I wouldn’t have thought open homosexuality a possibility in present day Iran.
Men kissing men in public, holding hands, hugging, slapping each other’s bottoms (probably). But always no-homo. That’s the usual way.
If things are indeed that progressive, like the Iran before the current theocratic government, everything I know is wrong.
And what do you think will take its place, and how?
That is the most disingenuous interpretation of my comment I can imagine.
You’re finding enemies in your own trenches my friend. The genocide in Gaza is absolutely horrific, and I am not making any excuses for it.
I’m just saying we live in a better world now as a whole than years past, recent years notwithstanding. Think mid-Obama as maybe the most hopeful time in recent memory as far as advancement toward the Global Goals was concerned, and yeah I know Obama was still bombing foreign countries in the name of anti-terror and killing innocents to get at Obama Bin Laden.
Do you find any optimism in the world or are you pure nihilism?
Yeah, it’s shit. But if we let bad be the enemy of better, we’ll never get anywhere.
Do you think a world without the institutions o mentioned would do any better for Palestinians?
As t least there’s still widespread support and sentiment among the populations of the western world, and Israel is very much a pariah state in many nations’ eyes. It’s just not within most nations’ power to intervene.
Even then intervention is tricky. We don’t people to do what Trump did in Venezuela, because history has shown it doesn’t lead to better long term outcomes.
Dehulling rice is way harder than processing wheat…
Also eating boiled wheat grains was a thing long before bread was figured out.
You can make bread with rice flour too if that’s your thing.
Institutions like NATO and the ICC, global trade agreements, security guarantees, economic interdependencies, multiculturalism, air travel, the infrastructure of the internet. The fact a bridge collapse or building fire might make international headlines. Movies and culture from around the world being mainstream.
What makes you not think so?
Indeed. But the general direction of world order has been moving against that sort of thing, and increasingly, many serving US politicians and citizens. Trump is undermining both US and global progress away from the worst traits of human hegemonic History and putting them back on full display.
Problem is, Maduro is a figurehead. He’s not a mastermind. The regime will carry on without him. Nothing has been achieved by this kidnapping except a threat to Venezuela, and a message to China and Russia that this is how the world works now.
Edit: Also a lot of innocent or mostly innocent people have been murdered. Trump is a literal murderer.
I mean sure but better if all in attendance vote for a better future at the ballot as well.
I would have much preferred a connections Republican party over what we got.
If revolutions bring ultimately successful, examples?
I know there are some, with the obvious one being the American Civil War that ended slavery. But, wars come with an intense cost to human life, and sounds be a list resort. Precisely because most around the world have not been successful, and have lead to things like military rule.
Why do you think change from within impossible?
That’s exactly what Trump and MAGA did to the Republican party.
Violent revolution brings change but rarely the kind of change most of those who engaged in it actually wanted.
Organizing to do what?
You can and should support them as they align with your values, but you’ll never get enough votes for them to have any chance of overthrowing the big two. It has to be changed from within, unless you’re prepared to try violence.
Progressive social change has always occurred under the auspices of the left-most of the two major parties. That’s just how it overwhelmingly is. What’s not to agree with? How do you think progress will happen next time it happens?
I don’t think you’re listening. That’s one of the issues both sides share in common that sucks. Doesn’t change the fact they’re our only hope.
We may have got here eventually anyway, but things are a lot worse for Americans right now because of Trump’s Republicans. Let’s not lose sight of that when complaining about the shit they have in common.
There’s also nobody who might emerge out of the right who would bring something that will make life for everyone better. Only the Democrats have a chance of doing that and engineering a better system that might eventuallyundermine their own political hegemony. Would they without pressure? Of course not. But the right will never even be pressured to do anything like that intentionally by it’s base, almost by definition basically.
This shit gives me existential dread and hope.
Like the complexity of cells might as well be an alien civilization, but all that somehow results in something that it’s like to be me. That’s so fundamentally mysterious, all I can do is conclude that consciousness has to be the prior of the universe. So on the one hand I’m nothing, and on the other, maybe I’m immortal. I won’t know until I’m dead.
In fairness if you’re a total technology troglodyte they can supply basic answers. But the moment there’s a real glitch for which actual programmers are needed…
DISM SFC
Good luck!
China is doing pretty well for more of its citizens than ever. But, this is obviously an embellishment that is far from reality.
Even if 90% is true, owning a home implies personal democratic freedoms. That’s not how housing works in China. Unless you’re wealthy you’re not leaving the town or city you were born in, not without losing your welfare benefits, so you better have a decent job offer if you try.