The discussion of exploding-heads on sh.itjust.works before they defederated is pretty interesting: https://sh.itjust.works/post/564252 If you can't see that link bc of defederation, look at it anonymously or on a web browser.
When lemmy.world defederated, there were some examples of why, though the discussion isn't as interesting: https://lemmy.world/post/747912
I have a very traumatic past with past people and my dad so that’s where my lack of love and self esteem comes from. He understands that.
It takes years to really understand another person's trauma.
I suspect that this trauma is what's making you feel so bad now, and the guy in question is just the conduit. Consult a therapist who specializes in both medication and talk therapy.
Just to play cat's advocate: if humans don't think the table is clean when they sit down to eat, they are welcome to wipe it down, to add placemats, or to cover the table between meals. All of these are minor inconveniences compared to the unrealistic expectation of denying cats access to one of the room's main furnishings when it is not in use.
My favorite are the satanic conspiracy ones. Like where there's literally a satan who is directing their devils and worshippers to lead people to commit sins.
My next favorite are the ones that are just telling people to believe in the christian god and to follow the christian moral code and that they will suffer eternally if they don't. These are occasionally moving.
The ones I dislike are the rest, which are mostly promoting bigotry against other religions or that have extremist views like you mention.
btw if you haven't seen it, check out the "Dark Dungeons" short film; it was made by some independent filmmakers who got Chick's permission to adapt one of the tracts. They play it (mostly) straight with just the right touches of satire, and it comes off beautifully:
because with cats it’s always “what’s in it for me?”
My guess is that it's a resource-sharing thing.
To a cat, it makes sense that you shoo the cat off the table. Clearly you may want to use the table if you are there, so the cat should make way when you are around.
To a cat, it makes NO sense that you want the cat to NEVER use the table. If you're not using it right now, why shouldn't the cat use it?
So, I think:
A human believes that because they obtained an item, they have a right to forbid a cat from ever using it.
But a cat believes that they have the right to use any item in the house that is not currently being used by the human.
I gotta say, it' s not obvious that the human is right...
It’s odd the way these articles talk about dictatorship taking hold in the US
Yeah, there are a lot of valuable lessons to be learned by studying the Roman Republic and Empire. This article does none of that, it just lists a bunch of parallels. It's in the same genre as "12 reasons why Joe Biden was the antichrist!"
I'm continually disappointed in The Atlantic. At one time it would have published a thoughtful essay on the topic. Instead this article just normalizes the idea that democracy in the US is doomed to fall.
Not sure if this'll help or hurt, but here's a video of him playing Lenin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsiU0P-swYE