The Minnesota governor said that the path to tyranny “is littered with people telling you you’re overreacting”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was testifying before Congress about his state’s handling of immigration when he learned Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security news conference Thursday.

The irony, he told the attendees of the Center for American Progress’ “Listening to Lead” event Friday, was in lawmakers grilling him and his colleagues, Govs. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y. and JB Pritzker, D-Ill., over the “incredible crime of treating people like human beings” as FBI agents tackled a sitting senator to the ground and handcuffed him in Los Angeles.

“I am not prone to hyperbole. I am prone to, like, popping off a little bit. I know that,” Walz said, prefacing his argument that Americans are living in a “dangerous” time. “I believed all along we were marching towards authoritarianism, and people were telling me in December, ‘You know, you’re overreacting.’ And I said, “The road to authoritarianism is littered with people telling you you’re overreacting.”

  • droopy4096@lemmy.ca
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    1 day ago

    Tim Walz has strongly worded his disdain for strongly worded letters.

    AOC and Bernie were pouring sweat and blood into anti-Oligarchy tour while Tim did exactly what? What did he lay out as a functional plan? More messaging? So more “strongly worded letters”? Situation calls for direct action.

    • ilinamorato@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I’m not a Minnesota resident, but it sure looks like he’s taking direct and local action as the governor of Minnesota. The guy seems to have done a lot of good work for his constituents. As a governor, that’s really the most effective action he can take right now.

      • droopy4096@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        In the past, yes he has shown some spine for action but in today’s environment having him and Harris “invisible” until now projects a very weak position. The only Democrats that remained active and visible and “in your face” were AOC and Bernie. Rest of them seem to have evaporated. I’d love to be proved wrong. So, how many public gatherings did he address and outlined strategy for applying pressure on current Federal administration? How many times did he stand up and mobilized others to stand up to present onslaught of lawlessness streaming from DC? I get it, he’s Mi governor, but he also aimed for VP chair so one would expect him to act at “above state” level.

    • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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      AOC and Bernie poured sweat and blood into strongly worded admonishments.

      I guess you want to see our elected Representatives seizing and holding territory with guns and grenades in order to be satisfied.

      • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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        Actually? I’d love to see Bernie Sanders just show up full Rambo style, guns blazing, totally losing his shit.

        But also, I’ve abandoned the concept that this country will ever run smoothly, peacefully, and without corruption.

        So at this point I’m ok with letting the country burn that was founded on slavery and racism, but hasn’t learned anything since.

          • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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            1 day ago

            And people around me think less of me for not being patriotic.

            America is my home, and it’s also a dumpster fire. Always has been.

            • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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              24 hours ago

              I want to ask, in earnest, if you mean you’re not nationalist? Patriot gets thrown around a lot these days, but what most people really mean is nationalism. I love my country, but I hate what it’s become. I hate the people in power who are ruining this great country. I hate the conservatives who are trashing everything with their racism and toxicity. I hate the liberals who are just as bad as conservatives because neither side can do the right thing (granted, the left are slightly better than the right).

              And no, this is not a “bOTh SiDeS” issue. So you can burn that straw man down right now.

                • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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                  20 hours ago

                  This is part of the problem! There are so many different (and stupid) words to describe one side of a political party. We should make a new one called the Not Assholes party that encompasses those of us who just want a working democracy that doesn’t favor aristocracy, oligarchy, or any other non democratic -cracy/-archy.

                  Or whatever; I really don’t know. I’m stupid and this shit is way too over complicated for my stupid brain to comprehend. 😩

                  • NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world
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                    20 hours ago

                    The problem isn’t imagining philosophical lines to draw in the imaginary philosophical sand, the problem is that, no matter what the political framework is, people want power and people want other people to have power because it means there is a possibility of them having power. This has always been and always will be. We are just apes looking to be at the head of the feeding order.

      • droopy4096@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        AOC and Bernie were directly interacting with people all this time explaining and making them ready: AKA acting; Walz was largely absent all this time.

      • droopy4096@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        direct action does not equal guns and grenades. Please educate yourself on what direct action really means.

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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      1 day ago

      AOC and Bernie spent the last few months telling people to vote and call their representatives; they can’t be much better than Walz.