| Time |
Event |
| 4:32a |
Glossary update: hypo-, hyper-extremist
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Hyperextremist:
Extremist even by comparison with most extremists.
For instance, while most Republican congresscritters are extremists,
the 20 or so who threatened to wreck the US's credit status if they
don't get their demands, thus doing something morally equivalent to
terrorism, are extremist even by comparison with the rest. I call
them "hyperextremists."
-
Hypoextremist:
Extremist, though a little less so than most extremists.
All Republican now in the House of Representatives are extremists,
but a fraction may be a iittle less rabidly so than the rest.
Rather than exaggerate by calling them "moderate," I use the term
"hypoextremist" for them.
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| 7:02a |
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| 7:02a |
National healthcare, UK
Britons must stop fearing to
slam the Tories for ruining the NHS
because of their anti-state ideology.
The idea of "shrinking the state" is absurd, because we need the state
to do many vital jobs.
In practice, governments that say they will "shrink the state" are
practicing "squeeze-up" economics: squeeze the people at the bottom of
the economy, so that money flows out at the top to the rich.
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| 7:02a |
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| 7:02a |
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| 7:02a |
Climate protestors, UK
*Hundreds of thousands of young climate activists have said they will
continue
“protesting in the streets in huge numbers” against fossil
fuels.*
*The UK government
plans to give police even more power to lock us up.
But it won’t stop us: this is about humanity’s future.*
The UK government is criminalizing, one by one, all methods of protest
that might effectively draw attention to a cause. But the young
people who know that global heating is likely to kill them before they
get old realize that surrendering to the authoritarian state is not a
sane option.
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| 7:02a |
Taboo terms, "field work"
The @irony{Office of Hypersenstivity} at the
University of Southern
California has ruled the term "field work" taboo.
Reportedly this
decision stems from a concern to protect people, on seeing or hearing
the term "field work", from being reminded of the slaves in the 1800s
that worked in farm fields.
Nowadays some slaves are forced to work in nail salons, so there is a
proposal to make the word "nail" taboo. The proposal is that nails,
when used in construction, be referred to as "hammer targets" to avoid
reminding anyone of nail salons. One complicating factor is that
other slaves are forced to work in construction and may use nails; no
one knows what to do about that.
Enslavement is a grave crime, whether the slaves are forced to work on
farms, in nail salons
, in construction,
or anything else. Our governments should do more to prevent it.
But that's no reason to mess up the English
language.
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| 7:02a |
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| 7:02a |
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| 7:02a |
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| 7:02a |
Tanks for Ukraine
14 of the most modern tanks would do Ukraine some good, but that is
not enough to win. Estimates are that
victory would require on the
order of 100 tanks.
Tanks are far from invulnerable in battle, even though rifle fire
bounces off them. 14 tanks, even if they are superior to the enemy's
tanks, will not last long if they fight day after day. If in a large
battle the Putin forces lose 50 tanks and Ukraine loses 10, we would
say that the battle went Ukraine's way, but at the strategic level it
would be a defeat for Ukraine. It would put an end to Ukraine's
attacking with tanks.
|
| 7:17a |
Climate protesters, UK
*Hundreds of thousands of young climate activists have said they will
continue
“protesting in the streets in huge numbers” against fossil
fuels.*
*The UK government
plans to give police even more power to lock us up.
But it won’t stop us: this is about humanity’s future.*
The UK government is criminalizing, one by one, all methods of protest
that might effectively draw attention to a cause. But the young
people who know that global heating is likely to kill them before they
get old realize that surrendering to the authoritarian state is not a
sane option.
|
| 10:02a |
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| 10:02a |
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| 10:02a |
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| 10:02a |
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| 10:02a |
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| 10:02a |
Media spoof, Cambodia, Adidas
The Yes Men target Adidas.
As far as I can tell, companies like Adidas and Nike are supported by
fans who are trapped. They yearn to show off how much money they have
spent on merchandise of one company, so it can milk them over and
over. How foolish!
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| 10:02a |
Criminal officials, UK
An elite London
thug has confessed to 24 rapes, plus other crimes,
along a 20-year career. Required occassional background
investigations found nothing wrong.
The author, who insists that UK thug departments must change their
misogynistic attitudes and culture, is in a position to know.
The thug
told his victims that it was futile to report him
because his
fellow thugs would take his side and disbelieve them. Sad to say, it
seems that that was true. He also threatened to murder at least one
of them.
Each victim who complained subsequently withdraw the complaint under
pressure of his threats.
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| 10:02a |
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| 10:02a |
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| 10:02a |
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| 10:02a |
Political censorship, UK
The UK's new "protect children by repressing everyone" bill would
require online platforms from showing anyone anything that presents
the practice of
crossing the sea around the UK in a small boat
in a
favorable light.
This is blatant political censorship: opposing Tory politics will be
prohibited.
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| 12:17p |
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| 12:31p |
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