Yes! It premiered last night, first 2 episodes were brilliant, and I’m trying really hard not to binge the rest so that I can make it last

you’re always free to walk away.

Yeah, and die of starvation or exposure, which ever comes first…
Maybe take a look around at the reality most people face before giving such out of touch advice…

made a pretty weird video about autism, using the fact that his son has it as like qualification for him to talk about it. folks with autism tried to talk to him about the problematic nature of the video in the comments, and he just blocked them.

So typical Autism Parent™ then lol it’s like they can’t help but make it about themselves… 🙄

I thought folks here especially would appreciate this song lol

(also transcribed by ear and vague memory of the subtitles during the episode lol, if you think I got it wrong let me know!)

Not sure I agree that conservatives can both “choose” to be like they are, and also be the victims of their upbringing in a toxic system. These 2 points you made seem to be contradictory.

Not really.

We are all subjected to the same propaganda, yet we’re not all conservatives, that’s enough to prove that there is choice involved (even if the choices are limited, and opinions externally influenced by and for the ruling class), but more to the point - no one is born conservative, and no one is forced in any way to support one political party or another, political affiliation isn’t something someone can’t help or control or change, making it a choice, unlike race, gender, sexual orientation, abledness, place and circumstances of birth, and so on, which are not.

Liberals play along plenty in to the division sown by the ruling class, but lets be fucking clear - conservatives choose to be that way, and are actively and vocally contributing to the problem, unlike Jews, immigrants, disabled people and so on…

Is working class conservative Joe Shmoe responsible for the system and the one who needs to be removed from society? No, they’re as much a victim of it (and its brain washing propaganda) as any other working class person, and sure, many liberals fail to see this, but to compare calling out people who choose to actively support open and proud oppressors for their contribution, to scapegoating the people they oppress for existing as who they are, for the problems of society, is fucking gross.

E: seriously, conservatives uphold conservatism - there is no conspiracy. 🤦‍♀️

I actually think it’s those that get so close to the truth, before veering to the right and blaming minorities instead of those who are really to blame (by design of those who are really to blame, of course) - blaming Jews for controlling the banks and the media (it’s the obscenely rich), blaming immigrants for poor work conditions/no jobs (it’s the obscenely rich), blaming disabled people for being a burden and leeching off the tax payer (it’s the obscenely rich), blaming whichever generation is currently in young adulthood for “destroying industries” (it’s the obscenely rich), and so on and so on…

I guess they make me angriest because the truth clearly isn’t outside of the people who believe the conspiracy’s grasp, they’d just rather punch down, solve nothing, but continue to have minor feelings of superiority (which really ties in with the key to all belief in conspiracy theories - “I have special knowledge you don’t”), than punch up and actually try to resolve the issues they whine about…

Don’t forget the burkini, as well as plain old surfing and diving clothes, both of which often come in full body coverage (as do professional swimming costumes, like for the Olympics).

So women might be expected to wear skimpy swimwear by society (mostly by and for creepy men like OP who like to control women and think we need to edit ourselves for their comfort), but that by no means equals having to.

And this is like tip of the iceberg bare minimum type shit, it’s not even suggesting workers own the means of production or anything that radical, all it is is paying employees a more appropriate share of the profits (the company is still making an obscene amount of that profit, and the employees are still under paid for their labour, it’s how the pyramid scheme we call capitalism works, but this is proof that even while continuing to roll in billions, other employers don’t have to be keeping their employees on poverty wages, they choose to).

Beats me, people saying “if you’re tired enough you can sleep anywhere”, making me laugh my exhausted ass off (and feel jealous af, but can’t really hold it against them).

I’ve spent more nights than I can count laid in bed for hours, absolutely shattered, wanting nothing but sleep, and none has come. Then when I do finally fall asleep, it isn’t for long or of any decent quality (as in EtraordinaryJoe’s case - chronic pain will do that to you), so I’m still always tired, and yet still unable to just fall asleep.

My trick to getting to sleep at night is weed and a meal, to help induce food coma, which again, isn’t quality sleep, but it’s better than nothing…

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/22/american-democracy-was-never-designed-to-be-democratic

https://truthout.org/articles/fascism-is-possible-not-in-spite-of-liberal-capitalism-but-because-of-it/

https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/10/14/liberalism-and-fascism-partners-in-crime/

FYI she’s gone back to using her full name Thandiwe

That’s pretty cool, and sounds like you’ve got a good challenge on your hands both because it will take you a lot to up the diversity, but also because statistically it feels like somewhere there will be people that look like whatever results from your work unless you add in non-human features (but I realise that’s not really the point, but rather to create “everypeople” rather than celeb/filter clones, it’s just the “don’t look like any one real person” got me lol).

Adam Pearson was the first that came to mind.
Having a bit more of a think about women in particular, I’d say Michaela Coel, Milly Shapiro, Liz Carr just off the top of my head, I’m sure there are more, I might add them if they come to me (keeping in mind that I’m terrible with both faces and names lol)…

On an aside - this is a great demonstration of representation (or lack thereof) and intersectionality.
While more white cis men are allowed to exist in the industry without meeting the “ideal” standard, darker skinned people (even within majority black/brown countries, colourism is still a very real problem), disabled people, trans people, and women in general but also specifically within each of the other categories, are all still held to a much higher standard and scrutiny (and of course the more of those categories you fit in to, the worse it is). And it isn’t a bug of course, but a feature.

https://anarchistfaq.org

https://medium.com/international-workers-press/misconceptions-about-communism-2e366f1ef51f

Just to add, give Approved Food a look, they sell food that is past it’s best by date, but still good to eat, at much lower prices.

There are also places, I can’t think of what they’re called right now, but it’s basically a communal grocery shop where you take what you need, and pay what you can. Maybe ask your local foodbank if they know of anything like that?

Lastly, when I was looking for an example of that last one, I found this page that might be helpful:
https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/food-no-money-food-banks/

Some good tips here already (look for another food bank/pantry/church in your area that could help, follow dumpster diving youtube channels for advice), you could also try some of these, or look for similar sites (I’ve only skimmed these, not vouching for the content):

https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/dumster-diving-for-dummies

https://wheeliebinsolutions.co.uk/blogs/advice/a-guide-to-bin-diving

https://www.woodfordrecycling.co.uk/news/skip-diving-junk-hunting-and-freeganism-the-need-to-know/

But more importantly, please have a look at/chat to turn2us, you are almost certainly entitled to some benefits, they will help you figure out which you are entitled to, and there are then benefits advisers in almost every town who can help you through the process if you find it too daunting and/or difficult.

Solidarity.

You can go and ask Hexbear users themselves about it

Lol, yeah, that’ll go well, because they’re so welcoming to outsiders or even the slightest critique… 😂

We’re leftists and our site culture is pretty aggressive

I know that would make you feel better, but no, there are plenty of aggressive leftists on this site, and we don’t get singled out, that’s because people don’t hate hexbear because you’re aggressive leftists, but because you’re toxic pro authoritarian tankies (not that there’s any other kind), so not actually leftist at all (hint: if your “communism” has, and you worship and admire a dictator, it’s not communism, same goes for if it has billionaires and prison camps, like your favourite flavoured boot China, or even N. Korea)…