• 2 Posts
  • 841 Comments
Joined 10 months ago
Cake day: September 12th, 2023
  • TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zonetoNews@lemmy.world•'I'm not leaving': Biden expands effort to tamp down calls to step aside
    123·
    15 hours ago

    Most of the people I hear who are bothered by Biden’s chances aren’t talking about Trump’s policies, age or lack of cognitive ability not because they support Trump, quite the opposite. They are scared of a second Trump presidency and are scared that the DNC will drop the ball again, fumble the election by sticking with a poorly liked candidate and they’ll have to suffer the consequences of America veering headfirst towards fascism. There’s no point to mentioning Trump’s similar or more dire issues, because he was never an option to them to begin with.

    I don’t have faith that the DNC actually cares about the looming threat of fascism, the threat to civil liberties, etc, I think they saw how much in donations they got during the last Trump presidency and the surge in popularity even their most milquetoast center left candidates got and they think they can ride the wave for 4 years.

    Bidens admin has done a lot of good and the DNC has been dogshit at demonstrating that with effective messaging. He’s also done a lot of things I find abhorrent and in a just world, neither candidate should be eligible as they’d be locked away in The Hague. But that isn’t the case, this is America, and I think the powers that be are willing to risk the election to save face.

  • TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zonetoAsk Lemmy@lemmy.world•If you could create a new religion, what would you include to make it wholesome, interesting and helpful for the world?
    3·
    2 days ago

    For some people, it’s important to have rules!! Of course you need the standard social construct rules, but the less necessary ones are important too. I think they give structure and consistency to people, so even if they’re arbitrary, it fulfils that need and as long as isn’t disruptive to society, I don’t see the harm. Plus, knowing someone also follows the same rules, rituals and holidays you do gives you instant rapport with them, so it aids in building a sense of community. Polite people outside of the new religion will also be curious and interested in hearing about these rules/rituals and whatever reasoning could uphold them, and the followers likely will enjoy explaining them, so this helps them build friendships outside of the religious group as well.

    Tho it’s crucial that others aren’t ostracized for not following the more arbitrary ones and that those that do follow them don’t feel any actionable feelings of superior devotion or what-not. I think you can ostracize people who violate rules that relate to already well established social constructs (theft, murder, etc), but not the more frivolous restrictions and behavioral requirements we’d invent here.

  • TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zonetoAsk Lemmy@lemmy.world•If you could create a new religion, what would you include to make it wholesome, interesting and helpful for the world?
    14·
    2 days ago

    The most fun parts of religion are the camaraderie and intricate, abstracted rituals that used to serve one purpose but now serve a different, often symbolic one.

    So lots of that. Spaced out throughout the year as to give followers a way of marking the passing of time and a reason to call out of work at regular intervals.

    Oh, let’s toss in a lil religious specific language to aid as a group identifier and how about some arbitrary rules/guidelines that aren’t strictly enforced and vary by region but give those rules loving peoples something to grab onto.

    Oh oh oh and unique cuisine! Food goods made in certain ways at certain times, with some slight variation so followers could have techniques and recipes to share and mild, inconsequential things to disagree and hold frivolous, memetic arguments about.

    The details don’t really matter all that much, as long as it can serve as a way to find community and camaraderie in new places, reinforce solidarity with your fellow humans, and give some rituals for timekeeping and distraction from modern life.