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There is an ongoing tension between the idea that our behavior is shaped by the systems around us and the belief that it stems solely from our personal choices.

There is an ongoing tension between the idea that our behavior is shaped by the systems around us and the belief that it stems solely from our personal choices. The truth is, it’s never one or the other exclusively - both factors play a role. Nobody says you have to eat processed food, but when 90% of the food available to you (and 100% of the inexpensive food) is processed, it's misleading to argue that eating processed food is a personal problem. The same applies to AI interviews, or any number of other issues.

throwawayoldie 1y ago
There's a third possibility: collective action. It's easy to forget this, because the powers that be have been working hard for many decades to denigrate it.
- miroljub 1y ago
  Collective action needs to come from somewhere. In a nation of destroyed extended family, primary family, racial or national identity, with no religion, workers unions, or any other sense of community, where everyone is a snowflake individual, it's pretty impossible that a group of people will ever form a collective capable of doing any actions. Now, think about it why we were conditioned from the ground up to forefeit any connections with other people and basically bared of forming high trust communities.
pydry 1y ago
It's part of the american capitalist dynamic to protect capital by reframing systemic societal problems to be exclusively issues of personal responsibility. It's largely why Americans are so, so fat compared to other nations.
- FirmwareBurner 1y ago
  [flagged]
  - throwaway7783 1y ago
    Please search for "food deserts"
  - jodrellblank 1y ago
    because as we know, people are not influenced by society at all. Every man is an island. Marketing doesn't work. Lobbying doesn't work. Manipulation doesn't work. Nobody gets radicalised.
    - FirmwareBurner 1y ago
      [flagged]
      - jodrellblank 1y ago
        It does! > "The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising dramatically in children as well as in adults. Between 1975 and 2016, the prevalence of obesity in Europe rose 138%, with a 21% rise between 2006 and 2016.1 The prevalence of overweight rose by 51% between 1975 and 2016, and by 8% between 2006 and 2016. It is expected that by 2030, over half of Europe will live with obesity – up to 89% in some countries. No Member State is on track to reach the target of halting the rise in obesity by 2025" - https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/europes-obesity-statistics-figures-trends-rates-by-country https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/europes-obes... > "Once considered a high-income country problem, overweight is on the rise in low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, the number of overweight children under 5 years has increased by nearly 12.1% since 2000. Almost half of the children under 5 years who were overweight or living with obesity in 2024 lived in Asia." - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and... Americans are at the forefront of driving to the drive through for a McSuperSize meal, and wealthy enough to eat that every day. Mexico has an obesity crisis heavily driven by the Coca Cola company. > "The Rothschilds are using 5G to signal my brain that I must not stop until I reach the bottom of the XXL bag of Costco potato chips." Yes, there are no constant JustEat or Deliveroo or McDonalds adverts, no CocaCola adverts connecting Coke with Christmas and fun, no Pepsi adverts connecting Pepsi with attractive women draping themselves over sports cars, nothing. > "Edit: @jodrellblank damn, then I guess I stand corrected. Am I the only one immune to marketing then?" No, you're one of many people who believes they are immune to marketing. That $350Bn annual spend on advertising[1] in the USA is not there for a laugh. What's the betting you could answer a whole lot of questions like "which company had the 'why 1984 won't be like 1984' and 'think different'" adverts? Which fast food company has a clown as its mascot? Which fast food company has a southern Colonel as their mascot? Which drink was "the choice of a new generation"? Name an insurance company or a bank that you've heard of but never used? Name a shop you've heard of but never been to? Complete the jingle: "head-on, apply <...>"? If you were immune to advertising, you wouldn't be able to picture any company logo, signboard, complete any jingle, name any product or service or shop you hadn't researched or heard of from a friend. Drive past a dentist every day on your way to work and recognise their signboard because you've seen it before? Not immune to advertising. Recognise where you are by the giant Walmart sign? Not immune to advertising. Turn off the TV when you hear the start of a jingle you remember and dislike? Not immune to advertising. Coworker drives a <brand> and you know because of the logo? Not immune to advertising. [1] https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/bed/total-advertising-expenditure/4118/ https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/bed/total-advertisin...

throwawayoldie 1y ago

There's a third possibility: collective action. It's easy to forget this, because the powers that be have been working hard for many decades to denigrate it.

miroljub 1y ago
Collective action needs to come from somewhere. In a nation of destroyed extended family, primary family, racial or national identity, with no religion, workers unions, or any other sense of community, where everyone is a snowflake individual, it's pretty impossible that a group of people will ever form a collective capable of doing any actions. Now, think about it why we were conditioned from the ground up to forefeit any connections with other people and basically bared of forming high trust communities.

pydry 1y ago

It's part of the american capitalist dynamic to protect capital by reframing systemic societal problems to be exclusively issues of personal responsibility. It's largely why Americans are so, so fat compared to other nations.

FirmwareBurner 1y ago
[flagged]
- throwaway7783 1y ago
  Please search for "food deserts"
- jodrellblank 1y ago
  because as we know, people are not influenced by society at all. Every man is an island. Marketing doesn't work. Lobbying doesn't work. Manipulation doesn't work. Nobody gets radicalised.
  - FirmwareBurner 1y ago
    [flagged]
    - jodrellblank 1y ago
      It does! > "The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising dramatically in children as well as in adults. Between 1975 and 2016, the prevalence of obesity in Europe rose 138%, with a 21% rise between 2006 and 2016.1 The prevalence of overweight rose by 51% between 1975 and 2016, and by 8% between 2006 and 2016. It is expected that by 2030, over half of Europe will live with obesity – up to 89% in some countries. No Member State is on track to reach the target of halting the rise in obesity by 2025" - https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/europes-obesity-statistics-figures-trends-rates-by-country https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/europes-obes... > "Once considered a high-income country problem, overweight is on the rise in low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, the number of overweight children under 5 years has increased by nearly 12.1% since 2000. Almost half of the children under 5 years who were overweight or living with obesity in 2024 lived in Asia." - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and... Americans are at the forefront of driving to the drive through for a McSuperSize meal, and wealthy enough to eat that every day. Mexico has an obesity crisis heavily driven by the Coca Cola company. > "The Rothschilds are using 5G to signal my brain that I must not stop until I reach the bottom of the XXL bag of Costco potato chips." Yes, there are no constant JustEat or Deliveroo or McDonalds adverts, no CocaCola adverts connecting Coke with Christmas and fun, no Pepsi adverts connecting Pepsi with attractive women draping themselves over sports cars, nothing. > "Edit: @jodrellblank damn, then I guess I stand corrected. Am I the only one immune to marketing then?" No, you're one of many people who believes they are immune to marketing. That $350Bn annual spend on advertising[1] in the USA is not there for a laugh. What's the betting you could answer a whole lot of questions like "which company had the 'why 1984 won't be like 1984' and 'think different'" adverts? Which fast food company has a clown as its mascot? Which fast food company has a southern Colonel as their mascot? Which drink was "the choice of a new generation"? Name an insurance company or a bank that you've heard of but never used? Name a shop you've heard of but never been to? Complete the jingle: "head-on, apply <...>"? If you were immune to advertising, you wouldn't be able to picture any company logo, signboard, complete any jingle, name any product or service or shop you hadn't researched or heard of from a friend. Drive past a dentist every day on your way to work and recognise their signboard because you've seen it before? Not immune to advertising. Recognise where you are by the giant Walmart sign? Not immune to advertising. Turn off the TV when you hear the start of a jingle you remember and dislike? Not immune to advertising. Coworker drives a <brand> and you know because of the logo? Not immune to advertising. [1] https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/bed/total-advertising-expenditure/4118/ https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/bed/total-advertisin...