iquaanyin

breadandcircuses , 1 month ago to random

I have come to the conclusion that fighting directly against our capitalist rulers in an attempt to overthrow them will never succeed. They are too rich, too powerful, and completely unwilling to act rationally.

So our best choice now is to "be the change we want to see in the world," to demonstrate a better way of living. By doing that, we will also prepare ourselves and those we can involve in the effort to survive the coming collapse of modern industrial society and perhaps emerge from the rubble with a chance to help our species move forward.

For more on what we can do, please read this important article by Ted Trainer -- https://medium.com/postgrowth/a-friendly-critique-of-the-degrowth-movement-f0bd2297072d

Trainer's article is very long and comprehensive, so if you'd like begin with a shorter summary of it that I posted a couple of weeks ago, see this link -- https://climatejustice.social/@breadandcircuses/112410879381028836

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateAction #Degrowth

parismarx , 2 months ago to random

🏆 now blocked by kara swisher on twitter and threads 🏆

breadandcircuses , 2 months ago to random

Here's part of a long, angry rant decrying the utter failure of capitalist colonialism...

---

Over the past 70+ years, as the influence of western civilization spread around the globe, something else was happening concurrently. That something else was, and IS, an enormous, chaotic, and incredibly poorly-planned experiment encompassing the entire planet.

It was a grand and super-ambitious experiment — the culmination of centuries of supposed ‘progress’ — aiming to bring most of humanity into a wondrous modern age of prosperity, abundance, and freedom. The West was busily exporting democracy, technology, and endless growth and development to the rest of the world, and for a time it all looked good — more than good, it looked wonderful.

But all along, there were deep rumblings, grumblings, and subterranean rifts and problems developing. Gradually it became apparent that our grand experiment was not working out as we’d imagined and hoped — and on almost every level, whether scientific, ecological, technological, economic, or political, things were starting to spin out of control or fall apart.

What the hell happened? How did our wondrous experiment go SO wrong, and get SO out of hand?

First, it has to be acknowledged: from the start our global grand experiment was based on a major faulty assumption — namely, that humanity is somehow separate from and above nature, and thus can manipulate and even ‘conquer’ nature at will.

Our grand experiment, based on faulty and destructive assumptions, has now resulted in major ecological destruction, the ongoing sixth extinction, intensifying climate disruptions, and an accelerating climate refugee crisis. Sea levels are rising — due mainly to global warming caused by still-increasing fossil fuel use, all around the planet — and by 2050 many coastal cities and towns will be faced with flooding or even total submergence.

Our grand experiment also avoided or denied something else that’s crucial to human happiness: a sense of wonder, meaning, reverence, connection, and community. Over the past century, especially, ‘progress’ came to be defined in purely materialistic, physical terms — and everything else was tossed aside and deemed inconsequential.

This deep misunderstanding of human needs and desires led directly to our current consumer society, with its single-minded emphasis on endless production, global trade, mass consumption, and massive waste. Not only have we focused on individual consumption as our sole measure of ‘progress’ and ‘prosperity,’ but we also created a demented social and ecological monstrosity: the modern throw-away society.

Our capitalist overlords — the masterminds of our current wacko version of ‘modernity’ and ‘progress’ — have subjected all of us to a massive, poorly-planned experiment … without our informed consent, and without ever explaining or even seeing the downsides.

History will be the judge, ultimately — but as of today, it sure looks like our modern techno-industrial experiment is a dismal failure.

---

FULL ESSAY -- https://archive.ph/D2j0s

#Economics #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #Capitalism

parismarx , 2 months ago to random

Tesla has to recall every Cybertruck it’s shipped. There are only 3,878 of them.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/19/tesla-cybertruck-throttle-accelerator-pedal-stuck/

#tesla #tech #cybertruck #cars

luckytran , 2 months ago to random

Mass protest is foundational to democracy. This must not be allowed to stand. https://www.vox.com/scotus/24080080/supreme-court-mckesson-doe-first-amendment-protest-black-lives-matter

jeffowski , 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

#NoBillionaires #TaxTheRich

jeffowski , 3 months ago to random

#MAGA #FoxNews #FAUXnews

jeffowski , 3 months ago to random

CelloMomOnCars , 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago) to random

"#ClimateChange kills. Since 2000, nearly four million people worldwide have lost their lives due to floods, wildfires, heat waves, droughts, and other #ExtremeWeather events that have been linked to a steadily warming planet."

But the non-fatal consequences add up to a litany of ill health. And that is - so far -not included in the cost estimates for these events.

https://time.com/6836419/climate-change-health-care-costs/

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GottaLaff , 4 months ago to random

“EPA plans to delay final limits on emissions from gas-fired power plants to signif strengthen them..means that the rule —crucial part of Biden’s climate agenda—probably won’t be finalized until after Nov, so its fate will rest on the outcome of election. ..comes in response to pleas from environ justice groups which said was not protective enough of disadvantaged communities that have breathed unhealthy air for decades” #ClimateCrisis

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/02/29/epa-gas-power-plant-rule/

breadandcircuses , 4 months ago to random

Capitalism is not interested.

Millionaires and billionaires don't care about me and you.

Ergo, capitalist politicians don't care either.

#USA #Politics #Capitalism

iquaanyin , 4 months ago to random

What One Researcher Learned Studying Grizzlies for 40 Years • The Revelator https://therevelator.org/grizzly-bears-book/

pluralistic , 4 months ago to random

Enshittification describes how platforms go bad, which is also how the internet goes bad, because the internet is made of platforms, which is weird, because platforms are intermediaries and we were promised that the internet would disintermediate the world:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel

--

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/19/crad-kilodney-was-an-outlier/#intermediation

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iquaanyin , 4 months ago to random

Televangelists: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1xJAVZxXg https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1xJAVZxXg

breadandcircuses , 4 months ago to random

This post apparently got Gary Girod banned from Xitter. He doesn’t seem to be on Mastodon yet.

More about his background — https://www.thefrenchhistorypodcast.com/about/

nickwedig , 5 months ago to random

TIL the guy who created the Ultima videogame series claims to own a chunk of the Moon.

In 1993 Richard Garriott bought two space exploration craft still on the Moon from an auction at Sotheby's, and he claims that legally gives him ownership over the section of lunar terrain they surveyed.

As @ZachWeinersmith 's book A City on Mars succinctly puts it "No space lawyer we talked to shared this view."

breadandcircuses , 8 months ago to random

Why are climate scientists like Peter Kalmus so alarmed that they are calling for civil disobedience? (See https://climatejustice.social/@breadandcircuses/111205122323472108)

This is why.

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency

iquaanyin , 11 months ago to random

Our revels now are ended. These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air, and like the baseless fabric of this vision, the cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself—yea, all which it inherit—shall dissolve, and like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind. —ws

DemocracyMattersALot , 1 year ago to random

I love me some #DarkBrandon! #RidinWithBiden #DemocratsDeliver #EvilGOP #VoteBlueToSaveEveryone

breadandcircuses , 1 year ago to random

Let’s get personal, shall we? I’ve been here a while now, and as I’m feeling quite comfortable at Mastodon, I’d like to share a bit more about myself beyond my passion for the climate and the environment.

To begin with, I’m a male, he/him, hetero, strongly supporting LGBTQ rights. I’m a baby boomer, born at 312 PPM 🌏, a United Statesian, although I lived in Europe (mostly Hungary) for several years, and traveled extensively for work before retiring in 2012. I’ve never been good at sustaining long-term romantic relationships, and I’ve finally settled into comfortable singlehood.

I like to say I’m made of contrasts.

For example, I’m rather funny and quite personable, but I don’t enjoy small talk and I hate parties. I currently live in the Bible Belt, but I’m an outspoken atheist. While I can easily fit into most social situations, I don’t feel comfortable around large groups and prefer being alone most of the time. I live near two huge military bases, but I detest the USA’s militaristic, troop-worshiping culture. I’m almost always cheerful, which masks my deeply felt existential nihilism. I’m a neat freak, but also rather lazy, preferring fun over work.

I’ll finish up with some hashtags to add flavor...

#AkiraKurosawa #AlfredHitchcock #AntiCapitalism #AntiWar #Atheism #Beatles #Bicycle #Biodiversity #BusterKeaton #CalvinAndHobbes #Chocolate #ClassicFilm #ClimateAction #ClimateCollapse #ClimateJustice #EndangeredSpecies #Environmentalism #Existentialism #Extinction #Fitness #GlobalWarming #Inequality #Nature #OceanAcidification #OnePartySystem #Permafrost #Pollution #Reading #SilentMovies #Socialism #SpeciesLoss #TippingPoints #Walking #Yoga #Introduction