The 2nd reign of terror doesnt sound like a particularly fun time to live through
1 Like
I donât think funâs going to have a whole lot to do with it, gentlemen.
2 Likes
Iâm not attracted to engaging in such celebration, myself. But with both economic and political power so concentrated, there are no palatable options. Either the very rich will continue to (at best) slowly murder the rest of us, or theyâll be forced to share power and/or ease off the propaganda which keeps us from saving ourselves. Theyâre so insulated (which is to say, theyâve arranged to have so little reason to care what most people think) that the remaining options are horrible.
4 Likes
@rinelk sorry, that comment was more directed at OhBollox. I thought his memes were in poor taste. Anyways, I think Iâve lost the plot to this conversation. I thought I was engaging in a discussion about single-payer healthcare systems. It seems to have devolved into something I no longer care to participate in.
2 Likes
Well, I guess the thing is, I basically agree with everything everyoneâs been saying. I donât call for CEOs to live in fearâitâs not to my taste. But I also think that a universal single-payer system solves a ton of problems; if most people, not just the poor or elderly, suffer the effects of poor health care, there can be political pressure to make it better. But, just as you say, when itâs something like Medicaid which is not only not universal, but designed to serve the least politically powerful, it tends toward shit.
That said, though, I always support people choosing to back away from conversations which donât suit them, so Iâm not trying to drag you back in.
(just some random thoughts on I have on the shooting)
While I do understand that some of the voices celebrating the death of Brian Thompson believe they mean it literally, and even try to justify it by picking things out he has said - the mean memeâs, the cult-like hero status that the shooter is getting (there was a shooter look-a-like contest in NYC Washington Square Park yesterday) are actually emblematic of two very serious problems, and this event has become a catalyst that is finally let people express that rage -
- Income Disparity
- The entire US healthcare problem - which is twofold, but directly connected - high prices for healthcare services, and an insurance industry that does nothing other than paperwork and takes about $.31 for every dollar spent on healthcare in the US.
Most Americans agree these are both problems. What we donât agree on is how to fix the problems, and that is because BIG MONEY constantly clouds up the issues and purposely divides the US into sides around all sorts of things that keep us apart.
BUTâŚthis outcry - the memes, the hero worship of a killer, the callous response to a personâs death - this is the first bi-partisan, unifying response to anything I have seen in the US in quite some time.
4 Likes
Itâs not any one personâs job to be judge, jury and executioner, and kill someone.
Thatâs the job of United Healthâs AI algorithm, in order to maximise profits.
That, to me, is bad taste. Exploiting the poor for financial gain until they die, and idolising CEOs, is all perfectly acceptable. Why the rich and powerful have the exclusive rights to kill others is beyond me; it seems very hypocritical to allow one person to kill many others, but disapprove of one person killing one other, based on little more than tax bracket and perhaps the method used.
3 Likes
When I was undertaking cultural awareness training for my move to the US - one of the more interesting points was that violence as a means to achieve a positive outcome can be justified and is ingrained as part of the US psyche. From overthrowing the British, to civil war, to assassinations & other examples (home invasion defense etc.).
That is not to say it ârightâ, nor is it celebrated and backed by the majority, but rather that it is.
It is certainly a country that, should it rise against the leadership, would be an incredibly tough rebellion to âput downâ. Might be why they let the BLM just run its course rather than suppress it?
1 Like
I suspect any ârealâ rebellion here that didnât somehow get military support would turn out similarly to what this Neal Brennan bit describes.
Ahhh, my home country. Canât wait 
I have questions
âThe court was told in recent years, Goodson was using psychedelic drugs, synthetic cannabis and crystal meth amphetaminesâ might help answer some of those
3 Likes
I very much doubt they can be answered to your satisfaction.
Iâve read that he might have used a 3D printer to build his gun. Really? Is it really possible to do that? I would assume so, or it wouldnât been stated by the police. I am shocked that itâs reality and that Iâve been naive enough to think a scenarios like this is another few decades away. I was under the impression that 3D printers are still very basic and currently only used by nerds to produce miniatures and dice towers.
They can make things with more intricate working parts than a gun. Id assume the issues would be heat deforming the plastic making multiple shots unreliable, and the risk of the plastic just giving way and you blow your own fingers off instead.
Probably doesnt take a degree in engineering from an ivy league school to figure out solutions to those problems, but I bet it helps
No, no degree needed, just a good AI will suffice 
I would suggest that if its untraceable gun components that youre after, then a good ai isnt going to cut it. Youd need an evil ai, or make a convincing case to a neutral ai
https://x.com/NaviGoBoom/status/1861568550290252062
You can see a wide range of 3D printed guns now, and while theyâre not as durable as steel, people have reported putting 1,000+ rounds through some rifle prints without any cracking.
Iâve never seen any AI designed guns and I donât currently think thatâs possible.
Thereâs prints like the FGC-9 which are being used worldwide because of their ease of printing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FGC-9
3 Likes