theacharnian

We are fast approaching a point where is no way to preserve the kinds of democratic, liberal, tolerant, multicultural, humanistic and socially just standards that define our standards of what's good in Western civilization than to form a closer European Union.

The European far right, from Meloni to the AfD and the RN in France is poised to establish a MEGA hellscape in the next election cycle. Only a liberal social democratic revolution, basically, can stop this.

An EU with common eurobonds, with a common nuclear capable Union Army, with the French UNSC permanent position becoming a European one, with common European taxation of wealth to reduce inequality and a common European welfare state. We should also establish universal jurisdiction for human rights abuses and put some teeth behind it.

We have already taken what is good from the American federalist tradition, and we have built new ones. We should forge a closer union while avoiding American mistakes like the imperial presidency, gerrymandering, and the influence of money in politics.

The MEGA fascists are like American Tories during the American Revolution: they serve the interests of foreign despots and pirates (to reference Jefferson): MAGA USA and Putinist Russia, peddling nothing but resentment politics that will solve none of our problems.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/26284554

By Syma Mohammed
Published date: 20 February 2025 21:44 GMT

Alex Tyrrell, party leader of the Green Party of Quebec, who accompanied Engler to the police station on Thursday, spoke to the Middle East Eye about Engler’s arrest.

“I think it’s a shocking attack on free expression and democratic rights and criticism of Israel in Canada - a country that’s supposed to be a free, democratic society. We’re supposed to speak out about a genocide," Tyrrel told MEE.

At the end of the day, Canada is many things. But above all else, we’re a bunch of grudge holding motherfuckers. You’ve taken your shot at us, so now we won’t rest until we get you back.

Could things like this be what bursts the AI bubble?

EDIT: The BBC now has a continuous coverage article. Headlines:

• More than $500bn erased from Nvidia's value
• China throws wrench into AI race on a seemingly shoestring budget
• 'AI's Sputnik moment'

And of course:

How much have big tech stock prices dropped? published at 12:16

At the time of writing, these are Monday's losses from some of the biggest tech companies in the US.

• Microsoft : 3.7% drop
• Nvidia, the third-most valuable company in the US, behind Microsoft and Apple: 15% drop
• Alphabet (Google): 2.6% drop
• Tesla: 1.5% drop
• Cisco Systems: 4.9% drop
• Chipmaker Broadcom: 16.43% drop

Apple and Meta have slightly increased in value today, with Apple up 2.65% and Meta up 1.69%.

Miyazaki-sama said so.

Canada should not respond to potential U.S. tariffs with retaliatory tariffs, as this would primarily harm Canadian consumers by driving up prices. Instead, Canada should leverage its industrial and technological capabilities to undermine the monopolistic rent-seeking of American corporations by legalizing and promoting third-party modifications, repairs, and alternative marketplaces for technology, agriculture, and other industries. By dismantling restrictive intellectual property laws—many of which were imposed under the USMCA trade agreement—Canada could become a global hub for jailbreaks, independent app stores, and right-to-repair solutions, thereby reducing dependence on U.S. tech monopolies and fostering a new high-tech economy that directly benefits Canadian consumers and businesses.

I think this story is a solarpunk seed, where communities come together to face environmental disaster, against a predominant narrative of hate.

Every now and then I go back to the ideas developed by Mesquita and his colleagues about the Selectorate Theory. They entered public discourse via CGP Grey's videos, and a book called The Dictator's Handbook.

The wikipedia article I linked to above, gives a pretty good overview. I see it as a work in the line of Machiavelli, or Gramsci: a theory of how power operates. There are some very good common-sense arguments there for example for expanding democratic participation ("the size of the selectorate") as much as possible in as many spheres as possible, because small selectorates simply mean less public goods. At its limit, it leads quite naturally to egalitarianism in politics, the economy, etc.

I'm not saying it is perfect as a universal theory of everything, of course. It's an abstraction, but it seems a very useful one. I think that it's a very useful tool that seems to be completely ignored in left/socialist circles.

Women and children are found in the facility known as Syria's 'human slaughterhouse'

Susan Abulhawa speaks in proposition of the motion that This House Believes Israel is an Apartheid State Responsible for Genocide

The Hind Rajab Foundation, in partnership with the March 30 Movement and through the office of attorney Haroon Raza, has filed a complaint demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of three IDF soldiers who entered Amsterdam yesterday. The individuals involved are Yehuda Tsfa, Yotam Shmuelevich, and Liran Magal, members of the Latak Unit of the 932 “Granit” Battalion, accused of engaging in the destruction of civilian properties in Gaza without any military necessity.