Strictly speaking while you can prove things in mathematics, in science you can only disprove things. A theory which survives for a long time after a large number of experiments is widely accepted and can be trusted, but it is not proven.

I see. Yeah it is scary for sure. The wealthy may very well strip away the pittance that you get to try to survive. 😥 Good luck, comrade!

From the link you provide:

In 2012, Australian psychologist Gina Perry investigated Milgram’s data and writings and concluded that Milgram had manipulated the results, and that there was a “troubling mismatch between (published) descriptions of the experiment and evidence of what actually transpired.” She wrote that “only half of the people who undertook the experiment fully believed it was real and of those, 66% disobeyed the experimenter”.[26][27] She described her findings as “an unexpected outcome” that “leaves social psychology in a difficult situation.”[28]

I mean, maybe it shouldn’t have been done?

What is SSDI?

Nobody in the rest of the world who cared about the lives of the average American was that envious. Between housing costs, medical costs, and food costs life seemed really tough, compared to pre-COVID times. From the EU, it looked like all of the indicators for the wealthy were fine, but not for the people.

Part of the problem is that our models of knowledge were flawed. The basis was the information deficit model; the assumption was that people were missing data, and that if they learned more they would shift their understanding.

It turns out that this isn’t a good fit for human psychology, but approaches based on it still persist today.

Another problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of world views. People on the left tend to think that equality is a good thing and should be a goal. People on the right do not believe in equality. Not in the sense that they opposed it, they literally don’t believe it is possible. So any attempt to improve the lot of the worst-off is interpreted as an attempt to disrupt the hierarchy, ultimately ending up worse off for themselves. “You’re just jealous and want to be in charge.”

I think that there are communication strategies that can work, but maybe not. Humans have suffered under hierarchy for millennia, and maybe we are too flawed as a species.

It may seem unfair that the left would have to put so much effort into communicating with the right, who doesn’t give a fuck. That’s true, but the forces of hierarchy have had many more centuries to refine their propaganda. And what the left asks is for change and growth, while the right merely asks for a return to the way humans lived for most of civilization: a powerful few getting all the benefits and most of humanity struggling to survive.

Yes I think that it will be with Iran this time too. I mean, nobody can know with Trump since he’s an avatar of Chaos, but it is a good option. Big and powerful enough that you don’t accidentally win in 48 hours. Not an ally of any western country. Already have propaganda queued up since 1979 or so.

“There are decades when nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen.”
- Attributed to Lenin, who almost certainly did not say it

I’m pretty sure Trump will start a war before the elections, both to boost his ratings and to justify extraordinary powers because of the emergency that he will have just created.

Reading this made me wonder if I was having a stroke, because it seems like English but I don’t recognize so many of the words. 👴

You think things will be better in Trump’s 3rd term? 🤔

Sorry what?

Are you implying that the 1960s and 1970s were more politically or economically just than today?

In the sense that the wealth disparity was less, okay? Maybe? Is that all that you mean?

I don’t think that Nazi Germany is a great analogy for the US right now. Honestly there isn’t a very good analogy. The Republicans are using a lot of things from fascist playbooks, but… history doesn’t repeat itself

My prediction is a war with Iran starting in about a year, to boost GoP poll numbers before the midterms.

If it’s the same two women every day then you could say hello and introduce yourself?

World War 1 was so traumatic for Europe because the terrible weapons of mass destruction that they had been using to dominate the rest of the world were suddenly being used on them.

I think this is probably similar for people in the US who are not in a minority now, along the lines you describe.

Trump can do whatever he wants. The Supreme Court said so, Congress won’t complain, and he has already completed the first round of purges of the executive branch.

He could declare a horse his co-consul and the only downside would be some snarky mentions in some histories written by the senatorial classes.

Can you give some examples? Do you mean the Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage in 2015? The #metoo movement in 2017? Black Lives Matter protests in 2020?

What do you think has gone too far?

You can be both?

Born to be fucked? 🤔