Oh, no, had I the chance to vote in the USA (not American), I would've voted for anyone who wasn't a Trump adherent, just to prevent The Orange Man from participating in the unfolding of history any more than he already has. Don't get me wrong, I'm frustrated and disillusioned, not stupid.
But in other places, such as my country, we're well past the point of that choice even being on the table.
Normally, I'd agree with you in regards to voting, but this endless cycle of always choosing the lesser evil while the obvious and truly necessary solutions are either underrepresented or not even represented at all (depending on country) is an exercise in futility and only ever serves to obfuscate the goalposts, like digging our own hole. Feels like the illusion of choice nowadays. Maybe this would've been effective given a lot of time, but with the accelerating degradation of socio-economics and the planet itself, I strongly believe we're just wasting time dancing around the problem.
I always at least cancel my vote when there's nothing to choose from so they can't use my name for voter fraud (we've had thousands of dead people showing up in voting registries and skewing the numbers, this is how bad things are around here), but that's pretty much all I've been doing in the past decade, with a few notable exceptions which didn't affect things in the long run. What we now have on offer are: a combo of lukewarm buzzwords pertaining to climate protection (while changing as little as possible) with regressive social policies on the "Left", a not-quite-Fascist, or a straight-up Fascist. Yes, here as well! Yay!
I agree with you that civic action is the most important element nowadays, can't wait for the day when more people'll pick up on that.
So, yeah. I don't normally like to do this, but Plato may have been right, unfortunately. At least as far as the contemporary context is concerned.
As much as I can. Truthfully, there's not much of that going on around these parts, but yes, I try as much as I can to find ways to act against the choices with which we are presented nowadays.
To be clear, I am not against Democracy as a fairer-than-most political system, my meaning was related to the Democracy-that-is. Just like I appreciate Socialism, but not Stalin's brand of such.
I have no more faith in this Democracy (and I mean globally). To the point where I literally cannot bring myself to participate in the silent acceptance which is voting.
Edit: to prevent this from sounding like my Edgelord Master's thesis, as I see it, Democracy is now one two things:
- a lie we've been fed from the very start
- a noble idea which has been twisted and corrupted beyond any recognition
In either of those cases, it feels like I'm being forced to pull the lever and decide who gets killed by the tram. So I choose to never again touch the lever as long as the death of something is the only outcome.
Oh, definitely not perfect, genuine peach and nectarine juice is lightyears ahead, still! But close enough, y'know?
Yet another variety I never knew existed! See, this is why I hate the internet, it always reveals more and more regrets...
Nah, you found the bass player who simped for another band's drummer :-< She friggin' OWNED those drums every single time...
Drummers are next level. They're like that moment when your brain snaps into place and your tastes slowly turn fetishistic. One does not simply hit on a drummer, you gotta suffer a bit beforehand, wallow in that self-pity that you'll never be good enough for the rhythm section, then have your heart melt the tenth time you go to a concert of theirs and the drummer throws you a warm smile when they recognise you in the crowd (in which you've strategically placed yourself to be as visible as possible).
Uuuh, or so I've heard...
Given the fact we're well within the Overpromise/Underdeliver Century, safest to take everything with a grain of salt...
HAH! Good luck finding our Craftworld, I'm using a tri-phasic trans-Warp VPN!
No worries, I love agriculture! Not my first manure processing rodeo:)) To be fair, probably gonna need to mix it up with a lot of extra nutritious stuff given the crap which is sold as food nowadays...
Afaik (and I may be completely wrong on this, please do correct me!), prions are primarily tied to neural tissue, aren't they? In which case, we can always throw away the heads... Not much of a waste there, anyway...
Honestly, I prefer sugar to date, even though I know it isn't good for most parts of me. Dunno, those artificial sweeteners are just... they always feel like I'm drinking sweetened aspirin.
That's why I value anything sugar-free which can hold my attention. I know I should prioritise discipline, but given how things are going nowadays... Well, let's say a bit of hedonism has become a must for me in maintaining a semblance of psychological stability...
Thank you, will prioritise that one! Damn, I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe I need to start watching some commercials, I'm so out of touch, it's ridiculous...
Sink, swim, or choke it all down
As I see it, these are the options we now have at this moment, November 2024.
I won't be talking in terms of nations, or organisations, or even political groupings when I will use "we" in the subsequent meltdown, I use it to refer to the entirety of this species. In addition, I'm coming at this with a very limited knowledge base, but a 100% open mind. Please do correct or clarify absolutely any subsequent element, and I genuinely thank you for the truth!
As it stands right now, the situation's grim. We just lost America, and while America isn't the entire world, it's big enough for Trump to be a major dent for all of us, especially for the Left's chances of turning this whole dumpster fire around. At this point, American siblings, these are the only options left to us.
I'm Balkan. We replaced Communism/Socialism with corruption of such profundity, that with the settling blanket of Fascism, the only sane and safe option is to start from scratch here as well. I'm not even going to mention the regressive state of social politics in most countries around here, and the situation's clear.
The EU is fighting back hard, but it's already started to lean farther and farther Right as the more powerful members shift Right. I don't see much hope for the EU to become a Socialist Bastion any more than I expect Putin to retreat and pay for all damages tomorrow.
Speaking of Putin, that's plenty said about Putin. I am reticent in saying Russia, because so many people in that country don't even have room to form an opinion about what's happening. But seeing mounted Riot Police units trampling peaceful protesters in the opening days made everything clear.
China is becoming very scary. Many cat owners will understand what I mean when I say China's giving off the same vibe as a cat who's really had enough of your attention and is mentally preparing to sink some claws in you.
I don't know much about where Japan's looking nowadays, I shamefully admit, but I hope you guys aren't having too rough a go at it.
South America is unfolding as the political mess seeded by the CIA, and things will most likely only get harder and harder there as Trump advances.
Canada ain't doing too hot, either, from what I've read about things.
The UK is doing an award-worthy cosplay of 1984, but with way more racism.
Africa is pretty much at war with itself, thanks, gunrunners!
And then there's the genocidal elephant in the room... I... I don't even want to expand upon that, we all know exactly what's going on there, and if anyone says otherwise, then you're way ahead of me on the "swallow it all down" path. Bet it tastes like shit, you go ahead and enjoy that, though.
And to top it all off, the planet continues to burn. Yay.
So, yeah... What else is there? How much worse does it have to get? And what the fuck are we going to do about it? Yes, I'm asking you, wherever you are, you, the one who understands exactly what I'm saying and wants to see fairer days for absolutely everyone and everything alive around here.
What can I do when everyone - and I mean EVERYONE around me just wants to drown it all out and go to bed, only admitting the situation in those brief moments of pure awareness right before falling asleep, wishing the world would collapse after their eyes are closed and spare us of the need to look at the mess.
Phantogram - Funeral Pyre
Sorry about the unorthodox link, Soundclound's offering is region-locked, the Bandcamp version I owned is apparently no longer in their database, and the music video is age restricted on YT...
Leaving the music video here though, I find it really fits the song.
Cave - Butthash
Couldn't find any other source for this version - it's off California Raisins which, afaik, exists solely in vinyl form at this point. Officially, at least.
Taken from 'It Should Be Us', Andy Stott’s first release since 2016 and first EP since 2011 - a doublepack of slow and raw productions for the club, recorded this year and following a series of releas
Updated source link, thank you again!
Is Moldy Mrulenday still a thing?
Same, but I started procrastinating about halfway through the rebuild. Eh... It can play video games, close enough...
Brrulelliance
The Shaggs - Philosophy of The World
While its existence is the result of, I'd say, a tragic story from the world of music, this album makes me want to become Respectable™.
I'm talkin' respected academician, classic cars which fart global warming, needlessly large mansion with garish "high-class" post-Gothic nonsense, droves upon droves of pseudo-intellectual sycophants, a few published works which are worth more in their pedigree than their contents, the works!
Just so I can make everyone who'll inevitably show up at my funeral to suck up some clout to listen to this masterpiece in its entirety, especially during the eulogy part. Yes, the doors are locked. No, the fire alarm doesn't work. Yes, the whole thing was planned decades in advance in an establishment with few (if any) windows. No, we're not doing "just the one song!" It is as inevitable as the heat-death of the Universe!