Contrary to the pretty lies we like to say here in the US, “There’s help if you need it/you matter/don’t be afraid to get help” There are no meaningful resources to help those not attached to meaningful capital, and seeking help will almost certainly leave you with more problems than you started with.
And if you’re a man, you’ll also be ridiculed for it.
We made a society that works against itself to the point that we eagerly send the biggest losers out to die of exposure under a freeway, of course screaming “time out please I give up I need help” isn’t going to end well for you.
I wish at the very least we could be honest with ourselves and cut out the patronizing, cutesy lies that we say to absolve ourselves of the guilt of our society’s cruelty.
I agree with the first paragraph as my own experience with a much-needed year of therapy left me in debt
I disagree with the second sentence entirely. Even my very conservative father supported me going. There’s tons of terrible men in this country but we need to stop perpetuating the myth that every man in the US has a fratboy mentality.
There are no meaningful resources to help those not attached to meaningful capital
This is not true. I received lots of free counseling and psychologist treatment when I was on medi-cal, both as a child and as an adult. You do need to seek it out to receive it.
Medi-Cal is the state of California's Medicaid implementation. It is only available to residents of California and even within the state, its usefulness varies widely.
That’s true, but other states have their own versions of the program, with similar coverage. I’m sure there are differences, but I don’t know the extent of the differences. I would like to think that they’re minor, since it’s a federally funded program, but who knows. States like Texas seem to always circumvent my expectations.
I’m sure there are differences, but I don’t know the extent of the differences. I would like to think that they’re minor, since it’s a federally funded program, but who knows.
Coverage has improved in most states since 2020, but few states try to implement Medicaid as comprehensively as California, and several implement it as minimally as possible without violating federal law.
Well that’s super disappointing to hear. I grew up poor and on welfare, but I was always able to get medical care and counseling because of that program. Every state in the nation should offer that to people who need it.
Yeah, Medi-Cal has a ton of problems (like paying healthcare providers way less than they earn from every other insurance plan) and its county-by-county administration is a bit wonky, but it has been a boon to me as well.
Yes, they definitely pay less and are a pain for doctors to deal with. As a result, we were never able to see any of the best doctors, since they just refused to accept medi-cal. But I was always able to get treatment. I would have been SOL without it as a kid, because I was always getting injured due to sports and adrenaline seeking.
Yall call this civilization? We might have spaceships and cellphones, however we can’t help but crush some strangers head with a rock and take all their shit. It’s just now its through the economic system or the justice system.
What the fuck, this article never even told me what the one weird trick was! Oh well, back to what I was doing before… God damnit, they put their homepage in my back history!
I mean, I haven't been happy with democratically elected leaders for my entire life, so I'm used to it by now. I've given up hope. It's actually kinda nice.
Actually yes. If our democracy is so broken that not voting for a piece of shit is considered bad, then anyone who defends it should be banned for life from voting.
Ruben Espinoza, the police chief for the Santa Fe Independent School District, told NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston that the video does not tell the full story of what happened.
The video where she's shown hog-tied face down in a pile of fire ants? Yeah, there's nothing she could have done that justifies what we see in the video. No criminal or suspect ever deserves police brutality, regardless of the crime.
Correct, not even for serial killers. Police are not judge, jury, and executioner. They apprehend suspects, and the courts first prove that the suspect did the crime beyond a shadow of a doubt, and then if found guilty the courts decide the punishment which cannot be cruel and unusual and the punishment must fit the crime. For murdering 1k families it would be life in prison or the death sentence.
When the justice system was founded it was established with a number one priority of protecting the innocent, with a priority of avoiding false convictions. Otherwise, a king with absolute authority could order you to be executed by pouring molten metal down your mouth and on your face for the crime of flipping him the bird. your neighbor accusing you of talking ill of the king even though you never said anything of the sort.
It's SUVs in my area. There's enough actual farmers and people who legitimately need pickups to somewhat offset the limp dick compensators. SUV drivers here tend to be piss scared and incredibly timid, which is why they buy SUVs. Think being higher up is safer.
Which is true until you flip, in which case you're fucked. And that's ignoring that the rise of SUVs and pickups has seen an average of a 6% YOY increase of pedestrian deaths since 2008.
I rolled my 3rd gen 4 runner in a snowstorm a few years back. Had it flipped over, popped a couple dents, and still driving it today! I should probably fix the sway bar and get new tires but I like to live dangerously I guess.
I live in a snowy area, and most of the accidents in the winter seem to involve trucks and SUVs. It’s probably just because trucks and SUVs are more popular in my area, but there’s something to be said for getting overconfident, after all, all cars have four wheel braking.
I have never bought snow tires in >10 years of living here, have only driven two wheel drive cars, and I’ve never wrecked a car. I did slide into a snowbank once with my sporty car when in college, but I was going slow enough that it wasn’t hard to get out (just threw down some microfiber rags to get traction and reversed). I try to avoid unplowed roads, so it’s just not needed once the roads are cleared.
I hate driving SUVs and trucks, and I only put up with my minivan because it’s so practical with kids (I have three).
I lived in snowy af Ohio for 8 years with a Kia Sephia. I was poorer than now then and couldn’t afford snow tires yet I made it just fine. I’d always see trucks and SUVs driving crazy fast down the highway, and saw 2 crash right in front of me.
I’m with you, people do not need SUVs for the snow.
Yup. A set of snow tires will do much more for you than AWD or 4WD, though it’ll never hold a candle to snow tires + AWD/4WD. But snow tires and FWD is plenty for pretty much everyone that’s not regularly offroading in deep snow. If you’re really worried about it, get studs.
Make sure to take them off in the spring because they wear out really fast when it’s not cold. Swapping them shouldn’t cost a ton (like $100 or so), and snow tires are usually a bit cheaper than regular tires. It’s certainly less expensive than gas longer term.
I worked at a warehouse once with a boiler that worked 40% of the time. We had below 0 degrees F once during a bad storm and we had high 90s in summers. Glad I left before the super El nino heat and glad I don't have that work environment anymore. To be fair it's probably also not the worst. Metal smelting plants probably can go 120+ easy.
The term “third world” is no longer in use. The correct term now is a “developing nation.”
Yes, the US has been considered a developing nation since 2022.
In its global rankings, the United Nations Office of Sustainable Development dropped the U.S. to 41st worldwide, down from its previous ranking of 32nd. Under this methodology – an expansive model of 17 categories, or “goals,” many of them focused on the environment and equity – the U.S. ranks between Cuba and Bulgaria. Both are widely regarded as developing countries.
The U.S. is also now considered a “flawed democracy,” according to The Economist’s democracy index.
To be fair it's not the sort of thing you think you'd have to make a law about. Should be kind of expected that companies do the bare minimum to keep their staff alive.
If we have learned anything in the last decade, its that you have to put common sense shit into law because if you don't, shitty corpos will abuse it to make line go up
I think that some of it is that most people don't really carefully analyze the sum total what a politician has said or is saying and all the other related material. Which is reasonable -- I mean, I know that this is a politics forum, but for most people, following politics is not a huge part of what they do. It'd be really inefficient, in fact, if they did.
I think that a lot of support for politicians has more to do whether they've made statements that a potential voter agrees with in the very limited material about them that that voter sees. Not just for Trump, but for any politician.
So if you're asking someone about Trump, they're making something of a gut call based on the limited material they see of him.
Honestly, I think that the more-interesting issue here isn't really Trump, but the fact that Trump's tactics have worked fairly well. The problem here isn't really Trump. He's just a symptom of having a political decision process that can be gamed the way he's gamed it. We do not want to encourage politicians who lose an election to have an incentive to make bogus claims that the election was rigged, because part of what we want the political system to do is to permit coming to a consensus as to leadership. That undermines that.
But there's nothing unique about Trump that permits him to do that. If he could do it, then so could another politician. And I would imagine that sooner or later, more people probably will, if they think that it is to their advantage.
That is, I think what probably needs to be fixed is the system.
A lot of people lost their fucking minds over the course of the pandemic. My mother (formerly an intelligent and compassionate professional who owned a business in the banking and finance space) got pushed down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole over the course of the pandemic, and became a total and complete fucking moron that only gets their ‘facts’ from far-right blogs, youtube videos, and facebook posts that ‘own the libs’.
I am no longer surprised with the level of enthusiasm these people have for intellectual poison.
She started down the path towards being an idiot before the pandemic. Every phonecall was some new bullshit that she’d latch on to, and when I calmly tried to explain how actually worked, she’d lose her shit, scream at me, and hang up. The isolation and disinformation campaigns throughout the pandemic broke her brain.
A lot of people’s social lives are breaking down, and generally the loudest voices are right wing conspiracies. It’s not that they’re dumb, it’s that often the only people willing to acknowledge that society isn’t working are reactionary as hell
Usually these people are already right wing. But there have been some bleak stories of hippie adjacent people having their minds break during the pandemic and entered suicide pacts.
The amount of “left wing” unvaccinated hippies is astounding, and from there it seems like the right wing conspiracies slip in. Hippies are basically yuppies with a coat of mud though in my experience.
What is interesting is the latest Newsmax article wasn’t being bias anymore, actually using sentences like Trump appointed officials say there was no evidence and whatnot
Sure the bottom of the article said it was from the AP but I am not sure if Newsmax is covering their butss or is purposefully copy pasted AP so their fan base, er, users, will get more outraged.
That is currently Russia’s overarching goal with other places, according to American intelligence. The goal is to thrust enough distrust in the voting system to destroy democracy as we know it. There needs to be a full, complete, hard line in the stand here from all Americans, if we’re going to survive this.
If America collapses, that would be good. Yes, Russia is trying to make it happen. No, Russia is not good. Yes, it’s still good that Russia is trying to destroy America.
People should not have trust in the American “democracy”. Just because Russia is trying to foment this distrust does not make it ontologically invalid.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s basic region destabilization, which we’ve used extensively in sabre rattling abroad, just disappointed it’s working so effectively here.
Holy shit I can’t believe the liberals and their fucking Hilary 2016 talking points are still here. Not everything is Russia, in fact most things are not Russia. when people on the internet call you a fucking idiot, for your brain dead takes it’s not Russians doing that.
Also “america” shouldn’t “survive” this at all. America is trash, and american democracy isn’t worth saving.
I mean, it’s China’s too - as well as Saudi Arabia, and others. But Russia seems to be the most effective at it. Hell, for that matter, US intelligence does it abroad too. All first-world nations probably participate in this kind of destabilization tactic to some degree.
Why do you think the Great Firewall of China exists? Same reason – we were filling their heads with anti-communist propaganda and that’s the only way China deemed was possible to keep us out.
I’m actually more worried about Israeli influence in the US government which is well documented, and well funded, and pays huge dividends but no one ever brings them up for some reason.
Meanwhile I’m far more worried about individual private interests like banks and military weapons manufacturers and oil interests controlling US and every other countries interests that is even more well documented and even more detrimental to our countries and the world at large, and can be more easily fixed than complex foreign affairs, but that seems to always be the last thing anybody brings up with these things.
But they’re all issues and playing “my issue is more important than yours” isn’t helpful for any leftist agenda man.
That is a separate issue with capitalism but would be a non-sequitur in the case. When liberals bring up Russia, but ignore Israel who actually do the things they accuse Russia of, it is correct to point out the contradiction.
Of course Capitalism is a problem, but that isn’t what the person I was responding to was defending.
When liberals bring up Russia, but ignore Israel who actually do the things they accuse Russia of, it is correct to point out the contradiction.
You realize that Israel is basically an intelligence arm of the US, operating within range of russia and the middle east right? MOST of our intelligence tools come from Israel. THAT is why nobody is pointing it out, because they’re operating under our umbrella.
That’s even worse. You get that if Israel is actually an arm of the US operating clandestinely and without oversight of the American people that isn’t compatible with democracy right?
Sounds like if the world “works” that way, then Jan 6th was morally correct in all ways and those fighting to preserve the status quo should be hunted down.
Fuck you. Piece of shit fascist apologist. Go die in ukraine with the rest of your capitalist nazis. I don’t care which side you choose to die for they are all the same.
USA is trash, I suggest laying low and not hinting anything helpful to these burgerstanis that could help their genocidal settler colony. If you speak they will come with their shit laced unwashed asses telling you how to behave, while their tax money supports genocide and colonisation elsewhere.
Well it’s certainly not Russians downvoting you through the basement. Its “people on the internet calling you a fucking idiot for your brain dead takes”
We all know the US does bad things. We can say it. That’s not in question.
What is frustrating is when tankies deny obvious facts like this, and think that “but but America” somehow means that totalitarian dictatorships are justified in the shit they do.
Good luck with life dude. Hope you find happiness in a way that doesn’t harm others.
Whataboutism claims are a good sign of pseudo intellectuals dog whistling to attract mob attention, usually a last resort card played by people when they never have good discussion or argument skills. It is also a dog whistle of dishonest Anglo people who want to spread an agenda, to deflect their racism in the name of moral elitism.
What is amusing is fashies like you, laced in liberal coat of paint, pretend to sound convincing and correct, but are just pseudo intellectual hipsters sitting thousands of kilometres away, funding genocides with taxes.
I have no need for your fake empathy, keep it for yourself. You will need a lot of it in the coming years, as the entirety of Anglo empire withers down to breadcrumbs, and fascism becomes a widespread ruling ideology, wiping out the facade of democracy you people have pretended to carry.
Whatever fashies say. Liberals are spineless fascists in sheep clothing. They will protest against a fake genocide in China/Russia, and the very next day support genocide in Palestine. They will support western feminist rhetoric, and the very next day call “all men are bad and should die”. They will source their news from Instagram and MSM, and the next day they will troll and hurl abuses at someone telling historical facts on a discussion website.
Your reply to me was literally “what about ___.” That literally does not answer the question we were talking about. It was a cowardly dodge of the question.
Everyone knows america sucks already, that’s not what this conversation was about. People here can handle the criticism of their own country, and most of us agree it needs to change.
You are using that to dodge the question of “is Russia spreading misinformation.” Can you give an answer to that? A simple yes or no, please.
So what have you, or Americans ever done anything about it, other than funding genocides with taxes and voting genocidal warmongerers every election?
The original quib was you implying “evidence” exists for Russian interference, which is proven false with the Russiagate information by Jeff Gerth. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCkvD7gt89A Using the “evidence exists” trope, you insinuate with full intent and no ambiguity that whatever narrative western media establishes is the undeniable truth and is the narrative I should align myself with, to which my inner response is “fuck off dumbass”. Why? Because before every US election in the past 10-15 years, there comes this “intelligence information” just a year before election about le ebil China/Russia destroying USA democracy, creating a scapegoat out of thin air for economic, social, healthcare, civil order downfalls every single term, and to cover up the genocides caused overseas. Probably happening for longer though… checks 100+ countries list foreign intervention.
The most cowardly act is the one you are doing, selling off your soul to American state and Anglo empire, just for temporary comfort in dystopian capitalist western world. Hence why I said liberals are spineless cowards, which you are, without a shred of a doubt. As for me, I know what’s good for America can almost always never be good for the world and me, because they are the largest settler colonial state with an economy based upon creating war and genocide. Critically reading into a little history and material conditions allows me to orient my compass to what’s the correct approach to anything.
Highly doubt your grammar comprehension capabilities to absorb all this.
Lol this is why talking to you people is pointless. You didn’t give an answer. You pointed fingers, you deflected, you insulted me. But you couldn’t answer the simple question.
Those are tactics a coward uses when they don’t want to answer a question. The fact that you can’t answer the question is the answer in itself though.
I’m done responding now. I’ll let you have the last word or whatever you want to say about me, it’s fine. Just remember when you go to sleep tonight - you couldn’t answer the question. Ask yourself why.
walks into a gas station in an illegal state and buys a cannabinoid vape pen with the entire rainbow of cannabinoids available from actual weed sans delta 9
walks by the drinks and see bootleggers, six different sizes of 40 ounce, high ABV drinks infused, some infused with 25 different drugs, vitamins and snake oil
My experience is always different than anyone else. Everyone else in my ward wound up loving it and saying how it was the most important thing and it’s a great place.
For me, I never had a constant therapist and was swapped around with no one keeping notes. It was all group therapy and I hated repeating myself all the time. Everything felt like a cash grab. Most of the therapists and people there seemed to have to take on a lot of work. I was lucky in that my insurance was paying for it all but the bills were insanely high.
It was all group therapy and I hated repeating myself all the time.
My experience was similar.
You go to therapy to be listened to, and instead you end repeating yourself 100 times because nobody is fucking listening. It was legitimately more frustrating than not going, because I was literally paying money to have someone listen to me and they still couldn’t fucking do it.
Hope you will, really from the bottom of my heart. I am writing from the EU, a region where no matter what we vote we’re double tied with what you on the other side of the Atlantic decide. So please be wise next year and think of all the lives that depend on your freedom of choice.
We have a very shitty two party system here in the US. 3rd party candidates don’t receive screen time and anyone who gains momentum on their own that isn’t sanctioned by either of the two parties are pressured into backing out of the race while simultaneously endorsing one of the “chosen” candidates.
When you can have a president sit for 4 years and the country has only gotten worse, there should be no question about them running again. They do though. It’s not what the people want, it’s which of the two candidates is going to be less shitty. It’s far more important that we keep up the illusion of choice than actually give power to the people.
Even “less sh*tty” is a valid criterion, though! I totally agree with your idea about the “illusion of choice”, but it doesn’t depend on the number of parties. With many smaller parties it would be even worse, since after the elections nobody has the majority and they have to create (to say as much politely as possible) “original” coalitions to rule a government which in the end is useless because most decisions are supranational.
Yeah! Let’s vote even harder this time. We need to make sure the guy who got $250,000 from MBNA after he wrote the legislation that made student loans inescapable defeats a literal Nazi! That’ll teach em!
We've got a couple options change what we can, give up and revolution... two of those options are viable for me. ATM the best thing I can really do is talk with coworkers/acquaintances about their concerns in the world and how we can address them. The more I talk with maga folk about their concerns the more common ground I find with them... we all want a better life for our children/community we just get caught up in how to get there. Listen to concerns, find the common ground and come prepared with receipts... I cant say I've changed anyones mind but I will say the die hard liberal/left wing hating coworkers no longer have the direct hate and can see what folk like me are getting at... All this to say don't give up friend we can still do a lot at the community level, the institutional level will come with time.
We saw what happened when people didn't give enough of a shit to vote - you get Nazis in government and a supreme court fucked for generations.
People need to stop acting like electoral politics has no place, because not playing the game means all the rules are set against you going forward and they tell you to get fucked even harder than they would normally.
Even after all the bull shit, my parent still refuses to fucking vote. This weekend she tried to start a conversation about how the ice caps are melting. Yeah, no shit! Not like you have done ANYTHING to prevent it either. Mine and my young niece's futures are totally bleak because of the older generation being proudly ignorant and selfish. It's infuriating!
That sucks, sorry to hear it. My mom, of all people, who I don’t think has ever voted, asked me the other day if I was going to vote no on issue 1 in the upcoming special election in Ohio, in which a yes vote would prevent a ballot issue protecting women’s reproductive rights from being up for the vote in November. It’s gotten bad enough here that she is going to vote. There’s a red line for everyone, maybe you need to help yours find it.
Not only did the police target this black man for essentially no reason (really? You chase a driver, which is dangerous to the entire community, because he's missing a mud flap?), the responding officers gave mixed commands at the same time, and then assaulted him with a dog while he had already surrendered.
Anyone want to bet that the culprit here gets a paid vacation while his department investigates and finds no wrongdoing?
We need to redo the police system in the US from the ground up.
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