Schmoo @ Schmoo @slrpnk.net

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5

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494

Joined

2 yr. ago

This fact perfectly dismantles the idea of meritocracy, which is why the "lottery curse" lie is pushed by the wealthy. The lottery selects specifically for people who are prone to gambling and poor choices, and yet the majority do just fine with their winnings, because the truth is that wealth protects you from the consequences of your choices.

If I did that where I live a mob of MAGA hats would descend on my home within a week, if my neighbor doesn't shoot me first.

I sorta prefer the lower quality tbh. It hides some of the big tells that it was AI generated.

I started to make a long effort post detailing Putin's rise to - and subsequent consolidation of - power, but then I came to my senses and realized it would be pointless. If I went through with it, you would just do what you've been doing already, dismiss all sources I provide as false and biased propaganda while engaging in ridiculous whataboutism. I decided it would be a poor use of my time, is this really how you want to be spending yours?

Putin is a dictator in the same way that Trump is trying to be. He consolidated power under his office, removing term limits and checks, and manipulates the democratic process in his favor (often with blatant ballot stuffing and crushing opposition).

The US political system, as corrupt as it is, isn't quite to that point yet, though unfortunately that might be changing soon.

Edit: Removed mention of Xi because I'm not as familiar with the topic and don't want to spread misinformation.

You forgot to mention that it's watered down. That's what the emulsifier is for, to make the oils in the cheese mix well with the added water. The concept is fine - for some applications - if it were only that, but this is hyper-processed American food we're talking about here. Gotta pad out that ingredient list:

CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), SKIM MILK, MILKFAT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEY, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SALT, LACTIC ACID, MILK, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA (COLOR), ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE, ANNATTO (COLOR).

The above is the standard Kraft singles ingredient list, and at a glance is the shortest one I saw on their website.

The strategies I'm referring to are best summed up as populism, yes. The left vs right terminology originally referred to those who opposed or supported monarchy, respectively. In Weimar Germany those who opposed the political establishment in favor of working class movements were considered socialist, irrespective of their other beliefs.

What I'm saying is that as capital S Socialism gained popularity among the working class, fascist movements appropriated the Socialists populist methods, taking advantage of the work that Socialists had already done in organizing working class opposition to the political establishment. The majority were not ideologues, they simply knew the status quo was not serving them and were looking for explanations, which at one point only Socialists were providing (though arguably not very effectively). That's when fascism emerged to provide an alternative explanation; one which was not a threat to the wealthy and powerful, and played into the deep-rooted prejudices of the time.

Fascism emerged as an appropriation of revolutionary left strategies in service of right-wing ideology. That's why the Nazis adopted the name "national socialists." At the time the word socialist was used to refer to pretty much any populist working class movement. Blaming communists for fascism is a bit like seeing one of those spiders that mimics ants and blaming the ants.

Alright, I understand your position. Personally, I disagree with it because it's unrealistic to expect perfection from everyone who fights for a cause. I feel that it's important to have some baseline tolerance for hypocrisy because it's counterproductive to police your allies on every small thing.

I agree that tailored suits should not be a precondition for success, and choosing not to wear them in congress is absolutely a statement to that end, but I'm not going to discount AOC as a potential ally because she chose not to fight that particular battle. In the same vein, I'm also not going to allow John Fetterman's choice to fight that particular battle convince me that he's a working class ally in more important ways.

When you allow yourself to get hung up on the appearance of hypocrisy you make yourself vulnerable to exactly the type of manipulation that Fetterman engages in. Look past the surface and consider the bigger picture. You don't have to be someone who works within the system, I'm not that type of person either, but don't write people off for choosing that path. Everyone has a part to play.

They're supporting a system that exists to pass a bunch of money around at the top.

By... wearing a suit? You're gonna have to go into more detail here to get your point across.

I'm glad we're at least on the same page here.

I'd like to get there, but I'm really not sure that we are yet.

I don't keep up with Fetterman, but isn't he also an ally of the working class?

Fetterman ran as a progressive and presented himself as an unpretentious ally of blue-collar workers, then after getting elected he made a hard right turn starting with support for Israel's genocide and eventually going back on every progressive stance he ever held, even claiming he never held them to begin with. He's now just a conservative - registered Democrat. A turn-coat who claims "I didn't leave the left, the left left me." Many such cases these days, unfortunately.

If you're arguing that AOC is the same, I really don't see it. I don't agree with everything she does, of course, but for someone working within the system she's as radical as it gets.

Purity testing political leaders based on the way they dress is self-sabotage. If you think someone can't be a real ally if they wear nice suits then you'll find few allies in life. The reverse is also true, John Fetterman isn't an ally of the working class just because he wears a hoodie to congress, for example.

Of course it isn't just sitting around unused, it's being reinvested to make more money. Billionaires typically put most of their net worth into assets and stocks and then live off of loans, just like the comic I posted alludes to. Just because they don't have literal piles of cash sitting around doesn't mean they aren't absurdly wealthy.

And let's be honest, if a billionaire wanted a Scrooge McDuck style gold pile they could have it arranged within a week at most.

Shaka, when the walls fell...

Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra!

What a great and despicable crime they've committed, to exist without the proper paperwork. How unacceptable it is that they failed to renew their visas, truly they deserve imprisonment without due process in Guantanamo Bay, where they can be abused like the scum they are without the pesky bleeding hearts demanding consequences. You are a truly moral and good person, and your strong words will surely be rewarded with low grocery prices.

/s

The boomer ellipsis drives me nuts. It gives me a very ominous feeling, like something is being left unsaid that I'm supposed to extrapolate. The only time I use an ellipsis in text is when I want to indicate that the thought is incomplete.

See the top comment.

It could not possibly be more relevant in your line of work than it is right now.

An exceedingly dangerous activity indeed.

We need to be mad at non-voters, people who "lashed out" and voted for Trump, and people who let themselves be swept away by the lies of a grifter who we did nothing but warn them about. But we also need to be mad at the DNC

Please also try to funnel that anger into meaningful action. Staying mad at non-voters is understandable but also entirely unhelpful. Staying mad at the DNC however is both understandable and rational, and has the potential to drive change if you allow yourself to channel it into something productive.