Nicely put.

Did lemmy introduce a fee per letter in the headline I wasn’t aware of?

Well shit.

Agreed. There are not really any good options here.

Yeah, I don’t really disagree fundamentally with any of this apart from the fact that I don’t think involving the military at this point is anywhere near warranted. We’ll have to see what happens I guess, I think it could be mostly saber rattling. “Look how seriously we’re taking this!”.

But more police, and specifically more police on tasks that actually matter and aren’t just being pursued to pad their stats? That’s fine.

All of this is correct. I’d just like to add that, additionally, over the last couple of decades we have also systematically and agressively cut most taxes that mostly hit the very wealthy. Yes, (for now) we still have a somewhat functional wellfare system, but the wealth inequality is crazy high, which causes a lot of social stress and conflict.

For some quick examples:

• We have a uniquely regressive tax on real estate. There is a value cap over which no more tax is added, and that cap is CRAZY low, meaning someone with a mansion is not taxed significantly more than someone with a small house.
• We have insanely low taxes on capital gains, which are a bit complicated to explain but essentially means that on a good year you might pay the equivalent of low single digit percent tax on the value increase.

All of this while the tax on actual work is very high, making it harder for those not already born with capital to aquire it.

And the authoritarians keep moving up their positions.

The debate over here is fucking crazy, the post-fascist backed government is sneering at any proposed solution with any nuance or suggested preventative measures included. It’s all fucking military intervention, insane deregulation of policing, surveillance, harsher punishments, regressive drug policy, and anti immigration populism.

Do we have an uptick in violence because of a very specific ongoing gang conflict, yes. But Jesus Christ, not anywhere near the level that would excuse anything close to this.

“Something something solar cycle something co2 is good for plants something more people die from cold than heat something something I like it warm anyway something”.

Yeah, jesus christ, get that shit out of here.

Yeah that may have been on purpose, lol.

Actual traitor Elon Musk.

And not just to something as banal as his country; to democracy, liberalism, international order and the value of human life.

WHAT?!

Yes, it is dumb, but it is in fact what they are doing.

Same story is playing out across much of europe - the conservatives and right liberals are building coalitions with the fascists, because without them the left would win, and that is apparently less acceptable to them than enabling authoritarians.

Pretty alarming, honestly.