I find it interesting that some people think loneliness is a personal condition rather than a societal one. I never saw that argument generally made, but maybe people blame themselves for their own sense of loneliness?
"So much of contemporary discussion about the impact of social and technological changes on people’s psychology – from the influence of social media on the wellbeing of the young to the effect of hyper-individualism on our sense of self – fetishises the psychology at the expense of social analysis. We look for loneliness inside our heads when its source lies all around us, in the destruction of collective life, the erosion of communal bonds, the ruin of civil society, the squeezing of public spaces. We could do with obsessing less about personality types than about the obsession with the psychological at the expense of the social."
"We look for loneliness inside our heads when its source lies all around us, in the destruction of collective life, the erosion of communal bonds, the ruin of civil society, the squeezing of public spaces"
A few years ago, Obama humiliated Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner. People laughed AT Trump. He was publicly humiliated. His racist blood was boiling. Tonight, Jimmy Kimmel publicly humiliated Trump at the Oscar’s. The audience cheered when he said it was “past your jail time”. I wish more people would do that. It’s Trump’s weakness. #Oscars #TrumpForPrison
Anytime anyone with a platform takes a moment to point out that the bully is a ridiculous #PaperTiger - I think that is a good thing, as trivial and juvenile as it may be.
It is good for #CivilSociety when people in high-visibility positions are willing to poke #bullies in the ego.
To be clear, #TFG was trying to bully Kimmel, but Jimmy wasnt having any.
are we just going to keep debating "religion" with blanket statements or are we going to consider that it's useful to distinguish between "religion" when it functions as a personalized coping mechanism versus when it operates as an organized social entity.
are we going to really accept the framing that our two choices are "allow all cults" or "god is an illegal thought crime" or are we going to use these things called brains that we have in our skulls.
#EU#AI#AIAct#CivilSociety#DigitalRights: "Since even before the release of the original AI Act proposal, civil society have been demanding a clear framework of human rights protection for the use of dangerous AI systems. In November 2021, over 100 civil society organisations called for concrete changes in the Act to put fundamental rights first.
If the AI Act passes, it will introduce some important improvements designed to enhance technical standards and increase accountability and transparency for the use of high-risk AI. It will even take (very limited) steps to prohibit some AI uses. However, there are also severe causes for concern with the final AI Act text. Putting aside those areas where the EU has simply not gone far enough to prevent harm, the AI Act may contribute to broader shifts which expand and legitimise the surveillance activities of police and migration control authorities, resulting in major implications for fundamental rights in the face of AI systems." https://edri.org/our-work/council-to-vote-on-eu-ai-act-whats-at-stake/
When people respond to an $83 million judgement with cynical comments about how justice is only for the rich and there is never enough "accountability" I feel like just deleting all of my social media accounts.
I won't do it, but I feel like it more often lately.
It isn't MAGA that makes me think democracy won't work. I expect an anti-democratic contentency.
It's the kind of bizarre expectations others have.
Autocracy is based on lies because so many people don't like the truth.
Please know there are A LOT of us lurkers who are informed by your work & look forward to your posts.
We do A LOT of liking, very little commenting. Please know for every reactionary, dopey, spur of the moment post - there are legions of us going... "hmmm. that's an angle to think about."
👋 waves in HS history teacher. You provide a key piece of civil society discourse. Much needed.
Will now retreat to my social media shell. Thank you so much.
💢 Сьогодні в Києві триває великий форум громадянського суспільства. До повномасштабного вторгнення такий форум проводився раз на рік та збирав кілька тисяч учасників
Нині проводиться двічі на рік, причина проста – донорських грошей організатори нафандрейзили стільки, що їх треба якось витрачати й показувати великі цифри
Iris Hefets, a 56-year-old #psychoanalyst, stood alone in a public square in Berlin & held up a sign. On it, she had written: “As an #Israeli and #Jew, stop the #genocide in Gaza” – on one side in #English & on the other in #German.
Italian workers strike over hard-right government budget
Rome (AFP) – Public sector employees and transport workers across Italy went on strike Friday in an action pitting trade unions against the hard-right government in Rome over its 2024 budget.
I just had to update my numbers for a lecture, so here's your periodic reminder: Starlink is now 55% of ALL active satellites in orbit.
And given the recent news about that awful billionaire unilaterally deciding to cut of Starlink internet access to parts of the world whenever he wants to, this is extra important to share. Why did our governments effectively gift Low Earth Orbit to one awful dude? This is so bad.