immuredanchorite

what was it again those ding dang kids were calling it? ah, yes, area 51

i haven’t had a chance to read the article yet, but one thing that stands out about the map is the placement of Germany and Japan as independent centers of hegemony- which I think sort of overestimates their independence from* the US empire- but maybe there is a qualifier in that category I will come across as I read… but Japan and Germany are essentially still occupied countries without true sovereignty and they will destroy their own economies to suite their US masters (see Nordstream Pipeline in Germany and the current PM of Japan destroying relations with China, which is 30% of their trade)

Correct answer: vindicated

What does “bureaucratic class” mean exactly? Like, I see this term bandied about a lot, particularly among trotskyists and ultraleftists as a critique of the socialist state- generally as a way to offer high-sounding criticism. I have seen it used too, personally, in communist organizing when ultra-leftist types are trying to abrogate leadership bodies and avoid accountability. Bureaucratism is of course a serious issue that can eat away at the working-class character of socialist/revolutionary institutions or groups, but this is exactly what Democratic Centralism seeks to address: balancing the efficiency and power of centralism with participatory (and at times informal) proletarian democracy. Confusing process with justice and assuming the means must be justified without sight of the end is liberalism that we are aiming to do away with.. But is there really a “bureaucratic class” under socialism… or any system? Is that truly a distinct class in terms of a group and their relationship to the means of production? Is a bureaucrat from a socialist system the same as a bureaucrat from a capitalist one? Do they serve the same ends? How about under feudalism? Antiquity? This “bureaucratic class” label being leveled seems like it is using a non-marxist definition in order to appeal to marxists through simulacrum. If this class exists, is it antagonistic to our class? If we are going to create a new class distinction, it really ought to be coming from a well conceived and justified place, not just anger at formalism and centralism within the system- labeling everyone who serves the state within a socialist system as a bureaucrat, with a distinct class that may be in opposition to another class, seems only to de-legitimize the socialist project itself.

idk if this counts, but PSL has a telegram as well

But the Democratic Party (the politicians and the rich faction of people they actually represent) don’t actually want any of those things to happen. They would rather lose than do the right thing. Being in the opposition is easy for them, because the Republicans can do all of these things they don’t disagree with ideologically (but their voters do) and they can feign resistance in order to capture more PAC money. Their strategy is working: they will promise nothing and expect your vote regardless. If they win they will suddenly not have the power to reverse any changes fundamentally. If they lose they will throw up their hands and wait another few years to promise nothing and expect you to like it. They have been doing the same thing for decades and people still think that things will change

didn’t the famous zero-day stuff that the US used against Iran to destroy centrifuges also have “no direct access to the internet”?? I am pretty sure that if they can design and modify the hardware they could theoretically bake something into it that would still make it vulnerable- probably even more insidious than a vulnerability in the firmware, no?

wondering aloud why the US regime hasn’t imposed unilateral sanctions against the rogue nation of Denmark and the rival EU officials in order to reinforce the “international rules based order”

I think this is a bad take, and it sounds like maybe it is based on online interaction. Have you been talking to people while canvassing or doing some kind of outreach to poor working class neighborhoods? Its usually not hostile at all. Often times it has more to do with your ability to listen to them and phrasing things with more popular language. We also live in a time with the highest number of college graduates ever- but that has almost no baring on whether a person is indoctrinated or not. anti-intellectualism is for sure an issue, but I would argue that is more a product of US advanced education being highly associated with elite status and smugness - the same smugness that the ruling class uses to tell people not to believe their lying eyes is also a signal to people that they are powerless to make decisions or agency because they aren’t qualified to know the ”Truth”

You should know that you have every right to see a different therapist or even ask them if they can refer you to another colleague, and professionally they should accept that. It won’t cause you any harm. It would be natural for them to ask why, and that might help inform their practice in the future- but they should be able to respect your boundaries. If you are frank with them without losing your cool or being insulting it should be fine. Although that is no guarantee they won’t be a jerk, but that is unprofessional and you can cite that if they push back too hard.

There might be a reason they insist on in-person appointments, I know for medical appointments it affects their billing to see patients virtually (often for both for medicare/medicaid and private insurance)

c’mon, balkinize already

this is great… I want to believe… I am not so sure that Trump wouldn’t change his mind as soon as he hangs up the phone and talks to Rubio….

Honestly though, there is likely little payoff (in terms of resources or strategic assets) for creating instability in Cuba, which has a peaceful government that has been isolated by blockade and has little oil to speak of… makes me think the talk of annexing Greenland might make more sense from an imperialists perspective