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Jezebel is dogshit.
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Jinnistan wrote:
crumbsroom wrote:
Personally I can't see just the fact they out-survived the rest of the world being terribly satisfying for these fucks. The joy of that will leave them shortly after blast off I'm sure.
The satisfaction of knowing this !
"You will be eaten by a brontoroc."
A whole series could be made about post–apocalyptic super–rich refugees in space. Things along the journey get progressively worse. Space viruses, food spoilage, ergot–induced mass–hysteria, intergalactic sex–slavers...
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crumbsroom wrote:
But because Bill Maher is wrong about everything else, even every other elements of his much despised political correctness, it was nice to see him sputter like an unimformed bitch when NDT called him out on his dumb anti vaccine/anti-lockdown shit. He just melts down when he's around someone who is clearly so much smarter than he is.
I watched this latest episode last night. Man, what a rough patch of bullshit that was. Not only do we get what's starting to become his standard bullshit line about the covid lockdowns, but he starts off the show interviewing Netanyahu claiming that the Israeli apartheid isn't real, but to the extent that it might be then it's actually the Palestinian's fault. Just breathless hubris from the guy who's already on the record for perpetuating the Palestinian disenfranchisement. His record is spotlessly clear on this point. And of course, that atheist Bill Maher who loves to rage against the absurdities and hypocrisies of organized religion somehow has such tremendous affection for the only country on Earth founded on the authority of God's decree to his specially chosen people. I guess some people's religions are sillier than others.
But the covid bullshit is gross on its own. I notice that Bill Maher has not once mentioned the small detail that over a million Americans died from this "bad flu" that we somehow overreacted to. I'd like Tyson, or anyone, to point blank ask him how many deaths would have occurred without the lockdowns and mitigations like masks and distancing. Tyson came close mentioning "alternate scenarios", but I think it's important to nail Maher down on the figures. And Tyson may be aware of some of the studies that show the projections of deaths and infections* go exponentially into the tens of millions. At which point it's a good question to ask: how many millions of deaths are acceptable for you, Bill? How many are worth your beloved tax dollars? (*Maher has also, to my knowledge, never mentioned the issue of 'long covid' - because after all he got it and he's fine!)
The "Sweden model" is also easily researched bullshit, and the fact that American covid deaths account for about 1 in 6 for all global deaths may not be because our lockdowns were more severe than the rest of the world (they were not), but because the political phenomenon of mask and vax resistence was particularly acute in our culture. Japan is an interesting counterexample because they didn't have a mandated lockdown, but did shut down travel to the country, 'suggested' stay-at-home behavior (and, unlike America, "compliance with advice was nevertheless high"), and they also implemented wide-scale testing, contact tracing and quarantining procedures that would surely have upset those same people who felt that wearing masks (a non-controversial behavior in Japan) was too much of a government imposition.
But then Tyson goes and says something that's also stupid about how hydrogen bombs aren't radioactive, and I just want to set fire to his tweed too. The fuck are they putting in the coffee over there?
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It saddens me that the focus of this thread can't get off these little soup can bitches, but I guess their supporters decided to wait out the weekend to dodge all of the well-earned mockery and have now re-emerged today trying to shame all of us for having the misplaced "first-world" priorities of caring more about "some old painting" from "some old white man" that only has value because the "ruling elite" (apparently the ones for which art is made and venerated) says so than the lives of millions of little brown babies who will never even know who Van Gogh is. And besides, they say, the painting wasn't even damaged because it was behind glass. That's great. I don't actually believe that these two activists knew about the glass, but it's still very telling the preceeding amount of hostile sentiments that's being shown to a work of art by suggesting that its only value is to rich white people. (And there's plenty of self-flaggelation here, because these comments are overwhelmingly coming from white people from the first-world, affluent enough to have spare time on a Monday morning to bitch on Twitter.)
The "rich elite" stuff is precious. Nevermind that van Gogh himself lived close to poverty, but the museum in question here, the National Gallery in London, is free to the public, accessible to anyone. And I'm pretty sure that's exactly why they chose to do the protest there. They're not trying to fuck with any museum with real security. So the bullshit about "ruling elites" needs to get thrown out immediately. And what's next? Why not burn down a public library? The rationalization would be the same - "Oh! You care more about protecting a bunch of books than you care about protecting human life on this planet?" No, I care about doing something that actually helps the environment. Again, go slash some truck tires. Go throw paint on some gas stations. Protest at the airports. You know? Places where there's a shit-ton of fossil fuel burned on a daily basis?
Even my sweet Emma. Sweet, naive, not too bright Emma from the leftist Majority Report podcast. I'm sure she means well. Her parents are lawyers so she can afford to pretend to know how drowning Pakistanis feel about the value of post-impressionist artwork. Here's what's weird to me. Emma Vigeland also hosts a weekly podcast about American football, running down the stats, the stars, the upsets. She's a fan, and I don't fault her for that. But, gee, I wonder how much carbon energy is used to keep those big-ass stadiums so bright? Keep them heated, with the big-screens and television equipment. How much fuel is burned by the tens of thousands of cars in their parking lot, stuck in traffic to make it back and forth to and from the big game? How much emissions on the big buses and private jets shuttling three dozen teams, staffs in the hundreds, to each and every city week after week. You're going sit there with your sweet face and tell me that my priorities are fucked because I know that throwing soup on a painting will not save a single ounce of petro?
At least you have priorities though.
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Remember those state lawsuits against the big oil companies for damage and disinformation? One of them might be headed to the US Supreme Court.
I wonder if anybody can explain to me a legitimate reason why SCOTUS wants Biden's opinion before issuing their own.
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Revisiting "Just Stop Oil"
I happened to click on a Guardian article published today titled [url= ,%2C%20north%20London%2C%20on%20Saturday.]Just Stop Oil protest stops traffic in north London[/url].
Now, blocking traffic is, in my book, a more acceptable form of civil disobedience, and it seems that was indeed the point of the October 14th soup stunt.
Because I happened to scroll down, to those "More on this story" links, and discovered that Just Stop Oil demonstrations have been shutting down bridges and major roads around London since October 1st, when thousands of demonstrators blockaded not one but four London bridges in support of Just Stop Oil.
Well, that's the first I've heard of it. Thousands of demonstrators? Four London bridges?
That event kicked off a month of Just Stop Oil demonstrations that have been blocking major bridges and thoroughfares around London [url= ,roads%20leading%20to%20Vauxhall%20Bridge.]on a daily basis[/url].
October 1: Just Stop Oil activists blockade four London bridges
October 7: [url= ,roads%20leading%20to%20Vauxhall%20Bridge.]Environmental protesters block central London for seventh day[/url]
October 18: Just Stop Oil Protesters removed from Dartford Crossing Bridge and arrested
October 20: Just Stop Oil protesters arrested after Harrods sprayed with orange paint
October 22: Just Stop Oil protesters glue themselves to tarmac at central London junction
Just Stop Oil's planned month of daily action comes on the heels of last month's Extinction Rebellion demonstrations in which activists glued themselves around the Speaker's chair in the chamber of the House of Commons.
Say what we will about them, why is this the first I've heard of it? Twenty–two straight days of demonstrations and disruptions around London? Did I miss the headlines? I searched Reuters and AP for stories on Just Stop Oil.
I bet you guessed right; my little query brought me face–to–face with the man himself, the legend in the flesh: Jack Shit, spouting his favorite hit single, "Nothing to see here."
I don't see where either Reuters or A.P. carried any stories covering the daily demonstrations that have been held around London, including that large–scale October 1 event. Neither AP nor Reuters issued a peep about Just Stop Oil until after the Oct 14 Van Gogh stunt. Of course the headlines surrounding that event have been countless. Since then, Reuters has published one story on Just Stop Oil that was unrelated to the Van Gogh incident, about the Dartford Crossing Bridge demonstration, which was published three days after the Van Gogh incident.
And it appears Just Stop Oil has previously been staging other significant demonstrations, including the [url= Guardian Just Stop Oil blockades terminal in Glasgow in first Scottish action Just Stop Oil has taken action in Scotland for the first time, with more than 50 activists blockading an oil terminal in Glasgow. Shortly before sunrise on... .May 3, 2022]successful blockading of an oil terminal in Glasgow in May of this year[/url]. I see two sorta mainstream publications that covered that event: The Guardian... and Bloomberg.
Guardian, Guardian, Guardian... no wonder UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman garnered laughs and grabbed headlines for her recent departing rant in the House of Commons blaming "the disruptions that we are seeing on our roads today" on the "Guardian–reading, tofu–eating workerati."
So, a picture seems to be forming before me, in which daily climate demonstrations have been shutting down various parts of London on a daily basis, while going unreported by mainstream media.
So I have to reflect on what I wrote at the beginning of this post: "Now, blocking traffic is, in my book, a more acceptable form of civil disobedience..." It sounds so stuffy, doesn't it? Sounds like I'm a half–step away from advocating for "free speech zones" and preaching about "proper channels."
I'm reminded of a quote, from a certain David Cronenberg film, about self–immolations: "It's been done." Nobody cares. I'm as loath as anyone else to admit it, but evidence seems to be proving that our desensitization surrounding street demonstrations is absolutely part of the problem. I don't want to justify the tomato soupers. It makes me squirm. I've enjoyed so much self–righteous gratification in condemning them. In almost every way they come across as the kind of individuals you just love to hate. Privileged, shrill, misguided, and rude. I don't wanna eat my words, and I'm not convinced I should. But I can't help seeing something familiar between the lines... the unwritten, unpublished lines.
To be fair, there's been a lot going on. But this silence seems to be another in the ongoing pattern of gaps perforating mainstream discourse that reflects a tenacious reluctance to sufficiently cover the issues surrounding climate change. Especially those that might move an increasing number of people to engage in direct action.
Direct action, more specifically, against Big Oil.
.
Last edited by Rampop II (10/23/2022 1:00 am)
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Exxon CEO blames public for failure to fix climate change
The world isn’t on track to meet its climate goals — and it’s the public’s fault, a leading oil company CEO told journalists.Exxon Mobil Corp. CEO Darren Woods told editors from Fortune that the world has “waited too long” to begin investing in a broader suite of technologies to slow planetary heating.
Why did you burn supper, "world"?
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Meanwhile, meanwhile, meanwhile, Mamma Gaia patiently waits in the sun...
Florida cactus becomes first species in the US to go extinct due to sea level rise,
Melting sea ice is changing the Earth's rotation, and moving its axis. Nothing to see here, people.
Well at least big oil companies can still buy US politicians.
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Jinnistan wrote:
Why did you burn supper, "world"?
It's like a piece of charcoal!
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