#political ideas

[dichotomoustessellations]

We need to some make laws that conserve products existence so that it is restricted to waste resources overproducing products that break or are discarded easily. Eventually it should be connected to environmental pollution crimes

[somewhatvellum]

this will sureily convince the people that the royal family are not out of touch moneywasters and that we should be happy keeping them around for sure

[the-soft-hoodie]

This ✨ destroy ✨ me

[werewolfetone]

Shout out to this tiny yet crucial error on an otherwise actually very informative post about myths about tax returns and the IRS

[reasonsforhope]

Federal regulators on Tuesday [April 23, 2024] enacted a nationwide ban on new noncompete agreements, which keep millions of Americans — from minimum-wage earners to CEOs — from switching jobs within their industries.

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday afternoon voted 3-to-2 to approve the new rule, which will ban noncompetes for all workers when the regulations take effect in 120 days [So, the ban starts in early September, 2024!]. For senior executives, existing noncompetes can remain in force. For all other employees, existing noncompetes are not enforceable.

[That's right: if you're currently under a noncompete agreement, it's completely invalid as of September 2024! You're free!!]

The antitrust and consumer protection agency heard from thousands of people who said they had been harmed by noncompetes, illustrating how the agreements are "robbing people of their economic liberty," FTC Chair Lina Khan said. 

The FTC commissioners voted along party lines, with its two Republicans arguing the agency lacked the jurisdiction to enact the rule and that such moves should be made in Congress...

Why it matters

The new rule could impact tens of millions of workers, said Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist and president of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. 

"For nonunion workers, the only leverage they have is their ability to quit their job," Shierholz told CBS MoneyWatch. "Noncompetes don't just stop you from taking a job — they stop you from starting your own business."

Since proposing the new rule, the FTC has received more than 26,000 public comments on the regulations. The final rule adopted "would generally prevent most employers from using noncompete clauses," the FTC said in a statement.

The agency's action comes more than two years after President Biden directed the agency to "curtail the unfair use" of noncompetes, under which employees effectively sign away future work opportunities in their industry as a condition of keeping their current job. The president's executive order urged the FTC to target such labor restrictions and others that improperly constrain employees from seeking work.

"The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy," Khan said in a statement making the case for axing noncompetes. "Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand."

Real-life consequences

In laying out its rationale for banishing noncompetes from the labor landscape, the FTC offered real-life examples of how the agreements can hurt workers.

In one case, a single father earned about $11 an hour as a security guard for a Florida firm, but resigned a few weeks after taking the job when his child care fell through. Months later, he took a job as a security guard at a bank, making nearly $15 an hour. But the bank terminated his employment after receiving a letter from the man's prior employer stating he had signed a two-year noncompete.

In another example, a factory manager at a textile company saw his paycheck dry up after the 2008 financial crisis. A rival textile company offered him a better job and a big raise, but his noncompete blocked him from taking it, according to the FTC. A subsequent legal battle took three years, wiping out his savings. 

-via CBS Moneywatch, April 24, 2024

--

Note:

A lot of people think that noncompete agreements are only a white-collar issue, but they absolutely affect blue-collar workers too, as you can see from the security guard anecdote.

In fact, one in six food and service workers are bound by noncompete agreements. That's right - one in six food workers can't leave Burger King to work for Wendy's [hypothetical example], in the name of "trade secrets." (x, x, x)

Noncompete agreements also restrict workers in industries from tech and video games to neighborhood yoga studios. "The White House estimates that tens of millions of workers are subject to noncompete agreements, even in states like California where they're banned." (x, x, x)

The FTC estimates that the ban will lead to "the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade." (x)

Clearer explanation of noncompete agreements below the cut.

Noncompete agreements can restrict workers from leaving for a better job or starting their own business.

Noncompetes often effectively coerce workers into staying in jobs they want to leave, and even force them to leave a profession or relocate.

Noncompetes can prevent workers from accepting higher-paying jobs, and even curtail the pay of workers not subject to them directly.

Of the more than 26,000 comments received by the FTC, more than 25,000 supported banning noncompetes. 

[maaruin]

So, you know how the police (at least in American TV shows) says: “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in court.” And how the advice is to say nothing to them without talking to your lawyer first.

I think there should be a different rule to streamline the process: Just make it the law that nothing you say to the police can be used against you in court.

[stealingyourbones]

When Danny sees his family die in TUE what if he finds out then that he’s related to a DC hero then? After the timeline is fixed he goes to his cousin who just so happens to be Raven of the Teen Titans and explains that bc of time shenanigans, he found out he’s related by blood.

How does the Teen Titans react? They’ve dealt with time travelers so many times this sorta stuff is just their average Tuesday level of shenanigans. A kid with powers that fit perfectly on par with other Teen Titan members. Main issue: his blood and DNA are so scrambled that their computers can’t confirm with a definitive proof that he’s Raven’s cousin.

[probablybadrpgideas]

Bullshit villain plans by genre

Fantasy: Fuck it, this whole "manipulate adventurers into doing my bidding" sounds hard. I'm just ordering the cursed artefact that will let me dominate all life through Wizard Amazon. Sure, I'll agree to next day shipping. I'm evil.

Post-apocalypse: Villain who wants to destroy the world sad at having missed chance, trying to rebuild the world so they can destroy it a second time.

Sci-fi: Even the alien invaders aren't sure why they're invading earth rather then just mining asteroids, but they're too stuck in the sunk cost fallacy to leave now.

Horror: Tax evasion but spoooooky

Cyberpunk: Guy who wants to stop the megacorporations and has a fully ethical plan to do so, then remembered what genre they were in so quickly added five wildly immoral parts for no reason.

Superhero: Dr Devastation and his Doom Legions plotting to take over the world via a several decade gradual erosion of civil liberties and government regulation.

Comfy: Gonna brutally torture everyone to death but, you know, a low-stakes pastoral way.

Urban Fantasy: Learn the spell "summon gun" and use that to take all the other wizard's stuff by shooting them in the fucking face.

Espionage: Look, just pick any random news story and go with that one.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Lan Wangji Goes To Lotus Pier AU: Part 1: Dread on Arrival

(Part 2)

[sophies-junkyard]

Change is incremental, but something CHANGED today. You weren’t sure about voting for Biden? You don’t have to anymore! And now is the time to RALLY. The world is fucked up, but letting Trump win will not lead to the political revolution we’re waiting for. Wake up.

Im gonna vote for Kamala Harris in November because I don’t want a wannabe dictator running our country. Simple as that.

[thedreideldiaries]

If you spend literal decades ingraining ideas like “we are all complicit in oppressive systems” and “we can all be oppressors with the best of intentions whether we want to or not” into leftist discourse (all true! not saying it isn’t!), and then follow up with “all oppressors are irredeemable and need to die horrifically violent deaths,” you do not have any room to act all shocked when people react by feeling threatened or upset.

[spacedace]

dp x dc prompt/mini blurb thing:

Somewhere along the line, stealing the Batmobile had seemed like the best option.

Elle would stand by that - admittedly short-sighted and kind of panic induced - logic. It was a vehicle that no one would try and stop. It was fast. The keys were in the ignition. Easiest car theft of her life. Or, well, unlife. Whatever. Still the easiest.

She may have forgotten that Superman could fly as fast as the stupid tank of a car could go. Or that Gotham had other vigilantes, that had bikes that were way more maneuverable, or that Billy was a big baby about car chases.

“WATCH THE ROAD!”

“YOU WATCH THE ROAD I’M DRIVING HERE!”

[fanaticalthings]

Broke: "Dick Grayson was upset at a new kid taking over his mantle because he doesn't think Jason will be good enough as Robin"

Woke: "Dick is upset at Jason, not because he's suddenly taking over the mantle he created, but because Jason isn't nearly feral enough of a child to drive Bruce insane in Dick's place"

Dick: You wanna be my successor? Go swing from that chandelier right now.

Jason:

Dick: As a matter of fact, I need to see you crawling all over the walls. Make a ruckus, break some furniture

Jason: But Bruce-

Dick: SCREW Bruce. Your job as my new brother is to make his life HELL. Why are you so polite? Why are you so calm? Where's your DRIVE, your PASSION, huh? You may be worthy of the title of Robin, but are you WORTHY of being my disaster brother?

Jason, a little scared: I dont-

Dick, scoffing: The youth these days just don't rebel like they used to.

[iwasbored777]

Gru in Despicable Me 16 when he just wants to play chess in retirement home with his wife but a supervillain kidnapped his 7 grandchildren cuz Gru didn't help him tie his shoelaces when they were 11 so now he has to go fight him cuz AVL is useless:

[alwaysbewoke]

[cupidskissx]

Max when there is no chaist to grab: