why are the dutch like this

This is not “the same” as abortion restrictions. At most they’re only similar in that they’re on completely different ends of the same spectrum of incentives. The one-child policy basically burned the idea of the large families out of Chinese culture to the point where its effects persist even though it’s gone. While I agree that this change to contraceptive taxation won’t really do anything on its own (and I personally disagree with this kind of action), its part of a broader effort to encourage larger families to avoid demographic collapse including many positive incentives.

I am using X-mouse on my MX master 3 just because I’ve become addicted to the Logitech scroll wheel and i absolutely hate having to deal with their dogshit software. Probably doesn’t have 100 percent functionality of the mouse but enough for me.

Trump doesnt actually care about any of that since that is only going to matter long after he’s gone. He’s old and unhealthy and feeling his mortality. If he actually manages to increase US territory then he will have an actual tangible legacy, that’s why he wants it.

Instigating external conflicts to distract from domestic issues is a long-standing tradition of shitty leaders throughout history, and that is the other dimension to this.

There have already been scams involving stealing a phone, finding the phone owners grandmother in contacts, and using AI-generated videos and images to pretend like they’re holding her granddaughter hostage and getting her to pay.

All the advantages of kidnapping for random with a fraction of the risk.

How long does it take to verify that your AI multidimensional research is actually correct? What do you do if you are actually expected to understand what it gave you?

Brain rot nonsense

For context (sort of), I’m pretty sure that’s the same John Carmack who is one of the pioneers of the FPS genre of games as the lead dev of Wolfenstein 3d back in 1992.

This whole thing has been so absurd. Trump obviously has no message discipline so he blurts out whatever nonsense he thinks of on the spot. For oil companies to actually control Venezuelan oil infrastructure, they would need a US ground invasion first. Hundreds of thousands of troops. There is no such buildup at present and I don’t really think Trump has the buy-in to make that move despite how culturally sick the US current is .

Also is it really a good time to tell Americans that they need to be disarmed when the vast majority of us are having a hard time with a fascist federal government and police forces who refuse to do their job?

It doesn’t really matter. Even if all their candidates won and were in a position to not just propose but pass laws, there is no law that can be passed that will both work at reducing gun violence and also be found constitutional by SCOTUS. Guns won.

Also Santa actually exists in DC and is immensely powerful within his sphere of operations.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Santa_Claus

Probably inspired by Tom Bombadil imo.

It’s generally useful to think of these things in more nuanced terms than right or wrong. If/when they are unified, it will be a refinement.

https://hermiene.net/essays-trans/relativity_of_wrong.html

My answer to him was, “John, when people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.”

It’s also not true in a relevant way. In the abstract, on its own, sure. If a presidential candidate argued for less military spending during an election campaign they would be painted as weak , and trying to weaken American increasingly dangerous world. Probably conspiracy theories about them being a foreign agent. And they would either lose outright or at least pay a significant political price.

The one thing they could have made Shepard read that would make him invite the reapers invasion.

Related question: where can I voluntarily get a lobotomy?

Bottom left is my favourite. I want two dudes with those weird things to fight .

The middle drawing appears to be the end scene of Bladerunner 2049 where the protagonist lies on the concrete steps, not a field.

https://youtu.be/bqFwDapu23w?t=3m50s

Meme is 0/10 literally unplayable

EDIT - Added spoiler tag. Also Snape killed Dumbledore

They’re trying to provoke a military response that will be the pretext for war for 2 purposes:

1. Distract the public from domestic issues. President’s usually get an approval ratings boost during war time too.

2. Let the new MIC that’s embedded in this administration test their new toys (Anduril, Palantir).

And the rest of the country is just going to let them do it too.

You know there’s a Canadian sports exec named Dick Pound?

Mr and Mrs Pound had a baby, looked at it, and said “were going to name him Richard, and he will be known as Dick. With a hard D”.

Really makes you wonder.

I disagree but it is interesting to note that your conception of corruption essentially doesn’t make the distinction between extractive and quid-pro-quo.

Extractive corruption is where one party uses authority to essentially shake down someone else. A cop pulls you over for a spurious reason and demands $200 in cash to make it all go away on the spot, or you can fight it and maybe win in court after significant inconvenience, cost, or just be met with immediate violence. In any case, in this case there is a perpetrator and a victim and the victim gets nothing out of it other than getting screwed.

In quid-pro-quo type corruption, both parties benefit to some degree. So for example if you’re applying for a permit at a local government office and you need it done fast, you slip them $50 to bump it to the top of the queue. They get paid, you get your permit faster .

China’s anti-corruption efforts famously dealt very harshly with extractive corruption while allowing a certain degree if quid-pro-quo corruption on the basis that 1) you cannot fully eliminate corruption so you have to prioritize and 2) quid-pro-quo corruption actually meets a market demand that isn’t being met within the official system, as you noted. So long as the clerk continues to eventually process permits for people who don’t pay the $50 bribe , there is a certain like of logic that says that you might as well let that clerk keep doing this since not everyone needs permits fast.

This form of “allowed” corruption itself requires monitoring and regulation, though as it can easily turn extractive and such practices essentially require that the clerk have some reasonable fear of going too far.