I’d rather the cure be remembered than that name of who discovered it.

Do you think that’s important?

Why would I do that to myself, I wait for the credit card statement and take it all in at a gulp

Are you just now discovering that eugenics is bad?

The two things the Greeks are most famous for are philosophy… and conquering the known world.

Nope. I usually think “I should go out more” and then when I’m still recovering two days later I think “Ah, this is why I don’t go out more.”

step into a closet or empty room

frequent bathroom breaks

hide it inside a notebook

switch the e-reader to dark mode and place the phone over another piece of similar-looking technology that you have a plausible reason to look at

Suffering doesn’t make one better. People are shitty by default and have to learn how to be better.

I don’t think I could become dictator at all, no.

Seriously, though, power corrupts. I’m not immune. Nor am I immune to being manipulated by those more evil than I, which is another big problem with concentrating power.

Just pick up a shift at work.

Chicago City Gov’t: Moderately unhappy in general, unhappy with my Alderman specifically.

Illinois State Gov’t: Very happy. Pritzker is amazing and I hope he doesn’t run for president because we need him here for a few more years to keep cleaning up these messes. I’m very unhappy with my State Representative specifically, but he runs unopposed in both primary and general so my options are limited. And by “unopposed” I mean he’s the stepson of my Alderman, the Alderman whose wife held the State Rep seat previously, and it’s a whole nepotism / Machine thing.

US Federal Gov’t: Very unhappy. You’ve read the news, you know why.

Yes. It would be stupid. You can always get married later if you change your mind, but for now focus on supporting her through the pregnancy and prepping to be good parent to the kid and a good coparent to the girl.

All battles are hopeless when no one fights them.

You’re not wrong, though. But even thirty years would be enough to make a change, perhaps… or maybe it seems that way to me because that’s when I started paying attention.

Friggen Tea Party bullshit was when it really started sliding downhill fast, IMO.

The government needs to adapt, yes, but carefully. You can’t just run with the first or second option, that’s a recipe for regulatory capture.

It’s not “no change is good” but rather “most change isn’t good, so we need to test them until we find the best change”.

that’s what your politics are, you’re basically just politically homeless…and have been since you started calling yourself that.

This, at least, is correct.

What is the point of labels like this if they don’t signal what it is you believe, relatively accurately?

This is exactly why it’s necessary to push back on those who would twist it to mean something else.

I’m sorry, did you need me to keep talking like you’re five?

I know what the generally accepted definition is, I just don’t accept it. Regressives don’t have a right to call themselves conservative and I won’t stop calling them out on it.

Your point remains unmade. If it was a defense of moral relativism, the arguments don’t support the conclusion. If it was something else, I’ve no idea what you’re trying to say.

Conservatives and progressives should agree on a whole lot, especially when we’re all trying to fight off an alarming resurgence of fascism, authoritarianism, and illiberalism worldwide. The disagreement was rarely about goals, but rather methods. And right now the method is clear: Get these Nazi fucks out of power, ASAP.