#vote blue to save social security

[sordidamok]

How is this real? We've been paying into social security with every paycheck and now orange blowhole thinks he's gonna cut our benefits? The fuck you say.

[benjjedi]

Stop Project 2025

In case you guys didn't know, Project 2025 is bad news for pretty much all of us US citizens. I'd suggest looking up and reading over Project 2025 because after reading it, Joe Biden being "too old" to be in charge will be the last thing you'll want to worry about. Heck, I can only hope you will realize, after reading it, that it's the very reason why this election is too important to sit out. Literally everyone's rights are on the line; women's rights, the LGBTQIA community's rights, the elderly, federal workers, the military and even people of every ethnicity.

As a matter of fact, I'll save you the trouble of searching for Project 2025 and provide you with the PDF of it right here: https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

[scottguy]

Republicans want to cut EVERYTHING Americans have already paid for with Social Security & Medicare payments from OUR paychecks in their budget proposal for 2025.

Their "budget proposal" also contains a near total ban on abortion AND a ban on in-vitro fertilization. Families will be denied the ability to conceive their own children because of politician' personal twisted religious beliefs. (How can medical restrictions on abortion have anything to do with our US budget?)

Republicans who never cared about fiscal responsibility in 2017 will do anything EXCEPT rescind the massive tax cuts to the rich and corporations given in 2017.

The right despises the middle class as a group of people to be worked to death and then taxed on that income so that money can be given to the rich in the form of yet more tax cuts.

Could it be more clear that Republicans don't care about you or your family at all?

They think you're all brainwashed by Fox. They think you're not paying attention. They think you believe their incessant and obvious lies. Republicans really think you're THAT stupid.

Prove to them you're not in November. Vote out every last Republican asshole.

[feedists4progress]

WHY US? WHY NOW?

Politicians are not perfect people. Voting, especially in the US, is not a perfect system. It's not the be-all end-all of political action and it certainly does not fix everything wrong with our nation and political system. It certainly does not fix the United States' complicity in the Palestinian genocide or its other atrocities overseas.

BUT.

The Harris campaign, by virtue of choosing Tim Walz over any of the other options, more has already demonstrated its willingness to listen to its would-be constituents over voices and donors from within the Democratic party urging them to choose a running mate who caters to the moderate center. In this choice, Harris has already demonstrated that she is flexible: she is not immune to pressure from the people she hopes to govern. This alone gives us as voters and constituents so much more leverage to apply pressure on her administration to achieve political victories we actually want: a ceasefire in Gaza, universal healthcare, nationwide abortion access, protected trans rights and trans healthcare, and more.

There is SO MUCH on the line in this election — and so many of the issues at risk this year are or are adjacent to fat liberation and queer issues:

Healthcare and prescription reform

Racial equity and justice

Abortion access (reminder that Plan B is less effective for those over 155 lbs!)

Trans rights, safety, and healthcare access

LGBTQIA+ rights

Disability rights and healthcare (including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security)

Environmental reform and climate change mitigation

Public health and vaccine funding

Public education funding and related infrastructure

Labor rights

We have a lot to lose this year. But if we can elect an administration that is at least invested in moving forward, we'll also have a lot to gain.

SO, WHAT CAN I DO?

Check your voter registration!

Text voters and help them register!

Phonebank or textbank for blue candidates!

Write postcards to voters in swing states!

Knock doors if you're able!

Join a voter protection & registration hotline!

Donate to your local candidates (find them here)!

If you're not sure where to start, these organizations host tons of events you can get involved with:

Democrats.org

Democratic Volunteer Center

Field Team 6

Mobilize

Sister District

Swing Blue

Swing Left

Vote Save America

WHY TIM WALZ?

The guy gets it. Need I say more?

[sordidamok]

And the GOP wants to gut Social Security.

If that is true, America has to do better for our senior citizens.

[greenhappyseed]

This is a great question. In order to win, Democrats need to convince the American people — especially in rural areas and “red” states — that their ideas and plans will benefit the wallets of more people than Republicans. If people don’t feel like an honest day’s work can feed, house, provide healthcare, and clothe themselves, with some left over for entertainment, emergency savings, and long term retirement savings, then they will keep demanding change even though there are only 2 viable political parties. To oversimplify, red and blue are not merely team colors; they stand for specific governing principles:

Republicans are pro-business, anti-union, anti-regulation, pro-free market, and often shrink the size of government spending on social services (eg, no welfare, eliminating pensions and social security) while increasing military investments and spending (sometimes called being a hawk). Republicans often think private companies can do things better and faster than the government with less “waste,” and view the government with suspicion. Ronald Reagan, the Republican president throughout the 1980s, famously said, “I think you all know that I've always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.” American Republicans are extremely conservative and theocratic (meaning a government by god(s)) compared to other conservative parties around the world.

Democrats are pro-worker, pro-union, pro-regulation, pro-government benefits, and generally against excessive military interventions (sometimes called being a dove….or a hippie). Democrats often think there’s a checks-and-balances system that needs to be in place between private companies and the government. Even though Americans refer to Democrats as “liberal,” they really aren’t — Democrats are a centrist party compared to other “liberal” parties around the world. But Democrats are all we have because it’s a 2-party system.

If I have to sum up the economic differences in one sentence, Republican vs Democrat comes down to who you trust more, companies or the government, to make life better for 340+ million people. Your answer will likely depend on your life experiences. For example, Republicans typically claim to be the party of financial responsibility because they prefer “small government,” but over my lifetime, Democrats have been the party that generally reins in Republican overspending (usually due to wars, vanity projects like a border wall, or paying a private company to provide what was previously a government service — this almost always increases government costs by >10-20% because someone has to profit). Democrats have also successfully gotten the United States out of (i) the 2008 global financial crisis (which was itself arguably caused by deregulation/lack of regulation) and (ii) what was nearly a massive COVID recession, with current inflation being the expected side effect of preventing a massive freaking recession (but IMO, Biden and the Democrats did a really poor job of marketing this tradeoff to the American people — I’ll get back to marketing in a moment…)

Personally, I think there are things that private companies can’t or won’t do because they won’t make enough money, and government needs to fill those gaps. I also think there are times when private industries make money but fail to actually help people (eg, healthcare), so it’s the role of government to step in. Moreover, I believe in sensible regulation to keep people safe, like food safety laws. Why should anyone get hurt or die just so some CEO can maximize shareholder value?? Finally, I am for freedom of religion and am very much against any kind of theocracy. Therefore, without even touching any social issues, it’s clear I’m a Democrat, and not much will ever sway me to vote for a Republican.

With that in mind, there are 2 main issues for Democrats to solve in the next election cycle:

1. Democrats need better marketing narratives because they struggle at the national level to connect with people’s feelings. This isn’t about facts or logic. It’s entirely about emotional connection. For all the actual policies and plans that the Democrats stand for, their brand is elite, coastal, urban, nerdy, wimpy, passive, excessively intellectual, un-fun, out of touch, etc. The fact is that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris come from middle class families and do not have Ivy League educations. Meanwhile, Trump was born to New York City elite, went to an Ivy League college, and has been a Manhattan socialite since before I was born. He literally lives in a gilded penthouse high above Manhattan when he’s not at his Florida mansion compound.

Yet somehow people think Trump represents them and understands their struggles better than Biden and Harris. They think Biden and Harris are out of touch while the man in the gold Manhattan penthouse “gets” them. WHY?? Because Trump makes people feel heard. All his petty anger, his negativity, and his victim complexes aren’t just him being a spoiled brat; he’s saying the things that people want to say. He mirrors their feelings back to them. He doesn’t actually care or intend to do anything to help them. But he makes them feel like he might, all facts and evidence to the contrary.

Look, I don’t think Trump is a particularly smart man or good businessman. But he IS a brilliant marketer. Probably one of the best in the last 50 years, if not century. Even the extremely well-documented trail of victims he’s left in the wake of his infomercial schemes isn’t enough to convince voters he’s a con man. Trump’s ability to create an emotional connection is so strong, especially among people who are desperately looking for it, that facts, policies, and plans don’t matter.

2. Democrats need infrastructure so their marketing narrative is voiced by trusted friends and neighbors. By aligning with church-going Christians, the Republicans didn’t just obtain a block of reliable voters. They obtained the hyper-local infrastructure where the Republican party story can be told. In other words, Trump creates the initial emotional connection and marketing narrative, but then it’s local churches that reinforce his message every. single. week. It’s a regular meeting place where people can talk about which candidate they support and why.

It’s influencing, plain and simple.

The Democrats don’t really have this infrastructure anymore. It used to come from unions, but as those crumble, it’s hard to find a replacement. Emails, text messages, TV ads, door-to-door canvassing by random campaign staffers, yard signs, etc. do not change minds. Telling people they have their facts wrong doesn’t change minds.

However, talking about how you feel, and why you believe what you believe, can absolutely sway opinions. For example, when Republicans talk about lowering taxes, I like to say that I’m happy to pay taxes if the money will feed hungry children, help veterans & first responders recover from injuries, revitalize a town after a natural disaster, etc. I do not think such things should be dependent on charities or churches that can pick and choose who is worthy. IMO it’s the role of government to provide for ALL who are less fortunate, because nobody else will do so reliably.

Of course, I’m just some random person on the internet. I’m literally out of touch for you. But you can see how having these discussions in real life, face to face, makes it real and tangible. Talk about what you believe so those around you know that Democrats are not “urban coastal elites.” Show that Democrats stand for actual economic policies, not just “social justice” and DEI. Democrats are real people — real Americans — in every community across the country who believe in the power of a government by the people to good things for the people.

[notchainedtotrauma]

ID |Get all your vaccines

Travel while we have a functioning DOT

Read and buy books on feminism, anti-racism, pro-lgbt

Attend drag shows

Don't skip any of your classes

Read and buy history books

Find your out-of-state networks

Learn to carry cash

Get birth control solutions

Support the Biden/Harris administration

Postpone large purchases and save money

Be careful of what you say online, like un-ambiguous attacks against the incoming administration, especially in spaces that contain your full name or personal information] end of ID

Nobody. Learned. Their. Motherfucking. Lessons. Books were banned under the Biden/Harris amidnistration this post is telling us to support; the Mothers For Liberty have birthed themselves under the Biden/ Harris administration. The attacks on Black/queer history and content at every schorlaly level, and in libraries ? Biden/ Harris. This includes blue states, by the way. Roe vs Wade not being codified into law after falling apart ? Biden/ Harris administration. Drag Story Hours being threatened with continuous violence ? Biden/ Harris administration. Universities removing queer and Black studies departments ? Biden/ Harris administration.

So maybe, what the Biden/ Harris administration needs, is a whole lot of explaining why they lost from the people and a push towards securing the Department of Education, codifying Roe vs Wade into law, actually taking steps to STOP the Palestinian butchery (the two most vocal representatives in Congress about Palestine won so overwhelmingly that nobody knows who they were up against and nobody cares), lifting all the mask bans, securing an unmovable epidemic care campaign, demands from Universities that they actually work towards redress on a federal level, and guarantee protection when it comes to the use of social media. Throw in impeaching the Supreme Court, actually trying to fix the Voting Right Acts before the next President gets to it, codifying consumer safety into law, striking down SESTA-FOSTA, and crafting barries around the Supreme Court and the way it currently operates.

[shirefantasies]

From mossthebogwitch I had no idea what i was doing but I did my best.

Since it was now a dare i am submitting myself for a matchup: presently I am mortified.but too curious to back down now. I have sealed my own fate per usual. I appreciate you taking me on this journey and hope you enjoy the experience! I don't know what gender I prefer in partner: I have a huge weakness for Kíli - I have no hard fast rules- just have fun it's a Tumblr matchup yknow?🤣

I would prefer Hobbit based matches since that is my current hyperfixation.

I radiate golden retriever energy: loyal, never gonna give you upn never gonna let you down, never gonna turn around and desert you. I'm the unofficial security guard according to my boss. I have a level head under pressure and I don't back down.  I have a constant stream of humor. The comedy doesn't end. I enjoy being an artist and writer in many media's. I study folklore and weird nature things. Im the weird facts kid grown up to the ' adult who knows how to do a bunch of different things'.

I have trouble socializing due to anxiety and OCD. Because of this I'm naturally more of a watcher until I feel comfortable.  I'm either casually friendly or hiding behind other people talking.  I'm a mom friend and the one people go to for help. I work in counseling its natures pipeline.

If I'm not working, reading, tending my pets, wild foraging for supplies or exploring hiking trails, I can be found cobbling together my house and garden from whatever I get my grabby hands on.

I have a community garden and regularly supply winter camping gear, food, first aid, and hygienic supplies. I do feral cat housing too so I just do a lot of weird stuff. Last week I saved a squirrel?? Befriending crows is starting this week lol. Never dull.

I plan on painting my entire house in fantasy based murals and hiding meme paintings behind appliances..Spock is behind my stove.

One funny thing i do that my coworkers thinks is hilarious is I have an entire measurement system for measuring animals using only potatoes as a counting system. Yknow how you count horses with hands?I count animals using potatoes and i am right every time the key is when to switch your counter between Russetts and Yukon golds. It's a good day when a growing animal graduates from being counted from russetts to Yukon golds.

I'm 5'0  and don't mind because I grew up LOTR with Gimli!! He's short and I'm short too!! I am told I have mood ring eyes that change shades of blue with my emotions and I'm red green color blind so that's fun.

Voted most likely to have a mug of coffee or tea in hand at work while I give one of my coworkers a gentle peptalk which turns into me pulling out the Gimli scale and asking them where they are on there today.

Yes, this is great @mossthebogwitch ! More detail always helps on my end 🥰 also you sound like such a fun person I wanna be friends 😆😆😆 the potato counting & secret memes are legendary OMG! I definitely saw you with a dwarf right away, but after some thought, I decided on...

Bofur!

You meet under curious circumstances, you having settled at the foot of the great mountain after the war. Thinking you are alone, you had made your way to the woods, idly walking until a chattering squirrel spiraling up a tree distracts you. Given your love of animals, you strike up a conversation, getting quite lost in it all when a jovial voice rings out behind you, asking if you’re getting along, then. Turning, you see a dwarf with a large floppy hat and twin braids standing a ways behind you, apologizing for startling you- you must've jumped more than you realized. In the end, he introduces himself as Bofur and offers you a piece of one of his brother's biscuits from his pockets to give to the squirrel. Finding out that he works as a toymaker, you promise to visit his shop, and when you take in all the wonders he creates with his cousin, well, you can hardly stay away! Bofur ends up enlisting you to paint murals upon the walls of his and Bifur’s shop, which the young ones of Erebor and New Dale alike delight greatly in. Bifur is very impressed by your art and building skills, elbowing Bofur at every chance he gets and waggling his eyebrows over the amazing lass that’s seemingly just fallen into his life.

The first time Bofur actually initiates some time alone with you, he asks you to join him for a night in town, and that’s when he learns you work with livestock. You best believe he laughs his mustache off at your counting technique and also vows to steal it. You can see in his manner, though, and what you know of him that he would be great with the animals too. He can see that you prefer him not to ask so many personal questions and to lead the conversation which he is more than happy to do! He tells you all about his family, the quest he went on, his funny nice hobbit friend Bilbo, where to get the best ale in town if you’re into that sort of thing, a cool rock his brother found in the mines the other day, you name it! Everything is lighter when you two are together. Ever the gentleman, he waits to share your first kiss until he is completely sure you’re ready.

Bofur loves your height; you are a few inches taller than him, not much but just so that he can rest his forehead against yours and put his head on your shoulder. Either one of you can cuddle against the other’s chest as desired. Knowing how much of your time goes to helping others, though, brings the dwarf to lean heavily towards caring for you whether that means he is the one holding you or singing for you or simply by giving you lots of time to get comfortable and express your needs, even if it’s hard. Even in your most tender moments, though, both of you are cracking jokes. Always laughter between you two! Anything big gets called a Yukon Gold with you two because he just loves that saying so much.

If you are comfortable with it, Bofur loves to take you dancing just to show you off! He also adores the way you’ll stand up for him if anyone is mean or pushy- your loyalty is astounding and you truly have a dwarf-like spirit. He gets heart eyes when you become a de facto bouncer and actually throw a drunk or two out of the place. He also takes you camping, pitching a tent and bringing your supplies so you can stay wrapped outside with your animal friends and some weenies to roast beneath the stars.

Teases you to high heaven about being colorblind, though. Overdramatically reminds you what color you’re painting that toy, asks you if you’re sure that’s the right color for the leaves on your mural. Feel free to smack him lightly, he knows he deserves it and he’ll just laugh! If anxiety or OCD symptoms lead to you having a routine or a placement of things that being comfort (if so, big mood friend!), Bofur is definitely the best at remembering to have them out there and follow that for you, no questions asked. You’ll feel so cared for, that his house is a home. You are his warm hearth, his neverending laughter, the only person who could convince him to take home a wounded opossum and call it Bofur jr. but this is his life now and you know what? Bifur was right- he’d run into quite a catch in those woods, a lass far more beautiful than any old fern or flower.

Taglist: @lokilover476 @fuckyoumakeart @kilibaggins @pirate-lord-of-narnia @ibabblealot @joonies-word @stormchaser819 | Reply/Ask/Message to join!

[sordidamok]

Ultimately, I want socialized healthcare. It'll take a little time to get there.

Both parties are not the same. #VoteBlue

[callsign-owl]

Amsterdam - Part 1

Trigger Warning: Drugs (marijuana)

Amsterdam, Netherlands - October 2007

At Owl's boarding school in Switzerland, it was a long-standing tradition for graduating classes to embark on a study trip during their final year. A symbol of their academic journey together coming to an end. The destination was theirs to choose, as long as they could convince the school management with a well-crafted essay and the location could be reached by train—flights were strictly off-limits.

For Owl’s class, the choice was clear. They unanimously voted for Amsterdam. The official reason presented to the school was the city's wealth of educational museums, which would provide a rich cultural experience and learning opportunities. The essay was persuasive enough to secure the administration’s approval, but everyone knew the real reason behind the choice: the allure of legal weed and the freedom that came with it.

On the day of departure, Owl found himself on an overnight train from Switzerland to Amsterdam, surrounded by his classmates and two supervising teachers. Owl had mixed feelings about the trip. On one hand, the thought of exploring Amsterdam’s museums genuinely excited him; he had always liked museums. And of course there was also the undeniable temptation of Amsterdam's more notorious offerings. On the other hand, the trip also meant being in close quarters with his classmates for an extended period, something that filled him with a certain dread. Social interactions had never been his forte, and the prospect of enduring hours of forced camaraderie made him uneasy.

As the train began its journey, the atmosphere in the carriage was lively. Students chatted animatedly, their voices blending with the clatter of the train on the tracks. Laughter erupted from a group playing cards, and a few others had already started passing around a bottle of something they had smuggled aboard. The supervising teachers, seated at the far end of the carriage, seemed to turn a blind eye, perhaps choosing to allow the students some freedom as long as things didn’t get out of hand.

Owl sat near the window, his headphones on, music playing from his mp3 player. He watched his classmates interact with a mixture of detachment and envy, their easy camaraderie something that had always eluded him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be part of the fun—he just didn’t know how. So instead, Owl kept to himself, observing the passing scenery as the train wound its way through the countryside and into the night.

As the evening wore on, the lively chatter gradually quieted, the energy in the carriage mellowing as people settled into their seats for the night. Owl tried to make himself comfortable, constantly adjusting his position in the seat, but sleep eluded him. The steady rhythm of the train, the dim lighting, even the music in his ears—all of it should have lulled him to sleep, but his mind refused to quiet down.

Hours passed, the train moving steadily onward, and still, Owl lay awake, his eyes heavy but his mind alert. The carriage had grown quiet, save for the occasional rustle of fabric as someone shifted in their sleep. Outside, the darkness pressed against the windows, broken only by the occasional flash of light from passing towns.

Eventually, the inky blackness outside began to lighten, the first hints of dawn creeping over the horizon. The sky turned a soft shade of grey, gradually giving way to pale blues and pinks as the sun began to rise. Owl watched as the landscape slowly revealed itself, the flat fields of the Netherlands stretching out before him.

By the time the train pulled into Amsterdam Centraal, most of his classmates had roused from their sleep, yawning and stretching as they gathered their belongings. The station was a flurry of activity, people rushing to and fro, the air filled with the sounds of announcements and footsteps echoing off the high ceilings. The supervising teachers herded the group through the station and onto the streets of Amsterdam.

After a 15 minute walk, the group arrived at their hostel, a small and modest establishment situated between Nieuwmarkt and the infamous red light district. The teachers checked them in and distributed room keys. Once everyone was all settled in in one of the shared rooms, the teachers gathered the students in the common area to go over todays itinerary.  Since it was a study trip, the itinerary had been a required part of the essay that had secured the trip’s approval, and the class was obligated to adhere to it. The coming days were already meticulously planned out, leaving only a little free time in the evenings for the students to do as they pleased.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The streets of Amsterdam were bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows over the cobblestones as Owl and his classmates made their way through the narrow alleys. The day had been long and filled with obligatory cultural enrichment—a morning spent wandering the grand halls of the Rijksmuseum, followed by a visit to the Tuschinski-Theater, a stunning Art Deco cinema that had captivated even the most indifferent students.

Now, with the day's educational activities behind them, the group’s mood had shifted. The anticipation was palpable as they neared their next destination—a well-known tourist friendly coffee shop. Owl walked near the back of the group, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, his gaze fixed on the ground. Owl wasn't overly excited—he had tried weed several times before and it had never really lived up to the hype. The smoke had been harsh, the effects barely noticeable, and the whole experience had left him feeling disappointed. Yet here he was, trailing after his classmates, because passing up on the opportunity to visit a coffeeshop in Amsterdam would simply be criminal.

They finally arrived at their destination. A green neon sign in the window glowed faintly, indicating that this was indeed the right place. The group hesitated for a moment at the entrance, exchanging nervous glances before one of the more confident students took the lead, pushing open the door and ushering everyone inside. The interior was cozy, with low tables and cushioned benches scattered around the room. The walls were adorned with psychedelic artwork, and the air was thick with the sweet, pungent aroma of marijuana.

Owl followed his classmates to the counter, where a menu displayed a variety of strains and edibles, each with a description of its effects. The barista greeted them with a smile and patiently answered their questions, explaining the differences between indica and sativa, recommending strains for beginners, and even suggesting a few pre-rolled joints for those who didn’t want to fuss with rolling their own. After a few minutes of deliberation, the group pooled their money and settled on a couple of pre-rolled joints to share. No one dared to touch the edibles just yet. They found a corner where they all huddled around a low table with the spoils of their purchase laid out before them.

One of the girls lit the first joint, her hands trembling slightly with a mix of excitement and nerves. She took a tentative drag before passing it to the next person. When the joint reached Owl, he handeled it with a practiced ease that provoked a few surprised glances. The smoke was as harsh as he remembered, burning his throat as he struggled not to cough. He held it in for a moment before exhaling slowly. He passed the joint to the next person and sat back, waiting for the effects to hit. He watched as the others passed the joint around, their laughter growing louder, their movements becoming more animated. Everyone seemed to have a good time.

As the evening wore on and more joints were passed around, Owl was still waiting for the high to hit, for the wave of euphoria that everyone else seemed to experience, but it never came. Instead, Owl only felt a dull heaviness settle over him, like a thick blanket muffling his senses. It wasn’t the escape he had been hoping for. Instead he just felt disconnected from everything and everyone around him, including himself. The experience was just as disappointing as he remembered.

Continue reading here

[mythica-ithaca]

this "vote blue no matter who" mantra is not working this time around and its because centrist dems genuinely don't seem to get that hope is stronger than fear. it always has been. and their main strategy is fear mongering about trumps second term and they can't fathom why its not going well. I was a couple months shy of voting in the general back in 2016, but that was the year that Bernie Sanders got myself and a lot of other young people involved in politics for the first time. Because he came onto the scene and gave a lot of people hope that things could even begin to start changing. And unfortunately Trump did the same for his base. And even more unfortunately, Hillary and the other centrists in the DNC decided to stomp this out and make sure everyone got back in line. The wave of hope and motivation that got Bernie as far as he did in the primary was gone, replaced with an extremely unpopular candidate that many people could not be guilt-tripped into voting for. And she lost.

And then in 2020, they decided once again to push an extremely unpopular centrist candidate and he only barely won because there was a glimmer of hope that at least he couldn't be worse than the last four years. He then proceeded to let Roe die in front of him and be complicit in the Palestinian genocide. I don't think you guys understand what the young people could have been capable of, supporting a candidate that they actually cared about if they weren't too busy scrolling through timelines of dead and dying children, that BOTH candidates openly support 100%.

What hope do they have this time around that ANYTHING would change for the better? You can't keep saying "But things will get worse" to people who have been watching kids get torn apart everyday for almost a year. You can't fear monger about fascism being on the ballot to people watching college protesters get beaten by police for opposing genocide under the same candidate you are pushing on them to 'save democracy'.

This is the least i have ever seen anyone care about an election in the last 12 years. Because literally you 'vote blue no matter who' people have given them nothing to actually care about. People feel hopeless. At Bidens recent rally he made these promises that in his first 100 days in office the would get this done- - Make Roe law of the land - Sign John Lewis Voting Rights Act - Expand Social Security and Medicare - End medical debt - Raise federal minimum wage - Renew ban on assault weapons - Make child tax cut permanent and you know what all the comments are saying? "He's president right now! Why didn't he do these things his first term?! Why is he not doing them now before he loses?!"

and they're right. And genocide being a hard red line for people to not vote for someone is not a fucking bad thing. general consensus seems to be that hey, at least when trumps president again, the dems will suddenly remember that genocide is an inexcusable evil.

I am BEGGING you people to stop with the "vote blue no matter who" shit. That is what has gotten us this far right in the first place. Republicans would never vote for a candidate that is as far left as Biden is right, and thats why they keep winning.

You HAVE to give people something to actually believe in, to hope for. Not just something to oppose and fear.

[scottguy]

Any nonvoters who still think the "rules" we have in the United States will magically prevent tyranny by a Nazi-like party don't understand.

The Supreme Court proved it with their recent ruling. Trump proved it by openly violating the emoluments clause and openly calling for a violent overthrow of a democratic election.

The right has NO INTENTION of FOLLOWING the "RULES."

And there isn't a damn thing we can do about it right now until Republicans are ENTIRELY OUT of POWER.

The above is what they mean when they say: "Your institutions will not save you."

So VOTE! VOTE BLUE to save democracy.

The latest Supreme Court ruling is terrifying because it proves the right-wing is absolutely EAGER to watch democracy crumble so they can permanently entrench the rule of white, male, patriarchal, religious zealot, corporate brown-nosing, 'screw the citizens and their environment'actions.

This is not a game. Your very future depends on it. Trump will destroy the quality of life in America when every country cuts off trade relations over immigrants, lgbtq, and liberals being arrested and sent to jails.

If you aren't arrested, you'll be unemployed because the economy will crash when there's no one left to pick produce or help produce protein like pork, chicken, and beef. (Always immigrants)

Your healthcare will be canceled just because Trump hates Obamacare and because insurance companies want to keep ALL your money... if they will even bother to sell you insurance.

Your Social Security retirement age won't be until 70. (But you'll be fired for being too old!) Your Medicare will be privatized to companies who will deny procedures and medications constantly for more and more profit.

Life will be a living hell.

Don't you think stopping the above is worth the trouble of voting blue?

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

the Reich wing will do anything to win so they can take our rights away.

women’s rights, LGBTQIA rights, immigrant rights, PoC rights, elder rights, and in fact just ALL HUMAN RIGHTS are in the line. Unless you’re a rich white male, you’re going to be shut out of their theocracy!

they want to use their false religion to run other people’s lives. They want

PLEASE SHARE

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Tonight (May 30) at 6:30PM, I’m at the NOTTINGHAM Waterstones with my novel Red Team Blues, hosted by Christian Reilly (MMT Podcast).

Tomorrow (May 31) at 6:30PM, I’m at the MANCHESTER Waterstones, hosted by Ian Forrester.

Then it’s London, Edinburgh, and Berlin!

#20yrsago Everquest social networks need the Mafia https://web.archive.org/web/20030301000000*/http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/dac/papers/Jakobsson.pdf

#20yrsago Streisand suing environmentalists over California Coastline project https://www.californiacoastline.org/streisand/lawsuit.html

#15yrsago English nurseries fingerprinting parents “for security” https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/7430709.stm

#15yrsago Happy First Sale day! https://everybodyslibraries.com/2008/06/01/100-years-of-the-first-sale-doctrine/

#10yrsago Coloring the Haunted Mansion https://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2013/06/stroll-around-grounds-until-you-feel-at.html

#10yrsago What is the social media style of protest? https://technosociology.org/?p=1255

#10yrsago Turkish Spring: Taksim Gezi Park protests in Istanbul https://occupygezipics.tumblr.com/post/51867772932/people-chanting-off-with-the-government-as-they

#10yrsago Mouldering city built of bread is a metaphor for Earth without humans https://web.archive.org/web/20130728143258/http://www.adesignaward.com/design.php?ID=28463

#5yrsago Leaks show that Google expected its modest AI-for-drones business to expand exponentially https://theintercept.com/2018/05/31/google-leaked-emails-drone-ai-pentagon-lucrative/

#5yrsago Vermont offers remote workers a $10,000 subsidy to relocate to the state https://qz.com/work/1289727/vermont-will-pay-you-10000-to-move-there-and-work-remotely

#5yrsago Oregon employers warn that the state has run out of workers who can pass a drug test https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/05/30/oregon-is-running-out-of-workers-who-can-pass-a-drug-test/

#5yrsago Customs stole a US citizen’s life savings when he boarded a domestic flight, now he’s suing to get it back https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/31/a-64-year-old-put-his-life-savings-in-his-carry-on-u-s-customs-took-it-without-charging-him-with-a-crime/

#5yrsago The most interesting thing about the “Thanksgiving Effect” study is what it tells us about the limits of data anonymization https://www.wired.com/story/the-thanksgiving-effect-and-the-power-of-phone-data/

#5yrsago Uganda’s unenforceable social media tax is augmented by a biometric requirement for SIM card purchases https://globalvoices.org/2018/06/01/netizen-report-ugandas-whatsapp-tax-and-sim-card-regulations-will-make-it-harder-to-stay-connected/

#5yrsago Vanuatu will use drones to deliver vaccines across its remote chain of tiny islands https://spectrum.ieee.org/drone-delivery-becomes-a-reality-in-remote-pacific-islands

#5yrsago Spain’s austerity-loving, authoritarian Prime Minister loses no-confidence vote and is replaced by a socialist https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spain-government-collapse-no-confidence-vote-mariano-rajoy-a8378586.html

#5yrsago At ex-CIA panelist’s insistence, Oxford Union reneges on promise to upload video of whistleblowing debate https://www.dailypublic.com/articles/05312018/irony-oxford-union-wont-release-video-whistleblowing-panel

#1yrago Inflation is caused by too little capacity: Not too much money https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/01/factories-to-condos-pipeline/#stuff-not-money

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Nottingham, Manchester, London, and Berlin!

[league-of-retired-evil]

Updates to Live Streams

Hey there, my villainials! League of Retired Evil here, and I just wanted to make a quick announcement in regards to what's been happening:

I've made some changes to my social media links in regards to what change Elon Musk made to Twitter- deactivating two-factor authentication for those who aren't subscribed (monthly) to Twitter Blue -by deleting my Twitter account since Monday, March 6, 2023. Even though it would be no problem for my phone in regards to activating it on my settings app, it still would be a security risk when I use my laptop [despite having an antivirus/VPN].

I used to have my artwork on deviantArt back then, but due to the website's choice of adding AI Training software using other people's artwork to create 'original masterpieces' and helping it 'learn' I decided to save what I had uploaded on a separate drive and take down everything but my journals and my one deviation to showcasing scam evidence (phishing website that happened in 2019) to warn people. You can find my new works on Newgrounds, but it will take me time to find everything and upload them on the gallery there.

My live streams will be a little less than expected due to a risky decision I've made. I took a part-time job to work alongside my full-time one I currently have, to not only earn a bit more in my pocket but to also put my foot in the door for its full-time position months later [if I do well]. When I'll have the time available to do a live stream, I'll notify here and on Newgrounds.

That's pretty much everything I can give out to you guys at this time, but I do have one poll I'd like to ask for my return for this year's set of live streaming:

Voting ends on 3/21/2023. I'll see you guys next time, and until then; sleep well, my villainials~!

[soberscientistlife]

Save Social Security-vote blue