PuddleOfKittens's recent activity
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Comment on Libertarianism is dead in ~humanities
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Comment on Libertarianism is dead in ~humanities
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentWas Hitler a fascist? Suppose he had never published Mein Kampf, or he was such a well-known habitual liar that one could credibly argue we've never known what he actually believes. The answer is...Was Hitler a fascist? Suppose he had never published Mein Kampf, or he was such a well-known habitual liar that one could credibly argue we've never known what he actually believes.
The answer is that nobody cares. Once Hitler executed the Holocaust, he was doing fascism on such a massive scale that his personal beliefs were irrelevant.
Trump isn't fascist, but the government he rules is, because it operates ICE if no other reason.
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Comment on The shutdown of USAID has already killed hundreds of thousands in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI think a good framework is discussing WW2 Germany vs WW2 Japan. Japan was permitted to ignore their crimes for the sake of political expedience, whereas Germany was force-fed a mirror. The end...I think a good framework is discussing WW2 Germany vs WW2 Japan. Japan was permitted to ignore their crimes for the sake of political expedience, whereas Germany was force-fed a mirror. The end result is that Germany has pretty solid relations with Poland (and France/Belgium/Czechia/etc), while Japan has strained relations with Korea et al, despite having a solid trade relationship and much geopolitical incentive to get along thanks to China.
But, Japan still works. Also, Germany is still flirting with AfD which is frankly a bit too nazi-ish. So it pains me to write this, but the US absolutely can move forward from the evil of this administration without another Nuremberg. Just like the US moved forward after the 1860s civil war. It would be suboptimal and setting themselves up for another Lost Cause/Jim Crow/etc, but it's quite viable nonetheless.
Of course, the bigger problem is the underlying political causes: FPTP and the lack of majority-rule voting, money in politics, political gridlock etc. Frankly, the political division is not possible to fix without replacing the two-party system that forces bilateral partisanship (i.e. every issue must have exactly two sides, and each side has an associated political party that thus welds your stance on issue A to the party's stance on issue B) as a requirement for political change.
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Comment on Tilderinos in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentIf the Romans conquered us, maybe we'd be the Tildii.If the Romans conquered us, maybe we'd be the Tildii.
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Comment on What makes a game, a game? in ~games
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentYou should read Rules Of Play if you haven't already.What is a game?
You should read Rules Of Play if you haven't already.
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Comment on Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens LinkThis is really smart, IMO - a big cultural problem renewables face is switching everyone from conserving all Watts to conserving the scarce Watts. And people don't react to 'cheap' anywhere near...This is really smart, IMO - a big cultural problem renewables face is switching everyone from conserving all Watts to conserving the scarce Watts. And people don't react to 'cheap' anywhere near as strongly as they do to free. If this makes people switch their usage habits, it could reduce the demand for off-peak generation, I.e. gas and batteries, thereby making more renewables possible in the short term.
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Comment on How Bill Gates is reframing the climate change debate in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentThere are over 6 billion smartphone owners, so the average non-westerner already has such a magical device.There are over 6 billion smartphone owners, so the average non-westerner already has such a magical device.
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Comment on AI generates surge in expense fraud in ~finance
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI hate to say it, but this is pretty good evidence of AI providing a productivity boost. Not a good productivity boost (in this instance), but clearly a productivity boost nonetheless.I hate to say it, but this is pretty good evidence of AI providing a productivity boost. Not a good productivity boost (in this instance), but clearly a productivity boost nonetheless.
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Comment on EU country grouping cleared to build sovereign digital infrastructure in ~tech
PuddleOfKittens LinkOh that's cool, they're rediscovering NLNet.Oh that's cool, they're rediscovering NLNet.
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Comment on Utah to open detention camp/involuntary treatment center for homeless people (gifted link) in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentObviously this is a Trump-era policy and they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt (due to their past history of manufacturing doubt to hide their atrocities and delay a rectification), but on a...Obviously this is a Trump-era policy and they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt (due to their past history of manufacturing doubt to hide their atrocities and delay a rectification), but on a theoretical basis involuntary commitment is not only not bad, but is sorely needed since the neoliberal-era of gutting our mental asylums, on the rationale that not all of the patients are complete lunatics. Frankly it was a mistake, and the term "involuntary treatment" is not spooky.
Again, none of this applies to Trump because they're ghouls who won't stop Committing Crimes (and more importantly, doing horrible things that are deliberately cruel).
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Comment on How Zohran Mamdani fought the master plan | The key factor isn’t his ads or charisma — it is a public campaign finance system that can be replicated across the US in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentAs an Australian, I would like to smugly remind everyone that we already have this in law for every party that gets at least 4% of the vote. It has room for improvement, particularly in the form...if Congress provided an appropriation for the proper and legitimate expenses of each of the great national parties, an appropriation ample enough to meet the necessity for thorough organization and machinery, which requires a large expenditure of money.”
As an Australian, I would like to smugly remind everyone that we already have this in law for every party that gets at least 4% of the vote.
It has room for improvement, particularly in the form of banning corporate donations (and capping donations to ~$1000/year/person), but it exists, it works, and it's not new.
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens LinkKitchens are an unnecessary expense and should not be mandatory. This is not a novel concept and is in fact quite traditional - historically (as in centuries ago), city-dwellers bought pre-cooked...Kitchens are an unnecessary expense and should not be mandatory. This is not a novel concept and is in fact quite traditional - historically (as in centuries ago), city-dwellers bought pre-cooked food from street vendors daily, instead of paying rent for that extra room/space to cook for themselves. (Also it meant the apartment wouldn't burn down as often, if nobody in the building cooked everyday.)
Also, there should be more restaurants that offer one (1) dish. Restaurants tend to be expensive, and I strongly suspect it's because everyone who wants cheap food doesn't eat out everyday - so restaurants cater to an upmarket crowd, which means offering lots of choice, at great logistical expense.
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Comment on YouTube capitulates to US President Donald Trump in ~society
PuddleOfKittens (edited )Link ParentNo, they'll (edit: consumers will) lobby for regulation. Which Trump can use to extort a bigger bribe from them (edit: Google, a different 'them' than above).What are people going to do, stop using Google?
No, they'll (edit: consumers will) lobby for regulation. Which Trump can use to extort a bigger bribe from them (edit: Google, a different 'them' than above).
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Comment on US kills three in second strike on alleged drug boats in the Pacific in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentIt's signalling to Maduro that the US is willing to intervene if he tries to crack down on rebels, while implying to any prospective rebels/protestors that it's safe for them to fight or protest...It's signalling to Maduro that the US is willing to intervene if he tries to crack down on rebels, while implying to any prospective rebels/protestors that it's safe for them to fight or protest against Maduro without too much fear.
@CptBlueBear's complaint about overkill is missing the point - the overkill is the message, it's saying "I have enough firepower to end your entire regime, and I've shipped it over here and am willing to use it!".
The point is that Trump wants a regime change (and, IMO, that's good) but doesn't want to actually pay for it if he can just demonstrate that he is willing to use power if the regime change doesn't happen without US direct intervention.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump and EU impose new sanctions on Russia: ‘Now is the time to stop the killing’ in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentTrump doesn't benefit from any particular outcome in Israel, whereas a swift end to the Ukraine war will permit US military to rapidly switch focus to China. Which Trump has been desperate to do...Trump doesn't benefit from any particular outcome in Israel, whereas a swift end to the Ukraine war will permit US military to rapidly switch focus to China. Which Trump has been desperate to do for a while now.
Why would he want to sanction Israel? Even ignoring that his base and staff are heavily pro-Israel, Trump himself gains nothing from it.
I get that you're arguing for the moral high ground, but it reads like a WW2 alt-hist of "what if the Nazis didn't invade the Soviet Union?" - well, at that point you've completely inverted their core personality and beliefs and we're just discussing blank-sheet fantasy. And, what's the point?
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Comment on Printable aluminum alloy sets strength records, may enable lighter aircraft parts in ~engineering
PuddleOfKittens Link3D printing turbine blades will make it easier to put into them some fluid channels for liquid cooling the blades, which could mitigate the relatively low melting point of aluminium compared to...3D printing turbine blades will make it easier to put into them some fluid channels for liquid cooling the blades, which could mitigate the relatively low melting point of aluminium compared to nickel/aluminium/tungsten.
I don't think they'll displace proper jumbo jet turbines (fuel savings add up too quickly for too long on jumbo jets, and burning hotter gains efficiency and nickel/titanium can go up to 2000C), but I expect they'll be used on big suicide drones and cruise missiles for their excellent value-for-money compared to milled titanium.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentNo, I'm trying to build organic support for a Genetically Engineered Catgirl Foundation.No, I'm trying to build organic support for a Genetically Engineered Catgirl Foundation.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentNah, that's not ridiculous - it's unironically a good idea. In the short term, you're just massively funding core genetic research, which will have amazing benefits for biology in general and...Nah, that's not ridiculous - it's unironically a good idea.
In the short term, you're just massively funding core genetic research, which will have amazing benefits for biology in general and medicine. And a Genetically Engineered Catboy (/girl) Foundation would be a great way to get people to donate to the project just for the memes.
And the best thing is, it's not lying to the meme crowd - if the project providing the financial bedrock for all the world's best geneticists for 'serious research' is actually trying to do the catgirl project, then it'll be in the perfect position to get enthusiastic contributors to more targeted research, once the theoretical basis is fleshed out. Because geneticists are people and are a culture, and people/cultures suffer from loyalty. And that authenticity of a Catgirl Foundation makes the memetic appeal stronger, which only makes it more doable and therefore more authentic.
If I was a multibillionaire (like, $50B+) I would unironically want to target at least 1 of my billions towards a Genetically Engineered Catgirl(/boy) Foundation.
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Comment on Jenny Chase 2025 “opinions about solar” thread in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI wasn't very clear, but the usual claim my comment referred to is that 1) the deindustrialisation causes the emissions drop, and 2) the observed emissions drop is proof that deindustrialisation...I wasn't very clear, but the usual claim my comment referred to is that 1) the deindustrialisation causes the emissions drop, and 2) the observed emissions drop is proof that deindustrialisation has happened. My "decline" comment was in reference to #2, as in "decline of manufacturing sector".
Your comment asserts the narrative of point #1, and implicitly assumes #2.
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Comment on Jenny Chase 2025 “opinions about solar” thread in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentTHE PROPHECY IS TRUE
I don't disagree but you're missing my point. The holocaust is a clear marker of fascism, much like how a Scrooge McDuck money-vault is a marker of wealth. The point is that ultimately, only Trump's actions matter. Nobody gassed at Auschwitz would be made happy if they were instead gassed at Auschwitz for reasons of economic anxiety.