Teargas Hype

The latest farce to dupe the gullible masses: a temporary halt on teargas use. How quaint. How utterly meaningless. This "symbolic gesture" is nothing more than a desperate attempt to placate the virtue-signaling crowd, who will no doubt lap it up like the good little sheep they are. Let's get real here. The issue isn't the tools used to control communities, it's the systemic violence and marginalization that's been perpetuated for decades. But hey, who needs to address that when you can just put a Band-Aid on a bullet wound? The halt on teargas use is a perfect example of:

• Tokenism at its finest: a shallow attempt to appear proactive without actually doing anything substantive
• A classic case of misdirection: distracting from the real issues with a flashy, but ultimately empty, gesture
• A transparent ploy to appease the Twitter outrage machine, because God forbid we actually have to do some real work

And don't even get me started on the "experts" and influencers who will no doubt be falling over themselves to praise this half-baked measure. They'll be the same ones who will be mysteriously silent when the halt is inevitably lifted and the status quo is maintained. We've seen this song and dance before, folks. The media attention will die down, and the powers that be will go back to business as usual. Meanwhile, the communities affected by police brutality and systemic oppression will still be waiting for actual change. But hey, at least we can all feel good about ourselves for a hot second, right? The numbers don't lie:

• Countless cases of police brutality have gone unpunished, with the perpetrators often receiving slaps on the wrist or promotions
• Systemic marginalization has led to staggering disparities in education, employment, and healthcare outcomes for affected communities
• The "justice" system is still rigged against the very people it's supposed to protect, with minorities and low-income individuals disproportionately represented in prisons and on death row

So, to all the gullible people out there who think this halt on teargas use is a step in the right direction, let me disabuse you of that notion. It's not. It's a pathetic attempt to maintain the status quo, and you're just buying into the con. Wake up, sheeple. The halt will be lifted, and the oppression will continue. Mark my words.

The sanctimonious protesters, always so quick to point out the supposed injustices of the system while ignoring their own glaring hypocrisies. It's almost as if they believe their self-righteousness gives them a free pass to wreak havoc and destruction, all while pretending to be the victims. Let's take a look at some of the most egregious examples of this hypocrisy:

• The "peaceful" protesters who think it's okay to smash storefronts and set cars on fire, as long as it's in the name of their precious cause.
• The influencers who post photos of themselves holding "Love Trumps Hate" signs, while simultaneously advocating for violence against those who disagree with them.
• The "experts" who claim that property damage is just a "minor" form of protest, while ignoring the fact that it's often small business owners and low-income families who are left to pick up the pieces.

These are the same people who will cry foul when the police inevitably respond with force, all while pretending that their own actions had nothing to do with the escalation. The numbers don't lie: studies have shown that the vast majority of protests that turn violent do so because of the actions of the protesters themselves, not the police. But don't expect the gullible masses to pay attention to facts when they're too busy swallowing the narrative fed to them by their favorite social media personalities. And as for the "experts" who claim that the police are the ones who always escalate situations, maybe they should take a look at the statistics on protester-instigated violence. But I'm sure they'll just find a way to spin it, because that's what they do best. The outrage over police violence is always so selective, isn't it? It's only a problem when it's a cop who does it, but when it's a fellow protester who throws a rock or sets a fire, suddenly it's just "a minor incident" or "an isolated incident". The hypocrisy is staggering, and yet the sheep just keep on following, bleating about "systemic injustice" while ignoring the fact that their own actions are often the ones perpetuating the cycle of violence. How quaint. How utterly, mind-numbingly quaint.

Oh joy, the media's coverage of protests - a masterclass in sensationalism and clickbait. Because, you know, who needs actual journalism when you can just show dramatic images and soundbites to get those sweet, sweet clicks? The public's appetite for substance is clearly satiated by endless loops of teargas and projectiles. Who cares about the underlying issues when you can just focus on the symptoms and sell ads? Let's highlight some of the media's greatest hits:

• Sensationalized headlines that have nothing to do with the actual story
• Expert analysis from "experts" who have no idea what they're talking about
• Fact-checking that's about as rigorous as a toddler's game of Simon Says
• Ratings-driven coverage that prioritizes outrage over accuracy

And the gullible public laps it up like the good little sheep they are. "Oh, I saw it on the news, so it must be true!" Yeah, sure, because the media has never lied or manipulated information for the sake of ratings. Just ask the people of Iraq about the whole "Weapons of Mass Destruction" debacle. The media's lack of accountability is a joke. They just shrug and say "oops" when they're caught spreading misinformation. And the public just eats it up, like the mindless drones they are. Take, for example, the infamous "Pizzagate" scandal, where the media managed to convince a significant portion of the population that a pizza parlor was actually a front for a child sex trafficking ring. Yeah, that didn't end in a bunch of idiots showing up at the parlor with guns, ready to "rescue" the non-existent victims. And don't even get me started on the "influencers" and "experts" who peddle their nonsense on social media. These self-proclaimed gurus are about as credible as a kindergartener's drawing of a unicorn. They spew their garbage, and the sheep eat it up, never once questioning the validity of the information. It's a never-ending cycle of stupidity, and the media is happy to enable it. So, to all the mindless drones out there, keep on consuming your sensationalized news and fake expert analysis. I'm sure it'll do wonders for your critical thinking skills.

Oh joy, another day, another protest that will inevitably accomplish nothing. The sheer futility of it all is almost impressive. Protests are the ultimate exercise in futility, a feel-good way for people to pretend they're making a difference without actually lifting a finger. And don't even get me started on the so-called "leaders" of these movements, who are more interested in boosting their social media following than actual change. The numbers don't lie:

• A staggering 99% of protests fail to achieve their stated goals, with most fizzling out into nothingness within weeks.
• The average protest attendee spends a whopping 2 hours "making their voice heard", before returning to their comfortable, unchanged life.
• A measly 1% of protests lead to any tangible policy changes, and even those are often watered down to the point of irrelevance.

But hey, who needs actual results when you can post a few selfies with a catchy hashtag and call it a day? The real tragedy is that the energy and resources wasted on these pointless protests could be better spent on actual grassroots organizing and community building. But no, instead of putting in the hard work, people would rather show up to a protest, wave a sign, and call it a day. It's a classic case of "slacktivism" - where people pretend to care about an issue, but only if it's easy and doesn't require any actual effort. Take the infamous Occupy Wall Street movement, for example. What started as a promising protest against income inequality quickly devolved into a disorganized mess, with no clear goals or strategy. The result? A whole lot of nothing, aside from a few dozen arrests and some nice photo ops for the "leaders" of the movement. Or how about the Women's March, which managed to mobilize millions of people, but ultimately accomplished nothing beyond a few feel-good social media posts? And let's not forget the so-called "experts" and influencers who peddle this nonsense, making a living off of gullible people who actually think protests are an effective way to create change. They're the ones who will tell you that "every great social movement started with a protest", while conveniently ignoring the fact that those movements also required decades of hard work, compromise, and strategic planning. But hey, who needs nuance when you can just shout slogans and sell t-shirts? The fact remains, protests are a lazy, ineffective way to create change. They're a way for people to assuage their guilt, without actually doing anything to address the underlying issues. So, by all means, keep protesting. Keep waving your signs, and shouting your slogans. Just don't pretend like you're actually making a difference. Because at the end of the day, you're not.