POLITICS: what have you done for us lately?

[Chankgeez]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEQapUIRGA

[Bassist_Diver]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/ ... al-1399377

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/07/middleea ... index.html

[Chankgeez]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jq9jByzTlk

[Chankgeez]

Trump has a tenuous grasp of U.S. foreign policy?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXJjHFlSHtA

Also, wtf is up with his hair?

[dubkitty]

it's really getting absurd. it looks like the blond version of one of those preposterous hairstyles last seen on prime ministers and Party leaders in 1970s Warsaw Pact nations. which kind of goes with the whole vibe tbh. if only he could end up like Ceaucescu.

[Chankgeez]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a8dNo0w308

[Chankgeez]

I've not yet begun to drink!

[Faldoe]

He should shave his head. Then it would be ultimate punk.

[TraceItalian]

Has anyone seen this hilarity yet? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... anon-trump

[Blackened Soul]

I've given up on keeping up with every thing... As far as I can seeing us and the brits and some other places and spots are heading very scarily back to monarchies..

Also, Italian or Spanish wine is betters.

[dubkitty]

monarchies would probably be preferable to where the West is heading, which appears to be back to the kind of internal bickering, economic stagnation, self-destructive nationalism, and far-right ascendancy that characterized Europe between the wars. we really haven't learned a fucking thing from 2000 years of history.

[TraceItalian]

monarchies would probably be preferable to where the West is heading, which appears to be back to the kind of internal bickering, economic stagnation, self-destructive nationalism, and far-right ascendancy that characterized Europe between the wars. we really haven't learned a fucking thing from 2000 years of history.

"Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. Those who did are doomed to watch those in power repeat it."

[Blackened Soul]

monarchies would probably be preferable to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bF38rT7et0

[Dapper Bandit]

monarchies would probably be preferable to where the West is heading, which appears to be back to the kind of internal bickering, economic stagnation, self-destructive nationalism, and far-right ascendancy that characterized Europe between the wars. we really haven't learned a fucking thing from 2000 years of history.

Snark-hat on: Because Europe was a socialist paradise under the monarchs...

Snark-hat off: Democracy has the potential to be a wonderful thing. It is in the process of (if it hasn't already) being hijacked by the 1% seeking to establish a new monarchy where the Market's Mandate replaces God's Mandate. In fact, it's not so different now to pre-revolution Europe, look at how the monarchs decorated their palaces and then look at Trump Tower. Tacky displays of opulence.

To discuss some of your points;
Internal bickering is always going to happen, people will always disagree. On a personal level it all seems worse because people will never hesitate to kick the fuck off on the internet. You can call your cousin a "cuck" when he's 100 miles away and you can call perfect strangers on the opposite coast far worse. On a political level it seems much worse because the current president uses the same approach to international diplomacy.

Economic stagnation is happening because of austerity. We are being told that there isn't enough money for the lower and middle classes whilst governments deepen their debt to facilitate more tax cuts for the upper class. Oh yeah, the boom and bust nature of the capitalist market doesn't help with that either.

Nationalism is happening because our gaze is directed towards "others" when we look for the cause of our increasing impoverishment and unhappiness. Your wage hasn't gone up in 7 years? Well, don't complain to your boss. He can't help you because Mexicans. The importance of the Nation-State / Motherland is hammered into us in school all over the world, in America your children are expected to pledge allegiance to the flag every day. At every sporting event you are expected to stand for the flag. It's a breeding ground for nationalism, it's like it's been built into your system from the very start!

The Far-Right ascendancy is unfortunately one place where people have learned from history. They don't come straight out with the goose-stepping any more. They build up their recruits slowly, an "edgy" joke here, an off-colour remark there and little by little hate is fostered in the hearts of people who weren't necessarily looking for it. You see it everywhere, some political figure will say something racist and the supporters all scuttle out into comment sections "it was just a joke, liberals are so TrIgGEreD!" so as to normalize their agenda. If you make evil banal enough, everyone will go along with it because nobody will notice it.

In closing, I would like to encourage everybody to seize the means of production. Thank you for listening to my TED talk.

[Chankgeez]