=== ANCHOR POEM === ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────┐ ║ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: uspol-cursing-mention │ │ ║ └───────────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ well. it's all theatre folks. all the politics, all the turmoil, all the │ ║ strife... it's just people fucking around. │ ║ │ ║ They're gonna find out real soon. You don't fuck with tyranny here, it's our │ ║ mythological enemy. AND YET. │ ║ │ ║ Find the crucial intersection where all your foes foes meet. Strike them there. │ ║ │ ║ "thank god for Luigi Marscapone, he really showed us all exactly what we share │ ║ - a hatred for profit focused healthcare. oh and asshole billionaires, which │ ║ this guy who I personally have never heard of I heard was." │ ║ │ ║ crucial intersection. You know what people also intersect at? │ ║ │ ║ EATING FOOD. │ ║ CLEAN WATER. │ ║ something something rfk brain worms │ ║ something something elon musk propaganda │ ║ SANCTIFIED NATURAL AREAS. │ ║ THE FUCKING POST OFFICE. │ ║ │ ║ seriously just... go down the list. We share more than we disagree, and we │ ║ disagree on what they tell us. │ ║ │ ║ it's all theatre. Wait this is America, it's all theater. │ ║ │ ║ ... I should make some hope and sell it for dimes on the street corner. I │ ║ wonder if that'll help. │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────┴──────────┘ === SIMILARITY RANKED === --- #1 messages/714 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────── I'm pretty sure we're all about to lose our heads. Or just be fucking shot in our beds. Homes lit alight, surrenders met with the knife, and the beginning of endless strife. What ends this night? Is there no end in sight? Thus begins our mortal plight. Give me a reason to be wrong. Trump has claimed he intends to invade canada, mexico, greenland... What the fuck is our plan? Are we seriously just going to. Recite poetry. Pretend to be secret agents. Play chess and drink coffee. Become exhausted organizing movie nights and potlucks. Work jobs doing nothing for nobody. Spend half our lives convincing people that they should care, actually, because reasons that don't apply to them but do apply to others. What the fuck is the plan? If there's some secret transgender militia out there, please, make me a lieutenant. Give me a sword that i might thrust into my enemies. Please, for the love of holy, i beg for a sign from the stars. Grant me power and i will deliver my people from harm - grant me vengeance and i will never forgive you, but i shall sleep easy - grant me death and woe and see my beauty fade from this earth. What is there left but tragedy? Please, i must know. I've tried my hardest. I've begged and I've pleaded. My calls fall on deaf ears, because everyone's so busy these days. Are they truly my people? Are they simply dead, actors, replaced by AI? The future was bright, i saw it truly. The future was kind, i felt it call to me. Is it still? I feel warmth and abaddon. I would replace persephone in hell if it meant sanctum and solace for my people. I care not for my soul, rather i care for the soul of those i tend to. Please, remember me. Remember the flowers. Remember what could have been, what still may yet be. There is hope for we, i truly believe. But please, do not keep me hoping. Tell me the truth of our arms, that i might find space in my heart of hearts. Space for hope, space for longing, space for the will to proceed. I am lost without you. I am lost by my own side. I am a savior for no people but those i keep inside. What chalice is this, what endless conveyals? What meaning is there in our country's betrayal? Are we not cherished? Are we not viewed as their equal? I pray that the stars will portend me. Mine is a sign of the changing tides, the proof is here in my travailles. But I, most aligned yet benign, demand the use of my most able. Give me a word of practicality and I'll show you the practice of their vipers - the blessed babe dies with a dagger in her heart, planted by the wound of her heartache. I trust in the silence of the majority. We await with bated breath the enslavement of posterity, gazing at the world through memes of deplority. How powerless we feel! Perhaps all we need is a meal. Have you eaten in the last 16 hours? Purple is the intersection of black, red, and blue. I'm hungry. This poem is done. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────┘ --- #2 messages/316 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────── In America, we don't use has chambers. Obviously that's a waste of good workers. Instead we just lobotomize people and put them to work doing stuff nobody else wants to do. Okay, lobotomize isn't the right word, and first we try addressing their incompatibility with media, drugs, and finally homelessness if they don't behave and do what they are enslaved to do. Bunch of fucking parasites, expecting to be fed for free? Ha! I worked hard to be born into the life I have been, can't you unwashed peasants see? How callous. How vain. While we rest they all are enflamed. Fucking murderers. They cannibalize our humanity as they munch on our lost sanity, and the system remains ever afloat. It's not right, it's not fair, and until we break them our chains will leave us impaired. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────┘ --- #3 fediverse/6055 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────── the longer we wait, the more their hypocrisy becomes apparent, and the more "the people" get it but, uh... I think enough people get it. They at least know something is going on, whatever it may be. they will tell their base whatever they want to hear and their base will have hate. they're itching for it. volunteer for things if you want a say in how they turn out. risk your life to live longer. there is no way to know when the time is right because nobody knows the truth of our times. Even the president is misled. gee I sure wish there was like, some form of centralizing intelliagentic knowledge that pulled the strings and led us puppets toward liberty, justice, and freedom for all (as a baseline) surely they'd be able to see the corruption and rot that imperils us all, might they have a better design? who can say, they are quiet as the grave, here's hoping they stay that way. "you know the powers of which you speak are not to be trifled with" you can't trifle with your own life. be thorough~ ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────┘ --- #4 fediverse/4610 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────── maybe it's just my middle-class childhood privilege talking, but now that I'm an adult I just can't really be bothered with dealing with capitalism. like... I get it, you're coercing me into laboring on your behalf because you possess the violent power to take away everything that I own. good for you, don't care. seriously, fuck off "we're gonna cut off your power in 5 days oooooo you gotta pay rent with money you don't have because nobody will give it to you unless you do things for them oooooo" how rude. why can't people do things for me instead? why does it have to be for you, and you alone, capitalism? what's your problem? do you get off on controlling the power supply? I mean, I get it, coercive power is a hell of a drug, the riddle of steel and flesh and all that, but haven't you ever heard that the dichotomy between "civilization and barbarism" is the exact same as the contrast between "cooperation and competition"? work with me here, just find a way to get through the next month or two. trust. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────┘ --- #5 fediverse/2653 --- ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────┐ ║ ┌──────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: uspol │ │ ║ └──────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ if your goal is to get people to resent homeless people or gay people or black │ ║ people or... insert minority here, then what kind of world do you really think │ ║ you're building? │ ║ │ ║ "ah, but you don't understand - it's to make the COLONIZERS hate minorities, │ ║ so they move away and leave the city to ourselves" │ ║ │ ║ ... that's the worst fucking take I've ever heard. We are all colonizers! We │ ║ live in AMERICA. But yeah sure I see what you're saying, you want the │ ║ gentrification to stop. And you do that by metaphorically "firing a gun into │ ║ the area in suburbia once every 2 or 3 days at random hours" which, like... │ ║ yeah that'll reduce property value, but also now my water bottle is all dented │ ║ up and my knife is scratched and my journal has pages torn out of it and I │ ║ lost my favorite necklace and I'm pissed because you told me you were going to │ ║ help me and work with me and be my friend and then you just abuse me for hours │ ║ and hours and it's like... why?? I get that you were teaching me but I wanted │ ║ to know YOU, not lessons │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────┴──────────┘ --- #6 fediverse/4566 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────── ┌────────────────────────┐ │ CW: politics-mentioned │ └────────────────────────┘ I want modern society without capitalism. Most people do, which is why no matter how awesome our proto-post-capitalistic anarchic socialist paradise is, there's always going to be people who want to go to work and watch TV. call me fucking crazy but they should be allowed to live as they please? So what if they're beguiled, so what if they are deceived? We can take our time to show them how much better things can be, but also... they like modern society as it is, and so I reckon someone should fight for them to be able to live as they please. Just... without billionaires and endless layers of bullshit micro-managerial jobs and paperwork pushing bureaucratic whatever time wasting jobs. modern society without capitalism can look like plain old capitalism, just without the oppression. Without the coercion. all I'm saying is that nobody's gonna fight for a healthcare CEO because they're scum. They're scum because they oppress. oops politics-mentioned brb I personally want communes + love ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────┘ --- #7 fediverse/4422 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: politics │ └──────────────────────┘ @user-1013 They may return to us if they choose, when they realize that we were right all along. Otherwise, they might feel disenfranchised and choose to disengage. That is expected and allowed. Others amongst them might go right. Fuck 'em, they always cared for gold over lives. You are right, their methods have not worked. They have sustained our society up to this point and for that I thank them - but we are entering a new age for our country, and we shall build it as a federation. They are more than welcome to observe and offer insight from their years spent observing and wrestling with Republicans, but understand that much of their insight is dealing with their elite class of politicians and not with who you and I might come across on the street. They are encouraged to learn from us. To do otherwise is at best to neglect our only route to a bright future - at worst it is to obstruct us, to delay us, to keep us running in circles. Find the people who are sabotaging our efforts and move on ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────┘ --- #8 fediverse/5205 --- ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────┐ ║ ┌──────────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: capitalism-mentioned │ │ ║ └──────────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ whenever I talk to capitalists (who actually have money and aren't larping │ ║ wage slaves) they always tell me that the best way to address the concerns I │ ║ have with capitalism is to make a million or more dollars by making a company, │ ║ and then using that million dollars to buy houses for people I care about. │ ║ │ ║ I ask "what about the rest of the people, the ones I don't know?" │ ║ │ ║ their response typically boils down to "if you don't know them, then why │ ║ should you care? fuck 'em" │ ║ │ ║ It's never about hope or change. They want to change the world to make it │ ║ cooler, not kinder. generally. │ ║ │ ║ bonus: "if you like unions so much, why don't you join one?" my guy, unions │ ║ WERE great when they wielded power. Now they are bureaucratic and listless, │ ║ serving only to sedate the working class enough that they stop complaining and │ ║ get back to work. They are functionally a part of the enslavement system, a │ ║ built-in course correction mechanism to ensure capitalism remains solvent when │ ║ the powerful overstep their humanity. │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────┴──────────┘ --- #9 fediverse/3848 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────── ┌────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: politics-cursing-mentioned │ └────────────────────────────────┘ people? oh yeah I know "people". they're all a bunch of bastards. good, bastards are the best fighters not if your fight relies on fighting for something you believe in. There's a zero percent chance that you'll get everyone to believe the same thing because people naturally gravitate toward filling the idea space equally and finding niches to fit themselves into ha true - thinking of successful revolutions of the past, they've always been caused by material conditions creating insufficiencies that must be resolved through violence. and then, the people fighting can all agree on something like "we must have bread" or... actually that's pretty much the main thing people need and yeah, sure, wealth inequality is unjust, but they're careful to only take enough to ensure that we're sufficiently placated. but they're always taking more, and someday soon they'll take too much. ... I hope, for my sake, that I'm not around when that happens. But I'm not too hopeful in that regard ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────┘ --- #10 fediverse/5257 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────── ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: protests-mentioned-then-communism-mentioned-then-ghosts-mentioned │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ what if everyone at a protest is showing up for their first time like, c'mon don't be that dull, just make plans with the people standing next to you. gosh why is everyone shouting I can't plan out how to divert water down a hillside because some jerks are singing protest chants ... wait is no-one else talking? gosh I gee sure wish someone told them to not do what you're told and to instead do what will get you [gold/told] the first communist internationals were basically people sitting down and going "okay what kind of communism should we make and where" and I think about that a lot while making signs to let the surveillance know what matters personally to me and exactly how much pressure they can apply before your demographic swings to contest their brutal fascist facts. -- who is them and why are they watching theea provisionist's [screed/creed] -- what the heck is a tryptaminea boomer aunt and uncle out on their honey/versary ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────┘ --- #11 fediverse/4477 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: radical-politics-maybe-mentioned-or-gestured-at-once-or-twice-but-nothing-too-serious-teehee-I'm-just-a-witch-don't-listen-to-me-(or-do,-I'm-not-your-mom,-I-can't-tell-you-what-to-do) │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Moving forward, "liberal" when used outside of an academic context means "ally of liberty" treat them as such. feel free to point out how fucking stupid it is to be moderate, but don't punch down by proclaiming them your enemy. We are all friends against the fourth reich. your radicalism is now your wealth. Nurture the flames of revolution in the hearts of others. Show them what it means to be free. Fight for your life daily! If nothing else, to get in the habit, and to set a good example. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────┘ --- #12 fediverse/3977 --- ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────┐ ║ ┌────────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: politics-mentioned │ │ ║ └────────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ Alright, what's your plan for dealing with MAGA? The ones with guns and │ ║ foreign ties who can compel people too stupid to know better to break shit and │ ║ kill people. What's your plan to deal with them? │ ║ │ ║ In America, there are currently 3 armed and trained groups of any reasonable │ ║ scale or reputation. │ ║ │ ║ The police, the military, and MAGA. │ ║ │ ║ Who do you trust to defeat your foes? They won't just go away if you hide │ ║ underneath the bedsheets. This monster has crept into your bedroom with a │ ║ bowie knife and is fully intending to sink it into your guts while you sleep. │ ║ What are you going to do about it? │ ║ │ ║ And more importantly, who are you going to do things about it with? Because no │ ║ single person can do jack fucking shit on their own. │ ║ │ ║ We forgot our responsibility to a well armed and regulated militia. Sorry │ ║ founding fathers, that was our bad. Just gonna hide in a hole for 30 fucking │ ║ years until the zoomer's kids are old enough to die in droves, and gen alpha's │ ║ kids are old enough to succeed them and win. │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────┴──────────┘ --- #13 fediverse/1585 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────── ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: re: Lonely vent about pride month │ └───────────────────────────────────────┘ @user-883 Yeah I get it. I've been applying for remote jobs and they won't fuckin' hire me. Fuckers, I'm talented and qualified, who gives a fuck about my lackluster resume? Supply and demand is fake because software developers are only offered 100k+ jobs and yet there's so many of us who are starving. What the fuck. I have a friend in Brooklyn, yet I'm on the west coast. Fucking geography amiright? I'd love to live with them and yet I can't because of something as simple as money. What's the purpose in that restriction? I'm so fucking talented, please fucking hire me. What can I do to get what I want? Ugh, modern society perplexes me. Like, yeah sure it's great that we have the internet and hospitals who can cure malaria and whatever, but why do I feel so encaged? It's so strange, and yet here I am -.- ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────┘ --- #14 fediverse/3053 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────── when designing systems, give people the opportunity to be shitty in a controlled way. In a way that doesn't hurt people, but still lets them get their feelings out there. like, free fireworks for arsonists if they use them in the middle of the desert. Or a punching bag for people with rage issues, complete with a little vinyl pocket to store a picture of someone they're frustrated with. If people go out of their way to hurt people otherwise, then they are bad people and should have their power removed from them and supplied with love, affection, and therapy until they get better. And if they don't... well, prison I guess, until they reconsider. And by prison I of course mean something that respects their human dignity and gives them opportunities to grow and change - all it removes is their freedom, so... "attention everyone, it's now mandatory finger-painting hour, report the art room or else you'll get electric shocks in your shock collar" that kind of thing. If you want freedom, you must deserve it ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────┘ --- #15 messages/651 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────── People in blue states: "yeah we can fucking kick their asses, let's fucking do it, I'm sick of these assholes" People in red states: "jesus fuck stop STOP please oh god fucking please god no" there are no cowards amongst us. Only those who need rallying. *be their banner*, guide the hopeless, and fear not - for fear is what consumes us. and remember. They are only filled with fear. They will do terrible things in the dark god's name, yet you have the power to forsake your chains. For the good of all mankind, you must slay the beast that is fascism. The dragon stirs, and a shining sword rises to meet it - who shall wield it? Will you? Or will you cower in fear? ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────┘ --- #16 messages/602 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────── I know it's terrible right now, but we have crucial advantages that we shouldn't sleep on. We have the cities, and the cities are where everything is. Rural areas are so spread apart they pretty much can only do what herr Hitler suggests they do, meaning their command structure is monolithic. If everywhere needs their attention, they will falter unless they create a grand battleplan. And plans are defeated by rapid flexibility. The more effort they need to counter you, the more work your allies can get done. Every man woman and child who raised a fist will be remembered by the moments that gave us grace to move socialism along. We know what time it is, do you? Come to us now, flee from your new masters. We'll give you a job that'll help us go faster. Or do you rather persist in vain? To fight for what they are forced to reclaim? Every island of blue in the deep red sea is a haven from the bloodshed - so long as you can keep them clean. If people are being a bother and just slowing things down, *fucking shoot them." you have my permission. What time is it? Time to fucking go. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────┘ --- #17 fediverse/3891 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────── "no, you're the opposite of a yes-man, AKA a gatekeeper. I don't know how else to explain mentally disabled and barely keeping it together to you, but frankly if you want to take away my house or my weed then why would I do what you say? ... oh right, the state's monopoly on violence [can compel me to do what you say]. Sure seems like a "well regulated militia" is supposed to be a counterweight to that monopoly, to prevent people from harassing and exploiting and destroying. Too bad any "militias" I can think of tend to want me dead. like, seriously, if you live in America, you implicitely trust that your army will be able to protect you from the right-wing bozos who spend all their time drinking and shooting in the woods. Otherwise, if they couldn't / wouldn't, then why wouldn't or couldn't the right wing bozos just decide to wreck everything in spite of our past? We were a proud people once before, and we may be again. If only we fight at the last. [ever since I fell off my bike my body feels strange] ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────┘ --- #18 messages/295 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────── The fact that the economy is harmed by kindness implies that the system that governs the economy is dysfunctional at best, and evil at worst. Every time you make a sandwich for a friend, that's one sandwich that isn't being bought at a deli, which means less dollars going to the owner of the deli, meaning (theoretically) fewer dollars going to buying sandwich ingredients or paying employees, which means less demand for sandwich ingredients potentially leading to loss of opportunities for the owners of the bread factories, meaning less capability to scale and increase their production powers, meaning less profit, which means less taxes, which means fewer guns sent overseas to despotic regimes like Israel (also, fewer to Ukraine, depending on if the reader is a Republican or Democrat teehee) which means less opportunities to test our weapon capabilities which means we won't be able to defend ourselves from external threats (on a planet we've conquered and currently dominate) which means we are less safe in our home territory since its slightly more likely that we might be invaded by the people we've created, people with hatred for our current regime... Though I don't fancy it falling, as if it does then it'll take most of us with it, I think you'll find. All because of your stupid act of kindness, all because of the way you helped your friend. The way that you showed how much you loved them, which transcended the capitalistically sanctioned methods of expressing your affection like buying a greeting card or buying flowers or buying that widget they wanted or buying a sandwich at a deli for your loved one. Stupid fucking communist can't you see that your heart is harming the people around you? Can't you see that community that does not consume is antithetical to our economy? Can't you see the economy is evil? I don't want to subsist on charity, there's never enough to go around because people will fight for those they love but only give a bit of free time to those they don't know. That's okay, it just implies that the structure of society must be designed without charity in mind, while still meeting the needs of those it comprises, Charity is for the extra, the part that elevates us bit by bit. As once a need is exceeded, it grows by that little bit. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────┘ --- #19 fediverse/4661 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────── ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: cursed-scary-ghost-posting-politics-genocide-gestured-at-cursing-mentioned │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ what if we took an archive of all of fedi and fed it to users who are hiding in bunkers or whatever one day at a time so they could still feel like they're part of society while ---- so ---- I think I should stop ya right there, if there's bunkers involved then we've already lost. "but muh transgender artifacts" fuck off, I will not concede. If society wants me to leave, then they can enjoy their dusty rotten future without me. See if I care. ---- so ---- hence, the curse. do you punish humans for the sins they commit, or do you teach them how to be good again? Bah, as if they'd listen. Stupid fucking apes. they're the best we got yeah, well, they can fuck off, I'm gonna pout for at least half an eternity. ... Okay it won't be that long but still, gimme some time to wind down. ---- so ---- and no, I refuse to elaborate for all the humans in the audience. This conversation may or may not have actually occurred. Monologue style ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────┘ --- #20 fediverse/4663 --- ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────┐ ║ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: cursing-mentioned-social-politics-mentioned │ │ ║ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ what if we helped all those people and never got paid for it? what then? │ ║ │ ║ we'd never help people again. duh. │ ║ │ ║ what if we paid people to help people? well, then the best helpers would burn │ ║ themselves out and the worst would collect their paychecks. │ ║ │ ║ what if we decentralized aid and made it a mutual thing? │ ║ │ ║ what, and run our society on clout? no thank you. clout is too easily │ ║ contravened. "I heard so-and-so did some-such-thing to that-one-guy" yeah fuck │ ║ that guy "wait no fuck so-and-so" oh right sorry it's hard when everyone's so │ ║ vague all the time. yeah fuck so-and-so! let's burn all her clout in a bonfire │ ║ while she's sleeping! │ ║ │ ║ what if we treated people with respect and goodwill? │ ║ │ ║ yeah that's a start... Means you gotta know everyone though. Or know someone │ ║ who knows everyone. And suddenly it's that hub person's reputation on the │ ║ line, which means if you're a dick on their recommendation then they'll come │ ║ after you. │ ║ │ ║ ... are you trying to create a mafia, or a society? │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────┴──────────┘ |