oxjox @ oxjox @lemmy.ml

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Joined

2 yr. ago

I've been a little surprised by the commentary around Trump's planned tariffs, with some "economists" saying they can't explain why he would impose them. It's like everyone has forgotten why tariffs exist at all. That's not to say it's a good thing or a bad thing but I'm disheartened that we're not taking this opportunity to educate ourselves. It feels to me like people are playing stupid just to make Trump look bad.

I would suggest that if you're following some organization who's only intent on bashing Trump's import tax and not bothering to explain what a tariff does, that you stop following that organization as a reputable news source.

I say this as someone who's shocked that any American would ever consider Trump as president (then or now) and as someone who is fed up with the bullshit that fills our media and social feeds. We are all getting dumber.

Edit: So far, these comments are doing a decent job enforcing what I'm seeing. People don't care about facts, only their own bullshit. Please don't vote or comment on this post unless you've watched the video. That's what we should be here for.

It’s not terribly difficult to get on the ballot. But each state has their own requirement so the third party candidates you see may not be on every ballot nation wide.

It’s not just the media that promotes the two candidates. It’s the billionaires and corporations who invest the most money in promoting someone they find favorable to their interests. Given the bankroll surrounding these two parties, the media really don’t have much choice but to reflect their advertising efforts.

In the US, we have what’s called first past the post elections. That essentially means the first person the get the most votes wins. In this case, it’s electoral votes, not individual votes.

Had the US had something like ranked choice voting or star voting in general elections, third party candidates would be given much more attention.

Given the voting system we have, we mostly vote in a manner that prevents the election of the most popular candidate we don’t like.

Awesome. Glad this got caught as the protections are built to do.

Secretly, I'll pass judgement on someone until I realize I know nothing about them and would be unhappy if someone judged me without knowing anything about me. Then I judge myself for being judgmental.

People also just drive a lot more today than 40 years ago, in part, because jobs and shopping are further away (it's gone down since COVID due to more WFH). A car with 100K miles on it was an old car. Now it's not unheard of for people to put that kind of mileage on their car in under five years. I have no argument that vehicles are much more well built today.

As I said in another comment, I'm not arguing that cars are more capable of being on the road, just that I don't believe people are going to choose to drive a ten to twenty year old car in 2035 - 2045 as much as they had fifty years prior. You could put less than $1,000 into a 100k mile car in the 90s and expect to get another 50k+ out of it. At least, I can confirm that that's what I did with my 1976 Ford Elite and later my 1980 Camaro.

Moreover, there's nothing aside from the maintenance of the vehicle and maybe improved gas mileage that would deter anyone from choosing to drive an older vehicle. There are far more reasons today to not choose a ten year old car than there were 30-40 years ago.

My point is about consumer choice and the advancements of technology. Will people choose to drive vehicles that aren't compatible with future technology.

I'm not arguing that. My argument is actually because cars are far more reliable, doesn't that decrease their resale value as more and more modern convinces are added to newer cars?

You've got a window of less than ten years on a modern car where then the technology in it is so old that few people would consider purchasing it to keep it for another five - ten years.

For example, my mom just bought a '24 Subaru with a huge touch screen in it. Will it keep working in ten years? Probably. Will anyone want to buy that phone on wheels in ten years? Not likely. I just bought a 2013 Mini Cooper. It "has bluetooth" but it's strictly for (shitty sounding) phone calls and not audio streaming. I'm one of few people who's okay with this because I'll only drive 1500 miles a year.

Whereas a 25 year old car in 1998 was, aside from your accurate claim about reliability, perfectly fine as a daily driver. If you can find one and are capable of proper maintenance, you could still drive a 1960s car today. But because modern consumer tastes expect advancements in vehicles the same as they expect them in phones, I just don't see used cars living as long as older cars have.

So, it's not so much about the ability for a vehicle to remain on the road but consumer choice.

improvements over the next couple years will make current electric cars obsolete

This is my problem with any new car. Practically every new car (even ICEVs) is just a smart phone on wheels now. It’s not like in the ‘90s - ‘00s when you could still legit buy a car from the ‘70s and daily drive it and repair it in your own drive way for cheap (most people in the 50s - 80s were capable of basic tune ups, etc).

My concern is that at some point the parts won’t be made anymore. Or if the LCD command console gets cracked or something your car’s totaled. I mean, people used to own cars for at least ten years, twenty years wasn’t uncommon. Do you think a 2025 XYZ is going to be on the road in ten years- twenty years? What’s the resale value on that / who’s going to buy a twenty year old phone on wheels?

As much as people believe EVs are better for the environment, aren’t they increasing the rate at which a vehicle ends up in landfill? I hope recycling is part of the car’s lifecycle.

At the same time though, I have to acknowledge that, without an ICE, EVs have far fewer points of failure. There’s a potential for them to be on the road much longer. I just don’t see that happening due to consumer demand. Even if you’re able to update the software and swap out worn out parts, is that enough to keep the car on the road as long as or longer than an ICEV? What happens when technology changes and they find better batteries or charging methods? How much do you have to invest in the phone on wheels to keep it on the road?

It strikes me that someone asking if using a toaster oven as a space heater is “anti-inadvisable” is very much not someone who should attempt such an action.

This is what the people who forgot about Donald Trump say. Trump's presidency was far more rewarding for Israel than either Russia or North Korea; arguably, even more rewarding than the US. This conflict wouldn't have existed without Trump's aid in the first place. If you think Biden or Harris are friends with Netanyahu, you are sorely mistaken.

I'm voting for the person I trust to make a half a promising decision for calmness in the Middle East rather than the one who's guaranteed to gladly trade the lives of Palestinians and Americans in exchange for authoritarianism. And if the person I choose to vote for (wins and) doesn't live up to my expectations, if this person does not aid in Middle East tensions, I'll still sleep well at night knowing how much more traumatic it would have been with the alternative.

I give a shit about this world. I will not be part of the downfall of democracy and the promise of more lives lost and freedoms around this world revoked for the sake of someone's ego and business dealings. I will not throw out my vote.

I'm voting for Harris because I support a free Palestine. Because under Trump, Palestine is guaranteed to disappear.

ProtonMail, Nebula, Backblaze, Parcel, BigNews, Glass, my local paper, local coffee delivery.

I pay for Apple iCloud too but I'm trying to figure out how to get away from it.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/commonly-confused-words/all-of-a-sudden/

Are you legitimately asking a question that's answered in the article you're posted or are you promoting something?

Since you're evidently unaware of what the Magna Carta is, it's like the United States' Bill of Rights. The Mueller Report is a report about a DOJ investigation into collusion with a foreign power to impact an election. There is no rational reason to mention them in the same statement, let alone the same sentence.

I'm thinking this may be an AI bot given the incoherence in the post.

I use both. I'm a member of a local instance on Mastodon. On Bluesky, I follow more mainstream outlets.

I'm not on board with having one account to interact with the fediverse. I like the compartmentalization of using one account for some things and another for other things. I also see value in diversification in case something goes wrong or takes too long to be improved or repaired. However, I also see substantial value in all social networks communicating with each other so you can choose a platform that aligns more with your wants and needs while still getting the information that's relevant to you.

I just wish more "mainstream" outlets would get on board with the fediverse - either Mastodon or Bluesky. I really think towns and cities should invest in Mastodon instances where local government and other agencies could engage with the community (who may be members of other instances).

The "mainstream" outlets I follow on Bluesky are: Media Matters, The Conversation, Washington Post, BBC (unofficial), MacRumors, AP, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, etc.

The local outlets I follow on Mastodon are mostly twitter bots via bird.makeup: the local police department, the mayor, the newspaper, sports reporters, etc. I wish more bars / restaurants, music venues, local blogs and reporters were on the fediverse (looking forward to cross-posting from Threads).

I'm actually using RSS a lot more than either Mastodon or Bluesky because so few outlets are accessible on the fediverse.

How about the government subsidizes the cost of the phone for needy customers rather than the reseller.

Are there any other industries where a product or service is subsidized by the reseller? What if, like dental insurance, there were a cell phone insurance company.

I mean, locking phones is stupid to begin with but if it's for a small segment of people who want $0 / cheap AF phones, maybe there's other options. I'm on ATT's site and see a Moto Razr with a retail price of $1k and a payment plan of $6/month for 36 months ($216). The Ts & Cs to get there are lengthy and questionable. The whole industry needs more regulation for the protection of consumers - especially given how critical having a cell phone is in the 21st century.

You could very easily take a photo to show proof of who you voted for in order to get paid. Plus, voting records aren’t 100% private.

Legally, the argument that he’s specifically trying to pay people to vote for Trump would get thrown out of court.

I would personally argue that Trump is very much opposed to, or in favor of restrictions to, the first and second amendments (as is Musk) while Harris intends to uphold them. So, from my perspective, I see this as enticement to vote for Harris.

I would imagine that paying money to sign your petition is also problematic.

Title of article:

Trump Backer Elon Musk Accused of 'Clearly Illegal Vote-Buying'.

I'm not sure what reality you all are a pat of. I'm just sitting here reading and commenting on what was shared. It is a fact that Musk is not buying votes. Had the article made the claim that "Musk pays registered voters to sign a petition", that would be legit.

I find it frustrating that people want to call me out for calling out the media but no one wants to hold the media accountable - especially when it supports your existing narrative.

It is a fact that Musk is not buying votes. There is no exchange of money for proof of voting for anyone. He is potentially illegally asking people to sign a petition which requires they be a registered voter and giving them money for signing a petition. That's the story.

Every article posted across the internet is full of misinformation and lies to promote existing narratives and agendas. People need to wake up and hold each other accountable for this. Not just when it's in opposition to your feelings but also when it supports them.

So, not illegal vote buying. Correct?