4 ms·

I agree. Is the US still a democracy, or already an oligarchy?

by poszlem 6mo ago

drekipus 6mo ago
This is the point. You can't call yourself a democracy just because we can change the colour of the same bus every 3 to 4 years
hx8 6mo ago
The more we treat it like a democracy, the more democratic it is. The more we treat it like an oligarchy, the less democratic it is.
- poszlem 6mo ago
  Treating a rigged game as fair doesn't make it fair, it just makes you easier to beat.
  - JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
    > Treating a rigged game as fair doesn't make it fair, it just makes you easier to beat Not playing at all makes you easier to beat still. Anyone pining for civil war should vacation in a war zone first. It’s difficult to encapsulate the privilege of peace until it’s been lost.
    - poszlem 6mo ago
      Civil war or getting screwed by elites aren't the only two options. That's a false dichotomy.
      - JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
        > Civil war or getting screwed by elites aren't the only two options. That's a false dichotomy I completely agree. But political violence increasingly polarises the outcomes to those two. (The elites can buy gunmen faster than you or I can.) California has a referendum system. Get an AI measure on the ballot. Companies that are doing the things Anthropic got fired for refusing to provide are banned from doing business in the State of California. (Or with the State. Find a balance that gets the votes.)
    - fzeroracer 6mo ago
      What do you say to the people in Minneapolis demanding justice for the murder of Alex Pretti?
      - JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
        > What do you say to the people in Minneapolis demanding justice for the murder of Alex Pretti? Keep pushing your state investigators. Work to flip the House. And keep protesting and disrupting the browncoats. Alex Pretti did more to stop ICE than anyone e.g. killing an individual ICE agent would do.
        throwanem 6mo ago
        Brownshirts. I believe "browncoats" refers to a now-extinct space opera fandom from a few decades ago.
        hackable_sand 6mo ago
        Firefly?
        throwanem 6mo ago
        That's the one! Space oat opera, I suppose I should have said. Good grief, I wonder if it's held up. Oh, early Whedon, it's sure to have that "creepier than Tarantino" vibe at times, but maybe it'd be an interesting rewatch. Seeing a young Nathan Fillion is its own reward, certainly.
        SamLL 6mo ago
        I am a resident of the Twin Cities and I agree wholeheartedly with this perspective. I found reading the book Waging A Good War very educational about the deliberate, strategic use of nonviolence by the American Civil Rights Movement and its ultimate triumph as a means to win support and achieve social change. It was a clear and inspiring parallel for me during the worst times of this year so far.

I agree. Is the US still a democracy, or already an oligarchy?

by poszlem 6mo ago

I agree. Is the US still a democracy, or already an oligarchy?

This is the point. You can't call yourself a democracy just because we can change the colour of the same bus every 3 to 4 years

hx8 6mo ago

The more we treat it like a democracy, the more democratic it is. The more we treat it like an oligarchy, the less democratic it is.

poszlem 6mo ago
Treating a rigged game as fair doesn't make it fair, it just makes you easier to beat.
- JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
  > Treating a rigged game as fair doesn't make it fair, it just makes you easier to beat Not playing at all makes you easier to beat still. Anyone pining for civil war should vacation in a war zone first. It’s difficult to encapsulate the privilege of peace until it’s been lost.
  - poszlem 6mo ago
    Civil war or getting screwed by elites aren't the only two options. That's a false dichotomy.
    - JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
      > Civil war or getting screwed by elites aren't the only two options. That's a false dichotomy I completely agree. But political violence increasingly polarises the outcomes to those two. (The elites can buy gunmen faster than you or I can.) California has a referendum system. Get an AI measure on the ballot. Companies that are doing the things Anthropic got fired for refusing to provide are banned from doing business in the State of California. (Or with the State. Find a balance that gets the votes.)
  - fzeroracer 6mo ago
    What do you say to the people in Minneapolis demanding justice for the murder of Alex Pretti?
    - JumpCrisscross 6mo ago
      > What do you say to the people in Minneapolis demanding justice for the murder of Alex Pretti? Keep pushing your state investigators. Work to flip the House. And keep protesting and disrupting the browncoats. Alex Pretti did more to stop ICE than anyone e.g. killing an individual ICE agent would do.
      - throwanem 6mo ago
        Brownshirts. I believe "browncoats" refers to a now-extinct space opera fandom from a few decades ago.
        hackable_sand 6mo ago
        Firefly?
        throwanem 6mo ago
        That's the one! Space oat opera, I suppose I should have said. Good grief, I wonder if it's held up. Oh, early Whedon, it's sure to have that "creepier than Tarantino" vibe at times, but maybe it'd be an interesting rewatch. Seeing a young Nathan Fillion is its own reward, certainly.
      - SamLL 6mo ago
        I am a resident of the Twin Cities and I agree wholeheartedly with this perspective. I found reading the book Waging A Good War very educational about the deliberate, strategic use of nonviolence by the American Civil Rights Movement and its ultimate triumph as a means to win support and achieve social change. It was a clear and inspiring parallel for me during the worst times of this year so far.