In our case it was a city of about 40,000 that only existed for two weeks, so it’s hard to say how it might scale

Keeping order is one thing, but police do a bunch of things no one else has time for.

Endless follow ups, liaising with social workers, taking long statements for inquests, or spending all day protecting someone’s right to peacefully protest.

Maybe it’s because I live in a country where the police don’t carry guns (and sex work is legal), but I found it really hard to put my finger on exactly what they are advocating for here.

They seem to be saying that police only exist to enforce middle class interests? I don’t think that’s entirely true.

I would like to see more change in how policing is done, but the idea that communities self-police is idealistic. Sure they do in some ways, but it can be just as selective and just as damaging as anything police do.

I’ve never used twitter in my life, still have a vague interest in what Musk is doing to it though.

I have several hypotheses:

• the same force that stops them decaying also stops their hair from ever getting mussed up, falling out, or growing longer

• only we can’t see their reflection, they themselves can see it

• vampires are essentially a representation of a parasitical upper class and as such they look like idealised wealthy aristocrats

I don’t tip because I live in a country that doesn’t tip and I’m very against it ever taking root here.

Those things about controlling the service, and choosing who “deserves” what, are anathema to me.

The person is doing a job however they and their employer see fit. If they want to run a business like Basil Fawlty that’s on them.

My input into what they get paid is to vote for strong labour laws, min wage rises, and workers’ rights. If a tipping culture emerged it would most likely weaken those things and make wages more capricious and less fair. We must resist it.

I’m not OP but the author’s starting point is about the expression of solidarity with a group of ordinary people, and how this is being undermined by media. Pretty sure this kind of solidarity is part of socialist praxis?

Hey, that’s neat! Thank you for learning it!

Here is a good short video on how to pronounce Aotearoa if you want to try it!

I think Medecines Sans Frontiers is good?

Yes super rough. It’s not like anything was a picnic now, either. Genuinely scared.

General election day in Aotearoa. High chance of a right wing government that has made cutting my disability funding into one of its election promises.

With everything that’s happening in the world it feels stupid to even be upset about it, but I am.

Edit: and the result is in, we now have the most right-wing government we had in years, so worse poverty is on the cards now.

I’m in a similar boat to you. I don’t have any answers, just wanted to express solidarity. 💛 You and I are children of the universe the same as the trees and the stars, we have a right to be here too, and I hope one day our lives are easier.

I don’t see a world news community on Beehaw. Just news and USnews.

I think News was designated a world news community around the time the mods created the USnews.

I don’t really understand some of this. Why pair it with a VAT? VAT itself is a known to be a regressive tax because poor people/ households spend a higher percentage of their incomes on consumption (food etc) so the effect of a VAT is to raise their overall tax percentage.

This is definitely what happens in my country, where we have a flat 15% VAT on all goods and services. As someone on disability that means I’m being taxed an extra 15% on most of my income.

Disappointed, was looking forward to more.

At least they had two great seasons and no loose ends to tie up so I can at least imagine Aniq and Zoe live happily ever after.

I am pro sex work and live in a country where it is legal for all adults involved (except pimps) but I don’t agree with this:

It’s simple body autonomy issues and people are only against it from years of religious based shame.

From what I have seen, the people who are against it who actually organise against it tend to be motivated by a desire to protect people from coercion and trafficking.

I don’t agree with them that criminalising it would achieve that, but it’s definitely their position.

Never has the “Just a moment…” snippet view been more apropos.

Not sure there’s really that much difference between a dramatized movie and a dramatized tv show these days.

It’s about 2h long, so you could probably watch it in four 30-minute chunks and get the same effect.

It’s probably not very popular subject matter in the west so I don’t think Netflix is about to do a remake any time soon!

If movies are more your thing, there’s a very good biopic of Lumumba.

Thanks, this book looks like an interesting read. Will probably have to wait until my blood pressure is under control. One of history’s great injustices that is still felt today.

Here is the speech that led to his death.

Yes, it’s a massive level of cringe.

Gmail is convenient, but if it’s about to be filled with 😊 and 👍 then I’ve got to stop using it for any serious communication.