andrewrgross

joined 1 year ago
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[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 day ago

What a fresh new hell this is.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 14 points 1 day ago

You messed up the format.

The caption should be "Why would Socialism do this?"

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 10 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Well, there is a cycle:

  • Media doesn't cover climate change
  • Groups like Xtinction Rebellion hold a disruptive demonstration
  • Media complains that it's irrational and actually pushes people away from the climate movement
  • A small backlash of commentators point out that they're drawing needed attention to the issue
  • Public discusses climate change until media loses interest

... and the cycle repeats.

I hope that some climate protesters do something flashy and disruptive as soon as possible.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 days ago (3 children)

This looks like a clog caused by retraction.

Is it clogged when it finishes? Also, does the cooling change at this layer? Is there anything specific to this layer?

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 30 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

As someone who has thought about this a lot, here's what I try to do myself.

First, let's reconcile some things. On one hand, you have a sense of powerlessness, and it's not an illusion. However on the other, I think there is a real and valid sense among many that Israel's situation has changed in fundamental ways that cannot be undone. And it seems realistic that the current order will fall in our lifetimes. So then how do you and I act to hasten that?

First (and really second, third, and fourth), we must bear witness. We must continue to read these articles and learn about this situation well enough to try and explain it to others. Save articles by Palestinians to use to lift up their voices when opportunities arise.

At this point, it helps to reflect on a certain model of persuasion I like. Our goals are not to convince someone who opposes us to join our side. It's to move people along a ladder. You want to find people who already agree with you but are passive, and activate them to do the things you're already doing. You want to convince people who are neutral to agree with you, passively. You want to convince people who are passively opposed to become neutral. And you want to convince people who are actively opposed to lose their conviction and become passive in their opposition.

This has been happening for a long time, and it's begun to accelerate in the last year. Learn and share knowledge. I don't mean facts: I mean listen to people and slip them time-bomb ideas tailored to where they are that will move them on the ladder the next time they read a headline that you've primed them to look at with new eyes.

Second: I think it's very likely that major turning points will be accompanied by mass actions. Protests don't do anything ... until suddenly they do. Be a member of a group -- DSA, JVP, PYM, etc. -- to make sure that when people march, you'll get the call.

That's pretty much what I have now. That and conversations like this one.

Third, I try to make sure I'm visible in my politics. I wear a kippah, and I have a Palestinian flag pin on it. I've found that this lets fellow Jews who've felt silenced know that I'm safe to talk to about this, and quietly lets Muslim neighbors know I'm with them. I have a drawstring bag with a pro-Palestine message I often carry. If useful to you, consider signaling politely where you stand to let others know.

And lastly: keep the faith. That ladder I mentioned? Zionists are trying to do all this to you too. There are people who want to exhaust you and demoralize you. Take breaks if needed. Don't burn out. Do what you must to stay active for the long haul.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 2 points 4 days ago

Thanks for sharing this. I wasn't familiar with this channel, not I'm liking it.

I just read that this guy was part of Nebula and was forced out. It's remarkable that he's forced out for speaking openly and defending his beliefs when Isaac Arthur is tolerated despite having much more onerous politics but having them in secret. Smh.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 10 points 4 days ago

My kids school has done some of this. Next to his kindergarten class is a little patio where they eat snacks and spend a lot of the day. It used to be concrete, but now it's all wood chips and little logs for stools. The shade is lacking, but it has trees, they're just a bit young. When they fill out, it'll be amazing.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 7 points 4 days ago

I find a big problem we have is that the media and Democrats never seem to educate people on any distinctions between undocumented crossings, Visa overstays, asylum cases, Green cards, naturalization, etc.

It's outrageous that Trump will threaten to depart people who have followed every role as though they're all criminals and no one ever seems to push back on any of it!

He's flirted with deporting natural born Americans, and it's the obvious destination when people passively accept his racialized view of Americanism!

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Amen. It drives me fuckin' nuts anytime -- in business as well as in sci-fi and general discussion -- when people envision a society made perfect because it's run by a genius computer.

For pretty much every challenge society faces, the major obstacle is not that we're unsure what to do or lack the intelligence to solve. We already have all the solutions, it's just that our decision making systems are completely disinterested in employing any of the solutions that we already have.

It's like, if you could get everyone to agree to listen to a computer, why not just skip the computer and get everyone to agree to listen to a combination of popular will and expert advice? Popular will and expert advice are like the supercomputer that runs society that we already have.

 

Springfield, Ohio became suddenly famous nationally when Trump claimed that an influx of Haitian migrants were devouring residents' pets. I went looking to see what the town is experiencing from the perspective of local news, and it looks surprising nuanced.

It appears that the town saw a rapid influx of migrants fleeing violence in Haiti. The town has since experienced a strain in its ability to function in notable ways because of the population shock. The issues include a sudden reduction in the housing supply and an increase in traffic and inexperienced drivers. One particularly bad traffic accident killed a child during a school bus crash.

The city government has seemed to largely avoid blaming new arrivals themselves. However they've expressed a sense of betrayal towards Biden and the federal government for granting thousands of people entry into the country without appearing to recognize any responsibility for helping them resettle or aiding their destination cities in accommodating them. Additionally, they've begun investigating local businesses which they suspect used the expansion of visas for Haitians seeking asylum as an opportunity to seek out low-cost workers while concealing their role in creating a population shock for which the city was unprepared.

I must say that I think the city government makes a reasonable point: those of use who want to offer foreign visitors safety and dignity in American must also demand that our government takes responsibility for helping them relocate to a town in which is expecting their arrival and has been aided in making that arrival successful.

 
 

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13236888

Not givin' up

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

“We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

You are utterly powerless to stop this, even at your most self actualized, mobile, and focused you are fundamentally incapable of changing what needs to be changed.

This is flat out wrong.

You're missing the point, because your scale is off. I'm not trying to change the planet. I'm trying to change my city and neighborhood. I'm not trying to hold back the tides. I'm trying to teach the next generation the resiliency to survive a long road to something better.

Those goals are totally in my reach. I can't save billions, but I can definitely save dozens. Perhaps hundreds over the next century. And if enough of us do that, collectively we CAN save billions.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And somewhat ironically, the “our species can still turn it around! live in hope!” types are the same ones deadset against revolution to force those living large off destroying the planet to stop in a physical way.

I feel like it's the other way around. I feel like it's my people who are out there getting arrested and making fossil fuel execs upgrade their security detail, and it's the doomers who seem to complain endlessly about how much they hate the taste of shoe leather while somehow spending the most time down there.

 

Not givin' up

 

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13156086

Parable of the Sower is such a good book.

First, it's interesting that it starts right about now. The book starts in mid-2024, and even mentions that its an election year. That was a fascinating experience to read a scifi book in the moment in time in which it is set. It still feels like it takes place about 20 years in the future. It was written 31 years ago, so politically things have seemed to move as many steps forward as backward. It seems like a lot of things have not gotten better and worse than when Butler wrote it, so in some sense I feel like I'm looking at it as a near future in the same way as when it was written a generation ago. I guess I'm glad things didn't go as badly as in the story, but it's rough that the looming threat from 30 years ago feels the same distance away now as then.

Second, it's painful to read. Although the events described in the book haven't happened in the book's setting -- California -- the social collapse and migrations described have happened in Honduras, Gaza, Yemen, and certainly others I'm not aware of. It was really hard to read that and know that it was already real somewhere.

Third, as a solarpunk novel -- and really as general fiction -- it feels like it should be part of a high school curriculum. It's really well written and an engrossing read. Since publishing Fully Automated, I often relate solarpunk stories to that game. What might I have added to the game if I'd read this before? How well does it naturally fit? One thing that struck me is that her emerging in-world faith -- Earthseed -- reminds me quite a bit of elements of Seekerism, a new faith tradition in Fully Automated. I wish I'd known and included direct references to Earthseed, but it's nice when the game has alignment with great works that I wasn't directly familiar with.

Has anyone else read this? What do you folks think?

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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by andrewrgross@slrpnk.net to c/memes@lemmy.ml
 
 
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