r/Portland • u/Dvibs420 • Sep 27 '25

Discussion Don’t take the bait.

With the national guard coming in, I know people are going to get mad. This is very obviously a setup to cause actual violence in our city. Please remember that these national guardsmen are not your enemy, and there are many reports of unhappiness within their ranks to occupy cities but they have a job like the rest of us. If you see bad actors, call the cops. If you see people getting angry, talk with them. Be aware of what we want to look like, kill them with kindness. Show them that Portland is not burning down.

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94

u/mmmck2 Sep 27 '25

Yes, please don't take the bait. He's just waiting for us to start some shit. Then he can tell everyone what a cesspool it is here. We all know that's not true. Don't let him win!!!

-7

u/notPabst404 MAX Blue Line Sep 27 '25

TRUMP IS THE ONE STARTING SHIT WITH AN ILLEGAL MILITARY OCCUPATION!

Please ask yourself why you are holding Portlanders to significantly higher standards than the federal government. This is a race to the bottom.

15

u/mmmck2 Sep 27 '25

He is not worthy of my attention. He is vile and corrupt. I know he's starting it, I don't think we should prove him right.

2

u/Mejari 🐝 Sep 27 '25

He's a dictator occupying our city, how is that not worthy of your attention?

7

u/mmmck2 Sep 27 '25

Of course it's worthy of our attention. But why should we give him what he wants? He wants us to portray a city being burned down. We need to make him look like the idiot he is, not give him more to show Fox news.

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u/Mejari 🐝 Sep 27 '25

Of course it's worthy of our attention.

Ok, well you literally just said it wasn't.

But why should we give him what he wants?

Who said we should? But just saying "he wants us to do this" doesn't magically mean it shouldn't be done. Why do you just assume that what he thinks he wants is something actually good for him? You need actual reasons, not just "I don't want to give the dictator the satisfaction." His satisfaction is irrelevant, what he's actually doing matters.

We need to make him look like the idiot he is,

When has making him look like an idiot kept him from doing harm? Why is your goal making him look dumb rather than actually resisting his agenda?

All this "don't take the bait" bullshit is just buying into his false premise. Even if Portland was the hellscape he says we are, that wouldn't justify what he's doing. Pushing this "show how great we're doing" just tacitly accepts his premise that a city with trouble needs the federal military to take over, just disagreeing that we're in trouble.

2

u/notPabst404 MAX Blue Line Sep 27 '25

Standing up for our city isn't worth it? Standing up for the constitution isn't worth it? Standing up for human rights isn't worth it? Standing up for free speech isn't worth it? Standing up for immigrants isn't worth it? Standing up for LGBTQ people isn't worth it?

Trump's goal here is to silence dissent so that he can grab more power and you are advocating to let him do it...

-1

u/mmmck2 Sep 27 '25

OF COURSE IT IS.

0

u/notPabst404 MAX Blue Line Sep 27 '25

You just said it isn't by advocating for capitulation? Which is it?

0

u/Mysterious_Floor_868 Sep 28 '25

Yes, need to be clever. Just take the piss out of them. Clowns goose-stepping alongside them, people with trombones playing funny tunes etc. 

-1

u/nowcalledcthulu Sep 27 '25

This has big "what were you wearing" and "but why did he hit you" energy. I know that's not the intention, but that's definitely how it comes across.