I studied physics in university. I didn't put any real thought into what I was going to do with it afterwards, I was just choosing something that seemed interesting and helped me make sense of the world. What I discovered afterwards is that the main use of physics in the economy is to find new and exciting ways of blowing people up. I had been drawn to science by the idea that I was going to work towards the benefit of all humanity. I'm ashamed to admit it, but there was a moment around when I graduated when a friend of mine joined the Navy, and I really considered it. Fortunately, I came to my senses and said no.
Instead, I wound up working the meat counter at a grocery store. This was before I went vegan but I still had negative feelings about it. From there, I wound up picking in an Amazon warehouse for a couple years, and I've kinda bounced around other warehouses, occasionally getting involved in some technical roles in them.
Amazon's a big evil corporation, but at least it's honest work and a peaceful life. I could never live with myself if I did something in service of the war machine. To me, stopping what you're doing to go move boxes at Amazon is kinda the baseline to me, like it's not perfectly ethical but if doing that is significantly better for the world than what you're doing, then like... the option exists for you. If you're doing something evil like working for the military industrial complex, then that's on you, sure it might be much less pleasant and less lucrative but burglary is lucrative too and that doesn't make it justified. It's far better to live a small, humble life making sure that you leave the world better than you found it than to have a big impact but it's negative.
I guess some people might be able to tune out the screams or twist their brain into knots justifying it, but idk. If you're walking down the street and you see someone screaming in pain, your instinct is to help them. You want to help them. You want to help them. That urge to help them is your own will. If you take that suffering and hide it away where you won't see it, all you're doing is decieving yourself into subverting your own, natural inclination towards empathy and compassion. That's not really the sort of thing healthy people do, is it? My dabbling in Buddhism is showing here, but that's what I'd call, "taking refuge in ignorance." That's no way to live your life, hiding from the ghosts of your victims.
My time working at a meat counter called my attention to my feelings about meat, and I didn't act on them until much later but it planted a seed in my mind that might not have been there otherwise, it brought my conflicted feelings to the forefront. Every time I ate meat, I had a little feeling of guilt in my heart that I pushed aside, but once I finally listened to it, a weight was lifted and I'm much happier for it. I might not have ever really noticed and examined that if I hadn't had that job.
There's a lot of edge cases no matter where you draw the line, and I say, do what you will, but never turn away from the truth. If you feel conflicted, face that conflict, if you feel uneasy, interrogate that feeling, figure out what your mind is telling you and how best to follow your feelings, judgement, and conscience. And if you wanna stomach something you feel is wrong so you can get that bag, you know, that's your decision, just know that you'll have to live with it the rest of your life.
I blocked the comm (as I do any that ban me) but this should be the link to it.
It started off in a completely unrelated discussion, where someone recognized my username and accused me of "supporting genocide of Uighurs," which is false. I don't think anyone should start genociding them or anyone else, and have never said anything like that. What I have said before is that I don't believe claims without evidence, even if following proper due diligence in investigating claims regarding genocide cause people to baselessly scream that I "support genocide."
So a mod responded by doing what libs do, typing it into Google and picking a handful of headlines that sounded like they support their case and posting them without reading. At that point, I simply asked the mod how many times the name Adrian Zenz was mentioned in his links and whether he considered him a reliable source or not. In lieu of responding, he banned me.
The answer was that his name was referenced 18 times. All of the sources I was provided with depended on this one witness's testimony, and I've cross-examined more credible parrots.
Like, I didn't even come to that thread to discuss it, nor did I comment on whether the claims were true or not. In response to someone who just had it out for me and was accusing me of bullshit, I defended my position saying I don't believe claims without evidence and haven't seen credible evidence.
Frankly, I think the mod (Jordunlund, I believe) realized they couldn't give a rational response so they banned me instead. Tbh, it's a ban I wear with pride. A perfect demonstration of liberal anti-intellectualism, of how they're actively hostile to fact-checking and rationality, perhaps 10% less so than chuds are. No one who repeats the claims in question ever actually bothered to trace the sources to see whether they're backed by anything, and immediately shut down anyone who does.
What gets me is that the side pearl-clutching over the White House is arguably more correct than the side pearl-clutching over the demolition company. But, like, how are those the two sides lmao
Let's be clear: taking action like boycotts or whatever against companies collaborating with fascists is 100% appropriate and valid. But there's so many companies that are complicit in much worse ways than bulldozing the White House. Why should I even give a shit about the White House? How about instead we pressure corporations that are involved in manufacturing weapons and bombs for the regime? Or companies that provide it with data, surveillance, and technical support? You know, the companies that give the admistration material power over people?
By all means, knock yourself out doing this, I'm just confused why everyone is so invested in the White House. But if I had to guess, I'd say it's because it's a way of reaffirming loyalty to the state while criticizing it, making the criticism safely toothless. Me, I'd just say that all he did was save us the trouble of knocking it down ourselves.
As the clip says, it's on the caps of their uniforms.
I don't live in Maine or know much about the guy so I have no input on that, I'm just saying I know it. And tbf my perspective is somewhat skewed as I recognize a lot of symbols for the purposes of threat assessment.
The issue is that, as conditions decline, more and more people are going to radicalize. If the only option that people see is reaction, then the rise of the far right is inevitable. We have likely already crossed the line where "maintaining the status quo" is sufficient to win elections, but even if not, it's only a matter of time. Maintaining the status quo means maintaining a state of decline, and that decline is going to win out.
Shitty Math Pro Tip: If you ever have to work with numbers larger than 10, convert it to scientific notation and then round to a single significant figure.
? = 0.04 x 75
? = (4 x 10^-2) x (7.5 x 10^1)
? ~= (4 x 10^-2) x (8 x 10^1)
? = 4 x 8 x 10^-1
? = 32 x 10^-1
? = 3.2
? ~= 3
See how easy that is? Here's another one:
? = 12 x 12
? = (1.2 x 10^1) x (1.2 x 10^1)
? ~= (1 x 10^1) x (1 x 10^1)
? = 1 x 10^2
? = 100
What on earth is that response? You're taking offense because I wanted to hear your strategy? That's crazy. You should be glad that someone's seeking out your perspective.
For example, since you deflected it back to me, I'm happy to share my thoughts.
The left is a long way from posing a real threat to the powers that be. It is poorly organized, poorly armed, and lacks clarity of vision. So long as that's the case, the left doesn't have much negotiating power, if push comes to shove, it'd be slaughtered, and there is little choice but to back down because of that. Whatever other approaches are taken, it is important to account for the possibility of enemies using extreme measures, for example, in the event of a general strike, the state might just start killing striking workers until they go back to work. And indeed, they may even force the left's hand without waiting for something like that.
The best way to avoid the other side using a nuclear option is through deterrence. When the left has a "nuclear option" of it's own, then there will be reason to come to the table and negotiate with the peaceful side, and tactics such as a general strike can be deployed more effectively and with less risk.
Of course, the logistics of such a "nuclear option" take time to set up, and, God willing, it should only serve to increase negotiating power and shouldn't develop into a full-fledged conflict - meaning that we need to be realistic about what we can bargain for. Trump being almost 80, may well be dead before we are really in a position to achieve anything, and there will likely be more important priorities at that time than holding him accountable.
In short: buy a gun, join an org, and read and discuss theory.
There are fates worse than death in the 40k universe, like being captured by the dark eldar. If I can take a method of suicide with me, then maybe (though even then, my soul is going to end up in the immaterium).
I studied physics in university. I didn't put any real thought into what I was going to do with it afterwards, I was just choosing something that seemed interesting and helped me make sense of the world. What I discovered afterwards is that the main use of physics in the economy is to find new and exciting ways of blowing people up. I had been drawn to science by the idea that I was going to work towards the benefit of all humanity. I'm ashamed to admit it, but there was a moment around when I graduated when a friend of mine joined the Navy, and I really considered it. Fortunately, I came to my senses and said no.
Instead, I wound up working the meat counter at a grocery store. This was before I went vegan but I still had negative feelings about it. From there, I wound up picking in an Amazon warehouse for a couple years, and I've kinda bounced around other warehouses, occasionally getting involved in some technical roles in them.
Amazon's a big evil corporation, but at least it's honest work and a peaceful life. I could never live with myself if I did something in service of the war machine. To me, stopping what you're doing to go move boxes at Amazon is kinda the baseline to me, like it's not perfectly ethical but if doing that is significantly better for the world than what you're doing, then like... the option exists for you. If you're doing something evil like working for the military industrial complex, then that's on you, sure it might be much less pleasant and less lucrative but burglary is lucrative too and that doesn't make it justified. It's far better to live a small, humble life making sure that you leave the world better than you found it than to have a big impact but it's negative.
I guess some people might be able to tune out the screams or twist their brain into knots justifying it, but idk. If you're walking down the street and you see someone screaming in pain, your instinct is to help them. You want to help them. You want to help them. That urge to help them is your own will. If you take that suffering and hide it away where you won't see it, all you're doing is decieving yourself into subverting your own, natural inclination towards empathy and compassion. That's not really the sort of thing healthy people do, is it? My dabbling in Buddhism is showing here, but that's what I'd call, "taking refuge in ignorance." That's no way to live your life, hiding from the ghosts of your victims.
My time working at a meat counter called my attention to my feelings about meat, and I didn't act on them until much later but it planted a seed in my mind that might not have been there otherwise, it brought my conflicted feelings to the forefront. Every time I ate meat, I had a little feeling of guilt in my heart that I pushed aside, but once I finally listened to it, a weight was lifted and I'm much happier for it. I might not have ever really noticed and examined that if I hadn't had that job.
There's a lot of edge cases no matter where you draw the line, and I say, do what you will, but never turn away from the truth. If you feel conflicted, face that conflict, if you feel uneasy, interrogate that feeling, figure out what your mind is telling you and how best to follow your feelings, judgement, and conscience. And if you wanna stomach something you feel is wrong so you can get that bag, you know, that's your decision, just know that you'll have to live with it the rest of your life.