volkris @volkris@qoto.org
I think the most pressing and fundamental problem of the day is that people lack a practically effective means of sorting out questions of fact in the larger world. We can hardly begin to discuss ways of addressing reality if we can't agree what reality even is, after all.
The institutions that have served this role in the past have dropped the ball, so the next best solution is talking to each other, particularly to those who disagree, to sort out conflicting claims.
Unfortunately, far too many actively oppose this, leaving all opposing claims untested. It's very regressive.
So that's my hobby, striving to understanding the arguments of all sides at least because it's interesting to see how mythologies are formed but also because maybe through that process we can all have our beliefs tested.
But if nothing else, social media platforms like this are chances to vent frustrations that on so many issues both sides are obviously wrong ;)
Joined Dec 2022
Part of fixing the problem is being clear about it. It's unhelpful to talk about the weakness of journalism in the country as if the trouble came from the outside.
Journalists did this to themselves through decades of hewing to norms that undermined their profession.
Promoting billionaires' personal agendas vs promoting their own personal agendas... the public doesn't much care WHOSE agenda is being promoted, they turn away either way, and unfortunately that's where the institutions went.
This is just the all-too-predictable result of the generational trend that shows no sign of breaking.
How do you figure?
In my book that might give him too much credit. In his later years Graham seemed strongly committed to really dumb ideas.
Too many don't understand that in the US Senate the majority and minority leaders don't actually have THAT much power. Instead, they've come to serve as scapegoats, distractions that allow senators to escape accountability.
Senators get to stand in front of the cameras to blame the leaders for their own inaction. They COULD move to take votes, but they'd rather not, and the public eats up the drama.
It's a win-win, though: the leaders get to claim influence in return for absorbing the damage. But it's all a farce that misleads voters. We all lose.
It's funny that this #McConnell stuff continues that sad pantomime. From a hospital bed he's STILL providing a distraction and helping let senators off the hook.
To be clear, this purports to correct back executive overreach. This is the president handing back power that he doesn't believe he has.
Elected lawmakers didn't pass a law clearly permitting the president to engage in this regulation of the public. The executive claimed the power, and under now-discredited ideas about how the government works the Supreme Court allowed the expansion of authority.
If Congress wants the environment so regulated it should pass a law saying so.
https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-14195.pdf
@V64OTD do you believe congresspeople weren't actually elected?
It's critical to see the difference between America and the American administration. Under the structure of the US government they are not the same, which is different from how other countries are designed.
American is fairly trustworthy once the whole government is onboard, once something is implemented in treaty. But, without something ilke that, it's only a handshake agreement with once branch, without the whole country involved.
From the Paris accord through the JPCOA other countries seem to miss that.
Meh. Often enough taxation just tweaks which of the rich people are getting richer at which rate, all while interfering with hiring of people at the bottom.
My impression is that #Mastodon developers have a history of being pretty explicitly uncaring about the health of #Fediverse or anything else outside of their personal views on how their piece of software should operate.
When they've been so hostile to their own users who would expect them to care about other users elsewhere on Fediverse?
Don't jump to the conclusion that because some acts are likely corrupt, therefore all are.
Don't overlook the possibility that there is no plan, and Trump's just once again thrashing about at random, as he has so often.
People often strain to find theories about what the guy is doing when really he seems to be acting at random even against his own interests.
Occam's Razor.
Careful, as this goes into accepting that norm, leaning into basic dignity being contingent on the language, handing the man that power.
::shrug:: Americans elected and generally reelected the legislators.
In the end it all comes down to who Americans elect and reelect, so they should probably start electing better lawmakers.
Or not. Their choice. Yay democracy!
It's unfortunate that opposition to Trump didn't focus on his impotence like this in the runup to the election.
I, for one, criticized that at the time, and the guy might not have been reelected had this stuff been the focus.
It's not so much that they allowed Texas as much as it allowed the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to critique what it saw as errors in the district court's ruling.
This is an appellate process working its way through.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/070626zr_g3bi.pdf
It's not so much that they allowed Texas as much as it allowed the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to critique what it saw as errors in the district court's ruling.
This is an appellate process working its way through.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/070626zr_g3bi.pdf
He could only be removed if the Senate at large would condone the removal.
That's exactly my point: the majority and minority leaders don't actually have that much power. They're largely figureheads as other senators point fingers to duck blame for what they themselves hold the power to fix.
For instance, if McConnell wanted to punish a Republican Senator who wanted to vote to confirm Garland, and he was one of 51 senators who wanted to have that vote, then the 51 could override any attempt by McConnell to exact such a punishment.
But in reality, there wasn't such support for a vote among the senators, and they'd rather score political points grousing about McConnell than owning that they simply didn't find the nominee compelling.
Almost. The feature enabling externalizing isn't internal but external. Government laws and customers' cooperation enable the corporation. Society enables the corporation.
So it doesn't have within it, but it will naturally take what's provided to it.
You're giving the guy too much credit.
McConnell didn't do much to prevent Obama from putting Garland on the SCOTUS. He didn't have that authority, and more importantly, he wasn't that influential.
If Senators wanted to move forward with Obama's nominee they would have regardless of whether McConnell wanted to or not. We shouldn't let them deflect accountability by pointing at majority leaders.
never was
No, that wouldn't change a thing here as it leans into the key questions about what equality, rights, and sex means.
It would just double down on the decision and restate the status quo.
I think the most pressing and fundamental problem of the day is that people lack a practically effective means of sorting out questions of fact in the larger world. We can hardly begin to discuss ways of addressing reality if we can't agree what reality even is, after all.
The institutions that have served this role in the past have dropped the ball, so the next best solution is talking to each other, particularly to those who disagree, to sort out conflicting claims.
Unfortunately, far too many actively oppose this, leaving all opposing claims untested. It's very regressive.
So that's my hobby, striving to understanding the arguments of all sides at least because it's interesting to see how mythologies are formed but also because maybe through that process we can all have our beliefs tested.
But if nothing else, social media platforms like this are chances to vent frustrations that on so many issues both sides are obviously wrong ;)
Joined Dec 2022
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