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Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · 16h

Remember April 2009 when about 250,000 people took to America’s streets in Tea Party rallies and the media was like “oh man, the Dems are in trouble?” Approximately 28X as many people took to the streets to protest Trump yesterday. Didn’t even make the NYT front page.

Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · Apr 10

In April of 2009 I observed the Tea Party rally in Salem. As this front page story says, there were a couple hundred people there. This past weekend in Salem there were roughly 2-3000 people at the Hands Off rally. Yet the Tea Party coverage seemed to take that event far more seriously.

StatesmanJournal.com
SERVING SALEM, KEIZER
AND THE MID-VALLEY
"If you don't say anything, you're accepting it."
Mari Jensen, McMinnville resident
OUT OF MY
LOUR
WALLET
CHOICES
LIMIT GOVERNMENT
Oregon Taxpayers United
FREEDOM
gat
TIMOTHY J. GONZALEZ | Statesman Journal
Alan Grosso (center) of Happy Valley joins in chanting under the window of the speaker of the House on Wednesday during the Salem Tea Party protest at the Capitol.
Protesters slam Fed spending
Hundreds gather at Salem Tea Party to rally against bailouts, state-level taxes
BY DENNIS THOMPSON JR.
Statesman Journal
Hundreds of people uneasy over the future of their country gathered on the state Capitol steps on Wednesday to protest federal spending and state-level taxation.
Oregon State Police estimated more
SCRAP THE CODE
than 1,000 people attended the Salem Tea Party protest, which ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organizers placed attendance at more than 2,000 people.
The rally was passionate but peace-ful, although many people carried handmade signs bearing stark and angry messages. A fake wooden pitchfork read "Politicians take note. We the people are about to revolt." Anoth er sign read "200+ years to build the Republic, 3 mos. to destroy it."
Many attendees said they were motivated to protest by the billions in stimulus spending and bailouts that have been doled out in recent months.
Willy Lowman of Falls City wears a label on his head that reads "Scrap the Code" at the tea party protest.
West Salem resident Steve Albin said he
came to protest federal bailouts of banks and automakers.
"They need to fail. That's what capitalism is all about," said Albin, who had a tea bag dangling from the brim
See Protest, 2A
Inside
Protesters take part in Tea Party events across the nation, Page 2A
Supporters to push for immigration reform, Page 2A
• ONLINE: See photo galleries and a video from the protest at StatesmanJournal.com.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 7h

Occurred to me that my search could be too specific, so I just checked "American tie," and scrolled through several hundred ties. NOT ONE was white|blue|red.

This was no accident.
This was a message.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 9h

aka propaganda

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 11h

It's even more damning when you search for a Russian vs American flag print tie!

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 11h

I didn't see your post and did the same thing!

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 11h

I just checked to confirm.

"Russian flag print tie" results in MULTIPLE white|blue|red stripe ties.

"American flag print tie" results in ZERO white|blue|red stripe ties.

Results from Amazon search for "Russian flag print tie" show multiple white|blue|red stripe ties.

Results from Amazon search for "American flag print tie" show no
white|blue|red stripe ties.

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Reposted by Au Contraire

Annette Schneider for Climate Action @annette4climate.bsky.social · 13h

Ties you can buy on Amazon...

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 14h

This is the way.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 18h

🎯

Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 19h

Zelenskyy should ask what "parts of Russia" Ukraine gets in this deal.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 19h

bsky.app/profile/jcon...

Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 19h

From the movie "The Matrix." The main character is offered a choice to go back to his previous fictional life via a 🔵 pill, or to reality where he can help fight the enemy via a 🔴 pill.
It's a great movie, regardless.

I created this to demonstrate the problem with their red pill narrative:

An AI picture Elon posted of himself looking like a legitimate cowboy, with the words "Blue Pill" superimposed over his picture.

A real picture taken of Elon cosplaying as a cowboy in a backwards cowboy hat, with the words "Red Pill" superimposed.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 19h

From the movie "The Matrix." The main character is offered a choice to go back to his previous fictional life via a 🔵 pill, or to reality where he can help fight the enemy via a 🔴 pill.
It's a great movie, regardless.

I created this to demonstrate the problem with their red pill narrative:

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

👏👏👏

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

Which is probably going to be JD's excuse as well.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

He's trying to make us mad and be violent so they can justify a crackdown on us.
I think continuing the absurdism is the better move. They are losing the most important argument - justification for their actions.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

If you compare it to the 2 flags, the truth is obvious.

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Reposted by Au Contraire

$TSLA Short Seller @flameacolyte.bsky.social · 1d

He's protesting against the psycho killer.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

They don't like to overreact. I don't understand mistaking that for something worthy of contempt. Yeah, they took a while to get here, but they're here now. And when I see all of the people out protesting today, I see EVERYONE on the left, protesting TOGETHER. Divisions are unnecessary and harmful.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

Agree until you get to the part about the center left. I don't see the center left as laying down and allowing anything. If anything, their reticence was their taking the time to understand what was happening (which infuriated me to no end) and getting their footing. And now they're out en masse. (1

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

A lot of churches absolutely reinforce this view. It wasn't always this bad, but it's insidious now.

Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

They're taught that we're born without a compass, and we need Christ/the church for that compass. This is also their explanation for why atheists are evil - can't possibly be moral without Christ telling people what's right or wrong.

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Reposted by Au Contraire

Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 1d

LEFT: Citizens assembling in Washington, DC to deride Donald J. Trump with a protest.

RIGHT: Citizens assembling in Washington, DC to celebrate Donald J. Trump with a military birthday parade.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

I hope whoever was the original photographer sees the love.

David Byrne + A beautiful cause = ❤️

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

Are you the original poster of this picture? Just want to give you credit if you are.

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Au Contraire @jcontraire.bsky.social · 1d

FYI 👀

A screenshot of Carl Quintanilla's post of the same picture, with 6 thousand likes at the time of this post.

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