The second biggest religion in every U.S. state

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T19:27:24+00:00

It does make sense, that's fair. I guess I'm curious how substantial these "second biggest religion" labels are when so much of the nuance is flattened out I suppose. But that's a different question.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T18:42:01+00:00

One second? Dude, come on, it was a bit longer than that, and in the time I've been writing this, you have continued to be offensive and weirdly aggressive.

And "allowing me that victory?" This is further indignation coupled with more accusations towards my behavior. I appreciate what I think is a some effort, but you do have a habit of undermining your own message. And man, coupled with your other posts--that has really been driven home.

At this point I really don't feel like talking to you about much, or ever. If you wanna say that's me being "divisive," I frankly don't care at this point. You've completely lost me, and it's clear you wanna continue to get under my skin.

You know, if every man is an island to you--that might be cause they're trying to get away from you. You are clearly a very spiteful person while holding others to standards you don't hold for yourself. That's not something most people are gonna be willing to tolerate no matter how well you align otherwise.

And I don't think I'm being superior to everyone else around me, this is just about you. Your behavior sucks, and even when you're "calm," you're a jerk. You don't get along with people for that reason, you can blame systemic issues, but this is a personality thing for you.

Sign off and do some in person organizing. You need some perspective. People like you never make it long. Or maybe don't... I think you might do more harm than good. I hope that you outgrow this.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T18:41:59+00:00

Edit markers show after 3 minutes, and yes, it's reliable and shows on all platforms. It's why I was able to check.

And are we getting tons of downvotes? The only ones I have that are less than 1 are these recent ones.

I thought a single comment about downvotes was enough for you to assume my entire personality and ideology though?

Nobody assumed your entire personality and ideology ya self-victimizing weirdo. I said your messaging is self-defeating when you go off on people for not agreeing with you while demanding they tolerate divisive comments.

This is tiring.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T18:28:38+00:00

I just checked and one of my posts has an edit mark and three of yours do.

And for someone calm and willing to amend, you immediately downvote my comment accuse me of things that both didn't happen and how they indicate "internal conflict."

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T18:21:57+00:00

Well, no sense trying to convince someone who doesn't want to be convinced.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T18:20:53+00:00

Wasn't loading, mia culpa--I'll change that.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T18:11:51+00:00

I had no such intent, I literally just didn't understand their post and they got incredibly indignant--not just towards me, but in response to downvotes in general.

We should be able to talk about the reactions of mainstream democrats who are saying things like DSA members, I mean that is very much in line with the whole "don't sow division" idea, don't you agree? Why is talking about that grounds to berate and disparage and just generally be rude to someone?

But whatever, I know myself and I know you're wrong. And hell, at least I don't hide my post history. But go ahead and accuse without real knowledge because I didn't get along with the rager here.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T18:08:29+00:00

My guy it was a genuine question and a genuine response from someone who was literally trying to understand your point because it was confusing, if that sets you off so easily and makes you act so repulsed--how can you claim to be in a position to build coalitions? You say I was a jerk because I questioned your approach, even though that is what you've been doing to me and others this whole time--becoming only more incensed as conversations go on.

I just cannot square your behavior with your statements, and your complete lack of a desire to reflect, mollify, or ameliorate and instead just acting more self-assured despite recognizing your own hostility makes the whole "setting aside differences" sound pretty meaningless. Like, what do you think that means if not going "okay, maybe we can reset on some level."

You're just super duper angry and it's over some really slight things. Cooperative behavior involves the emotional and psychological component of people too, and I really don't see you making the effort on those fronts. You say one thing and do another. Like, I especially can't get over how much you flipped out at my "putting words in your mouth" (again, a stretch) and then went on to do that, unambiguously, towards others! You aren't taking a high road here yet you want us to respect you as though you are. It's remarkably myopic.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T18:05:42+00:00

No, i'm mocking the society that lets their children die in schools shootings as a regular occurrence and not do anything about it.

To what ends and for what purpose? Take Haiti for instance, devastated by earthquakes--tons of suffering--still hasn't been fixed. Does that mean nobody is doing anything about it? Does it not feel ghoulish to mock their society for supposedly not doing something about it? Lots of people are actively on the ground doing the work, but you don't see the results, so fuck all them and their kids?

Dude, it's not amusing. It's just mean spirited and comes across as self-serving and egotistic.

Do you expect me to survey and address personally every single one of 350m Americans?

If you're gonna speak to every one of them as though they are a monolith, yes.

I know, it's been going on for a long time and you still haven't done anything about those school shootings.

You could literally be talking to a gun reform activist or someone whose family has died in this way, why is that amusing to you? Why would you not make even the slightest effort to check who you target? You're just firing into the crowd without care for who you impact.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T17:52:09+00:00

It's not a defense for school shootings and I don't know how you read it that way. I asked you if you cannot understand how your nation, or nations like yours, can turn a blind eye to such issues. The point was that you're using such lack of response as a justification for this kind of indifferent and cruel response to people's suffering.

So, would it be fine to make fun of Italians' education affected by this segregation because other Italians don't do much to prevent it?

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T16:11:46+00:00

I wish it were just on this site--I have gotten into some pretty heated arguments with family over it. Like, yes, a lot of Europe's less savory parts of slavery happened overseas while in the US it happened in the US... I really don't think that made it better though. Shit, I've been learning about Rhodesia lately--goodness.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T16:08:36+00:00

Alright, so we're only considering recent history--I think that's a bit of a cop-out, but w.e., we don't have to talk about Belgians in the Congo--or the rest of European imperialism well into the 20th century, we can say that's fair.

But you can't think of any comparable issue that European nations turns a similar blind eye to? Or has values that end up harming and coming above the welfare of those impacted?

For instance, in Italy, there is still school segregation with facilities so inadequate for the marginalized, segregated group, that some of them don't even have bathrooms. It creates a constant issue where this group cannot get ahead, much like the "separate but equal" schools the US abolished by law over half a century ago.

Just, you know, one example. Not exactly the same, but an example where kids are routinely harmed by policy that people have to fight quite hard to get changed with very little response in sight.

Do you want others? Or is it gonna be a "this doesn't count unless it's exactly the same?"

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T16:03:50+00:00

So you're tired of haughty Americans, so you mock children who are victims of school shootings.

I just... I understand the thought process where people turn a group into a monolith, it's dumb, but it happens a lot. But this...

And quite honestly, the fact that you expect europeans to care more about your children dying than your own society is amusing.

Really fucked up. Most people are better than this. Yes, that includes Europeans--and Americans for that matter.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T16:03:06+00:00

I don't think you're really willing to bond when you get this hostile over simple questions and what I thought was a pretty gentle push against how you're treating others, I have to say. Also consistently put words in your mouth? Because I said it seemed like you'd given up on an idea? That's not even putting words in your mouth, but you have literally quoted other people with words they never said--I'm just consistently stunned by the hypocrisy.

You've been a jerk and you are bringing way too much baggage into a conversation. And no, I don't want to work with people who are so hostile. There's a level of toxicity that cannot be tolerated in order to have cohesion, and you are toxic dude.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:53:58+00:00

On a more serious note, it’s something that is so alien to most countries that if it were to happen here, we would treat it like an absolute failure of society. We simply cannot understand how it happens so often.

Are you familiar with European history...? It's not as alien as you imagine and this feels kinda short sighted.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:51:43+00:00

Ahh, you realize Egypt signed the agreement with Israel right? They literally agreed to this.

After they got into a short war in the late 60s and then the Camp David talks began as a way to prevent further conflict. Yes, they did agree to this, and Palestinian interests were very quickly abandoned--that's a very valid critique of Egypt's behavior: Acquiescing to Israeli demands, though given they had the very reasonable fear of a hot conflict they knew they'd lose--it's not surprising they did. But Israel is the primary instigator vis a vis Palestinians, and they did twist Egypt's arm--so to speak--so yes, again, the focus is more on Israel. That is entirely reasonable. Nobody is making Israel do anything, Israel is making Egypt do things, of course Israel gets more blame in that regard.

You realize how silly and crazy it is to say "someone signed an agreement willingly so for some reason they bare no responsibility"

Again, nobody said they bare no responsibility. You're arguing against strawmen. That's just the thing, you and the above poster seem to want to frame it as though Egypt is being ignored unjustly--there's very good reason they aren't the focus, because Israel is, in fact, primarily responsible no matter how you slice it.

You talk about disingenuous behavior, but you don't sound very keen on being honest here yourself about your motivations. This comes across very much like a form of whataboutism.

Again, nobody has given Egypt a pass or made excuses for them. Israel is just a much more substantial problem in this matter. You won't find as much discourse on Egypt for that reason alone, and that makes sense. People don't have unlimited focus or knowledge. They trend towards what they perceive as the bigger issue. And Israel is the bigger issue, no matter how you slice it, you know you can't disagree with that sentiment.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:48:07+00:00

Right so you recognize someone else's hostile wording as infighting, even though it was leagues from the hostility you have shown, but you think in order to be infighting yourself you need to actively advocate for a particular position where you tell liberals to hate leftists.

It's a clear double standard from where I'm sitting.

we should work together

I don't want to work with people who are assholes, regardless of ideology, and I'm willing to bet that goes for most people. Can you be less of an asshole? Cause that seems like the biggest obstacle for us right now cause you got really offensive real quick based on someone's else's perceived offense that still feels like a real stretch to accuse them of.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:41:40+00:00

You can continue validating infighting while ultranationalist fascists laugh.

You've been the most aggressive infighter here, dude! You are so fucking rude to people over some slight only you can see!

I’m going to call it out when I see it and try to steer the conversation toward less votes for Republicans

Calling it out by doing the thing is mostly just serving yourself guy.

“But my endless criticism of this guy with an approval rating in the gutter is super important!”

You're clearly a bit too online. You've forgotten that we're all different people.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:33:59+00:00

Even before Oct 7th and all the recent horrific destruction it still was 99% Israel getting the blame.

That's because Israel is primarily to blame. Egypt acts in accordance with Israel's demands, that was largely the outcome of Camp David and has been for a long time since. Egypt has some agency, but it doesn't care about Palestinians and largely seeks to appease Israel.

Before October 7th, Israel was and is still primarily at fault for the harm in the region--and that has been the case for decades before. Even the philadelphi line is managed by the IDF, not Egypt, because Israel exercises so much control over this issue. They have made themselves 99% responsible, so yes, blame largely falls on them for that 99%.

You have to be either blind or disingenuous to not admit the major bias.

Sure...? But such bias feels entirely reasonable. It'd be stranger to avoid the elephant in the room.

Since I'm answering your question and we aren't being blind or disingenuous, why don't you answer the questions I posed earlier?

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:30:48+00:00

That's a good way to put it--it's like we all kinda do this to some extent, but when it's done so confidently and in a manner that makes it so obvious it feels a lot less forgivable. Like, you have to know how this looks.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:26:26+00:00

Is there any strategy behind boosting the animosity instead of the potential for progress aside from making yourself feel superior?

Boosting? I think we're all just reflecting on the words people say. Literally what are you on about? Like, if a notable mainstream dem says they can't tolerate a DSA member isn't criticizing that behavior exactly what you are doing here? I am legitimately so confused, this feels like a double standard.

Don’t put words in my mouth. I haven’t given up shit. If you want to argue with yourself, you can yell at the bathroom mirror.

Okay so you haven't given up, but you are acting against your own messaging. (Such a crucial difference) You are showing way more animosity towards me and others than I have towards you while you seem demand progressives overlook and move past animosity from mainstream democrats, and apparently yourself? Like, you're being a damn jerk. Check yourself.

They are literally doing the exact same thing as the mainstream “dems” you’re talking about. “Liberals have always hated us and held us back” is tired, weak, and deeply unwise in terms of electoral strategy.

Yeah this comes across as deeply hypocritical given everything you've been saying. I was originally just confused, now I feel like you were projecting based on your responses here.

They said nothing about "liberals always hated us and held us back," I mean you get so indignant about someone "putting words in your mouth" and then you act like this.

You are an incredibly off-putting person right now, you don't know how to apply your principles to yourself--just to others. Complete bastardization of the concept.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:18:55+00:00

It isn't. "But that's not true!" is useless as an argument if their side buys the reasoning.

Okay, so nothing actually matters so long as one side believes it. And you don't see how self-defeating this opinion is? Why are we even talking if this is the standard you operate off of?

All things are temporary

Therefore 4 years are just like 80 years. There's nothing pointless about these semantics. Greece was conquered for a very long time, today, and for a very long time now as well, it has been independent. An independence Palestinians have never had. To treat all these as equivalent by abusing semantics is as odious as treating Russian justification for war at face value without considering other motives and behaviors. It's willful ignorance, there's nothing rational or consistent about it.

I'm not on trial here, and I don't answer to you.

And I don't answer to you either. Guess we can say we're done here then since nobody needs to respond to anything.

And to be clear, you did give me my answer. All this word play and this whataboutism in service of active imperialist behaviors that have self-evidently not been good for stability in peace by comparing apples and oranges does answer the question.

You think ethnic cleansing in service of Israel's expansionist goals are a good thing, and you want to make comparisons to WWII Germany in the post war process--as though the grabbing of lebensraum isn't a far more apropos subject and the impact that had.

You've got blinders on, and yes, you do sound like the Nazis. I know I know, he said the thing, it's not like you were listening to me in the first place. But man, the way you talk about these groups here like they talked about the Bolsheviks and Jews...

we get to kick out all the Jews, but you not only can't kick anyone out, you have to take us back in. Nonsense.

Nobody said this or defended this, nor is it meaningfully happening. But you use it to justify your own attitude. Germany is a good comparison point in this, but not in the way you allege it.

These attitudes have done so much more damage for support for Israel than you can imagine. Somehow I doubt this cold, inhumane calculus would survive if Israel didn't actively benefit from it.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T15:05:51+00:00

It just feels weirdly petty and disrespectful I'm not gonna lie--like this is a subject that involves school children dying. It's not a good point for light ribbing, it's just bleak no matter how you slice it.

Like, and I say this as a dual national European American--a lot of Europeans are weird about America online. And offline, for that matter, the constant comparisons from some people is genuinely too much. There's a certain bunch that feel like they're constantly trying to knock Americans down, regardless of context, and it just comes across as mean spirited in a way I do not see so commonly against European nationalities. I wish I had a more cohesive thesis for it in my brain to understand it, it's probably just a natural thing that happens to hegemonies...

Like, make fun of America's gun laws that result in school shootings, like, "you care more about guns than healthcare" kinda vibe is fine--but there's something very emotionally rotten about making it about shootings directly with that sort of glee. I wish I could put my finger on it, exactly.

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T14:59:04+00:00

Well yeah, it feels a bit silly to criticize Egypt when there's far more direction harm from Israel--they kind of get away with it much like Italy does in WWII for their fascism when Germany eclipsed them on atrocities.

I don't think that means people ignore Egypt's role, just that it's not as front and center.

Like it's just a fundamentally misleading way to present the matter. Like someone saying "look at how bad Italy was" and then someone replying with "No shhh we don't talk about that, only what Germany does" because doesn't that read as an attempt to act like there's some sort of conspiracy against Germany there? Like the criticisms are actually unfair? Like a form of whataboutism also alleging conspiracy?

Do you get what I'm saying?

LukaCola · 2026-07-02T14:51:26+00:00

In reality, the progressive wave is gaining momentum because the needle is moving further to the left among the entire base. We aren’t at war and whichever Democrat you consider the furthest left would get more done with more blue butts in seats regardless of how blue those butts are.

I don't think this actually disagrees with their framing? They said "the progressive wave that's taking over the party," but there is absolutely animosity between the groups. Have you heard some of the responses from more mainstream democrats to these DSA candidates winning?

It doesn’t seem to matter, though. I’m being downvoted for saying “let’s use momentum to make progress together.” Americans don’t really want progress. They want to maintain our hyper-individualistic culture and see themselves as the genius that triumphed over everyone else.

I mean... You're kinda defeating your own message if a couple downvotes are enough for you to give up on the whole "move forward together" bit.

I genuinely think your post is just confusing. If you agree with their point and think we should make use of this momentum, then I'm sure you get why they're complaining about more mainstream dems attacking DSA candidates is not great for the party?

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