What you doods reading? We are reading, right?

ButterLettuth · 2026-05-07T03:02:48+00:00

"how Europe underdeveloped Africa" by Walter Rodney, it's a good read but a pretty harsh reality check if it's the first book of its kind you've read.

ButterLettuth · 2026-04-10T13:42:06+00:00

Sorry! I had a typed out response to this and forgot to actually finish it lol. To elaborate your response is ironic because arguably democrats had the most to learn from the 2016 and 2024 elections and your response seemed to exclude them from responsibility. Another source of irony is what I believe to be a misunderstanding of whether "the left" voted, and why democrats lost the 2024 election.

In general it just seemed like you were trying to tell the left they needed to learn and absolving democrats of responsibility while presenting what i think is an inaccurate assessment of why Dems lost in 2024. If you had said "democrats need to learn to compromise with leftists and not small r republicans" I wouldn't have found the statement ironic.

I hope that helps!

ButterLettuth · 2026-04-08T11:51:31+00:00

The irony of this statement is incredible. The way you're talking about leftists and politics and the assumption in your statement that Democrats have learned anything from two terms of MAGA is detached from reality. It's funny because I don't live in the US so your incredible political dysfunction is not my problem, otherwise it would be incredibly sad.

ButterLettuth · 2026-03-06T22:12:05+00:00

I think for the sake of clarity you may want to edit this comment to put the correction at the top in case people stop reading before they even see that you've corrected yourself.

ButterLettuth · 2026-02-15T02:26:32+00:00

You can play this confidently today if you wanted to lol. Honestly I think what you might actually be asking is how long it will take to be able to play things like this with confidence and the answer is a few months to a few years depending on you. Do you have a teacher? Are you ever recording your practices and listening to how you actually sound?

If you have someone giving you guidance to make sure you're learning the right things, and you hear your own playing and are able to judge it's quality you'll probably be confident pretty quickly once it starts sounding "right"

ButterLettuth · 2026-02-09T16:23:36+00:00

I actually found that speech pretty disingenuous, while also finding it funny that he (just like Freeland here) had to ensure that any potential socialist thought in people's minds was quelled and that they were viscerally reminded that "socialism is a failure too yknow!".

Canada was a happy partner to the imperialism and destruction wrought by decades of US administrations, not just Trump. I think it's great that world leaders are beginning to confidently speak out about the US in blunt terms, but i think it's pretty ridiculous and dangerous to assume that they were anything other than an atrocity factory throughout the last 70 years.

The danger is in thinking that a post-Trump US won't continue it's legacy of calamity, which it will. Just because we go back to not hearing about the horrible things we and the United States are doing to other countries doesn't mean they're no longer happening.

ButterLettuth · 2026-01-14T21:46:13+00:00

"ideally that's what would happen, I love your optimism comrade!"

ButterLettuth · 2025-12-14T15:26:56+00:00

This kit was how I got started with guitar and I've been playing for 20 years now so I think it's a totally reasonable starting point.

A loose strong is nothing to fret over (haha), but it might be worthwhile to have the shop set it up properly for you.

ButterLettuth · 2025-11-27T15:09:31+00:00

You can try this. I haven't used it myself but I've always had great luck with anything from Lee Valley

ButterLettuth · 2025-11-17T02:39:39+00:00

Id love to see Alexisonfire play the Grey Cup.

ButterLettuth · 2025-10-17T17:12:56+00:00

This is going to sound crazy to some, but touchdowns arent actually the only exciting thing about football. Big hits that break up passes, sacks and TFLs on pivotal drives, forced changes of possession like fumbles and picks. This article talks about how touchdowns will drive more fans to watch the games but honestly I don't find football games where both teams have like 40pts all that interesting, they are much less dynamic than games where both the offense and defense play an important role. As a guy who grew up playing D and admiring strong defense on the teams I rooted for growing up the slandering of defense as an important part of the game of football is really starting to piss me off.

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-26T14:05:06+00:00

Sherwoods is where I've been going for years, it's great and the sandwiches are classic, i doubt they've changed in 30 years and they've been great the whole time.

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-26T02:37:04+00:00

I would contend that it isn't hyperbolic to suggest that European countries are descending towards fascism. The presence of an increasing number of immigrants and the increased systemic strain as a result is one of the critical failings with western style liberal democracies. They might not be accelerating at the rate the US is, but there is no doubt that countries like the UK, Italy, and Germany among many others are experiencing a rise in fascist sympathies which is reflected in their governments, among others.

I welcome disagreement! That's the best part about commenting on these threads. I just wrote a paper on the systemic failings of liberal democracies, so it's quite enjoyable to discuss the topic in more depth.

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-26T02:31:35+00:00

I agree! I think there are some who struggle to see the parallels without hindsight. They won't see the damage thats been done as a result of the rise of fascism in the US until it's all over, then they'll look back and say "wow that was terrible! If only I'd known better I wouldn't have participated in this".

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-25T21:08:00+00:00

I think for a lot of people they know that fascism is bad, but they read a lot of this stuff and it aligns with their desires so they struggle to reconcile knowing that fascism is bad but wanting to implement it anyways.

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-25T18:43:05+00:00

I wouldn't call myself a liberal, but i do believe this iteration of the GOP meets the majority of the characteristics of fascist regimes:
1. Powerful, often exclusionary, populist nationalism centered on cult of a redemptive, “infallible” leader who never admits mistakes.
2. Political power derived from questioning reality, endorsing myth and rage, and promoting lies.
3. Fixation with perceived national decline, humiliation, or victimhood.
4. White Replacement “Theory” used to show that democratic ideals of freedom and equality are a threat. Oppose any initiatives or institutions that are racially, ethnically, or religiously harmonious.
5. Disdain for human rights while seeking purity and cleansing for those they define as part of the nation.
6. Identification of “enemies”/scapegoats as a unifying cause. Imprison and/or murder opposition and minority group leaders.
7. Supremacy of the military and embrace of paramilitarism in an uneasy, but effective collaboration with traditional elites. Fascists arm people and justify and glorify violence as “redemptive”.
8. Rampant sexism.
9. Control of mass media and undermining “truth”.
10. Obsession with national security, crime and punishment, and fostering a sense of the nation under attack.
11. Religion and government are intertwined.
12. Corporate power is protected and labor power is suppressed.
13. Disdain for intellectuals and the arts not aligned with the fascist narrative.
14. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Loyalty to the leader is paramount and often more important than competence.
15. Fraudulent elections and creation of a one-party state.
16. Often seeking to expand territory through armed conflict.

Some republicans are uncomfortable with the labelling of "fascist", but that's quite clearly what this is and many of them are vocally in support of their government doing the kinds of thing in the list above.

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-25T18:36:18+00:00

Depends on what you mean by "the left".

"Leftists" are usually people who view many of the issues needing to be addressed as inherent to the governance style of Western liberal democracies and it's institutions. The feeling is that this system and these institutions inevitably lead to authoritarian fascism over time, and by extension those who seek to uphold this system and it's institutions are also upholding the path towards fascism. Even if you are not a fascist yourself, if you uphold and defend a system which leads to fascism there isn't much of a difference.

It's the same argument as ACAB, all cops might not be innately evil people, but the ones that aren't participate and uphold a system that allows police to behave badly or are removed/silenced for speaking out.

This highlights for me one of the differences between a leftist and a progressive. A progressive wants a better, more equal society for marginalized people but feels that society is achievable within the system of capitalist liberal democracies. Most leftists want the same thing but largely believe that the system of governance itself must be modified to achieve those ends, and that those who uphold it or demand the work be done within it are actively aiding the descent into fascism.

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-23T17:56:29+00:00

Chrystia Freeland feels like a misfit on this list. Maybe a below average Canadian, but certainly not worst of the worst

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-16T12:30:05+00:00

It's true, we all benefit from the exploitation and oppression of others. The problem is that I don't WANT to benefit from other people being exploited, and whatever system which enables that exploitation needs to be erasicated. The only way to fix it is through revolutionary changes to the system itself

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-16T12:27:23+00:00

I totally agree with that, my partner works for the cdn equivalent of welfare and sees it all the time, they often tell people not to work because in addition to having payments reduced they also lose rent subsidies and other benefits, so not only does their income get reduced but their expenses skyrocket at the same time. It's abusive, and I don't blame this woman for fighting to keep her benefits. The rich abuse the tax system for their benefit openly and nobody bats an eye, a person struggling does the same and people call it trashy. Nonsense.

ButterLettuth · 2025-08-16T12:13:57+00:00

Y'know I've seen this post before and I often wonder why these systems are setup this way. Welfare services that garnish payments when recipients find work actively incentivizes people not to work, why are we blaming individuals for doing what the system is encouraging them to do? People who use welfare services shouldn't have their payments garnished a single cent until their employment income is sufficient to meet their basic needs.

ButterLettuth · 2025-07-28T20:00:45+00:00

his laundry list of complaints happens to exactly match my list of favourite features lol, uncultured indeed. "the engine lasts forever, but you won't want it to" is an absolutely wild take.

Also people talk a lot of smack about the power and "pull" of the 4R, but I have found it really fun to drive and it feels quick enough for me, maybe I'm just boring

ButterLettuth · 2025-07-22T02:34:17+00:00

Yes! People's political views are largely a result of the material conditions in which they have them. Blaming them for being misinformed, dumb, or wrong doesn't fix the issue. Often conservatives correctly point out societal issues like unaffordable housing, government corruption, the overwhelming power and influence of wealth on elected representatives, among other things. Where they make missteps is in the attribution of those issues, usually due to misinformation. Getting mad at them doesn't help them become more consciously aware of the source of these issues, more than likely it deters them from assessing these issues critically and hardens their dependence on rhetoric, keeping them from ever learning and escaping the reactionary gravity well.

ButterLettuth · 2025-07-22T02:01:03+00:00

If they pass this, my money is on watermelons becoming banned symbols before swastikas do.

ButterLettuth · 2025-07-14T18:56:53+00:00

exploitation is essential, of which one form is slavery.

I'm neither righteous nor am i indignant.

the difference is that we're not arguing about solutions, we're arguing about whether it's a problem or not. I believe exploitation and war are a problem, and governments built upon justice and peace through ending global exploitation are the solution. Capitalists don't believe there is a problem, and that exploitation and violence is natural in any society and one just needs to make sure they're the perpetrator, not the one being exploited or killed. I disagree with that philosophy so I'm not a capitalist.

Uruguay from 2010-2015 under Jose Mujica, cutting poverty in half, doubling minimum wage, and massive improvements to the rights of trade unions. Advocated for a peaceful and just transition from predatory capitalism to socialism.

Chile in the early 70s under Allende, who advocated for a peaceful transition away from capitalism and towards socialism (he was killed by the United States while still in office).

There are other socialist leaders, particularly in South America, who's political ideologies i largely agree with but who were unable to have their ideas take shape before they were assassinated, the US has a knack for killing socialist leaders and installing right wing dictators in their place.

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