Not only that. Companies are now charging people extra for using cards, passing on their processing fees to consumers.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Putin was just saying this shit for the lolz

Americans on average are poorer than they were during the Great Depression. The only reason this awful economy is not considered a depression is because of capitalist propaganda. It’s all just being held up by “vibes.”

The protests for Palestine have also persisted for over two months now, similar to the 2020 George Floyd protests. They may be slowing some, but they are still happening. If anything, people are likely being recruited into actual organizational and educational work and finding sustainable levels of involvement, which while less sexy, is on the whole more crucial than chanting in the street.

And after decades of failed adventures in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria and now witnessing the US response to Israel’s genocide, hardly anyone here of proper age is gonna be willing to fight and die for the ruling class’s profits. The resistance to a US draft now would be enormous, bigger than with Vietnam. Cities would shut down and burn from riots. The US isn’t going to be winning any major overseas land invasion while also having to go to war with its populace at home all across the country. A draft here would be very very difficult for the ruling class to pull off without a seriously successful propaganda campaign, which is becoming rapidly inconceivable as the citizens continue to wake up.

Just about the only thing that I can see possibly working out in the US’s favor for a draft is if they can pull off a false flag attack of enormous damage.

Reminds me of that photo of all the Japanese politicians physically wrestling for a single pen.

American Averagism

These acts have always seemed like a symptom of psychosis to me. I suspect these people likely planned to end their lives anyway, as an act of protest or not. :\

Edit: Apologies, didn’t mean to be unempathetic. I just think it’s tragic that world events have driven this much pain into person that they are driven to the point of ending their life.

Idk if it’s unfortunate.

Now he’s gotta live with a shank wound and worry about it happening again at any moment from around any corner. Sounds worse tbh.

They’re gonna teach it the N word aren’t they

I agree. It’s obviously a term used in conversations with people who have a common understanding with you. And we need to seize opportunities to point out that liberals’ beliefs are equally as propagandistic when we are debating them.

It’s maddening that liberals and even plenty of so-called leftists don’t understand that every single bit of messaging is propaganda.

   "These gentlemen think that when they have changed the names of things they have changed the things themselves."

    -- DJ Daddy Engels

“Israel should stop occupying Palestinians and committing genocide in Gaza.” - HATE SPEECH

“Those Arab Muslims animal are all terrorists and the Israelis deserve to take their land by force.” - PROTECTED SPEECH

They’re not even pretending anymore that this isn’t an American war using Ukrainian bodies.

Democrats threatened railroad workers with state violence during Christmas.

“Disinformation”

Fascism requires an enemy.

Fair observations. What does “anti-war” mean if there’s no potential to actually affect policy?

That being said, even though he is an anticommunist, calling Russia a “colonizing” force, etc. He still is on record saying that NATO provoked Russia and has openly called for an end to NATO. There is value in seizing that criticism back from the right wing who has co-opted it and confronting Democrats from the left. How much potential though, we’ll see. I agree that the Bernie phenomenon was a perfect storm and that there are different circumstances now. Like you said, it’s easier for them to deplatform West whereas with Bernie the Democrats still had to make things appear “fair.”

Overall I’m suspicious of West, as we all should be.

Oh I agree. Cornel v. Bernie I’m viewing on the same level of Trump v. DeSantis. Ultimately another flavor of liberal infighting.

The biggest positive effect Cornel West can have by running is by continuing to weaken the ideological grip Democrats have over workers and other progressive-minded Americans. Plenty of us before studying Marxism started as Bernie supporters, so in that way his run does have the same potential to serve as a gateway to leftist politics.

He may also not agree with China’s politics but he’s anti-war and critical of NATO. Of any candidate in the mainstream public arena he’s obviously the most desirable for the Global South.

Liberals always use the “Economics 101” jab when it’s clear that’s all the knowledge they have lol.