Seriously. It's heartening to see some kind of split, but depressing when you see it's just from Musk wanting to thump fundamentalism about tHe dEbT [0]. I guess Musk's excuse for being a true believer is that he was a newcomer to the Republican party? Republicans have been the more profligate spenders of "taxpayer money" for longer than I've been alive. Trump certainly slid right in to his new snake skin, I don't know why Musk couldn't.
But really on reflection I'm back to my original appraisal wondering if it's all just kayfabe with Musk trying to keep the so-called "Libertarian" contingent on board, with monetary inflation part of the destructionist plan just being a minor let down.
[0] Debt denominated in a currency we control is certainly indicative of something, but it isn't nearly as big of a deal as other countries losing confidence in the US. Ergo cutting scientific research, destroying academic institutions, and eliminating foreign policy outreach programs to "save money" actually makes our financial position worse.
I could use that information. What are their titles/offices? Mind you, in a fiction context, any present-day day famous _concrete_ _real_ residents are not that useful.
In several different ways at the same time. One moment, it's obvious your life is for your children; another, you're thinking in frustration that it should be for you, at least a bit.
Gets tricky to find a balance, but balance is needed, because your children learn from example; if you sacrifice 100% of your own self to them, they'll never learn how to live.
While I thank my parents for having invested so much of their lives in me, I do hope that they had the chance to do most of the things that they liked while bringing me up, and I surely hope they do that now that we're all grown up and independent (unfortunately, in my case, one parent is dead and the other doesn't really have the energy anymore... I wish she would just have fun and enjoy life, but it's easy to say when you're young and healthy).
Well, I have orbited the sun 55 times, 24 of them together with another person besides my life partner. I understand that some parameters in life were chosen by others (my name, place of birth etc. even my gender I could not choose myself), but many other decisions were, are and will be made by me and their consequences are sometimes quite different from what they were planned or expected. In any case, this is still my reality that I have to deal with - everything else is illusion or wishful thinking. The best I can do is to accept things and situations as they are, as happily as possible. This means that I can and perhaps even have to adapt within the scope of my possibilities in order to be as happy as possible.
Yes, high school boys and girls have clearly distinct handwriting.
If you're just filling in bubbles on a scantron, then handwriting isn't very visible and each person can just write their own name on the scantron they're submitting as their own.
Only with an educated population. An uneducated population is more easily swayed by cults of personality which can lead to the rise of dictators as the people will accept and justify any behaviour from the leader of their tribe.
"democracy is bad because it can lead to dictatorship" can't be a serious argument...
Democracies are all flawed but theocracies, monarchies, oligarchies, &c. certainly aren't better when it comes to cult of personalities and serving their own tribes
> "democracy is bad because it can lead to dictatorship" can't be a serious argument...
It's not and I didn't write, nor intend that.
Educated voters are a pre-condition for democracy and without that, democracy fails. It's similar to how market knowledge is a pre-condition of free markets as otherwise markets favour the biggest trader.
To the contrary, if voters are manipulated it is not a well functioning democracy. It is a farce of a democracy, the subtle manipulation just adds a veneer of legitimacy because it appears to be a democracy. Those who are manipulating people are the ones in power, not the citizens.
Edit: I say subtle in the sense that those being manipulated are not particularly aware of being manipulated.
The contest for the most efficient manipulation of the plebeians is where the elites are arbitraging their game nowadays. I suppose it's marginally better than constantly dying in their petty wars.
There has never been a representative democracy. Not in the US, not anywhere. So it’s impossible to say whether it’s a goal that’s with pursuit.
The idea that one ever existed is also a fairy tale to be clear. This is the most globally “representative” system ever, if for no other reason than for the existence of global mobility. Despite global border protection, if you’re determined enough you can get anywhere. Truly.
People will argue in a mealymouth way about whether any form of democracy is functional and “best of all bad systems” is typically the masters level refrain.
It’s worth thinking beyond 20th century concepts like states
It's simple really, democracy isn't democracy if the voters aren't well informed. Also democracy is a spectrum, the "benefits of democracy" is almost meaningless if you don't define what type of democracy you're talking about.
We quickly get into the "communism was never implemented properly" type of argument too. Sure a theoretical benevolent dictator might be better than a flawed democracy, the problem is that it never happens in real life
I can appreciate that but as an Indian, the thought of subjecting myself and my devices to search for “problematic” material to attend a scientific conference is not something I am willing to do. To me, the USA is the USA.
Also, while there are a lot of people unhappy with your state, I wouldnt say the same for your citizens.
Baffling choice.
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