My hope would be that we can transition peacefully to a hybrid model with the rising power of unions, gradual emergence of worker cooperatives, and increased demand for socialized health care and affordable housing.
However, I think it’s more likely that things will have to collapse first. Especially with violent accelerationist types doing their thing. Unfortunately, it’s far easier to destroy systems than it is to repair them.
My hope would be that we can transition peacefully to a hybrid model with the rising power of unions, gradual emergence of worker cooperatives, and increased demand for socialized health care and affordable housing.
None of this has anything to do with capitalism tho.
Like, capitalism can and should be the economic engine driving these positive outcomes.
I mean not really? Because currently capitalism as an economic engine is actively preventing these outcomes. And basically by design. How do you explain that?
The USA is also a good example how the markets can get in the way of the regulation and of free markets. The players in the free market don’t really benefit from being in a free market. They have every incentive to change that.
The current strategy of venture capital is not success, but sabotage
It’s not good enough for you to be doing well, you have to strangle the competition and introduce yourself as an unremovable bottleneck
For example, becoming the intermediary between concerts and concert goers. The fees charged and the trouble caused is worse than if they hadn’t been there.
Amazon makes examples out of any business that dare challenge it’s dead zone around it.
VC money is meant to crush the competition and lock in the consumer to charge rent.
Why would they ever want worker control, or unions?
Why would the private healthcare industry ever stop lobbying against socialized healthcare? Why would a capitalist success ever lead to the political change necessary for it when the doctrine of capitalism is privatization
Why would any commercial real estate firm allow affordable housing to exist when they can scalp it on investment properties and leave them empty? Why build affordable housing when the margins are small?
Capitalism isn’t a savior, it’s just locally optimal to the people with capital.
VC money is meant to crush the competition and lock in the consumer to charge rent.
This is not anything close to correct lol. VCs specifically do not invest in mature companies or they aren’t VCs.
Why would any commercial real estate firm allow affordable housing to exist when they can scalp it on investment properties and leave them empty? Why build affordable housing when the margins are small?
All housing built helps other housing come affordable because it increases supply. You are correct that there is little purpose intentionally building less valuable housing
You probably know it, but just in case that you (or anyone reading this, who might agree with you) don’t: give the texts of The Fabian Society a check. They’re rather close to what you’re proposing with a peaceful transition; I have my criticisms against it as a Marxist strictu sensu, but I bet that you’ll have a blast with it.
I’m proposing to check their texts out because it’s a good way to get theoretical background to back up your beliefs, if you believe in a peaceful transition. (Here’s a link to a good one, by the way.)
It’s also useful for Marxists, given that Marxism always interacted with other left-wing trains of thought. So by reading this stuff you get a better historical context on why Marxism defends some policies instead of other policies.
I have reservations about unions. While it does give employees bargaining power, it sometimes does it to a fault. We see this with police unions in the US as it stops bad apples from getting proper punishment, and as a result, they get slaps on the wrist. I imagine that it would be equally as hard to fire somebody in other industries like medicine unless there’s a 3rd party (like an arbitrator or court) enforcing these decisions.
Also, without any legislation in the US, I’d argue that unions will stay incredibly difficult to form, and even if they do, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they can negotiate with companies fairly. Companies out there (I believe Dish is an example) have spent 10 years stalling negotiations with unions, and it’s all practically legal.
I rarely throw gifts away, if I don’t like them, I try to donate them to an organization or individual.
However, many years ago, someone got me “snow paint” which was, I’m pretty sure, literally just food coloring. You were supposed to use it to color in snow sculptures but I’m pretty sure that one found its way to the trash.
This method works well for me. Having something to look forward to is always a good thing. I try to schedule some kind of small trip or event every month.
Putting something away? Better make sure it’s not just the most convenient spot for you right now but somewhere future you can find it. Should I finish this family sized bag of chips? I’m really not hungry anymore and will want some another day this week. Save some for future you.
Just little things to help yourself along and think a few steps ahead.
Think of three things for which you are grateful every day. I’ve been trying to get back into this mode after I’d used it for years and fell off. Example:
Got to have a nice dinner party with friends on NYE
Kitty has become a lot less anxious around strangers
Though it’ll rain later today, it won’t be raining when I go to work
Can recycle (glad I don’t have to go out in the rain is true any time it’s gonna rain), but I try to keep them unique. I also try not to focus on things related to commercialism. For example, I might be glad I got to go to a live show (an event) but I don’t list something like being happy about being able to buy a thing (especially luxury goods). But I can be happy that I have a thing that makes my life easier in a concrete way (that new toothbrush really kicks ass). I go for small things most of all, the ones that otherwise might be taken for granted. Hope that makes sense the way I wrote it.
We often take a small vacation about January and go someplace warm.
I am not a morning person, but force myself to get up and go to work at 7 to maximize my daylight hours.
I have also found that bright lights help. The light bulbs in our house are bright. At work I have a lamp on my desk with three led bulbs (3 bulb adapter and slightly bigger shade). I got the idea from a podcaster that has 2 lamps on his desk for winter.
I forsee a Trademark problem that many didn’t expect, and Disney trying to defend their copyright by saying that they used the same version in a Mickey Mouse cartoon in 2023.
Yes, they did. Before that, LEGO also released blind bag minifigures for Steamboat Willie and Minnie Mouse. I’m currently designing a LEGO MOC to display my figures with a small rendition of the Steamboat Willie boat. (I purchase my parts used from BrickLink to reduce costs.)
In 2013 Walt Disney Animation Studios released a theatrical short called “Get a Horse!” which features 1920s era Mickey complete with archival audio of Walt as Mickey (and others who voiced him then) as well as renditions of other classic era Disney characters including Minnie, Pete, Horace, and Oswald. Heck, even the logo for WDAS in that sort is Mickey whistling in Steamboat Willie.
It’s a pretty decent short too, even if you know nothing about Disney. And it played before Frozen in the cinema, 4th highest-grossing animation of all time.
I remember at the time thinking whether they might be doing it to try and protect their rights. I’m no lawyer though.
I foresaw the trademark thing and so have many others. But that doesn’t restrict as much as the recently-expired copyright does. Mostly the continuing trademark means that one can’t use the Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse in a way that misleads people that your own work is by Disney.
About the thing about Disney claiming that because they used Steamboat Willie Mickey in more recent woks they can still claim copyright protections on elements of Mickey Mouse that were a thing in Steamboat Willie, I really don’t think copyright works like that.
All that said, Disney has a rabid legal team and lots of experience at lobbying congress. Who knows what they’re capable of. It’s possible they’d try to pull some major fast one and make copyright and/or trademark work differently than they do today.
I foresaw the trademark thing About the thing about Disney claiming that because they used Steamboat Willie Mickey in more recent woks they can still claim copyright protections on elements of Mickey Mouse that were a thing in Steamboat Willie, I really don’t think copyright works like that.
Mickey in Steamboat Willie just looks… odd.
The ‘normal’ Mickey is still under copyright so not a lot was gained through Steambiat Willie losing copyright protection.
Sure it would be nice if we coud use more modern elements of Mickey. But I don’t agree that this isn’t a big deal.
Before 2019, one couldn’t have blamed us for expecting nothing to ever pass into the public domain again. Steamboat Willie would have passed into the public domain in 1955 had 13 distinct acts of Congress (prompted by lobbiests from, among others, Disney) between the years 1976 and 1998 not extended copyright each time Steamboat Willie came close to entering the public domain. The last one in 1998, the “Sonny Bono” Copyright Term Extension Act was called by its detractors at the time the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act.” Basically Mickey Mouse and Steamboat Willie are probably the most emblematic works in any conversation of copyright run amok. So, if nothing else, the copyright expiring on Steamboat Willie is a hugely symbolic occurrence.
But also, it’s not as if people aren’t using Mickey in works already. I’ve seen several web comics just here on Lemmy. And there’s a video game in the works.
I’d love to see WB do something – anything – with the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse.
And finally, does Steamboat Willie Mickey really look that different from more modern Mickey renditions? The eyes are probably the biggest difference. But also realize that now that Steamboat Willie (and at least one other early Mickey Mouse animation) is in the public domain, there’s room for other modern-looking reimaginings of Mickey Mouse that might differ from the modern Disney Mickey Mouse.
Why does it seem like there’s a moral impertive suggested by this? What makes the politician charismatic as opposed to a charming salesman? What if the politician was a panachey salesman in a prior time?
That’s what the qualifier “great” is for. A bad politician has panache. Charisma, to me, implies some charm. Panache is what P.T. Barnum used to rope suckers into seeing what an “egress” is.
I don’t know where you’re at, but I take a weekly trip to a greenhouse. I’m not a plant person unless they’re plastic, but it really does give a nice vitamin D boost and the smells are usually amazing. Take a stroll, many of them have benches where you can sit and contemplate. Mine even does a Sunday yoga class that you can watch or join. It gets me through the doldrums.
Trips to greenhouses and conservatories are a great idea for a good number of reasons. However, don’t read the rest of this if you don’t want any spoilers.
spoilerGreenhouses, in general, may not be a very reliable way to get a nice vitamin D boost. I’ll spare you the details, but most of the covering materials specifically developed for greenhouse use will significantly reduce or outright block UV light. You may still get some limited UV exposure, but you wouldn’t want to go into that situation with the expectation of getting a nice boost in vitamin D from it.
I moved to Edmonton, AB from the US South and holy crap, the darkness is unreal. Even the locals struggle with this pitch-black 4pm nonsense.
That said, the city has a lot of focus on indoor spaces that really saves it. I used to go to West Ed mall just to walk around somewhere without a coat for free, you know?
The real gem of the city is the Muttart Conservatory though - and a year-long pass is like $30?? For an indoor rainforest??
I've given up personally. I don't know if it's life circumstances or me not being as good at heart as I'd hope, but I've resigned myself and I'm just trying to learn to cope with the loneliness. At some point it's fair to call it quits and start being realistic.
That's just me ranting though, this isn't directed at you, and I wish you the best of luck.
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