#politics in general

[cynicalclassicist]

The government should be spending money! People just don't seem to get it! The government can always be spending more! The government isn't a business! A good government should be spending a lot on all sorts of projects for the public!

It's so weird to me when people are like 'but that will cost the government money!' So what? They're the government, they're supposed to be spending money. What, you want them to take your tax dollars and then do nothing with it? Lock it all up in a big government vault and just look at it? Why are you so scared of giving a third grader lunch or a homeless person a house.

[sabotage-on-mercury]

I am really so annoyed and frustrated and fucking exhausted that I have to argue with people all the time about… basic human rights and dignity. Like what the fuck, being against discrimination and hate and fashism is not "left-radical" of me, it's common sense, it comes free with being a thinking human being. that's normal, that's the fucking baseline, that's what we all should have agreed on as a society and that's not up for fucking debate. I don't give a shit if certain matters don't apply to you personally - we should be past the point where I have to explain to you the concept of basic empathy, human decency and the fucking constitution. And no fucking sorry, but I'm not going to try to find a "middle ground" with Nazis, I'm not going to try to empathise with their disgusting ideology, I'm not going to "try to understand both sides". There is only one correct opinion when it comes to human rights, period. I'm so fucking tired of everyone trying to tame fucking Nazi propaganda and fashism as just people being misunderstood poor little babies, while everything the left says is labelled as delusional, exaggerated and downright dangerous. God forbid I get a little emotional when these shitheads casually discuss whether other people, including me, should have rights and live freely. Are you fucking sure that my reaction the problem? Not the fascist pigs who spew their vile hatred as they gradually demolish the democratic foundations on which you still can rest so comfortably - until they come for you too?

[silberfell]

I attended Trump’s inauguration yesterday. Here are my thoughts.

I'm no American and I'm grateful for that but the right wing in Europe gets stronger with every vote and his points are universal. So please vote for human rights and a better tomorrow and don't get blinded by right wing rhetoric.

[cynicalclassicist]

Enshittification is going on all around!

Absolutely amazing how AO3 is a part of the internet that doesn't sneak in any ads and doesn't have an algorithm and doesn't watch you or record how much time you spend looking at each fic or whatever. It's just right there to use for free. Legend

[nando161mando]

A perfect snapshot of America in the trending articles from 12/6/24

[shortmeteor]

[ribombeee]

[thoughtportal]

[fairyfleshprison]

You know what confuses the hell outta me as a Canadian being force fed American politics by proxy of having the internet ?

Is there only ever two candidates?

I could've sworn there was like 4 parties that you could vote for but like for the last eight or something years it's been like Trump or Biden then kamala or Trump or Trump and Obama. Like are there no other people running for office over there? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone, and it's just the same three people on a loop. But you guys do reelection every four years so like...what's even going on over there ????

[gothic-cepho]

this is officially my favourite election picture ever taken

[catboybiologist]

By now, there's lots of people have heard about the internal CDC memos for all newly prepared manuscripts (like future scientific papers waiting to be published):

There's so much to comment on, and I'm seeing it all right now. What the state of science is. What this means for the queer community. All of that.

But fuck, I think I might genuinely start crying over this. As a transgender biologist, this feels like a brutally personal blow. I slowly accepted my gender alongside my biology education. The more misinformation that was spewed about "biological sex" by mainstream media, the more my professors, colleagues, and primary sources would casually drop information that proved they have no idea what they're talking about. I'm not an expert on sex determination, gender, or transgender biology specifically by any means. But my worldview has been crafted by my studies in genetics and molecular biology.

Engaging with this research helped me demystify transition. It helped me optimize my transition. It helped me explain how HRT and other steps of trans healthcare work to other people. And it helped me overcome my own internalized transphobia, and finally start transitioning, despite knowing I wanted to since my preteen years.

Who knows how enforceable internal guidelines like this will be. But its certainly going to scare a lot of researchers away from transgender healthcare and science in the coming years, and that breaks my heart.

There's a lot I can say here, but fuck. I just needed to vent for a moment. Fuck.

[aqlstar]

Minorities do not have to be perfect to deserve your support.

2. Your method of providing support for minorities should not amplify bigotry towards another minority.

^ Two statements that are both true.

[generalelectionmusings]

[cynicalclassicist]

People will think that their lives will be easier, and then, in a moment, at the whim of a billionaire, it is gone.

If we rely on AI then society will basically collapse. There will be no creativity.

I am happy to go through the inconvenience of writing.

Hey, look at me. Look at me. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: you need to condition yourself to being okay with being inconvenienced by things. The first time I spoke about this I meant it in a mental health way- it is good to go out to the store and see people versus just ordering alone at home- but there is another more pressing societal issue you should be more concerned about as well.

Any service you rely on for convenience can be weaponized against you the moment you begin to rely on it. Streaming used to be a cheap and convenient way to see movies at home. It is now exorbitantly expensive, you need multiple accounts just to get what you want, and any of those movies can be taken from you at any time. And unless you have gotten used to going through the “inconvenience” of owning physical media, you can do nothing about it. Same goes for buying things on Amazon. Same goes for any service like DoorDash etc. These companies WANT you to be reliant on them for convenience so they can do whatever they want to you because, well, what else are you gonna do?

Same thing goes for the uptick in AI. If you train yourself to become reliant on AI for doing basic things, you will be taken advantage of. It is only a matter of a couple years before there are no free AI services. Not only that, but in the usage of AI’s case, it is robbing you of valuable skills that you need to curate that you will be helpless without the moment the AI companies drive in the knife the way they have done with streaming. Delivery. Cable. Internet. Etc. It will happen to AI too. And if you are not practicing skills such as. Writing. You are not only going to be at the mercy of AI companies in the digital world, but you are going to be extremely easy to take advantage of in real life too.

I am begging you to let go of learned helplessness. I am begging you to stop letting these companies TEACH you helplessness. Do something like learn to pirate. It is way more inconvenient at the beginning, but once you know how, it is one less way companies can take advantage of you. Garden. Go to the thrift store (older clothes hold up better anyway). These things take more time and effort, yes, but using time and effort are muscles you need to stretch to keep yourself from being flattened under the weight of our capitalist hellscape.

Inconvenience yourself. Please. Start with only the ways you are able. Do a little bit at a time. But do something.

[hugintheraven]

This is a bad idea but:

[a-kind-of-merry-war]

So there's going to be a general election

There is going to be a general election in the UK on the 4th July.

You can register to vote here. It should take five minutes. ⬇⬇⬇

You will be asked for your national insurance number, but you can still register if you don't have one. Your national insurance number will be on any payslips or tax forms if you're not sure what it is.

If you are voting in person, you will need photo ID. If you do not have photo ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate FOR FREE. To apply, you'll need a recent digital photo of yourself and proof of your identity.

Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate here ⬇⬇⬇

If you are unable to vote in person, you can apply for a postal vote HERE or apply for a proxy vote (where someone else votes on your behalf) HERE.