CuriousCat Archive Page 9 of 202

  2. Shit is going to get bad but they won’t get worse than what humanity has already lived through in 95 percent of its history. Climate change will create famines mass migration and wars the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades but not centuries. My argument wasn’t that well be able to technology our way out of the problem. but that worse comes to worse the technology we already have will allow us to adapt to climate change in a way that won’t cause us to return to the Middle Ages. That might not be too comforting but it’s at least some solace.

    in response to Am I wrong for being an optimist? I look at your videos and it seems you have this hyper-nihilistic view on the world that humanity is inevitably spiralling towards extinction in our life time. When in most ways were living in the most prosperous time in all of human history. Standers of living for most humans even just 100 years ago were almost inconceivably horrific. Even if things get worse in the future (and they very well could also get better) its just not possible that we would return to that given our technological advancements.

    all the technology to mitigate climate change already exists and is not being used. what do you think is going to change that suddenly wealthy nations are going to use it to help with famines in the third world?

    also, flatly: no. humanity has never faced anything like what's coming. that doesn't mean it's going to be insurmountable, but famines and migrations have, throughout history, been localized. a blight affecting a nation's crops, a plague running across Europe, a tsunami hitting an island nation; there has never been a famine that affected the entire world, a blight that could cross oceans, a pattern of extreme natural disasters happening in every hemisphere every year. like, buddy: "mass migration" DEPENDS on there being somewhere safe to migrate TO. you can't emigrate off the fucking planet.

    if technology were going to save us, it would be saving us already. yes, it can, but it takes a will that people in power don't have.

  3. Any thoughts on the recent AOC vlog about the dangers of replacing Biden? (Personally I feel like she's doing that thing you described where she's caring too much about the rules, whereas one of the points of asking Biden to step aside is to stop putting rules as more important than achieving a desirable outcome)

    I haven't watched the whole thing, but didn't she say the issue was that the Dems don't wanna support Harris?

  4. As a cis het white dude, would you personally benefit from Project 2025 being implemented?

    as is often the case with white supremacy, the handful of privileges I will be granted will not compensate for the way Project 2025 will wreck the economy and harm my communities. white supremacy's trick is letting the success of a few white people feel like a win for all white people, while letting the mass of white people suffer but visibly suffer LESS than POC. ditto with gender and orientation. what I, personally, will get out of Project 2025 is my life will get worse markedly slower than everyone else's, while a few people who look like me rake it in.

  5. How wealthy/successful can you reasonably be under capitalism before you become part of the problem, or become a "champagne socialist"?

    I don't know. more than I will ever make. I'm a sparkling apple cider socialist.

  6. You don't get to choose which half of each you recieve.

    in response to Would you rather know every language or every instrument?

    that's fine, a random 50% of all languages and 50% of all instruments is enough to go on

    I'll take it

  7. Is fascism supposed to accomplish anything besides genocide and mass murder?

    it is supposed to keep fascists in power

  8. Would you rather know every language or every instrument?

    can I have half the languages and half the instruments?

  9. (DA) Also, there's a bait-and-switch between the idea that "some civilians will, inevitably, die in war" and "therefore, we cannot criticize any civilian casualties". Even if we concede the first, you're still obligated to at least minimize the number of dead/displaced civilians.

    in response to Why do leftist not understand that killing civilians is sometimes an unavoidable part of war? The allies killed millions of German civilians to defeat the Nazis but nobody is arguing they should have left Hitler in power because the civilian casualties would be too high.

    and also "the only alternative to war is doing nothing"
    and also "there is no difference between 'civilian casualties' and 'ethnic cleansing'"
    and also "Israel's civilian casualties are justified but Hamas' were not because I'm only calling Israel's assault a war"

  11. What is the message of Starship Troopers?

    bugs n tiddies

  12. Transformation Gimmick + Tag Team Assist + Charge Super Meter Bar

    in response to Shield pickup + runoff

    parry + double-jump armor + waveland back + egg stall on ledge

  13. Then why does it not apply to Israel? on October 8th every self proclaimed leftist on the internet was talking about how Israel should not respond at All. It seems to leftists every group is justified to defend them selfs against ultra-conservative death cults even if it creates civilian casualties but when it comes to Israeli Jews they should just give up and die quietly to avoid civilian deaths.

    in response to Why do leftist not understand that killing civilians is sometimes an unavoidable part of war? The allies killed millions of German civilians to defeat the Nazis but nobody is arguing they should have left Hitler in power because the civilian casualties would be too high.

    that's a lot of words to obfuscate that you're condoning a genocide

  14. Am I missing something when it comes to the appeal of Chappell Roan's music? Like, it's not bad by any means, but I can't get to the level of appreciation that a lot of her fans say they have. Or I'm just misunderstanding what that level of appreciation is.

    in response to What's her best song?

    are you a queer woman?

  15. Am I wrong for being an optimist? I look at your videos and it seems you have this hyper-nihilistic view on the world that humanity is inevitably spiralling towards extinction in our life time. When in most ways were living in the most prosperous time in all of human history. Standers of living for most humans even just 100 years ago were almost inconceivably horrific. Even if things get worse in the future (and they very well could also get better) its just not possible that we would return to that given our technological advancements.

    it's not nihilistic to be honest about the problems we're facing. I actually consider myself a cautious optimist, because I'm not defeatist about any of these problems. we are still capable of solving a lot and mitigating the rest! but if you're gonna tell me that climate catastrophe simply cannot happen because "technology will save us," then I know I *cannot count on you* to help fix things.

    shit is *going to get bad* in our lifetime. that is a fact. every summer is going to be the hottest summer of your life, and we're maybe a decade from climate change affecting our ability to grow food and access water. that is what's *going to happen*. and there are things we can do to prepare, and limit how bad it gets, and support the people most affected, but we can't do *any of that* if we don't admit that's what's happening.

  16. You got any glazed doughnuts?

    in response to Weird Al

    hey... you've got weasels on your face

  17. Also haven't lots of people criticized German civilian casualties in WWII? I could be wrong here but I recall the bombing of Dresden being pretty controversial, and not just among people who would've preferred leaving Hitler in power

    in response to Why do leftist not understand that killing civilians is sometimes an unavoidable part of war? The allies killed millions of German civilians to defeat the Nazis but nobody is arguing they should have left Hitler in power because the civilian casualties would be too high.

  18. Please give a serious answer, I need hope. Would primaring dems provide consequences?

    I don't know. it is possible that, if we organized and had a WAVE of people primarying entrenched Dems, it might put the fear of God into the Party. I have less hope for individual campaigns against individual politicians having much effect. the Party treats keeping their core members employed as far more important than any particular policy win, and will close ranks against upstarts unless there are too many to ignore.

    but I'm not an expert! that's my view from the sidelines and checking my gut. I may be too cynical. this is a thing worth looking into.

  19. Weird Al

    hell yeah

  20. Shield pickup + runoff

    in response to Triple circle back + kick down

    ledge grab + wall jump + nipple spike

  21. I won't conform to your breakfast norms. I'm putting on a stew before I go to bed tonight so I can eat it for breakfast tomorrow.

    in response to Wouldn't it be simpler to just make pizza?

    hey bro I'm just asking questions

  22. Has your wife ever cosplayed your waifu?

    pretty sure that's none of your business

  23. Why do leftist not understand that killing civilians is sometimes an unavoidable part of war? The allies killed millions of German civilians to defeat the Nazis but nobody is arguing they should have left Hitler in power because the civilian casualties would be too high.

    the people regularly advocating for revolution do, in fact, understand that war contains casualties. it's part of why we - some of us, at least - are so critical of wars we don't consider justified, because innocent people always die.

  26. how to get athlete’s heart

    is that the same fungus that causes athlete's foot?

  27. Hogan's Heroes or Charlie's Angels?

    MacGyver

  29. Wouldn't it be simpler to just make pizza?

    in response to sometimes i want to ask you a culinary question but then i get sad because you won't have an answer because i'm eating something nonvegan alas, i cannot ask you how you like your omelettes because the answer is: you don't

    I want you to think for a minute about whether making an omelette from scratch or a pizza from scratch is simpler, and also which one you would eat for breakfast

  30. If all Israeli settlements and soldiers were removed from the West Bank, would another terror group like Hamas come to power like what happened when Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005?

    that... is not why Hamas came to power

  32. you said a little while back that you don't eat white sugar because the refinement process uses animal bones, which I found fascinating. are there any other foods that you don't eat that aren't immediately obvious as "not vegan"?

    I said a while back that I *used* to not eat white sugar but have softened on that as I got older. other things that some vegans boycott are foods with gelatin in them, as it's commonly made (in the US) from animal hooves. you'd be surprised how many foods have gelatin! Skittles, for instance. and then you have to check ingredients for things like casein, which is a milk product.

    honestly, the surprising thing is which foods ARE vegan purely by accident. everyone is always shocked to hear I can eat Oreos. I feel like "Oreos are all man-made materials" shouldn't be a surprise.

  33. How do I not just give up and die when it's such an appealing option?

    I'm probably not the person to ask about that, but: the fact that you haven't done so means some part of you wants to stay alive. maybe several parts, for varying reasons. sure, some are just "you're not supposed to do that," but I'm guessing there are other reasons in the mix, even just quietly in the background. I'd spend some time with those parts, asking them why they've stuck around through all this bullshit.

  35. Triple circle back + kick down

    in response to quarter circle forward + punch

    shield drop + up-air + double-jump into knee

  36. Oops sorry ya forgot to mention him... Huge loves and huggies for the legend..

    But who's your personal favorite Ripley ?

    in response to Have you seen Netflix's Ripley? Which Ripley was your fav? (Alain Delon, John Malkovich, Matt Damon or Andrew Scott) ?

    I'm only two episodes into the Netflix series and so far - all love to Andrew Scott - I don't like it as much as the Minghella film, and I actively dislike about 80% of The American Friend, so we're gonna go with Damon

  39. sometimes i want to ask you a culinary question but then i get sad because you won't have an answer because i'm eating something nonvegan

    alas, i cannot ask you how you like your omelettes because the answer is: you don't

    I use Just Egg to make omelettes, and I've discovered that all I want is for my omelettes to taste like pizza (basil, veggie sausage, arugula, sundried tomato)

  41. How can we create or enforce consequences for the democrats’ failure? What needs to happen?

    guillotines maybe

  43. Diff Anon:
    My peer, what made you think it was over? The vaccine immunity is good, but potent only for about a year. And the virus mutates at a pace that reminds me of flu.
    Personally, I think of it as what if Polio and Flu had a baby!
    Did you know, that before it was controlled by a vaccine 75% of polio symptoms were mild? But if you were in that last 25% you were bound for maiming or death??

    in response to Is the COVID-19 pandemic still going on?

    I was just in Ireland where there was only ever a single surge 3ish years ago. there were only 1600 confirmed cases in the entire country.

    it could be over here, we just fucked it up so now it's seasonal.

  44. quarter circle forward + punch

    power shield + wavedash in + grab

  45. Is the COVID-19 pandemic still going on?

    in the US, absolutely. a bunch of people I know are getting it again.

  46. Would you vote for someone who you found personally reprehensible but had your ideal policy positions?

    and has a good chance of winning

    I'm a socialist, I find almost every politician I've voted for personally reprehensible

  47. Iv'e stopped watching the news on Israel Palestine because it just fills me with anger the entire day. is it bad to disengage from this for my own well being?

    of course not. "being aware" is the liberal's idea of praxis, just helplessly consuming dire information as though enough anxiety will stop the violence

  48. After much talk from the Biden admin, Bibi once again killed the ceasefire proposal. Almost every pundit on the planet is making the point that Netanyahu is extending the war as long as possible in order to remain in power and avoid criminal prosecution. Is Biden just in Denial that Netanyahu doesn't want a ceasefire or does he genuinely not care?

    I'm no longer convinced Biden knows what year it is

  49. Biden said he's done more for the Palestine people than anyone els. What do you even say to this?

    dropping bombs is, technically, "doing something"

  50. Star wars rise of sky walker was created to undo everything in the last Jedi yet the last Jedi haters still disliked the movie why?

    my understanding is that it was really, really bad

  51. Do you know anyone who is seriously considering leaving the country if Trump wins?

    yeah, my wife

  53. Why do so many lefties show solidarity for Mumia and Asatta Shakira? They murdered law-abiding people.

    Daniel Faulkner was beating Mumia's brother about the head with a flashlight, blood was gushing down his face. whether or not you think it's justified to shoot him, beating people bloody is, in fact, illegal, even when they're Black.

    [edit] wait did you say Shakira???

  54. Have you seen Netflix's Ripley? Which Ripley was your fav? (Alain Delon, John Malkovich, Matt Damon or Andrew Scott) ?

    no love for Dennis Hopper??

  55. Liberals keep calling for an expansion of SCOTUS but do they not realize that Republicans will just stack it with even more judges; so that there’s a greater conservative majority?

    liberals haven't expanded the court for the same reasons they didn't block Republicans from packing it, so I guess the presumption is a party that would do one would do both

  56. I'm getting married soon, how should I start off my vows?

    "listen buddy"

  57. What's her best song?

    in response to Do you like Chappell Roan?

    I go back and forth between Femininomenon and Pink Pony Club

  58. name one good American intervention after WW2

    my housemate got sober after an intervention

  59. Are you Jewish?

    no I'm just funny

  60. At the risk of sounding like a paleo larper, do you think that a lot of modern unhappiness and ennui come from humans not living in a way that supports their basic psychological needs? I feel that, in the same way that a pet or captive animal needs enrichment and a particular environment to be happy, humans are happiest in a particular environment. That environment is a small community where most people know most people and resources are shared as needed.

    I know talking about what is “natural” within spitting distance of at least one logical fallacy, but do you think that, in that sense, that we are psychologically most suited to a literal “commune”-istic environment ?

    I think humans are very adaptable and can get their needs for community met in all kinds of ways outside of prehistoric tribal culture. but I agree with your broad point that we have absolutely built a society seemingly designed to make us miserable.

  61. Is fascism radically conservative?

    yeh

  63. Do you like the 33 1/3 series?

    very much, yeah. I'm reading their book on trip-hop now.

  64. Well, I feel like the Democratic party's policy goal is to not let the country move any farther to the left, no?

    in response to The democratic party is genuinely the most pathetic political party in the democratic world. Several democratic congressmen have been reported saying its all over for them and that their waiting for a second Trump term. Iv'e never seen any other political party in history concede defeat 4 months before the easiest election win EVER because their top candidate refuses to step down. Even other liberal parties around the world will try to find an optimal strategy and fight. Forget morals how are the democrats so bad at politics from just a strategic perspective?

    I would say it is their policy goal to not rock the boat too much. they're centrists. if the tide is such that drifting left is the centrist position, they're okay with it. just not too fast, and not too far. the only thing they really believe in is moderation.

  65. Is this a conspiracy by the party or is more of a subconscious problem with the culture of the party?

    in response to The democratic party is genuinely the most pathetic political party in the democratic world. Several democratic congressmen have been reported saying its all over for them and that their waiting for a second Trump term. Iv'e never seen any other political party in history concede defeat 4 months before the easiest election win EVER because their top candidate refuses to step down. Even other liberal parties around the world will try to find an optimal strategy and fight. Forget morals how are the democrats so bad at politics from just a strategic perspective?

    neither, it's a byproduct of the set of incentives they're working within

  66. (different anon)
    Doesn't the Republican establishment have those same incentives? Or are those incentives just drowned out by corporate money?

    in response to The democratic party is genuinely the most pathetic political party in the democratic world. Several democratic congressmen have been reported saying its all over for them and that their waiting for a second Trump term. Iv'e never seen any other political party in history concede defeat 4 months before the easiest election win EVER because their top candidate refuses to step down. Even other liberal parties around the world will try to find an optimal strategy and fight. Forget morals how are the democrats so bad at politics from just a strategic perspective?

    Republicans have policy goals. they genuinely want to reshape society for their own enrichment.

  67. Do you think things would be worse if Trump had actually been killed?

    stop trying to get me arrested

  68. Do you like Chappell Roan?

    yup

  69. The democratic party is genuinely the most pathetic political party in the democratic world. Several democratic congressmen have been reported saying its all over for them and that their waiting for a second Trump term. Iv'e never seen any other political party in history concede defeat 4 months before the easiest election win EVER because their top candidate refuses to step down. Even other liberal parties around the world will try to find an optimal strategy and fight. Forget morals how are the democrats so bad at politics from just a strategic perspective?

    because they don't need to win the White House to keep their jobs. most of them are decades-long incumbents. every time they fail at a policy goal, lose a major election, let things get worse, they rally their base and say "look how bad things got when you didn't vote for us!" and the money rolls in for the next election cycle.

    there are no consequences for failure; it is often beneficial for them to be the underdogs. individual Democrats have policy goals, but the party as a whole has no strategy except to keep most of its members in office, and all that requires is to win about half the time and lose the other half by narrow margins. that's the machine.

  71. (Diff anon) I don't get these previous set of anons. This was initially talking about Trump's chances of victory, not the morality of the shooting itself. Why did they try to force-pivot the former to the latter?

    in response to Nice job invoking Godwin's law. I'm not playing this game. What happened yesterday was wrong. If you can't freely admit that, your voice doesn't belong in leftist spaces.

    these conversations often have a moment where you gotta stop and ask "what are we ACTUALLY talking about?"

  72. hey just woke up from a 48-hour nap, what'd I miss?

    Richard Simmons died

  73. Do you fall in love just a little, oh a little bit, every day with someone new?

    in response to Do you concerts?

    he didn't sing that one 😭

  74. Nice job invoking Godwin's law. I'm not playing this game. What happened yesterday was wrong. If you can't freely admit that, your voice doesn't belong in leftist spaces.

    in response to Let me guess, if I say political *assassination* is wrong, you'll being up Bin Laden. This isn't a game.

    didn't say it was right, just didn't show an acceptable amount of solemnity

    I get that you wanna have an argument with a lefty who is saying "yay I'm glad someone tried to kill him" but I'm not a great fit for that, all you've got is "glib" and "rejecting false equivalencies," not a lot to go on

Anon commented:
Ian replied: