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That was an interesting read! I relate to that very much, thanks for sharing. We read all about the rise and fall of governments, of political goals, of culture

That was an interesting read! I relate to that very much, thanks for sharing. We read all about the rise and fall of governments, of political goals, of cultures... and yes, there is a certain moral failing or disconnected apathy that allows the greedy and sociopathic to prey upon their own kind. It's rather depressing to think of so many people convinced they can do nothing, by a group of people who is so scared of their people they sign deals with businesses behind closed doors. I'm convinced many of our "leaders" could not argue their positions adequately if they were forced to defend them. I remember reading about events like the Million Man March on Washington DC, and I wonder how America would handle a massive, peaceful demonstration communicating the general discontent of the citizen with this potentially great country. It seems there was a period in American history where the common man COULD and DID stand up for their countrymen, for the health and endurance of the entire country instead of a handful of rich fucks. Why do we not see these shows of solidarity in the modern age? I ask mostly rhetorically but the America of today looks and feels characteristically different from what it sells itself as or even who it was a mere 50 years ago.

snerbles 3y ago
> Why do we not see these shows of solidarity in the modern age? When did you last sit down and have dinner with your next-door neighbor? Discuss the local happenings and politics of the neighborhood in person? You might be able to answer that question in the affirmative. But many more don't. We're too busy isolating ourselves from one another to grow any form of culture from which organized efforts would spring.
- zlg_codes 3y ago
  Great point, the feeling of community has slowly faded from many parts of the country. Not all, of course. Hard to do it completely. But the loss of "third places" -- places you can exist with others in a non-vocational or business context -- is probably a big part of it. Many places still sort of exist through stuff like farmer's markets, some clubs, libraries, swap meets, etc, but they seem less generalized for socializing. I haven't met with my neighbors or sat down to chat with them. It does feel kind of alien and, dare I say it, rude to intrude on someone's life that way. Maybe it's not really an intrusion, and an atmosphere of fear and distrust has trained us to separate. I remember my parents meeting people and scheduling times to hang out all the time. Children from different families would mingle while the adults mingled, everyone got some dose of community. I couldn't tell you where programming hobbyists meet up in my area. I might have to go up to Tacoma before I find any no-or-low-cost hacker groups. But, don't many communities also have common places they go routinely? I'm thinking gaming and TTRPG, TCG shops might be a good start to build a third place, despite being a business themselves.

snerbles 3y ago

> Why do we not see these shows of solidarity in the modern age? When did you last sit down and have dinner with your next-door neighbor? Discuss the local happenings and politics of the neighborhood in person? You might be able to answer that question in the affirmative. But many more don't. We're too busy isolating ourselves from one another to grow any form of culture from which organized efforts would spring.

zlg_codes 3y ago
Great point, the feeling of community has slowly faded from many parts of the country. Not all, of course. Hard to do it completely. But the loss of "third places" -- places you can exist with others in a non-vocational or business context -- is probably a big part of it. Many places still sort of exist through stuff like farmer's markets, some clubs, libraries, swap meets, etc, but they seem less generalized for socializing. I haven't met with my neighbors or sat down to chat with them. It does feel kind of alien and, dare I say it, rude to intrude on someone's life that way. Maybe it's not really an intrusion, and an atmosphere of fear and distrust has trained us to separate. I remember my parents meeting people and scheduling times to hang out all the time. Children from different families would mingle while the adults mingled, everyone got some dose of community. I couldn't tell you where programming hobbyists meet up in my area. I might have to go up to Tacoma before I find any no-or-low-cost hacker groups. But, don't many communities also have common places they go routinely? I'm thinking gaming and TTRPG, TCG shops might be a good start to build a third place, despite being a business themselves.