***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[Mark Antony]

Santos one of the illest scammers ever.

 

[Girl Thats Jules]

Among those technologies was the popularization of the radio, the birth of mass communication and propaganda, and the lack of policy guard rails when it came to broadcasters and their duty to the truth.

Now, let's look at the cellphone, the rise of social media platforms, the inability of our legislators to comprehend this new medium and protect against the potential for mis/disinformation.

We're not in good shape here.



I thought Girl Thats Jules would find this funny too...

I didn't see it, I only check the thread every now and then.

 

[rexanglorum]

Are you calling Israel an extension of the US empire? They're not exactly jumping when Biden says "jump." In fact, they're sitting down and asking us what we're going to do about it. They ****ed up our normalization process with Iran (the nuclear deal) and killed our citizens without triggering diplomatic incidents.
That's not the behavior of a vassal state.

Regarding the Columbia protests:

https://www.reddit.com/r/news/s/t4kyHaCLFe

I really liked this comment because it encapsulates why protest movements need strong leadership. Liberation movements get co-opted ALL the time, and it's very important be able to close ranks and self-police BEFORE the police and fact spinners show up. It is just as important to understand the limits of free speech and the consequences of going beyond what's allowed during a protest.

People want to emulate the civil rights and anti-apartheid movements without realizing that they were extremely well disciplined movements whose members were aware of the lines of no-return and were coached on how not to cross them.

Israel gets that latitude because Christian Zionists who hold disproportionate power at the federal level give them that latitude.

And are we really going to take Biden’s public statements at face value? How much can one privately “fume” until they cut off the aid that makes the Gaza genocide possible (or at least, it keeps Israeli casualties at a low enough level to make the genocide in Gaza politically feasible).

Also keep in mind, vassal =/= puppet state. France is a vassal state, Canada is a vassal state, Turkey is a vassal state, Germany is a vassal state. They all are sovereign but they are all under the petro-dollar imperium’s protection.

Each relationship is unique in terms of what is exchanged but it’s a stretch IMO to talk about Israel like it’s some rogue, hermit kingdom like North Korea.

man i hope there is ceasefire soon
LA's mayor was in DC i believe and is flying back to LA to hopefully find a solution the protests on the LA campus's are getting out of hand

Anything short of cutting off aid and forcing unfettered flow of international aid into Gaza is not going to diffuse this situation here in the US.

 

[rexanglorum]

Self proclaimed “adults in the room” are helping to spreading conspiracy theories about paid protesters.



Kids, this is your brain, on Zionism.

 

[MakeNTGreatAgain]

real nasty behavior from these politicians
eric adams seems like a joke in particular

 

[IATT]

 

[IATT]

 

[rexanglorum]

Senior Democrat calls for arrests of ‘leftwing fascists’ urging Gaza ceasefire | Democrats | The Guardian

Congressman Adam Smith says ‘totalitarian’ protesters are ‘trying to silence anyone who dares to disagree with them’

amp.theguardian.com

When it comes to Israel, we kinda do have a uni party.

 

[mplsdunk]

Tf is left wing fascism?

Yeah it’s nuts watching liberals take a pro “war” stance lately but we can’t even really call it a war.

Fund Ukraine, cool understandable

Fund Israel/give weapons to Israel to do the same thing Russia is doing to Ukraine, also cool?

What kind of sick game is this. I mean I get it protect MIC at all costs but when does it stop?

 

[me love nutella]

Israel gets that latitude because Christian Zionists who hold disproportionate power at the federal level give them that latitude.

And are we really going to take Biden’s public statements at face value? How much can one privately “fume” until they cut off the aid that makes the Gaza genocide possible (or at least, it keeps Israeli casualties at a low enough level to make the genocide in Gaza politically feasible).

Also keep in mind, vassal =/= puppet state. France is a vassal state, Canada is a vassal state, Turkey is a vassal state, Germany is a vassal state. They all are sovereign but they are all under the petro-dollar imperium’s protection.

Each relationship is unique in terms of what is exchanged but it’s a stretch IMO to talk about Israel like it’s some rogue, hermit kingdom like North Korea.




Anything short of cutting off aid and forcing unfettered flow of international aid into Gaza is not going to diffuse this situation here in the US.

You hit it on the head regarding Israel as a geopolitical/military outpost for the U.S. of A.

Not sure this tweet was shared on here in last few posts, but great insight into how the U.S. is working behind the scenes and analysis on their next steps;


The full article version of this post: https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2024-04-30/israel-us-plan-gaza/

 

[MakeNTGreatAgain]

 

[frink85]

If I was a student who didn’t have the time to sit in a tent all day and trying to study for finals, I’d be pissed

 

[rexanglorum]

If I was a student who didn’t have the time to sit in a tent all day and trying to study for finals, I’d be pissed

Some were studying in those tents during the day so they may be alright for finals. Otherwise though, I do feel for the students whose lives are disrupted by all of this. Not everyone can or should be a revolutionary.

I think its a good time to remember that if you see the struggle for socialism and liberation as a cool lifestyle choice, you are doing it wrong. Ideally, we'd already all be liberated and the fruits of the Earth shared equitably by all. Although it is just a small thing among the uncountable benefits of a such a liberated world, a guaranteed, quite, and peaceful learning environment for these kids (I say with all due affection) would be one of them. Socialism, liberation, these are chores, but chores that need to be seen through.

 

[rexanglorum]

50 years from now, every zoomer will claim that they were here.

 

[frink85]

Some were studying in those tents during the day so they may be alright for finals. Otherwise though, I do feel for the students whose lives are disrupted by all of this. Not everyone can or should be a revolutionary.

I think its a good time to remember that if you see the struggle for socialism and liberation as a cool lifestyle choice, you are doing it wrong. Ideally, we'd already all be liberated and the fruits of the Earth shared equitably by all. Although it is just a small thing among the uncountable benefits of a such a liberated world, a guaranteed, quite, and peaceful learning environment for these kids (I say with all due affection) would be one of them. Socialism, liberation, these are chores, but chores that need to be seen through.

There's clips/stories out there of both protestors and campus security blocking entrances/walkways, not the mention the overall chaos and danger in the area. And the buildings in the vicinity (including their main library) are closed indefinitely. There's student workers not getting paid in the meantime. If it was just a detour that's whatever.

I have sympathy for oppressed people everywhere, but at the same time I'm a privileged selfish AH human who needed the quiet and peace of the library. During finals week I was in there from noon until close (the libraries at UCR only had extended hours during finals smh).

 

[rexanglorum]

There's clips/stories out there of both protestors and campus security blocking entrances/walkways, not the mention the overall chaos and danger in the area. And the buildings in the vicinity (including their main library) are closed indefinitely. There's student workers not getting paid in the meantime.

I have sympathy for oppressed people everywhere, but at the same time I'm a privileged selfish AH human who needed the quiet and peace of the library. During finals week I was in there from noon until close (the libraries at UCR only had extended hours during finals smh).

That's F'd up, libraries should be open 24/7 through like April 1st, even if the vast majority won't show up until a few days before finals.

I'm one of the few examples of privilege and nepotism maybe actually making things marginally better. I was a pretty lousy undergrad who underperformed my potential but I still got into a pretty good grad school program and I sorta grew up and did fairly well. If I were an Econ professor at UCLA and my students were locked out of the library before finals week, I'd just give them an A, if I knew they were already getting the material. That would especially be true if I could have them in my office for a bit and I could chat with them and they showed general understanding of what I'd taught in my classes.

If they are bluffing, they'll get exposed in grad school. If they aren't, I'd hate to be the reason why a brilliant mind was denied access.

 

[IATT]

 

[rexanglorum]

WTF is ABC7 playing Progressive EDM?

 

[MakeNTGreatAgain]

WTF is ABC7 playing Progressive EDM?

brother them lapd officers want to protect themselves they don't wanna lay down for the blue line anymore
hopefully this forces ucla to divest from the scum of israel

 

[rexanglorum]

brother them lapd officers want to protect themselves they don't wanna lay down for the blue line anymore
hopefully this forces ucla to divest from the scum of israel

Somehow, the most important couple of acres in World politics RN sits in the Southland, and it's in the most silly and unserious bit of the United States. A real paradox.

 

[MakeNTGreatAgain]

Somehow, the most important couple of acres in World politics RN sits in the Southland, and it's in the most silly and unserious bit of the United States. A real paradox.

very interesting

UCLA don't play

 

[IATT]

 

[IATT]

 

[me love nutella]

There's clips/stories out there of both protestors and campus security blocking entrances/walkways, not the mention the overall chaos and danger in the area. And the buildings in the vicinity (including their main library) are closed indefinitely. There's student workers not getting paid in the meantime. If it was just a detour that's whatever.

I have sympathy for oppressed people everywhere, but at the same time I'm a privileged selfish AH human who needed the quiet and peace of the library. During finals week I was in there from noon until close (the libraries at UCR only had extended hours during finals smh).

So then there's contradicting information.

I read from the protesters at the encampment that they're not blocking anyone from attending university or classes. They just don't let anyone in at the encampment and have to vet you.

Is the library purposefully blocked or the uni closed it off due to what they consider for safety reasons?

 

[frink85]

So then there's contradicting information.

I read from the protesters at the encampment that they're not blocking anyone from attending university or classes. They just don't let anyone in at the encampment and have to vet you.

Is the library purposefully blocked or the uni closed it off due to what they consider for safety reasons?

Conflicting isn’t surprising given the tensions. There’s a clip going around of one guy getting blocked from entering a public area but the rumor is he’s instigating so it’s the Wild West out here. As I see more updates/clips some of them contradict earlier info.

Pro-Palestinian encampment blocks UCLA students from entering library during midterms

It's the sixth day of the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA's quad. It's also crunch time for midterms and some students are being blocked from entering certain parts of campus, including Powell Library.

www.cbsnews.com

From what I’ve read the school cancelled classes and closed up the buildings. Collateral damage I suppose but if I’m a student paying tuition or working on campus I’m mad.

UCLA cancels all classes after violent overnight melee on campus

Witnesses said police officers did not respond to the campus until early Wednesday morning despite the violence clash that went on for a couple of hours.

www.nbclosangeles.com