What position or opinion have you changed your mind on, and why?

[Deleted member 114266]

Maybe you just aren't experienced with the world, Scorpio. Would explain quite a few quirks of yours.

I remember being naive enough to think capitalism was fair. Then I stopped being 14.

Some additional insight into the world for you, most countries with "Democratic Republic" in their name are anything but.

Who ever taught you that capitalism was fair? It's not and never was, but it's still the best system out there. Go live elsewhere under the other systems you seem to talk up and see if you are still as free as you are today.

Have you looked at America with it's for profit industrial prison complex that contracts convicted felons to work for often times less than a dollar a day while they profit off the rest of the labor?

I have, and what else do you propose we do with inmates? The average across the US to incarcerate one inmate for a year is $31,307, though New York runs between $50-60,000. Inmates are a burden on society first by causing harm for their initial crime, and then the ongoing upkeep. The criminal justice reforms keeping people out of prison don't seem to be working as people arrested and then released go on to commit additional crimes.

Have you looked into America's form of debt backed capitalism that causes people to be born already indebted to the state, forcing them to work as early as possible to start paying for things they should already have the right to acquire?

What about these government backed corporations that enforce ridiculous rules and regulations and provide terrible workplace atmospheres while still paying barely above local living wages and entrapping workers into a never ending cycle of working themselves to death to pay off debt and barely making ends meet?

None of that seems like modern day slavery under a capitalist regime?

What right does one man have to the sweat of the brow of another? And no that doesn't sound like slavery. No one is forcing you to do any one job.

Your ability to feel that shows how insulated from true hardship. And you haven't experienced true slavery where another person is fully owned and controlled by another while being made out to be subhuman.

You could always join a hippie commune with other like-minded people. Just don't be an asshole like Bernie Sanders who reported was always there at mealtime, but was nowhere to be found when there was work to do.

I grew up thinking America and religion, Christianity in particular, were sacred things, worthy of admiration and loyalty. It's indoctrinated throughout America's terrible education system, standing for the flag and reciting pointless half hymns as early as kindergarten. I grew up in a cult, often on the fringes of "acceptable" society, that severely scrutinized who was desirable and who wasn't, and unsurprisingly enough, many who were not straight white males and their clearly dominated all white families were shunned, in the name of politics and religion.

These concepts are clearly born from greed and hunger for power. I've personally seen more Christian white backed institutions perform strict inclusion than any institution backed by people of another faith, ethnic background, or religious ideals. Growing up thinking that America and it's strong Christian overtones were a god send has caused me to take years to realize things like self worth (which was annihilated within my cult), solidarity, compassion, and open mindedness.

This country is equal parts on a rise and a downfall; I almost fear what the eventual fallout and crumble of this society will look like.

So Mormon? Did you keep any of the magic underwear?

Looking at past empires the US's dominant position is at a point where historically it would decline. But the world has changed, the US would decline slightly and then just level out and go on for hundreds of more years rather than being a failed state. We could also be headed to another civil war where some states want to leave the union.

Try to prepare yourself and your family for whatever tomorrow may bring. Educate yourself in both knowledge and use skills allowing you to build, repair, and create things. This would allow you into other groups if the country broke down into a series of numerous enclaves.

Go take a yearly one-week trip out into nature without electronics. Unplugging will both cleanse your soul and put things into perspective helping you figure out what stuff actually does and doesn't matter. It will also keep you trained to navigate a societal fall.

 

[SyphenFreht]

I have, and what else do you propose we do with inmates? The average across the US to incarcerate one inmate for a year is $31,307, though New York runs between $50-60,000. Inmates are a burden on society first by causing harm for their initial crime, and then the ongoing upkeep. The criminal justice reforms keeping people out of prison don't seem to be working as people arrested and then released go on to commit additional crimes.

Rehabilitation, not an excuse for cheap labor. The way the inmates are treated in that aspect is basically child labor/sweatshops. Although, I guess that's to be expected when you design a prison system around grooming repeat offenders so you can continue profiting off of them. That's why housing inmates cost so much; they go for the highest bidder so they can make a profit. It's like capitalism, but with modern slavery.

What right does one man have to the sweat of the brow of another? And no that doesn't sound like slavery. No one is forcing you to do any one job.

Your ability to feel that shows how insulated from true hardship. And you haven't experienced true slavery where another person is fully owned and controlled by another while being made out to be subhuman.

You could always join a hippie commune with other like-minded people. Just don't be an asshole like Bernie Sanders who reported was always there at mealtime, but was nowhere to be found when there was work to do.

No one might be forcing you to do said job, but there are many things a job can do to make you feel trapped, especially if the local standard of living is suppressing through having higher living costs and frequent turnover rates. And education? That's almost non-existent anymore.

We're not arguing true slavery, are we? The term used was "modernized"

So Mormon? Did you keep any of the magic underwear?

Looking at past empires the US's dominant position is at a point where historically it would decline. But the world has changed, the US would decline slightly and then just level out and go on for hundreds of more years rather than being a failed state. We could also be headed to another civil war where some states want to leave the union.

Try to prepare yourself and your family for whatever tomorrow may bring. Educate yourself in both knowledge and use skills allowing you to build, repair, and create things. This would allow you into other groups if the country broke down into a series of numerous enclaves.

Go take a yearly one-week trip out into nature without electronics. Unplugging will both cleanse your soul and put things into perspective helping you figure out what stuff actually does and doesn't matter. It will also keep you trained to navigate a societal fall.

Ew, no. Thank God I wasn't raised Mormon.

I frequently do go on nature walks and put up tech boundaries. The emergence and evolution of tech over the years has taught people to only care about themselves, and too much of it desensitizes the soul and creates unwavering opinions based upon falsified idealogies.

 

[The Catboy]

Last year I was reminded of a post I made several years back. The post read, "Genderfluid isn't real, it's just women trying to get attention." Years later, I realized just how much of a cope that really was and I've since come out as genderfluid.

 

[LainaGabranth]

Last year I was reminded of a post I made several years back. The post read, "Genderfluid isn't real, it's just women trying to get attention." Years later, I realized just how much of a cope that really was and I've since come out as genderfluid.

based and gender abolitionistpilled. I was the biggest transphobe imaginable, and now I am, instead, the most loudly trans person in the world.

Mark Twain had a quote I don't remember, something about how the worst loneliness is not being able to love yourself or some shit. It's quite true!

 

[The Catboy]

based and gender abolitionistpilled. I was the biggest transphobe imaginable, and now I am, instead, the most loudly trans person in the world.

Mark Twain had a quote I don't remember, something about how the worst loneliness is not being able to love yourself or some shit. It's quite true!

I was a bit of a radfem and Tankie in high school. I really believed trans women were just performative men trying to prey on women and trans men were just broken women. I believed they weren’t worth respecting. But times makes fools of all of us and we eventually grow up. Eventually, I realized my transphobia was based on garbage logic and junk science. I also eventually realized that it was just a cope because I couldn’t accept myself as trans.
I am happy to have figured myself out, even if that means it comes with a mess of words. I think it’s better that I have some many terms to best describe me these days. I am a happy little masc genderfluid catboy. I am also happy little Anarcho-Communist that finally realized that Authoritarians aren’t allies and aren’t worth trying to make peace with.

 

[LainaGabranth]

Oh no, you have become my rival. I am a socdem.

I'm sorry, Catboy. We must duel to determine the successor of our ideologies.

 

[The Catboy]

Oh no, you have become my rival. I am a socdem.

I'm sorry, Catboy. We must duel to determine the successor of our ideologies.

I am very smol and very cute, best you gonna get is a

 

[LainaGabranth]

I am very smol and very cute, best you gonna get is a

I am tall, loud, and goth. I challenge you to a duel in Guilty Gear XX Accent Core + R featuring Rollback Netcode and Sol Badguy from the Guilty Gear series.

 

[The Catboy]

I am tall, loud, and goth. I challenge you to a duel in Guilty Gear XX Accent Core + R featuring Rollback Netcode and Sol Badguy from the Guilty Gear series.

Hear me out~ I am smol and bad at fighting game

(I am literally 5’4)

 

[Deleted member 586536]

Hear me out~ I am smol and bad at fighting game

(I am literally 5’4)

but... dem small hurtboxes tho. You win if your opponent can't hit you

 

[The Catboy]

but... dem small hurtboxes tho. You win if your opponent can't hit you

Yooo! I didn’t consider that idea!

 

[Dakitten]

I used to think that everyone had the same basic capacity for reasoning, empathy, and justice, but then I joined this forum! Gods help us all!

Some additional insight into the world for you, most countries with "Democratic Republic" in their name are anything but.

Who ever taught you that capitalism was fair? It's not and never was, but it's still the best system out there. Go live elsewhere under the other systems you seem to talk up and see if you are still as free as you are today.

So... the only form of government you recognize as good enough is something you see as unfair by design? And you're just cool with this? Sounds like somebody is suffering from a lack of empathy for those less fortunate and boomerish "Got mine f u"-itis.

I have, and what else do you propose we do with inmates? The average across the US to incarcerate one inmate for a year is $31,307, though New York runs between $50-60,000. Inmates are a burden on society first by causing harm for their initial crime, and then the ongoing upkeep. The criminal justice reforms keeping people out of prison don't seem to be working as people arrested and then released go on to commit additional crimes.

This just hurts to read. In other countries, they pay less and have fewer repeat offenders BECAUSE of criminal justice reforms we want but don't have. The problem is our safety nets, work release programs, lack of mental services for the incarcerated, and the deadly stigma of being a former inmate when trying to rebuild one's life.

What right does one man have to the sweat of the brow of another? And no that doesn't sound like slavery. No one is forcing you to do any one job.

Your ability to feel that shows how insulated from true hardship. And you haven't experienced true slavery where another person is fully owned and controlled by another while being made out to be subhuman.

You're kinda dumb if you can't understand he wasn't talking about LITERAL CHAINS AND LASHES SLAVERY when he was discussing the theft of value from the masses. Folk might not be envying Kunta Kinte as they watch 30 minutes of Roots on dvd in their rathole apartment they can barely afford at night between jobs, but the number of people who can never even hope to join the middle class let alone dig themselves out of debts is growing quickly and spoiler alert! There's enough resources to go around but the rich don't care to share and don't work near as hard to monopolize their markets. It isn't theft from one's hands but the manipulation of capitalism to accumulate stunning levels of wealth in few hands just for having a bigger share in the first place that is the theft he's talking about, but I guess economics is obviously a concept you aren't able to grasp considering your reply.

You could always join a hippie commune with other like-minded people. Just don't be an asshole like Bernie Sanders who reported was always there at mealtime, but was nowhere to be found when there was work to do.

Land isn't free. Travel isn't free. Love is free but you've gotta find time between work to get it and people have less time every year as they struggle in the same jobs as their parents yet can barely afford the basic essentials. Also... wtf are you on about with Bernie?

So Mormon? Did you keep any of the magic underwear?

Looking at past empires the US's dominant position is at a point where historically it would decline. But the world has changed, the US would decline slightly and then just level out and go on for hundreds of more years rather than being a failed state. We could also be headed to another civil war where some states want to leave the union.

Try to prepare yourself and your family for whatever tomorrow may bring. Educate yourself in both knowledge and use skills allowing you to build, repair, and create things. This would allow you into other groups if the country broke down into a series of numerous enclaves.

Go take a yearly one-week trip out into nature without electronics. Unplugging will both cleanse your soul and put things into perspective helping you figure out what stuff actually does and doesn't matter. It will also keep you trained to navigate a societal fall.

Wait, is the US going to go into Civil War or just decline slightly? You can't have your cake and doom it too, its either doing better or not... if you'd like my opinion, there was a cool poll some beautiful individual threw up on these boards not too long ago that asked the patrons here about it! =3

I would encourage you to educate yourself, use your skills and experiences to better your communities now so they're more resilient should anything bad ever happen, and welcome any chance to include those outside your usual comfort zone to participate so as to broaden your horizons and expectations!

but... dem small hurtboxes tho. You win if your opponent can't hit you

Osnap, Catboy was built for Danmaku?

 

[LainaGabranth]

When capitalists say they have no empathy and that the whole world should revolve around their system of apathetic suffering, it's kind of a self report on their part, not an actual understanding of human nature.

 

[FAST6191]

Leaving aside that it is probably a strawman there. So care about yourself, your partner, your children, your family, your tribe to lesser and lesser degrees (some might leapfrog one or two places depending) and after that biology gets a bit meh that is someone else's problem?
That is pretty much all non sociopathic (which seems to be a fairly fixed percentage) human nature, can shortcut it to a lesser degree with some kind of parasocial relationship and appeals to signalled good for low investment cost* (see most advertising for charities and model they run in said same).

*nobody other than demented old people give all their money away to charities while alive/still needing it and risk bankruptcy there, few more attempt some kind of non profit** and go pop accordingly and were not necessarily the sanest/paragons of logic and reason themselves. To say nothing of some places being able to call such things in for the purposes of tax avoidance.

**think my favourite recently was some would be lawyer was attempting to pass the background checks required for that (character and fitness being the usual US term) and it became apparent she had oodles of student debt (go America) but was planning on some kind of non profit/serving the community career that would never have paid it off (ye boring and basic law firm salary would have though). She consequently failed as pointedly not paying back your debts despite ready capability to do so is an immoral act.

 

[Xzi]

As I got older, I came to fully respect and back the blue. They do an absolutely thankless job, they are subject to massive unjustified hate and scorn, and would be the first people to actually come save someone if they needed help.

Gross. Their "thankless" job gets them all sorts of free shit and bootlickers constantly thanking them for their "service." The hate and scorn is absolutely justified from the thousand people they kill yearly while playing judge jury and executioner, not to mention roughly three times as many murdered pets. And if you honestly believe cops prevent crime you need to re-watch the Uvalde footage. They're trained to respond to crimes AFTER they've been committed, and that's all.

My position on police actually flipped the other way around, I'm pretty sure I even went through a phase where I wanted to be a cop when I was little. Then as a teen I learned that they're mostly high school dropouts, and 40% admit to being domestic abusers. The more you research the history of police in the US, the worse it gets. It's a job tailor made almost exclusively for narcissists and sociopaths, the good cops get fired for reporting the bad ones.

 

[Windaga]

That experience and age equate to wisdom and knowledge. I come from a very authoritative, hierarchal household and culture - elders were to be blindly respected. I legitimately grew up thinking adults always knew what was best, and that the older generations were always to be respected.

Then I started working with children, and by extension, their parents. Imagine my surprise when I realized that adults are literally just older children. I've been doing this for almost 14 years now, yet every semester, there's always that one stand out case with a parent or guardian that really makes me question how the hell we've made it this far.

 

[SG854]

I supported more conservative beliefs then supported more left wing beliefs and a little more center

 

[TraderPatTX]

Totally and if every Millionaire in the world donated the small amount of say £10 or the equivalent for each country then poverty would be a thing of the past. The £10 would make zero difference to the Millionaire they probably make that in less than 10 seconds from interest from thier bank account and it would make a huge difference to all the poor homeless people of the world.

Free money does not make poor people not poor. Also, forced charity is not charity. That's why despite all of the social programs in the US and UK, we still have a huge homeless problem. Here in the US, it is only getting worse.

Being homeless is a state of mind more than anything. Chris Gardner was homeless as a single father and he changed his circumstances and became a millionaire as depicted in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith.

 

[TraderPatTX]

Have you looked at America with it's for profit industrial prison complex that contracts convicted felons to work for often times less than a dollar a day while they profit off the rest of the labor?

Have you looked into America's form of debt backed capitalism that causes people to be born already indebted to the state, forcing them to work as early as possible to start paying for things they should already have the right to acquire?

What about these government backed corporations that enforce ridiculous rules and regulations and provide terrible workplace atmospheres while still paying barely above local living wages and entrapping workers into a never ending cycle of working themselves to death to pay off debt and barely making ends meet?

None of that seems like modern day slavery under a capitalist regime?

I grew up thinking America and religion, Christianity in particular, were sacred things, worthy of admiration and loyalty. It's indoctrinated throughout America's terrible education system, standing for the flag and reciting pointless half hymns as early as kindergarten. I grew up in a cult, often on the fringes of "acceptable" society, that severely scrutinized who was desirable and who wasn't, and unsurprisingly enough, many who were not straight white males and their clearly dominated all white families were shunned, in the name of politics and religion.

These concepts are clearly born from greed and hunger for power. I've personally seen more Christian white backed institutions perform strict inclusion than any institution backed by people of another faith, ethnic background, or religious ideals. Growing up thinking that America and it's strong Christian overtones were a god send has caused me to take years to realize things like self worth (which was annihilated within my cult), solidarity, compassion, and open mindedness.

This country is equal parts on a rise and a downfall; I almost fear what the eventual fallout and crumble of this society will look like.

Have you looked into how the current Vice President kept people in jail past their sentences for the free labor or how the 1994 Crime Bill incarcerated a record number of black men for free labor? The prison system is one of the few areas that should not have been privatized. That was a huge mistake that we let slip right past us when many of us were still asleep.

Have you looked into how the central banking system, not capitalism, has made us all debt slaves?

I agree. Amazon is a horrible leftwing corporation.

I agree, our education system is one of the worse. More than 160 teachers have been indicted on child sex abuse charges.

The "elites" are in a downward spiral. The People are on the rise. As it should be. We are waking up globally.

 

[AncientBoi]

A Top. Because I'm tired of being a Bottom.