Fucked if I know 😂 I’m studying it on my own from textbooks and online resources, not in a classroom setting taught by scholars much much smarter than me. I assume the reduced complexity of simplified characters makes it more accessible though, which is why I understand the PRC makes Pinyin required on road signs as well.

I’ve been enjoying studying Mandarin. The tones are a bit weird but the grammar seems surprisingly simple, everything can be written pretty universally in pinyin, and Hanzi characters are great for condensing information.

It sounds like your high school was better than most. That’s hope-inducing.

Civic engagement is always good. Some high schools will have some things in the textbooks but class curricula never get that far, preferring to leave off around WWII or the second red scare at latest if they even touch the 1900’s.

Most Statesians lose their faith in cops/country in a similar way. There’s a reason US high schools don’t teach recent history. If it’s far enough back like the early 1900’s or 1800’s then you can rationalize it with platitudes like “it was a different time back then” or “we hadn’t evolved as a society yet”. Lot harder to rationalize away when it was only 40 years ago.

I didn’t invent clinical depression but my god have I innovated it

Thanks! 😃

That’s a debate since authoritarianism to libertarianism is a spectrum so there is no official “normal” and its generally used qualitatively on individual polices

So, essentially, it’s subjective?

Notable Lines:

“Attention MOVE: This is America. You have to abide by the laws of the United States.” They were given 15 minutes to come out.

Police used more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition. At 2 p.m., Sambor ordered that the compound be bombed.

Ramona Africa said that police fired at those trying to escape.

Where the state has extra power that they can use to enforce their goals

Extra power in comparison to what? What is the normal amount of state power?

What makes them authoritarian?

I actually always wondered a bit about the line between fascism and monarchism. To the casual observer they might seem nearly identical, though I wonder if in historical materialist terms it’s a reactionary attempt to backslide to feudalism rather than progress capitalism to socialism.

A leftist. Someone with political beliefs, empathy, and conviction.

No

Both really. Aaron Swartz was not so conservative but Steve Huffman struck me as a libertarian bro long ago, and so absent Swartz the site began down a horrendous path that ramped up with the banning of leftist spaces like /r/chapotraphouse.

Also relevant on Steve Huffman:

The [Anti-Defamation League] said on Monday it’s opened the Center for Technology and Society, complete with an advisory board stacked with notable names like Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, Facebook Vice President of Product Guy Rosen, and Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe.

https://www.cnet.com/culture/anti-defamation-league-taps-tech-giants-to-fight-hate/

with the intent to obstruct a criminal investigation or immigration operation.

Intent is often one of the hardest things to prove in court cases anyway, often requiring additional sources of information to assess state of mind (mens rhea). At least, in a society where law matters. That said, if we assume US law matters at all (which you should never assume considering its historical actions), the stated goal of the site is for future prosecutions, as you’ve said and I agree.

☝️

Disappointment is such a kind understatement for what she is.

Indeed it is, but fear not, for it’s only because they’re very bad powerful people defending a very bad evil society. Oh, perhaps some fear is warranted then…