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12 mo. ago

  • Not sure what you meant by "occupied entirely" but a society ruled by the worst, and committed to bringing out the worst in its populace is what I'd call a failed experiment.

  • I don't think it's as simple as people being like us or not. I'd say most people put their interests and the interests of their families first, most people have trouble thinking for themselves and tend to identify with whatever ideologies they are most exposed to, and most people want to make the world a better place.

    So

    1. yes we are being isolated, divided, set against each other. Communication networks are being extensively manipulated, and potential dissent can be suppressed quite subtly like that.
    2. I draw no distinction between "folk like us" and people who conform and imitate. I'm not an exception, though I do at least try to be aware of it. Formation of a large scale movement will make all the difference. Of course the billionaire class will fight tooth and nail to prevent this from ever happening.
    3. Again, no distinction. I'm selfish and I benefit from economic inequality. But I can see that the system is working toward disaster. And I think most people see that to some degree. I don't think it is the best we can do as a species. The problem is that the world's most powerful people are mostly trying to stop us from making it better.

    I don't know what the answer is but I think raising awareness matters. Perversely I think that some good may come out of the Trump administration, because it serves as a model of the abuse of power, and it really ought to help people see who the real enemy is. Maybe we knew all along, but it was more comfortable to live with it. Maybe we're at a point where we can't live with it any more.

  • Time to reset the experiment with different parameters

  • As a species, we need to find a way to manage power, so that it isn't handed to the greediest, most dishonest, most evil and irresponsible people. If we are to survive as a species, we have to do better. It's not that we're fundamentally incapable of solving the problem. But the people currently in power will fight tooth and nail against any attempt to find or implement such a solution, since that will mean the loss of the power and privilege that they value above all else. The point of the fantasy scenario described is that without the ultra rich running interference, we'd have a better chance to improve the world. It's still a tough problem and requires large scale societal change such that business as usual doesn't continue as you described. Better education to make the public more aware, coupled with a few key changes to how governments work could give us a fighting chance though.

  • It really is amazing, all the insights, the discoveries, the knowledge, the artistry, the technology that the human race has acquired. Historically, every time we thought we knew the limits of our potential, we have gone far beyond those limits. Except that we still haven't figured out how not to hand over control of everything to the absolute worst of us. Like literally put our most deluded narcissistic psychopathic pedophiles in charge of the entire fucking world.

  • Hold the door!

  • There's no contradiction here. The US military exists to preserve and extend capitalism. Taking care of veterans would be socialist. Being abandoned by the state, as soon as you no longer serve a purpose for generating profit, is the best way to say thank you. It shows that everything you fought for is successful and working better than ever!

  • Past self: "oh look an old person having a stroke"

  • "So you see, anyway you look at it, my plan is doomed to fail."

    "...unless...." swipes giant map off table to make room for an even bigger map

  • I'm calling bullshit. Why would anyone sell that? It's like selling a piece of your soul

  • The flailing around and constant changing of plans is probably just theater. Whatever else happens, they will always flood the zone with shit. Whatever the plan is, the news is only a vague indicator of it.

  • The Gargamel Research Institute

  • Such a sad ending when the Beast transforms into a prince and Belle is trying to pretend like she's not completely gutted. Who the fuck even is this dude? That's not what she signed up for and we all know it.

  • It's just a weapon. It can be used by anybody, against anybody, for any reason. Being willing to use a weapon against other people doesn't mean you are justified in doing so. This particular weapon is probably most useful for disfiguring people. There's a fair chance that some over-entitled ex-boyfriends and stalkers might find a use for it.

  • Give it a couple of months. They'll be dunking on AOC for not being a pedophile next. How can you be qualified for public office if you never went to the island? To a fascist, anything which denotes "them" is an acceptable insult.

  • This could mean the end of the great advertising war! The corporations want to stick their endless adverts in front of our eyeballs, we want to live without that crap. This gives us the possibility of a truce. They let us have internet and TV and operating systems and fridges with no adverts. In return, each of us sponsors one eyeball-equipped consciousness eternally trapped in the Torment Nexus. It's a reasonable compromise!

  • This could be exactly the scientific breakthrough we needed. Imagine a future where we all have one of these and it watches ads on your behalf. It can't close its eyes. It can't look away. it's the perfect audience!

  • She's got a bit of a Georgy Kurasov thing going on there

  • After a nine month legal battle, Zurich has reversed its decision and told the BBC it was sorry for the stress caused.

    Yeah, very sorry I'm sure. Oopsie, we accidentally fought a nine month legal battle to avoid paying out the exact thing the insurance is for