No kings, bit of a misnomer.

[Bad Dog]

I have no problems with anti Trump parades, the antier the better as far as I'm concerned, but I do have a problem with bullshit history and reasoning.

It's not just no to kings, it's no to King George, an opportunity to join Trump in pseudo history and indulge in Anglophobia.

Funny thing about American anglophobia, it disappears the minute they hear a posh accent only to come out howling about the Battle of New Orleans once they hear a working class one.

Putting that to one side kings are all depicted as autocrats, which is bullshit.

Charles III is beholden to parliament, as was George III for that matter,( as far as UK and US goes anyway, he had considerable power in Hanover, which isn't relevant but if I hadn't mentioned it some snide git would).

Parliament back then was very different from today, full of rich aristocrats and their lackeys.

In other words Oligarchs, and America has had that for some time.

Btw, powerful autocrats like Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, the Kim Jongs, Napoleon and Oliver Cromwell were never kings. Cromwell turned down the crown because the Lord Protector had more power.

[GenThePerservering]

1. "No Kings"

is a summary of issues, easy to say and easy to remember. Keep it simple.

[Raven123]

2. Yep.

[Silent Type]

3. "No A-holes" might have been better. Never liked moniker "No Kings," but the protests were a big success.

[Wonder Why]

5. Trump never hinted he wanted to be an A-hole. Of course, that was because he has always been one.

[marble falls]

29. Being genetically disposed to it (his grandfather and dad both degenerates), TACO has naturally sunk ...

... record depths of all-around assholery.

[Ocelot II]

4. "No Kings" refers more to the traditional power of kings than to any actual king.

Historically, some kings were despots and some were not. The power of kings has eroded over the years with the increasing powers of legislatures and parliaments; as early as 1215 King John's power was limited by a group of rebel barons in Magna Carta, and in 1649 Charles I was executed following a held by a court created by the House of Commons (Charles was accused of treason against England by using his power to pursue his personal interest rather than the good of the country). The backlash in Europe from the rise of legislative powers was the development of a philosophy of the "divine right of kings," the notion that kings derived their authority from God and could not be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority. The French monarchs, especially Louis XIV, relied on this absolutist theory, and George III at least flirted with it, but it didn't work out well for him. Hereditary kings in the 21st century are mostly constitutional monarchs whose only powers are symbolic and ceremonial. Still, "No Kings" is a great slogan that symbolizes our origins as a nation that rebelled from an authoritarian (and possibly mad) king.

[Bad Dog]

7. It only it were just about kings.

If that was tnd case there wouldn't be aconstant reference to King George.

[Ocelot II]

14. The references to King George makes sense; it's a handy reminder

that the US exists in the first place as the result of a rebellion against a king. Obviously Old Yam Tits is more like (or wants to be more like) non-monarchical modern despots like Putin or Kim or Orbán, but the king allusion works as a starting point.

[Iggo]

6. What the...? No Kings is Anglophobia?

That’s a horrible take, man.

[Bad Dog]

9. What else is it?

Constant referencing to the Revolution, posters about King George and making us eat shit.

It's just under the surface, same as on St Patrick's Day.

Whenener Hollywood wants a villain they've always got an English acent.

It's not just Trump, the whole of the US is moving away from Western Demcracies.

The whole march was exercise in American Exceptionalism, dismissive of the rest of the World

[travelingthrulife]

12. What? I am guessing you wren't there?

[Bad Dog]

23. Of course not.

No way I'm going to America.

[Hekate]

40. Odd. For some reason I thought you were criticizing from within.

[ornotna]

13. "The whole march was exercise in American Exceptionalism, dismissive of the rest of the World"

Seriously? That is some impressive pretzel logic right there.

[Ocelot II]

15. Whut?

[Bad Dog]

25. A handy reminder of your contempt for Britain.

The thing is. You have troops occupying us, not the other way round.

Trops from a country where regular school shootings are seen as no big deal.

[Ocelot II]

27. That makes no sense at all. I have no idea what you're getting at,

but it certainly has nothing to do with any alleged contempt for Britain.

[Hekate]

41. This is turning out to be very odd, isn't it?

[JustAnotherGen]

43. American Exceptionalism?

Yeah - the same rest of the world that played kissy face with the country of Jim Crow?

I don't think we are going back to the stage quo. And the Rest of The World is just going to have to do when Americans do bad things - ignore it.

That means when the Regime falls we treat the leaders like Nazis were treated by Europe. I'm not a nice American. My cruelty towards domestic enemies is the point. I also know Europe and Great Britain won't lift a finger to help the fallen regime - and if they protest they are a bunch of hypocrites.

[Iggo]

47. It's Trumpaphobia. Quit trying to start a fight where there is none.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. lol what on earth

[edhopper]

10. England is not the only Country

That had Kings.
Just saying.

[Ocelot II]

17. Some countries still have kings. In Europe those countries are parliamentary democracies

as well as constitutional monarchies and NATO members: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain. Most of them are said to be pretty good places to live. The monarchs are well-constrained by the countries' constitutions and parliaments which limit their powers to ceremonial and symbolic actions.

[Bad Dog]

28. You want to get rid of all of us?

The Magna Carta is English, not American.

And you have no right to take it from us.

But if dispense do come from the Pope (Chicagoan)
We'll hang Magna Carta and themselves on a rope

Lillibullero.

My brackets.

[Ocelot II]

31. Again - I can't figure out what on earth you're talking about

so I'm not going to keep begging for an explanation. You do you.

[Bad Dog]

34. You attacked the other kingdoms in Europe.

And eyed them with an imperial eye.

None of it is for sale.

Neither is Greenland.

[Ocelot II]

36. *I* did nothing of the kind. If by "you," you mean Trump,

he's a fascist and an imperialist, but he does not represent the opinions and attitudes of most Americans, certainly not those posting here. We oppose everything he stands for, and we don't want to annex Greenland or Canada.

[Hekate]

44. You have allegedly been on DU long enough to know the diff between us and the far right...

Perhaps you are someone else posting? Perhaps you are you and need to rethink your presence here if we disgust you that much?

I could sort of understand this if you had popped up on a day when certain hysterics were going off on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and their decision to live near Santa Barbara while they sorted out their family feud. Personally I find that kind of silly.

But going after our nationwide efforts to block or get rid of Trump, who desperately wants to be Dear Leader — well, that’s just kind of a weird misfire.

[Bad Dog]

24. Only one with King George.

And people in revolutionary garb going on about smashing the British.

[haele]

11. I'm cool with "No Kings"

Rather a bit of shorthand, can refer to the Tech Bros and Edge Lords who like to set themselves up like kings.

[Conjuay]

16. I was raised by parents that were kids during the Irish revolution.

My mothers' childhood home was raided by the Blank and Tans when she was about six.
My father was poaching game and fish to help keep his brothers and sisters alive, which was a capital crime at that time
So forget your generalizations about American viewpoints.
Some Americans don't hold ANY love for the British crown.
The "Empire" was shitty to almost all of their subjects as well as the rest of the world.

[edhopper]

18. Let's ignore the very essence

of the American Revolution and what the Founders said. Shall we?

[Wounded Bear]

19. Spare me the semantics. We need simple, effective slogans. 'No kings' works...

for the situation we are in. And George III had considerably more political power than Charles III does. Much changed towards the end of the 19th Century and into the 20th. Parliament gained more power while the power of the king faded more to a ceremonial position.

Besides, trump fancies himself more of a Sun King type of monarch than the British Crown.

[Ocelot II]

20. Yes, I think he thinks of himself as more of a Louis XIV,

especially in the field of interior decorating...

[question everything]

22. I am the state, see the phrase attributed to Louis XIV below

[question everything]

21. Shorter, fewer syllables than No Autocrats.

Or L'État, c'est moi (English: "I am the state", lit. 'the state, it is me')

The phrase symbolizes absolute monarchy and absolutism.

[Nigrum Cattus]

26. Wow, you are really over thinking this -

The reason they named it "no kings" is because
Fuck this asshole was taken and wouldn't get
much air time.

[cadoman]

30. it's one of the rare instances we've branded something right and had fun with it

Don't overthink it and FFS enjoy it.

[Uncle Joe]

33. It's a contradiction for sure because from a subconscious level we revere the terms king or queen.

King of Kings, King of Rock and Roll, King of Pop, Queen of Soul, chess, checkers, games and books etc. etc. etc.

On the other hand there is no positive American cultural symbolic significance for the word oligarch often used to describe the less than 1%; of Russia which trashed that nation during it's nascent experiment with democracy while turning instead to autocracy, and war.

So purely for propaganda purposes, I believe "oligarch" has a great advantage in regards to effectiveness of messaging.

Thanks for the thread Bad Dog

[Bad Dog]

37. Thanks

I felt very much under siege.

The whole no kings coupled with revolutionary rhetoric has coloured reporting over here.

The term could also be used as a threat to take over Canada.

[Uncle Joe]

42. Over the long haul, we've gotten more corporate media coverage of

the Royal Family than any American family even the Presidents.

[leftstreet]

45. +1

good post

[JBTaurus83]

38. Are you another one

Who didn’t attend but wants to criticize the rest of us who do?

[JustAnotherGen]

39. It rolls off the tongue

And is a direct tie back to why the British Colonies rebelled and went their own way.

Also resonates with those of us in Gen X in the USA - as well as many of our parents who appreciated the little PSA's from.Schoolhouse Rock. My mom was Boomer and dad was a silent - they knew the songs.

?si=boRZMQHw2mVs6MWA

[leftstreet]

46. I'll give you a rec

I think you make some interesting points

I found the "no kings" label perplexing, given that CONGRESS has the power ALREADY to stop whatever autonomous, "kingly" actions Trump takes. There's also this thing called the Judicial Branch.

Methinks the politician$ are simply loving this new version of Orange Man Bad There's Nothing We Can Do

[muriel_volestrangler]

49. That Congress and the judicial branch have the power to stop him is surely a major part of "No Kings"

It's a protest about the behaviour of those two branches, as well as Trump.

[2MuchNoise]

48. Oh, for Pete's sake.

[msfiddlestix]

50. Thank you! I'm totally in agreement and it actually creepes me out a bit that we are so damned ignorant

we can't seem to apply the apt point in our effing slogans which the best completely misses the mark! I actually loathe signs with silly messaging. this no kings slogan really left me feeling pessimistic. by missing the mark. Hitler wasn't a King, Mussolini wasn't a King etc etc.

[JustAnotherGen]

53. We suffer under Intolerable Acts

Old enough to remember the TEA Party of the Obama Admin. We learned it from them. And 15 years later they have installed a monarch.

We started with genocide & enslavement under multiple crowns. The British won those European battles in the new world. They continued genocide and enslavement, and we formed a Revolution while maintaining Europe's sins.

The playbook does not come from Hitler, Mussolini etc etc. They both faced little resistance.

It comes from enslavers and genociders from These United States who tore down a monarchy.

And note: These slogans do not come from the Democratic Party. They come from people who had the guts to start defiance of the regime.

As an activist, you can work to add a third Slogan with like minded people - and join the planning of the next movement.

Indivisible and the 50501 movements chose Hands Off and No King.

The Hitler and Mussolini thing was ineffective the first Admin. If it had been effective, he wouldn't be in a second term.

[msfiddlestix]

54. I;m old as dirt and have been involved in activism since the 60's. Psychopathic Oligarchs, might wear crowns of their

of their own making or not. the destruction of our democracy has been in the hands of racists, misogynists, religious fanatics , psychopathic narcissistic egomaniacs enabled by kindred spirits fanatics sitting on the Supreme Court. This didn't begin in 2015. But the Oligarchs also own the media, and now they have their messenger in place, by 2011 the media bent their knee to this monster freak with a marketable brand and created the Birtherism "scandal" giving carte blanch platform for a potential presidential campaign witch failed in the 2012, but succeeded in the following 2016 elections.
Kings and Queens? Doesn't quite make the mark for me, but if it works for you and everyone else, that's fine. I just feel like we're not nailing it as we should be. In order to reclaim, our democracy we've got to inspire citizen participation in the election process and vigilant accountability in every corner stone. imo.

[JustAnotherGen]

55. This isn't my fight

At all. But I respect the people that stand on business.

I also don't want to reclaim our Democracy which indicates a return to the status quo.

Depending on where one sits in the opposition - I want a rebirth of a nation. I fought like hell on November 5th 2024 and in the lead up to the election.

I don't believe he won.
The game was rigged.
This was a coup.

I start from there.

In the meantime - mad respect for 50501 and Indivisible. They moved 11 million people with hands off anno kings.

The oligarch thing is stale and played out.

[msfiddlestix]

57. I gotcha, and in full agreement regarding reclaiming our democracy, status quo are rigged elections among other things

I don;t subscribe to cliche or tired terms in memes, including using the term Oligarchs in messaging. It also misses the mark by a mile and half at the minimum.
Status quo in the way campaigns are conducted on so many levels, in my mind neon signs and alarm bells clearly call out for a complete rewrite. of scripts, structural processes, financing, length of campaigns etc etc. Obviously, none of these things will ever be considered cuz it's too hard to change the established game moves or to avoid the media controlling the narrative and play. Have to outsmart the media, and we don't seem to know how to do that yet.

[AZProgressive]

58. Oligarchy was a term to describe what the countries of Ukraine and Russia were like

I don't feel like kicking this thread but I felt I had to point out that oligarchy is what this country is heading toward to and it was obvious with all the billionaires at the inauguration.

Also the politician using the term has been warning about this since at least the 90s long before it was cool or now it's stale though the AOC & Mamdani rally had a similar feel as the Fight the Oligarchy Tour though that was on the same day as the No Kings protest day. Not sure why it is necessary to divide and conquer the anti-Trump movements since the election. I don't think the threat of Oligarchs is going away even though we used to associate that term with countries like Ukraine or Russia.

[johnp3907]

51. Nah.

We don't want a king.

[chia]

52. Maybe you give us too much credit, that most would even know the difference between posh and working class accents. 🙂

Please be reassured that this is all about how much we despise Trump, and not at all about despising the UK.
No Kings to us means no emperor, no despot, no autocrat, no weakening of the other two branches of government in order to make one the most powerful. We are definitely looking in at our government and not out at yours. I don’t know if that helps at all.

[Torchlight]

56. A rose by any other name

still gets plucked.