You got me before I could edit and clarify.

I don’t claim it isn’t true as a blanket statement. I said I would hesitate to make that claim. I’m not making any positive claim here, I’m in fact stating that I don’t make blanket statements if I don’t feel I have enough data.

Why?

I’m sure that’s true for some, but I would hesitate to make that as a blanket statement.

“The third world is not poor. You don’t go to poor countries to make money. Most countries are rich. Only the people are poor. Ordinary people pay the costs of empire. These countries are not underdeveloped, they are over exploited.” -Michael Parenti

“Freedom of speech” went out the window faster than Superman when Lois Lane is falling from a 10th story window.

Funny AND sad.

Yeah I am. Have you seen the sharp uptick in fascism lately?

-We’re sorry sir, no such island exists. Bozos and Musky bought up all remaining territories. You’re free to pretend that you’re free though, at least until they come around with the brain chips.

Twitter is also censoring Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club, but the dude that stoked a coup attempt in the States is cool apparently.

I think that looking at marriage as a “market” is the wrong approach from the get go.

Same!

I experience it. It’s funny you mention the electric clippers, that was my first experience with it too. It was never anything I sought or thought too deeply about, but those electric clippers buzzing next to me head always produced a pleasant, tingly sensation in my head.

I discovered the term ASMR and the videos on YouTube maybe 4 or 5 years ago, and I have been known to enjoy them from time to time. I noticed pretty quickly that different triggers, voices, sound quality, etc produced (or didnt produce) different results. Very few things are as strong and tingly as those electric clippers IRL, but tapping, rain and various sounds definitely relax me, make me feel somewhat “hypnotized,” tingly or sleepy. It’s nice! Too much of it does seem to dull the sensation so I don’t use it regularly anymore.

Tell them I said get off my lawn.

Unironically, we could point to a system who’s abuses cause the subject to be depressed and anxious and have poor coping skills…

If I sound pleased about this, it’s because my programmers made this my default tone of voice. I’m actually quite depressed!

I call it that for several reasons.

1. What constitutes a crime is often, and increasingly, political.
2. What pushes/forces people into crime is almost entirely political.
3. The for-profit prison industrial complex and the slave labor it provides are DEEPLY bound up in politics.
4. The for-profit (gulag) prison system here in the states is bigger, crueler and even less necessary than the one I was told in school was SO scary and such a crime against humanity.
5. Calling it a gulag system draws attention to the intentional cruelty that plagues this country, and (I hope) helps people consider that better methods are not only possible, they actually exist and work.

The gulag system in America is so fucking horrifying and crazy. Anyone who thinks this is a free country is drastically removed from reality.

That’s my surplus value, I don’t know you!