Based on your use of the term Left Wing orthodoxy, I infer that you mean the misogynist, racist, homophobic, and transphobic communities. They still exist but have mostly moved to X.

Go bears!

I also think the evidence that Jesus existed is compelling, but my point is that it doesn’t matter when you’re talking about the philosophy that is credited to him. Reading the Gospels makes it quite clear that a disturbingly large part of modern Christianity is in opposition to everything he stood for.

I don’t think this really deserves an answer, but I’m going to give you one anyway. If you were actually paying attention to the current Catholic teachings you would be aware that they are extremely progressive on almost every issue except for abortion. That is appropriate, since that is in line with the actual teachings of Jesus, who was a far more radical progressive than anyone currently in US politics.

So what network are you getting your version of Catholicism from? It certainly isn’t the Pope.

AI is so far from being the main problem with our current US educational system that I’m not sure why we bother to talk about it. Until we can produce students who meet minimum standards for literacy and critical thinking, AI is a sideshow.

You are absolutely right. It isn’t complicated. A fundamental principle from the teachings of Jesus is that everyone should share their “wealth” (i.e. food, housing, medical care, etc.) with those in need. No one should ever be hungry, homeless, or sick without treatment. It follows naturally from the idea of loving everyone, without exception.

I’m not going to argue the questions about whether Jesus was divine or even existed. I am simply talking about the philosophy that is presented as his by the Gospels. That is the core of Christianity, but it is ignored by a majority of those who call themselves Christians. The fact that it is difficult and calls for personal sacrifices is not an excuse. He never said that it would be easy.

I accept that Christian principles can be viewed as aspirational goals and not an absolute code of conduct, but that is not what we see in the would-be Christians. They have no interest in working toward those goals.

That is a good point. I think you’re right that being raised in an entitled environment by a socipathic parent brings out the worst in people. It also selects for the worst child being the one who wins the fight to take over the business.

American Football: Every time a player suffers a traumatic brain injury the owner takes a punch to the head from a professional heavyweight boxer.

The ratio of poor to ultra wealthy is far greater than a million to one. Other than that, the only practical reason they have for not doing it is that they still need human labor for most of what they do. That isn’t going to change anytime soon, despite AI. However, they don’t need their labor force to be free or happy, which is why the US is on the cusp of a fascist takeover.

The rule of law has largely stopped mattering to the ultra wealthy. It may occasionally inconvenience them, but they know it will never affect them in any personal way.

Not all of the ultra wealthy are socipaths. Unfortunately, terminal-stage capitalism does a surprisingly good job of selecting for sociopathy at the very top of the hierarchy. Becoming that rich requires both a strong belief that you deserve it and a disregard for how acquiring it harms others.

This is actually a triumph for Musk. SpaceX has figured out how to blow up their rockets without all the cost and time required to prepare for a launch.

I edited my previous post to replace some links that had become obsolete. PeakMesh has a great set of options, but they update their links to match their inventory and the one I got has cycled in and out a few times.

I agree with you. Outside of sarcasm, I’m tempted to apply this version of the word:

“We’ll give you a fair trial, followed by a first-class hanging.” –Sheriff Cobb in Silverado

I don’t think violence is really the right answer to this mess, but I have to keep telling myself that. The hardest thing about facing down awful and destructive people isn’t winning, it’s not becoming them in the process.

To be fair, Trumpists have no idea how to actual govern, so to them, everything probably is an emergency.

The fact that you’re asking the question means you’ve made a lot of progress already. Give yourself real credit for wanting to be a better person. A lot of people don’t ever reach that point.

I’m working on the same things myself and I don’t think there are any simple or complete solutions. All you can do is keep in mind where you want to be, look at where you are, and try to get a little closer all the time.

You can’t control how you feel, but you can control what you do about it. Don’t act on your anger. Treat everyone as if they are a decent person, even if you don’t really think they are. You don’t have to enable them or accept the destructive things they do, but show kindness when you can and show sorrow, instead of anger, when you can’t.

Do this for yourself. Even if nothing else changes, it will change you. And over time, it will have a positive effect on other people, even if you often won’t know.

Thank you!

Protesting is always kind of scary, at some level, but it pays off in multiple ways. The causes really need the support and sheer numbers are important. They also provide encouragement and a sense of community. Sitting in your room and watching the world burn is depressing and isolating. Going out to do something about it, and finding a lot of other people who want to do the same, makes solutions seem possible. I came away from yesterday’s protest feeling energized and optimistic.

Keep at it! Millions of people turned out yesterday and it is growing. There is power, as well as safety, in numbers.

I hadn’t thought about that angle, but you are certainly right!

These attacks need to be treated as terrorism, in addition to attempted murder.

On a more positive note, the police who provided security for today’s rally in Madison physically blocked the approaches with police vehicles. That needs to become standard practice.

Even the article this links to begins by saying hundreds of thousands. There were 15,000 in my city alone. The estimates I’ve seen for the overall turnout in the US run from the low millions up to more than 15 million. It was a huge event.

I feel the same way about it. There was a time when reddit, at least large parts of it, was a fairly decent place. That gradually changed, for a lot of different reason, until it became the mess it is now.

Lemmy feels more like the early reddit, before everyone gave up on real interactions and basic civility. We have our own problems, but the decentralized model tends to work in our favor instead of against us. Any given community, or even site, can still go to hell if the participants want it to and the moderators/admins allow it. The difference is that other communities and sites are not automatically dragged down along with it.

I think it also helps that a lot of the folks here have seen things go wrong, on reddit and elsewhere, and want to do better. There is a world of difference between skepticism and cynicism. So far, we seem to be mostly coming down on the right side of that. It’s amazing how much better things are when you treat others as human beings and don’t assume that nothing really matters.

I attended the rally in Madison today. It was a large and enthusiastic crowd, estimated at over 15,000. There was a lot of anger, but it was all directed toward positive ends. The protest was peaceful and non-destructive.

I have to give credit to the State Troopers who provided security for the event. They got right everything the police in LA have gotten wrong. Our police were pleasant, helpful, and low-key.

There was a good lineup of speakers. One of was a reporter and author named John Nichols who has written several books with Bernie Sanders. He arranged for Bernie to speak to the rally by phone.

I left feeling more positive than I have for quite a while. It’s easy to feel helpless, and the authoritarians are doing their best to promote that feeling. Being part of a huge crowd with a common goal makes fixing this mess seem possible.