Basically the article says they don’t pay taxes, don’t have full protection under the US Constitution, have to obey US laws and are subject to the powers of the US Congress and President, have no voting rights, are subject to the draft, considered US citizens, etc.

So that basically sounds like a colony.

So Puerto Rico is just another US colony then?

That’s what was happening before, when they were “allowed”.

There’s a good chance it will be used for the declaration of a special military operation. And the Americans will finally get to invade Iran.

Even if it’s true that people are stupid (which is also a narrative pushed which ensures apathy) that is completely irrelevant. Why is it that these apparently stupid people believe the “wrong thing”? Well, it’s the same as always. The capitalists are better organized than us, and those supporting them know of no other alternatives. So for a successful revolution the oppressed class needs to get better organized (which IS happening, albeit slowly).

If YOU feel apathetic, please find a socialist/communist/radical left party/group and join it. It can help immensely

Within at least physics, there is still a lot of importance placed on “prestigious” journals like Phys Rev. So it’s not so simple. Why would authors trust something published in the “Journal for Comradely Science”? It makes it very difficult to start something just due to the scientific cultural inertia.

Realistically it is 100% possible. But it’s the same issue the rest of the working class runs into: insufficient organization. The push for open source in its current form is just a way to make science open without affecting the profits of these huge journals. It costs the author to publish in a journal (which usually means the government allocates x-dollars within grants to pay for publishing). So it’s a farce tbh.

The only identity politics I want to see is us against the ruling elite. Everything else is sparkling fascism.

I prefer to call it democracy with American characteristics.

Yeah, and it’s fully legal for them to take any money you have and claim it’s related to drug money (even if you’re a citizen). You can always get it back if you fight for it but…

Don’t bring things with you that you don’t want taken from you (unless you have to).

Obviously. To minimize the effect of what little say citizens have, you make it as difficult as possible to vote.

Given that the existence of the US as it is (i.e. 5 companies in a trench coat) is completely dependent upon continued neo colonialism, I’m surprised it took this long to auto-enroll citizens for the draft

I like how the reactionary communities post shit that isn’t thought out. Then you got a couple of… Left communities where they post thought out essays. Too long to read but probably mostly true

Decrease civilian crime in favour of state crime. Woo.

I think it would be wise for them to open state distribution outlets. Have the cops seize drugs, then resell it at a discount. It would help pay for the cost of policing and increase the GDP!

I think you are right (erasing culture is part of a genocide). But why target scientists specifically? To boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) a country committing genocide, you target what you can. A university can divest from Israeli companies, and boycott their universities through the cancelling of visiting academics, joint research projects, etc. beyond that the university has little direct action they can take.

Why would you believe this? First you would have to answer why the scientists are being shunned. Then, is this the same problem in these other countries? Then you have to ask why would it be a bad thing for them to work elsewhere? What about the countless good scientists in the west who are unemployed? Why not be worried about them going to other countries?

I suspect you aren’t involved in science at all. The default is that scientists travel between countries for opportunities. There are far more scientists than jobs for them, especially when you consider the scientists trained in very specific fields. To be concerned with the shunning of a specific nationality of scientists ignore why they may be shunned. And to be concerned with where this specific group will then go, is low-key racist.

I for one think we should continue with the way things are. Obviously the people who own companies like Tesla and Amazon are better than us. We should be happy to have a job tbh. Seriously, why would I want to be burdened with decisions like whether or not I get healthcare, or whether or not food and education is accessible. We are better off letting the market decide. If education was so important, wouldn’t the market find a way to make money off of it?

It’s good when you can see the bias buddy. Because there always is one. If they present themselves as unbiased, well they are biased but they’re hiding it.

Bruh so funny. I’m not sure I could have come up with a quip so succinct, yet so useless.

Facts:

There is a worrying amount of Nazi sympathy among Ukrainian forces

The Russian economy is doing surprisingly well (signalling that the west no longer holds complete control over world trade)

Fuck Russia for invading a sovereign nation

Fuck the west for blocking peace talks

Good luck to all peoples in their fights of liberation from their oppressors. The leadership of the west and it’s oligarchs, the Russian oligarchs, and all leaders sympathetic to the American empire would be better used as pig feed.

None of us are free unless we are all free.

There. Now that you know where I stand, it should be easier to construct an intelligent response.

Work where? The war crimes division of Nazi HQ?

Relax buddy, people are allowed to work together. Even if you don’t like a particular country.

I think if you focus on your friends, neighbours, hobbies, etc. You can find peace within the enshittification. But I think it’s a bad idea to ignore the shit. Get mad about it. You should be mad. It’s bullshit. But what then? We can wallow in the shit by ourselves, or we can find groups of people with similar interests. Who knows what happens after.

And by similar interests I mean this as an example: Are you pissed about genocide? Good! You should be! Others are too. Find them, and do something about it. You’ll build relationships that will at least help carry you through the shit.