Post AXksn9ASkr2isuL1iy by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
(DIR) More posts by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
(DIR) Post #AXkqaA0u6C0LppXyCW by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-07-16T14:27:52Z
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Read this headline on The Guardian the other day:"The threat from Russia is not going away. Europe has to get serious about its own defenceGuns or butter? To build up the military capacity vital for self-protection, European nations will have to make painful choices".We have to make "painful choices" between "Guns or butter" because:- European nations have appeased a threatening Russia led by Putin.- European nations have been very busy giving tax breaks to their multinationals.
(DIR) Post #AXkqwaUkK3n0KuCQhE by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-07-16T14:31:54Z
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And not just the largest multinationals, but the largest banks, the richest billionaires, etc... etc...The exact same people who then turned around and invested massively in Russia. And financed, in part, the invasion of Ukraine.So, kick those leeches where it hurts, raise taxes, collect taxes, stop giving these people tax breaks, and European countries will have enough money to defend themselves and have a strong social safety net.Billionaires love Putin. And they love Xi Jinping.
(DIR) Post #AXkrALOXGGevYer0wS by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-07-16T14:33:55Z
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Always remember that: billionaires love dictators because dictatorship is always better, in their eyes, than democracy.And democracy will be judged on the result of Ukrainian conflict.And democracy, despite all its warts and its failings, is the only thing that may allow us to reverse climate change.
(DIR) Post #AXksJpjhvD0mDkqVG4 by theceoofanarchism@kolektiva.social
2023-07-16T14:47:21Z
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@ParadeGrotesque I mean as long as democracy is tied to capitalism it definitely won't solve climate change. Even without capitalism democracy is an inherently flawed idea.
(DIR) Post #AXksn9ASkr2isuL1iy by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-07-16T14:52:39Z
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@theceoofanarchism Not a big fan of the man, but Winston Churchill had the right idea there:"Democracy is the worst political system imaginable, but we haven't found a better one yet".(I may be paraphrasing)Democracy + human rights, especially free expression of ideas, beat authoritarian system every time.The entire Ukrainian conflict, after all, started because Putin started believeing his own propaganda.
(DIR) Post #AXkt0sWBSF4DIi2tEG by theceoofanarchism@kolektiva.social
2023-07-16T14:55:02Z
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@ParadeGrotesque Democracy is authoritarian especially when pared with representatives and capitalism. To claim we haven't found a better one yet is to lack an understanding of the breath of human history and ways of organizing many of which are much better but most of which wouldn't allow Churchill to kill millions of people to enrich himself so of course they don't exist or maybe just don't work.
(DIR) Post #AXktwiD1wOU67kfEEi by fedops@fosstodon.org
2023-07-16T14:52:22Z
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@theceoofanarchism it's a bad option but all other options are worse.@ParadeGrotesque
(DIR) Post #AXktwj7kXVr2xfCWe0 by theceoofanarchism@kolektiva.social
2023-07-16T14:56:23Z
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@fedops @ParadeGrotesque Organizing society in an anti-authoritarian manner is a evidently much better option. It shows a profound lack of imagination to claim there is not better option.
(DIR) Post #AXktwkDoSSIaMl2sjY by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-07-16T15:05:39Z
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@theceoofanarchism @fedops You have a point.Athenian democracy was, of course, based on excluding a majority of the people living on Athenian soil (women, slaves), just like the early United States.And it did prove to be very susceptible to capture by the rich and powerful, just like most Western democracies these days.These are all very well-known flaws of "democratic" systems, which is why I also consider them more of a stepping stone to a better system, yet to be defined.
(DIR) Post #AXl0605HS0l9tSqqDA by theceoofanarchism@kolektiva.social
2023-07-16T16:13:27Z
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@ParadeGrotesque @fedops Why can't you define it though we have examples and theories about how to better organize society there is no reason to "settle" for capitalist democracy where much better options exist.
(DIR) Post #AXl64U1blCC5tnnFWS by starbreaker@libranet.de
2023-07-16T17:06:11Z
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@ParadeGrotesque NATO should have assassinated Putin the second a Russian soldier set foot in the Crimea. And if his successor didn't get the message, he too should have been assassinated.
(DIR) Post #AXl64UrMelauUK0aC8 by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-07-16T17:20:56Z
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@starbreaker Sorry, byt that's exactly the type of reasoning that leads to violence and more violence.NATO & the wealthiest countries of Western Europe should have helped the Russian Federation & engaged a "Marshall Plan" to pull all the nations of the federation out of poverty before Putin even came to power.1/x
(DIR) Post #AXl6AvErUcsI2S3y4m by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-07-16T17:22:27Z
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@starbreaker Instead, they treated Russia as their playground, applying stupid neoliberal policies with most Russians sliding into abject poverty.Putin had then an easy way in. And these fools thought they could control him, like any other dictator.1/x
(DIR) Post #AXl74s3SW9yMNePLQ8 by ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-07-16T17:31:38Z
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@starbreaker What these stupid people could not see is that Putin could point back at a time where Russia was powerful and respected, and flatter the nationalism of Russians.Not much different from the rise of another dictator that were originally financed and supported by the capitalist class in *cough* *cough* Germany *cough*.And now, here we are: Ukraine is on fire, thousands of people are dead and disappeared.All of this, because of the greed of the wealthiest.2/end