Rooskie91

I fucking hate people that act like they escaped the matrix because they drive a personally owned vehicle.

Like wow you're really showing us public transit welfare queens what true independence looks like, gripping a steering wheel in a vehicle they can only legally operate with a government-issued license, on a road built and maintained by the government, cleared of snow by government workers driving government-owned trucks, fueled by government-subsidized oil, and parked in government-funded lots. Let’s not forget they had to go to a government building, talk to a government employee, and pay a government fee just for the privilege of registering their car — which they’re also legally required by the government to insure. And after all that bureaucratic red tape and recurring fees, they have the audacity to act like they're the icons of self-sufficiency. The cherry on top? If their precious symbol of ‘independence’ breaks down, the government isn’t going to help — they get to shoulder the repair costs entirely on their own.

Meanwhile, I swipe a card once a month and get access to a system that moves people efficiently, doesn’t ask for my blood type, and doesn’t require me to pour thousands into maintenance and paperwork — and I’m the one supposedly suckling at the teat of Big Government?

Ok.

Legacy media has also never defeated fascism.

I pooped an onion?

If you're planning your sadness around your job so that you don't waste your time off, then capitalism has already won.

Ooo now do the same but with people in the government!!

"You guys aren't gonna use AI for bad stuff, right?"

Tech oligarchs: whaaaaaat no we actually want to be regulated because of how dangerous this technology is!! Also tech oligarchs:

Hey, just a few thoughts I wanted to share in response to this:

First, citing the CIA to praise Stalin is… an odd move. Second, it's important to recognize that liberals and neoliberals aren't the same thing. The terms get conflated a lot, but they refer to different ideological frameworks, especially in terms of economics and state intervention. Neoliberalism is basically a rebranding of laissez-faire capitalism whereas liberalism favors more of a welfare-state capitalist system.

Third, I’d encourage reading the full context of the document in question. Here are a few excerpts that stood out:

There will not be a dramatic purge.

This might seem like a neutral observation, but it’s actually referring to a change after Stalin’s death. The implication is that dramatic purges did happen under him, and they’re noting that the new leadership wouldn’t continue that pattern.

Inasmuch as the MVD has already been cleaned up.

Again, this is post-Stalin. The MVD (Interior Ministry, which ran the secret police) being “cleaned up” suggests reform following abuses that were, again, tied to Stalin’s regime.

There is now no organized opposition inside the Party in the Soviet Union.

This kind of political consolidation didn’t happen in a vacuum. It reflects the legacy of Stalin’s crackdowns on dissent and internal opposition.

Since the death of Stalin and the blow which was given to the power of the secret police…

That’s a pretty direct reference to Stalin's reliance on the secret police to maintain control. Again, the document frames the aftermath of his death as a shift away from that.

No improvement in the food situation can be expected.

This points to long-standing issues in agricultural production and distribution under the USSR, including during Stalin’s time. Whether or not the shortages were intentional, they’re part of the broader legacy of how poorly the Soviet agricultural system was managed. They were pretty much just experimenting with ways to grow food while failing to produce enough for their own population. I'm all for agricultural research, but only after the people are fed.

In short, this isn’t a glowing report of Stalin’s achievements. It’s describing a system trying to recover from the kind of authoritarian control he enforced.

If you're interested in more critical perspectives from the time, I really recommend My Disillusionment in Russia and My Further Disillusionment in Russia by Emma Goldman. They were written in the early 1920s (just as Stalin was rising to power) and they offer a fascinating, firsthand account of someone who initially supported the revolution (Emma Goldman was an American anarchist exiled to Russia for her beliefs) but became deeply disillusioned with how it played out.

We really don't need to dig up dead guys to give them accolades. We can think of a better system that the USSR or USA.

I guess I knew academically that capitalism sews the seeds of its own destruction, but living through it is a different experience.

Well it's not how I imagined capitalism and wester hegemonic global dominance ending, but it seems fitting doesn't it? Done in by an overzealous businessman incapable of rationally assessing any decision he makes. Very American way to go.

Holy shit if these people get anymore cult like they're going to move to South America and kill themselves.

Lol what a clown show

I learned to ride and loved it. After 2 years of getting a different perspective on how people drive in cars, I'll never do it again. It's insane what people think they can do while also operating a 1 ton hunk of metal flying down the highway at 70 mph. Cars should really not be the default form of transportation for most people.