It’s not about what power the president has. The president exists for manufactured consent. If Biden gets in and commits genocide and fails to do anything progressive, it’s proof “socialism” can’t work, that we consented to genocide, and that democracy works because he didn’t overstep his authority. But if Trump gets in and ignores his opponents, does whatever he wants, etc., then we consented to that and are fine with the erosion of democracy if it means more fascism.

It’s a farce, and personally I think we’re being guided towards a fully fascist transition in the figure of Trump. Not because he, as a person, is anything. He’s a moron. But because he’s the kind of bigot chud that half the country idolizes, and through them the illusion of democracy can be shed and capitalists can take full power. After all, if more than half the voters support a fascist takeover, then isn’t that more or less how our failed model of democracy works?

One of the crew were nice and answered my question. Idk what factors are important, but the white security guy sitting down at the terminal refused to even listen to me as I tried to ask my question, demanding I keep moving. The Hispanic man working on some security railings smiled and kindly explained that the US wasn’t doing any COVID stuff when I asked him.

On that note, it was surreal coming back from China during COVID. The absolute shutdown Beijing was in as I left. Like, a week straight of near-empty metro, temperature checks, etc. Then get to the US, and they were like “Flight from China? Nah, you guys just come on in.” It was also jarring to see the narrative change from “China is super evil for locking down Wuhan” to “China is evil for letting COVID spread all over the world”. Honestly, coming back from China did more for my political development than any other single factor.

First thing I experienced coming back to the US was rudeness from airport security when I was trying to see where I needed to be screened for COVID, then finding out the US wasn’t doing shit about it (this was February 2020, mind you). Second thing I experienced was racism as white Americans loudly complained about the POC airport employees with accents.

I regret coming back a lot, lol.

God I miss China. I got to live there for 5 months while teaching English, and the only thing I hated was my job and the other Americans. Insufferable libs to a man. Not being able to speak or understand Mandarin, I couldn’t make friends with the locals, sadly. There was this place I’d always eat. 14 yuan for a massive bowl of pork, peppers, and noodles. I think that’s, like… $2.

If I could go back and do a job I’d like, I’d take it in a heartbeat. Thank you for sharing your experience. It brings back good memories.

It’s been wild to me how Ukrainian military and government officials have just blatantly said the quiet part out loud, then tried to pretend they never did when it turned out the majority of people didn’t like it. This, and the fact they were pumping out psychotic lies as fast as newspapers could print them (which were all exposed as lies within a week)… I’m just surprised anybody gives them legitimacy or benefit of the doubt anymore.

Perfect example: remember when soldiers were boasting about putting lard on bullets to kill Chechnyans because they were Muslim? And they had to be told by Western supporters that statements like that would hurt their image? Baffling how anyone could think that state is even halfway decent under its current regime.

And it’s not like either of their deaths were particularly clean or quick. Cooper’s actor did a really good job with his last line. Felt like genuine terror. And Nash? Poor bastard had way too much time to suffer.

But hey, funny poop joke pulling out their bones and being stinky.

2000s were fucking wild.

Oh yeah. Hammond in the first film was only slightly better than in the book, from my understanding. Exploitative, rushing things, wanting quick and easy solutions, and thought he could fix shit just by throwing money at it.

Muldoon wasn’t evil. He was the warden, tasked with park safety. He wasn’t super fond of the dinosaurs because they were ludicrously dangerous, especially the raptors. Honestly, he was a pretty good guy, trying to find Hammond’s grandkids, and dying covering Ellie while she ran for safety.

I was just watching JP3 and feeling bad for Nash (and Cooper), because they die badly and are later part of a poop joke.

Still love the movies overall, but yeah, that trope is certainly… well, a trope. It really is everywhere. Only include 1 or 2 black characters in a cast, then kill them off. Fucking wild the shit media did in my childhood that I can only notice now.

Muad’Dib points the way.