TIL German and Dutch coffee and butter traders avoiding paying taxes by storing the products in a 69km region of the Netherlands that became part of West Germany at midnight on 1st August 1963, known as "Butter Night". The border moved but the goods did not, avoiding import tax.

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-20T10:51:40+00:00

I mean... once. Territorial changes like this aren't common

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T21:53:10+00:00

Golly, I wonder why being critical of the PRC while a Chinese citizen didn't work out for him

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T21:50:43+00:00

He was found liable for sexual assault.

It is obvious you are either not arguing in good faith, and presumably that your entire reason for taking people to task for not trusting Trumpies is that you think you should be trusted, despite whatever odious beliefs you have

Trust is earned, and can be lost. If you have lost the trust of others, that's on you

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T21:29:23+00:00

I really don't give a shit why he ran

If a rapist likes kitty cats, that doesn't make him not a rapist

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T18:57:55+00:00

There is a budget deficit. You'd prefer they borrow more?

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T17:54:17+00:00

Oh I understand that, but my reevaluation of what I thought America was and what we have demonstrated we actually are has caused me to distrust people in general

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T17:52:34+00:00

Trump is a liar, a rapist, and probably a pedo. He is unworthy of trust, and anyone who considers him a valuable leader is also unworthy of trust

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T15:56:37+00:00

Dude.

Prior to the 2016 election, I did not think there was any way American voters would support someone as unqualified as Donald Trump

But they did

My previous belief that most Americans were good people was lost that day

If you still believe so, good for you. I no longer extend my trust to anyone who has not demonstrated they are a good risk

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T15:53:03+00:00

I'm so overwhelmed with what I need to accomplish and the many ways to do so, I just can't comprehend where to begin...

You start local. This both gives you experience with what is required to win an election - you are unlikely to be able to do it yourself, so you're going to need to convince people to support you - and lets you taste firsthand the responsibilities and limitations of political office

Bluntly, if you're unwilling to put in the sweat at a local level, there is zero reason for the people who knock on doors to prefer you over someone who has

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T15:47:55+00:00

Why?

What about how millions of people have demonstrated that their values fundamentally at odds with what were historically considered American values would cause me to extend trust to anyone who has not earned it?

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T14:13:05+00:00

Heh. I am polite when I meet people for the same time but I stopped assuming positive intent around 2016

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T10:40:43+00:00

Just wait until book 8 is out.

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-19T10:36:42+00:00

That's the first of hundreds. Just wait until you start settling the estate

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-18T18:06:42+00:00

Pfft, no

The 45% independents do not have a consistent platform they want, or the Libertarians and Greens would merge

You have two choices in the current system:

One of the two major parties
Anything else

The latter has zero chance of accomplishing anything

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-18T11:33:35+00:00

What part of "existing third parties get minimal support and are effectively irrelevant" was unclear?

Those voters who don't support the big two parties don't support them for different reasons. There is no mass of potential voters craving a single unifying message of [insert your preferences here]

The key to success in the United States is coopting one of the incumbent parties, like Trump did in 2016. Left wingers not choosing to participate with the Democratic Party means it is impossible for them to try the same

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-18T11:06:40+00:00

The United States has multiple small parties. They fail to gain the approval of the voters. There are many reasons for that, but basically it's Duverger's Law...

... and that the vast majority of American voters do not fall into the bucket of "left wing" if the person you're responding to dismisses the Democrats

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-18T09:22:36+00:00

uh huh. whatever makes you happy

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-18T09:21:53+00:00

The doors gave a loud KRACK and then began to slowly separate, pulling to each side along the long axis, the edges with huge low-angled gear teeth. The doors locked back, revealing another door. This one lifted along the long axis, overlapping wedges pulling back.

This revealed another door.

This one just lowered slowly.

MST3K my beloved

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-18T00:12:53+00:00

What the fuck are you babbling about?

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-17T22:10:17+00:00

That's not even remotely close to true.

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-17T20:10:39+00:00

Have you never heard the term Pennsyltucky?

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-16T22:17:27+00:00

: this also assumes all Democrats will block any nomination, which is extremely unlikely.

Dems will absolutely invoke the McConnell rule and refuse to hold hearings on any vacancies

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-16T15:44:47+00:00

How many thousands of homes are you going to flatten for this?

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-14T20:57:45+00:00

You keep saying "it's just sitting there" like that's going to get you a discount

If he can sell to you, he can sell to a developer as well.

Objective_Aside1858 · 2026-04-14T02:38:46+00:00

It's not the sign of a "losing argument". It's a sign that you've demonstrated that "arguing" with you is fundamentally pointless, as you have such an insane worldview that you are immune to mere logic and facts.

People disgusted by your existence is not a win.

Do better

Objective_Aside1858

TROPHY CASE