**Official** Physicists are freaks and very weird dudes LC Thread

Who am I to question a Ghostbuster?

This was my first thought but he still looks like he did 30 years ago somehow.

Agree 100%.

Iā€™m not simply labeling everything bad in world as capitalism. The criticisms of capitalism that people make are directly related to the power and structural dynamics of the system. Assign whatever label you want, the critiques stay the same.

I donā€™t know why you think that I or anyone else imagines some kind of smooth road to a better world. I anticipate the opposite.

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Yeah, this is an absolute theme around here. You say it sucks that people are born into a world where a few people claim dominion over almost all the natural resources on Earth and people say ā€œbe realistic!ā€ I was never unrealistic. I donā€™t expect to beat all these assholes who have everything and pay people to run all over the world with tanks and guns and police uniforms and make babies pledge allegiance to them, but that doesnā€™t mean it doesnā€™t suck.

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https://mobile.twitter.com/susie_dent/status/1373912399863017472

@Smacc_25

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That should give you an idea of how fucked we are, not how wrong those posters are.

What you seem to be saying re TV is that ignorance is bliss, which is probably true, but most people here want to stay informed and watching news clips, current affairs programmes and documentaries is a big part of that. Thatā€™s why theyā€™re on a politics forum.

And in any case you can see most of those online without a TV.

Sorry, I am long term doom and gloom because I see no chance we do anything meaningful to address climate change and spiraling inequality, two global forces that literally present an existential threat to whatever currently passes for stability.

On a more personal front, Iā€™m looking at the not insignificant chance Iā€™ll be working as a people greeter at Walmart into my 80ā€™s so I can afford cat food. Not for a cat, for me. Itā€™s all I will be able to afford.

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The UN put out a report recently saying that petroleum use among wealthy countries has peaked and will decline for the foreseeable future. Thanks to renewable energy and increased post COVID work from home. Petroleum use will increase among developing countries.

Go outside and look around. What percentage of what you see are you legally allowed to set foot on? What percentage would you legally be allowed to sleep on? What percentage of the unoccupied (by real people using it for something, not just fenced off) land in Germany are you allowed on?

Social Security doesnā€™t really cover living expenses in oneā€™s old age. If you didnā€™t save, youā€™re in trouble.

Yeah, turns out thereā€™s not a whole lot of pensions to be had or 401k matching out there if you do stuff that moves the world.

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There really ought to be some kind of government income provided to cover basic needs, universally available to everyone. Not sure what to call it though.

Greeter for Walmart? You living in 2010 or something? You wish. Amazon fulfillment center for you.

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You have a point about being saturated by news choices, and itā€™s greatly exacerbated by being in lockdown, but people have a sense that weā€™re in a critical period when governments might well be able to extinguish meaningful protest because too many of the people who usually revolt against authoritarianism have their faces glued to their phones.

Amazon centers will be 100% robots by the time Z retires. He might be able to get a job as fodder in the gladiatorial arenas entertaining the rich people though.

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Maybe by then the robots will pay to watch old humans fight.

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Like Iā€™ll be in any physical condition to do warehouse work in my old age. Iā€™m already a wreck.

ZZ will be on the twitch channel promoting the Pirate politics zoom channels obviously :eyes:

I get the sense that some people here imagine that a bumpy but ultimately peaceful road to a better world is possible. Iā€™m not that optimistic.