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Mantra: “We should focus our actions, time, and resources on Direct Action, Mutual Aid, and Community Outreach… No War but Class War!”

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Song: https://youtu.be/fabi8nyjsYc

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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: August 5th, 2023

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  • Generated Summary Below:


    Video Description:

    Former member of the Greek parliament and Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis joins host Chris Hedges on this episode of The Chris Hedges Report to explain how capitalism is dead and a new form of capital, the title of his new book, “Technofeudalism,” has arisen and holds power akin to the feudal lords of medieval times.


    Generated Summary:

    Introduction to [Technofeudalism]

    • [Yanis] Varoufakis, a former Greek Parliament member and Minister of Finance, presents his argument in his book titled " [Technofeudalism]: What Killed Capitalism." He posits that capitalism is no longer viable and has been replaced by a new system he refers to as [Technofeudalism].
    • Varoufakis claims that the dynamics of capitalism that once governed economic systems have ceased to function effectively, leading to the emergence of this new economic paradigm.
    • He identifies two primary forces that contributed to the rise of [Technofeudalism]: the privatization of the Internet by major tech companies in China and the United States, and the responses of Western governments and central banks to the 2008 financial crisis.
    • The author introduces the concept of “Cloud Capital,” which he argues has dismantled the foundational pillars of capitalism, specifically markets and profits, leading to a new form of economic structure.

    The Shift from Capitalism to Cloud Capital

    • Varoufakis explains that traditional markets, which served as the medium of capitalism, have been replaced by digital trading platforms that superficially resemble markets but fundamentally differ from them.
    • He asserts that profits, once the driving force of capitalism, have been supplanted by a form of rent that must be paid to access digital platforms and the cloud, which he terms “Cloud Rent.”
    • The ownership of wealth and power has shifted from traditional capital owners, such as those owning machinery and infrastructure, to the owners of cloud capital, leading to a return of individuals to a status akin to serfs.
    • Varoufakis warns that this transformation threatens individual autonomy and freedom as people contribute to the wealth of a new ruling class through both unpaid and waged labor.

    Defining Cloud Capital

    • In discussing Cloud Capital, Varoufakis elaborates on its origins and characteristics, noting that capital has existed in various forms long before the advent of capitalism.
    • He describes Cloud Capital as an automated network composed of technology and machinery, which is designed not for production in the traditional sense but for behavioral modification.
    • The interaction with devices like Siri, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa exemplifies how individuals unknowingly train these systems while simultaneously being influenced by them.
    • Varoufakis highlights that this automated system can shape desires and preferences, leading to a direct sale of products bypassing traditional market structures.

    The Impact on Labor and Employment

    • The author discusses the implications of [Technofeudalism] on labor, particularly for those in traditional wage labor positions, such as workers in warehouses or factories.
    • He notes that modern workplaces utilize advanced algorithms to monitor and manage workers, significantly altering the nature of work and reducing autonomy.
    • Varoufakis contrasts the revenue allocation of traditional manufacturers, which historically allocated a large percentage of revenue to wages, with modern tech companies that allocate significantly less.
    • This shift in capital distribution contributes to a decrease in job quality and availability, exacerbating economic inequality and diminishing opportunities for wage laborers.

    The Role of Central Banks and Financial Systems

    • Varoufakis emphasizes the role of central banks in the post-2008 financial landscape, arguing that their actions have not saved capitalism but instead facilitated its transformation into [Technofeudalism].
    • He describes how the financial system’s reliance on printed money has encouraged the growth of cloud capital while imposing austerity measures on the general populace.
    • The author points out that the financial benefits of central bank actions have primarily accrued to large tech companies rather than traditional industries, leading to a disconnection between capital investment and real economic growth.
    • Varoufakis concludes that this transformation has resulted in a new class of economic elites, whom he refers to as “Cloudists,” who operate outside the traditional capitalist framework.

    Collective Action and Resistance

    • In the latter part of the discussion, Varoufakis explores potential avenues for resistance against the forces of [Technofeudalism], emphasizing the need for collective action.
    • He suggests that traditional forms of labor organizing must be combined with modern digital tools to effectively challenge the dominance of cloud capital.
    • Varoufakis offers practical examples, such as creating parallel payment systems and organizing consumer boycotts, to empower individuals and communities.
    • He advocates for a rebalancing of power dynamics, where the working class can leverage cloud capital to their advantage, thus transforming the current economic landscape.

    About Channel:

    Covering US foreign policy, economic realities, and civil liberties in American society.

    About: Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, author and commentator provides compelling story telling, archive interviews & show content covering US foreign policy, economic realities and civil liberties in American society.










  • Generated Summary Below:

    Elon Musk and Nazi Sympathies

    • Discussion begins with the provocative claim that Elon Musk is a Nazi sympathizer, indicating a need to clarify the definition of a Nazi sympathizer and the implications of such a label.
    • The context of Musk’s statements and actions on social media platforms, particularly X, is examined, highlighting the controversial nature of his communications and the audience they attract.
    • Musk’s rhetoric is scrutinized, suggesting that his comments may align with far-right ideologies, particularly in the context of societal issues like immigration and race.
    • The conversation transitions to the broader implications of labeling individuals as Nazi sympathizers, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of historical and contemporary political ideologies.

    The Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge

    • A tragic incident involving the complete collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is reported, attributed to a ship collision.
    • The aftermath of the collapse sees various political factions, particularly conservative groups, making unfounded claims regarding the incident being a consequence of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
    • Criticism is directed at the narratives emerging from these groups, suggesting that they exploit tragedies to push their agendas, particularly against hiring practices that include marginalized communities.

    Understanding Nazi Ideology

    • The discussion delves into the ideological underpinnings of Nazism, questioning whether it is categorized as right-wing or left-wing, and referencing historical perspectives on this dichotomy.
    • Elon Musk’s interpretation of Nazism as both far-right in nationalism and far-left in socialism is critiqued, with the argument that such categorizations are overly simplistic and misleading.
    • The narrative includes insights from political theorists and historians, emphasizing that the complexities of Nazi ideology cannot be reduced to mere political labels.
    • The conversation highlights the necessity of understanding the historical context and the evolution of political ideologies to avoid mischaracterizations.

    Jordan Peterson’s Claims on Nazism

    • Jordan Peterson’s assertion that the classification of Nazi policies as right or left-wing remains ambiguous is discussed, with critiques of his lack of substantial evidence to support this claim.
    • The importance of academic research in understanding historical political movements is emphasized, highlighting that many scholars have already established clear distinctions regarding Nazi ideology.
    • The conversation also critiques Peterson’s suggestion of using modern analytical tools to reassess historical ideologies, arguing that this approach lacks historical rigor.

    Misinterpretations of Socialism

    • The video discusses the misuse of the term socialism in the context of Nazism, arguing that the Nazi regime’s policies do not align with socialist principles as understood in contemporary political discourse.
    • Historical references are made to the Nazi Party’s actions against socialists and labor movements, illustrating their hostility towards leftist ideologies.
    • The narrative critiques the arguments made by right-wing commentators who inaccurately label Nazism as a form of socialism, calling attention to the historical realities of Nazi governance and its effects on workers’ rights.

    Elon Musk’s Controversies and Responses

    • Musk’s controversial statements on social media, particularly regarding race and immigration, are highlighted, showcasing how they resonate with extremist narratives.
    • His responses to criticisms, including apologizing for specific posts while simultaneously amplifying problematic content, are examined as indicative of a broader pattern of behavior.
    • The discussion also includes Musk’s attempts to distance himself from accusations of anti-Semitism while failing to adequately address the implications of his rhetoric.

    Racism and Workplace Issues at Tesla

    • The video addresses allegations of rampant racism within Tesla’s workforce, detailing multiple lawsuits and claims made by employees regarding a hostile work environment.
    • Specific cases are highlighted, including instances of racial slurs and the company’s inadequate responses to complaints, suggesting a systemic issue within the corporate culture.
    • The narrative critiques Musk’s leadership style, positing that his approach to management reflects a broader disregard for workers’ rights and safety.

    The Impact of Social Media and Free Speech

    • The discussion emphasizes the role of social media in shaping public discourse, particularly how platforms like X facilitate the spread of extremist ideologies.
    • Musk’s self-proclaimed stance as a free speech advocate is contrasted with the reality of how content moderation and platform policies are applied inconsistently.
    • The implications of Musk’s ownership of X are debated, particularly regarding the responsibility that comes with such influence over public narratives and discourse.

    Concluding Thoughts on Elon Musk’s Ideologies

    • The video concludes with reflections on the broader societal implications of Musk’s rhetoric and behavior, particularly in relation to rising fascist sentiments and the normalization of extremist views.
    • It calls for a critical examination of the narratives being promoted by influential figures like Musk, urging viewers to consider the potential consequences of unchecked ideologies in contemporary society.
    • The overarching message encourages vigilance against the normalization of hate speech and the importance of understanding historical contexts to combat misinformation.

  • Advocacy group America’s Voice believes that U.S. rural and agricultural regions will likely be the hardest hit by Trump’s immigration policies, which threaten mass detention and deportation of millions.

    Border Patrol agents in unmarked vehicles have allegedly been carrying out racially profiled raids in California’s agricultural center after stalking immigrants outside stores, CalMatters reports.

    Estimates suggest that between 400,000-800,000 people are farmworkers in California, which is responsible for about 13% percent of the country’s agricultural production value that is worth more than $25 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    The USDA estimated that between 2020-2022 about 32% of crop farmworkers were U.S. born, 7% were immigrants who had obtained citizenship, 19% were authorized immigrants, mostly permanent residents or green-card holders and the remaining 42% were unauthorized to work. The majority of these workers have Latino backgrounds.

    The AV report noted how anti-immigrant crackdowns in the past decade have led to devastating impacts for farms, such as crop rot, across several states, including Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

    "The unmarked cars, the racial profiling, abusive harassment, and wide dragnets are likely just the tip of the spear of the incoming administration and the signs are unmistakable: there are ‘enemy invaders’ within threatening everything ‘real Americans’ hold dear, and the federal government will be interested in critical oversight in how local officials deal with the ‘enemy.’

    It warns, "The tone and culture they set will be just as important as the policies they begin to implement. As individual law enforcement and vigilantes feel empowered to take drastic action with little concern for consequences or oversight, our situation could get out of hand quickly and mass family separations will likely begin again. And, as we saw, the impacts will be felt by families, communities, businesses – and, frankly, all of us.



  • For those interested in learning about Operation Paperclip:

    Although he officially sanctioned the operation, President Harry Truman forbade the agency from recruiting any Nazi members or active Nazi supporters. Nevertheless, officials within the JIOA and Office of Strategic Services (OSS)—the forerunner to the CIA—bypassed this directive by eliminating or whitewashing incriminating evidence of possible war crimes from the scientists’ records, believing their intelligence to be crucial to the country’s postwar efforts.

    Although defenders of the clandestine operation argue that the balance of power could have easily shifted to the Soviet Union during the Cold War if these Nazi scientists were not brought to the United States, opponents point to the ethical cost of ignoring their abhorrent war crimes without punishment or accountability.[1]


    I just posted a video of Annie Jacobsen talking about Nuclear War, she also wrote a book about Operation Paperclip.[2]

    In the days and weeks after Germany’s surrender, American troops combed the European countryside in search of hidden caches of weaponry to collect. They came across facets of the Nazi war machine that the top brass were shocked to see, writer Annie Jacobsen told NPR’s All Things Considered in 2014. Jacobson wrote about both the mission and the scientists in her book, Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program That Brought Nazi Scientists To America.

    “One example was they had no idea that Hitler had created this whole arsenal of nerve agents,” Jacobsen says. “They had no idea that Hitler was working on a bubonic plague weapon. That is really where Paperclip began, which was suddenly the Pentagon realizing, ‘Wait a minute, we need these weapons for ourselves.’"[3]


    1. [1] https://www.history.com/news/what-was-operation-paperclip ↩︎

    2. [2] https://lemmy.world/post/24646542 ↩︎

    3. [3] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-us-government-brought-nazi-scientists-america-after-world-war-ii-180961110/ ↩︎





  • Damn, Aurora is linked to google and you need to login to get apks, unlike F-Droid.

    Aurora Store enables you to search and download apps from the official Google Play store. You can check app descriptions, screenshots, updates, reviews, and download the APK directly from Google Play to your device. To use Aurora Store, you need to have a Google Play account, and log in to your Google Play account when you first open and configure Aurora Store.

    (Alternatively Aurora Store also allow you to login anonymously)

    Unlike a traditional app store, Aurora Store does not own, license or distribute any apps. All the apps, app descriptions, screenshots and other content in Aurora Store are directly accessed, downloaded and/or displayed from Google Play.

    Aurora Store works exactly like a door or a browser, allowing you to log in to your Google Play account and find the apps from Google Play.

    Please note that Aurora Store does not have any approval, sponsorship or authorization from Google, Google Play, any apps downloaded through Aurora Store or any app developers; neither does Aurora Store have any affiliation, cooperation or connection with them.


    F-Droid is cool, but limited with apks.

    https://f-droid.org/

    F-Droid is an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform. The client makes it easy to browse, install, and keep track of updates on your device.






  • Archive Link: https://archive.is/C9Ewo


    CHIHUAHUA, Mexico, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Migrants trying to avoid arrest set fire to blankets and mattresses at a camp in the northern Mexican city of Chihuahua during a raid by government forces to clear the site in the early hours of Saturday.

    About 250 Mexican officials, including National Guard military police in anti-riot gear, surrounded the encampment at around midnight, according to a Reuters witness.

    Migrants began setting fire to mattresses and blankets in protest, the witness said, and tried to slip out of the site carrying babies and belongings.

    No deaths or injuries were reported in the blaze, which was extinguished in under an hour.

    A migration official, who was not authorized to speak to reporters, told Reuters that the goal of the operation was to bring the migrants to Mexico’s southern border, where they would be told to return to their home countries.

    Many among the 150 migrants were Venezuelan families who had stopped at the camp in Chihuahua city, about 220 miles (360 km) from the border city of Ciudad Juarez across from El Paso, Texas, as they headed north to the U.S.

    Venezuelan migrant Daniel Barrios, traveling with a woman carrying a baby on her back and a child with a sparkly blue backpack, said they were taken aback by the sudden police presence.

    “Tell me, is it logical to come with this whole police and military force, supposedly to do an inspection at a camp, when they could do it during the day?”

    Another family that also fled the camp said they were confused and frightened. A woman sobbed as she clutched two children close to her, and two men held toddlers in their arms, as red smoke rose high into the air behind them.

    “The police came, and migration officials. We got to this shelter today, and we don’t know what’s happening,” said one of the men. “We’re disoriented. We’re scared.”




  • Just to make sure you understand, this article was written by Ethan Dodd, not the Zionist Bari Weiss.

    Ethan Dodd is a journalist who lives in Washington DC and focuses on business and economics.

    She did create The Free Press, though.

    About The Free Press:

    The Free Press is a new media company founded by Bari Weiss and built on the ideals that once were the bedrock of great journalism: honesty, doggedness, and fierce independence. We publish investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is—with the quality once expected from the legacy press, but the fearlessness of the new.








  • Wow, awesome!

    If interested, you should look into the billionaires that own a good amount of California water, and the politicians that help them.

    Videos:

    More Perfect Union, 08:08: https://lemmy.world/post/24266937

    Sabby Sabs, 33:29: https://lemmy.world/post/24258142

    Briahna Joy Gray, 30:26: https://lemmy.world/post/24260706


    TIL

    YOU CAN’T CUT BACK ON FUNDING! YOU WILL REGRET THIS! is a catchphrase originating from the video game Sim City 2000, where it is shouted towards the player (the mayor) by the transportation advisor if he attempts to cut transit funding.

    While it isn’t the character’s name, he is sometimes referred to as “Norm” due to his similar appearance to Norm Abram of This Old House.[9][1]

    This Old House, The New Yankee Workshop, and Ask This Old House are great shows to learn DIY skills!


    For those interested in Norm:

    On May 19, 2022, it was announced that after 43 years, Abram would retire from the show. A one hour special titled The House that Norm Built aired online and on PBS stations on October 3, 2022, surveying his career with the program.[11][12]

    In 1988, Morash planned to launch a spinoff of This Old House called The New Yankee Workshop, featuring Abram. They needed a convenient place to videotape, and used the shop in the small building that Abram built in 1979 in Morash’s backyard.[10] The shop’s layout and equipment were expanded and adapted to match Abram’s preferences, in a space measuring 36 by 26 feet (11.0 by 7.9 m).[13][14] The New Yankee Workshop was first aired in 1989 with Abram as the host.[4] The program showcased furniture or other projects and emphasized classic, elegant designs, made using a combination of simple handtools and newer power tools and equipment.[4] The show aired for 21 seasons on PBS, then was suspended indefinitely as Abram decided to focus on other projects.[10][15][16]

    He has also contributed to efforts to train younger students in the building trades, such as the Generation NEXT apprenticeship program.[10]

    More recently, he bought a new old house in Rhode Island near the coast, where he plans to build a new woodworking shop, and he is also interested in learning shipbuilding.[16][23][2]

    He is still going strong, yt video 3 days ago:

    Website: https://www.newyankee.com/

    Youtube: https://youtube.com/@newyankeeworkshop


    Edit: fixed last quote, and fixed second citation format


    1. [1] https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/you-cant-cut-back-on-funding-you-will-regret-this ↩︎

    2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Abram ↩︎