Well, there is a cycle:
... and the cycle repeats.
I hope that some climate protesters do something flashy and disruptive as soon as possible.
As someone who has thought about this a lot, here's what I try to do myself.
First, let's reconcile some things. On one hand, you have a sense of powerlessness, and it's not an illusion. However on the other, I think there is a real and valid sense among many that Israel's situation has changed in fundamental ways that cannot be undone. And it seems realistic that the current order will fall in our lifetimes. So then how do you and I act to hasten that?
First (and really second, third, and fourth), we must bear witness. We must continue to read these articles and learn about this situation well enough to try and explain it to others. Save articles by Palestinians to use to lift up their voices when opportunities arise.
At this point, it helps to reflect on a certain model of persuasion I like. Our goals are not to convince someone who opposes us to join our side. It's to move people along a ladder. You want to find people who already agree with you but are passive, and activate them to do the things you're already doing. You want to convince people who are neutral to agree with you, passively. You want to convince people who are passively opposed to become neutral. And you want to convince people who are actively opposed to lose their conviction and become passive in their opposition.
This has been happening for a long time, and it's begun to accelerate in the last year. Learn and share knowledge. I don't mean facts: I mean listen to people and slip them time-bomb ideas tailored to where they are that will move them on the ladder the next time they read a headline that you've primed them to look at with new eyes.
Second: I think it's very likely that major turning points will be accompanied by mass actions. Protests don't do anything ... until suddenly they do. Be a member of a group -- DSA, JVP, PYM, etc. -- to make sure that when people march, you'll get the call.
That's pretty much what I have now. That and conversations like this one.
Third, I try to make sure I'm visible in my politics. I wear a kippah, and I have a Palestinian flag pin on it. I've found that this lets fellow Jews who've felt silenced know that I'm safe to talk to about this, and quietly lets Muslim neighbors know I'm with them. I have a drawstring bag with a pro-Palestine message I often carry. If useful to you, consider signaling politely where you stand to let others know.
And lastly: keep the faith. That ladder I mentioned? Zionists are trying to do all this to you too. There are people who want to exhaust you and demoralize you. Take breaks if needed. Don't burn out. Do what you must to stay active for the long haul.
Thanks for sharing this. I wasn't familiar with this channel, not I'm liking it.
I just read that this guy was part of Nebula and was forced out. It's remarkable that he's forced out for speaking openly and defending his beliefs when Isaac Arthur is tolerated despite having much more onerous politics but having them in secret. Smh.
My kids school has done some of this. Next to his kindergarten class is a little patio where they eat snacks and spend a lot of the day. It used to be concrete, but now it's all wood chips and little logs for stools. The shade is lacking, but it has trees, they're just a bit young. When they fill out, it'll be amazing.
Amen. It drives me fuckin' nuts anytime -- in business as well as in sci-fi and general discussion -- when people envision a society made perfect because it's run by a genius computer.
For pretty much every challenge society faces, the major obstacle is not that we're unsure what to do or lack the intelligence to solve. We already have all the solutions, it's just that our decision making systems are completely disinterested in employing any of the solutions that we already have.
It's like, if you could get everyone to agree to listen to a computer, why not just skip the computer and get everyone to agree to listen to a combination of popular will and expert advice? Popular will and expert advice are like the supercomputer that runs society that we already have.
“We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin
You are utterly powerless to stop this, even at your most self actualized, mobile, and focused you are fundamentally incapable of changing what needs to be changed.
This is flat out wrong.
You're missing the point, because your scale is off. I'm not trying to change the planet. I'm trying to change my city and neighborhood. I'm not trying to hold back the tides. I'm trying to teach the next generation the resiliency to survive a long road to something better.
Those goals are totally in my reach. I can't save billions, but I can definitely save dozens. Perhaps hundreds over the next century. And if enough of us do that, collectively we CAN save billions.
And somewhat ironically, the “our species can still turn it around! live in hope!” types are the same ones deadset against revolution to force those living large off destroying the planet to stop in a physical way.
I feel like it's the other way around. I feel like it's my people who are out there getting arrested and making fossil fuel execs upgrade their security detail, and it's the doomers who seem to complain endlessly about how much they hate the taste of shoe leather while somehow spending the most time down there.
Okay well then where's the problem? If there's no point in trying to fight climate change while capitalism exists, then end capitalism. I don't understand where we disagree.
This article doesn't really answer most of my questions.
What subjects does the AI cover? Do they do all their learning independently? Does AI compose the entire lesson plan? What is the software platform? Who developed it? Is this just an LLM or is there more to it? How are students assessed? How long has the school been around, and what is their reputation? What is the fundamental goal of their approach?
Overall, this sounds quite dumb. Just incredibly and transparently stupid. Like, if they insisted that all learning would be done on the blockchain. I'm very open minded, but I don't understand what the student's experience will be. Maybe they'll learn in the same way one could learn by browsing Wikipedia for 7 hours a day. But will they enjoy it? Will it help them find career fulfillment, or build confidence or learn social skills? It just sounds so much like that Willie Wonka experience scam but applied to an expensive private school instead of a pop-up attraction.
Even still. Most are like, 'Woman (allegedly American) no longer alive due to visiting West Bank, claim some'.
Most headlines don't even say who killed her.
You messed up the format.
The caption should be "Why would Socialism do this?"