WTF Sh*t's F*cked Up and Bullsh*t - a "Who Cares" thread for news

Innula Zenovka

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Can any native-speakers of German tell me how well Freikorps works as a translation of "armed militia"?
 

Fionalein

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Can any native-speakers of German tell me how well Freikorps works as a translation of "armed militia"?
Wikipedia describes them as "irregular volunteers" which is how I would translate it I guess "volunteer regiment" or "volunteer force". It can be a militia but need not be.

Militia has some different meanings. Many differ from what a volunteer force is. In some cases militia means the same though...

I guess it all depends on context. It could be used as an alternate word to give some variations inside a longer text - I would however not use it in a quick explanation.

Side note: The current German flag's colours actually are derived from the uniform colours of a famous Freikorps, the Lützowsche Freikorps (black uniform, red cuffs, golden buttons). It is a good example. The Lütschowsche Freikorps is in no way comparable to the paramiliary militias of the current US political landscape. It however is quite similar to the US originating volunteer militias joining the Texan War of Independence.

PS: modern paramilitary militias could be translated as Wehrsportgruppe*...(actually an euphemism used by extreme rights instead of the correct German translation MiIiz) however since a certain incident the term also has a connotation of right wing terrorism (which IMHO makes it a pretty well translation for US militias though). Some of those illegal German paramilitary associations might actually call themselves Freikorps, trying to benefit from the less negative connotation of that word... I have no idea if this actually happens but it would totally fit into their pattern of behaviour.

* literally: defensive sports group
 
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Romana

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.

PS: modern paramilitary militias could be translated as Wehrsportgruppe*...(actually an euphemism used by extreme rights instead of the correct German translation MiIiz) however since a certain incident the term also has a connotation of right wing terrorism (which IMHO makes it a pretty well translation for US militias though). Some of those illegal German paramilitary associations might actually call themselves Freikorps, trying to benefit from the less negative connotation of that word... I have no idea if this actually happens but it would totally fit into their pattern of behaviour.

* literally: defensive sports group
A term used by right-wing terrorists sure seems apt. From reading that, it sounds like these guys are just spoiling for a civil war so they can shoot them some Democrats.
I took a lot at their Twitter page; half off it is calls to protect people ending and leaving Cheetoführer's rallies (has anyone ever done more than flip off those really-goers, or (horrors!) yell at them? These guys want an excuse to kill.
I think they're really disappointed that Obama didn't try to take their guns so they could shootanyone who tried (not realizing they'd have gotten their asses kicked by real Army).
 

Brenda Archer

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Screwed if you arm yourself in response, screwed if you don't. Time to admit the 2nd ammendment experiment was a failure.
It definitely outlived it’s usefulness with technological change.

A bunch of Vermont boys used to hunting were genuinely useful against an army with muskets. Once WW I got everyone into modern tech, much less so, and now we have drones lol.

They might as well be carrying pea shooters. While carrying insecure cellphones. HA hA hahaha LoL

The more sane of them must realize they’re only effectively armed against civilians and (some) civilian police - this can only make them terrorists.
 
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Brenda Archer

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Fionalein

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Dakota Tebaldi

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The more sane of them must realize they’re only effectively armed against civilians and (some) civilian police - this can only make them terrorists.
I think most of them realize this actually, across the spectrum of sanity, and are okay with it because civilians are now admittedly their only targets since Trump is now the leader of the US military.
 
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Katheryne Helendale

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I think they're really disappointed that Obama didn't try to take their guns so they could shootanyone who tried (not realizing they'd have gotten their asses kicked by real Army).
That's pretty much it. The pro-2A groups are all but challenging the government to "come and get" their guns. I've had arguments with some of them on Twitter who seem to honestly believe they stand a snowball's chance in hell against the well-trained US Army. Oh, sure, some of them will take out a good dozen or so soldiers before going down in a hail of gunfire, but overall, it will end rather badly, especially for these gun nuts.
 

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I think most of them realize this actually, across the spectrum of sanity, and are okay with it because civilians are now admittedly their only targets since Trump is now the leader of the US military.
Yeah, that's the other side of the equation. Each military member swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies - foreign and domestic. But I have to wonder how many of them would abide by their oath, and how many of them would follow their Commander-in-Chief. I truly pray we never have to find out.
 

Clara D.

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That's pretty much it. The pro-2A groups are all but challenging the government to "come and get" their guns. I've had arguments with some of them on Twitter who seem to honestly believe they stand a snowball's chance in hell against the well-trained US Army. Oh, sure, some of them will take out a good dozen or so soldiers before going down in a hail of gunfire, but overall, it will end rather badly, especially for these gun nuts.
The US Army has things like tanks, APC's, attack heliccopters, and fully automatic large-caliber guns.

I doubt Joe Hosebag is going to hold up to a burst from Ma Duece...
 

Argent Stonecutter

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While laws often talk of a reasonable person, activists usually take a starker black and white approach, which takes us back to people screaming "Bigoted TERF!" at women who's only crime is to say "Im not OK with this"
This is not such a case.

The person Rowling was defending engaged in active harassment for an extended period of time.
 

Romana

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The US Army has things like tanks, APC's, attack heliccopters, and fully automatic large-caliber guns.

I doubt Joe Hosebag is going to hold up to a burst from Ma Duece...
I don’t think they’re thinking in terms of taking on the Army. I get the impression they think civilian bureaucrats are going to try to take their guns, or if they factor in the Army at all, they think the soldiers will take their side when they see “The Truth” (or something).
And maybe some of them have a hankering to be martyrs. I wouldn’t be surprised, with some of the overblown imagery I see when I stumble across the social media of someone like that.
 
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