Indeed - and I really hope it passes.

I thought about mentioning it in my previous comment. But basically, it’s another example that States hold most of the power. The States actually have the power to effectively replace the current system with a national popular vote if they choose.

Other examples are the IRV in Alaska and the district system in Maine and Nebraska.

Both elections exactly prove my point.

The federal system is set up to favor State power, which is why the US presidential election isn’t decided by popular vote. By design, Wyoming and California are considered equals in many respects.

It’s a bad system, but it’s very much entrenched in the constitution.

And it also requires critical mass. It’s basically impossible to enact meaningful change with a 50-55% majority. You need 60% or more to get big changes. And a majority of states.

A somewhat less pessimistic take: the system is set up to be self-stable.

And it was also designed so that States would have most of the power, not the Federal government.

At various points in history the common people did get benefits. New Deal. Universal suffrage. Civil rights. Abolition.

But it always requires a critical mass of the population to support change.

John Stewart always finds the best way to express what I’m feeling.

Regardless of the outcome, this election will go down as a shit stain on history.

I just hope the outcome doesn’t turn it into explosive diarrhea.

Unfortunate reality, but headline placement is quite OK.

The way the US political system works is that it really requires solid majorities to want something.

So it will take a long time where nothing seems to happen and then suddenly big changes can happen.

I remember back in the 90s, it seemed impossible to ever get a black president, gay marriage or legal marijuana.

Or look at student loans or universal healthcare. Not perfect, but steps have been made.

So yeah, I do think the USA will lag for a long time and then suddenly surprise us all.

Once the alternatives become more profitable, they will move to legislate in their favour.

Here in Europe, we already have billions in subsidies for wind and solar energy.

Will it go smoothly, or fast enough?

No, I think 3 degrees warming is basically inevitable at this point.

But it will happen, about five decades later than it should have happened.

Guess we will see in the next two decades.

There will always be winners and losers with any change.

Plantation owners definitely lost a lot of wealth due to the abolition of slavery, while the industrial tycoons gained a lot of wealth.

Switching away from fossil fuels will similarly benefit those who invest in the energy sources and technologies of the future, while shrinking the fortune of those dependent on fossil fuels.

Already, some forms of fossil energy are losing new investment.

For example, the high profile Keystone XL pipeline was never built, even though Trump approved it, because investors doubted its profit potential. Biden revoking the permit was mostly symbolic.

Now, I do otherwise agree with this more nuanced take of yours. Morality needs to be aligned with financial incentives in order to achieve change. That’s just how our current world works and I don’t see that basic mechanism changing.

So it makes more sense to focus on making fossil fuels less profitable, e.g. through taxation.

If you really think that wage slavery is comparable to being owned by a human, then you’re delusional.

Yes, slavery and child labour still exists. But if you think living in the US or China or India in 2024 is just as bad as 1850, then you are also delusional.

Some countries like Afghanistan or North Korea might be objectively worse, but those are a minority.

And yet, we managed to mostly abolish slavery and child labour in most countries.

It’s not going to be easy, but it can be done.

I remain pessimistic on the course this genocide is taking, but a UN resolution for peace that both the US and China voted for…

I didn’t expect to see this happen any time soon.

Exactly.

If the USA tried to again be a White/European ethnostate and allow anyone with Caucasian heritage to immigrate and barred everyone else from immigrating, then no one today would accept that.

And if they went full on apartheid and started putting natives and minorities in locked down ever-shrinking reservations, people would really lose their shit.

When white nationalists try to advocate for such policies, they are rightfully criticized for being racist.

I can never understand why Israel gets special treatment in that regard.

It’s unlikely that the details will be known before an agreement is reached.

But to your point, what really matters is whether the USA will force Israel to accept the proposal, or if the Israeli population protests harder against Netanyahu (but that’s unlikely to reach the required mass).

Netanyahu wants the war to continue and will not accept any deal, unless his hand is forced.

Anyway, Israel was telling people to flee Rafah. My local news says they are probably doing that to pressure Hamas by panicking the Gazan population.

So, no, I don’t think Israel will accept the deal.

If you can’t tell the difference between a limited number of well known examples and a statistical percentage, then perhaps you shouldn’t lecture others on thinking.

I am not a Jew, but I have to recognize that many of the people most fiercely standing up against Israeli human rights violations are Jews.

In the USA, Bernie Sanders, Robbert Reich and Chuck Schumer are three Jewish politicians that have been very consistent in their messaging.

I really don’t want to victim blame, but people really have to be careful when travelling.

Not every country is as liberal as the West.

Otto Warmbier

Brittany Griner

And now this guy.

The last natural, human, popular subreddit to arise on reddit was r/antiwork

After that, the site got swarmed by bots and censorship.

If you try and post something even remotely progressive in a popular subreddit, it will get deleted and you will probably get banned.

So, what’s the alternative?

The House just passed an aid package for Israel worth billions by an 86% majority.

Meaningful sanctions just aren’t in the cards.

Honestly, tokenism is a good place to start.

Realistically, there is no political majority in the USA to go further. The progressive caucus is only about 10% of the House.

That’s enough to have influence, but not enough to drive policy.

But over time, the movement grows.

Flying through Turkey, Dubai or Qatar would make any flight restrictions largely symbolic.