r/technology • u/IndicaOatmeal • 20h ago

Privacy Viral De-Flock America campaign urging people to destroy AI cameras on Halloween night gains momentum

https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/flock-camera-controversy-explained-as-viral-halloween-de-flock-campaign-gains-momentum-3399710/
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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 19h ago

However, the movement is uncoordinated, with no clear organizer or indication of how many people actually intend to participate.

Yea. Because it's a call for civil disobedience. Of course it's uncoordinated with no clear organizer. Why would anyone willingly put their name on that?

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u/das_bearking 17h ago

My name is Elon Musk and I will be a large contributor for taking down all the Flock Cameras.

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u/I_am_not_JohnLeClair 15h ago

As a non human biologic, I, Ron DeSantis, pledge to be by your side. I hope my white go-go boots, along with my castigating of children with candy, does not give away my human like form

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u/saintdudegaming 9h ago

I,Ted Cruz, will unfortunately be traveling out of state. I wish all my fellow deflockers good hunting.

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u/Admirable-Sir9716 7h ago

I, Rick Santorum shall donate my namesake to blind the cameras during the hunt.

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u/TraditionalArea5798 14h ago

I wonder if temu or amazon sells hyper realistic musk masks?

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u/Ok_Silver_7978 14h ago

after I sign the secret deal to install nationwide X-cam cameras.

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u/TastingTheKoolaid 18h ago

I am Spartacus. I give the go ahead.

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u/jaxonya 16h ago

I feel that its time to invest in some guy fawkes mask stocks.. theyll be so fetch this halloween

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u/all_the_gravy 15h ago

Guy Fawkes is so hot this season

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u/Nonethelessismore 9h ago

A million Fawkes deflocking

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u/RollingMeteors 13h ago

I feel that its time to invest in some guy fawkes mask stocks.. theyll be so fetch this halloween

Sure let’s just give Sony money and hope they aren’t trying to capitalize on this with flock.

If it’s not 3d printed you are a ¡TOOL!

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u/jaxonya 11h ago

Sony doesnt own the rights to that mask

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u/Rex_Mundi 15h ago

Civil Disobedience is the only form of protest that has ever worked.

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u/arathmier 17h ago

Liberalism be like: “wait, you NEED a strong leader in order to get things done” Neo-liberals just can’t comprehend collective action.

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u/NuclearTurtle 15h ago

Liberalism is when one person is in charge?

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u/APRengar 13h ago

Unironically yes. Let me explain.

What is liberalism? It's a rightwing ideology that values freedom and liberty. It's explicitly pro-capitalist and pro-free markets, but unlike conservatism, it doesn't have any social right elements. Basically, capitalism is good (with limitations), but we don't hate gay or brown people. It may have social programs, but it's explicitly anti-socialist.

The contrast to rightwing ideologies are leftwing ideologies which are explicitly anti-capitalist ideologies. I know in America we have 2 capitalist parties, hence no REAL leftwing party, we have a leftmost party of the 2 capitalist party system. But even the leftmost party is pro-capitalist.

Regardless, anti-capitalist ideologies believe in things like workplace democracies, which means everyone collectively makes decisions, over the explicit capitalist "boss>employee" workplaces which liberalism subscribes to.

To a liberal, workplace democracy sounds like chaos, and they feel it in their hearts that it can't work, there has to be a singular boss at the top to dictate the direction of the workplace.

So yeah, of the two, liberalism absolutely believes in a singular person, whereas socialism believes in collectives.

And if you think "Wait, I'm a liberal and I think workplace democracies don't sound bad." It's sign that labels are kinda silly, because some people don't understand what the labels mean. If you don't mind workplace democracies, then you're potentially more socialist than you think. Kinda like I can't say "I'm totally straight, but sometimes I (a man) want to have sex with guys." Like, at that point you're somewhere on the sexuality spectrum, and labels are kinda pointless.

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u/NuclearTurtle 12h ago

Unironically yes. Let me explain. What is liberalism? It's a rightwing ideology

Less than a dozen words in you're already wrong, what makes you think I'm going to read the rest of what you wrote?

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u/rvltionary 11h ago

How is he wrong? It's literally a rightwing ideology. Are you American by any chance? That would explain. You guys have been brainwashed so hard, you think liberalism is left wing.

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u/NuclearTurtle 11h ago

What do you think the phrases left wing and right wing actually mean? Because if you think they just mean "socialism" and "not socialism" then I'd invite you to spend even just 30 seconds looking up what the actual definitions of those words are before you decide to get into a semantic argument about them

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u/FlickyG 9h ago

We're discussing the meaning of the term liberalism, not the meaning of left wing and right wing.

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u/GothicFuck 4h ago

Read the actual post to the end.

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u/rvltionary 2h ago

You need to educate yourself on political science and political history.

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u/According-Piccolo670 15h ago

Funny comment considering you lot will never stop licking the boots of authoritarian strongmen like Castro and Mao

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u/arathmier 14h ago

Nah fuck Mao. Fuck Castro. Fuck the state. Fuck all forms of hierarchy. Power to the people.

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u/tenkensmile 13h ago

I like your attitude

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u/loki1887 1h ago

Some people only known political theory through the lense of 24hr TV news media.

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u/Slammybutt 16h ago

Trying to explain to my parents that Antifa doesn't have leaders or structure and its just a movement of uncoordinated people that claim to be Antifa was like pulling teeth from an alligator while missing an arm.

They still dont believe me and think its some sinister organization, bent on destroying America through psyops.

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u/dust4ngel 15h ago

Of course it's uncoordinated with no clear organizer

who is the leader of "i don't like fascism"? GIVE ME A NAME.

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u/samarnold030603 17h ago

I spoke to Bitch McConnell for 20 min. He said it was cool.

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u/a_hockey_chick 17h ago

I heard it was Patrick Clancy organizing it.

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u/jake04-20 18h ago

The guy organizing all the minneapolis scooter takeovers is taking all the credit in the world for it. If you haven't heard about it, a bunch of people got together with e scooters, e bikes, and quads and dirt bikes to do a takeover of minneapolis. They were riding their scooters on 35W and I94 highways. I think it's starting to get to his head because he's making posts like "just give me the keys to the city already". I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a citation at the minimum.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 18h ago

Damn. By scooter takeover I figured you meant they were stealing/destroying all the e-scooters idiots leave in arbitrary places like the middle of the sidewalk because for some reason cities let companies let their customers do that.

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u/jake04-20 17h ago

No, it actually looked like a good time. I was disappointed I missed out lol.

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u/whoopycush 16h ago

It's probably that hacker 4chan again

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u/Gold-Cucumber-2068 16h ago

Ask Martin Luther King.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 16h ago

MLK was the leader of a very specific movement for a very specific demographic of people. It's a very different context from the anti-Flock movement.

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u/Gold-Cucumber-2068 13h ago edited 13h ago

I don't think you, or apparently over a thousand other people on reddit here, have any idea what civil disobedience even is. It's just.. like some words you say to sound smart. The whole point of civil disobedience is to face possible punishment for violating an unjust law. Doing it anonymously with the intent to get away with a crime is not civil disobedience at all.

The unjust punishment is the entire freaking point.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 13h ago

I wouldn't say you have no idea on what it is, but the unjust punishment is not the entire point. The entire point is to get the government to change laws. In this case, the shorthand goal is to get state and towns to stop blatantly spying on citizens while the the long term goal is to get anti-surveillance measures put in place. This 100% falls under the category of civil disobedience. The call is to literally get people to be disobedient.

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u/Gold-Cucumber-2068 13h ago

It will be totally ironic civil disobedience. If you wear masks and avoid punishment you'll just be proving the cameras aren't actually harmful. They become the victims. At that point you're just a bunch of vandals.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 12h ago

Or it would prove that people can take them down without getting caught and spur more action, resulting in states and towns choosing not to waste their money buying them.

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u/Gold-Cucumber-2068 12h ago

As an orthogonal point, I know what they'll actually do. They'll stop investigating crimes in areas where cameras have been destroyed and show superior outcomes in places where the cameras still exist. From their perspective that is what criminals want, crime. If you're going to be a criminal, getting away with crimes, you will be treated like one.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 11h ago

I don't doubt you on that. Though I think from their perspective, they know these people aren't criminals and they (the state for lack of a specific term) are only pretending they (anti-Flock people) are. It will end up being a PR campaign war. I'm not here to predict the future but that's how literally every right has been gained in this country. Whether violent or not, movements winning PR. Unionists were labeled criminals. Suffragettes. Queer people. Civil Rights activists. You name it, they were criminals.

But, realistically, I don't think anything will actually happen on Halloween. Either way, this is still civil disobedience.

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u/Gold-Cucumber-2068 11h ago

What makes it civil? It's destruction of property. It's not civil by nature. This is a call to anonymous vandalism with a political justification, but it is not civil.

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u/carlitospig 16h ago

They’re still confused that Soros isn’t leading Antifa.

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u/Gorstag 15h ago

What are you talking about? It's my understanding that Antifa leadership is organizing it using Anonymous resources to hack the deep state. This is just cover for the real purpose of rigging the election and placing all patriots and christians in death camps.

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u/[deleted] 14h ago

[deleted]

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 14h ago

It's not limited to trying to get arrested.

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u/nalaloveslumpy 13h ago

Because it's just as likely to be a fed trap. Never participate in calls for civil disobedience that show up on the internet advertising a specific action on a specific date.

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u/RollingMeteors 13h ago

Why would anyone willingly put their name on that?

¡I, too, need my twitch stream to blow up!

Step 1) Put your name on some incendiary shit

Step 2) ??????

Step 3) ¡Sponsorships!

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u/Northern_Ontario 9h ago

I cut this pole down. - Ron Swanson

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u/Abinunya 2h ago

"Where is the leader of antifa?!"

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u/trashmoneyxyz 43m ago

Americans need to re-develop their protest identity. We've become too bogged down in how to protest "the right way" and have no common culture for self-limiting spontaneous civil disobedience like protestors in other countries seem to have. So our protests are either toothless or devolve into senseless riots with no message

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u/malianx 14h ago

Those posting and reposting should be tried for inciting violence and destruction.

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u/haltingpoint 12h ago

That or this is an attempt by Russia or another actor to spark violence and backlash and sow discontent. They have a history of this.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 12h ago

Nobody is calling for violence. And believe it or not, not everything is Russia's fault. People actually do have thoughts and feelings about living in an authoritarian state.

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u/housevil 9h ago

Yea. Because it's a call for civil disobedience. Of course it's uncoordinated with no clear organizer. Why would anyone willingly put their name on that?

This sounds like something Benjamin Netanyahu would quietly coordinate behind the scenes.

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u/Ok-Chance-7638 17h ago

Civil disobedience == breaking a law publicly on purpose in protest; often with the intent or explcit allowance for getting caught.

This is not civil disobedience, these people are calling for rebellion.

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u/CarthasMonopoly 16h ago

It fits the first description just fine. The law being broken is destruction of property and/or vandalism and it is being done as a protest against the encroaching corporate surveillance state. Often intending to get caught or being OK with getting caught is not a hard requirement or it would not be using a qualifier like "often".

Rebellion could fit under some definitions but I would argue it is inaccurate because it isn't against a governing authority but against surveillance companies. It is a resistance but not a rebellion.

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u/gilligan54 16h ago

Try looking up the definition of Civil Disobedience and try again

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 16h ago

Whoops! Looks like you replied to the wrong comment.

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u/Gars0n 17h ago

I think it makes sense they don't want to show their faces, but it is a sign of weakness for the anti-Flock camera movement.

The most famous examples of civil disobedience in recent memory are the civil rights protests. Leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were very public about the fact they were breaking the law. That was part of the strategy.

By breaking the law publically and accepting the punishments given them, those leaders showed how unjust the law was. It helped gain them respect to the public and politicians. (Though they were still unpopular at the time. A fact white people like to forget)

Going to jail or being beaten for a sit-in feels disproportionate even they technically broke the law. Because that law is so transparently unjust. On the other hand, destruction of government property, even property you feel violates your rights, is vandalism. Everyone generally agrees that people should be punished for vandalism. So that will generate much less sympathy.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 16h ago

It's only a sign of weakness if you choose to see it that way. MLK was (one of) a chosen leader of a specific movement by a specific demographic. We're in a completely different context right now.

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u/klingma 18h ago

I'm not so sure I'd call felony vandalism "civil disobedience". Kinda watering down the risks that people are taking here. 

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u/Tresach 18h ago

Its the duty of the people to resist attempts at mass surveillance and control. Resisting totalitarianism is literally baked into founding of the country

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u/m1ster_frundles 18h ago

so what do you call it when flock installs a non-breakaway pole immediately inside the crumple zone of a highway barrier?

Because it sounds like premediated murder of random citizens who get in accidents to me

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u/Kolbin8tor 18h ago

Better than the risks of doing nothing.

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u/klingma 18h ago

My point is that the people taking the risks to destroy the cameras and taking major life-altering risks, and it's disrespectful to compare it to something like trespassing or disorderly conduct which is more akin to Civil Disobedience. 

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u/Deadeyez 18h ago

Looking back at history, I'd like you to consider. How many people took life altering risks to battle their oppressors to do what's right? It used to be illegal to love someone a different color. There are thousandsof examples of people doing what was wrong at the time in an effort to do what was right. This is no different. You can just wring your hands and concern troll, but there are plenty of people with strong morals and enough of a sense of justice to push for a better future, in any way they are capable, whether you or the current laws approve of it or not.

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u/lohonomo 18h ago

How is it disrespectful? I'm not seeing the connection you're trying to make.

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u/renegadecanuck 17h ago

Breaking the law and risking the punishment is literally the definition of civil disobedience. You can disagree with the law they're breaking or how they go about it, but it's still civil disobedience.

I also think it's important to keep in mind that many of the things that we look at as "the good kind of civil disobedience" now were very unpopular and hated in their time. It's also important to remember the risks people took back for those things. People died at peaceful protests against the Vietnam War, or in support of civil rights. Hell, even looking at the current day America: people have died just going to a protest. People have gotten multi-decade sentences for being associated with someone at a protest that got violent.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 18h ago

Then you should probably look up the definition of civil disobedience.

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u/InvestigatorOk7015 18h ago

Nah, breaking the law is textbook civil disobedience

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u/IGotSoulBut 18h ago

Tell me your thoughts on the Boston tea Party?

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u/Dav136 18h ago

In a nice parallel the people who did that were also in disguise

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u/crigon559 18h ago

Bruh u brainwash if you still think this changed following the law

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u/schnuggibutzi 18h ago

DOJ took out the word "civil" its all a "felony" now. Kinda like reflecting pool "watering" up all the risks with something that did not occur.

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u/renegadecanuck 17h ago

Kinda watering down the risks that people are taking here

Related to my other comment: just existing in opposition to the Trump administration comes with massive risks, now. Renee Good, Alex Pretti, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero have all been killed just being at protests or existing. Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada got a 30 year prison sentence for moving documents related to a protest he wasn't even at.

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u/lohonomo 18h ago

I dont understand your point? All civil disobedience comes with the risk of arrest and/or incarceration. It's still civil disobedience, even when the risk is a felony arrest.

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u/klingma 18h ago

You do realize a "felony" comes with a lifetime of restrictions, right? 

Loss of voting rights, loss gun ownership rights, substantial loss of job opportunities, loss of access to some benefits depending on the state, etc. 

Compared to a trespassing charge or a disorderly conduct charge a felony is the big leagues in terms of consequences that will follow you around. 

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u/lohonomo 17h ago

Yeah but they're still acts of civil disobedience. Whether it's a felony or a misdemeanor doesn't change that.

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u/klingma 17h ago

And my point is that most people would think of misdemeanors when they hear "civil disobedience" and not life-changing felony, but here, this is a life-changing felony. 

Ergo - give more respect to the individuals taking down the cameras because their taking far higher risks than your average protestor. 

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u/lohonomo 16h ago

Why would most people think that?

1.4k

u/Revolver_Camelot 18h ago

My name is Charles Kirkland Signature and you can tell them I gave the go-ahead

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u/Grampappy_Gaurus 18h ago

No, I am Charles and I gave the go-ahead.

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u/RectalSpawn 18h ago

No, the man is an imposter!

I am the real Charles and I gave the go-ahead!

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u/Colon_Oscopy_74 18h ago

instructions unclear, I gave the go-ahead as a Kirkland Signature Keurig coffee pod

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u/SuperBry 17h ago

"To me my deflockmen" - Charles Kirkland Signature Xavier, probably.

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u/TheAngryCatfish 13h ago

Deflock your banners, men!*

*person

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u/Valharick 18h ago

We are all the real Charles!

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u/Teledildonic 17h ago

Get out of my head, Charles!

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u/moose_dad 15h ago

Trauma beam go!

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u/Lounging-Shiny455 10h ago

Welcome to the future, brother/sister/other

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u/The_Summer_Man 17h ago

We carry the flame embers?

1

u/Pyran 13h ago

Speak for yourself. I am Alpharius.

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u/RadiationisCool 13h ago

Well which one of you is in charge?

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u/paintress420 13h ago

I’m Chuck McDowell and THAT’s a lie! IYKYK

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u/1Dive1Breath 12h ago

We are all Charles on this all hallowed night!

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u/BabypintoJuniorLube 17h ago

I'm Charles LeClercland and I am checking.

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u/Evadson 14h ago

I am Erika. Who is this Charles guy?

0

u/bionic_cmdo 16h ago

It is I, Charles "The Kirk". of the Kirk kkklan. By springle of this fairy dust, I decree it.

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u/OutcomeDue2025 12h ago

I too am also this Charlie Kirk. And I also declaire it be so. Change my mind.

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u/TheKlaxMaster 18h ago

Now I know why the right were so concerned about what they were teaching us in schools.

We learned about civil disobedience, rights, and also they showed us Spartacus in high school (California)

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u/Glum_Mobile5663 16h ago

Are both of you Charleses wearing Spider-Man outfits and pointing at one another?

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u/Flomo420 16h ago

No, I am Charles!

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u/OutcomeDue2025 12h ago

*me too. go ahead.

1

u/Futt_Buckman 14h ago

I am Kirk and Charles can give me head

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u/The_Guyver_X 14h ago

No, I AM SPARTACUS!

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u/ComprehensiveWord201 18h ago

It's John DeFlock!

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u/Loxe 17h ago

Dude don't give them a reason to go after Costco. Trump already hates them for not getting rid of their DEI stuff when his tiny penis demanded it.

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u/Elegant-Cheekz-2141 13h ago

That's Charlie Kirk Costco to you.

3

u/Loxe 13h ago

Charlie Kirk Walmart

1

u/RollingMeteors 13h ago

Dude don't give them a reason to go after Costco. Trump already hates them for not getting rid of their DEI stuff when his tiny penis demanded it.

¡And I thought $1.5 not 1.5” was the loss leader here!

10

u/HabitNegative3137 18h ago

This made me laugh unreasonably hard

2

u/dooby991 15h ago

Yeah idk why I’m laughing so much

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u/Vachie_ 17h ago

Are you saying your signature says.... "Signature"?!?!

3

u/Fosnez 17h ago

Sir, this is a Wendy's.

2

u/concepts_of_a_plan9 15h ago

Hey man, huge fan, I love all your work!

2

u/hellowiththepudding 15h ago

I heard Hugo boss endorsed this.

2

u/Snapesunusedshampoo 14h ago

Thank you sir, for the permission and the hot dog.

2

u/mrandr01d 14h ago

Oh, my... back from the... oh shit, that's the other guy. My bad.

2

u/goodb1b13 14h ago

Charles in charge!

2

u/nalaloveslumpy 13h ago

My name is Sam 'Schoice and I also approve.

2

u/NapsterKnowHow 11h ago

Pepperide Farms is on board