cool fluffy plants. I can’t seem to identify them.

Venezuela doesn’t have any oil anymore. Its imperialist oil going to israel, its just stolen from Venezuela instead of one of the other places they extort.

Back before the kidnapping there was a report that Maduro had offered the us “everything.” So the policies Rodriguez has implemented were probably already agreed to by Maduro. Likely the only sticking point in those negotiations was that usa wanted Maduro to give the presidency to someone usa picked out. By withholding a endorsement of an anti-communist regime, Maduro forced the usa to come get him but this forced usa to leave the socialists in power because they were the only ones with the popular support to implement the negotiated appeasement.

This is real 5d chess. The Venezuelan government aren’t stupid. They know what kind of hell usa could bring them. That kind of suffering would have undermined the support of the Bolivarian revolution. Things will probably get harder for Venezuelans because of the reduction in oil revenue but the blame will be put on america and anyone who supports america instead of the blame being put on the Bolivian revolution like it was for the last few decades. Even the moderate opposition have sided with the Chavista Government to denounce the imperialists. The entire nation is being pushed left by the actions of the usa.

The preservation of the socialist project is more important than the revenue from oil. All the Chavistas have to do is survive a few more decades untill usa crumbles. The commune systems put in place by Chavez and Maduro make it possible to do that. It won’t be easy for Venezuela but it will be easier than war with usa and the struggle will reinforce anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism and Chavismo.

The oil shipment to Israel was denied by Venezuelan gov

Don’t believe everything you hear.

Venezuela is surrounded by US aircraft carriers.

One thing it makes me think of is, like… I think one of the most important lessons I learned from my time on Twitter, which is probably a lesson some of these people have yet to learn, is to just say less on matters I don’t know enough about. Twitter kinda pushed me materially to learn that lesson because if I mouthed off too ignorantly, I could get steamrolled and humiliated, which wasn’t exactly fun. On top of that, reading up on “no investigation, no right to speak” hit home for me the importance of understanding rather than trying to invent narrative out of thin air.

In particular, the comment with the person who admitted at the end to have had a fried brain and misread is what made me think of it. Had that person taken a moment to process and consider before reacting, they probably wouldn’t have said what they did in the first place.

Another important lesson has been internalizing how context can be more important than universalized principles. I think this is something I’ve internalized largely as a result of having to contend with “critical support” of nations and peoples whose cause is overall just, but whose cultural beliefs or practices are not something I seem to be very aligned with. So how this relates: with the second comment you linked, they appear to be trying to force universal principle over context and in the process, are dismissing important history just to insist on some pet peeve about phrasing. It seems to me that it is the same kind of thinking that would have an atheist “leftist” rejecting Iran because of its religiosity, while ignoring the importance of its anti-imperialism and self-determination; in this case, rejecting the whole of a historical piece because a single aspect of it steps outside what they deem okay.

I don’t like to bring it up but when others do I feel a need to say it. There is something rotten in hexbear.

I genuinely think there was an influx of brain-stewed rad-libshits that have been well-cooked by state department propaganda and narratives. Our one thread BadEmpanada’s take on China was fuckin’ more atrocious than ever at first before level-heads prevailed.

This is an excellent idea. Everyone should do a Haj whether it is to Mecca or just hitting the road with nothing but what they can carry. There is something zen and psychically purifying about making miles. I loved life on the road but my back loves nights in a bed.

Ireland once again being the most based country in Western Europe

Fuck that. cornell west is a dem soc grifter who says shit like Hamas are as bad as the idf. Fuck that guy and fuck jacobin while you are at it.

this is a bit angry and hateful but i dont know, i think i really enjoy sporting events but i hate being reminded of usamerican patriots in all their forms

FWIW, I was raised Catholic (atheist since… well, I forget, but a while) and the only thing I really “miss” is the sort of pre-made community of it. It can also be annoying when I’m at like a family get together kind of thing and people want to have prolonged convos with each other about religion and I just don’t have a lot to say because if I voiced how I feel about it, it’d probably start an argument. I also wish I missed the Catholic shame, in that it was gone, which still tends to linger on me. By that, I mean a kind of internalized point of view that gets especially self-conscious around matters like sexuality, but sometimes even general day to day behavior.

I think I was already predisposed to being more self-conscious than some and the Catholic stuff made it worse. In particular, teachings about impure thoughts are just a breeding ground for OCD-like intrusive thoughts to take hold. What better way to ensure an intrusive thought will turn into a chronic source of fear and shame than telling people that lingering on impure thoughts can be sinful. 😑

On the up side, I do believe they’re on to something with the ceremony and it’s something we shouldn’t neglect as a thing to learn from in the way it impacts people and inspires them. Hell, the whole split with traditional Catholics and the novus ordo (new order) seems to be largely driven by people not liking the style of the new Mass. They will tell you it’s more than that, I’m sure, but one of the complaints I hear is simply not liking the style of music. The old Latin Mass does Gregorian chant and tends to use a pipe organ, and Gregorian chant can pad the length of the Mass a lot but also has more of a vibe of reverence, solemnity, and meditation, like as if you were in a monastery or something. The new Mass tends to take more of a “protestant” Christian spin, more often using guitars and more modern pop-style musical arrangements (for lack of a better genre to put it in).

I think it was a type of fish that came out of the ocean.