There’s a reason conspiracy theories run rampant on the right. These people are so gullible, and a big part of it has to do with the fact that they are far less educated on average. As a result they tend to just follow news they want to believe in as opposed to challenging their own biases.

You raise a good point. I am far, far less heartbroken by this than Sandy Hook and Uvalde. Republicans made this all possible.

People are obviously on high alert, considering how far Trump is willing to go given Jan 6th. From the Reichstag fire to the Russian apartment bombings, such events manufactured or actual have profound impact on public perception and action. Naomi Klein’s (not to be confused with the nut job Naomi Wolf) The Shock Doctrine details this well.

No sign this was a false flag, but holy fuck does it have terrible implications.

I’m not sure why you’re getting down-voted. Between the Immunity verdict and Project 2025, that’s a very real possibility. Did people not see the first attempt on January 6th?

I recalled hearing a couple things over the course of the Jan 6th impeachment hearings, which is the President has some say in who his personal detail is, and that there was some info pertaining to them being supportive of him personally. I’d have to review to be certain though.

Well, this likely cements Trump’s win. It also sidelines the media pressure on Biden to step down. Trump gets a huge bump; Biden hits an iceberg. We are fucked.

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Isn’t it painfully ironic that right wingers who cried about being told what to do by the state suddenly imposed a non-scientific law imposing what people can’t do to their own body?

So much for individual freedumb amirite.

Don’t worry. They’re obviously gaslighting you. You undermined their entire argument and yet, they persist. How odd.

Exactly. I cannot fucking believe he can say with a straight face that it’s not an entertainment contest. It’s the biggest American Idol contest there is and sure as shit isn’t a job interview.

Yep. But let’s explore this further under the hood.

• Nobody of the progressive caucus can break ranks lest that be used against the party as a wedge-drive issue by operatives later, whether Biden stays in or not.

• Bernie was essentially promised a high level committee position if he traded falling in line with Biden. This his returning of the favor.

• Calls for Biden to step down will be completely ineffective from the progressive coalition anyway. Biden is a centrist and doesn’t hold much respect for them. The people who matter are the likes of Clyburn and Pelosi.

Man you start going into a research spiral on these shoe companies and ho-lee sheit… Idk if they’re as bad as nestle but…

Interesting insight I’ve heard echoed before, thanks. Question: do you have kids or plan to have kids?

I’ve never lived in the downtown of a city before. I can only say I’ve lived the suburban life of a big city and a deeply rural countryside. For me, I like a bit of breathing room. I don’t like the hussel of the city, nor how people tend to generally become less friendly as density rises. I miss the small-town feel or rural privacy. I certainly dislike the pollution (air, traffic, noise) and raising my kids in it. I’m not a party animal who likes the night life either. Even before kids.

I’m glad to hear. Better satellite internet seems to make it more viable, too. I didn’t have high speed internet the entire time growing up while all my friends in town had it. This up through 2007.

Super insightful comment and makes complete sense, thank you.

In America I’m curious how it could impact the Electoral map (especially considering the effects of the Electoral College itself).

I’m curious how this impacts decentralization in terms of population density.

You could cure traffic congestion, repopulate rural communities with less conservative folk, and generally improve overall life satisfaction if more jobs became remote and access to high speed internet in rural communities became more common.

Would arguably reduce housing costs on average?

I truly do feel bad for prison populations because they’re the last group anyone is concerned about. “Can’t take the heat? sHOuLdN’t dO tHE CrIMe.” Yeah, okay. But let’s not forget a hefty chunk of this group are statistically wrongfully convicted; another chunk are non-violent offenders and a product of draconian laws. And despite all that, it tends to be a mark of a civilized society to see how they treat the worst among them. Their rights should not be disenfranchised. This is classic 8th Amendment cruel & unusual punishment.

If that’s within the actual dishwasher, yeah. I’m not talking about the one in your sink. Do you have the brand and model of your dishwasher? I’ll look it up for you if you’d like!

Most if not all dishwashers have a filter in the bottom basin below the spinner that you twist counter-clockwise and pull out. Some, I believe, have built-in garbage disposals that may make a filter irrelevant.

(and no you’re not a fucking idiot; I merely reserved such strong words for that asshole representative).

Well and honestly that’s pretty much how I do look at it. I’m just painfully aware though how easy it is to fall for something you want to be true, or to be coaxed into a false narrative. No differently than how some people are more impressionable and vulnerable at various points in their lives. So I’m trying to balance that versus trying to have an honest take on how it helped me.

Dare I say, this is pretty much the problem with religious faith in my view — coming from a formerly religious family. Many will argue that if it isn’t rooted in truth but still helps you, then is it okay? That’s hard for me.