For the first 2 points: Don’t use “Western democracies”. This is a US problem. Canada has much stronger labour and home protections.
3rd point: Getting banned online is a “you” problem. Your government has nothing to do with why your shitty opinions get you banned or muted. The fact that you even have the ability to complain about your government online is a luxury many other governments don’t afford to their people.
4th point: Whining about cereal variety makes the entire argument hold less water. Who the fuck cares about brands of cereal. Buy your cereal or don’t, but shut the fuck up about it. This is an empty complaint about capitalism.
5th point: Fair enough.
I don’t directly mean you, OP. Unless you made the meme… In which case I do mean directly you.
I think cereal is brought in to demonstrate the absurdity of the situation, where something so basic as worker’s or renter’s rights are non-existent but somehow energy already has went into something so stupid as cereal, which indeed nobody cares about.
It’s more about how one of the big reasons America is supposed to be great is all the options you have. 40 brands of cereal is worth it all, is it not?
Not to mention the huge variety of great cheeses, wines, beers and deli meats you should be responsible and not waste your money on.
They complain about cereals because they’ve been fed so much CCP and USSR Propoganda that they think food variety is a bad thing. They’re not one of us.
The point is, all the different brands you see are owned by the same handful of megacorporations So you’re not getting actual choice, just the illusion of choice. You’re like a dog who gets excited when your owner feeds you dog food from his hand instead of the bowl, because you think it’s a treat.
I thought the meme was clear about that, but the average American reads at a third grade level, so I understand reading comprehension can be difficult for you.
Pretty shitty thing to say, but anyway…
Just because a few big corporations make cereal, doesn’t mean you have an “illusion of choice”. It’s kind of how the system works. A company that makes 1 brand of cereal also makes dozens of hundreds more. They are using processes and equipment already in place to make a slight variation on existing products. It’s kind of just how things work. Same with companies like Asus making dozens of hundreds of variations of monitors. I don’t think that’s illusion of choice. That’s actual choices, with actual differences.
Anecdotally, where I live, large corporations stock the grocery shelves with all their cereals, but local companies do make it in as well. I think in my situation, I do have access to items produced locally.
If you want to make an argument that some dickhead company like Mondelez owns fucking everything, I’m right with you, but whining about cereal variety makes the argument really weak.
My point is that oppressed CCP advocates hyperfixate on the 74 different largescale cereal companies based in the USA (and also many international brands available) because it is wholly opposed to their own reality.
I agree with the fish that what you say is USA only isn’t.
Basically where economy (power) is dominated by the few such problems exist.But I would just like to add that I still cringed when you brought up Canada as the counterpoint to USA. Its not that I disagree with what you wanted to compare, its just that to me those two countries are such an extremely similar shade of late stage systems they seem the same unless in direct comparison.
Okay fair enough. Then as a Canadian, what’s your experience like?
For the first 2 points: Don’t use “Western democracies”. This is a US problem. Canada has much stronger labour and home protections.
It’s a Capitalism problem, Canada suffers from much of the same issues. It isn’t as bad, but it is bad.
In the US, maybe. But that’s considered a flawed democracy and getting worse all the time. Only 8% of the nations on earth are full democracies, a number that continues to fall because of the pessimism and stupidity promulgated by authoritarian regimes.
Germany on “full democracy” at the same time it bans symbols of Palestinian support and uses the state’s violence to contain such manifestations.
Germany bans stuff al the time. It’s a consequence of our history and the historic leniency towards extremist edges. Your example is debatable in it’s execution, the general thought however is not.
Nobody’s perfect, and if you’re in Germany you should reach out to your politicians about it.
Protesting IS exactly that. Keep licking that boot.
I didn’t say not to protest.
In fact protesting is incredibly useful when the calls of many go unheard or ignored.
And having an effective protest is only possible if you can get a lot of people together, so it’s best to not shit on people from hello for saying exactly what you think is the “right” thing.
Not to mention having a large community of people reaching out before having to protest is also helpful, so doing good community building is also important.
I’d like to know your sources, because to my knowledge there is no such ban in Germany.
Are you implying that this hasn’t also happened recently in the US?
Are you implying two things can’t both be wrong?
Haha! Australia is a full democracy? What a joke!
Australia is America’s bitch. Even if our politicians gave a shit, they couldn’t do anything.
UK is a full democracy? That’s a fucking joke, literally all of this applies here. Including no-fault (read: spoke out against landlord or asked for repairs) evictions.
Technically, it isn’t clear if the crown could take back the rights given by them to parlaiment to govern the UK, but currently all decisions are handled by parlaiment including budget allotted to royals who are actually a net possitive from tourism.
For any Tankies in here, Tourism is a thing where people come from far away to share their resources in order to experience food and culture. China unfortunately is such an oppressive and bleak place that nobody wants to go there unless they have to or if they’re doing so accidentally by not realizing what happened to Hong Kong.
Are these tankies in the room with us right now? Fuck the CCP, but we’re talking about the west right now, stop trying to divert attention.
all decisions are handled by parlaiment
Who is backed by the undemocratic FPTP system, extremely pro-establishment press owned by capitalists waging open class war and a literal house of “lords” who have direct and legal legislative influence, not even lobbying. Imagine if Elon musk could reject legislation. Yeah, democratic af.
It’s a ruse you fell for, nothing more.
who are actually a net possitive from tourism.
Myth. Many countries do not have geriatrics riding around on golden thrones amidst record food bank use while having far more tourism than the UK, and I mean western European nations, not typical global south tourist destinations.
A reminder that the report button is not for ‘waaah I don’t like what you said’.
Cracks knuckles idly
My guess would be the crown can totally take those powers back, but then the monarchy would be quickly overthrown as their only accepted role these days is to look pretty, draw in tourism, and entertain foreign dignitaries.
China unfortunately is such an oppressive and bleak place that nobody wants to go there unless they have to or if they’re doing so accidentally by not realizing what happened to Hong Kong.
That’s counterfactual and undermines your argument, the amount of tourists from Japan, the US and EU alone is immense and I fear most of them know, but don’t give a shit about Hong Kong (though they really, really should).
Oh look, it’s the Country the Map Maker Likes Index Map
Jesus fuck this map is a joke.
URUGUAY MENTIONED🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾WHAT THE CRAP IS AN UNSTABLE COUNTRY
This infographic is produced by a capitalist propaganda network, Visual Capitalist, using data from a capitalist think tank, EIU (Economic Intelligence Unit). I would download the report and scrutinize their methodology but it requires you enter a ton of personal information.
How the fuck made that chart that put USA on top of Brazil, here the president isn’t immune to prison just because he has money
The infographic was produced by a company called Visual Capitalist. Influence of money on the political process doesn’t factor into their calculations. Hell, it probably gives the score a boost.
“Western Countries good, everyone else bad” what a farce.
if I speak out online I could be muted or banned
Do you have any idea what social platforms look like when this is not the case?
The random board on 4chan is a good indicator for how that would look like (very NSFW and depending on your location illegal content there)
Believe it or not, even 4chan has some standards. The 8 variants, on the other hand…
Imagine being unironically anti-democracy and also claiming to be a socialist.
Anarchist types prefer consensus-based decision making processes to democracy. We want the entire community to agree on a course of action, not just let 51% order 49% around.
Consensus sounds difficult when you have absolute morons who believe that farming isn’t real or boiling water erases it’s memory.
The atomization of decision-making allows entrenched interests to disrupt progress. If you’ve ever been to a city planning meeting, you can see how NIMBY homeowners block transit upgrades or affordable housing. Sometimes consensus is impossible
Wouldn’t that just lead to no action being taken and eventually falling to a system of government, likely invaders, who are capable of taking organized actions?
You know, like every power vacuum ever recorded for all of human history?
Anarchist types and unrealistic idealism, name a more iconic duo
Consider starting a discussion instead of low-effort, snarky remarks. The latter is just toxic.
What do you think about how Swiss direct democracy works?
Not all socialists are Stalin-loving tankies, thankfully.
More like: I am so happy I live in america.
Everywhere else you have job protection and renters protection
If you think living in a non “western democracy” allows you to shit talk your boss or the government… I invite you to try.
I hope this won’t be banned for wishing death on someone.
You live in USA, stop comparing your shit democracy with the rest of us
- Transporter Room 3 ( @Transporter_Room_3@startrek.website ) 20•8 months ago
A lot of these comments reek of boot polish…
Those fucking tankies.
Your instance, Lemmy.today, federates with Hexbear. We don’t. Not all criticism of capitalism is in the service of dictatorship.
Anarchists invented the term ‘tankie’ to describe authoritarian defenders of the USSR in our fight for survival against attack, imprisonment, and assassination by agents of the Bolshevik state. This is an anarchist meme, posted by an anarchist, on a Lemmy instance run by anarchists. You’re using the word wrong.
If you see authoritarianism whenever people criticize neoliberal government, the problem is you. Fix your brain rot.
It’s an anti-democracy and anti-western-powers meme by a “Socialist”, self identifying in the tags. This is core Tanky-ism.
You wouldn’t know a tankie if one rolled over you with tracked treads.
The core of the term ‘tankie’ comes from when the USSR sent tanks into Hungary in 1956 to institute a pro-Warsaw Pact regime change. Western governments are also big fans of sending mechanized infantry to install dictators. If you are an ideological partisan of western ‘democracy’ you have more in common with tankies than the poster does.
Oh OK Boomer, sorry for using the word Tankie to describe anybody other than a 1948 Hungarian/Bulgarian USSR sympathizer. /s
You’re doing a really bad job of concealing your fascist sympathies.
Lmao
Insulting Hexbear for actual Fascism is what Fascism is to you?
That’s the least this person deserves for that crime against readability.
Yeah there is a point to this, things got measurably worse, but we’re also still measurably better than in non western democracies.
Good luck complaining about the government in China, for example. At least here I can complain whilst standing next to a 8th floor window, something you shouldn’t try in Russia
What exactly are you telling your boss that’s getting you fired? Most supervisors I’ve ever had would take authentic feedback really well. Are you just unloading emotions at them?
Your lease is based on a contract, your landlord can’t evict you for “speaking out” about them unless it says so in your lease, which standard leases do not.
And wtf are you saying online that gets you “muted or banned?” People say all kinds of shit online, wtf are you talking about
Breakfast cereal is ridiculously overpriced and is not food. The only reason you should ever go down that aisle is if you want oatmeal.
coercive relationships are the root of evil
There are 3 cereal companies? I thought there were only 2 that owned them all.
I love this chart but it so out of date. The big companies have consolidated more and bought even more brands in the last t10yrs
Kellogs, General Mills, and Post are the big three and they are all pretty much their own companies.
You could say Quaker, too, and they are owned by PepsiCo.
But most of our food comes from like 5 companies anyway. At least everything in the middle aisles.
Nestlé owns a shit ton
“Western” from european perspective tho. This is what reactionary-only regulation and fear of everything social got you into. No clue how to get you out of this without blood shed.
