This is part of why, as much grief as it gets, the 4B movement is something that can plausibly gain traction. Because it doesn’t really require anyone “outing” themselves and thus putting themselves at risk, it can be done without coordination, leadership, and trust. Boycotts function on a similar premise.

They are a useful tool in some ways, but the issue is the relatively limited scope of what these sorts of efforts can accomplish.

Maybe charisma is their dump stat.

And right on cue, they admitted that the 30-day humanitarian aid deadline for Gaza was a lie. I mean we knew it was, since the deadline was conveniently after the election, but it was still an insult.

This was the last time i vote for a dem candidate. they pay mouth service to progressive policies, but at the end of the day, they do next to nothing for us.

I’m genuinely hoping (but not holding my breath) that this is a come to Jesus moment for the Democratic party and that they start actually representing the left side. They need to get it through their heads that trying to play the “lesser evil” isn’t going to work anymore. If they didn’t learn from this election, they will never learn. I’m expecting the latter, btw.

Totally fair

Where, if you don’t mind me asking?

Support from local and state governments does make a difference though. While federal agencies can still enforce these laws, local/state agencies could look the other way. Cannabis is still federally illegal, but some states have basically said “no thanks, we’re good as long as you stick to our rules on it.”

It comes down to how much state governments want to go to bat for their constituencies and how much the federal government wants to press the issue. All else being equal, I’d rather be in a state that stands up for my rights than one that doesn’t.

Especially Israel

Why? They rolled Iran’s proxies, and (if western media is to be believed) Iran itself has been shown to be a paper tiger. Their big ballistic missile attack was neutered, and the big air strike on their soil was reported to be very devastating to air defenses and missile construction.

So we have a situation of Schrodinger’s Iran. They are simultaneously super dangerous, and to quote Kamala Harris “Iran is greatest U.S. adversary.” Or they are no match for Israel’s superior technology and intelligence agencies.

This is why I’ve argued that technology, in terms of actual benefit for people, peaked many years ago. I won’t try to pinpoint a date, but we have past peak technology from this perspective.

After that peak, advancements in technology have mostly just served as means to control the population or extract more from us (see enshittification) and have not been of benefit to the average person.

Technology allows for actual hard power to be concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer. I don’t mean like a dictator with an army behind them, but a dictator and small group with enough tech to control everything. You are right, and it’s extremely concerning.

Translation: U.S. playing kingmaker in the Middle East

It’s good. And the decision to have (or not have) kids is one of the few forms of power that the general population has over those in charge. If people are being squeezed out financially or have no hope for the future (e.g. environmental collapse), they may choose to opt out of reproduction.

Time for Matt Miller to spew some more BS

Assist Israel?

They aren’t the ones who need the help.

Israel is declaring war on free speech.

United: “Fly the friendly skies”

The message specifically said it was due to the “unusually large tip”. They wanted me to confirm that it was intended.

If the article linked below is to be believed, the credit card company does indeed know how much of the transaction is a tip due to the way the transaction is processed. Note that this was at a full-service restaurant, not tipping at the counter for fast food or some other thing.

Consider when you pay with a credit card at a sit-down restaurant, they read the card first. Then you write in the tip on the receipt, meaning that they process this part later after the initial card reading. It is probably different with the tabletop self-checkout devices though.

https://www.quora.com/Why-do-tips-given-in-restaurants-never-show-on-credit-card-statements

I’ve had transactions flagged for (intentionally) leaving large tips before. These large tips were justified for various reasons, such as comped meals.

Could be the specific credit card company I use?

A 50% tip can get your credit card flagged as potentially fraudulent activity.

And tipping culture has creeped in both magnitude (i.e. 15% used to be standard, but now it’s the low end) and scope (e.g. tips prompts at fucking fast food places)

US is an accomplice, so of course they can’t admit to Israel violating international law.