MerryJaneDoe [none/use name]

Can’t agree or disagree until you provide your definition of fascism.

I was taught that fascist states have an authoritarian rule under a dictator, along with control of industry/business.

While there are many countries which lean towards fascism in some manner or another, they are might be classified as authoritarian, but not necessarily full-blown fascist. Taking your points above, Switzerland ticks many of the boxes. Mandatory military service, special treatment (collaboration with Nazis without significant consequence), etc.

A country full of war-mongering assholes doesn’t necessarily equate to fascism. (But I do recognize that Israel is in reality a lot closer to fascism than Switzerland ever was!)

Seems like it’s an outlier. (I’m in the Houston metro.)

Gas prices have been steadily rising, but it’s possible that a business owner overreacted and overcharged customers in anticipation of a steep price hike.

And here’s a graph of prices in my area:

https://ycharts.com/indicators/houston_retail_price_of_gasoline

And here’s another:

https://www.gasbuddy.com/charts

Avg. price about $3.50 - $3.70 as of today, with no significant downturn in price for the last month. Of course, if you live in an outlying region rather than the city, your price will be cheaper.

The ending of that clip is infuriating. Talk about a cliffhanger…

Why in the pluperfect fuckass would you START with Bad Santa?! WHO TOLD YOU TO DO THIS?!

And Armegeddon? A Michael Bay movie? Please don’t judge BBT based on this movie. (His role was little more than a glorified cameo, to show off the “star-studded cast”, as was the norm in 90s blockbusters.)

Maybe take a look at Slingblade. Serious, powerful movie. Then watch Monster’s Ball. A Man Who Wasn’t There.

Those are his 3 best, IMHO. The rest of his filmography is hit or miss. Personally, I loved some of his fun, popcorn flicks like The Ice Harvest and Pushing Tin.

But, yeah, looking over his filmography, he really made some poor decisions at the top of his game. Took the paychecks and laughed all the way to the bank. Probably getting with Angie Jolie is what catapulted him into legendary status.

Hexbearrorists? Hexbearigons?

I very much appreciate your translation! Thank you!

“Oh, no, I’m running out of people to sacrifice in my wars of choice.”

You were probably too old for it when it came out

Nah, I’m sorry, but age is not a factor here. For people into fantasy, the opening 45 minutes of the first movie are fucking amazing. Doesn’t matter how old you are, it takes a person right back to their childhood.

Fantasy lovers never lose that dream, to be magical and/or live in a magical place.

No big deal on the letter of recommendation, I think? They’d surely understand an overworked professor who uses a template, regardless of whether it’s AI.

I don’t see how this doesn’t lead to mass walkouts.

Because your average TSA employee is making $20/hr with pretty good benefits. Deeply discounted health insurance, above average vacation and sick pay, etc…and after 5 or 6 years, they’ll be making $30-40/hr., depending on their location.

If they quit, they’d have to start all over again. (I think?) And wait for an opening, too.

“Fuck you, dude, I might have forgotten my badge, but at least I remembered to bring extra clips.”

“How long do you think it will take your dad to realize we stole his uniforms?”

“I dunno - but let’s check out the baggage area, maybe we can find some cool shit there.”

“Oh, man, yeah, that looks like a really nice watch! Hmmm…Rollexx?”

“So, anyway, when I came back in for my second session, the artist was out of red ink and that was ok because he just worked on the fill for a couple of hours which hurts more than the detail work but it goes faster because he uses an eighteen-needle tip and the ink he uses for black is blacker than the inks you’d normally find here in the States because he sources it from some Mongolian lady who has like some sort of ancient recipe passed down from her great-great-great whatever ancestor who was the first Mongolian tattoo artist ever to ink a Westerner and…”

‘OMG, I’m fucking passing out, this boring-ass fuckwit is literally putting me to sleep standing up.’

i used to celebrate that diet-reddit (aka .world) would eventually diminish because of it, leaving behind the few who were willing to learn so that they can join the fold; but watching them isolate themselves onto piefed makes it clear that they’ll just diminish the fediverse instead.

As someone fairly new to Lemmy, this sentence is indecipherable. Maybe that’s part of the reason why people tend to pass through instead of sticking around?

The fact that a bill was drafted, approved by committee and sent to the floor for a vote means it’s an imminent threat.

Instead of discussing healthcare or housing or any of the other myriad issues that plague our nation, the legislature is focused on this bullshit. It tells you everything you need to know about our governing bodies. We are not a serious nation, but we are a dangerous one.

I see a LOT of overthinking in this thread.

This is a cult of personality. They aren’t playing 3D chess.

Trump wanted a war. There’s a lot to gain with war, as you listed above. (But also, an important point you missed - Trump’s followers want Armegeddon. He’s been hanging out with fundamental Christian zealots. And if Trump can arrange to drop a nuke on Iran, he’ll be their hero.)

And it really is that easy. Trump did it because he could get away with it and he stands to gain a lot.

Fun fact, Japan’s constitution limits its military force to defensive capabilities only. They get the lion’s share (97%) of their military equipment from the US. Japan has, in recent years, worked towards revising the definition of “defense” to include more offensive weapons, and allocate more money to defense spending.

So, yeah, vassal - and a good customer, too.

I wish Cuba had its own stickied megathread.

What’s happening there is being overshadowed by everything else, but it’s the only real play here for Trump&Co., as far as I can see.

The Gulf/Iran/oil issue will get sorted out. Things will go back to a relatively normal state there. Meanwhile, Cuba is - and always has been - at the mercy of the U.S. We know that Trump is into land grabs. Who’s going to stop him from “stepping in” and taking control of Cuba? NATO won’t help Cuba. Mexico? Brazil? Doubtful. Congress? (Nah, that last one is a joke, literally and figuratively.)

Joy! I’m getting back on HRT! And taking a trip!

It’s too weird, in a wonderful way, that you knew the reference well enough to link the video. Golf clap, everyone, please. They deserve it.

I’ve done this! I love bacon, and I’m a smoker.

Incidentally, going back in time feels very similar to a stroke, but don’t worry, you’ll get there. Just keep inhaling and swallowing!

Coincidentally, this is the great-great-great-grand uncle of Joey Buttafuoco. True story. Or could be, maybe. I’ll bet nobody can prove otherwise.

https://archives.oxfordcounty.ca/exhibits/wardens-and-council/county-wardens/1857-1858-john-barwick-blandford/