Lol Harris is a terrible candidate. Maybe Michelle Obama or something.

I guess it comes down to whether the laws are just or unjust, if the state that makes the laws is good or bad. When you have a clash of cultures that are not compatible with each other, or different states with incompatible ideas, there will be a winner and a loser, where the winner makes the laws and therefore determines what constitutes “terrorism”. But just because one culture won, doesn’t mean that it is just or good. It could be the good guys in charge, or just as easily the bad guys. It depends not so much on good or bad, but on military power. So how do you know when it’s the good guys in charge? If the “bad guys” of today, the “terrorists”, were in charge instead and you and I were on the other end of the power dynamic, would it be a better world? Would we be resorting to violence against citizens and against the state in order to further our political cause? Hard to say. Most of us would probably assimilate into their culture, but certainly some of us would be the new resistance, the new terrorists, killing innocents because we believed that strongly in our cause.

But this is all based on the assumption that laws and power dynamics will always exist, that they are in fact necessary. Someone will always be in charge, and others will wish they were, and will be willing to resort to violence to get the power or to break the laws. Do you envision a world where power dynamics and laws don’t exist? I can’t see it.

Yeah maybe they were contacted, I don’t recall. And yes the organizers should be available for interviews, and should also be given a chance to clarify what they stand for, what their message is and who the big backers are. That way you can get an idea of what they ACTUALLY stand for and not just what the leader says.

No, but I’m also not sure where you are going with that question. I suppose hezbollah flags directly have something to do with the Palestine protests, whereas nazi flags didn’t really have anything to do with the convoy, so maybe it’s more understandable to have hezbollah/hamas flags there. But they are still terrorists, right? Or are we OK with them now? I’m just not sure what you mean.

This is the standard that was applied when a few nazi flags showed up at convoy rallies. You either need to reclaim the cause for your protest, or admit that it actually stands for something else and then ask yourself if you want to be part of that.

Exactly. They really really wanted to get him, and this was the only thing they could get to stick.

A million? How did you get that number? How many died directly as a result of covid? (Estimated 1.2 million total, depending on your source) And how many of them actually could have been prevented if everyone got vaccinated as soon as they could have? How many died from covid despite being vaccinated? It’s not like it was available or even as effective as everyone initially hoped. It actually blows my mind that everyone forgot how evil and influential the pharmaceutical industry is, the lengths they would go to, how absolutely filthy rich they got. I remember for decades they got in trouble for fudging efficacy data or even straight up fabricating, bribing politicians and doctors, and now years later we still got people like you going to bat for them. White knighting for big pharma… what a world.

I tried finding numbers on how many could have been saved if everyone got vaccinated who could have been, but they vary wildly depending on assumptions. Most of the answers to my questions above can’t even be found because nobody did the math besides sources you would diregard anyway. Boy do I ever wish we could have an honest conversation about it instead of political partisanship coloring everything about it.

Yes well, there is always a way to justify actions you support and condemn those that you don’t support. The only way to avoid an authoritarian regime of one kind or the other is to hold certain rights to be inviolable and above the scope of government. If you give the government power to remove your rights under certain circumstances then they will create those circumstances in order to use that power. Come on, you know this. And even if was for a cause you support this time, next time it might not be.

Careful not to underestimate the authoritarian left. They seemed willing to go pretty far during COVID.

So many of these kinds of stories lately, its hard to fact check them all. I mean, I guess it’s possible, but I find it tough to believe that Israel is on an extermination campaign let alone one that is excessively cruel and outrageously evil. Maybe I’m naive, but if Israel hopes to present themselves as a first world country and a modern civilization, then they can’t honestly expect to get away with that kind of thing.

I haven’t dabbled with that stuff for years, but I could go back to that as well I suppose.

Yeah I suppose they would hop on as well. The idea that my experience would be tailored according to unknown algorithm and agenda kind of scares me.

I’ve never used an iPhone, been a die hard android user since the beginning, but I might switch because of this. I don’t care about AI and don’t want it on my phone.