Mildly disappointing to see Democrats struggle to answer a simpler yes-or-no question: https://theweek.com/articles-amp/848221/no-should-billionaire (In case anyone reading this is unaware, no, no one _deserves_ the wealth of 300 typical American workers.) #latestagecapitalism #capitalism #oligarchy #democrats #democracy #2020unitedstatespresidentialelection

@AlexArzou But they don’t have to be that savvy about the _technology_ as such—they just need to apply the law as it was more-or-less understood for a hundred years prior to Reagan. Lina Khan is doing some great writing on this topic.

Another problem with tech giants: they are killing journalism: https://promarket.org/the-decline-of-american-journalism-is-an-antitrust-problem/ Congress, if you are reading my toots, please do your job and break up these anti-competitive behemoths using century-old anti-trust law. #journalism #monopoly #latestagecapitalism #google #facebook

@AlexArzou Yeah, I used to be sold on the idea that if we have some borderline fascist leading the show, then America would swing in the opposite direction toward humanity and reason but I am a lot more skeptical of that now. Either way, this will definitely be looked back on as a low-point but not one that genuinely threatens the American experiment.

@AlexArzou A president is smaller than the presidency, the presidency is smaller than the government, and the government is smaller than democracy. Altho he is undeniably doing damage to institutions and mores in the United States, this race-baiting con man who wormed his way into the White House is not as disastrous as the Civil War or Andrew Jackson genociding the indigenous population or the Great Depression. America will endure if we want it.

@Cr15ta83ll Certainly. But it is a strange phenomenon to see so many white nationalists and hipsters in the same state. Liberals who are big on guns and some of the most progressive and regressive legislation in the same chunk of land. There is a huge divide between Portland and the white nationalists terrorists in the east. Pretty shocking stuff.

@AlexArzou In even the public sphere! Seeing trolling from the president (not your standard emotional appeals or propaganda that has existed for decades but actual trolling) would be funny if it were not tragic.

@Cr15ta83ll Yeah, very telling what they think of democracy or things like a commonwealth. Oregon has some very strange politics.

@AlexArzou Rite. I think the key point is the nihilism: they are contradicting a thesis not with an antithesis but sheer garbage. The goal is not to overcome your idea with another idea but to exhaust you to defend reality and cause anyone on the outside to just get confused and move on from facts.

@BlueStateBabe I mean, you still *can* if you have legs (as long as you can otherwise float). Unless I am just really ignorant about hovering in general. :/

@opie Yes. Another one falls. Thanks, Opie.

@BlueStateBabe You got lucky, then!

@Cr15ta83ll I like the part where they call majority rule “bullying”

@opie NEVER!!!!!111ONE

Traits of a troll: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=43086 #linguistics #trolls #internet

What do you do if you are a right-wing Oregon legislator and you are afraid that your state may do something to stop climate change? Flee over the border, go into hiding, and have a violent militia guard you. Obviously. https://www.vox.com/2019/6/21/18700741/oregon-republican-walkout-climate-change-bill #oregon #rightwing #conservative #militia #climatechange #cowardice

When given unfettered Internet access, most Chinese students choose to not look at otherwise censored information: https://www.inkstonenews.com/society/what-happened-when-researchers-gave-chinese-students-uncensored-internet/article/3015387 #peoplesrepublicofchina #china #censorship #humanrights #freethought #freedom #internet

The only thing shameful about virginity is the stigma attached to it: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/18/later-in-life-virgins-at-my-age-it-becomes-a-red-flag #virginity #sexuality

Your daily reminder that the super-rich are a drain: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/10/rich-people-philanthropy-inequality-wealth #latestagecapitalism #capitalism #inequality #scams #philanthrophy #jacobin

בצלם‎ (B'Tselem) continue their excellent work advocating for human rights in the Holy Land: https://conquer-and-divide.btselem.org/ #humanrights #dignity #israel #palestine #maps