It’s actually really effective. People are going to hear about a movie and if they feel like they already saw the movie, that’s the end of it. If it’s banned completely, they might get a bootleg DVD and watch the entire uncensored movie.

Kinda like how TikTokers think they’re well informed, and don’t bother seeking out information elsewhere. But try finding anything out about what’s happening in Hong Kong, the Uighurs, or Tianamen Square on TikTok. It’s just not there yet people using that platform never consider what information they aren’t seeing as long as there’s enough there to make it feel like it’s not missing anything.

China is actually really good at censorship. When people see 95% of things they generally won’t put effort into finding the other 5%.

Who would’ve thought that when you massacre villages it would result in a war?

Where would they get the materials, machines, and tools needed to build a space station on the ISS?

Yeah, China’s not in even though it’s the second largest economy in the world. In the 90s it almost became G-8 to include Russia, but then Putin screwed that up.

It’s not all that different of a situation from Russia being kicked out because of Putin’s shenanigans, really.

Should try to get Brazil to leave BRICS and join the G-7 club. The US could go be in BRICS bullshit (or maybe then it’d be called the USRICS?) with the other authoritarian assholes of the world.

It’s a problem with polls, they don’t give enough options and many times and the few options they give mean different to different people. If the US were an enemy I’d be too busy trying to figure out how to blow shit up in the US to have this conversation. That’s what I consider the word enemy to mean. We’re not there yet.

I’d classify the US as an adversary though. A country I’m opposing by non-violent means.

It ain’t the left that’s in power, it’s the right. You’re not on the side of freedom fighters, you’re on the side of oppressors.

There are air defenses that could potentially shoot down a missile before it hits its target. So one means there’s merely a probability of destroying Moscow. A psychopath like Putin may be willing to take that risk, and even if Moscow got nuked, Russia would still exist (though obviously it would be significantly diminished), and he’d have justification for using nukes on Ukraine.

For MAD to apply you need enough nukes to be an existential threat to another country when you’re dealing with psychopaths that would be fine with potentially millions of people dying if it means they come out on top in a war.

The funny thing is he whines about the trade deficit being $200B (which is a lie, because that’s all he ever does) he may actually cause the trade deficit to actually be $200B.

Bin Laden would say anything to get recruits. Fact is, Al Qaeda had a lot of operations going on against Saddam Hussein.

But okay, believe everything a mass murderer says. That makes you a very enlightened person LOL

Apathy is the big reason for this. About 1/3 of the eligible voters didn’t bother to vote. And Trump gained support among black and hispanic voters. Ignorance and apathy were the big drivers of this. And ignorance stems from people too apathetic to learn anything.

And no, democracy is never guaranteed. Some pretty words written by slave owners over a hundred years ago was never going to guarantee democracy. It’s just paper. What makes democracy survive is people making an effort to keep it going generation after generation. American exceptionalism created a false belief that the US couldn’t be anything other than a democracy. But despite all the chest thumping about freedom and democracy from Americans, it turns out not enough people were willing to make an effort to learn who they were voting for or in many cases even to bother voting at all. That was all that was needed, but it was too much for Americans to bother doing.

There are things Americans can be doing right now, but this Canadian thinks the USA has become a nation that’s centered greed and apathy rather than a country of freedom and democracy. I’d be happy if Americans could prove me wrong by fighting back in any way they could, but it looks to me the US lacks the will to save itself.

In a democracy you should strive for having strong people and weak politicians that do as the people want.

If you’re striving for having strongmen so you don’t have to do anything yourself, then you are being weak. And that’s why the US has gotten to be what it’s become: weak and lazy people looking for someone else to solve all of your problems. This is why Trump’s message of “vote fore me and you won’t need to vote ever again” resonates. You want someone to rule over you and figure out everything for you. This made the US ripe for a fascist takeover.

Even now you’re whining about someone else not solving your problems for you. Didn’t vote? That’s the democrats fault. To cowardly to discuss politics with your family? That’s the democrats fault.

In the end, you’re aligned with the fascists in your hatred of the opposition. It’s easier for you to sit back and complain about the opposition than to grow a spine and support the opposition regardless of what your family, peer group, or anyone else will think about for doing so.

It’s not about blocking, it’s about sending a message.

The Iraq embargo, for instance, gave rise to Al Qaeda and the eventual destruction of the World Trade Towers.

This is a racist narrative that relies on the assumption that Arabs have no control over themselves and “they’re all the same”. Also relies on the false narrative that Saddam Hussein supported Al Qaeda that was promoted during the build up to the Iraq War.

The reality is that Al Qaeda were enemies of Saddam Hussein, because not all Arabs are the same person. And a psychopath like Saddam Hussein doesn’t want other psychopaths around as competition.

Try to see past American exceptionalism and understand that not everything in the world is defined by it’s relation to the US.

The Democrats were too weak while they had power

Don’t you think this attitude is the reason why you’re in this mess? Wanting a strong ruler rather than having politicians that follow the law and try to provide good government. If the Democrats were “strong” then you’d have a Democrat strongman and you’d still be in the same mess.

After JD Vance’s little trip to Europe, a lot of European countries are beginning to consider the US to be an adversary.

Don’t worry, you’ll be 40+ by the time the updates are finished compiling.

Is that why autistic people are trying to convince everyone that Pluto isn’t a planet?

Nah it was a CRJ. Actually kinda impressive that they somehow flipped the plane upside done and there were no fatalities.

Yup and Obi Wan is like “I don’t have time for this, this is what we’re going to pay you…”

Yeah lettuce seems the biggest challenge to me. All the heads of iceberg lettuce come from the US. What pisses me off is that under the romaine lettuce it says “Product of USA or Mexico”. Which is it? I have no problem buying it if it’s from Mexico (they’re in the same situation as we are) but not getting it if it’s from the US.

I have noticed on some products the grocery story is putting a maple leaf beside the price when it’s made in Canada, but it’s not universal yet.