Thanks. I previously worked for Microsoft during a a genocide in which the tech work I did contributed to the Palestinian Genocide. Previously worked. I was fired for speaking out against it. I respect those that are able to be vegan.

However, that being said. The mortality of many vegans that like to grandstand againt someone mentioning “duck fat” does not come from a perspective of the systemic structures that cause the cruelty. They instead see it as an individual moral choice that is apart from the the privilege of the conditions that allow them to be vegan in the first place.

It is, unfortunately, mostly virtue signaling and not based on perspective.

I was fortunate enough to be able to not be at risk for my daughter starving when I spoke out against my companies contribution to genocide. But, I don’t judge the individuals that remain working for Microsoft as “the problem”. I understand that the structures of power force those, even with the same understanding, to remain silent.

This is not to say that I’m not a hypocrite. That I’m not aware that my privilege lets me talk about how I like to cook fries in duck fat because they taste good. I do know that.

But, we all need to prioritize and understand the awful things that are a part of modern western society. I think that “grandstanding” veganism and making it the core of ones personality comes from a good individual moral compass. But, it shows that that person has anchored to a specific harm in order to ignore others. As we all do. Because, if that person had the perspective to understand larger issues, they would be more understanding.

I don’t scream at the college student excited they got a job at Microsoft and yell at them for their support. I understand they are an individual. I don’t treat them as the problem.

Vegans that act like this often are the perfect example of someone that views the world and its problems as a result of individual choices. It is often from a perspective of peak individualism. Which, ironically, is the reason for most of the cruelty that comes from our current social and economic structures.

“Both parties are the same” is incorrect if you are viewing the parties based on their messaging or from a perspective of idealism.

“Both parties are the same” is correct if you are viewing the parties based on the material outcomes of the actions they take and who they serve to benefit.

The purpose of a system is what it does.

-Stafford Beer

The United States is also a one-party state, but with typical American extravagance, they have two of them

-Julius Nyerere

There may be no “after Trump”. At least not in the way people mean. Meta is currently disconnecting and suspending accounts related to US elections as we are only weeks away from the midterms. From large Senate races like in Florida with Angie Nixon. To local city races in Arizona. They also just did this on the world stage before Lula won in Brazil. Taking down accounts related to his campaign and promoting the other candidates.

Our president is the allowing the son of the fascist dictator in Brazil to be accepted with open arms when fleeing to Miami; and just posted that we need to “save Brazil from Communism” just after a democratic election.

Facebook/Meta has been doing this for decades. But the boomerang has returned. ICE is the boomerang of our direct military actions; especially when it comes to Israel. Our police departments train in Israel with the IDF. The crimes and genocide done to the Palestinians is “training ground” for the brown shirts we have now.

And the broader “left and liberals” in America have less solidarity and resistance in their entire sum population than a single Palestinian child does in their pinky finger.

The left in America needs to realize quickly that our “philosophical victories” will not be praised by the history books.

This is why no one takes Vegans seriously. Like, I don’t really have a problem with being Vegan. I actually respect it. But, do you honestly feel like comments like this do anything to help people understand the cruelty? Seriously. Because it just makes you sound like a crazy person. It doesn’t do anything to help your cause when you respond like this to someone talking about how they like to cook fries.

No, it’s childish and dumb to take a comment about food like it’s an attack on someone’s personal choices around what they eat. I was literally just talking about my favorite way to make fries.

The best fries are made with duck fat. Sorry, it’s true. They are fucking delicious. It will make you ask “is this a normal potato?” They are that good and beyond.

What will be done to Israel and it’s population will unfortunately not even be even as insufficient as Nazi Germany was. Not unless the world changes the way it deals with a society in the aftermath of a genocide.

There was a means of (false) denial of knowledge within the population that could be used as a means of self criticism in Germany. This denial is mostly untrue; but was still reasonable enough for means of recovery. A means of recovery that still allowed for the idealism of liberal thought to operate within. A means of recovery but definitely not a means of justice.

The levels of recovery and justice that Israel would require at this point would give Stalin himself a moment of pause. Not just in his famous “kill all the Nazi officers” comment. But the level of real and justified “reeducation” that would need to be forced on to the Israeli population would need to expand beyond the level that our Liberal ideas of “freedom” could contemplate.

It’s an example of a society that is too sick and beyond repair that the ideas of justice we are taught in the west lack the tools to address.

But I hope we understand this soon. Because the rise of the AFD in Germany should show us that a reasonable denial/acceptance with a reflection on the harms caused is NOT enough. The fascist and racist supremacy needs to be pulled out from it’s root.

Those unable to be reeducated need to be removed from society and influence on future generations. Especially those with wealth and political influence. Their children need to be given a chance to repair the harms and make peace without the corruption of a generation indoctrinated by fascist and racial supremacist ideology.

If we don’t take into account these larger harms; and instead focus on individual “rights” the seed of fascism with continue to spread. Its a parasite that latches on to the ideas of Liberal thought. It will continue to take root unless the anchors it latches onto are removed entirely.

Edit: I say all of this as an American with complete awareness that our society is following a similar path.

History fucking rhymes

My first thought on that ride as a teenager was “wow, this is the only restraint? No seat belt?”

It’s 2/3rds of present members. It’s still likely impossible. But, if the Democrats actually want to play hard ball (they don’t) they could get shit passed without enough Republican members present.

The Democrats biggest failure has been that they don’t actually play the games the Republicans do. They follow the process and respect the rules when they have power and get nothing passed. When they don’t have power they complain that they can’t do anything.

Trump is going to be gone in 2 years. Republican politicians want a future in politics. There are significantly more ways to get shit passed and vetos overridden that aren’t just “the rules”. It’s actually engaging in political maneuvers and leverage that you won’t hear about on TV and aren’t a part of the actual “process” or law.

A threat or negotiating with specific Republicans to literally just not be present for a vote. That’s the shit that would need to go down. There are countless ways “the rules” can be bent like this. Republicans do it all the time. Democrats are very often completely capable of getting shit passed. But they don’t want to. They want to raise money from donors and continue to be “the less bad option”. If they actually started passing popular policy then the entire point of their party would be over.

This is what they mean when you hear Democrats say they want a “strong Republican party”. They don’t want the Republicans to lose too badly. If they had 2/3rds in the house and Senate we’d all clearly realize that they can’t actually pass Medicare for all because then the money from billionaires would disappear. And that money is what they are there for in the first place.

I don’t have faith in the democratic party. But, I also won’t make excuses for them if they twiddle their thumbs for two years.

The time for the weak backbone bull shit is over. We don’t need another year of the Democrats crying that the Republicans refuse to vote on Obama’s supreme court appointment. It’s that type of shit that got us here.

Fuck the Obama era of “they go low we go high”. It’s time to hit them below the waist. It’s the Democrats last shot to do so. If they fail to hold this administration accountable, makes actual arrest, and lock up not just Trump but also billionaires like Musk; we are not going to have a country anymore. Either through the next phase of fascism or through cities being burned to the ground.