smoontjes's recent activity
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Comment on UK and Denmark are demanding overhaul of European immigration laws – Keir Starmer and Mette Frederiksen argue populists will continue to gain ground if something isn't done soon in ~society
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Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news
smoontjes LinkMan opens cola cans and leaves without paying - stores have had enoughMan opens cola cans and leaves without paying - stores have had enough
A 44-year-old man has been nicknamed the Cola Man because he visits stores, opens cans of Cola, takes a sip, and opens another.
"He currently owes us 15 cases."
We asked him why he does it, and he said, "I just love Cola."
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Comment on Parliament of the Faroe Islands voted on Thursday to legalise abortion until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy, overturning a decades-old law that prohibited abortions in most cases in ~health
smoontjes LinkTook them 50 years to join the rest of the kingdom with this law. And only 17 to 16. Religious conservative places are so backwards.Took them 50 years to join the rest of the kingdom with this law. And only 17 to 16. Religious conservative places are so backwards.
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Comment on This week's local elections in Denmark are the latest reminder that when social democrats move rightwards, they're making a mistake in ~society
smoontjes LinkEspecially their anti-immigration policies have worked all this time. The Social Democrats adopted basically all of those policies straight from the Danish People's Party who then saw massive...Especially their anti-immigration policies have worked all this time. The Social Democrats adopted basically all of those policies straight from the Danish People's Party who then saw massive decline because people lost their single-issue reason to vote for them (they and others are back to previous highs with Trumpist rhetoric though).
Moving rightwards has worked for the Social Democrats for 20 years - the main problem is not the right-wing policies, it's that they formed a wildly unpopular government with right-wing parties. One that very few people voted for and those governing parties have lost ~35% and ~60% and ~15% of their voters (chart): Social Democrats 27.5% -> 19.8%, Moderates 9.3% -> 2.8%, Left* 13.3% -> 11.2% (and the only reason that Left has not lost more voters as a percentage is because they already lost those during the last decade. They used to get 20%-25% of the votes, similar in size to the Social Democrats)
Their name is Left because of their placement in parliament in the olden days, not because they are left-wing. They are "mainstream right" as the article calls them.
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Comment on By administratively redefining 'who is a foreigner,' the Lai government is turning the constitutional 'One China' framework into a dead letter in ~society
smoontjes Link ParentAnd not just mainland China! (Do read the top comment though.)no longer pretending that Taiwan has any realistic chance of controlling the mainland seems sensible.
And not just mainland China! (Do read the top comment though.)
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Comment on By administratively redefining 'who is a foreigner,' the Lai government is turning the constitutional 'One China' framework into a dead letter in ~society
smoontjes LinkAn exercise in realpolitik.. or lack of. It's an oddly fascinating situation there. If only the PRC wasn't so scary. Great read, thank you for sharing OP!An exercise in realpolitik.. or lack of. It's an oddly fascinating situation there. If only the PRC wasn't so scary.
Great read, thank you for sharing OP!
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smoontjes Link ParentSounds like this is simply about having a different way to enjoy movies. Most people watch them for entertainment, and obviously most blockbusters are only blockbusters because they have the...Sounds like this is simply about having a different way to enjoy movies. Most people watch them for entertainment, and obviously most blockbusters are only blockbusters because they have the broadest appeal possible which most of the time means it's not very artistic because it cannot be daring lest it pushes a lot of movies-as-entertainment people away. You are clearly a movies-as-art type of person, which yeah, the former are going to see that as pretentious a lot of the time. But.. fuck that! You do you! I understand it sucks though, to not be able to relate. I feel the same with a lot of animated stuff for example. However let me spin it to be a good thing: you respect those other people enough to rely on them and trust them on their recommendations. That you end up not enjoying it is not your fault at all..!
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Comment on Social Democrats in Denmark suffer sweeping election losses – PM Mette Frederiksen's centre-left party loses control of Copenhagen for first time in more than 100 years in ~society
smoontjes LinkLeast surprising outcome. Practically nobody liked their candidate who is as unlikable as it gets in Danish politics. I would not put it past the PM to use her "close personal friend" as a...Least surprising outcome. Practically nobody liked their candidate who is as unlikable as it gets in Danish politics. I would not put it past the PM to use her "close personal friend" as a scapegoat because that's the only way it makes sense to put her in that position.
Social Democrats are not centre-left by the way. Their policies the past decade or two have only been going further and further right. They are the ones that have spearheaded some of the toughest immigration policies in Europe for years.
Very glad Copenhagen went properly left.
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"Awareness week" - don't we have enough attention already?
Bit of a negative post or rant, so feel free to skip if not in the mood for a kinda sour take. Apparently this week is transgender awareness week and while it's obviously about more than just...
Bit of a negative post or rant, so feel free to skip if not in the mood for a kinda sour take.
Apparently this week is transgender awareness week and while it's obviously about more than just being aware of the thing (like breast cancer awareness month is also about educating etc.) I still feel like the purpose is so far removed from what it's supposed to be that it may as well be satirical.
From that link:
While most of the discussion of trans folks online can often be centered on negativity, Transgender Awareness Week gives us the opportunity to uplift positive and insightful stories of trans people across the country.
Does it though? gif
Is anybody outside of our community going to actually learn anything this week?
Are they going to an extra event or something just because someone decided this week is special for us?
Because I think it's nothing except detrimental to us. It only gives more ammunition to those who already hate us and already at best want us to go away.
(Day of remembrance, also this week, is on the other hand an important day I think.)
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Comment on Any chance we can get a shorthand for the <details> tag? in ~tildes
smoontjes Link100% agree. Just copy the one on discord where ||spoiler goes here||. They already took all of the same things from there and have been in place for ages here. For example one or two * for slanted...100% agree.
Just copy the one on discord where ||spoiler goes here||. They already took all of the same things from there and have been in place for ages here. For example one or two * for slanted and bold, > for quoting stuff, a ~ for strikethrough, etc.
Shouldn't be too hard to implement?
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Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk
smoontjes Link ParentAnd here I was thinking my comment was the obvious one. You can't travel around the world in 80 days sustainably..And here I was thinking my comment was the obvious one.
You can't travel around the world in 80 days sustainably..
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Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk
smoontjes Link ParentMaybe I misunderstood this post completely but was it not being asked about 80 days..? You would have to walk 30 km/h 24/7.Maybe I misunderstood this post completely but was it not being asked about 80 days..? You would have to walk 30 km/h 24/7.
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Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk
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Comment on Is anyone here in or familiar with Tokyo? Going on a trip and have zero idea what to do as a non-tourist... in ~travel
smoontjes LinkI can recommend searching for some tags on tildes. There's been several similar posts about Tokyo specifically and there's always been a lot of replies.I can recommend searching for some tags on tildes. There's been several similar posts about Tokyo specifically and there's always been a lot of replies.
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Comment on Johnny Depp to star in ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol’ at Paramount with Ti West directing; Andrea Riseborough also joins movie dated for November 2026 in ~movies
smoontjes Link ParentPerhaps I am regurgitating old stuff from social media without realizing it. However I definitely remember a clip back then where one of his lawyers said they used bots or manipulated social media...Perhaps I am regurgitating old stuff from social media without realizing it. However I definitely remember a clip back then where one of his lawyers said they used bots or manipulated social media - something to that effect. But your source is all I could find as well. (I am discounting using stuff from tiktok and reddit threads as a main source).
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Comment on Johnny Depp to star in ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol’ at Paramount with Ti West directing; Andrea Riseborough also joins movie dated for November 2026 in ~movies
smoontjes Link ParentLearned a couple of things from this comment, thanks for that! What is your take on the defense team that Depp used? They admitted to purchasing services of bots to manipulate public opinion for...Learned a couple of things from this comment, thanks for that!
What is your take on the defense team that Depp used? They admitted to purchasing services of bots to manipulate public opinion for use on social media. What @Arthur said above...
Depp used his influence, wealth, power and Hollywood fame etc. to manipulate proceedings/public opinion away from Heard towards a mysoginistic view that she is hysterical/malicious ex-wife stereotype and that she remains the victim in this case.
...is also what I had seen over and over again.
Don't get me wrong, actually watching the trial lends more credibility to comment on it than most others, but plenty happened outside of the courtroom too, like this social media botting stuff.
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Comment on Johnny Depp to star in ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol’ at Paramount with Ti West directing; Andrea Riseborough also joins movie dated for November 2026 in ~movies
smoontjes Link ParentWon't bother replying to the dv stuff since there's already been a discussion here. So there are also all the instances of him being a bad colleague at work. Arriving hours late, violence against...Won't bother replying to the dv stuff since there's already been a discussion here. So there are also all the instances of him being a bad colleague at work. Arriving hours late, violence against people on set, unprepared, etc. As far as I could tell at least, the court case was just 1 aspect of it. The other is that he is awful to work with.
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Porsche pauses shift to electric vehicles as profits tank - profits plunged by nearly 96% in the first nine months of 2025
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Comment on Johnny Depp to star in ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol’ at Paramount with Ti West directing; Andrea Riseborough also joins movie dated for November 2026 in ~movies
smoontjes LinkOk so cancelling does not exist. #metoo does not exist.Ok so cancelling does not exist. #metoo does not exist.
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Comment on Amazon Web Services crash causes $2,000 Smart Beds to overheat and get stuck upright in ~tech
smoontjes Link ParentThis is a product for stupid people right? Right!?This is a product for stupid people right? Right!?
Well here in Denmark it has meant that the overton window has shifted quite a bit to the right. The left used to be 50% of the votes, but now that the Social Democrats yoink all these policies, nobody really considers them anything but centre at best. So the true left wing now sits on only 25-30% of the votes.
It has been something like this: far-right party gains massive ground 10 years ago because of immigration policies -> SD loses lots of voters to them -> SD adopt the immigration policies -> SD take power and far-right party loses votes -> new far-right parties form, the far-right wing becomes more extreme -> SD moves further towards them to not lose voters.
Far-right parties are now so extreme that policies like remigration unthinkable 10 years ago are now normal and mainstream on that wing. Left wing, SD, and centre-right parties are creating clear distance against it, but who knows in another 10 years.
Edited to add:
I would usually agree with this but what has happened in Denmark is that a lot (not all) immigrants from some places in the world (not all) do not mingle and integrate and do not bring tolerance and empathy (not all). Take opinions on LGBT+ for example - ask any muslim in Denmark if they support us and the answer is most likely going to be no*. Same goes for Christian sects and JW etc. - religious conservatism in my opinion has no place in Scandinavian society, and I'm not asking every immigrant to leave every single opinion behind once they go to another country. They are free to believe what they want. But I can say that maybe yes, it's naive, to think such extreme conservatism is a good match for an otherwise progressive country.
Anecdotally from my own experiences in school, middle eastern muslim students would usually segregate themselves from ethnically Danish students and would sometimes even segregate once more according to if they are sunni or shia. How much of this behavior is down to social control, down to racism from Danes, or other reasons, I don't know. But I do know that you'd have most of class sit together with no problem and then one or two parts of the classroom with only muslims because that's what they preferred. On a larger scale it's what happened with housing as well. Most immigrants live in immigrant-majority neighborhoods and so yeah, that's not exactly integration nor multiculturalism nor diversity. It's just a type of segregation. And living this way is also proven to make you more conservative. Their parents or grandparents very well remember the countries and societies from which they are refugees or for other reasons left - but many of their children romanticize it, becoming more extreme in their views. Probably can be likened to the alt-right pipeline for young white men.
*only 17% of male Muslims and 26% of female Muslims in Denmark find sex between two people of the same sex morally acceptable.