Joe

Challenge accepted.

I’d argue that your average communist is moral and trustworthy right up until the moment they get any power, then they are just corrupt(able) politicians, ready and able to fuck over group A to benefit group B, who they happen to favor more this week (decisions must be made, after all!). No system is perfect, and definitely no individual.

Big picture view: The scales will tip every now and then, but it’s ultimately survival of the fittest system that wins, with none existing in isolation - there are always external forces at play.

With that in mind, I’d put my money on more limited socialist-style-carve-outs like single payer healthcare in the US, more rent controls and housing subsidies, slightly better employee protections. Just enough to placate the masses, while the ruling class mostly continues as before. Even this will require a massive effort. Post-republicans, of course.

Great, finally they can include all the factual non-woke reporting about Donald Trump, Elon Musk and often underage hookers provided by the russian mafia and FSB, which mostly happened at Trump Tower as Trump’s business empire was being rescued by russian money. Perhaps it can provide photos from the non-woke archives. It could even be turned into a series of children’s stories to give them inspiration for their future careers of servitude and exploitation, which would be totally non-woke.

“Hold my unlocked phone while I chug this beer!”

《criminal mastermind journalist adds himself to confidential chat group》

Lock 'em up! Lock 'em up!

Meanwhile, the flu knocked everyone I know off their feet this year. Our last two covid bouts were mild knocks on wood.

Caesar only got popularised as a tyrant after his death. Trumpy-boy is getting ahead of himself.

I’m as chipper as I’ve ever been! :-)

That’s a minority. From what I’ve seen, the vast majority of Aussies are sheep, happy to be abused by their government and manipulated by corporations and propaganda (take your pick which). It’s just another fractured society, with apathetic masses turning away from the real world and living in their own bubbles of discontent.

Because that is ever going to happen in Australia?

Oh, I agree. I’m just paraphrasing JD Vance.

The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis the USA it’s not russia, it’s not china, it’s not any other external actor. And what I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of the USA from some of its most fundamental values. Values shared with Europe. In washington, and across the USA, free speech, I fear, is in retreat.

Slightly less of a Tosser with a Toyesla.

But, but… Arbeit macht gesund! Pretty sure I read that somewhere.

What a Tosser with his T-mobile.

If it happens and Ukraine and its true allies use the time wisely to prepare for the worst case, then the worst case might not be so bad.

Ukraine isn’t recovering much territory militarily anytime soon, short of a black swan event. So diplomacy and putin’s “retirement” will be the way.

trump will screw it up with premature sanctions relief though.

Weakest president in a long time.

Domestically, mostly, but this is a huge acceleration - end game style.

One of the great (and frustrating) features of functioning/stable democracies is that the ruling party typically can’t change too much too fast. So there are minor changes, pulling the country a little here, and a little there. It’s hard to royally fuck up a country in these stable democracies… but the US is no longer a stable democracy.

The USA’s international policy has been pretty consistent for a LONG time, no matter the ruling party. Spreading democracy (sometimes far better than at home), fighting terrorism/drugs/axis of evil, etc. through a mix of soft power, military power, and international institutes (more soft power). The aim was always to make/keep America (and in particular the 1%) rich and powerful.

What we are seeing now is the destruction of US influence and power abroad. It’s a successful (almost certainly) russian operation, now led by team trump.

Domestically, it should result in an uproar… class and civil warfare, destroying the final illusions of American Values. But a strong minority (100 protestors is enough with a little camera work) will scream and shout for more face eating, and the troops will intervene on their behalf, ensuring that the majority line up peacefully to watch the leopards. Even the best case scenarios are pretty grim. The trajectory has been set (many years ago now) and the ball is rolling faster than ever.

What the article didn’t say: The budget will increase the deficit and national debt. IKR?!

Are you suggesting that the proud boys’ circle jerking is just an inadvertent perk of an otherwise sinister masterplan?! How dastardly!