The answer:

Everyone would have heat pumps.

That doesn’t sound right, but I don’t know enough about strawmen to dispute it.

The main difference is who owns the means of production. In communism, the government does. In socialism, the people do.

What would we call a hybrid system in which the government is made up of the people and owns the means of production? Direct Democratic Communism?

Edit to add:

A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, is constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision, neither by the component states nor the federal political body without constitutional amendment.

Seems relevant considering “The Federation”.

no matter how we spin it or couch it

👀

Best photo of the ear we have right now, far as I can find:

Armchair analysis: Maybe it sorta looks like some of the helix (both tubercle and crus sides) flesh is missing from a graze?

I don’t know what I believe, but it doesn’t matter. I just want the facts.

Reposting from an earlier comment I made:

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Best we have right now, far as I can find:

My favorite tinfoil hat theory is that one of the secret service members had a razor palmed, which they then used to slice his ear when they took him to ground. I’m not saying I believe that, of course, but it seems the most plausible to me.

Edit to add: Armchair analysis. Maybe it sorta looks like some of the helix (both tubercle and crus sides) flesh is missing from a graze, here?

Anomie is a real word and it is fascinating to read about, if you’re into sociology.

Might as well call it Olds then, these days, considering how repetitious it all is.

You’re not wrong at all. I also don’t think your analysis is incompatible with what I said above, either. Unless, that is, that you’re saying that no one should have a right to complain unless they have it worse than everyone else.

American hegemony as practiced by US liberal politicians, in service of capital, is one of the primary drivers of the issue you’re describing.

I agree with you. I am not the most courageous person; Far from it, in fact. In this case my fear is winning. I have more to lose now than I did 20 years ago, and more people who depend on me. Thank you for your understanding.

For now I do what I can, and I hope I can count on others to help spread the word, maybe make a scene, agitate a bit. A couple of people have posted that image to sticker mule’s twitter account, some of which have been removed or hidden by “the algorithm”, supposedly. But it would be nice to see more people spreading the photos, more people asking questions. Their instagram, their facebook, wherever. Put it in the face of these neo-fascists and let them publicly defend the CEO then. But I bet they won’t. They seem even more cowardly at heart than I am.

As Voltaire said: “The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.”

The idea broadly underpins modern capitalism, and it sums up why liberal politicians (whether left or right wing) do nearly everything they do. Democratic liberals want to keep the lower classes at least somewhat happy by throwing them scraps from time to time, while Republican liberals will only ever do just enough to keep the lower classes pacified.

We’ll have to agree to disagree. I prefer nuance to oversimplification.

I agree. And I’d like to explain myself…

Personally, I err on the side of always trying to protect myself and my family from fascists (especially monied ones with lawyers and connections). This is even more vital when shining a light on things they probably don’t want people to see. That’s why, in this case, I’m being careful.

His name is out there and anyone can find it. I’m happy to explain how to find it, but in this case I’m just playing it safe by not repeating it myself… for whatever good it’ll do me.

Yep! I’m an idiot :)

I’m sorry! I totally misunderstood you. It looks to me like they were in Washington DC but I am no geoguessr expert. There are a lot more photos from the night on the Flickr page.

ETA: Almost certainly DC. And upon further research, one of the guys in right photo may very well be his brother (a co-founder who has since left the company).

As mentioned below the photo:

The CEO is the guy in the middle in the left photo. The photo on the right was taken the same night, possibly by the CEO, but certainly uploaded by him. At the very least he had no problem with posting it publicly, and has decided not to remove it over the years.

As of now, finding the Flickr page is as simple as searching for “CEO NAME Flickr”. His name is in the OP article and easily found elsewhere online by searching sticker mule ceo.

Did anyone actually read the whole article? These comments sorta read like the answer is no.

The researchers say that their findings prove no active collaboration between TikTok and far-right parties like the AfD but that the platform’s structure gives bad actors an opportunity to flourish. “TikTok’s built-in features such as the ‘Others Searched For’ suggestions provides a poorly moderated space where the far-right, especially the AfD, is able to take advantage,” Miazia Schüler, a researcher with AI Forensics, tells WIRED.

A better headline might have been “TikTok algorithm gamed by far-right AfD party in Germany”, but I doubt that would drive as many clicks.

For more info, check out this article: Germany’s AfD on TikTok: The political battle for the youth

Best we have right now, far as I can find:

They should call TechMoan or CathodeRayDude! One of them probably has the right player just sort of… lying around!