LengAwaits

Aniara (2018)

Just in case you hadn't seen this follow-up:

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gold-apollo-says-it-did-not-make-pagers-used-lebanon-explosion-2024-09-18/

And some info even suggests that this B.A.C. company was a shell company owned by Israel:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/18/world/middleeast/israel-exploding-pagers-hezbollah.html

By all appearances, B.A.C. Consulting was a Hungary-based company that was under contract to produce the devices on behalf of a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo. In fact, it was part of an Israeli front, according to three intelligence officers briefed on the operation. They said at least two other shell companies were created as well to mask the real identities of the people creating the pagers: Israeli intelligence officers.

B.A.C. did take on ordinary clients, for which it produced a range of ordinary pagers. But the only client that really mattered was Hezbollah, and its pagers were far from ordinary. Produced separately, they contained batteries laced with the explosive PETN, according to the three intelligence officers.

When things get bad enough, people will revolt to build a better system.

An optimist, I see!

since English isn’t something you’re comfortable reading

I'm having a hard time figuring out what they said that merited this level of hostility. They weren't even arguing with you!?

Here's their list, if you're curious.

I post this not to endorse Jill Stein, but rather because I wanted to see the info for myself so that I could understand what they consider an "elected position".

These are the criteria they use to decide who counts.

I hope you'll at least consider putting in some legwork toward leftist praxis, as well. The things you're complaining about are not going to change if that's your only plan of action.

As a friend of mine liked to say... "Your passport to complaining is your willingness to do something about it."

If you're interested, I can point you to a number of local and national US-based leftist organizations that are working both inside and outside the electoral system. They would love to have more volunteers, or even coworkers (depending on how much free time you have). If you're already involved with direct leftist action, that's awesome! Please share them with others when you can, so that people can find ways to work toward effecting real change.

To muddle our analysis by insisting that fascism is already here, or that the Democratic party is fascist, or that liberals are fascists or the midwives of fascism, or that Democratic party voters are voting for fascism, is to disarm ourselves against the fascist threat. It is defeatism to shrug our shoulders saying that both parties are fascist, and a disservice to the many antifascist militants in our own country who have been killed, injured, and locked away in prison while struggling against this extremely serious threat. To assume that January 6th was a hyped-up myth, or to belittle its gravity, is a dereliction of our most solemn duty as Communists and workers in the belly of the beast.

https://www.cpusa.org/article/the-united-states-is-not-a-fascist-country/

What next?

Supposing that were true, what should we do about it?

Thank you for this comment. The work we need to do in order to effect change extends far beyond the ballot box, but strategic thinking at the ballot box is an extremely important step.

Voting dem in 2024, to me, is a lot like tying a tourniquet on someone with a gaping wound. You sure wish you weren't in a position where you had to do it, and the work isn't over once it's been tied, but it's a hell of a lot better than saying "I don't believe in tourniquets" and letting the person bleed out. Sorry, I know that's not the best analogy, but I'm too exhausted to workshop it anymore at this point.

Also, thank you @[email protected] for fixing up the code and deletion issue.

Looking back now, I realize that in 1968 at the age of 21, I was functioning on a dualistic or binary cognitive developmental level. I perceived the world, people, and events as either “good” or “bad,” and I saw pragmatism as a form of “surrender.” Viewing both Humphrey and Nixon as “bad,” I could not honestly vote for either without surrendering my ideals and ethical standards.

Using this event as a constant touchstone in my personal history, I now understand the cosmos more in its multiplicity, its nuance, along a continuum rather than as a binary. I also often consider pragmatism not so much as surrender, but more as compromise and as a necessary give and take in a democracy.

Not quite as simple as checkboxes, but the ability is there to some degree!