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
@dannotdaniel these actions were widely reported by established journalistic outfits, and integrated with even policies coming out of international organizations like the UN.
Kremlin propaganda? Why in the world would the Kremlin be promoting actions that hurt itself. It makes no sense.
@jalcine No, it's not controlling the relationships between everything, and it's vital to realize that not everything is about governance.
I don't have to ask permission to hang out with a friend. I don't have to ask permission to make a bit of art. And we should celebrate that politics does not enter into our personal lives like that.
To accept that politics controls the relationships between everything is to promote that very dangerous granting of power, that we don't have to grant, and that we should absolutely refuse to grant.
No, politicians don't have that power, and we should absolutely refuse to give them that power.
@OWHolmes I wonder what post you were responding to. At least here on my screen your post showed up without showing it as a reply.
Anyway, the vital detail here is in who gets to decide who has engaged in insurrection or rebellion.
It's one thing to say such a person can't hold office, but the practical mechanism is the rub. The actual procedure. Who gets to have that say?
@grrlscientist@mstdn.social The answer is really important: because for some reason Republicans want him to run.
This is Democracy for you. The people want it, so it happens. And it's really important to realize that because it shows that something is really broken with our institutions that so many people chose to nominate such a person to run for office.
This is a symptom of a deeper problem. And until we work on addressing that problem things aren't going to get better.
Trump is allowed to run for president because we have a system that respects that choice of the people. But boy, we really need to sort some things out so this doesn't happen in the future.
@User47 I mean it might be fun to hang out with him at a bar, but he's the kind of guy that seemed like he always wanted to be the center of attention but didn't really have anything of substance to offer.
So no, he would be derailing the actually interesting conversations of the other guests. It would be a bad balance to have his personality in there.
@tshirtman from blocked pipelines to strengthening relationships with other countries to take them farther from the Russian sphere of influence, this story that Trump sucked up to Putin the whole time is just a myth.
If you want to put it a different way, Trump's too damn stupid to even know how to have a consistent policy that would benefit Russia anyway.
But he certainly did not spend the whole presidency sucking up to Putin like so many claimed.
@GoldenRetrieverBF If your rice doesn't taste like anything, maybe get different rice.
I've got probably four or five different types of rice in my kitchen, and they all taste like different things.
@Laukidh just ignore the morons that can't mentally separate Elon from the company.
@Alarod@mstdn.social Republicans don't, though.
They decided to support him again.
@dannotdaniel but Trump's opposition to international agreements that would have benefited Russia suggests that that isn't the case, that it's kind of ridiculous sensationalism.
@dannotdaniel What in the world?
His record in office debunk conspiracy theories like that.
The funny thing is you're kind of right.
No, the US is not teetering on the edge of fascism. That's just not possible in the current circumstances. It's not possible under law, and it's not possible under the state of society that has a huge respect for the norms that prevent fascism.
So no, the US is not teetering on the edge of fascism.
But you are kind of right in that the news media has really dropped the ball and let an awful lot of people believe otherwise.
Your misguided belief that the US is teetering on the edge of fascism is due to the media misinforming you, spreading propaganda, spreading the perspective of certain political interests that want to take advantage of people like you, because they benefit from you believing such nonsense.
Yes, journalism in the US has been a disaster of late, and you are really illustrating that with your promotion of this nonsense that the US is on the verge of fascism.
It's not. That's a ridiculous conspiracy theory promoted by the media and trending on these platforms.
@jeffowski not at all!
I would never say both sides are the same. So I'm sorry you misunderstand that, and I'm happy to clarify.
No, that's not my position.
@europesays nukes Trump?
Trump supporters have long ago stopped caring about what Liz Cheney has to say.
There's no nuke here. Nothing new. We all know how she feels, and those who agree with her will continue to agree with her and those who disagree with her will continue to disagree with her.
She has burned her bridges a while back.
@jeffowski A problem is, both of the major US parties claim that the other party is the one one in violation of this stuff.
That's just Life in these modern times.
@jeffowski A problem is, both of the major US parties claim that the other party is the one one in violation of this stuff.
That's just Life in these modern times.
@dcdeejay I mean, a lot of people actually enjoy driving Teslas.
@JapanProf Well right that's the point.
Israel was tired of being bombed by the society of Gaza, so hopefully it won't be the same. Hopefully it will be peaceful. That's the whole point.
Whether that turns out or not is a different question.
@michelemccarthy honestly, I'm so annoyed that neither party managed to nominate somebody worth voting for. So I'm not surprised at all that people are simply not interested in voting.
Either party could have nominated someone worthwhile. Republicans just want a fight, and Democrats didn't bother going through the democratic process to find someone that the people wanted.
So screw 'em. Hopefully next time around they'll learn a lesson and nominate somebody worth going to the polls for.
The parties failed this time around. And we need to call them out for it.
@slcw Well one issue is that the the study says that increasing the costs of investment will lead to more of it.
That's kind of an extraordinary claim. It's kind of hard to believe.
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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