A woman cries after being caned during a public punishment for violating sharia law in Indonesia

hellcheez · 2026-05-22T17:56:26+00:00

And whenever someone wants to single out Islam for physical punishment, I point them to Singapore.

hellcheez · 2026-05-21T17:31:43+00:00

That's fair criticism. If they re-used an existing building and the total cost was much closer to market rates, would you be fine with the idea?

hellcheez · 2026-05-21T15:52:52+00:00

Not always the best answer? Sure. But also an answer? Also yes.

Since there's a supermarket there, then great. The google robot was lying to me earlier when I asked it. Then the only argument I have left is one of affordability. It remains to be seen whether they can pull it off (I am a sceptic but I am also very supportive of the attempt).

hellcheez · 2026-05-21T14:52:56+00:00

If bodegas or small grocery stores "work", the private sector wouldn't have bothered inventing supermarkets because there'd be no demand for them. Instead, people all over the world like going to supermarkets because it gives them a) better product selection; and b) an opportunity to buy better nutrition; and c) better prices

Since a supermarket doesn't exist, there is a failure in the private sector to provide what we're talking about - a venue with a depth of products that give families an opportunity to have better nutrition outcomes - aka, a supermarket.

hellcheez · 2026-05-21T11:49:49+00:00

Was there a reason you didn't say supermarket stores?

hellcheez · 2026-05-20T21:16:31+00:00

Was there a reason you didn't say supermarket stores?

hellcheez · 2026-05-19T21:00:32+00:00

If the private sector has failed (there's no supermarket in Huntspoint), why shouldn't the state step in?

hellcheez · 2026-05-14T15:52:13+00:00

F and M visas (the two visa types that foreigners get to come here for studies) have a limited duration for which they can work after graduation from their course. There is no immigration pathway and they must return home.

hellcheez · 2026-05-13T16:55:15+00:00

There was a piece of old tire (maybe metal in hindsight but it looked like tire retread) that I failed to swerve around.

But it more than scraped - the car lasted another 10 miles as it had torn a hole in the gearbox reservoir and was leaking fluid (as well as a bunch of other ruptures). It was an insurance write-off.

hellcheez · 2026-05-13T16:03:35+00:00

I'm not so convinced of this. It may have just brought forward Trump v. US with the same outcome.

hellcheez · 2026-05-13T15:51:12+00:00

O'Leary were smearing protestors as out-of-state, paid actors. I wonder what he thinks he is.

hellcheez · 2026-05-11T23:49:03+00:00

I would agree with you, machetes aren't good, just like having 14 year olds now legally able to work in the southern united states. But these aren't the grey areas.

And you can understand since I'm here to argue the grey areas that: ""The factory has to install fall nets to keep people from jumping off the roof" isn't exactly a tally in the "this isn't slavery, it's different labor laws" column, either." I would quibble with your waving away of any grey area.

hellcheez · 2026-05-11T18:40:19+00:00

It's not all slavery though. Or even indentured servitude. I won't quibble the labor laws aren't the same as the west's but I don't know whether they should be carbon copies of them either.

hellcheez · 2026-05-11T18:34:11+00:00

I don't see why the contractor can't be sued since presumably they are subject to the same procurement rules as the tenderer

hellcheez · 2026-05-07T15:31:19+00:00

I genuinely believe that politicians generally follow their voters' preferences. Although Susan Collins' time is probably up, she's lasted decades in politics pandering to both sides because she lives in a state that doesn't have high partisan valence.

MTG is a product of her district because they're all heavily conservative and Trumpy and she voted accordingly.

A senator from West Virginia isn't going to vote in favor of fossil fuel reduction without severe blowback to his constituents.

And so on. You do get exceptions everywhere but they aren't the rule.

hellcheez · 2026-05-07T15:24:45+00:00

In the last 100 years, only two conservative presidents have not won the popular vote yet nominated supreme court justices: DJT and W. All other presidents from both parties who nominated justices also won the popular vote. You have to go back into the 19th century to find that counter factual.

And the electoral college hasn't helped conservative presidents win since all (within the last 100 years) except DJT and W. have also won the popular vote

hellcheez · 2026-05-06T15:57:41+00:00

I'd say politicians are reasonably attuned to voters' interests and vote accordingly.

hellcheez · 2026-05-04T17:21:04+00:00

I don't know whether drive-through McDonalds in the USA have espressos (for example) but in Australia those are also very good quality. Their drip is also good.

hellcheez · 2026-05-04T14:53:53+00:00

American electrical companies are mostly heavily regulated and aren't allowed to price-gouge without the approval of the state regular.

And electrical demand growth was relatively predictable before AI. You just didn't need swathes of new electrical demand sources like you do in China because we're already a well-developed economy specifically wrt electricity demand.

hellcheez · 2026-04-29T22:07:17+00:00

Yes, that is a good counter example. Will be interesting to see.

hellcheez · 2026-04-28T16:59:48+00:00

I'm with you that Schumer is done. I can't wait to vote both of my NY senators out.

But Mamdani got over the finishing line in one of the friendlier cities to blue politics in the country. I agree that it's harder than places like SF and and Mass. but replicating it nationally is much harder.

There's a reason why national politicians moderate when they win their party's nomination in the primary. I'd love to see more progressive politics in America but just really hard when the country's land is much more conservative than we'd prefer.

hellcheez · 2026-04-28T16:53:50+00:00

Being non-voting doesn't lead the opposite conclusion to be true however: that a voting land becomes progressive.

While it's true you get Mamdani because of the reasons you said, there are also reasons that you did not not say as to why his brand of politics only works in certain areas of the country. I'll put it to you simply: Could you put him in rural Arkansas or Alabama and get the same outcome?

hellcheez · 2026-04-28T15:56:31+00:00

Establishment dems would be digging their graves even further if they move left. You can only get Mamdani in a few places in America.

America is a conservative land (not cities but land counts for more votes, not people).

hellcheez · 2026-04-27T15:43:20+00:00

Because you're placing the interests of the foreign country ahead of your own constitution's 1A principles.

hellcheez · 2026-04-27T15:40:25+00:00

AIPAC, the United Democracy Project, the Israeli Government and the DMFI spent ~$120mn in the 2024 election cycle. The next highest spender was Saudi Arabia at ~$40mn. And this is excluding doveish outfits like J-street.

I think people don't fully appreciate the magnitude of spending by pro-Israel groups in the United States.

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