Late stage capitalism

[Dr. Medulla]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... -end-times

They're welcome to the post-apocalypse. I have no interest in "survival" in a world like that.

That's my perspective, as well. If there's some kind of civilization-destroying calamity, I'll take the quick death rather than a few more months of anxiety before the inevitable.

[Kory]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... -end-times

They're welcome to the post-apocalypse. I have no interest in "survival" in a world like that.

That's my perspective, as well. If there's some kind of civilization-destroying calamity, I'll take the quick death rather than a few more months of anxiety before the inevitable.

I've actually written a song about this, it's a little bit sassy—it's angle is about being cornered by someone who likes to talk about survival stuff and telling them "tell me about this later—or don't."

PS—Been reading Reckless, huh?

[Dr. Medulla]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... -end-times

They're welcome to the post-apocalypse. I have no interest in "survival" in a world like that.

That's my perspective, as well. If there's some kind of civilization-destroying calamity, I'll take the quick death rather than a few more months of anxiety before the inevitable.

I've actually written a song about this, it's a little bit sassy—it's angle is about being cornered by someone who likes to talk about survival stuff and telling them "tell me about this later—or don't."

Outside of Ottawa there's a decommissioned nuclear bunker created in the 60s(?) and meant to house the prime minister, cabinet, and prominent military figures. It's a tourist attraction now and rather neat, alternately chilling and laughable. It's preserved to a moment in the early or mid 80s. But one of my memories going thru there is a sign on a wall in the dining hall that read, "Eat everything on your plate. You're lucky to be alive." There's something funny and sad about that, telling the leaders of a (now smoldering) nation to eat all their veggies.

PS—Been reading Reckless, huh?

I've been re-reading Brubaker & Phillips in general, but started with Reckless. I really am in awe at how effortless their work seems, yet is so consistently effective and affecting. But I fucking love Anna—damaged but tough as fuck.

[Kory]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... -end-times

They're welcome to the post-apocalypse. I have no interest in "survival" in a world like that.

That's my perspective, as well. If there's some kind of civilization-destroying calamity, I'll take the quick death rather than a few more months of anxiety before the inevitable.

I've actually written a song about this, it's a little bit sassy—it's angle is about being cornered by someone who likes to talk about survival stuff and telling them "tell me about this later—or don't."

Outside of Ottawa there's a decommissioned nuclear bunker created in the 60s(?) and meant to house the prime minister, cabinet, and prominent military figures. It's a tourist attraction now and rather neat, alternately chilling and laughable. It's preserved to a moment in the early or mid 80s. But one of my memories going thru there is a sign on a wall in the dining hall that read, "Eat everything on your plate. You're lucky to be alive." There's something funny and sad about that, telling the leaders of a (now smoldering) nation to eat all their veggies.

Also funny is the idea that they're lucky to be in that situation.

PS—Been reading Reckless, huh?

I've been re-reading Brubaker & Phillips in general, but started with Reckless. I really am in awe at how effortless their work seems, yet is so consistently effective and affecting. But I fucking love Anna—damaged but tough as fuck.

I've been reading other crime comics too but nothing really touches them. The closest I've found is Newburn, by Chip Zdarsky, and Sean Phillips' son, Jacob.

[Dr. Medulla]

I've been reading other crime comics too but nothing really touches them. The closest I've found is Newburn, by Chip Zdarsky, and Sean Phillips' son, Jacob.

Hunt down Darwyn Cooke's adaptations of Donald Westlake's Parker novels. Flat-out beautiful stuff.

[Kory]

I've been reading other crime comics too but nothing really touches them. The closest I've found is Newburn, by Chip Zdarsky, and Sean Phillips' son, Jacob.

Hunt down Darwyn Cooke's adaptations of Donald Westlake's Parker novels. Flat-out beautiful stuff.

Oh yeah, they just released a full collection of those, really enjoyed it.

[gkbill]

Hello,

I wasn't sure where to drop this. It's an interesting proposition about an interesting topic - Trump's support.

https://archive.ph/ACuOx

[Flex]

Hello,

I wasn't sure where to drop this. It's an interesting proposition about an interesting topic - Trump's support.

https://archive.ph/ACuOx

Interesting piece - this is a topic that has obviously come up regularly for years now, but Krugman's column deals with it in a fairly even-handed manner and the emphasis on technology is an interesting wrinkle. Not really the point of his column, I don't think anyways, but he made an interesting reference to the unemployment gap being significantly lower for women perhaps because of federal job creation programs focusing on female-coded work. That seems like a poison pill of masculinity and heteronormativity to me. "Jobs are available, but they're for chicks!" I don't blame the guys really, we're all products of our culture, but it kinda underlines how multi-faceted the problem is.

Also, regarding Trump support, this helps illuminate part of his base, but he also has the support of plenty of perfectly wealthy (usually white) people too, often perfectly wealthy rich white people who like to imagine themselves as being in the same boat as these genuinely hard-up rural Americans. So there's plenty of weird cultural stuff in the stew along with some of these more concretely economic causes as well.

It's all a big fucking mess. Krugman's close, where he offers no solutions because he has no idea what to do, really resonated.

[Dr. Medulla]

From a longer perspective, this is part of a long process dating back to the 19th century, when urbanization and industrialization changed the nature of American life but also the narrative—the rural was understood to be the past, or at least not the future. And that trend hasn't changed, regardless of sporadic political protest (e.g., Populism in the 1890s, left-wing radicalism in the 30s) all of which have come down to, "Hey, we fucking matter," but also a deep suspicion/contempt for modern life. It is, fundamentally, backwards looking, to a mythical time in the past, and it makes them susceptible to lies of a restoration.

[WestwayKid]

Hello,

I wasn't sure where to drop this. It's an interesting proposition about an interesting topic - Trump's support.

https://archive.ph/ACuOx

I don't have much to add right now, but I remember driving through Cairo, Illinois two years ago. Cairo is at the very bottom of the state where the Ohio joins the Mississippi. The town looked like it was in the late stages of a terminal disease: crumbling buildings, vacant lots, dingy houses, boarded up storefronts, potholes, busted up sidewalks. You could still tell that at one point it was likely a bustling, proud community, but those days had passed and I honestly didn't see them coming back. There are a lot of communities like this in America. We stay in Danville, Illinois when we got to the Indy 500 every year and it's an awful town. We take advantage of the hotels off the interstate which are fine, but last year my sister and I drove into town to find something to do and we literally found nothing. Sure, the town had a perimeter of big box stores, but the city center was badly crumbling. My point is, I guess, what comes next for these communities? Do they get better? Does something save them? I'm doubtful.

[Low Down Low]

I read this article yesterday and frankly, it has left me feeling very angry and concerned. It seems that caps on already sky high rents - really a totally unceccessary measure to benefit people who have no difficulties other than feeding themselves and staying alive - are forcing our fearless multi national investors (corporate vultures to you and me) to warn that they may have to curtail their speculative investing as the profits are not making it worth their while anymore. This is obviously shattering news and reason surely for a national housing crisis to be declared until such a time rents can resume their merry spiral upwards and these fearless investors' profits return to the zillions where they belong.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/are- ... -rx5dq3p80

[Dr. Medulla]

I read this article yesterday and frankly, it has left me feeling very angry and concerned. It seems that caps on already sky high rents - really a totally unceccessary measure to benefit people who have no difficulties other than feeding themselves and staying alive - are forcing our fearless multi national investors (corporate vultures to you and me) to warn that they may have to curtail their speculative investing as the profits are not making it worth their while anymore. This is obviously shattering news and reason surely for a national housing crisis to be declared until such a time rents can resume their merry spiral upwards and these fearless investors' profits return to the zillions where they belong.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/are- ... -rx5dq3p80

If we don't keep throwing people into the volcano, the gods won't invest in our crops!

[Low Down Low]

I read this article yesterday and frankly, it has left me feeling very angry and concerned. It seems that caps on already sky high rents - really a totally unceccessary measure to benefit people who have no difficulties other than feeding themselves and staying alive - are forcing our fearless multi national investors (corporate vultures to you and me) to warn that they may have to curtail their speculative investing as the profits are not making it worth their while anymore. This is obviously shattering news and reason surely for a national housing crisis to be declared until such a time rents can resume their merry spiral upwards and these fearless investors' profits return to the zillions where they belong.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/are- ... -rx5dq3p80

If we don't keep throwing people into the volcano, the gods won't invest in our crops!

We indisputably recognise the need to appease the gods, but something also needs to be done to alleviate the suffering of the people which is why we are urging this government to introduce legislation outlawing the throwing of people into active volcanos.

[Dr. Medulla]

I read this article yesterday and frankly, it has left me feeling very angry and concerned. It seems that caps on already sky high rents - really a totally unceccessary measure to benefit people who have no difficulties other than feeding themselves and staying alive - are forcing our fearless multi national investors (corporate vultures to you and me) to warn that they may have to curtail their speculative investing as the profits are not making it worth their while anymore. This is obviously shattering news and reason surely for a national housing crisis to be declared until such a time rents can resume their merry spiral upwards and these fearless investors' profits return to the zillions where they belong.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/are- ... -rx5dq3p80

If we don't keep throwing people into the volcano, the gods won't invest in our crops!

We indisputably recognise the need to appease the gods, but something also needs to be done to alleviate the suffering of the people which is why we are urging this government to introduce legislation outlawing the throwing of people into active volcanos.

Heretic!

[Low Down Low]

I read this article yesterday and frankly, it has left me feeling very angry and concerned. It seems that caps on already sky high rents - really a totally unceccessary measure to benefit people who have no difficulties other than feeding themselves and staying alive - are forcing our fearless multi national investors (corporate vultures to you and me) to warn that they may have to curtail their speculative investing as the profits are not making it worth their while anymore. This is obviously shattering news and reason surely for a national housing crisis to be declared until such a time rents can resume their merry spiral upwards and these fearless investors' profits return to the zillions where they belong.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/are- ... -rx5dq3p80

If we don't keep throwing people into the volcano, the gods won't invest in our crops!

We indisputably recognise the need to appease the gods, but something also needs to be done to alleviate the suffering of the people which is why we are urging this government to introduce legislation outlawing the throwing of people into active volcanos.

Heretic!

Even though i had been tortured to leave everything to you in my will anyway, i still thought it was very generous to lease out the kiln to me at a 10% discount. And they say landlords have no heart these days!