Yep. Australia's servility to the US is pathetic and shameful. On the other hand, my freedom from getting mowed down in the street by random libertarian psychopaths is quite nice.

It's not Biden's fault that globally, Leftism shot itself in the head.

A so-called “infrastructure bill” was signed into law yesterday in yet another obscene transfer of wealth and power.

(Note the blurred seal…why?)

This will pave the way for Biden’s “Build, Back, Better” plan, which will hoist America’s decline into abject collectivism on the backs of its citizens.

This will pave the way for Biden’s “Build, Back, Better” plan, which will hoist America’s decline into abject collectivism on the backs of its citizens. — NOS4A2

Emphasis added. Hmmmm. Interesting choice of words. :lol:

Thanks. I should add that you get to watch as the federal government steals your children’s wealth and labor to fund its boondoggles.

I should add that you get to watch as the federal government steals your children’s wealth and labor to fund its boondoggles. — NOS4A2

No, they are stealing your children's un-earned inheritance to clean up the boondoggles we made. As it should be. My children are part of the collective and pay taxes voluntarily.

collectivism — NOS4A2

:love:

Right. The stories we tell ourselves. Of course, you would never voluntarily pay more or less than is required, and will dutifully pay whatever the politician demands of you. That’s the extent of your voluntary action: you voluntarily do whatever the state tells you.

Right. The stories we tell ourselves. Of course, you would never voluntarily pay more or less than is required, and will dutifully pay whatever the politician demands of you. That’s the extent of your voluntary action: you voluntarily do whatever the state tells you. — NOS4A2

For the life of me, if you aren't part of the collective and don't want to be, what the hell are you doing here? At the very least, take up arms and fight!

Whenever I hear the U.S. press say "He does (insert bad thing) to his own people" I wonder: 1. Does he view them as his own people? and 2. Do they view themselves as his people? If nobody involved thinks they are his people, then who are we to say they are? If you don't think you are our people, then we gladly show you the door. At least we are not abusing "our own people." I suppose you could always try and do something about it. Maybe some foreign press will say "Them 'Muricans is abusing they own people!" :rofl:

Or maybe you could vote. But doesn't that mean it would simply be

the extent of your voluntary action: you voluntarily do whatever the state tells you. — NOS4A2

That and complain about us?

Fight what? I’m already not a part of any collective. No one is. The error is in believing you are a part of anything of the sort.

I’m already not a part of any collective. — NOS4A2

Oh yes you are! Whether you like it or not.

No one is. — NOS4A2

Everyone is. Whether they like it or not.

The error is in believing you are a part of anything of the sort. — NOS4A2

The error is thinking you/they are not. If you were not, then you would have nothing to complain about. You'd be this autonomous cool kid living on an island somewhere, untaxed and laughing at all us fools in the collective who pay taxes to clean up your island for you. :rofl:

Nope. Your purely mental taxonomies apply to your mental furniture only, and not to any actual flesh and blood individuals, the vast majority of whom you are not even aware exist, let alone have met.

Nope. — NOS4A2

Yep.

Your purely mental taxonomies apply to your mental furniture only, and not to any actual flesh and blood individuals, the vast majority of whom you are not even aware exist, let alone have met. — NOS4A2

If they were purely mental taxonomies then you'd have nothing to complain about, now would you? Taxes are real and you, as an actual flesh and blood individual, will pay them, whether you like it or not. And that applies to all, whether I met them or not.

Wait, check that. My bust. If you are part of the 1% you don't have to pay taxes. I guess I'm talking only about actual flesh and blood individuals like you and me.

I miss the times when business deals between a president’s son and foreign state entities would result in wall-to-wall news coverage, SNL skits, condemnation from celebrities, late night talk show jabs.

When the mine was sold, Mr. Biden’s father was near the end of his term as vice president. In the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, Hunter Biden’s business ties in China were widely publicized.

But BHR’s role in the Chinese mine purchase was not a major focus. It has taken on new relevance because the Biden administration warned this year that China might use its growing dominance of cobalt to disrupt America’s retooling of its auto industry to make electric vehicles. The metal is among several key ingredients in electric car batteries.

NYT: How Hunter Biden’s Firm Helped Secure Cobalt for the Chinese

I miss the times . . . — NOS4A2

Pro tip: If you truly miss those times, then all you have to do when you read an article is scream "FAKE NEWS" and you will be transported right back to those times you miss.

I suppose Biden could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and I wouldn't care. I mean, he didn't lower the bar. He gets a pass now.

I miss the times... — NOS4A2

Back in those times, you were obsessing over Hunter Biden without any evidence of any conflict of interest in a Biden administration. Nowadays you're obsessing over Hunter Biden without any evidence of any conflict of interest in the Biden administration.

It doesn't seem like _that_ much has changed, apart from the fact that you managed to get rid of the big orange baby in the meantime.

I’m already not a part of any collective — NOS4A2

A fine sartorial ambition to be unliveried but your customary apparel suggests otherwise, no?

Fight what? I’m already not a part of any collective. No one is. The error is in believing you are a part of anything of the sort. — NOS4A2

The Childs privilege...

You used to obsess about fascism and racism until the exact moment it took power.

You used to obsess about fascism and racism until the exact moment it took power. — NOS4A2

What does that even mean?

He means the facist covid policies (among others) and the racism of the Biden admin. How do you not know that as often as you interact with him?

Ah!

No, I've always been pro-vaccine and against acting to spread disease. I was a huge proponent of condom fascism during the 80s.

How about seatbelt fascism, another bugbear of the anti-collective collective? Wonder if we can trace the roots of this oxymoronic group back to mommy and eat-your-greens fascism?

When the state forces you indoors, orders you to close your business, prohibits you from travel, do you tell yourself it’s like mum making you go to your room?

More referring to the psychological genesis of the "fascism" hysteria, counterproductive as it is, seeing as such hyperbole obfuscates genuine concerns and makes you look precious and weak. A stronger foundation could be had by at least acknowledging there's a problem that governments are trying to solve here and that problem is not "How can we oppress NOS more?".

Of course there is a problem, but the puerile and weak solution is to let the state dictate how to solve it. All they’ve done, apparently, is to completely dismiss human rights in favor of regimenting society and treating the populace as prisoners in their own countries. This will be the greatest peace-time policy failure in human history.

but the puerile and weak solution is to let the state dictate how to solve it — NOS4A2

You're starting to sound confused about whether fascism is the problem or the solution. We're agreed policy change needs to happen democratically or not?

We agree. Maybe somewhere people are voting for these policies, but none that I have seen. I also don’t think democratic policy change should entail the violation of basic human rights.

Of course there is a problem, but the puerile and weak solution is to let the state dictate how to solve it. — NOS4A2

Better than letting Fox News dictate how to solve it. Unless you're an employee of Fox News.

I'd say the weakness is in not doing the right thing to protect others. Not weakness in terms of might. Not even moral weakness, or weakness of argument. Just weakness in terms of having shit for brains.

We agree. Maybe somewhere people are voting for these policies, but none that I have seen. — NOS4A2

If these policies had no support, it would be political suicide to pursue them. Only it hasn't been. Why? Because regardless of what you've seen a majority of the public are still broadly behind strong anti-covid measures (e.g. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/coronavirus-polls/ ). We can reasonably infer from that they don't consider them a violation of basic human rights. Until that changes (and I'm not saying it won't), there's no reason to think those in charge are going to change track and no democratic way to make them change track, is there?