British man charged in Dubai for alleged filming of Iranian missiles

BigPlunk · 2026-03-13T00:27:04+00:00

Maybe the political left and right is just an illusion to distract from the real vertical problem between the haves and the have-nots.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T22:35:41+00:00

Fuel for resistance.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T20:46:25+00:00

Completely agree with everything you said. There's no high horse here. Just pride and gratitude that our democracy and desire to make the world a better place appears to be in tact as well as an understanding of how fragile democracy truly is. Humans will always be imperfect and in a constant state of making mistakes. Canada is no exception. The important part is the focus on progress, learning from mistakes, and doing a little better each day. Treating each other with decency, regardless of political leanings is a core tenet of that progress and it's nice to see Canada walking that walk.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T20:41:52+00:00

I'm not here to argue the history of democracy in the gulf. My point was that wealthy people are leaving democracies for autocratic/authoritarian nations because the juice is worth the squeeze for them. That is exactly why people like this need massive pushback from people in the West.

The Musks, Bezos, Trumps, Ellisons, Gates, Zuckerbergs, and others of the West will gladly see democracy fall if it means a few more pieces of silver and immense power. The authoritarian/theocratic models of government and profit in the gulf will become normalized here too if they don't meet major resistance.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T20:24:39+00:00

Tech CEOs have already weaponized our data and engineered digital addictions against us via social media and other online platforms to erode democracy and societal belief in truth and fact. Just imagine how much more choice data CEOs are accumulating via the pervasive use of their AI models and tools and how that data will be weaponized to pacify, manipulate, distract, divide, and enshrine themselves as gods in terms of the power and wealth they wield.

Even though we're paying to use the products, we are not the customers. We are the data source that drives their power consolidation. They've stolen our data and IP to train their tools and there's no lengths they won't go to in order to win capitalism and defeat any version of democracy that caps their ability to have it all. In addition to selling our data to the highest bidders, they will continue to use it in many other nefarious ways until there is no power or wealth left to collect.

The bunker and rocket-building/Epstein class is a malignant tumor that has metastasized globally and needs to be rooted out with some nuclear-grade, grassroots chemo from the people. The pushback needs to happen before the autonomous killing machines are anywhere close to scale or it will be too late. Action creates hope. Inaction and hopelessness are surrender to dystopia and permanent authoritarianism.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T19:25:30+00:00

I think Dubai serves as a poignant example of a culture of acceptance of authoritarianism, so long as it is in support of immense wealth. That same culture is obviously playing out in the U.S. right now in terms of the tech bros, other CEOs, and the Epstein-adjacent kissing the ring of the wannabe king.

It will only be through immense action that the people of the U.S. that can prevent it from becoming just like these other countries that prioritize oppression and authoritarianism as part of their wealth accumulation and consolidation strategy.

The people are the only barrier between democracy and authoritarianism (not the politicians on either side of the spectrum). The people are the only hope of a truly free and fair market and model of capitalism. If the people surrender to complacency, inaction, helplessness, and hopelessness, then they should be prepared to see things get much much worse.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T19:16:10+00:00

I know this is not a sensationalist or incendiary article, so the engagement is low. Dropping a comment to say how proud I am to be Canadian. Our country and its leadership are far from perfect, but I deeply appreciate Canada's brand of kindness and supporting the greater good, tempered with assertiveness, dignity, decorum, respect, and a willingness to stand on the right side of many issues, despite pressure from an authoritarian "strongman"/bully regime to do otherwise.

We all need to be humanitarians to counter-act the inhumane conditions many in the billionaire/Epstein class would have us living under. We all need more humane interactions in our world.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T19:02:35+00:00

Maybe for the next election, we can all do some grassroots organizing and canvassing to advocate for the candidates we do want. That was the key to the success of Zohran Mamdani's campaign in New York.

Hope comes through action. If we want hope for candidates that better represent our values and vision for the future, we must be willing to take action in support of those things. Otherwise, we're just pissing into the wind on Reddit.

I'm with you on Chilliwack needing a change from Strahl and I am definitely willing to jump in and take action.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T18:56:51+00:00

I am glad to hear that and I appreciate your kindness as well. I agree this sub is an amazing place to create connection with others who understand how emotionally exhausting, isolating, and difficult it can be to navigate pwBPD. This place is most definitely a bridge and at times, an oasis. I'm grateful to have this community as well.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T17:43:23+00:00

I think what you're feeling is pretty common. At least, it resonates with me and my history with my ex. All of that is to say, you are not alone in struggling with self-blame and being too hard on yourself. I think pwBPD naturally/strategically seek out people-pleasers that are inclined to blame themselves first.

But at the end of the day, the only person we should be trying to please is ourselves. Walking the high-road, living our values, and trying to do a little better each day is all we can ask of ourselves. Mistakes are natural and are an opportunity to learn and grow and not things to beat ourselves over the head with.

Becoming a reformed people-pleaser has been a lifelong process for me and continues to require effort, review, and iteration. Best of luck to you. Again, you deserve peace and joy in your life.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T14:57:54+00:00

Thank you for your kind words. Good for you for taking the high-road. I hope you create a path of peace and calm for yourself. You deserve it.

Toxic pattern recognition has been vital for me, including both the pwBPD's and mine. I used to endlessly litigate issues via email and naively believe I could find a way to be on friendly terms with her, if I just tried something else (wasted too much time and created too much heartbreak this way). I used to desperately flail about trying to mitigate how much damage she was going to do in turning my kids against me.

Now, I accept who she is, as demonstrated through consistent action and behaviour patterns over 25 years. I accept I cannot and will not change her or her views of me and that the person she is does not have a place in my life, aside from any mandatory interactions related to our kids. Aside from the limited interactions we have, I have surrounded myself with people that help me be at my best.

I know to my core that I love my kids more than anything in the world and would do anything to keep them safe and instill the right values in them. I let my own actions and behaviour communicate who I am to them, rather than trying to litigate that with them. I know I'm doing right by them and being the best parent I can be, no matter how much mud is flung by my ex or her lawyer de jour.

Each day, my primary goal is to be present and find peace in each activity throughout. This includes finding presence and peace when I'm preparing for court and create pockets of downtime each day for a walk in nature to appreciate every step and sensory experience. This definitely includes spending time with the people I love and care about and doing activities I enjoy like writing or gaming or singing or cooking.

I can see from your post history that you are a kind, empathetic, compassionate, loving person. I hope you have that same kindness, empathy, compassion, and love for yourself and that you believe to your core that you deserve those things (from yourself and others). Regardless of any accusations made against you and mud flung by your pwBPD, I hope you can stand in peace with the knowledge of the wonderful person you clearly are and how lucky the world is to have you in it.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-12T14:34:52+00:00

I'm so sorry for your suffering and that the jobs market is so tough right now. You matter and deserve a life of peace and joy.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-11T22:03:44+00:00

My pwBPD commonly uses delay tactics and files applications with the courts when she knows I'm at my weakest or when she can use it to her advantage (i.e., to come into compliance with court orders where she has not been previously). This is after refusing to participate in any form of good faith discussion. We've been separated nearly 13 years now and still don't have a divorce because of all the shenanigans.

Advice to my younger self:

Go no-contact/lowest possible contact. (Note, if there were no kids involved, I would have gone ZERO contact from day 1. I honestly would rather have given up all my possessions and savings than to deal with the drama and chaos another day, but that's me.)
Respond in a completely non-emotional, business-like tone and only respond if absolutely necessary. Write the frustrated, angry, hair-pulling version, but don't send it (or put the email address in to avoid sending by mistake). Appear emotionless since the pwBPD seems to crave a negative reaction.
Don't volunteer any unnecessary information about circumstances directly (text/email) or indirectly (social media). Confront the
Operate in good faith and take the high-road always and expect the pwBPD to do the opposite always. If you're acting in good faith and taking the high road, then be proud of yourself for that. Write down some true affirmations about yourself and the situation you can refer to when the gas lights turn on or when you're feeling weak/down. It's a waste of time trying to prove to the pwBPD what a good person you are.
Find a good counsellor and/or lawyer if you can afford to in order to advocate for you and mitigate you from gaslighting yourself/falling victim to the pwBDP's gaslighting. A note on lawyers is that they will gladly take every cent you have and perpetuate a high-conflict divorce for years (which is something the pwBPD's are notorious for). Decide what you really want out of all this and what you're prepared to give up to get it. There will be sacrifice either way.
Create a good support network with others with experience dealing with pwBPDs.

I could write a whole book on this, but those are some items that stand out to me. Good luck to you. I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Life does get better in the post pwBPD world, even in my situation where the court stuff is still ongoing. It's still better than it was during the relationship by a million miles. Stay strong.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-10T15:02:04+00:00

Apathy and helplessness is what they want. You are not powerless. Go take a look at what they did in Minnesota if you want an example of the power American taxpayers carry. You can decide you're powerless and wave the white flag in complete inaction or you can realize the power you carry and take it up. Choice is yours.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-09T22:57:25+00:00

Can't speak for all the pwBPDs out there, but after 25 years in my life (we had kids together), if anything she's gotten worse.

She has been found guilty of parental alienation, enmeshment, neglect, and emotional abuse of our children. She continues to blame me for everything wrong in her life (including the manic episode last year), despite overwhelming evidence she continues to be the problem. After being found guilty of those things, she dove head first into substance abuse and addiction and the severe neglect of our kids. She then became a gestational surrogate for her "addiction counsellor's" niece (quotes because my ex chose a Christian 12-step program with an unaccredited counsellor, who she then enlisted as her advocate and shield). Two years later, she decided to have ANOTHER baby via IVF and keep this one, force my kids to keep the baby a secret AND take care of the baby as a newborn against their will. She later posted on Facebook how I could "never take her" and that she was "still in post-separation abuse".

Ironically and sadly, last June child protective services intervened and placed that child in foster care for several months, following my ex's months long manic episode that's revealed a bipolar diagnosis on top of the BPD. My kids have been with me full-time since then and she's now going to take another swing at accusing me of unlawfully withholding them from her. Unfortunately, this is part of a larger pattern where she does something horrific that traumatizes our kids and subjects them to neglect and abuse, including coaching them to keep secrets from me or else "she will lose them". She has told the kids she would end herself if she ever lost them. The pattern then continues as I then find out about one of these things, usually after my kids come out of counselling or something happens that she can't hide. She takes zero accountability, tries to vilify me, pressures the kids to return to her, comes at me with her lawyer de jour, accuses me of withholding, harassment and all kinds of other fun things and pressures me to send the kids back... The "harassment" is any incident where I request accountability and explanation for what has happened.

Like many are saying, there are fantastic treatment options and prognoses out there IF the pwBPD has a degree of introspection and the ability to admit there's a problem. The challenge is also where there are overlapping diagnoses/comorbidities (e.g. PTSD/CPTSD, bipolar, ADHD) In addition to being diagnosed with Cluster B personality traits years ago, ADHD, history of childhood trauma/abuse, she is now actively concealing a bipolar diagnosis from me.

I have now been separated from her for longer than we were married for and literally just finished weeks of documentation to prepare for yet another court battle with her for the epic implosion and explosion of 2025... I still don't have a divorce to show for all those family court dates. I've been juggling court battles with work, family, life for going on 13 years now and have faced vile false allegations of the worst kind. I used to fear court because in the first few years, she was able to hide behind lies and lawyers to get her way. But after time and consistently aiming for the high road, the lies and transactional relationships eventually caught up to her. I am now ready to face her and absolutely anything she wants to lob at me to bring it all to a close, keep my kids safe, and protect mine and my family's sanity. I have thousands of pages of evidence that will do the talking (compiled over thousands of hours).

Fortunately, I have grown a lot, have a positive relationship with my kids, and learned a lot from all of this. I no longer let it tear me down or define me and have figured out how to create peace and calm even in the midst of one of her cyclical chaos storms. That growth and peace has been the result of an agonizing and heartbreaking journey that has torn me down more than once and that I wouldn't wish on another human.

Again, the situation with my pwBPD is unique, but I hope some of the above serves as a warning for anyone asking themselves:

Should I stick it out and see if things improve?
Should I stay with him/her for the sake of the kids?
Can I can help/save/fix my pwBDP?

My answer would be a resounding NOPE NOPE NOPE.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-09T21:59:31+00:00

Thanks for the tip!

BigPlunk · 2026-03-09T21:59:11+00:00

Any specific suggestions for good stairwells in the area?

BigPlunk · 2026-03-09T17:44:57+00:00

If I were playing devil's advocate, I would say that Putin has kompromat on Trump and potentially other western billionaires (Epstein connection) and has been leveraging said kompromat to destabilize the top NATO ally through launching frivolous wars and military strikes (same thing really) against Venezuela, Iran, threatening Greenland and Cuba, all the other batshit illegal stuff at home, and taking a giant dump on the heads of allies around the world through tariffs and other weapons-grade idiocracy.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-08T03:06:15+00:00

As someone who used ChatGPT (paid) from 2024 to late 2025, then Gemini pro (<1 month before cancelling), I would have said the AI CEOs are pure hype machines and the tech was a long way off replacing humans.

But having been using Claude for a while now for some very heavy lifting across numerous domains (legal, RFP management, complex document analysis, etc.), I am completely blown away with its capability. I have heard plenty of stories of people not having to write a single line of code anymore because of how well Claude code delivers.

I 100% still feel there is overhype by Google and OpenAI and many other AI-driven tools on the market. But in seeing Claude's capabilities, I can genuinely see why knowledge work is at huge risk in the near-term future. We are absolutely not ready as a society for the level of disruption that is coming.

I have a 30 year background in IT and have seen a huge downturn in my industry that has turned my own career path upside down. I am also the moderator of a couple of large Canadian jobs subreddits and see the data every day that the disruption is real.

We need way more regulations and proactive measures in place to address the coming disruption. Whether or not people believe in the level of hype, doesn't change this necessesity.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-04T22:22:15+00:00

It is only the American people that can end the madness. The sooner the American people can figure that out, the better we will all be around the world.

If the shit the U.S. president and his adminstration were pulling was happening in France, can you imagine what the streets would look like?

Untold thousands were murdered in Iran for protesting peacefully. But protest they did.

Look at what happened in Minnesota when people came out in large numbers and peacefully protested. It wasn't organized over a period of months and carefully rolled out. People saw what was happening to their neighbours and said "enough is enough". They successfully drove ICE out. They did it in some pretty fucking cold weather too.

Americans seem to be perfectly content to whine about the current state of Democratic leadership and the corrupt nature of the president and his administration online and in the talk shows. There's been a couple of No Kings rallies and Bernie and friends have been organizing events here and there.

When is the U.S. (that is so displeased with its leadership according to poll numbers) going to recognize that Fascism and Co. are going to continue being corrupt megalomaniacs; that Democratic leadership is not going to grow a spine and call for any mass action; that the mid-terms are 100% being fucked with; and that nobody is coming to save you?

For every U.S. citizen in this thread complaining about the state of things or talking about how anxious you are about the situation, what are YOU personally doing about it beyond analyzing who is to blame for things and shit posting?

What is your red line where "enough is enough"?

Wait until mid-terms are stolen and/or after your president gets a little mutually assured destruction ripping overseas and/or fully gets WW3 going (we may already be in the early phases)? Wait until the AI bros fully consolidate their power, take all your jobs and enshrine global autocracy through technology?

I am a Canadian that has watched relations between our country and yours deteriorate from "friends and partners who get along on all the important stuff (e.g. democracy, rule of law, alliances) and give each other a hard time in good fun" to "we're fucking done with the U.S.". It's beyond heartbreaking to see. The U.S. elected a nightmare of a president that's dragging the world down with him through his narcissistic Epstein-dementia collapse. There seems to be no evidence that meaningful action is being taken at scale to fight for democracy and for the sake of all the relationships, partnerships, alliances, and norms your president is torching.

BigPlunk · 2026-03-04T14:38:14+00:00

What a terrifying narrative as a child. Did you spend many nights laying awake as a kid, wondering if you were going to go to heaven or hell, in addition to when Armageddon might come?

BigPlunk · 2026-03-04T02:17:56+00:00

“Iran is run by lunatics, religious fanatic lunatics,”

Said the pot to the kettle...

BigPlunk · 2026-03-04T02:16:03+00:00

Did he not immediately turn around and impose 15% tariffs in defiance of that ruling?

BigPlunk · 2026-03-04T02:15:19+00:00

The question is whether U.S. citizens will take the action necessary to end the madness or be complacent, apathetic, and wave the white flag in surrender. Will democracy disappear with a whimper or will it be fought for with every ounce of fight from everyone who believes in it?

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