#capitalism bad

[maliciouscigarette]

I love the panopticon and its idea of constant self regulation stemming from constant observation as a metaphor for the state of constant surveillance and erosion of privacy the internet age has created 💕

#me and who #196 #rule #panopticon #historical shitposting #the internet is a modern day instrument of self policing #capitalism bad #r196 #r/196 #/r/196

[helshades]

Could you please explain why people are so opposed to the pension reform? I'm trying to understand, but living in a country where you can retire at 67 but keep working until 70 if you wish, and everyone is fine with that, I feel I must have missed something.

(Happy to be sent resources if you don't want to make a writeup!)

Same anon as before, forgot to mention I read french so no trouble if you send me french articles or posts. (That is, if you answer the ask, if so thanks in advance!)

It's really not on you, but your Ask did depress me a tad. It aligned with many comments I've spotted across the media coverage of the current French crisis in foreign countries, and most public reactions to it. The worst ones are definitely racist, along the lines of mocking them French that never want to work, but I know the most benign to be genuine: how come the French get to retire so early in life still, and why are they protesting an apparently necessary, surely inevitable, evidently inexorable raise of the legal age for a full pension, when everybody else must retire later in life, which they deem to be entirely natural and normal?

I was about to ask you how did you think the French got to retire as early as 55–60 years of age not that long ago (62 today) if not because of their infamous propensity to go on strike and protest a lot in the first place—in truth I was debating with myself on the tone I should adopt to say it—when it struck me suddenly: the crucial part of your comment was not the age for legal retirement in your country... Rather, it was whether or not the people in your country really happen to be ‘fine with that’.

In late January, the man who modified the Swedish pension system twenty years ago, raising the retirement age to 65, was interviewed by French news outlet. Karl Gustaf-Scherman, who used to administer the Swedish social securty, had a recommendation for President Macron: ‘Don't you imitate us and apply our model.’ In reality, most Swedish people can't physically afford to wait till 65 to retire, and have to leave their careers without a full pension: according to a 2019 study ordered by the national retirement fund, 92% of female and 72% of male retirees saw their pensions diminish (and, consequently, their purchasing power) after Sweden opted for this new pension system based on capitalisation and an increase of the retirement age. ‘Mr. President, the only reform you should pass would be a reform à la française’, Gustaf-Scherman concluded.

Again: are you completely certain that in your country, everyone is fine with working till 67, even 70 years of age? How many factory workers do you know, in your entourage, people who spend all day on an assembly line? How many sewage workers do you know? How many nurses and orderlies still lifting patients at 65, how many masons and tilers dreaming of working past their 70th birthday? Do you think it fair to ask a person to retire five years after everyone else because they've known several periods of unemployment in their career, because of some economic recession or because they've had to give birth to the next generation of humans? Do you find it fine to die before you've reached the legal age of retirement with a full pension, never getting to spend quality time with your grandchildren or your friends or helping out at local associations?

Do you find it normal never to get a rest from work before you die?

It's not only that everyone ought to be allowed some respite after serving their country well by participating in producing the national wealth for forty odd years; it is also that all those neoliberal reforms aim to destroy the remnants of old socialised systems across Europe to replace them with a fully capitalised economy. In other words, the point is for the tenants of a globalised market economy to take control of the gross domestic products of each country, open them to speculative funds and get to play with all that wealth—with the systematic privatisation of national markets allowing for unlimited concurrence and speculation.

France's pension system is still partly based on non-wage labour costs that have allowed its nationalised portion to remain afloat and stable since the creation of the Social Security in 1946. Back then, la Sécurité sociale was actually intended to cover all risks of life, but even then the class war was raging on. The entire history of the Social Security centres on the boss class' attempt to snatch the fund's control from the hands of the workers themselves. The move has definitely accelerated within the last four decades (the Eighties have seen the rise of Neoliberalism, as per the Chicago School's teachings, for further illustration, look up Augusto Pinochet's Chile), somewhat exponentially since 2016's Labour Law, implemented when Emmanuel Macron was a youthful minister of Economy who really began tearing the country apart proper, notably to finance his upcoming presidential campaign. The merciless destruction of our once-protective Labour code truly was the point of entry of his Thatchering enterprise...

I reckon no president of the Republic has been as universally detested as most of the French people have come to loathe Emmanuel Macron. The basis of his electorate is a contingent of very wealthy people, most of whom elderly, who share economic interests in the destruction of national sovereignty in favour of privatisation, since they've got, precisely, shares in the big companies that are to profit from the change; and people who simply don't care about the future generations of pensioners.

Trouble is, if Macron got re-elected a year ago, it was only because votes were extremely divided between many parties and because of a successful campaign to hold far-right candidate Marine Le Pen as a compliant scarecrow , presented in all media as the only one opposition to Macron—which meant that all people had to do to oppose Macron would be to vote for her, as it was sure to scandalise the rich and the Woke... Then, all Macron would have to do, which he did, was to present himself as the only one true credible defence in front of the Fascist Menace. The recipe, which was actually brought to perfection in the early 1980s by to-be-president François Mitterrand (using Marine Le Pen's more sinister father, and founder of the National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen), is well and truly tried. Still, one of these days, she's going to get to presidency, and Macron will have been her best supporter.

#answers #to be continued i suppose #nonnies #riots in france #emmanuel macron #in conclusion #capitalism bad #reforming our pension system was never necessary #it is an entirely political decision #macron cannot do more than two (five-year) mandates but he's securing a long career in the private sector for himself

[kelsonius]

About hyperfixation

I'm obviously hyperfixating on Hazbin Hotel right now but I am regaining a bit of control (was able to stop myself from watching another episode last night and finish a book instead, still stayed up past bedtime lol). Experience has taught me that a period like this is often followed by a bit of a depressive crash so I started to search for coping mechanisms for when that fire of passion burns out again.

The articles I found were so horrible though, it was all about productivity. Glorifying productive hyperfixation, perfectionism, and obsession at school/work has caused me nothing but anguish. Those articles demonised things like playing video games and reading all night because a book is so captivating. If everyone fit into the boring ass mould of a 9-5 worker there would be no more shows to stream when they're trying to recover from the grind after work. Creative industries are basically kept alive solely by passion, because god knows capitalism is intent on destroying the ability of artists to make a living.

So fuck those articles, I'm not going to 'channel my hyperfixation into something productive.' I think instead I'll use this to pick up singing again (being housebound and alone most of the time I lose my voice after conversation with my mom so my vocal cords can use some exercise). And hell, my brain is overflowing with ideas to embody some of the characteristics of Alastor into my own oc's.

Maybe when the obsession with rewatching this show every moment of the day subsides, I can slide into other creative endeavours for once instead of falling into a black hole of loss.

TL;DR found some articles demonising hyperfixating on fun stuff because it interferes with the ability to fit the 9-5 grindset, but this is actually a great strength in creative projects.

#hyperfixation #can't have anything nice under capitalism #toxic productivity #obsession #creativity #creative industry #capitalism bad #hobbies #singing #oc's #hazbin hotel #depression #artists #passion #text post #kelsonius op

[notthewriteryourelookingfor]

My bank is trying to become cashless and I'm so mad about it. (I am looking for a new bank)

Our society cannot be cashless.

Why?

Because to open a bank account you need to have a permanent address, specific ID, and other items that are unobtainable for certain people including the homeless/houseless/some "illegal" immigrants

Not everyone us comfortable using digital only, I know a few old people who don't like cards, I know people who budget by using physical cash, and some people just prefer cash.

Also a lot of kids still use physical money as an allowance (I work in a craft store and having a kid come up with what is obviously their allowance to buy themselves craft supplies is so wonderful)

But there's another side to it.

A lot of places have surcharges based on card usage. It's usually "under $X" but I've seen a few places that are like "there's just a surcharge on all card transactions" like -_-

And banks can (and will) charge card fees. They probably do already in some places. And if card is your only options then you have to pay these fees and they can charge you whatever the fuck they want. And they will because that's what banks do. They exist to get money put of your account.

And banks that are like "we don't have any cash but you can use our ATM" ignoring the fact that not everyone can or will use an ATM and God forbid their 1 ATM go down, then what?

Banks: we've seen a decrease in physical money in the last few years so we're going to wind down physical money options.

As if there wasn't a pandemic that made a lot of people afraid to use money for the past 3 years!?!?!?!

I work retail and I can't be like "well we've barely had no sales this morning so that means we will only have a few in ther afternoon so I might as well close the store 4 hours early" that's not how it works.

Banks need more regulation imo and they shouldn't be allowed to go "cashless" because until our society fixes like capitalism/housing issues/domestic violence issues/mental health issues/etc we can't go cashless.

Like literally the only way we'd be able yo go cashless is if we live in a utopia where money doesn't exist. I'm sorry but the scifi dream of everyone having a chip in their wrist that is ID/money/bus pass/etc is a dystopian nightmare that capitalism would use to exploit everyone is they could.

I will admit I rarely use cash, I literally only use it for conventions (to stay on budget) or if someone owes me money and give me cash, I'll put it on my bus pass.

But just cuz I don't really use cash, doesn't mean it's not needed.

#money #capitalism #cashless #capitalism bad #banks suck #even communism cant be cashless #and yes i do hate it when people use 50s and 100s on a $5 purchase these things can coexist #banks are the enemy #banks will rob your corpse #homeless people need cash

[spearitbox]

🤔

#capitalism is a scam #capitalism bad #funny #darkside detective #steam deck #wolf with glasses

[goatlingsvent]

oh my god it's a fucking toontown goat why are we acting like this is some sort of crazy evil shit

🦢

#goatlingsvent #capitalism bad #socialism goats ONLY #/joking

[subnautica-reviews]

My boss:

“It might seem crazy what i’m about to say

But it looks like you’ll have to work all day

Instead of your usual working time

Don’t expect to be payed any overtime

Here’s why”

#happy #parody #song parody #capitalism bad #jokes #this is the one politics post you’ll get from me

[theoriginaldrac]

SPASE!!! love how he nearly breaks in every cinematic cut scene 

#youtube #spase #das vidania #red alert 3 #command and conquer #tim curry #SPAAAAAAAASE #capitalism bad #Spase = good #funny #cutscene #videogames

[svogthos-middle-management]

Every day I Fry the Rice and I Chow the Mein and I Orange the Chicken and I Broccoli the Beef, and for what? Dollars? Pathetic. When will it be my turn to have an Estranged Uncle leave me a supposedly Haunted House in his will, under the condition I stay in it for one full night?

#work sux #capitalism bad #haunted house

[vivvy-cryx]

Snufkin Against Capitalism

#Snufkin Against Capitalism #The SAC #Snufkin and Moomin #moomin #capitalism bad #anarchist snufkin #FIRE

[big-idiot-wolf-boys]

We love a job with no dress code that lets you wear your garfield I hate Mondays pjs to work

#capitalism bad #capitalism that allows a modicum of personality and humanity? tolerable #v talks #v talks garfield #not twilight

[tariah23]

Oh…. Well, it’s over for Crunchyroll I guess

#Crunchyroll #piracy #funimation #money hungry ass streaming service #rambling #I’ve never paid for a streaming service in my life thank god #I appreciated using others accounts but I personally cannot see myself paying this much for a service if I had the funds 😭! #get back to pirating kings!!! #anime has always been one of the easiest forms of media to pirate anyway so y’all got this #CR is definitely not worth paying for though #CR is certainly not worth paying this much for even if it’s a yearly one time fee #capitalism #the fact that CR has always had pretty bad quality as a streaming service anyway #it buffers every time you pause or rewind anything

[dogsneezeachoo]

Imagine like having to take seriously and participate in a system that would wipe you, your family, and anybody you've ever loved off the face of the earth if they didn't earn it capital. Imagine that kind of animosity towards the people that make your system work was normal. A system so bloated and full of shit that many other countries comment on it frequently and it seems to be effecting your personality as well as the personality of every citizen inside it.

#anyway #capitalism bad

[rhododendron-groenlandicum]

I <3 radicalizing my clueless roommate

#teaching him abt revolution #incinting him to rich ppl hate #capitalism #capitalism bad

[secondbeatsongs]

for anyone too young to know this: watching The Truman Show is a vastly different experience now, compared to how it was before youtube and social media influencers became normal

before it was like, "what a horrifying thing to do to a human being! to take away their autonomy and privacy, all for the sake of profits! to create fake scenarios for them to react to, just to retain viewership! to ruin their happiness just so some corporate entity could harvest money from their very humanity! how could anyone do something so evil?"

and now it's like, "ah, yeah. this is still deeply fucked up, but it's pretty much what every influencer has been doing to their kids for a decade now. probably bad that we've normalized this experience"

#the truman show #sbs rambles #I keep thinking about how children on popular youtube channels should probably have laws to protect them #social workers assigned to them maybe #I dunno #they did not sign up to have their lives sold for profit #but here we are #tho #I guess none of us signed up for it #and our data is harvested more than ever #god #high-tech capitalism sucks turns out #OH WAIT because tumblr is bad at getting context sometimes #let me specify: #I am not saying that the movie The Truman Show is bad or that it normalizes this #like all good sci-fi (because it is kind of sci-fi) it's there to warn us of what the future could hold #and it did that in a very good way - it's a beautiful movie #I could see someone with a bad faith take assuming I meant that it was part of the problem #it absolutely wasn't. it didn't normalize this; we did #youtube did and social media #it's us that's the problem #or more specifically: big corporations and a lack of regulation #that's the origin of most modern problems

[blueskittlesart]

i hope everyone in nintendo’s management department dies and goes to hell no matter what and i’m not kidding

#WERE LOSING YUZU AND CITRA. I DONT KNOW IF YOU ALL UNDERSTAND HOW INSANE THIS IS #game emulation enables piracy yes but it’s also an INCREDIBLY powerful archival tool. #there are plenty of games out there that only exist in their original formats due to emulation. #this lawsuit has HORRIBLE implications for video game history. it makes it incredibly easy for companies to scorched earth their products #if they’re not profitable enough. ART IS GOING TO BE LOST BECAUSE OF THIS. GAMES PEOPLE WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD ON #it won’t just happen to bad games. it won’t just happen to old games. they will use this to keep their remake/virtual console model going #forever and you will never be able to play your favorite games in their true original forms ever again. #i am fucking INSANELY mad rn. capitalism is the death of art fr #personal