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0 pointskcplate1y ago0 comments

Gotcha. So your answer is to break up the republic because you don’t like some of the region’s politics.

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My answer is to let people who want to hurt themselves politically and economically proceed after we have collectively attempted to prevent these outcomes. If they get their vote till death, and they don't want to change their vote to anything productive, there is no other choice (as mental models are rigid and tribalism pressures are strong). Good luck to them, effort is better spent on people who actually care and investment where it is valued.

> …or maybe they can just vote for the change they would like at the federal level like they just did.

This is the change they voted for. If it is harmful to them, that was their choice. As Jamie Dimon said, "Get over it." Vote better next time? If the forest votes for the axe after everyone told them not to, I have no compassion when the axe starts chopping.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woodcutter_and_the_Trees

https://bsky.app/profile/briantylercohen.bsky.social/post/3l...

kcplateOP1y ago

> after we have collectively attempted to prevent these outcomes

Who is “we” and what did “we” do to prevent “what” outcome?

Seems to me if you can answer that question you might have a clue why the forest might chose the axe.

toomuchtodo1y ago

It sounds like, from your comments, that you believe understanding these people is going to enable change. In my opinion, I believe this is unlikely when you cannot appeal to irrational voters (who google "who pays tariffs" after their vote and the election concludes, who don't want Obamacare but love their ACA insurance, who want immigrants deported but don't understand that directly correlates to inflation [wage pressure and labor supply]). So why are we going to waste time trying to pander and appeal to them? What will that change? Protect vulnerable people worth protecting, good luck to the rest while we wait for a bunch of folks to age out (~2M/year 55+ voting cohort).

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/12/10-facts-...

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/11/13/what-trum...

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-polit...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/11/there-are-a-...

kcplateOP1y ago

You hope the forest accepts advice against the axe, but it doesn’t. The answer isn’t “let those dumb trees die off”. The answer should be “what about our message of peril is so easy to ignore” or “why don’t these trees respect our authority to advise them about the danger of the axes”.

You will always have an issue if you can’t communicate obvious peril in a way that is accepted or if you lack the respect and authority that prevents your advice being heard and accepted. That’s the problem, not the forest and trees.

krapp1y ago

These states and many of their citizens have been murmuring about a "cold civil war" and "peaceable secession" for decades, and a few have been flirting with secession since the actual civil war ended. They don't want to be a part of the US - or more accurately they consider only themselves to be the US, proper, and reject the authority of the Federal government as illegitimate, oppressive, and run according to cultural values which they despise.

So yeah, maybe it's better to let them go than suffer having them dragging the rest of the country down with them.

kcplateOP1y ago

…or maybe they can just vote for the change they would like at the federal level like they just did.

Funny how that works in a republic like ours. If their direction doesn’t pan out, you have opportunities in 2026 and 2028 to right the ship. Of course that would mean that the democrats will actually have to provide a leader to two that can effectively communicate, motivate, and lead.

krapp1y ago

A republic doesn't work when half of the people simply vote to burn it down every four years to spite the other half. You can't just "right the ship" to correct policies this destructive. This isn't simple politics as usual.

kcplateOP1y ago

You are making an assumption that only half the country votes to “burn it down” and that whatever side you are on is the correct one that should be preserved.

It’s possible that both sides seek to destroy the policies of the other and maybe, just maybe, neither side truly has a monopoly on what is right and correct.

All I hear as an independent political thinker is two sides whining that the other is dogmatic.

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toomuchtodo1y ago

> …or maybe they can just vote for the change they would like at the federal level like they just did.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woodcutter_and_the_Trees

https://bsky.app/profile/briantylercohen.bsky.social/post/3l...

kcplateOP1y ago

> after we have collectively attempted to prevent these outcomes

Who is “we” and what did “we” do to prevent “what” outcome?

Seems to me if you can answer that question you might have a clue why the forest might chose the axe.

toomuchtodo1y ago

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/12/10-facts-...

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/11/13/what-trum...

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-polit...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/11/there-are-a-...

kcplateOP1y ago

krapp1y ago

So yeah, maybe it's better to let them go than suffer having them dragging the rest of the country down with them.

kcplateOP1y ago

…or maybe they can just vote for the change they would like at the federal level like they just did.

krapp1y ago

kcplateOP1y ago

You are making an assumption that only half the country votes to “burn it down” and that whatever side you are on is the correct one that should be preserved.

It’s possible that both sides seek to destroy the policies of the other and maybe, just maybe, neither side truly has a monopoly on what is right and correct.

All I hear as an independent political thinker is two sides whining that the other is dogmatic.

1 more reply

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