How is kindness a bad thing? I thought that was universally agreed to be a good message to have in a piece of media. I guess the excuse is they don’t want media to have messages at all but like, how would you even have a movie where the hero has no values that they stand for?

  • @[email protected]
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    1065 days ago

    For all the right wingers who think woke, pro immigrant superman is a new concept, reminder that this is a poster from the 1950s

    • @[email protected]
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      84 days ago

      Interestingly enough zero black people depicted, or any other races but white - just one dude with a dark orange complexion like the Mango Mussolini.

      • @[email protected]
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        144 days ago

        from this article:

        Another story from 1953 called “People are People” has a Black youngster holding off an escaped lion until Superman can capture the animal. The owner of the circus the lion has escaped from wants to congratulate a white boy for his (nonexistent) heroism until Superman points out that the heroic young man was Black, and that the circus owner only wanted to congratulate the white boy because he was prejudiced.

        • @[email protected]
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          44 days ago

          Agreed, but ‘ethnicity’ means something else, closer to ‘national origin’ mentioned on the poster. All the white people pictured may well be of different ethnicities, for example. ‘Ancestries’, perhaps? ‘Different skin color’?

        • @[email protected]
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          44 days ago

          But it’s three syllables shorter! That’s like 75% of the syllables. Won’t you think of the savings?

        • @[email protected]
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          24 days ago

          Yeah you got the crux of the problem here! Let‘s correct people that are saying the same with a bit of arrogance to have a dopamine kick and then let’s make a fight about this so we are pushing the other person away

          God why everything has to be so divisive these days?!

  • @[email protected]
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    4 days ago

    Cause Americans are obsessed with Rugged Individualism.

    If you are in trouble, you don’t accept help, much less ask for it. You pull yourself up by your bootstraps and turn your fortunes around with grit and determination using nothing more than the loose change in your pocket.

    Thats how anyone that needs help became nothing more than social parasites leeching off the rugged individualistic success of their betters.

    Thats why Americans, on the whole, have all but erased empathy and good will towards others.

    Its why 1/3rd of the country actively votes for weak, pathetic fascists who poorly playact as strongmen. Its why 1/3rd of the country didnt bother voting, because they have no problem with fasciatic strongmen punishing the weak and the other.

    The New Religion of the American Orthodoxy is basically “Fuck you, Got Mine”.

    • @[email protected]
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      4 days ago

      Hyper-individualism is a much more modern idea that may have its roots in our founding but it was exploited by capitalism during the post-war financial boom last century.

      Before we had media showing us “how it should be” families lived together throughout their lives, communities helped each other and American towns pulled together and helped each other in a variety of ways. The whole idea of single-family homes was invented by the housing industry to get people to buy three to four times as many homes. To sell this they started leaning harder into the idea that you’re the protagonist, you specifically, you are special just for being American, you are special for wanting your own things (that are advertised to you) and so on.

      And before industrialized America and throughout the last several hundred MILLENNIA we were a communal species, it’s why we have so much contradictory hard-wiring that influences how we feel about our social standing, about other people’s feelings towards us, why there are so many people who latch onto authoritarians and fear strangers. These are ideas that run in direct opposition to “rugged individualism” and they are clear signs we’re not living the way we’ve been designed by literally millions of years of evolution.

      Capitalism has pried apart the very fabric of our species and weaponized it.

      • @[email protected]
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        34 days ago

        You’re reciting history through rose colored glasses. The whole American dream has been to come here get some land of your own and go do your own thing.

        • @[email protected]
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          24 days ago

          There’s nothing “rosey” about the struggles of pioneering communities in early European settlement in the Americas, nor in the way that people pretty much had to shelter together for the last million years before America’s founding, my well-agreed on thesis is that community is how our species has survived and the idea of single-family homes and individualism is not only a new thing in our history but antithetical to our very nature as a species, which is why “social death” is a mentally and physically harmful condition that we’re all vulnerable to.

          The “American Dream” was for people to make their own way, and at the time it was groups of people who settled and built communities, it was the drive for wealth along with the sudden vast tracts of land that came with America that encouraged people to start spreading out into single-family homes and leaving one’s community or family system. If you curl your lip at the idea of staying with your family through your life, that’s understandable, but that’s because families and our perceptions of family has changed. It’s not something easily reversible nor am I making a prescriptive statement, I am describing how things have changed and if I were to prescribe anything at all, it’s that we need to work harder at renormalizing actual socializing, at making and preserving friend groups so we learn and understand emotional intelligence, so challenge ourselves to new ideas and re-learn compromise and compassion, something not just missing from the worst people, but broadly through all ends of the political spectrum. Understanding that our current state of loneliness and depression and anxiety is not a natural part of our lives is an important fact that we can’t lose.

          We are not living how we’ve been adapted by hundreds of thousands of years of evolution and it’s having profound impact on our collective mental health, and it’s allowing the atomization of our political perspectives to disastrous consequence.

  • missingno
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    1036 days ago

    Propaganda is powerful. You convince your followers that some classes of people don’t deserve kindness, you convince them that everything out of Hollywood is part of a leftist agenda, and once they believe both of those statements it’s very easy to spin this as further proof of the narrative they’ve already bought into.

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        4 days ago

        I disagree. Every person on this earth deserves happiness, and to avoid suffering. They also deserve kindnesa. That, however, does NOT mean they can do whatever they want. “Hey fascist, you do not get to tell people that kindness is bad” is not an unkind statement. You can have boundaries while still being kind. I really don’t believe we’re ever going to win the fight against fascism with more hate. Hate breeds hates. Kill them with kinds is a saying for a reason. If you tell a hateful person that you love them in spite of their hate, they don’t know what to do. They want people to hurt because they are hurt. If you accept their hurt, they will stop trying to hurt you (disclaimer this isn’t always black and white for each individual person, this is a philosophy that applies to humanity)

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          4 days ago

          You’re just ignorantly wrong on that one. Way to completely fail to learn the lessons of MLK Jr. A person very much interested in being kind to others.

          "He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”

          and many other quotes with a similar glint. How was his kindness rewarded? (hint: he was murdered in front of his own house) Evil people DO NOT deserve kindness. Even Jesus went whipping up on shitheads trying to turn a profit in the church.

          Only a complete fool willing to sit by and watch the world burn allows terrible people to march around with torches to set things alight.

    • chingadera
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      256 days ago

      I’m just baffled because not only is it way easier to not hate people, it’s way more beneficial for everyone.

      These people are taking two mile hikes to find the perfect deer shit to shove down their throats.

        • chingadera
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          6 days ago

          That’s fully understood, we’re talking about propaganda, and I’m talking about who that propaganda affects.

          You’re not wrong though at all. Arm yourself, convince anyone you can to do the same.

          Only war is class war and I aim to win this bitch

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        95 days ago

        If you haven’t, I highly recommend reading “Superman Smashes the Klan.” An all-timer, based on a radio story from 1946, which was honestly its own kind of ballsy.

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    1526 days ago

    Superman fighting the klan didn’t work because adults laughed at their hand signs and shit that were disclosed…

    It’s because it got a generation of kids to see the klan as the bad guys

    If Superman hated you, how the fuck were you going to indoctrinate your kid into the klan?

    That’s why they’re always bitching about media. The people doing it are ignorant, but the ones telling them what to be mad about it are picking logical targets to fufil longterm goals.

    It’s why fighting fascism is like losing weight, you can’t reach a goal and stop giving a fuck, it’s a lifestyle.

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      6 days ago

      It’s why fighting fascism is like losing weight, you can’t reach a goal and stop giving a fuck, it’s a lifestyle.

      Can confirm. 330lbs I said “I’ll reach 320.”

      At 320 I said I’ll reach 310.

      At 310 I said 300.

      At 300 I said 290.

      Then 280.

      Then 270.

      Then 260.

      Then 250.

      Then 240.

      I went back up to 250. Oh no no no no no. Fuck that shit. I’m going to see 240. And when I do, it’ll set my sights on 230.

      And when I see 230, I will hug someone. Because that will be 100lb.

      Which means I’ll look to 220.

      And then 210.

      And 200.

      I don’t know where my weight loss journey ends. I don’t know when I’ll feel at a healthy weight.

      I just know I hope my journey brings me to a day when I get to punch a nazi.

      Because nazi lives DON’T matter!

      • chingadera
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        226 days ago

        You’re gonna do it brudduh, don’t stop bettering yourself :)

        • @[email protected]
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          105 days ago

          The horrible thing about it all is that saying you should always punch Nazis was an uncontroversial statement even as recently as three years ago.

          The only reason it’s now considered a terroristic threat is because powerful figures have started openly identifying with fascism.

          We need to be saying it more, not less.

      • @[email protected]
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        146 days ago

        Well. Your journey took real strength. Ain’t that something? Keep fighting the good fight.

      • 𞋴𝛂𝛋𝛆
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        6 days ago

        Just don’t think of it as a diet or oppressive. Make it a lifestyle. I’m still around 220 after 11 years of mostly stuck in bed. 16 years ago I was 350. A part of me wishes I was still 190 at 7%, but it is super hard for me to get that low. I just don’t have that kind of pain tolerance to deal with being light headed and hungry 24/7 while counting calories, eating constantly, but never meals or more than a few bites of dry salad or chicken. Without racing and riding like 400+ miles a week, I’m just not that kind of motivated. I’d much rather be lazy and eat meals with way too many calories at once but still far fewer than most people. I have no desire to binge or eat processed food of any kind any more. Avoiding dairy has also been super helpful too because that is a good excuse to avoid most junk people make, fast food, or restaurants the few chances I ever get.

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    5 days ago

    I like the Nathan Fillion comment during some red carpet interview when the interviewer was trying to egg him into saying something that would get rage clicks from one side or the other of the current political trash fire.

    “its just a movie guys”

    Superman was not a brooding edge lord until Snyder’s take outside of specific story runs, and it is obvious that a lot of people don’t know that.

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        175 days ago

        I so want a sequel to the sing along blog.

        Dr Horrible has become obsessed with reviving Penny by turning back time. He doesn’t care how many people need to die, because he believes he can “fix” things. But the risk of time travel is the destruction of the universe…

        Captain Hammer, now knowing what pain is, has two choices, grow and overcome the pain, or continue to hide away…

        And Penny. The multiple zombies, and clones, and computer simulations of Penny that were never “right”. Well, she too has her parts to play.

  • @[email protected]
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    6 days ago

    People angry that Superman represents kindness

    Do these people exist? Is it just one troll, or a significant enough of a population to even give the slightest bit of thought?

    • @[email protected]
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      396 days ago

      I frequent dive bars. I have met plenty of people who believe in kindness, and love, and Jesus and shit - but not for immigrants, not for non-white people, not for criminals of any level. I straight up have had these people say this to my non-white face and then say, “oh but you don’t count because you have a job” or “you don’t count because you aren’t a drug addict”. Etc. etc.

      These people suck fucking dick and I want them all to die.

      It’s fucking ironic too when these same people talk about smoking weed, or stealing from big box stores self-checkouts, or vandalizing some dude’s car.

      “Rules for thee, not for me.”

      I read local obituaries solely to celebrate when I see some of these people die.

    • @[email protected]
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      546 days ago

      Look at how many Americans would voluntarily die themselves just to prevent “unworthy” people from getting free health care.

      These people exist.

    • @[email protected]
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      276 days ago

      I’ve met countless people who hate morals and will tell you you’re an idiot if you treat other humans as equals

        • @[email protected]
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          55 days ago

          Business school and working at large corps. You inevitably meet a lot of those trump and tate wannabes

        • @[email protected]
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          24 days ago

          yes way. I have seen it with my own father. And the saddest part is they got this from religious rightwing media and have never ever interacted or had an opportunity to interact with the out-group that they are told to fear. Oh and, I am not from the 1st world. This shit is everywhere.

    • chingadera
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      106 days ago

      It’s one guy making the propaganda right now, but I assure you, in a week, everyone in your family that you try not to talk to will be spouting this horseshit.

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    516 days ago

    I really don’t know how to convince people they should care about others.

    I don’t know how to teach empathy.

    • @[email protected]
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      55 days ago

      By exercising it at a young age in public schools.

      And judging those without more harshly.

    • @[email protected]
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      6 days ago

      A few slaps on the butt (assisted by a carpet beater when the occasion demands it) will usually do it. At least that’s how my mom did it with us.

      “You! Have! To be! Good! To! Your! Sister/neighbor/dog!”

      (EDIT: /s if not clear)

    • @[email protected]
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      35 days ago

      That’s the thing, isn’t it? You either have empathy, or you are the other species. The one that can’t comprehend that there is anything wrong with them, but the world would be better off without them.

      • @[email protected]
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        175 days ago

        Empathy can absolutely develop over time. This rhetoric is not useful. Even dumb fucking right wing pieces of shit feel empathy when their in-group is affected.

        If hate can be learned so can empathy, what you’re suggesting is dehumanizing

        • @[email protected]
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          55 days ago

          Empathy can be developed over time by MOST people.

          Also, performative empathy can be developed.

          But then ALSO, anti empathy seems to be developing in society? Which is wild.

        • @[email protected]
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          55 days ago

          I am absolutely with you.

          Also people should learn the difference between empathy and sympathy, the latter not as fatiguing and difficult to develop and often more useful.

        • @[email protected]
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          85 days ago

          Well, I have neither empathy or sympathy for those anymore. They dehumanized me first, after all.

          • @[email protected]
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            I’m with you brother. They have dehumanized so much they are no longer human themselves. Right wing ideology is subhuman ideology, in all forms.

            This includes liberals.

      • @[email protected]
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        75 days ago

        Oh fuck off would ya? Every time I test my empathy, I am basically shown to be simply unemphatetic. Doesn’t make me a monster - simply instead of feeling something is wrong, I have to think shit through.

        And trust me, it’s even easier that way. Would I like someone to kick me? Maim me? Deport me? Does the net good outweight both the general consequence and the consequence for the other party? No? Then don’t fucking do it. Whether I like other party doesn’t take part in the process, which isn’t true for empathy.

    • @[email protected]
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      24 days ago

      There’s an underlying care instinct that needs to be activated. Its emotional; you can’t explain it, they have to experience it… There was a post years ago supposedly describing the empathic awakening of a white supremacist, which occurred as he was waiting to harm or harass a father and son on a bus, and the moment of awakening happened as he witnessed the father expressing his love for his son and something clicked for him, probably because he wanted that sort of affection from his dad and never got it.

  • @[email protected]
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    I have a theory of society that is 30-30-30 based around a narcissistic spectrum. 30% of the population at any given time is narcissistic to some extent. They are conceited in their interactions with society.

    We live in a time of decline. This is creating stress throughout the population. How people react to this stress shows their true character. The narcissistic leaning people, during these times of stress, look for scapegoats. If we just eliminate these types of people, we can go back to the good times. They are the fascists throughout history. When fascism and mindless violence rises during times of decline, it is due to this latent population, which is always there but only activated by the stress of decline.

    The other groups are the 30% who are altruistic and cooperative. They interact with society by seeing what can be built by all and the value of different types of people. They have won the day too throughout history, but a society the averts disaster by coming together and rebuilding is just a society that continued to be successful. They are little noted as they do not bring the great calamities and destruction that get written down in the history books.

    The final group are the 30% who are ambivalent. They don’t engage with politics in a meaningful way and have little willpower. They see life as a fate to be endured. Whichever way the wind blows, they will follow, or at least, endure it.

    The balance determines which side wins. It is influenced by the power structures of the day, the zeitgeist and the strength of propaganda and the leaders of each side. It’s fairly clear which side is winning now and I don’t see the altruistic side coming to save the day any time soon.

    Often times, when altruism does prevail, it is because someone with great courage that is a member of the existing power structure leads their cause. There are no such people at this time. Our power structure has explicitly embraced greed and sociopathy for 50 years now. Everyone who is successful now has been a part of that system and is thoroughly corrupted by it.

      • @[email protected]
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        The balance. It ebbs and flows with the cultural landscape of the times. It determines which side prevails.

        And just a hunch, I’d say it leans toward the ambivalent center most of the time. But as things get tough, it would become more activated and polarized.

  • @[email protected]
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    Billionaires like Peter Thiel have thought long and hard about why they can’t get everything they want. He has effectively said that his own policies would be so unpopular that nobody would ever vote for them, but that he has found the internet to be an effective tool to sway populations.

    So what about us makes the world so good that they can’t fulfil their darkest desires? Social cohesion, knowledge and empathy.

    What have himself, Muskrat et all have inundated us with over the last few years is their “antidote” to that: stranger danger, disinformation and “empathy is weakness”. It’s the playbook of the billionaire psychopath and people don’t realise they are dancing to their tune.

    • @[email protected]
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      84 days ago

      Interesting point! I’ve recently started thinking about the core message of Christ. It’s been misused and abused for millennia, but at its core it literally is “treat people like you would want them to treat you”.

      But if everyone thought that way, where would the support for war come from? How can we justify monstrous behavior for profit without figuring out ways to make the victims seem like different people than we are? Horrible people who deserve the violence!

      People have this ability to take the most constructive, beneficial and altruistic ideas and bend them to create victims and justify violence.

      This shit has been happening since the first person used a thunderclap to elicit a sacrifice. The new church is social media, and the new congregation is worldwide.

      • @[email protected]
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        54 days ago

        Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

        37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”