Bernie Sanders, the Justice Democrats, the Working Families Party, and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are a failed experiment.

We need an independent grassroots movement by and for the working class.

Check out Workers Strike Back.

For those interested:

We need to build an organized, unified movement of working people to systematically take on the rich who run society, and to undermine their ability to rule. Our goal must be to both fight for radical change in the present and to bring down the billionaires and their system. There is no other path to avoid total disaster for human civilization and the planet.

Working people need to be clear about who our enemies are. Our enemies are not other working-class or middle-class people, immigrants, the poor, Muslims, trans people, ordinary Republican or Democratic voters, nor independent voters or nonvoters. Our enemies are those who make millions or billions of dollars a year, own the politicians, own the land and resources, and who call the shots in this system. Our enemies are also those who justify and protect the interests of the rich.

The billionaires themselves are fully responsible for the disasters engulfing us — Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, the healthcare CEOs, the major shareholders on Wall Street. It is not some collective “we” or “human nature” which is responsible; it’s the rich who put their profits ahead of everything and everyone. We need to end the billionaire class and their system once and for all.^[1]

Sad, but true.

Not Just Bikes informed many about city planning.

By forcing your citizens to die for profit?

These endless wars will continue, since money has to be made, and corporations and oligarchs have a lot of sway when it comes to foreign policy.

The next war my country’s oligarchs and corporations are pushing for is with Iran and China; the duopoly is owned and funded by these corporations and oligarchs.

I am against conscripts.

We must always be highly critical of those with power, money, and influence; especially governments and politicians (and the oligarchs that control/sway them).

I have known about those videos being posted on twitter.

I shared some of them last year, it is great that people are escaping the echo cambers we created for ourselves!

“I was playing heroines, but in real life I wasn’t earning a living,” said Shibata, now 60. These days, she also works as a home organizer, helping people de-clutter. “Voice acting as a profession just doesn’t pay,” she said.

Even in a country where a culture of overwork permeates a wide range of businesses, the anime industry is notorious for the grueling hours that workers put in. Animators in their early 20s earn less than 2 million yen ($12,948) a year, according to industry data, compared with over 3 million yen for a person of a similar age living in Tokyo. That’s less than half of what US entry-level animators earn, websites like Glassdoor show. Creative workers also complain of late and uncertain payments.

Some, though, sense change is afoot. A working group for the United Nations Human Rights Council last year called out Japan’s anime industry for its poor treatment of workers, along with cases of sexual violence and harassment in the country’s entertainment business. In a May report, the group referred to “excessively long working hours” and low pay, as well as a disregard for creative workers’ intellectual property rights.

Acknowledging such worries, lawmakers passed a new law that took effect in November to boost protections for freelance workers. Late last month, regulatory officials at Japan’s Fair Trade Commission launched a study on labor practices within the anime industry and invited workers to submit complaints.

Once considered a geeky, so-called otaku obsession, anime is now considered mainstream. In 2020, when the pandemic brought Hollywood production to a halt, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train topped global box office sales at over $470 million. In Japan, around 400 anime titles are now produced for TV and theaters every year, attracting dedicated fans who go on to buy related merchandise. The genre’s popularity among global streaming audiences has also prompted a flurry of acquisitions. Sony, which bought anime streaming service Crunchyroll in 2021, became the largest shareholder of anime publisher Kadokawa Corp. in an alliance announced late last year. Movie producing and distributing company Toho Co. bought US-based anime distributor Gkids Inc. for an undisclosed amount to strengthen the Japanese firm’s US reach.

That later evolved into the current system in which studios work within budgets set by powerful committees of publishers, toymakers and businesses which finance the series and share royalties. Production companies outsource work to small anime studios and voice actors’ agencies, which in turn hire even smaller companies and freelancers. This helps companies work on multiple series at once and mitigate any potential losses. As a result, revenue is spread thinly, and it can take months for compensation to filter through to illustrators and voice actors.

Actors often wait six months or longer to get paid, according to Nobunari Neyoshi, who until last year ran a voice actor agency alongside his sound-production business for a decade. “Violations of subcontracting laws are rampant,” said 47-year-old Neyoshi, adding that sometimes actors don’t get paid at all. He closed his voice-acting business due to poor sales.

Workers are also often employed over the phone or via messaging apps without formal contracts, leaving it unclear how much, or even whether, they’ll get paid. “It’s common across the industry to be asked to start working on something even before any paperwork is done,” said Aina Sugisawa, a 24-year-old trainee at Tokyo-based studio TMS Entertainment Co., part of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. and known for hit series like Detective Conan.

Unlike in Hollywood where a strike by screenwriters and performers brought movie and TV production to a halt in 2023, the majority of Japanese voice actors and illustrators don’t belong to labor unions. Numako, the former union official, says he’s always struggled to convince colleagues to join him.

The new law on freelancers forces companies to provide written contracts, including details on pay, to all workers. Businesses are now prohibited from demanding extra work without promising additional pay and are also required to pay workers within 60 days. The government is stepping up surveillance, and regulators are also inviting workers to blow the whistle on law-breaking activity.

One underlying problem, industry insiders say, has been the sheer number of people willing to endure poor conditions just to be involved in an art form they’ve loved since childhood. Breaking into the industry is still highly competitive; manga and anime illustrators regularly rank among the top dream professions of school children. Some blame themselves for their lack of financial success: there’s always a more senior job to aspire to. Key frame animators are responsible for drawing crucial images at the start and end of major scenes and earn more than those drawing sequences in between. With skills and experience, they can also move on to better-paid jobs including directors. But such senior roles are few. The field of voice acting can be even more competitive.

Shrinking demographics and technological innovation including AI are also seen bringing change — as well as an existential challenge. Japan Research Institute expects a labor shortage among anime illustrators, estimating their number to decline to roughly 5,600 by 2030 from around 6,200 in 2019. Production studios have already been turning to overseas labor, with Toei Animation sending 70% of its animation work to a branch in the Philippines, even though crucial processes remain in Japan. Many fear that AI will replace jobs, particularly at the entry level, turning away younger artists.

Real change, though, will require workers to act rather than expecting laws to protect them automatically, said Yasunari Yamada, a lawyer with expertise in freelance work. “Freelancers need to recognize that they’re business operators, and take action if they think something’s wrong,” he said.

Some are starting to speak up. Shibata, the voice actor, recently learned that a video game using her voice was reissued a few years ago without paying her royalties. After decades of work under her belt, including key roles in popular series like Saint Seiya, a story about mystical warriors, she complained, prompting the publisher to agree to a payment.

“People have just been clinging to whatever job they get, because if you say something negative you’re put out to pasture,” she said. “Everyone’s been putting up with it.”

FYI:

This was posted by a new account, around 9 mins old.

This is the first post they made. No comments, yet.

“I’m Gonna Miss Her” is a single released by Brad Paisley as the second single off of his album Part II. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country songs chart.

The song describes a man who goes fishing a lot. He is confronted by his wife at home after one of the fishing trips where she tells him that he has to choose between her or the fishing. The song then describes how Brad is “gonna miss her”, the listener can then figure out that Brad choose fishing over his wife.

According to a 2004 issue of Country Weekly magazine, Brad said he co-wrote the song with Frank Rogers in high school during a talent contest where he decided to write a comedy song instead of the ballads he was writing prior.^[1]

Advocacy group America’s Voice believes that U.S. rural and agricultural regions will likely be the hardest hit by Trump’s immigration policies, which threaten mass detention and deportation of millions.

Border Patrol agents in unmarked vehicles have allegedly been carrying out racially profiled raids in California’s agricultural center after stalking immigrants outside stores, CalMatters reports.

Estimates suggest that between 400,000-800,000 people are farmworkers in California, which is responsible for about 13% percent of the country’s agricultural production value that is worth more than $25 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA estimated that between 2020-2022 about 32% of crop farmworkers were U.S. born, 7% were immigrants who had obtained citizenship, 19% were authorized immigrants, mostly permanent residents or green-card holders and the remaining 42% were unauthorized to work. The majority of these workers have Latino backgrounds.

The AV report noted how anti-immigrant crackdowns in the past decade have led to devastating impacts for farms, such as crop rot, across several states, including Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

"The unmarked cars, the racial profiling, abusive harassment, and wide dragnets are likely just the tip of the spear of the incoming administration and the signs are unmistakable: there are ‘enemy invaders’ within threatening everything ‘real Americans’ hold dear, and the federal government will be interested in critical oversight in how local officials deal with the ‘enemy.’

It warns, "The tone and culture they set will be just as important as the policies they begin to implement. As individual law enforcement and vigilantes feel empowered to take drastic action with little concern for consequences or oversight, our situation could get out of hand quickly and mass family separations will likely begin again. And, as we saw, the impacts will be felt by families, communities, businesses – and, frankly, all of us.

True, thanks for clarifying!

login anonymously

What does this mean?

Is it similar to Chrome’s “Incognito” mode?

Damn, Aurora is linked to google and you need to login to get apks, unlike F-Droid.

Aurora Store enables you to search and download apps from the official Google Play store. You can check app descriptions, screenshots, updates, reviews, and download the APK directly from Google Play to your device. To use Aurora Store, you need to have a Google Play account, and log in to your Google Play account when you first open and configure Aurora Store.

(Alternatively Aurora Store also allow you to login anonymously)

Unlike a traditional app store, Aurora Store does not own, license or distribute any apps. All the apps, app descriptions, screenshots and other content in Aurora Store are directly accessed, downloaded and/or displayed from Google Play.

Aurora Store works exactly like a door or a browser, allowing you to log in to your Google Play account and find the apps from Google Play.

Please note that Aurora Store does not have any approval, sponsorship or authorization from Google, Google Play, any apps downloaded through Aurora Store or any app developers; neither does Aurora Store have any affiliation, cooperation or connection with them.

F-Droid is cool, but limited with apks.

https://f-droid.org/

F-Droid is an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform. The client makes it easy to browse, install, and keep track of updates on your device.

Yes, this is just another policy that hinders the working class, the duopoly does like their police state.

Anyone have any thoughts on APKPure as an alternative?

The shot is at a steep angle where it hits the helmet, ricocheting. You can see another hole a few inches back from the initial ricochet.

Saving Private Ryan - Lucky bastard! | 00:11 | https://youtu.be/bTmQA4DKYkg

Is The US Army’s New Helmet a Complete Disaster? The IHPS | 18:17 | https://youtu.be/SwDoWSkiGZ4

Notable comment:

@nurse-dude | 1 year ago

Another fantastic demonstration of how a ballistic helmet’s primary function is NOT protection from rifle/pistol rounds but rather a secondary function. They are primarily designed to protect from shrapnel and blunt force trauma.

Since emerging in America from seemingly out of the blue in 2020, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has become one of the trans-Atlantic establishment’s most effective tools for censoring online speech. Its founder, Imran Ahmed, has nurtured close ties with the Biden White House since moving to Washington DC, targeting its political enemies with calls for their removal from social media. Back in his hometown of London, Ahmed was an influential advisor to the neoliberal wing of UK Labour, helping sabotage the leftist insurgency of Jeremy Corbyn and place his ally, Keir Starmer, in charge of the party.

Ahmed has been embroiled in controversy since journalists Paul D. Thacker and Matt Taibbi published internal CCDH documents showing he held private meetings with influential Democratic lawmakers throughout 2024 to advance a plan to “kill Elon Musk’s Twitter.” The billionaire Twitter/X owner and his allies in president-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle retaliated by accusing the British operative of violating laws against foreign interference in American politics.

However, internal CCDH emails obtained by The Grayzone reveal that while Ahmed nurtures ties to the Labour government in Britain, the self-styled “anti-hate” campaigner also enjoys a secret, “collaborative” relationship with a rogue foreign government whose leadership currently stands accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice, and is wanted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

In an email dated June 12, 2024, Ahmed thanked Efrat Hochstetler, the Public Diplomacy Counselor of the Israeli Embassy in the US, for his “continued support of [CCHD’s] work.” He then introduced himself to Marco Sermoneta, Israel’s consul general in San Francisco, to “emphasize the importance of our collaborative efforts in combating hate and lies online.”

Ahmed appears to enjoy a working relationship with at least one figure who fits this mold. He is Trevor Chinn, a multi-millionaire British auto industry baron who is a top funder of Israel lobby activities in the UK.

As Paul D. Thacker and Matt Taibbi revealed, Ahmed emailed Chinn on June 4, 2024 – one day after he met with the Israeli embassy’s Hasson and Hochstetler – to set up a rendezvous. Copied on the email was Louise Jacobs, a British Zionist activist who serves on the Board of Governors of the Israeli government-controlled Jewish Agency for Israel.

Posing as a grassroots “social movement” composed of anonymous citizens concerned with misinformation, Ahmed’s group successfully knee-capped one of the most popular pro-Corbyn, antiwar outlets, The Canary UK, by organizing a boycott of its advertisers.

In 2021, CCDH registered as a non-profit in the US, and its founder settled down just a few blocks from the US Capitol in Washington DC with his new American wife. He quickly homed in on the enemies of the Biden White House, branding influential critics of its Covid restrictions as “The Disinformation Dozen,” and earning a shout-out from then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki as she successfully clamored for Facebook to ban their accounts.

CCDH’s report relied on the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA)’s notoriously expansive definition of antisemitism, which equates condemnation of Israel’s discriminatory system of apartheid with hatred of Jews. Among the examples of antisemitism listed by the IHRA is, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.” The definition has been exploited so rampantly by the Israel lobby, that its author, Ken Stern, complained that “right-wing Jews are weaponizing” his work.

Ahmed has made no secret of his far-reaching censorship objectives. He has disclosed to journalists his “five-year plan” to demonetize any content creator who engages in what CCDH defines as “hate speech.” As his report attacking pro-Palestine Facebook groups makes clear, he sees little distinction between expressions of “hate” and advocacy for the rights of Palestinians living under siege and bombardment.

What Ahmed has failed to tell the public is that his crusade to censor and punish online Palestine solidarity activism is an outcome of his secret collaboration with the state of Israel – and that it may have been financially incentivized by the Israeli government as well.

Wow, awesome!

If interested, you should look into the billionaires that own a good amount of California water, and the politicians that help them.

Videos:

More Perfect Union, 08:08: https://lemmy.world/post/24266937

Sabby Sabs, 33:29: https://lemmy.world/post/24258142

Briahna Joy Gray, 30:26: https://lemmy.world/post/24260706

TIL

YOU CAN’T CUT BACK ON FUNDING! YOU WILL REGRET THIS! is a catchphrase originating from the video game Sim City 2000, where it is shouted towards the player (the mayor) by the transportation advisor if he attempts to cut transit funding.

While it isn’t the character’s name, he is sometimes referred to as “Norm” due to his similar appearance to Norm Abram of This Old House.[9]^[1]

This Old House, The New Yankee Workshop, and Ask This Old House are great shows to learn DIY skills!

For those interested in Norm:

On May 19, 2022, it was announced that after 43 years, Abram would retire from the show. A one hour special titled The House that Norm Built aired online and on PBS stations on October 3, 2022, surveying his career with the program.[11][12]

In 1988, Morash planned to launch a spinoff of This Old House called The New Yankee Workshop, featuring Abram. They needed a convenient place to videotape, and used the shop in the small building that Abram built in 1979 in Morash’s backyard.[10] The shop’s layout and equipment were expanded and adapted to match Abram’s preferences, in a space measuring 36 by 26 feet (11.0 by 7.9 m).[13][14] The New Yankee Workshop was first aired in 1989 with Abram as the host.[4] The program showcased furniture or other projects and emphasized classic, elegant designs, made using a combination of simple handtools and newer power tools and equipment.[4] The show aired for 21 seasons on PBS, then was suspended indefinitely as Abram decided to focus on other projects.[10][15][16]

He has also contributed to efforts to train younger students in the building trades, such as the Generation NEXT apprenticeship program.[10]

More recently, he bought a new old house in Rhode Island near the coast, where he plans to build a new woodworking shop, and he is also interested in learning shipbuilding.[16][23]^[2]

He is still going strong, yt video 3 days ago:

Website: https://www.newyankee.com/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@newyankeeworkshop

Edit: fixed last quote, and fixed second citation format

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-brazil-launches-war-crimes-probe-into-visiting-idf-soldier/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-soldier-who-escaped-war-crimes-investigation-in-brazil-arrives-in-israel/

Source: Anadolu Agency

Here is a link, interview, Opinion: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/opinion/interview-brazil-s-bid-to-prosecute-israeli-soldier-challenging-israeli-war-crimes-through-universal-jurisdiction/3444958

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-soldiers-arrest-abroad-war-crimes-gaza-idf-brazil-rcna186335

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israeli-soldier-flees-brazil-amid-investigation-war-crimes-gaza

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/world/middleeast/israeli-soldiers-on-vacation-are-being-investigated-for-war-crimes-in-gaza.html

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-01-05-2024-43f582190c0fac0896d3e1c547747047

Pro-Genocide update, Brazil:

https://jpost.com/international/article-836966

Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro played a pivotal role in securing the dismissal of war crimes allegations against Israeli soldier Yuval Vagdani, who returned to Israel on Wednesday after Brazilian authorities officially closed the investigation.

Here is a different case, this time in Sweden:

Anti-Genocide update:

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/critical-opportunity-israeli-soldier-faces-war-crimes-complaint-in-sweden/

Evidence submitted includes photographs, videos, and witness testimonies, “corroborated by reports from international human rights organizations and reputable journalists.”

According to the organization, Ben David posted images of himself on March 1, 2024, using a sniper rifle in Gaza City. Witness accounts and journalistic reports indicate that civilians, including women and children, were killed in these operations, it said.

It is more about having higher standards for politicians instead of being apologists and celebrity worshipers of them.

We must always be highly critical of those with power and influence, especially the duopoly.

Thanks, you made me look into her a bit; it seems her merchandise is produced in questionable ways (similar to the status quo, so as to maximize profit), not too much information though:

There’s a reason why Taylor Swift’s merchandise is made in Honduras, and not to mention that she’s a notorious carbon polluter with her total flight emissions for 2022 at 8,293.54 tonnes or 1,184.8 times more than the average person’s total annual emissions^[1]

While many speculate that Swift’s merchandise is unethically manufactured in Honduras, her collaboration with UMG seems to dispel these rumors. In their “Modern Slavery Statement” from 2023, UMG holds that they’re adamant about “preventing slavery, human trafficking,” and other unethical labor forms within their distribution centers.

While many forgive Swift for her seemingly “detached” role in the merchandising process, others hold her accountable. “Taylor is a good role model… but her merch roll-outs can be ‘fast fashion-ish’,” one Reddit contributor said. “I don’t trust those ‘modern slavery statements.’ Artists like Billie Eilish and Lorde seem to be more involved in making sustainable and ethical merch. Taylor seems to be using polyester and labels made in low-wage countries — I find the lack of transparency alarming.”^[2]

Skepticism of fans is not without reason, as Tiktok users voice their concerns about the lack of information on how Swift’s merchandise is sourced. Tiktok user and Swift fan @Hailey commented, “I don’t love that a good portion of her money comes from merch. Like we don’t need eight copies of the same exact thirteen songs. Wasteful!” Additional comments cited the lack of transparency around who is making the merch, what compensation the workers receive and what the working conditions are like.^[3]

“The ultimate test of a society’s freedom is not how it treats its good, obedient, compliant citizens; it’s how it treats its dissidents.” - Glenn Greenwald

In his own words:

Independent, Unencumbered Analysis and Investigative Reporting, Captive to No Dogma or Faction.

He criticizes the duopoly and the oligarchy, but I know those loyal to the duopoly tend to become tribal if people don’t outright support one side and hate the other.

Glenn has proven himself as a journalist with his reporting of Edward Snowden and much more.

He does not fall into simplistic political groups, so I understand the frustration some political factions have with people like him.

Which people do you recommend if Glenn Greenwald does not meet your standards?