Bender Bending Rodriguez has entered the chat.

My point exactly. This callousness exemplifies the American isolationist mindset. Most of us, whether democrat or republican, typically only care about how policy personally affects us. Which is why this country has to go through hell before any real change can happen.

anything and anyone opposed to fascism

Responding to this

This narrative stifles dissent from anyone who disagrees with you. The Democratic platform attempts to reconcile a large tent of competing views. So we should not assume that criticism of “our side” is evidence of ulterior motives. We all need to demand more when we see our government failing so spectacularly.

The post is about the hypocrisy of western governments who espouse values of liberty, justice, equality, human rights, etc. but act in contradiction to those values at every turn. Many liberals also profess to hold these values but repeatedly support politicians who use their tax dollars to harm/exploit marginalized communities around the globe.

Obviously this post isn’t directed at the people who protest against these things. But the people who protested for Palestine (including Arab Americans) were blamed for losing the election, even though the data does not support this accusation.

The whole ‘net was lookin’ at her

US foreign policy has been terrible for generations. It’s shit like this that makes me scream “BOTH SIDES”, but our two party system always makes people stick to their team.

I fully switched to Linux this year: it’s nice not having to worry about what Microsoft is up to.

You may not be able to stop the idiocy, but you can stop the feeling of isolation. Get out there and connect with political groups that are working against fascism.

It’s hard to get ahead when you’re barely getting by. There are many of us who have been working hard but are in much the same position at 35. I’ve edited the post accordingly.

It’s a false dichotomy.

Of course we have to work. We still need food, water, shelter, etc., and machines will not fulfill these needs on their own (at least not yet). However, given the recent increases in productivity and corporate wealth, do you believe it is necessary for us to work as much as we do in order to fulfill everyone’s needs?

Good, we are in agreement. No one is implying that work is unnecessary. Labor has existed for as long as we have – much longer than capitalism. To equate this sentiment with the original post appears disingenuous.

Capitalism is exploitative by necessity. The rise of machines during the industrial revolution divorced the worker from the fruits of their labor and from the tools with which to produce them. Now we, the workers, are dependent on the owners for wages to sustain the material conditions of our existence. Much like how the manorial system forced the feudal serf to cultivate the land, today’s workers are institutionally coerced: we sell ourselves by the year or by the hour. Meanwhile, the owners reap the vast profits watered by the sweat of labor while seeking to reduce the price of labor down to whatever minuscule sum allows us to continue working. There is, indeed, a more equitable system available.

itsatrap.gif

Ah, I get memes from too many places. Thanks for letting me know.

Don’t do that. Don’t be the dickhead who stands and blocks everyone.

Sir/ma’am, this is the internet. We can write long comments but no one is going to listen to us irl.

For what it’s worth, I agree with the sentiment of your post.

This only includes the people with a carry-on though.

“There’s only one thing that the ruling circles throughout history have ever wanted-all the wealth, the treasures, and the profitable returns; all the choice lands and forests and game and herds and harvests and mineral deposits and precious metals of the earth; all the productive facilities and gainful inventiveness and technologies; all the control positions of the state and other major institutions; all public supports and subsidies, privileges and immunities; all the protections of the law and none of its constraints; all of the services and comforts and luxuries and advantages of civil society with none of the taxes and none of the costs. Every ruling class in history has wanted only this – all the rewards and none of the burdens.”

― Michael Parenti

Hunt me a herbivore, see what it feels like to eat as a tiger.

I love the quotation marks here. We have two parties that are both team stock-market/GDP, and there is no third option: we can hardly be called a democracy.