boltsmag.org/cook-county-initi…
New Chicago Prosecutor Empowers Police to File More Charges Without Review - Bolts
In a predominantly Black area of Chicago, police can now directly file gun charges without a prosecutor’s approval. The new program rolls back a process that serves to check misconduct.Daniel Nichanian (Bolts)
The Origins of Dwarf Fortress - Dwarf Fortress Series (Episode One) | Noclip
In the first episode of this four-part series we explore the decisions that led a pair of brothers to embark on the development journey of a lifetime.
The future of the #USA:
#AOC with the #BernieSanders assist
15,000 just showed up at a rally in Tempe Arizona, where this picture was taken
#MAGA: eat shit and die
#nonvoters: show the fuck up you entitled privileged fuckwits
#centrist spineless #Democrats: shut the fuck up and fall in line
centrist #GOP archeological artifacts: what even the fuck are you, follow the centrist dems and keep your fucking mouth shut
ReneDamkot reshared this.
Police say 3 killed, 14 injured in shooting at park in Las Cruces, New Mexico
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/police-say-3-killed-14-injured-in-shooting-at-park-in-las-cruces-new-mexico?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Headlines @headlines-PBSNewsHour
Police say 3 killed, 14 injured in shooting at park in Las Cruces, New Mexico
At least three people were killed and 14 others were injured in a mass shooting at a park in the desert city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, police said Saturday.PBS News
Musk spews out yet more anti-trans bile in the wake of estranged daughter’s Teen Vogue interview
thepinknews.com/2025/03/21/elo…
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Musk spews out yet more anti-trans bile in the wake of estranged daughter’s Teen Vogue interview
Elon Musk spewed out anti-trans misinformation on the same day his estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson gave an interview to Teen Vogue.Chantelle Billson (PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news)
Y'all! Is that a *bong under Nicole's chin?
Via new "Nicole" bot @ mstdn.ro
Kitty Dukakis, former first lady of Massachusetts, has died
Kitty Dukakis was 88 years old.Matt Baskin (GBH)
Netflix Shows Off More Anime It Hopes You'll Like This Year
https://gizmodo.com/netflix-shows-off-more-anime-it-hopes-youll-like-this-year-2000579464?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into i09 @i09-Gizmodo
Netflix Shows Off More Anime It Hopes You'll Like This Year
From Devil May Cry to Sakamoto Days and Moonrise, Netflix is promising some big anime for the spring and summer.Justin Carter (Gizmodo)
At #ATmosphereConf
@boris (one of the organizers) is talking in front of the audience. (Boris and I are both from Vancouver.)
I see Fediverse people here. For example, @damon (of We Distribute fame) is sitting next to me.
#ATProto #ATProtocol #DeSo #Bluesky #bsky
Paul Frazee ( @pfrazee.com ):
Bluesky / ATProto lexicon almost was RDF — and would have been if Paul had more time.
Paul Frazee ( @pfrazee.com ):
Bluesky didn't use ActivityPub for 2 reasons —
№1:
Because of the identity issue.
Once you make a choice (of server) you are locked in.
You cannot migrate freely.
(Current Fediverse migration not good enough.)
№2:
The culture on the Fediverse at the time.
There was a culture on the Fediverse of being hostile towards global aggregators.
( @reiver note: AFAICT, this is a very small minority of hyper hostile individuals.)
Paul Frazee ( @pfrazee.com ):
Bluesky practical decentralization:
• cost reduction — cheaper relays
• AppView / self-hosted Bluesky — partial sync based on follow graph — can we reach $100 per month — build smarter sync engine — indiesky
• improve user-experience
• PLC governance — moving to separate legal entity
Paul Frazee ( @pfrazee.com ):
The worst thing we (Bluesky) did to people was request them to understand DNS.
For example — one time we had to explain DNS to Flavor Fav.
🙂
Paul Frazee ( @pfrazee.com ):
"What if we (Bluesky) did P2P with servers — I'll call that server-to-server."
Blaine Cook ( @blaine ) ( bsky.app/profile/blaine.bsky.s… ) mentioned that the new Raspberry Pi 5 has the same computing power as Twitter when it had 5 million users.
Paul Frazee ( @pfrazee.com ):
The 3 big efforts to try to re-decentralize the Web and Internet:
• blockchains <--- most money went here
• P2P
• federation
Paul Frazee ( @pfrazee.com ):
P2P has a lot problems.
For example — Creating a good comment section is extremely difficult if not impossible, with P2P
Blaine Cook ( @blaine ) ( bsky.app/profile/blaine.bsky.s… ) going from history of Telegram to the Telephone.
( @reiver note: My father was a Telecommunications Engineer. He was in the industry during both when it analog and digital eras. I heard A LOT about the physics, math, and technology of telephone technology. )
Paraphrasing Blaine Cook ( @blaine ) ( bsky.app/profile/blaine.bsky.s… ):
You could fix how Mastodon and the Fediverse uses WebFinger if WebFinger could point to multiple profiles.
It doesn't now. But it could.
#ATmosphereConf #FediDev #FediDevs #Fediverse #MastoDev #Mastodon
Blaine Cook ( @blaine ) ( bsky.app/profile/blaine.bsky.s… ) top priorities:
• moderation tools
• fixing the relay problem
• lexicons
• plus A LOT more
(This was a ATproto specific answer.)
Blaine Cook ( @blaine ) ( bsky.app/profile/blaine.bsky.s… ) quoting someone else:
"Be the media."
Blaine Cook ( @blaine ) ( bsky.app/profile/blaine.bsky.s… ) asked who knows the history of the telegraph.
( @reiver note: I do a bit. I learned Morse code as a young child — my father's sister's husband had me learn it.)
My paraphrase of something Blaine Cook ( @blaine ) ( bsky.app/profile/blaine.bsky.s… ) said:
The original idea of WebFinger was to separate your identity from the application and services you use.
Rather that bind then together (as on the Fediverse).
. @darius :
One problem with ActivityPub is that — it doesn't actually say anything about federation.
And, different Fediverse software does it differently.
. @blaine :
Bluesky and Fediverse are going to end up with very, very similar protocols, as they each fix their problems.
They are both already talking about bringing in things from the other.
. @darius :
Bluesky seems like it is getting an inbox / outbox style architecture — just like the Fediverse.
. @blaine :
Bluesky's plc.directory/ is just WebFinger [re-implemented].
![ActivityPub provides two layers:
A server to server federation protocol (so decentralized websites can share information)
[...]](https://social.trom.tf/photo/preview/640/23949312 "ActivityPub provides two layers:
A server to server federation protocol (so decentralized websites can share information)
[...]")
. @pfrazee.com mentioning that AWS will pull your account if you do not respond quick enough to copyright claims.
Even when the claims are BS claims from trolls.
Doesn't matter the time of the day or the day or the week.
Someone else mentioned this person who does a deep dive Threads payments to creators:
Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) • Threads – sag mehr
95.621 Follower • 0 Threads • tv writer, producer, actress, designer & lady who sings the leopards song. host of @fixitpod | for biz inquiries pls use franchesca.net. Sieh dir aktuelle Unterhaltungen...Threads
Someone said —
Decentralized social-media is also an opportunity to make a better advertising system.
Block bad advertisers. Allow good advertisers.
Someone pointing out that — even though it is popular to hate cryptocurrencies nowadays — there are some places in the world where a person's only practical option to receive an international payment is cryptocurrencies.
Using signatures to address deep-fake.
As evidence that, for example, a video actually came from a camera.
Now spark.social/ being discussed.
Another short-form video for Bluesky.
They have their on PDSes, relay, etc.
Also have their own lexicons.
Spark
Spark is a crowdfunding platform and more. Let's participate in something meaningful together.spark.social
Someone said:
The only reason YouTube gave such a good cut of ad revenue to creators is that — back in the day, they had competitors who were giving better cuts.
Same person:
Focus on the economics of the platform first — make it a viable sustainable platform — to attract a creator.
Same person —
Some people are making money on Threads.
Viral controversial content seems to make money.
Talking about using Blueskt social-graph to have content on day 1.
So, deal with the chicken-and-the-egg problem — of audience and content.
Someone asking about maybe there are content creators who don't want their post to go to all of Bluesky.
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) :
Remove technical barriers so regular people can use it.
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) :
You don't need 100 people to like you — you just need 10 people to love you. Build for them.
Moved over to 1 of the 3 unrecorded sessions.
(Will watch the recorded session later. Hopefully other post about the 2 other unrecorded sessions.)
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) and other build their own Bluesky PDS from scratch.
github.com/blacksky-algorithms…
And, and working on their own relay now.
.
GitHub - blacksky-algorithms/rsky: An AT Protocol implementation prioritizing community safety and self-governance, written in Rust.
An AT Protocol implementation prioritizing community safety and self-governance, written in Rust. - blacksky-algorithms/rskyGitHub
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) :
Build for the community you want to work with.
What others think does not matter — ignore them.
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) :
Blacksky is really a number of separate communities grouped together.
(Ex: blackademics.)
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) :
Decentralized Social-Media protocols have horse-less carriage syndrome —
People are trying to build things that look at lot like things in the past.
(But it doesn't have to. It can be something new.)
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) mentioned:
Bobby Lee Rush
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Ru…
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) :
Bluesky more geared towards 1B people sized communities.
Fediverse more geared towards 100K person sized communities.
Nothing in the middle for 1M people sized communities. (Blacksky is there.)
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) :
People don't want to be just stuck in one community. But also want access to other communities. And have access to the wider world.
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) :
Content moderation should be on a per community basis. How do you build tech to enable that?
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ):
CashApp not designed for mutual-aid, but it has been used for it.
A parallel for decentralized social-media, too. Can be used for things it is not designed for.
Rudy Fraser ( bsky.app/profile/rudyfraser.co… ) mentioned this article:
nytimes.com/2021/12/17/opinion…
Opinion | What’s Better Than Charity?
Mutual aid fulfills needs, but it also builds stronger, more resilient communities.Tressie McMillan Cottom (The New York Times)
Someone from the audience talking to @kissane about:
Sometimes, someone or some group who was at one time oppressed, later becomes the oppressor.
How do you go about identifying that, and addressing that in the systems you create.
. @kissane talked a bit about the history of the Black Panthers (in the U.S.) creating free medical clinics and free schools.
. @kissane notes & citations for her talk at:
(URL won't work at time of posting this, but should work later.)
ATConf - Erin Kissane's small internet website
This post annotates a talk I gave on March 23, 2025 at the first ATmosphere Conference in Seattle, working toward thinking together about bringing vulnerable people into the center of our work and building out viable vernacular institutions and econo…erinkissane.com
. @kissane was introduced as someone who is trying to get more software developers involved with journalism.
Things that affected @kissane 's perspective:
- Covid tracking project
- Fediverse governance research
- "Meta in Myanmar" incident report (Facebook related)
Talking to people who made dazzle.fm/
( bsky.app/profile/johnsabath.co… , bsky.app/profile/connerruhl.bs… , bsky.app/profile/attentionshop… )
They are all ex- StabilityAI.
It shows trending topics & articles based on data from the Bluesky firehose relay.
3 simultaneous tracks today. Only 1 recorded.
(A function of how popular the 1st day was.)
. @boris mentioning @darius fork of Mastodon — hometown.
github.com/hometown-fork/homet…
GitHub - hometown-fork/hometown: A supported fork of Mastodon that provides local posting and a wider range of content types.
A supported fork of Mastodon that provides local posting and a wider range of content types. - hometown-fork/hometownGitHub
Someone pointing out that —
When you have E2EE (end to end encryption) you have to do all the work on the client-side — since the client-side is the only one that can decrypt it.
( @reiver note: that isn't completely true — there are some encryption techniques that can allow certain operations on cyphertext.)
Someone pointing out that — MLS (Messaging Layer Security) would introduce centralization to Bluesky.
Some people arguing that Signal should make it so others can integrate them more easily.
So that Bluesky could use them for direct messaging (DMing).
From @boris :
This conference to kick of many working-groups and many special-interest-groups, that go off and do their thing.
Person from Germ Network (direct messaging) here.
@boris strongly encouraging them to be part of DM working group, for ATProto.
A number of questions about them.
Germ Network
Share what you want to, when you need to, on Germ DM. The only messenger with multiple profiles, no phone numbers, and end-to-end encryption.Germ Network
Staying in the unrecorded discussion rooms, since the talks are recorded (and I can watch it later).
Now on Private data. (New host. New topic.)
Private data versus Secret data
Private — you are ok with people knowing the information existing, but don't want them to know the value.
Secret — don't even want people to know the data exists.
From @boris :
Direct Message (DM) — private, only visible to the participants.
From @pfrazee.com :
Want end to end encryption (E2EE).
MLS (Messaging Layer Security) being talked about.
Proposed for DMs for Bluesky.
@pfrazee.com mentioned this during his talk.
@rabble mentioning that they have done tests of MLS on Nostr.
A person talking about — it is difficult to build a collaborative filtering (AI) because 3rd parties don't have enough data, that Bluesky company has.
Ex: what the person looked at, etc.
I guess I don't understand your point.
The spec mentions federation a few times, but mostly it is in fact describing how to implement federation, so most of the text is talking about lower-level objects.
Anyway, sounds like a fun event. Say hi to Blaine and Boris for me.
There is an insecurity in a lot of this, do people understand how they come across? You get this a lot with the #encryptionists
@darius I think the current best practice is to only use inclusion by ID for the `Announce` activity, for this very reason.
But I agree that the public-except-unpublished-denylist access mode is really hard to make work right.
I also think there are trade-offs between the efficiency of sending activities with lots of data, and the level of control when sending minimal activities. I have a long section about this in my book, but it might be good to include guidance in the Primer or the next AP.
Pooling capital and collaboration
Pooling capital and collaborationI'm using this phrase to talk about a foundational concept and approach to working together.Capital can of course mean money...Boris Mann's Homepage
. @darius :
It would be cool if a bunch of Bluesky PDSes started talking directly to each other.
. @blaine :
It is straightforward for Mastodon to become a Bluesky PDS.
It is straightforward for Bluesky to implement ActivityPub on top of a PDS.
. @blaine :
It would be a good idea to separate the engineering / architecture / technical discussion from the user-experience discussion — with respect to decentralized social-media.
. @boris :
At ATProto community will be following the bottom-up approach of the IETF, rather than the top-down approach of the W3C.
. @snarfed.org :
Bluesky has something similar to Fediverse FEP:
github.com/bluesky-social/prop…
GitHub - bluesky-social/proposals: Bluesky proposal discussions
Bluesky proposal discussions. Contribute to bluesky-social/proposals development by creating an account on GitHub.GitHub
Canada beats Korea in extra end, advances to final at curling worlds – Team Canada
STEPHEN FISHER / World Curling March 22, 2025 The defending champions have advanced to the gold medal game of the Women’s World Curling Championship as Canada, lead by skip Rachel Homan, edged out Korea 6-5 in 11 ends on Friday night to advance to th…BYTESEU (Bytes Europe)
Calderone, le rivelazioni sulla laurea scatenano le opposizioni: “Venga a chiarire”. Lei si smarca sui social
“Chiediamo al presidente Rizzetto la convocazione urgente della Commissione lavoro per audire la ministra Calderone e il Rettore dell’Università degli studi Link”. Così in una nota congiunta i deputati Arturo Scotto, Valentina Barzotti e Franco Mari,…
Calderone, le rivelazioni sulla laurea scatenano le opposizioni: “Venga a chiarire”
"Quanto agli esami sostenuti nel fine settimana, è la normalità in caso di corsi dedicati agli studenti-lavoratori", ha scritto sui social la ministra del Lavoro e delle politiche sociali.F. Q. (Il Fatto Quotidiano)
WikiLeaks on X: "CIA suppressed top officer James Jesus Angleton's connection to Israeli intelligence as shown by this newly unredacted JFK assassination records file.
Angleton had subverted JFK's policy of preventing Israel from acquiring nuclear weapons and was praised by Mossad head Meir Amit as "the biggest Zionist of them all". Angleton was also found to have hidden documents from the Warren Commission on the assassination of President Kennedy.
Shortly before he died, Angleton stated "The better you lied and the more you betrayed, the more likely you would be promoted... outside of their duplicity, the only thing they had in common was a desire for absolute power."
The file was previously "released" in 2017, 2018 and 2022 in redacted form.
#history #politics #US #Israel
xcancel.com/wikileaks/status/1…
alternativeto.net/news/2025/3/…
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •Sensitive content
@vor @rhempel @RegGuy
you sound like a communist!
(/s)
Scissors Cut Paper...
Unknown parent • • •Sensitive content
@rhempel @RegGuy
Yeah, they think "communist" is a slur, in the same way "bitch" or "motherfucker" is.
It has nothing to do with the meanings of any of the words. Since "communist" is a bad word, then so is "communism" and other forms of that word.
M.S. Bellows, Jr.
Unknown parent • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to M.S. Bellows, Jr. • • •@msbellows @aSweetGentleman @mls14 @RegGuy
and human rights?
the proper approach is to say both USA and Cuba suck
there's no need to champion Cuba merely because the USA sucks
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •Sensitive content
@vor @rhempel @RegGuy
pleased to meet you! reply guy here 😆
Scissors Cut Paper...
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Sensitive content
@rhempel @RegGuy
Well, actually... I'm a mansplainer
</s>
SouprMatt
Unknown parent • • •@CStamp @RobotDiver @RegGuy THIS^^^ So many people are STILL defending their choice to stay home or vote for some crazy 3rd-party candidate. Their excuse? “Both sides are bad.”
Imagine feeling so privileged that when Nazis start rounding people up, they assume they won’t be among those in the camps!
Even today, I saw comments that Obama is just as bad as Trump, or that Harris is just Republican-Lite. WTF?
If people cannot even admit that voting against Harris (or not voting) was an unquestionable MISTAKE… then we are well and truly f-ed.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Ericka Simone
in reply to SouprMatt • • •reshared this
Mastodon Migration reshared this.
M.S. Bellows, Jr.
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Mastodon Migration
in reply to Ericka Simone • • •@ErickaSimone @mls14 @CStamp @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Yup and sexist too. These guys don't even know they are doing it. It's just a 'vibe' they get.
AlgoCompSynth by znmeb 🇺🇦
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Ericka Simone • • •@ErickaSimone @mls14 @CStamp @RobotDiver @RegGuy
White people look at Trump and see themselves. They look at their black neighbors with similar struggles and concerns and they see "the other." And via this dynamic, the USA dies
Mastodon Migration reshared this.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •SouprMatt
in reply to Ericka Simone • • •@ErickaSimone @CStamp @RobotDiver @RegGuy This guy has like 8000 followers, and is posting attacks on Obama and Harris like this:
social.vivaldi.net/@mls14/1142…
SouprMatt (@mls14@vivaldi.net)
Vivaldi SocialEricka Simone
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •Ericka Simone
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
Unknown parent • • •@RegGuy
I think it's more complicated than that though, when you dig into it. I think, at least in Canada, we live under the delusion that we have a true democracy. We don't, but it doesn't mean I'm giving up my right to vote, because the alternative is even worse. Sheldon Wolin wrote a lot about it. Here I vote for the party least likely to ruin or unalive my friends and vulnerable people, but I know that none of them have my best interest at heart because they are all part of a network of corporate interest, because literally no one can make it to their places without wading into it. Dems are better than fascists, but if you are just voting or not voting, you are still allowing a broken system to govern you and not in any layperson's best interest.
I almost had hope for the lack of voter turnout the last election because it indicates some serious unrest and desire for change, but you can't just vote or not vote and then not do anything and that's the real problem. You eith
... show more@RegGuy
I think it's more complicated than that though, when you dig into it. I think, at least in Canada, we live under the delusion that we have a true democracy. We don't, but it doesn't mean I'm giving up my right to vote, because the alternative is even worse. Sheldon Wolin wrote a lot about it. Here I vote for the party least likely to ruin or unalive my friends and vulnerable people, but I know that none of them have my best interest at heart because they are all part of a network of corporate interest, because literally no one can make it to their places without wading into it. Dems are better than fascists, but if you are just voting or not voting, you are still allowing a broken system to govern you and not in any layperson's best interest.
I almost had hope for the lack of voter turnout the last election because it indicates some serious unrest and desire for change, but you can't just vote or not vote and then not do anything and that's the real problem. You either become an active participant in change and your governance or the monster eats you at the end of every choose your own adventure.
Paul Chernoff
Unknown parent • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •@RobotDiver @RegGuy
You have to vote
Always
Not voting just results in every concern you put forth getting worse
Voting gets you shit, but at least slightly better than before. And that is all you will ever get in this world, in any democracy that could ever exist
I would criticize your words by saying you think some outcome is possible that is never going to be possible
🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@RegGuy
and I would strongly suggest digging into some Wolin sometime.
🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Cuz even under Biden you guys were still losing your basic human rights.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •@RobotDiver @RegGuy
I dislike "go read this" comments because this is a social medium and you should be able to articulate a defense of your position in 2-3 sentences
Not voting gets you worse. Voting gets you better.
That is all you will ever get in this world
now and forever
in this democracy, that democracy, or any democratic form of govt you can possibly conceive of
there is no better deal
🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •@RobotDiver @RegGuy
Oh really?
And under Trump?
Better
Or worse
There is no better deal in this world and never will be
You need to pick better and iterate
No better deal is possible
Galad
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •fair but I'm not going to let anyone speak of any remote even theoretical value in not voting
I don't care how many volumes you bring forth, the way of not voting is straight to fascist hell, and I will never ever shut up about that
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •@RobotDiver @RegGuy
1,000% agreed
But there's a huge difference between attacking voting and attacking doing nothing but voting
Always clarify that
🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@RegGuy
I'm not speaking of any chance of not voting. I'm just saying if you want better you need to vote and then do more. There's no way around it.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@RegGuy
I figured we were probably on the same page.
🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@RegGuy
But seriously you might really love Wolin. It was like a breath of fresh air for me.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •@RobotDiver @RegGuy
This guy?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_…
American political philosopher (1922-2015)
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@RegGuy
Yup. Cornel West referred to him as the greatest political theorist of and for democracy of our time.
Solarbird
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@RobotDiver @RegGuy Also some see not voting as a principle thing whereas I see it as a refusal to accept responsibility thing.
Both choices are "bad" so you "aren't going to get your hands dirty" (legit quote) by voting for the one who will kill fewer people.
That's not principle, that's refusing to accept responsibility for even the simplest of functional choices, and if you're not willing to do take absolute least-effort action IN THE WORLD to change outcomes, I don't think you're willing to do a single goddamn other thing either.
...except energy-vampire everyone else in sight to keep _them_ from doing anything _either_, so that nothing gets done, and your inaction is validated.
#uspol #uspolitics #politics
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •@midgephoto @ErickaSimone @mls14 @CStamp @RobotDiver @RegGuy
one of the reasons the usa is currently dying under orange shitstain is because a black man was elected
the racist freakout is enormous
a fading echo
in reply to Ericka Simone • • •@ErickaSimone @mls14 @CStamp @RobotDiver @RegGuy
It looked as if the misogyny was a bit larger than the racism from over here.
Neither absent, but a black man was elected, and a white woman was rejected.
Poor decisions in each case.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Solarbird • • •@moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
not voting is entitlement and privilege
not as in bank account size, but in airhead alienation
to imagine oneself apart from the stakes and the consequences
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Scissors Cut Paper...
Unknown parent • • •@FranceskaMann @RegGuy
Suckitude is multidimensional.
It's possible to not suck in one dimension while sucking like a #BlackHole in others.
Generally, folks who are pro-current-Cuba, etc. are thinking one-dimensionally.
Good advice from one of my writing instructors: If you cannot legitimately cite cons with your pros, you don't know enough about the subject.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Scissors Cut Paper... • • •@vor @FranceskaMann @RegGuy
a lot of it is also "the usa sucks so i'll champion cuba"
like, yes, the usa sucks. but so does cuba
you don't have to take geopolitical sides, you have to take sides based on principles. and by doing that, you wind up opposing the usa and cuba
Truth ✓
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Very long in depth some may say almost like a dead horse being beat
Elected officials taking an Oath should be held accountable for their actions
People not Voting What weak victory by blaming them 😂🫵🏽😂. Voting for old white peoples is as bad
Bsan3
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Amoshias
Unknown parent • • •@RobotDiver @RegGuy so you're not behind her because she doesn't agree with every single policy preference you have ever?
Jesus effing christ.
I hope you enjoy your Nazi regime. I hope you're not one of the people who winds up slaughtered by it!
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Truth ✓ • • •just say out loud you don't give a shit about trans rights, climate change, etc
it shows your true feelings more accurately
because what you wrote is what is called a moronic cop out, for the sake of your precious precious feelings
you certainly don't give a shit. just be honest and say so
btw, genius, i think trump's opponent was kamala harris. pretty weird to call her an old white person
nonvoters are fucking morons and helped get us trump
Orry
Unknown parent • • •Stargeezer Smith
Unknown parent • • •@zakalwe @RegGuy @RobotDiver
The Dem Congressmen are having difficulty leading the charge against authoritarianism. Like with most fields, Congress is full of mediocre members. It's easy to be a Congressman (or anything else) when the waters of your profession are calm.
It isn't calm now, it's extremely turbulent. But those who can lead us through this will rise to the top. Schumer won't be one of those. Walz, Bernie Sanders, and AOC are showing their leadership zeal and courage. Governor Pritzker seems to be making a move. There will be others hopefully.
Those who cannot or will not provide leadership will hopefully at least fall enthusiastically behind those who are leading.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Orry • • •Robot Diver:
would you admit that #trollfarm #psyop from #maga or internationally lies and falsely depicts #AOC's record to suppress the #left #vote?
if you do, please don't buy that manipulation anymore
most importantly:
there is a metric shitton of that lying psyop on AOC coming
absolutely nobody thinks AOC is perfect
there is no hero worship here, that's what maga morons do
understand the game of lies to elicit #toxicIdealism to suppress the vote
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Deb Nam-Krane HAS MOVED
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Deb Nam-Krane HAS MOVED • • •@dnkboston @IndieGoblin @RobotDiver @RegGuy
no
me being on a romance pulp fiction book cover in ecstatic love and adulation of a political candidate is my standard to turn out and vote
(i'm joking but that's pretty much maga)
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •@jawarajabbi
i have an alternative take:
take some punches for the team because people like schumer will tank us
don't be offended, and understand why i'm punching
Deb Nam-Krane HAS MOVED
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Truth ✓
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Seriously. My friend we are here because blaming everyone and everything except the people who’s Job
We are here because of weakness Years of Politicians on both sides enriching themselves first
People are fine letting others starve as long as they are fed Letting others suffer as long as they are comfortable
No we are here because like everything else it’s easier to kick the can down the
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Truth ✓ • • •we are here because of a racist bigoted cult of morons on the right driving us to fascism with glee
and a bunch of fucking assholes who couldn't be bothered to turn out to vote
whose fault is it they didn't turn out to vote?
their own
"People are fine letting others starve as long as they are fed"
exactly
"yay! starving kids! lol" for maga
and "my fridge is full, who cares if trump cuts school lunches, i can't be bothered to vote" for nonvoters
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Carolyn
in reply to Solarbird • • •Truth ✓
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
By the way don’t put words in my mouth 🏴☠️🫵🏽
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Truth ✓ • • •@jm101 @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
don't defend nonvoters. they are fucking morons and you will hear me say far worse if you continue to defend these useless pieces of shit
the only terms of this interaction for me with you right now is "why the fuck does this person not understand nonvoters are stupid pieces of shit helping us get to fascism"
don't get me wrong, enemy number one is maga
Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE
in reply to Solarbird • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE • • •@TimWardCam @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
people love to pretend their simple fucking indolence is some sort of high minded stand
it's fucking embarrassing
M.S. Bellows, Jr.
in reply to Solarbird • • •@moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
"The lesser of two evils" = LESS FUCKING EVIL.
HOW HARD IS IT TO VOTE FOR LESS FUCKING EVIL?
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to M.S. Bellows, Jr. • • •@msbellows @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
"Those who choose the lesser evil forget quickly that they chose evil."
- Hannah Arendt
"No, not like that you fucking airheads, the other option is Trump."
- also Hannah Arendt (probably)
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
JustKathy
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@jm101 @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Although, I wonder how many of those "nonvoters" actually didn't vote, and how many of them voted but the election judge was paid to lose their votes.
GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺
Unknown parent • • •Nonvoters don't deserve democracy.
@moira @benroyce @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to JustKathy • • •And another important point:
Many are disenfranchised
Not in 10 billion years do I hold anything against anyone who can't vote legally, easily, or has any social, financial or physical situation that prevents them from voting
I'm specifically referring to those fucking shitwits who can easily vote and simply chose not to
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •@RaymondPierreL3 @TimWardCam @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
I don't have a single thing against people who *can't* vote. It's people can but *won't* whom I absolutely despise
Because yes, as the last half of your comment says, we have to show the fuck up to extend voting rights
RaymondPierreL3
in reply to Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE • • •@TimWardCam @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Okay, some are lazy f… but some are legally/illegally disenfranchised in ways that are hard/impossible to overcome (take the US for example). In some countries this amounts to a sham democracy.
If the system isn’t working for the electorate, it’s up to the electorate to vote people in who will change it (US should vote for Bernie Sanders and his allies in the midterms and keep them in for a couple of POTUS Administrations to turn the clusterfuck around IMO)
Andrew
in reply to 🍂🌬️Robot Diver🌊☃️ • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Andrew • • •@fletch @RobotDiver @RegGuy
What point is it that you think you are making
Ericka Simone
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •Ericka Simone
in reply to a fading echo • • •@midgephoto @mls14 @CStamp @RobotDiver @RegGuy Half White half African man was elected. White woman was technically elected but lost the electoral. Half Desi half Black woman could not pull popular or electoral.
And don’t let them tell you it was Palestine either. Bullshit. Palestine has been an issue since the second war of Gaza 1899. To blame a black woman for an ongoing genocide she walked into? Misogynoir.
reshared this
Mastodon Migration reshared this.
Andrew
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Andrew • • •@fletch @RobotDiver @RegGuy
You have ranked choice voting, what you call preferential voting. This is like nirvana to me, an American, stuck in this two party shit. You can vote your conscience freely without concern for dreary strategy, you aren't forced to choose between only two different flavors of shit
Do you not understand your own fucking voting system?
It's ironic you complain about bourgeoisie and yet the content of your "concerns" is clueless privilege
Steven Heywood
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@RobotDiver @RegGuy
During a particularly unpleasant period I had a management team that kicked projects into the long grass by not responding to emails and refusing to have meetings to discuss the work, the idea being that they could claim no responsibility for outcomes or problems but still expected things to happen in the specified timescales and claimed the right to give a good kicking for not achieving unspecified perfections. Eventually I ended every email to them with the words: "Please bear in mind that not making a decision is a decision unto itself and will be documented as such." I would say the same about not voting, if you choose not to make a decision you live with that decision.
Under first past the post not voting doesn't mean you don't like either of the available options, it means you're okay with either of them. People tend not to realise or aren't told that under FPTP you aren't voting for what you want, you're voting against what you most don't want.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •@jargoggles @RegGuy 😆
Tom Morello as in RATM?
Jargoggles
Unknown parent • • •@RegGuy
"...my family lost *EVERYTHING* to Socialism in Cuba."
By itself, that tells us absolutely nothing. Context is critically important here.
Batista lost everything to socialism, too. So what? Fuck him.
Jargoggles
in reply to Jargoggles • • •For example...
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴♂️📷 🗺️
in reply to M.S. Bellows, Jr. • • •@msbellows @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Some people find it hard to vote for less evil because it still means voting for evil. I am not going to criticize anyone for example refusing to vote for a genocide enabling administration. I am also not going to criticize anyone voting for lessor evil. Both can be principled positions.
Andrew
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Solarbird
in reply to Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴♂️📷 🗺️ • • •@the5thColumnist @msbellows @RobotDiver @RegGuy When "refusing to vote for a genocide enabling administration" means "helping an administration that wants that genocide ramped up AND TO START THREE MORE," then yeah, I will ABSOLUTELY criticise that non-vote. 100% of the time. And did. Because you're literally helping start more genocides.
People who had that position can pretend they were taking a "principled position against genocide" but when that position STARTS MORE GENOCIDES, it's a goddamn filthy lie.
Kevin LaRose, Ho Ho Hum
in reply to Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE • • •franebleu
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Andrew • • •@fletch @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Yes, America sucks. And Australia is better. But Australia will become more like the USA if more Australians are like you because you're a spoiled whiny child. You are the bourgeoisie. I don't care how much money you have in your account, I see in your words the same indolent entitled whiny cluelessness as I see in Americans around me who gave us this shit
Allow this stupid American to educate you on YOUR OWN voting system, genius:
youtu.be/bleyX4oMCgM
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •@the5thColumnist @msbellows @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
every single democracy that ever existed, and ever will, will be a choice between the lesser of two evils
because everyone has dirt on them and is imperfect in some way
i don't understand you
you believe magic perfect candidate is going to step out of the heavens?
even then they'll be attacked and dragged through the mud and someone will call them the lesser of two evils
M.S. Bellows, Jr.
in reply to Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴♂️📷 🗺️ • • •@the5thColumnist @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Respectfully (really!):
No, voting and not voting aren't both "principled positions."
Gangrene sucks. Amputation sucks, but not as much as gangrene. Refusing to perform an amputation because everyone deserves to be whole = letting someone die because you are too "principled" to support the lesser of two evils.
Less evil is LESS EVIL.
Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴♂️📷 🗺️
in reply to M.S. Bellows, Jr. • • •@msbellows @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
My comments had nothing to do with not voting, just with people not voting for evil and choosing something else, refusing to be compelled to choose between two evils. Not to say under certain circumstance abstentions could not be out of principle.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •then i'll have the last word
nonvoters have no principles
they are assholes and morons
and they deserve to be attacked like maga for helping get us trump
which they don't know, because they're morons, or they don't care, because they're assholes
again, getting trump in the white house is the only real world effect of nonvoters' "principles"
this isn't a fucking philosophical discussion
this is the real fucking world
Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴♂️📷 🗺️
Unknown parent • • •@pixelpusher220 @msbellows @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Read carefully people. Saying I will not attack people for taking a certain position based on their principles (not necessarily mine) is not saying I agree with that position.
No more comments from me on this discussion.
Pusher of Pixels
in reply to Richard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴♂️📷 🗺️ • • •@the5thColumnist @msbellows @moira @RobotDiver @RegGuy if you aren't going to criticize someone enabling a 2nd Trump term....I will LOUDLY criticize you and your perverse logic.
Sorry, please name which POTUS in the last 50 years wouldn't have done at least as much as Biden did to support Israel after the attack and during the genocide. I'll wait.
Bssr4 (TЯ☭M₽ )
Unknown parent • • •@CStamp @RobotDiver @RegGuy
Republican vigilante voter roll suppression did that.
Andrew
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Andrew • • •@fletch @RobotDiver @RegGuy
i need to apologize to you
i assumed i was dealing with someone coherent
i see you're drinking with the flies
Andrew
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Andrew • • •i enjoyed that
but if you want to insult someone effectively you need to be relevant to the topic at hand
you tried, i appreciate that
remember the issue here is that australia has preferential voting. so you are not stuck with two parties like the usa
in reply you have a go at foolishness and nazi enabling. the issue is you don't even understand your own fucking voting system- but you can't defend that. it's ignorance that, drum roll please, enables nazis
Andrew
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Andrew • • •@fletch @RobotDiver @RegGuy
😆
see i like this. this is great stuff. you think you're angering me. but i agree with you the usa fucking sucks
so you're tone deaf. you don't understand what hits and what does not hit
let me give you an example of a hit:
you're australian and you don't even fucking know what preferential voting is and why you're not chained to two parties
now you reply with more entertaining "usa sucks" variations
🍿 🍿 🍿
and please do! i enjoy it
Andrew
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Andrew • • •hey sweetie snookums:
did you watch the video from the juice media? i conveniently linked it for you above darling
go ahead now sunshine
you know, the juice media
have you ever heard of them?
do you know where they are from precious?
so how embarrassing is it exactly to have a fucking yank educate you on your own fucking voting system?