@futurebird@sauropods.win
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

futurebird

@futurebird@sauropods.win

pro-ant propaganda, building electronics, writing sci-fi teaching mathematics & CS. I live in NYC.

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thomasfuchs, to random
@thomasfuchs@hachyderm.io avatar

Posting boobs

Facebook: lol no
Twitter: what about a Nazi instead
Bluesky: you are now verified
Mastodon: add alt text or ban

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@ryanlawson @thomasfuchs

Is this a joke?

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

A lot of people don't know the difference between capitalism and ... having markets and shopping and little coops and companies in non-super-essential economic sectors that operate independently.

Markets existed before capitalism and will exist after.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

I don't see what those stats have to do with AOC.

And we can agree that she isn't anti-democratic, now yes?

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@escarpment @ceoln

The mutual aid is needed because the government isn't going to get here in time for some people. It's not a replacement. But it's also about having more awareness of what the people around you are experiencing.

There were two families in our building who didn't have enough food. That shocked me a little, but at the same time I'd be in the same boat if I couldn't work for like 4 months. (like if I got sick)

We get them food.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@stopthatgirl7

I think it's because he's been talking to me and I'm black. That's what it looked like in this context.

Though I kind of hope not. I'm so tired of being disappointed in people.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@ceoln @escarpment

Right now I think the main work is the following in this order:

  1. Local Mutual Aid (get help to the people who need it around you any damn way you can)
    Likewise labor unions are important organizations.
  2. A basic social safety net, probably run by the government because other nations do it and it works OK. Put a band aid on it now.
  3. Stop worshiping the ultra wealthy, a cultural shift expectations.
  4. Start talking about what else we might try.
futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

"Reagan was a neoliberal. Thatcher, too."

Also. I totally agree. But... why are you using a SLUR?

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@floatybirb @TruthSandwich

I don't call myself a socialist, or anything really. Is there a word for being someone who is just curious what we could accomplish if everyone really had a (small pro - proportional) say in how things were done?

The more we drift away from that ... the more people get harmed ignored and exploited.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

Are you trying to be passive aggressive? I'm not great at picking up on subtle nastiness.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

I think of "rejecting democracy" as:
-supporting gerrymandering
-trying to make it harder to vote
-getting elected then not doing what you promised your constitutes

Things like that. Can you be more specific about what she's done? I don't really see her as that different from other Democrats, although she seems to do a better job of listening to younger voters and that's who elected her.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

Hating politicians is a waste of emotional energy.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

That's who I was thinking of.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

neoliberals gave themselves that name. It describes moderate liberals who want to grow the economy by limiting social welfare. It's a program of generally liberal social policies with a deliberate pull back from labor unions and the social programs of midcentury.

How on earth is that a slur?

Granted many people think it's been a failure and we don't want to see more of it. But again... how is that a slur?

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

Biden has not been as much of a neoliberal as previous Democrats. He's been a lot better than his record would have suggested, although this is on a US scale. In many other parts of the world he'd be kinda conservative.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@escarpment @ceoln

"we have people to help with food insecurity emergencies"

None of those were open to the families in question. They didn't qualify and were at work when they would have had to be in line to get food from one of the churches that give out groceries.

These networks fail often. For example where I live calling the police is generally a bad idea. They might arrest you or anyone, it can be very random. It's good to have people you can call.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@escarpment @ceoln

I agree. I'm not talking about replacing anything with mutual aid. I'm suggesting that by participating in mutual aid we can help each other and get to know each other better.

And it's faster. There are emergencies, people who need help TODAY.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

Please don't do the internet lawyer thing about this.

You don't care, so I get you now. There really isn't anything else to discuss.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@TruthSandwich

You think AOC is such a person?

Why?

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@escarpment @ceoln

Mutual aid is also about sharing information. During the pandemic a lot of tenants got to know each other and some of them discovered that they were all being screwed in the same way by the real estate holding company that manages their building.

People are easier to control when we're isolated.

It could be as simple as making a spreadsheet and having everyone share their salary at your job. Or finding out that everyone has leaking heaters that randomly shut off.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@scm

"Love it or hate it, let’s at least rein it in before it makes a few people so rich they might as well be kings and queens."

I've got some real bad news, Steve.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@escarpment @ceoln

For most of us it'd be the same.

But you might not be able to buy Twitter, for example, because co-ops would be more popular and the employees would own it.

But also twitter would have never had such fancy offices or as much money.

This is this idea of making some changes to how corporate charters work, to incentivize not-for-profits (not just as tax shelters please) and co-ops too.

The phase in would be a 20 year time span.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@escarpment @ceoln

Excellent questions.
I don't have every answer. I just want to see more people having a say in the way things are run-- because I think we'll learn a lot and just... do a better job.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

What makes a battle or escape or fight scene in a book good?

Conventional writing wisdom says building tension is critical. Think about your character's greatest nightmare, bring it to bear. What I've not encountered in writing advice is the problem of too much tension.

Have you ever put a book down because it was just stressing you out too much? You have a literary sense it might be OK in the end but don't enjoy the suspense?

This is among the top reasons I end up not completing books. 1/

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

I think there are a few reasons this can happen.

The worst is when you as the reader don't feel like the main character is making choices that are relatable. They need not be choices you'd make to be relatable-- you can get to know a character and understand and anticipate the mistakes they might make- then it isn't so bad. But when characters seem foolish just to complicate things and make them tense it's not fun.

2/

futurebird, (edited )
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

What about good battles? I stop and reflect when I encounter any book that does this well. Writing about physical fights requires a sense of ... choreography. The way the characters grapple and move needs to make sense. If I can picture the action it's more enjoyable. The best battles have educated you enough about the rules and weapons of the world so that you can think about what might happen next-- and then there are surprises where these things come together in unexpected ways. 4/

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Another way tension can become exhausting is if you feel like you never get to see the characters happy, not even for a fraction of a second. The doom and teeth gritting is just endless and draining.

Just as bad is when it starts to feel like the writing is trying to stretch out the resolution to the battle or source of the tension. It just goes on too long. Sometimes I just skip a bunch of pages-- but when I start doing that I probably give up on the book not long after.

3/

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