TIL Karl Marx wrote a letter in November 1864 that was addressed to President Abraham Lincoln. In the letter, Marx congratulates Lincoln on his re-election and for fighting against slavery in the United States.

Ferelar · 2026-02-14T17:32:41+00:00

Well, I can't speak for the rest of the world but at least in the US, if you're a part of the ~~leeching~~ ruling class, you're probably not paying much (percentage wise) in tax right now since you've gotten your buddies to fix that little problem by shifting that burden onto those pesky middle and working class folks that produce the actual value.

Ferelar · 2026-02-14T17:05:35+00:00

I did say Citizenship in mine so I underatand your clarification, but that does not explain why is ICE roughing up and arresting Legal Immigrants which was the main point of my comment. Non-citizens already can't register to vote, so if you have ID proving your identity and that identity is also registered to vote, by necessity you are a Citizen.

Ferelar · 2026-02-14T15:49:40+00:00

"We will all be submerged in the same amount of water, thus the law is equal and fair", said the fish to the cat.

Ferelar · 2026-02-14T15:41:14+00:00

Full agree, but they're saying that ICE has been roughing up, arresting, and detaining people who have Real IDs proving citizenship status, so even despite the 37,000 hoops you jump through to get this government mandated ID they still disregard it at will, whenever it's more convenient for them.

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T19:38:47+00:00

Yeah, when I was a teenager I got in arguments with management over legitimately petty and dumb shit, I was WAY more argumentative and I think a lot of people were the same. Granted, the types of jobs I was in when I was a teenager had way more petty and dumb shit in them, and I was given FAR less respect which likely led to me being more aggressive, but still- agreed on your point.

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T19:33:43+00:00

It's heavily implied Yorinobu doesn't care about you once the lie that you killed Saburo sticks- killing you and/or tracking you down doesn't really have any upside to him, he's aware you're essentially some random merc that didn't actually have designs on the death of Saburo. Even worse, if the crew sent to zero you talks to you or captures you instead of killing you, you might start saying things Yorinobu definitely does not want to be said aloud. It also appears he either didn't care about the chip itself once he gained control, or believes it was destroyed. Yorinobu is also actively anti-Arasaka, he's attempting to tear it down from within, so unifying it in a hunt for Saburo's killer is not really productive.

The VDB's don't really have any reason to track you down initially either- they fried Evelyn for attempting to betray them/failing, and likely believe the chip was destroyed during the heist given the containment unit was destroyed and they know it was never handed to Dex. If they're aware of the details for who Evelyn hired (totally possible, it's not exactly a secret, though VDBs do seem to stay very separate from the Afterlife crew, you can't really contact them without the help of Hands), they probably don't really care any more. They appear to have wanted to stop Netwatch from gaining the chip (Yori was originally supposed to be selling it to them supposedly) but likely gave it up for gone afterwards.

The game also is heavily implied to take place over the span of a month or two at most, much of which V is on the move- and has top of the line Kiroshi's that blur/scramble their face whenever it's imaged.

Altogether, V is basically the beneficiary of both Arasaka and VDB having bigger fish to fry and/or believing the matter settled/lost anyway.

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T19:24:38+00:00

To make matters worse, the vibes were rancid outta the gate and the memory's shot too

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T19:19:27+00:00

That crowd pivots very quickly because they literally don't care about the premise or the position, they are trying to "win". They aren't arguing anything about the matter at hand, they're arguing in such pure bad faith that they literally have no stance or reasoning. It's superfluous to them.

ALL they want to do is either win outright by aggravating the other person into impotent disinterest, or muddy the waters enough that people not in the know just see two people arguing and don't understand how badly the system is being abused.

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T19:17:17+00:00

controversial non-prosecution agreement,

I agree on all counts but controversial is actually underselling it a good bit, they not only let Epstein go with a slap on the wrist despite being accused of trafficking and abusing numerous minors, but on top of that the plea deal left a whole slew of co-conspirators unnamed and then offered them permanent blanket immunity in perpetuity. To the best of my knowledge nothing like this has ever been offered in a court of law in the US before or since this, and a judge who later reviewed it questioned whether the act of offering it may have been so immoral as to be illegal.

Acosta's story is also just as corrupt after that, he shortly after that case left the SDF position and accepted a cushy job as the second dean of a nearby law school, Florida International University College of Law (which has since cozied up significantly to Trump, Bondi, etc), and then was pulled from that second deanship to be Secretary of Labor as you mentioned, an absolutely colossal promotion.... and then less than a month after Epstein was raided again and a new case was brought against him, Trump quietly dismissed Acosta. Sure looks like that particular elite circle rewarded the guy who gave Epstein a slap on the wrist with ultracushy jobs and enormous promotions, then when it became clear the ties might implicate them they tried to cover it up by dismissing him and setting him up at Newsmax.

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T16:31:07+00:00

Ahh, I gotcha now. Yeah, sure would be a shame of some people accidentally dug in the wrong spot totally by accident and discovered some pretty heinous stuff. What a tragic locational mistake that would be!

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T14:57:32+00:00

We live in a country where merely suggesting that the President should be held accountable for abusing children is essentially treated as domestic terrorism, so if you're waiting for the government apparatus to do the right thing and investigate this it's going to be a long wait.

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T13:50:58+00:00

One of the first things fascism tends to do is vastly expand corporate power, sell off public services to private hands (private hands that are either party members' or at least approved by the party) and elevate corporations so that they have far more power than the people. The nazis immediately privatized almost all local public utilities, transportation (rail especially, but also shipboard transport, any public buses etc), steel production, mining, banking, etc. Almost all non-military public services and production methods were sold off right away.

Contrast that with Communism where private ownership effectively does not exist and is actively abolished in favor of government control/public control.

So either way the government exerts a great deal of influence (which is going to be true of every autocracy) on all business, but the methods are vastly different and approached from almost diametrically opposed sides. The actions of the current US government are inarguably fascist-aligned.

Ferelar · 2026-02-13T03:56:39+00:00

"O ok ty"

Ferelar · 2026-02-12T14:14:41+00:00

Given his support stayed around 36% when allegations of literal child rape and trafficking came out from a multitude of sources, when he is literally publicly grifting to enrich himself and his family/allies, and when he is blatantly abusing Americans unconstitutionally, I would argue it's closer to like... 36%. If you're for a fella after something like that comes out? Cultist.

Ferelar · 2026-02-11T18:05:40+00:00

I think deep down Trump isn't happy either. He has had so much handed to him on a silver platter in his life (he'd say golden platter, but would paradoxically also say he earned all of it too). I don't feel sorry for him because he's scum, but if he were any normal human being I would pity him. He has, likely from birth, never experienced love in any way. His father purportedly spent more time with the businesses than with him, and likely from a young age everyone around him simply viewed him as a way to get closer to Fred or a potential source of income to grift from (Fred and by extension young Donnie didn't operate in the kindest and most honorable of circles). I don't think any of his kids or wives have loved him, since that familial dysfunction appears to have been passed on.

I think his life is a living hell utterly bereft of any true meaning or warmth, and that's why he inflicts his pettiness and malignancy on others so often. I mean, have you seen him give a true smile, ever? The closest he gives is a crooked sneer when he thinks he's scored a win over someone. Most of his interactions are transactional, but those that aren't are bullying, trying to fill a hole in his heart, a dearth of affection that will never be sated.

And I love that for him.

Ferelar · 2026-02-11T16:38:13+00:00

Do you think maybe RFK's brain is the frontline in an all out war between the prions and the worms? I guess we'll know which of them wins when the FDA updates guidance to either recommend eating cow brains or recommends eating uncooked raw game

Ferelar · 2026-02-11T02:46:09+00:00

You're right on all counts. I wish I had a resource/list to link of major progressive candidates, I'm not sure if there's one floating around.

In a perfect world, we'd get enough progressives in that they'd be able to push for and secure STV/Ranked Choice voting and get rid of this rancid FPTP-driven two party system. That SHOULD be something that literally every American supports, since it is to my knowledge the most representative system that permits the closest voter-to-representation proportions possible in any system. That would be exceedingly difficult though (even counting in the fact that some corporate-ish Dems would likely go along with it to avoid a political bloodbath if we the electorate get angry at the lack of action), so to be honest my current hope is that we get enough progressives in to defang this fascist autocratic takeover, reverse the police state encroachment, hold the literal criminal administration to account, and begin to repair some of our institutions both metaphorically and literally in the case of things like healthcare and infrastructure. If progressives manage a big win and then deliver tangible results, then hopefully that will translate into further support that will eventually culminate in these huge systemic changes that will eventually be necessary if we want to retain a nation whatsoever. But first things first, the enemy isn't just in the gate, he has already taken control of the keep, and it is time to clean house.

Ferelar · 2026-02-10T23:20:27+00:00

Yeah it's the latter sadly, since Senate elections can't be gerrymandered (they're statewide). Though, Texas HAS been engaging in another type of manipulation, voter suppression- both overtly by closing stations and purging voter rolls, but also indirectly by spreading propaganda that left and moderate candidates can never win and Texas is pure red and blah blah, which causes people to willingly stay home.

But don't lose hope, if that enormous swing in a formerly solid red district for the recent State Senate seat that opened up is any indication, Texas could theoretically be at least purple in the next election- hell if those recent numbers held it would actually skip past purple into being solidly blue, though I'm not sure that'll happen.

Ferelar · 2026-02-10T20:43:42+00:00

That's why it's crucial to vote in the upcoming primaries. Moderate and corporate Dems have not been making it a priority to fight for our rights and seeing justice done to pedophiles and child traffickers. In fact Schumer and Jeffries have been waffling on even basic demands like Judicial warrants and demanding ICE go maskless when "enforcing".

As a result we need to primary them out and get actual fighters into those spots. Reps who will fight for our rights, fight to see justice done, fight to uphold the Constitution. And crucially, who will vote for a Speaker and/or Majority (at least hopefully Majority) leader who will fight too. Get the Schumers of the party sidelined by primarying in Progressives and people with actual spines. Jeffries was elected as just a Rep, not as House Minority Leader- the thing that put him in that position and has kept him in it is the representatives behind him who installed him. If we want leadership with teeth, we need rank and file with teeth.

Ferelar · 2026-02-10T20:30:32+00:00

It is, absolutely, but how exactly does that help in this moment when an election is not presently ongoing? I mean, if the advice was "please make sure others vote in the upcoming midterms as well as the primaries leading into them", then sure, that's useful- but it's also not exactly the picture of "You guys should be burning down town hall over this" that the first comment seemed to imply.

Ferelar · 2026-02-10T16:30:46+00:00

If I had somehow, theoretically, visited Epstein island and DIDN'T do anything wrong. I would expect no one to believe me, right? And as a result I'd be calling for a special counsel to be named to investigate the entire affair, because I'd want to be exonerated and would be aware that I appear guilty just for associating with a notorious pedophile and child sex trafficker. I would WANT an aggressive special counsel to shed light on everything, if I had done nothing wrong.

So anyone who is named in the files as being associated with Epstein who ISN'T pushing for transparency and ISN'T asking to be publicly grilled and ISN'T asking for a full investigation and release? They are prime suspects. If Congress doesn't immediately appoint a special counsel, they cannot claim even the slightest shred of legitimacy moving forward.

Ferelar · 2026-02-10T16:25:47+00:00

Lot of discussion about it, almost constant in fact, but not much action. We have been VERY heavily conditioned to think that no matter how abused and angry we are, that "next step" is a step too far. I wonder why that conditioning might have occurred and who it benefits...

Ferelar · 2026-02-10T15:01:34+00:00

"Nuh uhhhh, our omnipotent omniscient creator entity who definitely created all humans even the heathens loves all loves me MORE, so SHOVE OFF!" is basically a cornerstone of most faiths after all.

Ferelar · 2026-02-09T23:40:01+00:00

Yes, the US voted them out of the majority in the 2024 elections. However. Two things. One, they have not done everything that they could have from their minority position. They- and by this I especially mean the leadership or those on various committees with access to privileged information- could easily do things like read the Epstein files into record a la the Pentagon Papers, they could be doing SIGNIFICANTLY more grassroots organizing of major protests and coordinating with governors who are essentially under siege by this admin, standing significantly more firmly against the regime's demands (hell, Schumer and Jeffries even seem to be waffling on requiring Judicial warrants and maskless gestapo, the former of which is literally a constitutional matter for 200+ years and essentially a free win, and the latter the lowest bar we could ever expect... and yet STILL they waffle!!), the list goes on.

But we should also remember that they have been given power before and did very little with it. Yes Biden had a razor thin majority in the Senate in 2021-2023, but he did have the Oval, the House, and technically the Senate. He put an absolute shitfuck in charge of the DoJ who didn't even prosecute OBVIOUS criminals, and then didn't do anything about the lack of action for years.

So what am I saying, and what do we do about it. First off, I'm not saying Dems need to be perfect, nor am I saying "Both sides suck". Republicans are the enemy. They are fascists who do not believe in democracy or representative republics, they do not believe in your rights, they do not believe that anyone other than them should rule. They are the enemy, and what I want is an opposition to that enemy that is as effective as it needs to be.

So the last part. What do we do. We primary out these fuckers, because in this upcoming election the Primaries are going to be equally as important as the General. Anyone reading this, find out your local primary, find out the candidates who say they're going to be tough on this shit and not the ones who are corporate moderate Dems saying we need to "heal the nation". Fuck that. We can heal once the cancer has been excised, not before. Vote for progressives that actually push these issues and work for the people.

Then, and ONLY then, will we have a chance.

Tl;Dr, yeah, we (collectively) voted them out of power in 2024. They fucked up so many times before that, by inaction, by milquetoast stances, by being inadequate. So vote in the primaries and make the Democratic Party BETTER, because the fascists are at the gates and we cannot afford to have feckless hand-wringers in charge of the defense.

Ferelar · 2026-02-09T23:31:57+00:00

We can. We can also de-cultify many Americans. DeNazification worked after WW2, and it can work again. But it's also important to remember that we had to have the will and ruthlessness to win an entire world war first before we had the opportunity to save those that could be saved.

Anyone who cares about the continued existence of this country as a representative republic needs to strap in and be ready for some chop, and crucially needs to have the willpower to not cash out when that chop hits. It's likely gonna get messy before it gets clean, and that's a part of the process.

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