https://www.platformer.news/p/why-journalists-cant-quit-twitter
«It may be that Twitter is immortal after all.»
Along with the concept of a tipping point in Iraq.
And the fear/expectation that the U.S. can simply wipe out another country’s economy with sanctions.
It’s never that easy. We’re (almost) never that close to dramatic change.
All of this “we’re about to (blank)!” is just hogwash.
(Nevertheless, I’ve still moved off Twitter. Partly to Mastodon and partly just off.)
I see a lot of posts on Mastodon from people happily focusing on the win by Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal state supreme court justice. A LOT.
And, yes, that’s a great thing. Positive national implications.
And exactly one post about the ballot measures, which were also passed. Which inspired me to do a little googling.
https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_2023_ballot_measures
Wow, this seems pretty poisonous. Enshrining cash bail in the state constitution and making it harsher than before, if I understand correctly. Why is that necessary? How will it not disproportionately harm Black people in application? Was that just to drive conservative turnout up? Why did they pass?
https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/fast-facts-the-questions-on-wisconsins-spring-2023-ballot/
This just seems like Racism Without Racists, which is the title of a book by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (which I won’t link because three links is too many).
I need to configure this for my “new” mastodon instance.
Well, at least not everything is terrible.
NC Republicans get a veto-proof majority. Yay.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/opinion/editorials/debt-ceiling-mccarthy-2023.html
«The ceiling is a useless legislative construct that lets lawmakers refuse to borrow money to pay for the deficit spending they already approved. If Congress doesn’t raise it, the government goes into default and can’t make payments on its obligations, including interest on Treasury bonds, Social Security payments and other essential spending, which would quickly crash the U.S. economy. It generally comes up as an issue only when Republicans control at least one house of Congress while a Democrat is in the White House; Republicans are not known to express concern about deficits caused when a president of their own party cuts taxes for the rich.
….
But Mr. Biden says he won’t let the government and the economy be blackmailed, and he has adamantly rejected the demand that he discuss terms for raising the ceiling. He says it has to be raised cleanly, with no conditions, just as it was three times during the Trump administration.»
There’s more, but I’d have to copy 3/4 of the thing, so just go read it.
https://www.dice.com/career-advice/how-to-become-a-java-developer
Hmm, Java Flight Recorder….
It me:
«Like a lot of people, I post on social media in my free time to satisfy an admittedly mortifying existential desire for recognition.»
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-03-29/commentary-if-twitter-dies
2A6! Go, Ukraine! Go, Germany!
«On Tuesday, Berlin confirmed that 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks, along with ammunition, spare parts and two armored recovery vehicles, had arrived in Ukraine.»
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-leopard-2-challenger-2-tanks-counter-offensive-1791018
