Powderhorn

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[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That was a CFC problem. We now have a DJT problem.

 

Yep. Every point is on point.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I cannot imagine how it must feel to be an American at the moment.

It is frankly a raft of emotions that changes by the hour, but none is positive.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 3 points 2 days ago

What we functionally have as our two-party system is the NSDAP and what the GOP was lying about in the '60s.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 3 points 2 days ago

I've neither the inclination nor energy to relitigate the details of 24-year-old events. Rest assured, we agree on what the outcome really was; this was when we as a nation stopped believing in voting.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 3 points 2 days ago

You're going to have a busy day.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 2 points 3 days ago

It was the intentional dismantling of our educational system. I had a long conversation with Mom yesterday before polls closed on EST, and, yeah ... I was at the tail end of competent education, and it wasn't all that competent. I was told by the English department to never try writing because I was disinterested in regurgitating their takes on historical works, after getting my only F in high school for graphic design in beginning yearbook.

Guess what two things I'd then go on to win national awards for? You can't expect every high school student to take those as Wet Paint signs and then have things weirdly coalesce in college.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 65 points 3 days ago (12 children)

You don't have to be trans to be fucking terrified. Trump somehow always underperforms in the polls, but we've now seen what this country truly is, and I want none of this. Already working on possible alternatives.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 3 points 4 days ago

Do you want to know more?

 

I was trying to think about why today has significance, and then it hit. History may not repeat, but it rhymes.

Today, U.S. voters determine the future direction of the entire world. We shouldn't have this power, but that is irrelevant. Do we explore the world of authoritarianism, with major powers all falling under despots, or do we stand alone?

There is no way to overstate the stakes here. This is not hyperbole; this is simply the truth.

There's only one thing you can do. This election is not about you (though you count); it is about what we leave to posterity. An unlivable world? Permanent oligarchy? For those with kids or those who want them, do you want them to grow up with clean air and water?

And do not do this third-party shit. We got Bush instead of Gore because of 700 votes for Nader in Florida. Harris isn't perfect, but don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. A vote for Stein is a vote for Trump unless you're in a ranked-choice locale.

Yes, we have a broken system, but now is not the time to lament it by further fucking things up. We can eventually have that conversation as a nation, but in the '90s, when I lived in Germany, it was still considered gauche to be proud to be German. Is that the 50 years you want going forward here?

 

Buckle up folks, here we go!

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 16 points 5 days ago (3 children)

I cannot see a poll here. Obviously, I'm going with "not Hitler." That seems sane.

 

This is the original source for the link I posted in !science@beehaw.org. I hope it can help someone in our community.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 3 points 5 days ago

I wouldn't buy any bread manufactured in 1946.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 15 points 6 days ago

This feels like a "may be able to" situation. Once they've completed a flight from New York to London, I can get on board with the notion of them being able to fly from New York to London.

 

This is depression, alcoholism; it's getting pretty late-stage. All of this is wrong, and everything I've gone through insists they're fucking Reifenstahl.

Yes, I have mentioned her twice this week. It's because it's germane. I'm using that word a lot more, too. It holds a certain connotation.

But that aside, I do not want 988. I want a solution, not some attempt to make me believe rich people shall be my saviors.

 

What's interesting here is not that Buttigieg is thoughtful and introspective. I mean, he is, but what strikes me here is the extent to which Hasan Minhaj has grown. Jon Stewart is some sort of journalism whisperer. Bring in comedians, then teach them news.

Who doesn't watch John Oliver every week? Who doesn't watch Stephen Colbert? Dude fucking found people who weren't ready yet but saw potential. I didn't like any of them on The Daily Show, but he's doing something we don't see.

 

Wow, is this cycle doing some interesting things. I've never really much cared one way or the other about Schwarzenegger, but this impressed me, as it meets me where I am:

“I will always be an American before I am a Republican,” he wrote. “That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. I’m sharing it with all of you because I think there are a lot of you who feel like I do. You don’t recognise our country. And you are right to be furious.”

 

Some days, continuing to read the news can be stressful.

 

It's always weird trying to determine if things like this will be a flop or a serious societal issue.

 

Full disclosure: the author is a colleague I've known for almost two decades. But his takes have often inspired mine: There's always someone who knows more than you.

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