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Now, we can send in Greta Thunberg to scold the Iranians for using 2 stroke go kart engines to power their drobnes. I'm a big advocate of the 2-stroke engine... it is light, power packed, and cheap. Clearly, the Iranians agree with my "fuck the environmentalists" stance on this issue.
On April 08 2026 08:47 KwarK wrote:
I bet that when Iran ends up in control of the strait and opens their toll booth for anyone who pays $2m Trump will sell that to Jimmy as the strait being open, after all ships are passing through.
this is only the framework. not the final draft.
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On April 08 2026 07:31 Artesimo wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 07:18 LightSpectra wrote:
We had the three largest protests in our country's history back-to-back and we're trying to organize a general strike. If you want to say that's not enough, ok, hard to argue with that given what's going on, but it's not nothing. Its not nothing, but it also doesn't blow me away. + Show Spoiler +The rise of the AfD back in 2024 sparked protests in multiple cities that had almost a million people attending in total. Not as much as the no kings protests, even when comparing it to per capita, but also for a cause that is a lot less severe. I would have hoped for more pushback from his own party because the voter base doesn't accept the scandals, I would expect more news about people resigning in protest and the like. And when I talk to my american friends none of them like trump, all of them think he is a horrible danger and all that, but barely any of them did any kind of activism against it. Some of them attended the mentioned protests and confronted relatives about the shit they are supporting, but that is about it. I swear talking to many of them feels exactly like when I talk to some of my russian friends about their government. The people that my american friends not too long ago told me should rise up and sort out their much more oppressive government. It is extremely frustrating to watch from afar and quite worrying because it makes me wonder what the cause of all that complacency is and if its just a matter of time before people act the same over here.
Perhaps you've missed our shitposting about how stupid Trump and his cronies are?
I'm curious about this general strike Light is referencing though?
In all seriousness, there's a desperately needed discussion/understanding on how/why the "No Kings" protests (which have been very large numerically) have been so wholly ineffective at effecting change comparatively to previous numerically smaller protest efforts.
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Northern Ireland26523 Posts
On April 08 2026 09:40 GreenHorizons wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 07:31 Artesimo wrote:On April 08 2026 07:18 LightSpectra wrote:
We had the three largest protests in our country's history back-to-back and we're trying to organize a general strike. If you want to say that's not enough, ok, hard to argue with that given what's going on, but it's not nothing. Its not nothing, but it also doesn't blow me away. + Show Spoiler +The rise of the AfD back in 2024 sparked protests in multiple cities that had almost a million people attending in total. Not as much as the no kings protests, even when comparing it to per capita, but also for a cause that is a lot less severe. I would have hoped for more pushback from his own party because the voter base doesn't accept the scandals, I would expect more news about people resigning in protest and the like. And when I talk to my american friends none of them like trump, all of them think he is a horrible danger and all that, but barely any of them did any kind of activism against it. Some of them attended the mentioned protests and confronted relatives about the shit they are supporting, but that is about it. I swear talking to many of them feels exactly like when I talk to some of my russian friends about their government. The people that my american friends not too long ago told me should rise up and sort out their much more oppressive government. It is extremely frustrating to watch from afar and quite worrying because it makes me wonder what the cause of all that complacency is and if its just a matter of time before people act the same over here. Perhaps you've missed our shitposting about how stupid Trump and his cronies are? I'm curious about this general strike Light is referencing though? In all seriousness, there's a desperately needed discussion/understanding on how/why the "No Kings" protests (which have been very large numerically) have been so wholly ineffective at effecting change comparatively to previous numerically smaller protest efforts.
Well I mean you didn’t attend so how could they have been effective?
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On April 08 2026 08:47 KwarK wrote:
I bet that when Iran ends up in control of the strait and opens their toll booth for anyone who pays $2m Trump will sell that to Jimmy as the strait being open, after all ships are passing through.
I honestly don't see how this can be interpreted as anything other than an Iranian victory. Status quo ante bellum except Iran gets to charge a Hormuz toll, no?
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United States43860 Posts
On April 08 2026 10:10 LightSpectra wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 08:47 KwarK wrote:
I bet that when Iran ends up in control of the strait and opens their toll booth for anyone who pays $2m Trump will sell that to Jimmy as the strait being open, after all ships are passing through. I honestly don't see how this can be interpreted as anything other than an Iranian victory. Status quo ante bellum except Iran gets to charge a Hormuz toll, no?
Eh, it’s a little more than that.
Iran also got sanctions removed and got to sell 100m gallons that was impounded at sea at extremely inflated prices.
But in exchange Trump got
Iran to surrender their enriched uranium
Iran to submit to IAEA inspections
IRGC to give up control
Protection for the pro democracy protestors in Iran
An end to Iranian missile production
Also I’d imagine the IRGC regime gets a pretty significant bump from the blitz effect. The Iranians who were saying that peaceful coexistence was possible look pretty dumb now after Hesgeth showed off his crusader tats and declared no quarter. Whereas the hardliners who were calling the US an existential threat not only got vindicated, they led their people to victory. Lots of martyrs, lots of national struggle, but they endured and overcame.
Also Iran likes to position itself as the leader of the Islamic world, as opposed to the collaborators in Arabia for example. That’s why it opposes Israel despite having no borders and no conflicting interests with them. They like playing the part of the leader of the Muslim resistance vs Zionist colonialism. The Gulf States acting as weak proxies/bases for the US Israeli coalition while Iran bombards them reinforces that. Within their propaganda they won alone vs the Zionists while their Sunni rivals have no possible way to spin this as a win.
From where we were at the start of the year with the protests this really feels like the absolute worst possible outcome. Iran was already collapsing due to hyperinflation and climate failure, all the US had to do was nothing at all.
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I must say that the times we live in now are extremely confusing to say the least. If a few years ago you'd tell me I'd be cheering on for Iran to defeat the US I'd call you crazy but here we are, with a lot of the modern "western" world hoping the US will be defeated and will run with its tail between the legs.
All the earlier tariff madness, dropping support for Ukraine, trying to annex Canada as a 51st state, tearing up NATO over Greenland, calling people names and stuff really undid decades of political goodwill all the previous US administrations were working for. Decades of careful political maneuvering to get into the position of a "benevolent hegemon" which allowed the US to get away with a lot of their sheananigans, all gone within a year of madman behind the steering wheel...
I can somewhat understand his love for Putin, Orban, Lukashenko, Xi and other dictators since he probably views them as his role models considering his personality, but destroying your own country to appease them is really wild. Trump really likes to talk about the United States as the greatest country in the world but all he does is try to drag it down and break it. Surface-level patriotism coupled with ginormous ego, egotism and love of money. What could go wrong?
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On April 08 2026 09:50 WombaT wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 09:40 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 08 2026 07:31 Artesimo wrote:On April 08 2026 07:18 LightSpectra wrote:
We had the three largest protests in our country's history back-to-back and we're trying to organize a general strike. If you want to say that's not enough, ok, hard to argue with that given what's going on, but it's not nothing. Its not nothing, but it also doesn't blow me away. + Show Spoiler +The rise of the AfD back in 2024 sparked protests in multiple cities that had almost a million people attending in total. Not as much as the no kings protests, even when comparing it to per capita, but also for a cause that is a lot less severe. I would have hoped for more pushback from his own party because the voter base doesn't accept the scandals, I would expect more news about people resigning in protest and the like. And when I talk to my american friends none of them like trump, all of them think he is a horrible danger and all that, but barely any of them did any kind of activism against it. Some of them attended the mentioned protests and confronted relatives about the shit they are supporting, but that is about it. I swear talking to many of them feels exactly like when I talk to some of my russian friends about their government. The people that my american friends not too long ago told me should rise up and sort out their much more oppressive government. It is extremely frustrating to watch from afar and quite worrying because it makes me wonder what the cause of all that complacency is and if its just a matter of time before people act the same over here. Perhaps you've missed our shitposting about how stupid Trump and his cronies are? I'm curious about this general strike Light is referencing though? In all seriousness, there's a desperately needed discussion/understanding on how/why the "No Kings" protests (which have been very large numerically) have been so wholly ineffective at effecting change comparatively to previous numerically smaller protest efforts. Well I mean you didn’t attend so how could they have been effective?
I checked out the first one and have supported people that went since.
On October 19 2025 04:25 GreenHorizons wrote:Show nested quote +On October 19 2025 04:04 ChristianS wrote:On October 19 2025 03:52 GreenHorizons wrote:On October 19 2025 03:39 Dan HH wrote:He's sort of right, one-day protests without demands are the least effective. Though I wouldn't call them useless, millions of people showing disapproval is important for the cultural direction of how things evolve even if they don't have immediate tangible results. But like.. go and tell them about it? Go and find the local organizers and have a chat with them and shoot your shot, or grab a megaphone and tell the crowd you'll be there every evening and ask whoever can do that as well to join you. + Show Spoiler + Moaning about direct action not being actiony enough on a Starcraft forum where there's 0 of the organizers and maybe 1 other person from your city is less than what they're doing. Yeah, I wouldn't go so far as to say "useless", but "wasted" for sure. I mean, I have (particularly during the George Floyd uprising). But that's good in that it is at least an argument for going if I hadn't/wasn't having these discussions with local organizers already. From what I'm hearing from friends at protests is that it would be a pretty promising recruitment ground for more effective actions/organizing because of all the people wondering "now what?" Indeed, I’m currently holding literature from a socialist org handed to me by a guy wearing a “socialism is the future” shirt. No clue if this org is any good but I don’t think it makes sense for aspiring socialists to be *unhappy* about millions of people taking to the streets to express their discontent with fascism. Yeah, I'm supporting people doing this locally and nationally. I'm happy about millions taking to the streets. I'm still concerned inordinate amounts of energy is being carelessly wasted, in part, by not having the sort of clear articulable goals/demands that are typically expected (frequently by people attending these No Kings protests) of other protests.
You know what general strike LightSpectra was working on?
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Interesting. None happening in any of the major cities in my state yet. I'm curious about others' thoughts on this "general strike"?
On April 14 2025 08:15 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:Show nested quote +On April 14 2025 08:00 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 14 2025 07:28 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 14 2025 03:33 WombaT wrote:
Happy Day of Cake DPB! Enjoy Thanks! On April 14 2025 03:05 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 14 2025 01:27 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 14 2025 00:03 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 13 2025 01:11 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 12 2025 16:54 Acrofales wrote:On April 12 2025 12:56 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 12 2025 10:55 Billyboy wrote:
Does anyone know the specific demands of the strike? I feel like its a really important part. I agree that this would be necessary to know beforehand. Is it? Here is you: On April 12 2025 00:56 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 12 2025 00:36 GreenHorizons wrote:
[quote]
The questions posts like these always beg are "What are you going to do about it?" and "What do you want us to do about it?"
AFAICT the answer to both of those is mock and gawk at it along with you. If I'm wrong, I'd love to be shown how. Immediately: Teachers and other people working at public schools could push back against any anti-education policies that are being dictated by Trump/McMahon, just as how other professionals could push back when their profession is being undermined by Trump/Musk/whoever. Those are things that could be done right away / during Trump's term, and non-educators could certainly spread the word and voice their support for better education reform too. Future: It's also not a terrible idea to compile instances of Trump's crew being against education or against whatever supposedly appeals to potential voters. When it comes time for the next election, tailoring a persuasive argument based on whatever the group claims to be a top issue for them (even if it's not education) includes being able to list reasons why your candidate is pro-that-issue and list reasons why the opposing candidates are anti-that-issue. (Not knowing the difference between artificial intelligence and steak sauce is obviously a far less significant embarrassment, but there is plenty of substantive ammunition one could point to, to make the case that Trump/Republicans are anti-education during the midterm elections, during the next presidential election, etc.) You seem ready to "push back against any anti-education policies". And you think other professionals could also push back. How do you think you and they should "push back"? Do you think that refusing to work on those anti-education policies is a form of pushing back? Or is that too radical? Is the most pushback you'd support to change your Facebook page (like Kwark is ironically suggesting)? Or should they voice their concern to their superior while collaborating on implementing the, and I repeat, *anti-education* policies these educators are asked to implement? Or is even voicing that concern to your superior too personally risky, and calling for pushback on a gaming forum is about the extent of your rebelliousness? + Show Spoiler +I already answered those questions in the later post that you didn't respond to: https://tl.net/forum/general/532255-us-politics-mega-thread?page=4922#98428 It depends on multiple factors. For example, it may depend on how harmful the policy is. It may also depend on the individual - how willing/able they are to risk certain consequences (being reprimanded, being fired, being able to find a new job, being able to still support themselves and their family financially, etc.). I had written that "some people may have different approaches (publicly protesting, secretly resisting, doing the bare minimum to cover their own butt from a semantics perspective, etc.)" and I think that's true too. There probably isn't a perfect way to protest or a universal way to voice your displeasure about a policy that you don't agree with, because of how nuanced these situations can be. For the sake of argument, I'm going to assume that the pushback against *anti-education* policies that, as an educator, you would personally be willing to commit to is to lay down your work until those policies are reversed. There are some that I would, and there are some that I wouldn't. As I mentioned several times before: it depends. For example, let's suppose that Donald Trump signed a piece of paper that said "Math teachers need to say that pi equals 3". That's a pretty dumb and obviously anti-education thing for Trump to force onto educators, but there are ways to exploit a trivial loophole and technically check off that "I officially said that pi equals 3" box, without needing to undermine basic math education, or refuse to teach altogether, or completely quit my job. I would, instead, use a different strategy I listed, which would be "doing the bare minimum to cover their own butt from a semantics perspective", and I would try to mold this weird Trump-enforced limitation into learning experiences for my students: - It would not be hard to say "pi equals 3... after rounding to the nearest whole number", and then we could have a discussion on different sets of numbers (whole numbers vs. integers vs. rationals vs. irrationals vs. reals), and talk about the pros and cons of rounding and estimation. - It would also not be hard to have students use string, a ruler, and a circle to calculate pi on their own (1. measure the circumference; 2. measure the diameter; 3. divide them), and then ask them "How would you respond to me if I told you: 'pi equals 3'?". See, I just technically said "pi equals 3". They could even confirm a more precise value of pi with a calculator or computer, and we could have a meaningful discussion about ways to compute pi, and how it's not simply based on what one person dictates (whether that's me or Trump or anyone else). - Or, depending on how sassy I feel, I might transparently tell my students that Trump is forcing me to say "pi equals 3" even though it's incorrect (or maybe I'll just have them read an article that reports that, if I'm not allowed to technically say that to my students), and maybe I'll make it extremely clear, with several eye-winks, that we're now going to call the π symbol "cake" instead of "pie", or perhaps "ice cream" or whatever other dessert a student wants. And, quite frankly, the label itself isn't particularly relevant; the mathematical value of pi doesn't come from its name anyway, and we could probably have a fun, creative discussion evolving from that. I can still make sure my students learn what they need to learn about pi. On the other hand, if Trump signed a piece of paper that insisted that female students (or gay students, or students of color, etc.) are no longer allowed to learn any math in math classrooms - that math teachers inside their classrooms can only teach students who are white/male/straight/cis/whatever, and that other demographics aren't allowed - then you'd better believe that we'll be protesting and refusing to teach anyone in the classroom. And then I'd be holding free tutoring sessions over Zoom (or some other platform) where any student can join, and I'd make sure that I educate everyone virtually, since it can't be done properly in the classroom anymore. Not all teachers have the time or financial ability to do that though. I don't think Trump would try to enforce either of these two anti-education extremes, but these are just to show that not all policies and not all responses are going to be identical. It depends on the circumstances and the individuals. Not sure why you've chosen not to contribute to developing a general strike with demands you would support yet, but I'm honestly thrilled someone finally drew some sort of line. Probably the same reason as just about everyone else: Because I don't feel like it. I think your other questions are interesting though: I understand it does beg questions like what about undocumented immigrants being banned from the classroom? Or what about trans and/or other students just not being safe at school to the point they can't attend, without any specific ban enacted? It would seem to cross your line but also be somewhat already true. Presumably you'd also do this in solidarity with English or Science teachers even if Math was unaffected? While you should answer those questions (for yourself first), the point is to make a mark that you can measure to see if it has been passed and you have to do something radically different than you typically do under electoralism. Undocumented immigrants being removed from my classroom (although I don't even know if I have any undocumented students): I'd consider a strike. Trans/Other students feeling unsafe: I'd consider a strike if needed, though fortunately our school does a pretty good job of creating a safe and accepting culture (according to my students, including those who are LGBTQ+). The president illegally kidnapping people and shipping them to foreign prisons, then defending it in court in a way that would mean he could do that to anyone, citizen or not, is more than enough for me. I'd argue it should be more than enough for any reasonable person. Hence correcting it being a "must have" demand for a general strike I'd support.
Would you support a general strike that demanded the immediate return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia? What else might it demand? No. I don’t think that a math teacher refusing to teach can reasonably lead to anything so far removed and irrelevant, like what Trump did to KAAG. On the other hand, I could see how a local teacher strike might have the potential to affect a local school (students being unsafe, students not being taught, etc.). First, happy cakeday! Initially I thought "big yikes!" at the "I don't feel like it". But now I see you're making your opposition to general strikes/solidarity in actions (at distance) as concepts more clear, so it's just a regular yikes I guess haha. While I'm still hoping for contributions toward the general strike effort here from anyone that wants to stop Trump's worst offenses, I do see value in exploring what you took interest in. I could be misunderstanding, so feel free to clarify anything you'd like. You seem to be organizing your line very locally and specifically. Basically seeming to draw your line when it directly impacts you/your school/your students specifically. It sounds like it might extend as far as your district? As in you would probably join a protest/strike if trans students were banned from another one of the schools in your district. It gets less clear if you would join/support a protest/strike for them crossing your line somewhere else in the county, state, or country. I understand and appreciate your lack of recognition for how math teachers joining a general strike can contribute toward a collective and massive protest/effort of people refusing to "act normally" when such heinous crimes are being perpetrated by their elected government. I also understand your refusal to see how that massive collective effort/protest can change/stop those governments in ways scattered localized and specific protests can't. I believe it is in part a consequence of a deliberate bipartisan effort to deprive all of us of the domestic and global history that contradicts your current beliefs. That said, whether it's general strikes in Brazil, Euromaidan in Ukraine, or the George Floyd/BLM uprisings in the US, it's clearly not going to be easy to stop/redirect this train to fascism we're all on, and nobody has discovered a magic bullet solution. Thank you for the happy cake day! I think your summary of how my preference for a personal strike becomes less clear and less likely as we zoom out from local to state to national is pretty accurate. I think that drawing a line from teachers to their school is a lot simpler, clearer, and more likely to have an impact than if we were hoping that the Trump administration would decide to change (or even care) based on what one teacher or one school or even one district does. As the degrees of separation increase between the person striking and the space they want to change, I personally become more skeptical of a strike working, and therefore less likely to strike. I'm also personally pretty risk-averse, so at most levels I'm more likely to join a growing strike than to start one. I appreciate your engagement with the summary. I think it's important to understand that part of the point of a general strike is that it isn't just what "one teacher or one school or even one district" does. No one is talking about you going on a solo protest/strike. It's more like most schools in red states making school unsafe for undocumented students. Then teachers in those schools protest/strike. Then teachers in the area but not in the specific schools the kids are being kidnapped from join them in solidarity (this can be protesting, striking, providing supporting funds, etc). Then teachers in schools where their kids are safe (for now) join in protesting/striking with them. Except it brings together more than just teachers and students in a form of mutual aid. The alternative you're describing is essentially what the Niemöller quote is warning against. To stay within the context of the Niemöller quote about the erosion of rights, I think different people will "speak out" in different ways. If a strike is warranted, then I would love for a ripple effect to take place, starting with the teachers who are experiencing these injustices, and then extending outwards to include other teachers, but I don't think I'm in the first wave of that level of protest. In the meantime, I'd be happy to engage in other ways of "speaking out", from joining marches and rallies, to speaking with teachers and students and families across the country, to voting and informing other potential voters, to creating a safe and respectful space within my classroom.
How do you think this fits DPB? Something you see yourself participating in?
Or Kwark? On April 14 2025 08:06 KwarK wrote:
A general strike bringing America to its knees would be revolutionary. It would be a dramatic seizure of power by the people and would likely not be repeatable. I’d be disappointed if it ended with anything short of a new Republic with a rewritten constitution that addressed the flaws and loopholes within the current one. If the people at large are going to wake up, collectively mobilize, and act to seize political power then I want more than just Musk being evicted from the White House.
I imagine this would be disappointing to you, but should we all do this?
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Decades of careful political maneuvering to get into the position of a "benevolent hegemon" which allowed the US to get away with a lot of their sheananigans, all gone within a year of madman behind the steering wheel...
The benevolent hegemon logic hasn't really been attempted since Cordell Hull was secretary of state, other than maybe by Carter. Unsurprisingly, his administration is, as far as I'm aware, the least popular post-WWII administration in a line-up including Nixon, Bush Jr. and Trump. The notion that the USA sets an example for the rest of the world clearly carries no weight whatsoever in US elections.
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On April 08 2026 08:23 LightSpectra wrote:it was open before the fucking war started
Also open before the war: Drone factories, the navy, at least half of their missile capabilities
Not open before the war: The Supreme Leader's head
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On April 08 2026 08:32 JimmyJRaynor wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 08:23 LightSpectra wrote:it was open before the fucking war started yes, and Iran was this close + Show Spoiler +i'm holding my thumb 2 millimetres from my pointer finger to having a nuclear bomb. Now, the strait is open AND Iran no longer represents a clear and present danger to the land of Hulk Hogan and John Wayne. Of course, this assumes Nuclear Bombs exist. I thought the bulk of their weapons program was still buried 300 ft under the ground from the previous attacks in the middle of last year. As I type that, it feels like a time warp that the twelve-day war was already over 9 months ago.
Maybe not millimeters away anymore?
On April 08 2026 10:41 Manit0u wrote:cheering on for Iran to defeat the US I'd call you crazy but here we are, with a lot of the modern "western" world hoping the US will be defeated and will run with its tail between the legs
I don't know if an actual lot of the modern western world actually wants the regime that butchered 30,000 of their own civilians a month ago to have that victory. They might think it likely due to Trump's leadership and Iran's advantages in the Strait of Hormuz, but I really doubt that a lot of the western world are actually cheering. Unless we're talking about the actual dregs of society that are deeply ignorant and mirror images of the insane MAGA types in America.
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On April 08 2026 10:10 LightSpectra wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 08:47 KwarK wrote:
I bet that when Iran ends up in control of the strait and opens their toll booth for anyone who pays $2m Trump will sell that to Jimmy as the strait being open, after all ships are passing through. I honestly don't see how this can be interpreted as anything other than an Iranian victory. Status quo ante bellum except Iran gets to charge a Hormuz toll, no?
That's only true if you ignore the bombing destruction that will set back Iranian power for another 5 years of reconstruction.
The real question being what guarantees can Iran get that this won't happen again.
Especially since Israel would be far happier to have a low level conflict going-on forever.
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On April 08 2026 13:45 oBlade wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 08:23 LightSpectra wrote:it was open before the fucking war started Also open before the war: Drone factories, the navy, at least half of their missile capabilities Not open before the war: The Supreme Leader's head
Tanked the world economy to replace Khamenei with Khamenei.
Fucking genius.
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On April 08 2026 13:45 oBlade wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 08:23 LightSpectra wrote:it was open before the fucking war started Also open before the war: Drone factories, the navy, at least half of their missile capabilities Not open before the war: The Supreme Leader's head
So you're saying that the war started by Trump has resulted in literally everyone being worse off than 2 month ago ? (Except Trump and his friends/family who bet on oil prices and polymarket).
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United States43860 Posts
On April 08 2026 14:45 Biff The Understudy wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 13:45 oBlade wrote:On April 08 2026 08:23 LightSpectra wrote:it was open before the fucking war started Also open before the war: Drone factories, the navy, at least half of their missile capabilities Not open before the war: The Supreme Leader's head Tanked the world economy to replace Khamenei with Khamenei. Fucking genius.
A younger angrier one. The old one had terminal cancer so it was important that they move on him fast before he died without being martyred.
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That's a reductive analysis. Obviously Iran would, sooner rather than later, have professed their long standing disdain in a very hostile way towards, but not exclusively to, Israel.
So the only course of action is then, obviously, a military operation which kills the snake by cutting off its head. At least be thankful that the snake is dead.so that any further potential hypothetical suffering could be prevented. And ignore the current actual suffering that is happening because of it.
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On April 08 2026 16:10 KwarK wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 14:45 Biff The Understudy wrote:On April 08 2026 13:45 oBlade wrote:On April 08 2026 08:23 LightSpectra wrote:it was open before the fucking war started Also open before the war: Drone factories, the navy, at least half of their missile capabilities Not open before the war: The Supreme Leader's head Tanked the world economy to replace Khamenei with Khamenei. Fucking genius. A younger angrier one. The old one had terminal cancer so it was important that they move on him fast before he died without being martyred.
One important distinction between the old generation and the young guard is that Khamenei and his entourage were never interested in exporting the revolution while his son absolutely is.
Biggly win. Tremendous.
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On April 08 2026 13:02 GreenHorizons wrote:Interesting. None happening in any of the major cities in my state yet. I'm curious about others' thoughts on this "general strike"? Show nested quote +On April 14 2025 08:15 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 14 2025 08:00 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 14 2025 07:28 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 14 2025 03:33 WombaT wrote:
Happy Day of Cake DPB! Enjoy Thanks! On April 14 2025 03:05 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 14 2025 01:27 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 14 2025 00:03 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 13 2025 01:11 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On April 12 2025 16:54 Acrofales wrote:On April 12 2025 12:56 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
[quote]
I agree that this would be necessary to know beforehand. Is it? Here is you: On April 12 2025 00:56 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
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Immediately: Teachers and other people working at public schools could push back against any anti-education policies that are being dictated by Trump/McMahon, just as how other professionals could push back when their profession is being undermined by Trump/Musk/whoever. Those are things that could be done right away / during Trump's term, and non-educators could certainly spread the word and voice their support for better education reform too.
Future: It's also not a terrible idea to compile instances of Trump's crew being against education or against whatever supposedly appeals to potential voters. When it comes time for the next election, tailoring a persuasive argument based on whatever the group claims to be a top issue for them (even if it's not education) includes being able to list reasons why your candidate is pro-that-issue and list reasons why the opposing candidates are anti-that-issue. (Not knowing the difference between artificial intelligence and steak sauce is obviously a far less significant embarrassment, but there is plenty of substantive ammunition one could point to, to make the case that Trump/Republicans are anti-education during the midterm elections, during the next presidential election, etc.) You seem ready to "push back against any anti-education policies". And you think other professionals could also push back. How do you think you and they should "push back"? Do you think that refusing to work on those anti-education policies is a form of pushing back? Or is that too radical? Is the most pushback you'd support to change your Facebook page (like Kwark is ironically suggesting)? Or should they voice their concern to their superior while collaborating on implementing the, and I repeat, *anti-education* policies these educators are asked to implement? Or is even voicing that concern to your superior too personally risky, and calling for pushback on a gaming forum is about the extent of your rebelliousness? + Show Spoiler +I already answered those questions in the later post that you didn't respond to: https://tl.net/forum/general/532255-us-politics-mega-thread?page=4922#98428 It depends on multiple factors. For example, it may depend on how harmful the policy is. It may also depend on the individual - how willing/able they are to risk certain consequences (being reprimanded, being fired, being able to find a new job, being able to still support themselves and their family financially, etc.). I had written that "some people may have different approaches (publicly protesting, secretly resisting, doing the bare minimum to cover their own butt from a semantics perspective, etc.)" and I think that's true too. There probably isn't a perfect way to protest or a universal way to voice your displeasure about a policy that you don't agree with, because of how nuanced these situations can be. For the sake of argument, I'm going to assume that the pushback against *anti-education* policies that, as an educator, you would personally be willing to commit to is to lay down your work until those policies are reversed. There are some that I would, and there are some that I wouldn't. As I mentioned several times before: it depends. For example, let's suppose that Donald Trump signed a piece of paper that said "Math teachers need to say that pi equals 3". That's a pretty dumb and obviously anti-education thing for Trump to force onto educators, but there are ways to exploit a trivial loophole and technically check off that "I officially said that pi equals 3" box, without needing to undermine basic math education, or refuse to teach altogether, or completely quit my job. I would, instead, use a different strategy I listed, which would be "doing the bare minimum to cover their own butt from a semantics perspective", and I would try to mold this weird Trump-enforced limitation into learning experiences for my students: - It would not be hard to say "pi equals 3... after rounding to the nearest whole number", and then we could have a discussion on different sets of numbers (whole numbers vs. integers vs. rationals vs. irrationals vs. reals), and talk about the pros and cons of rounding and estimation. - It would also not be hard to have students use string, a ruler, and a circle to calculate pi on their own (1. measure the circumference; 2. measure the diameter; 3. divide them), and then ask them "How would you respond to me if I told you: 'pi equals 3'?". See, I just technically said "pi equals 3". They could even confirm a more precise value of pi with a calculator or computer, and we could have a meaningful discussion about ways to compute pi, and how it's not simply based on what one person dictates (whether that's me or Trump or anyone else). - Or, depending on how sassy I feel, I might transparently tell my students that Trump is forcing me to say "pi equals 3" even though it's incorrect (or maybe I'll just have them read an article that reports that, if I'm not allowed to technically say that to my students), and maybe I'll make it extremely clear, with several eye-winks, that we're now going to call the π symbol "cake" instead of "pie", or perhaps "ice cream" or whatever other dessert a student wants. And, quite frankly, the label itself isn't particularly relevant; the mathematical value of pi doesn't come from its name anyway, and we could probably have a fun, creative discussion evolving from that. I can still make sure my students learn what they need to learn about pi. On the other hand, if Trump signed a piece of paper that insisted that female students (or gay students, or students of color, etc.) are no longer allowed to learn any math in math classrooms - that math teachers inside their classrooms can only teach students who are white/male/straight/cis/whatever, and that other demographics aren't allowed - then you'd better believe that we'll be protesting and refusing to teach anyone in the classroom. And then I'd be holding free tutoring sessions over Zoom (or some other platform) where any student can join, and I'd make sure that I educate everyone virtually, since it can't be done properly in the classroom anymore. Not all teachers have the time or financial ability to do that though. I don't think Trump would try to enforce either of these two anti-education extremes, but these are just to show that not all policies and not all responses are going to be identical. It depends on the circumstances and the individuals. Not sure why you've chosen not to contribute to developing a general strike with demands you would support yet, but I'm honestly thrilled someone finally drew some sort of line. Probably the same reason as just about everyone else: Because I don't feel like it. I think your other questions are interesting though: I understand it does beg questions like what about undocumented immigrants being banned from the classroom? Or what about trans and/or other students just not being safe at school to the point they can't attend, without any specific ban enacted? It would seem to cross your line but also be somewhat already true. Presumably you'd also do this in solidarity with English or Science teachers even if Math was unaffected? While you should answer those questions (for yourself first), the point is to make a mark that you can measure to see if it has been passed and you have to do something radically different than you typically do under electoralism. Undocumented immigrants being removed from my classroom (although I don't even know if I have any undocumented students): I'd consider a strike. Trans/Other students feeling unsafe: I'd consider a strike if needed, though fortunately our school does a pretty good job of creating a safe and accepting culture (according to my students, including those who are LGBTQ+). The president illegally kidnapping people and shipping them to foreign prisons, then defending it in court in a way that would mean he could do that to anyone, citizen or not, is more than enough for me. I'd argue it should be more than enough for any reasonable person. Hence correcting it being a "must have" demand for a general strike I'd support.
Would you support a general strike that demanded the immediate return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia? What else might it demand? No. I don’t think that a math teacher refusing to teach can reasonably lead to anything so far removed and irrelevant, like what Trump did to KAAG. On the other hand, I could see how a local teacher strike might have the potential to affect a local school (students being unsafe, students not being taught, etc.). First, happy cakeday! Initially I thought "big yikes!" at the "I don't feel like it". But now I see you're making your opposition to general strikes/solidarity in actions (at distance) as concepts more clear, so it's just a regular yikes I guess haha. While I'm still hoping for contributions toward the general strike effort here from anyone that wants to stop Trump's worst offenses, I do see value in exploring what you took interest in. I could be misunderstanding, so feel free to clarify anything you'd like. You seem to be organizing your line very locally and specifically. Basically seeming to draw your line when it directly impacts you/your school/your students specifically. It sounds like it might extend as far as your district? As in you would probably join a protest/strike if trans students were banned from another one of the schools in your district. It gets less clear if you would join/support a protest/strike for them crossing your line somewhere else in the county, state, or country. I understand and appreciate your lack of recognition for how math teachers joining a general strike can contribute toward a collective and massive protest/effort of people refusing to "act normally" when such heinous crimes are being perpetrated by their elected government. I also understand your refusal to see how that massive collective effort/protest can change/stop those governments in ways scattered localized and specific protests can't. I believe it is in part a consequence of a deliberate bipartisan effort to deprive all of us of the domestic and global history that contradicts your current beliefs. That said, whether it's general strikes in Brazil, Euromaidan in Ukraine, or the George Floyd/BLM uprisings in the US, it's clearly not going to be easy to stop/redirect this train to fascism we're all on, and nobody has discovered a magic bullet solution. Thank you for the happy cake day! I think your summary of how my preference for a personal strike becomes less clear and less likely as we zoom out from local to state to national is pretty accurate. I think that drawing a line from teachers to their school is a lot simpler, clearer, and more likely to have an impact than if we were hoping that the Trump administration would decide to change (or even care) based on what one teacher or one school or even one district does. As the degrees of separation increase between the person striking and the space they want to change, I personally become more skeptical of a strike working, and therefore less likely to strike. I'm also personally pretty risk-averse, so at most levels I'm more likely to join a growing strike than to start one. I appreciate your engagement with the summary. I think it's important to understand that part of the point of a general strike is that it isn't just what "one teacher or one school or even one district" does. No one is talking about you going on a solo protest/strike. It's more like most schools in red states making school unsafe for undocumented students. Then teachers in those schools protest/strike. Then teachers in the area but not in the specific schools the kids are being kidnapped from join them in solidarity (this can be protesting, striking, providing supporting funds, etc). Then teachers in schools where their kids are safe (for now) join in protesting/striking with them. Except it brings together more than just teachers and students in a form of mutual aid. The alternative you're describing is essentially what the Niemöller quote is warning against. To stay within the context of the Niemöller quote about the erosion of rights, I think different people will "speak out" in different ways. If a strike is warranted, then I would love for a ripple effect to take place, starting with the teachers who are experiencing these injustices, and then extending outwards to include other teachers, but I don't think I'm in the first wave of that level of protest. In the meantime, I'd be happy to engage in other ways of "speaking out", from joining marches and rallies, to speaking with teachers and students and families across the country, to voting and informing other potential voters, to creating a safe and respectful space within my classroom. How do you think this fits DPB? Something you see yourself participating in?
I could see myself participating in something like this, sure.
(Full disclosure: According to the website, it seems to be taking place on May 1st, and I'm already *not* going to be at work that day for a different, irrelevant, not-strike-related reason. But if this were occurring on a different day where I was otherwise going to be working, then sure!)
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On April 08 2026 14:49 Geiko wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2026 13:45 oBlade wrote:On April 08 2026 08:23 LightSpectra wrote:it was open before the fucking war started Also open before the war: Drone factories, the navy, at least half of their missile capabilities Not open before the war: The Supreme Leader's head So you're saying that the war started by Trump has resulted in literally everyone being worse off than 2 month ago ? (Except Trump and his friends/family who bet on oil prices and polymarket).
Everyone except Iran, you mean, which is also much better off, having defeated several US Navy torpedoes with the hulls of its ships.
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