Sir Napsalot
Well-Known Member
My resolve is not affected by the arbitrary assignment of numbers
i don't know- i was thinking more of a bow tie rather than *boutonniere; you know your wardrobe better than i.I am resolving to decrease my cynicism.
Cynicism kills democracies. They fall when they fail to adequately govern. I believe cynicism in to populace is what makes it impossible.
My lower brain functions say: "we're fucked. Democracy will fail in many countries very soon and the totalitarian countries will hold sway for the rest of my life.
But I'm really going to make an effort to intervene on my thought proccess and think about the wonderful future that we're capable of creating if we get over this shit. I'm gonna cover my office walls with inspiring motivational posters. I'm going to start wearing a boutineer.
I know that one person can only do so much. I know that every day I will likely overhear chitchat that will painfully remind me that we are probably fucked.
But I won't care as much. I'll think of the good people all over the world who are feeling the same way and just hope we can rally in the second half.
It's going to get better.
If they don't save their republic, Canada won't be a safe place, but most likely subject to invasion, in any case we won't have our democracy for long, if they lose theirs. From what I can see it's gonna be a near run thing in 2022 and hopefully between 1/6 and Donald going down the democrats can cling to and even increase their power. There are a lot of senate seats up for grabs in 2022 and 2/3 of them are republican, whole states can't be gerrymandered and it looks good for the democrats. They do need to pass laws on vote counting and voter rights though, if they want to win in 2022. Also there are a half dozen, or more, republican congress people involved in the insurrection. It might not matter to their gerrymandered voters that they are traitors, but perhaps it might make a difference in the larger picture.I’m with Baldrick. Isn’t there a saying about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?
Move to Canada if you can, Baldrick. Maybe your republic isn’t worth saving.
Invasion from the US? Doubt it.If they don't save their republic, Canada won't be a safe place, but most likely subject to invasion, in any case we won't have our democracy for long, if they lose theirs.
I dunno about other places, but another Trump or worse would represent an existential threat to our democracy. Totalitarians always view democracies as a threat to them. They shit on our healthcare system and republicans view it as a threat, because it is held up as an example of what is possible. We've seen the same phenomena under Trump, American's saying Canada is what America should have been and it is a dangerous example for them. Don't expect logic, decency, or common sense from these people, expect aggression. The UK or Europe having their democracies intact won't do us much good if America loses it's democracy. We might not be invaded directly, but we will end up like the Ukraine and Russia, only in worse shape than the Ukraine. India is caught up in religious based idiocy, much like America and it is warping democracy there too.Invasion from the US? Doubt it.
Would Great Britain and India lose their democracy too?
We are still part of the commonwealth and an invasion of Canada would be considered an invasion of GB.I dunno about other places, but another Trump or worse would represent an existential threat to our democracy. Totalitarians always view democracies as a threat to them. They shit on our healthcare system and republicans view it as a threat, because it is held up as an example of what is possible. We've seen the same phenomena under Trump, American's saying Canada is what America should have been and it is a dangerous example for them. Don't expect logic, decency, or common sense from these people, expect aggression. The UK or Europe having their democracies intact won't do us much good if America loses it's democracy. We might not be invaded directly, but we will end up like the Ukraine and Russia, only in worse shape than the Ukraine. India is caught up in religious based idiocy, much like America and it is warping democracy there too.
the future. we'll be sending these to Mars..AI will be running the printers.a base on the moon to begin with, set up solar smelters, "tow" asteroids high in iron, sulfur, copper, diamonds for inductrial use, to your smelter and get some of the purest metals ever, no oxidization, no chemical reactions to air...that's pretty much limitless building resources
I view it as a remote possibility, if things go off the rails down south. As for the commonwealth, that would mean nothing, the UK will be in no position to help, but it would be the end of NATO. However if the worst would happen, it would have a pernicious effect on democratic institutions world wide, including Canada. We don't need to be invaded, just subjected to enough bullshit coming across the border and shoved down our throats. There ain't much we or other countries can do about YouTube and American based social media, regulating it and hate media in America is essential for their survival and the health of other democracies. Democracies depend on an informed electorate, not on a misinformed one, or one where the population is whipped into a frenzy causing it to go tribal and turn on minorities.In the shit ton of things to worry about in the coming years, that is way down on my list.
The hate media and misinformation campaigns don’t work as well in Canada because the population is generally more informed. Comparing the national vaccination rates presents a striking contrast and further demonstrates the difference between the two countries.I view it as a remote possibility, if things go off the rails down south. As for the commonwealth, that would mean nothing, the UK will be in no position to help, but it would be the end of NATO. However if the worst would happen, it would have a pernicious effect on democratic institutions world wide, including Canada. We don't need to be invaded, just subjected to enough bullshit coming across the border and shoved down our throats. There ain't much we or other countries can do about YouTube and American based social media, regulating it and hate media in America is essential for their survival and the health of other democracies. Democracies depend on an informed electorate, not on a misinformed one, or one where the population is whipped into a frenzy causing it to go tribal and turn on minorities.
Might be a cynical take, but don’t get too comfortable in thinking all your Canadian brethren are immune to the misinfo craziness. Judging from what some other Canadians have posted about attitudes in their locales, it sounds like some of the rural areas in Canada are pretty similar in eagerly swallowing the misinfo koolaid that has afflicted large swaths of the US.The hate media and misinformation campaigns don’t work as well in Canada because the population is generally more informed. Comparing the national vaccination rates presents a striking contrast and further demonstrates the difference between the two countries.
Hate media like Fox and OAN exist because there is a market for it. I don’t believe there Is a viable market for that in Canada.
We have it here too and it can grow a market for itself, this stuff is a threat to all multicultural societies and especially for Canada and the USA. We don't have the historical baggage the Americans do, but Europe and other countries are feeling the social effects of globalization. Multi ethnic countries like India are also particularly vulnerable and Hindu ethnic nationalism has taken root there too. For instance radio was used by the Nazi's to spread hate and set the stage for genocide, in Rwanda radio directly incited genocide and directed it.The hate media and misinformation campaigns don’t work as well in Canada because the population is generally more informed. Comparing the national vaccination rates presents a striking contrast and further demonstrates the difference between the two countries.
Hate media like Fox and OAN exist because there is a market for it. I don’t believe there Is a viable market for that in Canada.
The planet doesn't shrug anything off. It just is. Life on this planet is always recovering from the last disaster. We are the disaster that life will be recovering from after we are gone.the planet will shrug off whatever we do to it, short of full scale nuclear war...what we're really talking about is destroying our niche in the environment (as well as a lot of innocent animals as well)...
I agree. Smugness unintended.Might be a cynical take, but don’t get too comfortable in thinking all your Canadian brethren are immune to the misinfo craziness. Judging from what some other Canadians have posted about attitudes in their locales, it sounds like some of the rural areas in Canada are pretty similar in eagerly swallowing the misinfo koolaid that has afflicted large swaths of the US.
Americans for sure have the larger numbers of conspiracy and misinformation acolytes, but that shit is gaining traction world wide. Social media is an insidious force everywhere and way too many people don’t think critically about what they read online.
They don't have the history cotton plantation slavery and the society it created like we do in the US. That southern plantation society is still part of the US culture. Very authoritarian and reactionary against change.Might be a cynical take, but don’t get too comfortable in thinking all your Canadian brethren are immune to the misinfo craziness. Judging from what some other Canadians have posted about attitudes in their locales, it sounds like some of the rural areas in Canada are pretty similar in eagerly swallowing the misinfo koolaid that has afflicted large swaths of the US.
Americans for sure have the larger numbers of conspiracy and misinformation acolytes, but that shit is gaining traction world wide. Social media is an insidious force everywhere and way too many people don’t think critically about what they read online.
India's democracy is in peril. Worse than the US.Invasion from the US? Doubt it.
Would Great Britain and India lose their democracy too?
I’m guessing/hoping that 200 years from now, we will be living in the inner solar system but not on a planet or even moon. Earth will be slowly cleaned up and returned to a wild condition, as befits its major “purpose” which is to evolve the next sapience. We will need to take our wild humans with us, probably against their will. Planets are cradles. Adults live in deep space. Why they are so very quiet worries me.The planet doesn't shrug anything off. It just is. Life on this planet is always recovering from the last disaster. We are the disaster that life will be recovering from after we are gone.
Not certain that will happen. I'm skeptical.
That sounds like Pixar’s Wall-E.I’m guessing/hoping that 200 years from now, we will be living in the inner solar system but not on a planet or even moon. Earth will be slowly cleaned up and returned to a wild condition, as befits its major “purpose” which is to evolve the next sapience. We will need to take our wild humans with us, probably against their will. Planets are cradles. Adults live in deep space. Why they are so very quiet worries me.