• Absurdly Stupid @lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    This was a problem decades before Trump took office, and the exact same problem will remain after he’s gone.

    Those corporations are “donating” (bribing) every election cycle for a reason, and it’s not charity.

    Each candidate has a billion dollars, win or lose… that we know of. Our reps and their entire families are millionaires. Bribery is blatant and legal.

    See Super PACs and Citizens United for further details.

      • jj4211@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        Well it makes sense, the people who most need to think about this are people consuming the content on the sites.

        Alternatively, it just would be preaching to the choir.

  • nonentity@sh.itjust.works
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    7 hours ago

    The percentage of sociopaths involved with creating a society should never be greater than zero.

    Financial obesity is an existential threat to any society that tolerates it, and needs to cease being celebrated, rewarded, and positioned as an aspirational goal.

    Corporations are the only ‘persons’ which should be subjected to capital punishment, but billionaires should be euthanised through taxation.

  • 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    4 hours ago

    Add Google, Microslop, and Apple to the list as they love to bend the knee to kiss the ring.

    There’s only so much you can do when your operating systems are run by fascists.

    But they “deeply” care about your “privacy”.

  • [deleted]@piefed.world
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    9 hours ago

    People are talking about it, but the conversations are muffled or muted by those same billionaires.

    Large no kings rallies should have had massive coverage, but were actively ignored by the news who frequently report on a handful of protestors who are promoting hate. Heck, with all of the pro Trump bullshit being a tidal wave of shit it just drowns out everything else so trying to actively discuss problems anywhere but niche communities is like trying to have a conversation in the middle of the dance floor at a rave.

    • null@lemmy.org
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      7 hours ago

      You criticize society, yet you live in one.

      Paying for the checkmark is out of line though.

    • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      And how dare they criticize capitalism while living in a capitalist country!

      And how dare they push for better labor laws while using electronics made by child labor!

      Stop with the silliness.

      • Zexks@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        Just gonna ignore that blue mark huh. Or do you not know what that means

    • Geth@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      8 hours ago

      But everyone else does and they will be voting in the next election dragging you down with them.

      • Tempus Fugit@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        I can’t control other people, only myself. If they want to sleepwalk into lies and fake propaganda there is nothing I can do.

        Your point?

        • Danquebec@sh.itjust.works
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          4 hours ago

          The control of media and of communication by the wealthy is mainly a threat to society.

          It’s not like eating junk food where you’re only harming yourself.

          We’re all threatened by people being ignorant and propagandized.

          Now, what you can do, there are many things. Talk to your neighbors, involve yourself in your community, get people to come on the Fediverse, demonstrate, etc.

          • Tempus Fugit@lemmy.world
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            5 hours ago

            I do all of that already. If my friends and family take my advice it is their choice. I cannot nor would I want to force them into it. You can’t save people from themselves, especially if they’re unwilling. You can only save yourself.

      • three@lemmy.zip
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        8 hours ago

        Too bad 99.9% of the rest of the people do.

        This is the problem.

        Good job lemmings, pat on the back for separating yourself from all this bullshit. Unfortunately, the thousands of us here don’t have super mega voting power…

    • chuckleslord@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Lol. Lmao even. You think shaping your habits will protect you. You can’t personal responsibility your way out of this.

        • zbyte64@awful.systems
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          5 hours ago

          I don’t think that’s the criticism, rather we fixing the problem at the wrong end of things. We can’t fix society by stressing personal responsibility, we need a different tactic.

      • Tempus Fugit@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        It has little to do with protection and more to do with keeping a clean conscience. I won’t support evil.

        • Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          9 hours ago

          The issue here isn’t your about your conscious. The majority of people do use these and those people are being influenced.

          Your comment has a sort of fuck you I got mine vibe to it.

          • Tempus Fugit@lemmy.world
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            9 hours ago

            No it’s not, lol. If people stop using these platforms they will fail. Sounds to me like you’re just justifying your continued support of these services and platforms. Defeatist loser mentality.

            • Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              6 hours ago

              You just assumed I use those platforms which makes you the fool here.

              You not supporting evil doesn’t stop evil. To try for another approach here since you seem rather dense, evil prevails when good men do nothing.

              I’m sure you’ll just attack that too becuase what’s important here to you is your feelings. Doing something was never going to be an option for you

        • chuckleslord@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          I mean, congrats? Kind of irrelevant to the discussion here, then.

          “Oligarchy becomes smaller and more powerful” - article

          “Good thing they don’t get my money via direct means” - you

          • Tempus Fugit@lemmy.world
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            9 hours ago

            Lol, short of going out and killing these bastards there isn’t much else I can do other than to stop supporting these services. I have to hope if enough folks like me stop using these services they will fail. There is a point where it only takes one straw to break the camels back.

            • DaMummy@hilariouschaos.com
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              9 hours ago

              That’s basing your imagination that we’re a meritocracy. There’s meaning behind the saying “failing upwards”. I don’t know how to counteract it either, but their success comes from failure. Let alone the Island stuff.

              • Tempus Fugit@lemmy.world
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                9 hours ago

                What are you even talking about? I didn’t say shit about meritocracy or failing upwards. I’m talking about not supporting those services and platforms that support evil.

                • DaMummy@hilariouschaos.com
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                  6 hours ago

                  Right, and I’m trying to explain to you that it’s not what they base their success on. I know you mean well, but we’re not a meritocracy and they do fail upwards.

    • thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      8 hours ago

      The only one mentioned here that i have is WhatsApp, but i barely use it

      Although i do still use some other nonfree Amerikkkan services. Discord is the main one, i’m quite active on there and it’s not that easy to replace because of its structure with communities (also there aren’t good alternatives yet, quite hopeful for Fluxer tho). I also use an iPhone and Apple Messages, and i have a Macbook (which I don’t use much at the moment) but I’m gonna install Linux on it. I don’t make use of iCloud tho, i use Proton Drive and selfhosted email.

      • Tempus Fugit@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        I’m not trying to rib you here, but I hate that excuse that it’s too hard to drop these products. We’ve lived thousands of years without them, but lack the will now? WTF kinda weak ass shit is that?

        • thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          7 hours ago

          I am not saying that it’s hard to drop

          I’m saying that because of Discord’s structure it’s hard to move Discord communities to other platforms because you need to move a community of many people rather than just an account on which you post and view posts like when moving from Twitter to Mastodon or Reddit to Lemmy

          • Tempus Fugit@lemmy.world
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            7 hours ago

            It’s not hard at all. You either move or you don’t. It’s binary. If you can’t be bothered to do a little bit of legwork then just stay where you are and give the corps what they want. If that fragments your community so be it, build another one. All I hear are excuses as to why folks can’t stand by their morals because it’s inconvenient. IMO it’s pathetic, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

  • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    People should spend a little time watching The PBS News Hour if they imagine it’s still an alternative to this sort of thing. Yes, it’s aimed at retired liberals, but it has become astonishing seeing how it toes the corporate line and how it sane-washes the stuff Trump and his cronies are saying and doing.

    • lexiw@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Exactly where people who need to read this message are. What’s your point?

      • Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        9 hours ago

        Moral superiority. It’s seems to be a strong theme around here. Why worry about others when we’re all so much better then them.

        • Chloé 🥕@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          8 hours ago

          assigning moral value to software is such a weird thing when you really think about it

          “haha look i’m a morally superior person due to the specific 1s and 0s that run on my CPU” ok

          • odelik@lemmy.today
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            5 hours ago

            You just described a sizeable portion of the FOSS community.

            As somebody that loves FOSS, the community around it can come off like a morally superior vegan/christian/other-commilunity-known-for-this-attitude quite often. “I DID IT, WHY CANT YOU!?” Is an attitude I’ve encountered frequently, and it’s hard to get them to understand that not everybody has the same tech knowledge level, or use cases, or can manage the loss that comes with stopping/moving away from corporate solutions.