Not the guy you're responding to, but Discovery and Picard are awful entirely on their own merits; so bad, in fact, that it took me four years to recover enough to try Strange New Worlds, which was great by the way. Lower Decks and Prodigy aren't really for me, but I've caught enough of them to know they're quality entertainment, too.

I have to wonder if motivations remain the same past a certain point in a species' development. Our expansionism on earth and in our solar system is driven by our need for resources, which is driven by our population growth, which is driven by the basest of biological instincts. If we become largely non-biological and functionally immortal, is the desire to procreate still there? It's really an extension of what you said, but maybe that "turn inward" is not only a question of feasibility, but also maybe intelligent life just becomes satisfied at some point, a kind of cybernetic nirvana.

new

Their website is stanley1913.com, lmao.

But yes, my first thought was "how the fuck did she get one of those?" and then "only $2500?" and then "OHHHH".

As others have pointed out, the outdoor activities aren't that big a deal. It's homeowner shit that they're good for. Granted, I still think the full-size flagship models are pointless, mine's just a mid-size. I can transport small engine equipment (ride on mowers, snowblowers) that wouldn't fit in 99% of roofed vehicles. I can throw pavers, gravel, mulch, dirty tools, gas cans etc. in the bed without worrying about cleaning the interior or stuff getting into cracks, or noxious smells. All my plant waste from trimming and raking goes right in the bed and down to the local transfer station.

I had a spent oil jug crack in my SUV once and it took months for it not to smell like a mechanic's garage, not to mention the sludge stuck in corners that I literally could not get rid of and the permanent stain in the upholstery.

The issue, addressed in the article, is that these rural areas used to have industry that gave people a sense of purpose. Now the choices are basically move to a city, die of a heroin overdose, or join a right wing militia. We need to give these people something to do that's beneficial and where they feel they're contributing to their communities, otherwise, they're going to be wooed by groups with ulterior motives that dress their goals up in rhetoric of service and cohesion.

All the wealthy residents who give that much of a shit are in New Hampshire already, anyway.

The CIA staged a coup in Iran in 1953 at the behest of Britain/British Petroleum when the newly elected PM decided to nationalize the oil fields. Iran remains Israel's greatest geopolitical foe, because of Israel's ties to the West.

The Suez Canal, an originally French/British colonial venture, which carries an absurd amount of cargo from former British colonies into the Mediterranean, was the cause of the Six Day War; not to mention there's a plan for a new canal through Israel to avoid all the nasty geopolitical issues the Suez Canal raises.

The US has a network of Middle Eastern allies and enemies and meddles in the affairs of every middle eastern nation because they've got all that sweet light crude we love so much.

Do you think, maybe, that the US's (and more broadly the West's) objectives in the region outweigh, possibly, whatever "influence" Israel has over our politics?

There's a big uptick in antitrust action under the Biden administration. There's more than just talk here and the administration is trying to push this in a progressive direction. Unfortunately, the regulatory agencies and courts are infected with neoliberalism due to 4 decades of neoliberal domination of our government, economy, and society, so it's not as successful as it may have been in, say, the 70s. But that just means we need to keep that rudder pinned to the left until we get there. The absolute worst thing we could do right now for this and so many other reasons is elect a republican.

My wife has 2 uncles named Tony and I still don't know what you're saying.

You're right, punishment is only one of very many factors. Thanks for making my argument for me.

But it isn’t exactly a cut and dry case to everyone why an old demented goon is any better than a shitty asshole businessman.

You know, I hear you on this one, and I agree we should be understanding of people who vote one way or the other - but that doesn't mean we should tolerate it. Often when I've had conversations with Trump voters, a lot of their opinions are based on ignorance or distortions of the truth, and it's because they've been sucked into a media ecosystem that is purpose-built to feed those distortions to them. A lot of them are working class folks who want to see Trump stick up for the working class and I'm over here like "why would he ever fucking do that have you ever listened to the guy talk what the fuck?" But it simply isn't obvious to a lot of people. I've tried a lot of different approaches with varying levels of success, but I think the most important things are to be open to difficult conversations, to know what you believe and why, and to hold your ground, with a smile of course.

It appears to be the 4th most important category...