US Politics, September 2024 -- “I’m Not Going to Apologize For Posting a Joke”

I get sidetracked by dentistry and day job work for a few hours and the thread becomes a damn colloquy and shit

(Not complaining, mind you!)

Joining a public sector union earlier this year was easily the most satisfying thing I've done in years. To have even a foothold on power is a thrill.

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, September 12, 2024 12:47 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

otmfm! Did you join AFT? I've been slowly organizing my colleagues with them. Doubled our size last year from 3 to 6! Baby steps.

Also when private jets are banned or taxed to oblivion I will believe that Democrats are serious about climate change.

siick xp

tipsy, one anarchist solution to this is to essentially create off-grid communities of like-minded people, basically play out the paranoid right-wing/freemen playbook but do it based on hard left principles. there’s a reason my dream is to buy up some acreage near a fresh water source in the Northwoods in the next ten years— I want to build an off-grid home and invite friends and fellow travelers to do the same.

(fwiw, i lived off-grid for about a year during the years i was absent from this board, and i can honestly say it was difficult but also rewarding and rather beautiful in many ways)

its easier than ever to go off grid these days some people out in the country do it just cause it happens to be the best choice for their circumstance logistically, i know someone whos building a house who chose it for that reason, however you can be off the grid but you cant really be off the grid yr solar panels have to come from somewhere you drive on the roads etc

otmfm! Did you join AFT? I've been slowly organizing my colleagues with them. Doubled our size last year from 3 to 6! Baby steps.

― underminer of twenty years of excellent contribution to this borad (dan m),

My uni's chapter of United Faculty of Florida. When DeSantis threatened to decertify if we didn't hit 50% paid members; we exceeded this goal. Yesterday we secured a rather impressive raise/bonus package from the administration effective in a few weeks: the best of my time here. Again, it feels good.

tipsy, one anarchist solution to this is to essentially create off-grid communities of like-minded people, basically play out the paranoid right-wing/freemen playbook but do it based on hard left principles. there’s a reason my dream is to buy up some acreage near a fresh water source in the Northwoods in the next ten years— I want to build an off-grid home and invite friends and fellow travelers to do the same.

Can definitely see that on an individual/small-group basis. And every effort counts. But obviously that model is not going to achieve anything close to what needs to be done on climate. (Don't get me wrong, it's probably more useful than tossing things in the single-stream recycling bin and hoping it somehow reduces the production of new plastic.)

Yesterday we secured a rather impressive raise/bonus package from the administration effective in a few weeks: the best of my time here. Again, it feels good.

"Don't you see, man? Asking for money just means you're playing the Man's game, man! Drop out!" *giant bong rip*

it's funny how american exceptionalism plays into inaction on climate change. i know a lot of ppl who just think we'll innovate our way out of this and therefore we need not worry about it. someone from nasa is gonna spray some shit in the air and we'll be good

I wonder if we will get another debate, and if we do, whether the moderators (or Harris) will call him on more bullshit. I honestly can't believe this has never happened, though he only talks to press who are going to be favorable to him; but someone needs to explicitly ask if he understands the difference between 'mental asylum' and 'political asylum'

I wonder if we will get another debate, and if we do, whether the moderators (or Harris) will call him on more bullshit.

He splatted out a "Truth" saying no, because according to him, "Polls clearly show" that he won. So "THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!"

kinda think he has to do another one but who knows with that guy

a lively discussion all! IMHO, all this really just underlines the original point, which is that Harris and the corporate Dem core is utterly failing to actually present a serious public conversation about real, substantive change. that is: how much of the substance you can get even in this conversation would you get from watching our national leaders on TV? obv i'm not expecting them to get out in front and advocate for degrowth (yet). that's the role of committed activists, until the consensus is better built. and the naysayers are not wrong that America's political culture, as currently constituted, would find little on-the-ground support for "we're going to have to live with less."

but... we're going to have to live with less! so either we work on getting there, accept total catastrophe, or convince ourselves that the problem is already solved with the existing policy achievements and/or recycling and electric cars.

and like --- even pulling back momentarily from climate --- say we had a candidate who came from the burgeoning progressive wing (let's say Warren just for fun). well whatever they say on climate, they they would at least be championing a bunch of the bread-and-butter issues like M4A, transit investment, affordable housing, reigning in corporate greed (including energy consumption, including AI bullshit, etc). maybe they even get close to the order-of-magnitude increases in these things that we actually desperately need. maybe the enthusiasm for these things triggers a wave election and they can actually get that stuff accomplished.

and maybe that helps turn us away from (a) mass precarity and (b) a hopelessly nihilistic mass ideology of individualism. and IMHO, those shifts would make it a lot easier for the next progressive phase to build consensus around belt-tightening or degrowth. true decarbonization of the economy. automatic luxury communism. whatever new model it is we need to replace extractive carbon-based capitalism, we gotta start making that transition a livable one. that's the real "bridge fuel."

unperson, your strawmen are getting deeply boring.

unperson's hilarious social satire coming to you straight from an open mic stand up night circa 1991

i was waiting for an insanely good and otm doc casino post, thank you

Leftists, famously opposed to and dismissive of unions.

congrats to Alfred, that's nice to hear! my union is currently in negotiations

I didn't follow the whole discussion, but unions & collective agreements are also one place to fight for action on climate change

thanks!

Quit while you're ahead (namely, a head full of pudding):

https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:qrllvid7s54k4hnwtqxwetrf/bafkreif5ychikezfqbafomteghcq452oub3m7qjlmbmbcfnbc6eq5ym45q@jpeg

actual polls starting to tilt more towards Harris though:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/harris-expands-lead-over-trump-in-first-post-debate-polls/ar-AA1qtw0h?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=e1f7d2bafc0d423483e2ca16f8ec36f2&ei=3

Harris is up 50% to 45% over Trump in a Morning Consult survey conducted Wednesday of 3,317 likely voters, her widest lead yet in the group’s presidential election surveys and a slight improvement from her four-point lead in a survey taken on the day of the debate and from her three-point lead in pre-debate surveys.

A two-day Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed Thursday also found Harris leading by five points, 47% to 42%, a one-point increase from her advantage in an Aug. 21-28 Reuters/Ipsos poll.

it's funny how american exceptionalism plays into inaction on climate change. i know a lot of ppl who just think we'll innovate our way out of this and therefore we need not worry about it. someone from nasa is gonna spray some shit in the air and we'll be good

This is sadly not just an American thing! Had a convo once with three ppl who all believed we'll just be able to innovate ourselves out of this mess - ubsurprisingly they worked in tech.

we sure did innovate our way into it

while i do believe we all need to change the incredibly profligate way we live - from flights to beef to AC - like for REAL, actually - i also do not buy the idea that we’re “running out of resources” in a malthusian dystopic vision of feral overpopulation. put another way, it’s a quick hop from “we consume too much” to “there’s no more room”. there is PLENTY of room. and if the wealthy among us could just pump the brakes a little and we could reduce inequality not only by raising up the lowly but by bringing down those of us who live beyond the wildest dreams of historical potentates we would probably find that the world can supply all of us quite easily

i believe in cocaine communism, sure maybe you cant fly on a private jet but you get free drugs video games and a yurt

fine with me, what about Negronis

thanks, ivy --- all i see are my "reign/rein" and "they they" errors, but i appreciate it!

This is sadly not just an American thing! Had a convo once with three ppl who all believed we'll just be able to innovate ourselves out of this mess - ubsurprisingly they worked in tech.

― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, September 12, 2024 3:55 PM (twelve minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

recall years ago talking to a friend of a friend who worked for the dems in washington asking them what was gonna be done about climate change and they with full nonchalant confidence were all no problem well figure it out i go how and they were like we will just do it

fine with me, what about Negronis

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, September 12, 2024 4:09 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

you will be supplied with a voucher for the fixins

xxxp Ok he's settled in on 'Comrade' Kamala which is fine, but he should know that only fellow Party members are allowed to use that term so it means he's a communist as well

Climate entrepreneurs will code us out of this mess

citizen journalism hasnt really panned out

Oh okay https://t.co/DafNTCrUx3 pic.twitter.com/oWde9XXzyt

— Jane Coaston 🏔️ (@janecoaston) September 12, 2024

Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are keeping their children home and reporting damage to their property as anti-immigrant conspiracy theories spread, fanned by statements by Trump and Vance https://t.co/aYaEK06uhb

— Evan Hill (@evanhill) September 12, 2024

Kicker to the article excerpted in that Jane Coaston tweet:

For her part, Newton, Lee’s neighbor, said she remains concerned that the influx of Haitians is negatively affecting the city’s healthcare and education systems.

“I think it was two years ago now, I went to the [Bureau of Motor Vehicles] to renew my license or my tags. I can't remember, but I was sitting in the BMV, and the only way I know to describe it is I felt like … I was transported, because all around me it was people talking a different language. … I felt like I was the minority,” she said.

this shit is such a stupid campaign strategy like yeah let's piss off an entire race of people in a state which might be surprisingly competitive just to shore up the same folks who hate immigrants so much they're practically stroking out. oh and while you're at it make sure you mention how much Orban loves you just in case there are any Polish folks in this country thinkin about staying home on election day

I gotta say, of all the vile things I've seen in the last three campaign cycles this shit with Haitians and pets has repulsed me most -- maybe because I live and work among so many Haitians, all of whom are the hardest workers I know, just head-down type of people.

the classic political and militant wings of a movement

this really merits a separate thread but we do not have & are not gonna have this. all the theory is pre-media age and pre-globalism and imo it has not kept up with the changes.

when does the media age start

xp it also feels like they're using 30s Germany style tactics there, just say the most outlandish and racist shit, then admit it's probably false but that people should still say it, all with a grin on your face

Gotta love Trump’s “there will be no third debate because Kamala lost and wants a rematch too bad” spin. Clever guy.

everyone knows he's a coward

pretty much how all this shit works xp frogs

I imagine it's a risk/reward thing, with "how likely are we to win without a third debate?" on one side and "we know he's horrible at this" on the other, and right now, "horrible" outweighs the other. If Harris's polling picks up noticeably in the next couple of weeks, I'm sure they'll do a 180.

also if he can stand her calling him a coward

xxxxxp There are really interesting moves being made in "community self-reliance" -- not only on communes in the wilderness!

Kingston, NY has for 15+ years hosted an annual arts fest called O+ ("O positive") in which medical practitioners sign up to donate their medical services (check ups, phys therapy, dentistry, even other procedures that can be scheduled for a future time) in return for artists and musicians, writers, poets, etc donating THEIR services in the form of free performances, public art, readings, making objects, and basically exchanging services WITHOUT fees.

In Detroit, a community-based reliance/resiliency project called Avalon Village worked with the group Solar-darity to build/install solar-powered street lights after the city withdrew services. They put the solar lights on private land in cooperation with home-owners, and I think there's even a self-powered wifi network component.

There's more. Of course urban gardens are in no way sufficient to meet the food needs of densely populated areas, but they can add much needed nutrition and/or lessen the impacts of food insufficiency for some. And so on.

Honestly if I could, I would move to [redacted small city] in Michigan right now and fully become the weird lady on the corner who turns her lawn into a food forest and leaves produce on a table. There's nothing I want more.

(xpost) He can always work on comeback zingers like "I know you are, but what am I?" (See Hank Kingsley practicing to be a roastmaster.)

when does the media age start

visual media, general availability of televisions. I'd mark that as a seismic change in the dissemination of information

while you're at it make sure you mention how much Orban loves you just in case there are any Polish folks in this country thinkin about staying home on election day

Er...

the various american civil rights movements of the mid 20th century had militant aspects right, the troubles in northern ireland off the top my head, feel like i can see the shape of the argument but im not totally sure what it is xp