I don’t think too many people would deny capitalism produces inequality. They really want to pretend it’s deserved inequality though. Hence all the weird nerds jumping to the defense of Elon Musk all the time, because it’s really awkward for their ideology that one of the world’s richest men is also one of the most transparently incompetent dumbasses ever to have lived…
If only “those people” weren’t so lazy they, too, could be billionaires like god-kings Elon and Trump! /s
one of the gifs we get if we type “meritocracy”
“Milton Friedman!”, he cursed.
It’s totally my own fault I see it on my feed. It’s a natural consequence of following people who like to dunk on Musk that weird Musk defenders crawl out of the woodwork in response. On the plus side though, more easy blocks for my block list.
Actually…. So, I do federal contracting. We are preparing for the ban on TikTok, and prohibition on accessing it, within the US, outside the US, with or without a VPN. While imprisonment is not a likely outcome (for us, since we are not military or intelligence contractors), termination of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements is on the table, which can means hundreds of our employees find themselves suddenly out of a job. And my job is going to be to police that. I am not looking forward to this.
The US government already banned the use of Chinese ICT technologies: Huewei, ZTE, etc., and banned the use of Kaspersky technology as well. We get audited to make sure we aren’t using the prohibited tech, so it’s a big deal. I don’t agree with it. We’re a non-profit. The Chinese don’t care how many day-old chicks we distributed to women’s self-help groups In Ethiopia (30 to each woman), nor goats in Senegal (a lot of goats; I mean a metric fuck ton of goats). Yet we still have to comply.
I mean, look at the bears!! The effin bears took over your little paradise. The don’t even have thumbs!!
Are you and @GagHalfrunt coordinating posts? 
The judges of the Brazilian Supreme Court will start this monday to review the order to block Xis in Brazil.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/brazil-top-court-justices-vote-monday-x-ban-2024-09-01/
Love the shoes!
I… wasn’t questioning that?
If Xitter won’t stop selling things to Brazilians, the only way to stop it doing business in Brazil is to block it.
Oh, yeah! Murican Democracy!
Do you think that Brazil is a mess? He was asked and asked again to do something about people doing fake news and promoting a coup d’etat at January 8th. He was asked and asked to comply with local justice and gave a fuck for Brazil, and now is complaining that things are going south
From the Guardian article: “The decision imposes a daily fine of R$50,000 (£6,800) on individuals and companies that attempt to continue using X via VPN.”
Question: Can they actually collect those fines, or is this just posturing?
Maybe they will monitor the accounts of persons of interest. The vice governor of the state of Minas Gerais posted some things on Xis using a VPN. Mr Musk congratulated Mr Mateus Simões for his disobedience.
I’m loving everything about this thread, but specially, the clash of usanian vs global sensibilities 
Also, the Ciskei article… chilling to the bones. Never going to bed without learning a new dark fact about humanity.
The ridiculous fines for accessing Twitter via a VPN will no doubt be selectively levied.
Brazilians will continue to access Twitter (well, the ones who don’t jump to Bluesky, anyway). There is no way the government can go after millions of offenses, but they can target those who are backing the attempted coup that started this whole thing.
That judge also called for, and immediately suspended, the removal of many VPN apps from the App/Play Store in Brazil. I guess he realized just how much collateral damage that would impose? Or that naming a dozen or so specific apps is pointless? It’s not like you can’t use open source software such as OpenVPN or Wireguard to access whatever VPN service you choose.
Just because the expensive hoops are a reasonable request, it doesn’t mean they aren’t expensive hoops.
I’m not trolIing you, I’m just pointing out that the things being done here (“censorship”, “expensive hoops”) don’t stop being those things because they’re reasonable, rational, well-intentioned, legal, normal, strategically necessary to defeat the far right, or because Elon Musk deliberately provoked it. We censor you every day, dear BBS users!1
To paraphrase the unfamed composer Frank Wilhoit: “Libertarianism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: I get to do whatever I like, alongside others who get to do whatever I like.”
1. We are not the state, but the state has our back.
