• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    SovCits in courts and at traffic stops are an unending source of entertainment. “The flag has a fringe on it, therefore this court is being run on maritime law and something something anyway this is all illegitimate and you must find me not guilty!”

    I also like it when they make their own license plates and try to argue that’s their right.

    • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      My favorite was the group of sovereign citizens living in a compound, they keep harassing people and authorities to stay of their sovereign property. Then they had a fire and they’re begging the fire department to come save them, without a hint of irony.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I love it when die-hard libertarians tell me that people should pay a fee to have fire departments come to their houses and put out a fire.

        • totallynotaspy@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Lol they need to read a history book, that will just end up with arsonists working for the fire departments like the early days of firefighting in most large American cities

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Libertarians don’t care about history. They don’t care about practicality. All they care about is not paying taxes for any reason.

            You can even ask them to name a single country in the history of money that didn’t have taxation. They can’t, because there isn’t one. But they don’t want a moneyless society either.

            • enki@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              Not just taxes, they want all the benefits of society without contributing to it at all. They want to be able to do whatever they want without consequence. They’re literal freeloaders pretending to be “free people.”

          • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Or like ancient Rome where Cressus would show up to your burning house/business with his fire brigade, and offer to put it out only after you agreed to sell it to him. Think quick, cause the clock is ticking and the price is dropping every second

      • SharkAttak@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        They’re basically adult brats: they believe they can do whatever they want cause they’re big babies now, but if something goes wrong the parents/state gotta run to help them. And obviously no time-out because they said “I’m sorry”.

    • MüThyme@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If there was actually some technicality that meant they were trying them in the wrong type of court or whatever, wouldn’t they just end that trial and go and do it properly?

      I swear I’ve heard this sort of nonsense strategy before…

      • CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social
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        1 year ago

        I think some of them believe that the government has been replaced by some sort of fake organization that pretends to be a government, like a corporation or something, and as such that the proper court doesn’t exist and so they can’t legally be tried.

        • Kid_Thunder@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          It is more that they believe they didn’t choose to be governed by their government and therefore they are a citizen within their own separate nation. In their eyes, the court exists but has no jurisdiction over them.

  • Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “I have repented all my sins,” Johnatakis said during the trial, saying he requested that Lamberth “discharge” the matter — a common phrase from sovereign citizens — since, he said, there was no “controversy” before the court.

    During the trial, Johnatakis questioned an FBI agent, Michael Kiley, on whether he accepted Johnatakis’ apology for his actions. Kiley responded that it wasn’t his place to accept Johnatakis’ apology.

    I DECLARE REPENTANCE!

    • SupraMario@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      TRIAL BY COMBAT! Quick someone get him 2 big Mac’s, a large fry and a diet coke…he needs the energy for the battle.

  • rustyfish@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I love it when sovcits are hit by reality. They don’t have to accept it. They also don’t have to change their beliefs. At least they get punished and locked away for our safety.

  • LEDZeppelin@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    If they are sovereign citizens and not citizens of the USofA, shouldn’t they be tried as illegal aliens and sent to migrant camps in desert or to Gitmo?

  • nutsack@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    you can be a sovereign citizen any time you want by renouncing your citizenship. it’s a real thing you can do and it has a process. and then you’re completely fucked.

    • Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      You generally can’t be made stateless, from my understanding, so unless you have dual citizenship, I doubt you could.

      • nutsack@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        not according to Wikipedia

        the U.S. does not prohibit its citizens from making themselves stateless, but the State Department strongly recommends against it,

      • IamtheMorgz@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Aside from the fact that this isn’t true for people giving up their citizenship (in the US at least), it’s especially not true around the world. Lots of people are born stateless or made stateless during conflict or upheaval.