffering from a serious mental illness, has committed acts of violence, or has credibly threatened acts of violence (to self or others). In ordinary cases the person whose guns are being taken away has an opportunity to be heard in court before the judge decides, but in emergency cases the court can order the guns be taken away for up to 14 days, and requires an opportunity for the person to be heard in court.

So in practice, in Florida, someone would have to convince the police they're a danger, and then provide enough evidence that the police can persuade a judge. Private citizens aren't allowed to petition the court directly, and the process requires proof of a serious enough set of facts to justify taking guns away.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 0 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

Gun suicides are a huge problem, so there is a legitimate need for interventions in the appropriate circumstances. Suicidal ideation is also usually an impulsive or fleeting idea, so removing the means of suicide only temporarily can be a solution to that temporary problem.

The Swiss saw suicide rates drop with reduced access to firearms in shrinking their military, and the Israeli military has seen weekend suicide rates drop by simply having troops check in their weapons into armories over weekends, without a corresponding change in weekday suicides.

Anti-suicide nets on bridges work very well, too, because simply making a suicide more inconvenient, or require a bit more planning, is often enough to just make it so that the suicide attempt never happens.

So yeah. I'm generally against restrictions on firearm ownership or access for people who can be responsible with them, but I'm 100% on board with interventions for taking guns away for mental health crises, and restrictions on those found by a court to have engaged in domestic violence. And, like, convicted criminals, too.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 2 points 17 hours ago (4 children)

Do you really believe that "all my guns, bullets and reloading material" is cheaper than a lawyer for a hearing like this? In my mind that phrase represents thousands of dollars worth of gun stuff, and a lawyer who can represent you in a TRO hearing might be about $500-1500 ($200/hour, maybe 2-8 hours of work for that first hearing).

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 3 points 18 hours ago

Florida seems to be the state most likely to use the law.

I wonder if the stat is skewed by the fact that Florida has the largest population of Florida Men.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 9 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

BS clickbait is annoying, but it shouldn't be made literally illegal.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago

Increasing productivity of workers is met with demand for more production-intensive products. It's like how every time hardware improves, software becomes more complex to take advantage of that increased capability. It's like Jevon's Paradox, but applied to productivity of workers.

One prominent example: our farmers are more productive than ever. So we move up the value chain, and have farmers growing more luxury crops that aren't actually necessary for sustenance. We overproduce grains and legumes, and then feed them to animals to raise meat. We were so productive with different types of produce that we decided to go on hard mode and create just-in-time supply chains for multiple cultivars so that supermarkets sell dozens of types of fresh apples, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, etc., and end up eating much more fresh produce of diverse varieties compared to our parents and grandparents, who may have relied more heavily on frozen or canned produce, with limited variety.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

Oh I see that now.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago (4 children)

This post is about insurance premiums and has nothing to do with credit scores.

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Aren't those his sons?

[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 47 points 1 week ago (7 children)

The average cost of a hospital stay in a U.S. hospital is about $3,000 per day, but it varies significantly by location. So long stays like yours might cost between $250,000 and $500,000.

If your insurance covers it (and about 92% of Americans have health insurance), you'd be looking at your annual out of pocket max, which the law caps at $18,000 for family plans or $9,000 for individual plans, but which most people on employer sponsored plans (around 60% of Americans) have out of pocket maxes around $4,000 to $5,000. Source

So for most Americans, your hospital stay would've probably cost the individual patient about $5,000. Insurance would've paid another $350,000.

But for some Americans, they'd be looking at a $360,000 bill and then would just file bankruptcy, start over with close to a net worth of zero, at least for non-exempt assets (people generally get to keep their homes, cars, and retirement accounts in bankruptcy so it won't actually be starting from zero if you're well into a middle age in the middle class).

Or worse, the hospital would realize they're not getting paid, and then would find a reason to kick you out as soon as you're stabilized. They have to keep you alive even when you can't pay, but don't have to treat you beyond that for free.

 

There's a stickied post at the top of this community about 10 things you can do to resist the second Trump administration. It was published on January 23, 2025, and some parts are getting stale only 11 days later.

I intend for this to be a collaborative, brainstorming effort, focused into 4 parts:

Part 1: Actions that are the legal exercise of rights you have.
Part 2: Actions that might not be legal, but are nonviolent and non-destructive forms of disruption, from poisoning data sources to tying up manpower and physical resources on wild goose chases.
Part 3: Actions that probably are not legal, but are still nonviolent methods of disruption that may involve property destruction.
Part 4: Actions that may involve physical violence against people.

This thread is going to be about Part 1: legal ways to stop or slow down or otherwise disrupt Trump's agenda. When I get the time, I'll start filling out the others. I was mostly motivated because I didn't see enough discussion of things that would fall under Part 2, but as a preview, I think that Part 2 and Part 3 will have the most interesting stuff.

But for now, Part 1.

Political and Legal

Voting/Campaigning:

There are two open seats in the House, currently controlled by Republicans 218-215. Both vacancies, FL-1 and FL-6, are generally regarded as safe seats for Republicans (about 66%-33% in the 2024 elections), but the last Trump term showed that there's still room for upsets in special elections. And although 218-217 isn't enough to oust the speaker and take control over the House's legislative agenda, it does mean that every House member needs to show up to vote on everything, lest they lose the vote. It makes it much more inconvenient for Congress to support what Trump is doing, and adds a lot of friction.

Lobbying those with political power:

At the federal level, there are still elected officials who may have the tools to slow down or stop some of this President's attempted actions. The Republicans only have a bare majority of 218-215 in the House, and 53-47 in the Senate (plus tiebreakers). Many of the actions taken in the last 2 weeks have been illegal usurping of Congressional power. Encourage Congress (including Congressional Republicans) to take back some of that power for themselves. Let them know their jobs aren't safe, even in the "safe" districts or states.

At the state and local level, encourage all governmental organizations not to go along with Trump's initiatives. Schools, hospitals, police, other governmental functions should stop cooperating with the feds on things like immigration. Tell your elected officials at the state and local level. If your election precinct is anything like mine, there are dozens of people who rely on your vote, and need to hear a loud and voluminous series of voices telling them that they need to use their power for good, to resist Trump.

If you know people with influence, like major donors to a political party or candidate, a family member of a political official, lobbyists, journalists who amplify political messages, lean on them to make their voices heard on this. There should be a cacophony of loud voices from every direction encouraging resistance in concrete ways, to stop specific policies and actions.

Lawsuits and legal action:

If you have the means and are in a position to challenge any executive actions in court, do so. It doesn't matter if your own issue isn't necessarily politically charged. Tie up Trump's DOJ and Trump's legal defense network with work, and get the courts to start bogging down Trump's executive actions, big and small.

Run up legal fees with the law firms doing work on behalf of conservative interests. Is there a private law firm representing Trump or his allies in a lawsuit that you're involved in? Make them do more work, and charge more money in the hourly bills, for work responding to your own motions/objections/requests. Don't make their lives easier.

Economic

Boycott and Divest:

  • Don't do business with anyone who supports the Trump agenda, and don't even invest in the companies that do.
  • If you can afford to, stop doing work for, or on behalf of, those organizations. Think of it like crossing a picket line, and refuse to do the work.
  • If you run a service, turn fascists away, or even charge them a higher price (a mechanic silently adding a price premium for anyone with Trump bumper stickers, etc.).
  • Your own personal budget or financial/economic power may be smaller than your organizational or work budget that you control. If you're in charge of ordering food for an office event with work funds, or decorating an office, or buying things for use in your operations, use that purchasing decision to make sure it goes to the right people, and away from those who support Trump.

Donate and support organizations who are doing good work:

  • There are nonprofits helping the marginalized, fighting legal battles, or even little things like building technical tools for coordinating communications or organization on our side, or monitoring/reporting the actions of the other side.
  • Many of these organizations can make use of donations, or your business.
  • Even on the for-profit side, some businesses are doing good, either through charity or through focus of resources towards doing good. Support them with your business, and help others find them as well (good reviews, word of mouth, etc.).

Extract, within legal limits, whatever wealth or income you can from those who would support Trump:

  • Charge Trumpers higher prices.
  • Perform shoddy work for them when hired.
  • Refuse to give them discounts you'd ordinarily give to others.
  • Put them at the bottom of the priority list whenever you need to prioritize resources or efforts, whether we're talking about a home renovation project or a waiter deciding which table to drop food at first.
  • Submit that costly warranty or return or refund claim for something you previously bought from a Trump-supporting business.
  • Waste their time and waste their money.

Strikes/Slowdowns:

  • If your employment contract allows it or if you can afford to lose your job over it, and you're in a position where your work tends to help Trump supporters, start looking at ways to strike, or even engage in some kind of sickout, in the most disruptive way.
  • This is going to be heavily job/career/employer dependent, but it's something to think about whether it applies to you, and if so, to coordinate to figure out the best way to deploy this power.

Social/Cultural

Resist:

  • Refuse to cooperate with those who seek to implement Trump's agenda.
  • When ICE or any other Trump enforcement agency comes knocking, don't talk to them. Never consent to a search. Don't offer them food or water or wifi or warmth or parking or shelter.
  • Refuse to give information or access without a warrant or court order.
  • Even when legally required to comply, do it in an inconvenient way: turn over data in inconvenient and inefficient file formats (scanned TIFFs even if you have the digitally created PDFs, weird archaic photo/video formats, etc.), waste people's time with in-person demands or physical documents rather than electronic communication, ask dumb followup questions, etc.
  • There's a sabotage manual floating around, and that's got a lot of good ideas, many of which are actually legal.
  • Stand your ground when refusing illegal orders. Just this morning (February 3, 2025), a group of federal employees successfully turned away Musk's people from the OPM building, by standing up for the law (that's why this is in Part 1 of this series and not in Part 2, nonviolent civil disobedience).
  • For government employees and military personnel and law enforcement officers especially, they're in the most important position to stand in the way of illegal firings, illegal access to systems, etc. If you can afford to, stand up for what is legal and right and refuse unlawful orders until you are removed, then challenge your removal until you are physically arrested and carried out. Make enough commotion so that your arrest will be filmed and broadcast.

Record:

  • Take pictures and video, document everything that you see that is advancing the Trump agenda.
  • Record illegal arrests, get whatever visual information you can of any faces or nametags or badge numbers, etc.
  • Copy memos and notices, record announcements and orders and instructions, so that they can be analyzed later.
  • If the fascists are looking to delete records, burn books, take websites or databases offline, etc., volunteer to download, store, or distribute that information.
  • Actively participate by disseminating useful information, maybe even running websites that publish information that Trump's team is trying to suppress.

Report:

  • Observe and warn about illegal acts by federal agents or Trump-aligned militias or other groups. Are there people bringing weapons to a Proud Boys rally? Did a pardoned January 6 insurrectionist illegally modify a firearm, or carry a firearm while intoxicated? Keep an eye out on them, because many of them will slip up and inadvertently leak details of the illegal things they're doing.
  • Submit the petty complaints you'd ordinarily not bother with, like a Trump-supporting organization failing to comply with the fire code, health and safety code, illegal parking, etc.
  • See something illegal that a Trump-supporting organization is doing? Report them and let them deal with the hassle. Get their vehicles towed, their power shut off, their rallies broken up, etc.
  • Keep the press and public in the loop so that they know what's happening and can disseminate that information.
  • Warn locals when white supremacists or Trump-aligned insurrectionists are rallying in an area.
  • Share relevant information and video that you see, especially crossing mediums (e.g., copying and forwarding a video you saw on Lemmy to a person who isn't on Lemmy).

Speak up:

  • Persuade the bystanders that what is happening is not normal, is dangerous and illegal, and encourage them to get involved, too.
  • Give concrete examples of how Trumps actions have already hurt people.
  • Show your receipts from when people downplayed Project 2025.
  • Show the apathetic non-voter, or the uninformed voter, that electing Trump was a mistake and we need to do everything in our power to prevent them from consolidating more power.
  • Appeal to their specific interests: show cops the videos of January 6 insurrectionists tasing and assaulting cops, show military servicemembers how Trump is exacting revenge on those who he himself appointed (Milley, Bolton, Pompeo, Wray), show business interests how Trump is extracting favors from the rich and interfering with markets, etc.

Isolate, Shun, and Shame:

  • This is the non-economic analogue to the boycott and divest bullet point above. Mockery and shaming are more effective when you're naturally a funny guy, and where it comes off as mean-spirited fun rather than bitter/angry. Channel your stereotypical 80's teen movie jock making fun of nerds and go to town using popularity against these losers.
  • Manage your social relationships so that Trump supporters don't get the benefit of your friendship or of the neighborly or kind things you do for others.
  • Boycott the social connections of Trumpists. Stop inviting them to things, cut them out of your group message threads.
  • Call people out on their support of fascism. Point out their hypocrisy. Make them uncomfortable showing their political beliefs in public.
  • Point out the leopards-eating just deserts when you decline to help a Trump supporter with their Gofundme when they ask their social network for help while voting against their own interest when it comes to disaster relief, universal healthcare, workplace job protections, sick leave, etc.

Organize:

  • Get like-minded people together to take action.
  • Coordinate activities for maximum impact.
  • Catalog what different people's skillsets are, so that we can all think through where a person's efforts may be most effective.

Infiltrate right wing groups:

  • Pretend to be one of them. Gather intelligence.
  • Record and report any crimes to the press, to law enforcement authorities that are positioned to act on it.
  • Volunteer to do stuff to assist in operations, and then leave that stuff undone, or done so poorly as to be counterproductive.
  • Poison their data, spread information or misinformation that disrupts their ability to organize or act.
  • Even if you get caught and expelled, take some solace in the fact that you're adding to their paranoia that they've got people they can't trust.

Volunteer and help:

  • There is, and will continue to be, a huge need for people who are able to help those in need.
  • Everyone has different skillsets, and there will need to be doctors, lawyers, counselors, engineers, programmers, journalists, scientists, cooks, drivers, mechanics, and all sorts of workers who can do good things to help people in need. You each know your own profession best, and can figure out where your efforts can provide the most help.

There's a lot more to be said, and I think the juicier stuff will come in the later parts of this series with civil disobedience and more active resistance, but I wanted to get this stuff out there, and get people's creativity going. What did I miss? What did I get wrong? Is there something on this list that could use some elaboration?

 

Amazon is running a Prime Day sale on July 16 and 17. Setting aside the fact that this is two separate days, neither 716 nor 717 are prime numbers. They should've done 7/19 instead.

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