Oh, hold on, I am absolutely not against bullying these people mercilessly. I’m probably meaner to them than you are, if I were just guessing.

The thing that I don’t want people to do is treat a cultural critique as if it were a personal one. A lot of the pushback that you’ll see from the fragile male types is just manifested insecurity over the fact that they think they can’t go up and talk to a woman without her splashing her drink in their face. The critique is just describing the currents of the ocean, but they will treat it as if it were a personal attack because what you’re really arguing with is their hurt feelings.

If you’re black and presently in confederate country, maybe a little?

The sweeping conclusion, by the way, is “it seems risky,” and I know you know that it is.

Oh, race! I love race.

Do you think it would be wrong for a black person to be a little bit nervous about wandering through some small, predominantly white town in middle America? 'Cause I’m gonna be real, I think that’s probably a valid fear.

Okay, I feel like this needs to be addressed as well: this, like, public self-flagellation is not useful either. I have never once been ashamed of being a man.

The problem that men have here is cultural and systemic, it’s expressed with statistics and social norms—it really, really has nothing to do with you or me specifically.

If you’ve already done the work of recognizing that negging women is extremely rude, then you’ve already improved as a person. There’s no reason to be self-loathing about it.

I’m friends with several women: no it doesn’t, and no it doesn’t.

Having your shit together means your room doesn’t have a pile of garbage building on the floor. It means you’ve hung up 1 piece of art to make your white walls more interesting. It means your carpet was washed within the last 3 months.

What are you even upset about? Do you even know?

So, how does choosing a bear with a honeypot make men look bad?

meant to deliberately portray all men as dangerous

If this were true, wouldn’t it be dead simple for women to just pick the man? It’s interesting that a lot don’t, right?

Healthcare workers were prioritized for vaccination, locking them into the narrative early. Once you’ve taken the shot and pushed it on patients, your identity – professional judgment, ethics, self-image as a healer – hinges on its safety. The cost of admitting error becomes psychologically prohibitive.

What the fuck did you link.

[edit] So, if you follow links to Joshua Stylman’s substack, you can find this:

Maybe it’s my algorithm, but the content was flooded with an unusual amount of vitriol directed at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as HHS Secretary. […] talking heads across networks uniformly labeling him a “conspiracy theorist” and “danger to public health,” never once addressing his actual positions.

Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m wasting my time on this. It’s just funny, I guess.

Alternatively, you can make fun of those people for being stupid. And lying.

They know they’re lying, you know that right?

so that there can be no question when they are found guilty,

That’s right, guys, we just gotta wait 14 more months.

Wah~ pls no bully

It does actually.

As bad as Trump’s administration is,

1. they own the federal level, not the states;
2. there are still a lot of proceduralists around;
3. doing whatever they want only works if there’s no resistance. Trump’s administration in particular crumbles under resistance, which is why it’s so infuriating that Democrats keep rolling over.

Anger also clouds the mind.

I’m not going to disagree with you because that would be silly. But, what are you referring to? I hope you can read the comtempt in my voice. Whose mind is clouded over the murder of Renee Good?

I was going to explain something about farm houses keeping cameras out of their slaughterhouses, or use an analogy about trying to explain magenta to a blind person, and how your own description can both be truthful and insufficient. But I don’t think that’s even important.

The only thing that matters here is that you are struggling to watch these videos, you feel as if you are being made to, and everything you’ve said since those two feelings has been sophistry to explain why you shouldn’t have to.

merc, I’m snapping my fingers. You are free. You can go play Factorio or whatever it is that you wanted to do. I absolve you of the responsibility.

I mean, maybe.

In Walz’ case, I don’t necessarily think it’s money. I don’t think a bribe is necessary, it’s just a cultural expectation among DNC politicians that you must be limp, ineffective, meek, weak-willed, civil to a near suicidal degree, and ambitionless.

But, those virtues ultimately come from the (corporate) consultants anyway, and I’m not much interested in defending Walz right now either, so fuck it. May as well be fucking bribed.

I’d probably be a lot angrier if I did. Which is the point. We, people, need to stay angry. Anger motivates action.

I’m sorry, I meant what are you doing in this comment section. As in, “what are you trying to accomplish.”

[edit] Also, I’m just going to assume these are good organizations: Right on, man. I’m glad you’re out there helping your fellow people.

And replaced him with who?

I realize that we’re speculating about a universe that has not happened, but her vice president is allowing ICE to kill his citizens. Replaced Merrick with who, exactly?

What are you doing?

One of the primary goals of grassroots organizing is to take power. Walz already has the power. He should wield the state power against the federal government.

Can they be instructed to resist ICE presence

Yes.

Keep in mind, the only alternative to the Minnesota state government resisting the feds directly is armed, citizen militias, which will be way the fuck more bloody. ICE can possibly be intimidated by the national guard, but especially against citizens, they’re not going to just tip their hat and leave.