Zuzak

joined 5 years ago
[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago

I must not work. Work is the mind-killer. Work is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my work. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the work has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 64 points 3 days ago

Are you telling me that multiple cameras didn't just happen to fail at just the right time to miss what happened? What's next, the two guards who abandoned their posts to take a nap together didn't just randomly get tired?

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 23 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"Why do these rich fucking white people always insist on seeing every socio-political conflict through the myopic lens of their own self-actualization?"

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 25 points 3 days ago (1 children)

You joke but I did look it up before. I really would've preferred to use the 1852 election because the Whigs were still a thing, less antislavery than the Republicans (and funnier), and Franklin Pierce was worse than Buchanan. But the only election after Harper's Ferry was Lincoln's, so I reduced the anachronism as much as I could, and tried to make the Buchanan thing tied to the general abolitionist movement as opposed to the raid.

I'll just call it... artistic licence doggirl-smug

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 35 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Holy shit, thanks. I'm so proud!

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 32 points 4 days ago

And that's why I didn't want to bother making a whole account.

At least a mod saw it lol

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 34 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I was gonna but I haven't logged into reddit-logo for years and I think I lost access to my account and I don't really want to make a new one. Anyone who can is welcome to do it.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 29 points 4 days ago (1 children)

There is a 'don't ' in the sixth paragraph which should be 'do not' and therefore isn't funny.

oooaaaaaaauhhh

(Fixed)

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 22 points 4 days ago

Of course! Why else would it be called, "Mandatory Palestine?"

 

Many abolitionists have complained to me that, as a traveling performer, I have not spoken to my audiences on the issue of slavery. I have received many angry letters attacking me based on assumptions about what my silence means.

Allow me to make my position clear: I oppose the institution of slavery. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, I believe it is a "moral depravity." I feel that way about other things as well.

After the raid on Harper's Ferry, the mood among Southern leaders was an existential panic and unstoppable lust for revenge. It reminded me of the Alamo. There was no reasoning with those leaders, nor could action be taken by congress. It would have required replacing most of congress and overturning decades of bipartisan negotiation and compromises. Even in the best case, it would have taken years.

But even worse, the abolitionist, pro-Negro movement quickly decided that their primary goal was not merely opposition to the reprisals or specifically cruel owners, but opposition to the entire institution of slavery, that is, opposition to the entire way of life of Southern plantation owners. And here they decided to draw the line between decent people and oppressive tyrants, which had the following consequences:

It shrunk the coalition. Most southerners support slavery. Anyone who supports the solution of having slave states and free states supports slavery.

It was politically infeasible. What is the pathway that takes us from the present situation to the abolition of slavery as an institution? I do not see how it could happen without a total collapse of the union. As usual, these Jacobins have championed a doomed cause.

The abolitionists have been distributing hundreds of pamphlets about the horrid conditions of slaves. The main effect of this has been to create a population of people in a constant state of bloodboiling rage with no consequential political outlet.

I fear this may be worse than useless. Yes, there are disingenuous proponents of slavery dismissing and censoring all criticism of slavery on the pretext of "states' rights." But there's also valid fear of historical government overreach and that fear gives power to pro-slavery leaders who say that only they can protect Southern culture.

Does this mean slavery should not be criticized? Absolutely not. But it's something I do not wish to contribute to unless if not outweighed by tangible benefits.

Many abolitionists have been single-mindedly focused on slavery, and the willingness of the Republicans to compromise on the issue, and that focus has had the following effects:

Not a single slave was freed by their efforts. Not one fewer lash was delivered by the owners.

It may have slightly contributed to the election of James Buchanan, ensuring that nothing can be done to stop the expansion of slavery into new states. Buchanan also does not support giving women like me the right to vote. A perfectly enlightened being would feel no bitterness about this, but I do.

None of this is the fault of slaves, of course, who are overwhelmingly the victims here.

But if women like me are ever going to get anywhere in this country, we need a broad movement that stands up for the rights of ALL women, REGARDLESS of their views on slavery.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 64 points 4 days ago (2 children)

hexbear-retro: Here's what we believe and why we believe it.

not-listening: LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU

blob-no-thoughts: I don't understand why Hexbear believes the things they do, can someone explain? Is it because [thing I pulled out of my ass]?

clown-to-clown-communicationclown-to-clown-conversation: Partially, but it's mostly because [other stuff pulled out of an ass]

None of them actually give half a shit about understanding anything, or else they'd ask us, they just want to circlejerk and invent random bullshit to attack us with.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 11 points 4 days ago (2 children)
18
submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by Zuzak@hexbear.net to c/history@hexbear.net
 

(Every blank is a different nation or nationality)

In 1972, three (1) _______ radicals smuggled (2) _______-made assault rifles in violin cases into an airport in (3) _______, where the security ignored them because they were on the lookout for (4) _______ threats. The radicals opened fire and 28 people were killed in the ensuing firefight, including two attackers.

The sole surviving radical plead guilty, saying, "It was my duty as a soldier of the revolution." He was given a life sentence, but was released in a prisoner exchange after 13 years. Upon release, he became the only person to ever claim political asylum in (5) ______, which does not have an extradition treaty with his home country (where he's still wanted). He is still alive, at 77, and resides there to this day, reportedly watching cartoons like Tom and Jerry.

In 2008, (6) _______ (ethnicity) families of victims of the attack sued the government of (7) _______ for allegedly supporting the attacks and (8) _______ ordered that country to pay $378 million to the families.


Points awarded for either getting correct guesses or coming up with something that feels more like a game of Mad Libs than the correct answers do. I'll be especially impressed if anyone guesses (1) correctly.

spoiler

spoiler no peeking

  1. Japanese

  2. Czech

  3. Israel

  4. Palestinian

  5. Lebanon

  6. Puerto Rican

  7. DPRK

  8. United States

The Japanese Red Army was wild

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dz%C5%8D_Okamoto

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2094256/%7B%7B

 

“They can’t get stuck in a hurricane if they self-deport,” Bill Helmich, executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, said on X in response to concern that the facility is in an area of the state that is regularly affected by hurricanes.

barbara-pit

30
Cui bono? (hexbear.net)
 
 

I heard it has something to do with different interpretations of the DotP (Dictatorship of the Papacy) but idk if that's true.

I'm not the most well-read on theory, but I don't understand why the left is always purity testing and fighting over little differences like this.

You never see this sort of thing on the right, even when they seem to have wildly different ideologies. Look at the level of coordination between right-wing countries like China (anarcho-capitalist), DPRK (neoliberal), and Cuba (white nationalist). If the left could figure out how to get along that well, I feel like we could've already achieved MAGAcommunism by now.

 

Never knew who the institute was named after

8
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by Zuzak@hexbear.net to c/memes@hexbear.net
 

back-to-mestalincorn-man-khrush[emoji not found]gorby-sad

Probably the least interesting and least talked about Soviet leader (not counting the ones who were only there for <2 years), I don't really know much about him myself but I was feeling randomly curious so I skimmed NATOpedia to get a rough impression.

It seems like the Brezhnev-era would be the best time to be alive in the USSR, though that has to do more with external circumstances - he didn't have to deal with a lack of industrialization or invasions either during the revolution or WWII. However, economic growth was slow, despite the government investing in basic necessities and in agricultural production. In terms of technology, during this time, the USSR made the poor decision to use IBM's designs rather than investing in domestic computer development, which may have set them back and contributed to brain drain.

In terms of foreign policy, Brezhnev deviated from Khrushchev's focus on missiles by focusing more on strengthening conventional military forces, increasing spending eightfold to 12% of GNP by the time of his death. He continued the policy of detente, and (perhaps because of the military investment) negotiated and signed the SALT treaties, reducing the past nuclear brinkmanship. At the same time, he resumed support for the Vietnamese communists who Khrushchev had abandoned due to their refusal to negotiate a partition. However, he also made the disastrous decision to invade Afghanistan. He also sent troops into Czechoslovakia to suppress what I assume was a color revolution.

Did his uninspiring leadership and failure to address economic stagnation contribute to Gorbachev's dismantling of the USSR? Or perhaps that was already set in motion from Kruschev, (or caused afterward by Gorby), and the take is that he did a decent job steering the country through a relatively peaceful era, prioritizing human needs like housing over consumer goods?

For that matter, I'm kind of puzzled as to why his policies weren't more effective, I would expect providing things like housing would stimulate the economy by providing more consumer consumption (though perhaps the problem was supply not keeping up with demand?), and the USSR still had to rely on food imports despite pretty substantial investments in agriculture. For a critical take on him, I'm not sure what he should've done differently.

However, I don't really have a dog in the fight - if there is a fight. Do people have strong opinions about Brezhnev? I'm mostly just curious to hear people's perspectives.

 

He's so shitty I don't even know where to start, but so many people on there are convinced he's some kind of heroic anti-corruption reformer and taking on the CIA and shit.

I'm starting to sour on the platform over it, I was enjoying talking politics on there but now my feed is flooded with Musk worship 🤮

 
 

The stranded driver

After returning to China, a Chinese writer who was traveling in the US told such a story. He was driving through Texas. In a section of the road without a service station, his car broke down and couldn't start. He called the police, and soon two police cars arrived.

The two policemen opened the hood of the malfunctioning car and tried to fix it, but the car still wouldn't start. The policemen pointed at the two police cars and said to him, "Which one do you like? You can drive one away."

The writer was even more surprised.

Finally, the writer chose a police car with less - obvious police markings and drove it to continue his journey. As for his car, the policemen would be responsible for towing it to the garage and he could pick it up when he came back.

The writer was deeply touched. In fact, for the policemen, providing convenience for drivers is part of their duty.

Being touched is a tremor in the heart, and it is a communication between hearts. A person sees what he has never seen, hears what he has never heard, and experiences what he has never experienced.

The power-out American supermarket

Suddenly, there was a power - outage in an American supermarket, and it was pitch - black. Soon, a broadcast in the supermarket said, "For the safety of customers and to avoid stampede accidents, customers can take the goods in their hands for free as compensation for the power - outage. Please exit in an orderly manner."

Upon hearing the broadcast, people left the cash - register counters in an orderly manner. After the power was restored, the supermarket manager was surprised to find that the cash - register counters were filled with amounts of money ranging from tens to hundreds of US dollars.

It turned out that after the supermarket owner issued the notice, the high - quality Americans consciously estimated the prices of the goods in their hands and silently left the money when they left.

What an honest, polite and friendly society!

Power-off for life

Once in the United States, a sparrow was entangled in several 50 - kilovolt high - voltage wires exposed by the roadside. Its shrill cries attracted the attention of passers - by.

They immediately called 110. The police informed the White House, and the president made a decision within half an hour, dispatching a special aircraft to break the national main power line in Washington, causing a temporary power outage across the country. Finally, the rescuers spent half an hour rescuing the little sparrow.

A great nation can stop for any humble life.

Differences in Parenting Methods between China and the US

For a long time, Chinese children have received indoctrination education, while American children are different. Generally speaking, in exams, Chinese children outperform American children, but when it comes to hands - on operations or research, they often fall short compared to Americans.

What is the actual situation like? The author has found that children in the US seem to grow up carefree. When they are young, they have very little homework, and after school, they mainly play. When it comes time to go to college, they don't have to squeeze through the single - plank bridge of the college entrance examination like high - school students in China. American children only need to rely on their school grades, teacher recommendations, and performance in social activities to apply for college. Whether they are admitted or not depends entirely on the university's needs for talents. Children don't need to worry about getting into college because if one university rejects them, another one may admit them. Truly, all roads lead to Rome.

After entering college, children can apply for a credit card, which is the first step in learning financial management. They need to pay bills on time. If they fail to do so, their personal credit record will be stained, and they will encounter a lot of troubles in the future. When approaching graduation, car dealers will come to the school to promote cars. After renting a car, the children start to rent an apartment and take part - time jobs. However, at this time, the children don't have a regular job yet. If they want to buy big - ticket items, they need someone to guarantee for them, so that they realize that money is not easily earned. Then, after graduation, they can find a regular job. As time goes by and their income increases, they will buy a house, a car, and further improve their lives. This system allows children to adapt to an independent social life as early as possible.

This system of cultivating children into successful individuals can be a good reference for Chinese parents in raising their children.

The elderly Chinese couple's medical treatment

…According to Li Juanzi's recollection, at that time, the chief physician in charge of the inpatient department, Albert Puig, upon hearing the patient and family members' concerns about medical expenses, complained angrily, "What on earth is the hospital's finance department doing, making the patient worry so much about the costs?"…Li Juanzi described the experiences of the two days: "From yesterday to today, we've realized that American doctors simply don't care whether you have money or can afford the treatment in the end. They are treating dad with 200% enthusiasm. Countless people, from doctors to nurses and interns, have come. No one has asked about our financial situation. Even when we told the doctors that we have no insurance and can't afford the expenses, the doctors kindly comforted us, saying not to worry about that, as it's the business of the hospital's finance department. They just focus on treating the illness. So I'm really 200% satisfied and touched by them. The medical equipment they use is the most advanced and the best. The doctors and nurses are also very warm and friendly, constantly asking if we have any questions or need any help... So far, countless examinations have been done, but no one has asked us for money…"

...Although the hospital didn't mention the money, Yu and Li Juanzi's couple still felt uneasy. Li Juanzi wrote in the family letter, "Regarding the money issue, we waited almost the whole day today, but no one came to ask us. We got impatient. Later, we took the initiative to approach them. They said they understood and told us not to worry too much. According to their regulations, if the doctor doesn't agree, the finance department has no right to stop the treatment on the grounds that the patient might not pay. It seems that in the US, doctors and the finance department operate separately. Doctors focus solely on treating patients and saving lives, while the finance department is responsible for collecting payments. Whether they can collect the money or not has no bearing on the doctors' income. That's why doctors can concentrate on treating illnesses. All hospitals in the US are non - profit, and the law absolutely prohibits refusing to admit patients due to financial problems. In the end, the hospital's losses are borne by the US government. Hehe, although mom and dad are foreigners, it's because of the kind - natured Americans that we've received such treatment."

"At four in the afternoon, the doctor in charge of our discharge came. First, he apologized for keeping us waiting. Later, he gave us a detailed surgical report, including how the operation was performed and what was actually found. We told him that we didn't have insurance. He said he knew and understood, and then complained that the US should set up a global insurance system so that everyone could get medical treatment." "We've been in the hospital for five days, and no one has asked us for our ID cards or my parents' passports. There was no deposit required, and not a single word about money was mentioned. If we hadn't kept bringing up the issue of not having insurance, they simply wouldn't have cared." Finally, Li Juanzi told her elder brother, "When we were discharged, we just walked out like that. It felt like a dream." As 2008 was drawing to a close and the traditional American Thanksgiving was approaching, it is hoped that all those who have benefited from this country can say "thank you" with sincere gratitude.

Happy homeless people in the US

...In the United States, the lives of the homeless are actually quite happy.

They don't become homeless due to bankruptcy but embrace freedom out of their own will. The American social welfare system provides them with relief funds, which are even higher than the salaries in many industries in China. Thus, they don't have to worry about food and clothing.

Although they have no fixed abode, they are content in their hearts. They sunbathe on park benches, chat with people on the streets, and live freely in the sunshine.

When Americans choose to be homeless, it's not banishment but self - liberation, a sublimation of freedom. Those who don't live in such a lifestyle can hardly understand their yearning for freedom...

The Thrifty U.S. Secretary of State

In 2013, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited China. Upon arriving in Beijing, Kerry was arranged to stay in the presidential suite on the top floor of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. However, Kerry considered this arrangement too luxurious and insisted on staying in a budget hostel in Zhongguancun, where job seekers typically stayed, costing only ten yuan per night—just one ten-thousandth of the price of the presidential suite. This simple and unpretentious style was refreshing to the Chinese people.

...The next morning during breakfast, a small incident occurred. While eating his second bun, Kerry accidentally dropped it on the floor. In a surprising turn of events, a stray dog, seemingly out of nowhere, quickly darted toward the bun, ready to snatch it and run away. But just as quickly, Mr. Kerry picked up the fallen bun and put it into his own mouth, eating it with relish. The spot where the bun had fallen happened to be near a pool of saliva, likely left by a less-than-hygienic job seeker earlier, but Mr. Kerry didn't mind at all. His attitude of cherishing food served as a "shocking lesson" to the Chinese people.

Source

yeonmi-park

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