Is the US a dystopia?

option 3 ftw

US perfidy always comes back to tea

not really

hm sounds like you're either a "no" or "The Beatles" but afaict you can still secretly vote however you wish

it's going to take a lot of restraint not to shoehorn this in to thread connections

I figured it was what it was for.

least serious answer is the correct one

by that you mean "yes"?

oh misread "least" as "last" nevermind

This question is unhelpful and I have no idea why it is being asked.

Badly trimmed shrub = dystopiary

Dropped the clay - dyspottery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jeu3iH0R_GM

I mean, pulling up the forecast today and seeing tornado warnings for Chicago in mid-December doesn't make me not think it's a dystopia.

an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.

not imagined, authoritarian rather than totalitarian and pre-apocalyptic instead of post IMO

so maybe it's not a dystopia but merely dystopic

dystopic? I dunno. but ilx is def dyspeptic today.

I did not remotely intend this thread to be serious, but there's an argument to be made that 1492 counts as the apocalypse

Can the apocalypse be local?

Americans rly struggle with not being the world and i think its quite telling tbh

let it beatles

Climate catastrophe is going to be pretty universal IIRC.

which is v little to do with the point about 1492 is it

you can get with dystopia, or you can get with datopia

just throwing this out there but maybe dystopia fans are blind to dystopias

I dunno I think most fans of the crust punk band Dystopia probably would agree that the USA is a dystopia fwiw

let me see, is the US a dystopia.

the republican party is trying to actively KILL a lot of people. let me just see how that plays in the polls

The approval rating among those who voted for [Biden] has dropped from 80% to 69% in the April survey. There have been notable declines among Americans 18-34 and suburban residents, both of whom, in dramatic swings, now register net negative views on the president.

As bad as Biden’s number may be, the polling data for Democrats in Congress is far worse.

Republicans now sport a historic 10-point advantage when Americans are asked which party they prefer to control Congress, holding a 44%-34% margin over Democrats. That’s up from a 2-point Republican advantage in the October survey.

In the past 20 years, CNBC and NBC surveys have never registered a double-digit Republican advantage on congressional preference, with the largest lead ever being 4 pints for the GOP.

“If the election were tomorrow, it would be an absolute unmitigated disaster for the Democrats,″ said Jay Campbell, partner at Hart Research Associates and the Democratic pollster for the survey.

yes it's a full blown dystopia

nah but rich people have never had it better tho

A 4 pint lead is difficult to overcome tbh. sorry

Can the apocalypse be local?

Americans rly struggle with not being the world and i think its quite telling tbh

― fix up luke shawp (darraghmac), Friday, December 10, 2021 8:10 PM (one hour ago)

I was addressing "the apocalypse" that it could be argued helps to confirm the US as a dystopia, the subject of this important poll. So I guess I do think it can be local, idk, why not? Anyway Columbus never even entered future-US territory, it's more of a symbolic hinge year for everything being terrible from then on

I'd figure most people using the term think in the sense of dystopian science fiction and I kinda think 2021 has quite a few elements that seem like out of such.

There's no utopia that's not someone's dystopia, and vice versa.

The notion of local dystopias is an interesting one. Could be that there was an egalitarian paradise unfolding just a continent or two over from Mad Max.

If the US ticks all the boxes- and there's a case- then clearly plenty of very nice places to live in exist besides so id say thats a clear yes

Have we ever not been? Slave state — apartheid state — Vietnam/Watergate — Corporate state — Fury Road (2016-present)

the people in the mayfield candle factory that collapsed worked 12-hour shifts that paid $8 an hour. 110 ppl were inside. 40 ppl are still unaccounted for. they haven’t recovered a survivor since 3 am. pic.twitter.com/CsIIfLw3Pc

— Tracy Moore (@iusedtobepoor) December 11, 2021

it’s legal in kentucky to fire someone for refusing to work mandatory overtime

— Tracy Moore (@iusedtobepoor) December 11, 2021

The notion of local dystopias is an interesting one. Could be that there was an egalitarian paradise unfolding just a continent or two over from Mad Max.

Zardoz is another one. Although The Eternals are mainly a bunch of insufferable bores and their egalitarian paradise is pretty lame, but you wouldn't complain about it if you were being held captive by Charlotte Rampling.

Slave state — apartheid state — Vietnam/Watergate — Corporate state — Fury Road (2016-present)

We didn't start the fire, etc.

Let's see what all we have...you got this one.

US combined laissez-faire capitalism on it's drug industry and combined with heroin blow-back from the 'war on terror' created the opioid epidemic for fun and profit killing over a million Americans since 1999.

Getting back to the topic at hand, Le Guin wrote a book about a moon. Also was there some Cold War global political framework in her gender-bender book? I don't recall.

Climate catastrophe is going to be pretty universal IIRC.

― papal hotwife (milo z), Saturday, December 11, 2021 1:14 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

which is v little to do with the point about 1492 is it

― fix up luke shawp (darraghmac), Saturday, December 11, 2021 1:17 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

It is though (unless I'm misreading). The USA is the biggest historical contributor to the climate crisis. An argument could be made that if 1492 never happened, there would be no global crisis. Same for much of global environmental destruction -- Amazon forest all gone? Thank Ronald McDonald.

Local teachers in South Dakota “Dash for Cash” to help their classrooms by fighting over $5,000 in $1 bills while the crowd hoots and hollers. pic.twitter.com/azwGJKhaKU

— Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) December 12, 2021

they're going to remove that rug at some point

and then charge them for it!

An argument could be made that if 1492 never happened, there would be no global crisis.

Are we talking a world where Europe never came into contact with the Americas?

I can’t live without potatoes

-LL McCooljay

It would have happened eventually.

I can’t live without potatoes

OTM

Lol, Neanderthal.

like, it's just beyond belief

Yeah, I've always thought of it as the opposite of utopia.

The general "attitude" towards homeless people in this country borders on genocide. Trump is campaigning on a "Escape from the Bronx"-esque roasting homeless alive with flamethrowers.

As a person who lived in a truck while holding a full time job, I can attest to the hatred and loathing that the US and many of its people have for the unhoused or marginally housed. The “fuck you i got mine” bootstraps ethos is so inculcated in the populace, no wonder this country is broken and so full of rage and pain.

It's a problem as well because yea ok we know a lot of liberaly people are massive hypocrites, but homeless people are where many of them dngaf about proudly demonstrating it

ten degrees to the left of center in good times, ten degrees to the right of Mussolini if someone wants to build a shelter in my zip code

The general "attitude" towards homeless people in this country borders on genocide. Trump is campaigning on a "Escape from the Bronx"-esque roasting homeless alive with flamethrowers.

― Moritz von Oswald von Wolkenstein (Boring, Maryland)

y'all i figured out where it all went wrong

A website dedicated to both this film and its predecessor 1990: The Bronx Warriors was set up in 2004.[12] The site contains two interviews with Enzo G Castellari and details an ongoing attempt to locate Mark Gregory (Trash) who vanished from public view in about 1989.[13] There is also a message in MP3 format (in Italian) from Enzo and his son Andrea to Mark asking him to get in touch and saying how much they miss him.

we need mark gregory now more than ever in these dark times

Nearly 4,500 children were found to be working in violation of federal child labor laws in the last 10 months.

Some of them were operating dangerous machinery like deep fryers and meat-processing equipment.

It's corporate profits over everything — including the safety of kids.

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 3, 2023

don’t worry, we’re solving that by… loosening the labor laws in states

implies there's an attempt to create kind of ideal utopian society

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_upon_a_Hill

Always makes me flash back upon Land of the Dead

https://scarina.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/fiddlersgreen.jpg

there's an Irish pub here with that name and I always look over my shoulder from time to time due to that movie

from wikipedia: The relationship between utopia and dystopia is in actuality, not one simple opposition, as many utopian elements and components are found in dystopias as well, and vice versa.

WIkipedia otm.

Dianne Feinstein, 90, cedes power of attorney to daughter — but still serves in Congress https://t.co/6ii3oDWEeI pic.twitter.com/HZN99fr0uq

— New York Post (@nypost) August 4, 2023

ugh The NY Post though?

there's an Irish pub here with that name and I always look over my shoulder from time to time due to that movie

It's also the name of an open-air venue south of Denver, Colorado. It's plopped in the middle of a business park. When it was built in the late 80s, it was kind of the pinnacle of corporate rock venues, which is, in a very real way, dystopian.

From 2010 to 2013, it was known as "Comfort Dental Amphitheater."

they got spoon, qotsa, wu tang, weezer, and “lost 80s live” coming this fall. and somehow gwar. overall vibe: preserved in amber.

i would only see gwar if it’s original members. q: how can i be sure

I saw Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty (with the Replacements opening), Jimmy Buffett (with the Neville Bros. opening) there back in the day. Kind of the same vibe.

that Petty tour was where he ripped off 'rebel without a clue' from Westerberg

xp Ha i think ima go see weezer (spoon opening). maybe it’s a “savior opening” secret vibe

I don't think they got along too well. The 'Mats played for 30 minutes, announced that that was all they were being paid for, and left.

Hunt3r, Dave Brockie died several years ago. Sorry.

there have been 5 Flattus Maximuses

:( rip

One of my fondest memories of writing for alt-weeklies was getting to interview Brockie in the late 90s/early 2000s. He picked up the phone and said, "So do you want to talk to Dave, or do you want to talk to Oderus?" I opted for Dave, with a little bit of Oderus at the end.

I did not know him personally, but we moved in adjacent circles in 90s Richmond. My tolerance for getting sprayed with fake blood was low, at the time. Should I have seen them more than I did? Maybe. In any case, by all accounts he was a decent fellow.

Lāhainā was once wetland.

Boats circled around Waikoloa Church.

It’s only became dry and fire-prone because of illegal water diversions and land theft by sugar barons in the 1800’s.

Today, the same families reap insane profits off continued control of our irrigation, land…

— Kaniela Ing (@KanielaIng) August 11, 2023

https://www.popsci.com/technology/iowa-chatgpt-book-ban/

School district uses ChatGPT to help remove library books

sounds like that one might be a bit of malicious compliance

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/451367/space-forces-first-targeting-squadron-brought-life

totally normal new Space Force (a branch of the US Armed Forces) logo unveiled

that’s not really that, but if you’re interested in the weird history of that stuff:

I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed By Me: Emblems from the Pentagon's Black World

https://a.co/d/3fSdgQc

huh, okay

Charles Haywood, creator of the Society for American Civic Renewal, has said he might serve as ‘warlord’ at the head of an ‘armed patronage network’

The founder and sponsor of a far-right network of secretive, men-only, invitation-only fraternal lodges in the US is a former industrialist who has frequently speculated about his future as a warlord after the collapse of America.

good luck fella

Pic of this man pls

Idahohoho: Other filings identify three lodges in Idaho – in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Moscow – and another in Dallas, Texas.

https://theworthyhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CRH-12-22-2-1024x1536.jpg

Not super warlordy imo

he made his fortunes in shampoo, which is also not very warlordy

Smash his glasses and he is defeated

https://nypost.com/2023/09/18/armed-security-guards-patrol-philly-cheesesteak-shop/

At least it’s sunny take that britishes

this too I guess

WARNING: GRAPHIC ⚠️ Police in Alabama used a stun gun on a high school band director at a football game just for letting his students finish playing a song. 85% of the students at Minor High School are Black. Cops attacked a teacher and traumatized these kids forever. pic.twitter.com/Wn2xSYZPKY

— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) September 18, 2023

“You want people to feel safe and be safe.

Yeah man, nothing feels safer than a random dude dressed up like a Blackwater merc walking up and down the street while I get lunch.

Fwiw, i live somewhat close to that cheesesteak shop, and it’s in a “transitional” area that is equal parts working class families, light industrial, and social service agencies. Also important to note that the old original steaks shop closes in 2019 and this new iteration is the result of a guy from Delco coming in, buying the building, and creating a new version of the place while hiring all the old staff. I

Gotta send a message to the guys who robbed the 200$

seriously fucking angry at that stun gun band director story

“It’s a little overkill. Even if you have an armed guard, OK. But, walking around with a machine gun, it’s not family-friendly,” he added.

Come on, it's the perfect ambience.

no no see these are the good guys with guns, you can tell because they're holding guns and a bunch of innocent people are dead on the sidewalk

assault weapons to whet the appetite

Manson family friendly, maybe