The excuse is, and has always been, “Because we can”. Never think otherwise.

People googling how to download chrome and clicking wikipedia instead of the download link that I’m sure would be at the top?

… go on.

Because it’s easier to see one scary boogie man we can blame than lots of little problems that add up, and that no one seems intent on solving.

I’ve no doubt that there are malicious foreign (or even domestic) actors of notable material wealth, but it’s hardly the only cause for such things.

Which is one of many aspects of romantic attraction.

Were they really socialist policies? From what I know, which is hardly academic in nature, they were policies designed to stave off a potential revolution (or collapse). There was no real control on the part of the workers, just safeguards and promises of better treatment. Welfare is not necessarily socialist in nature, just something that occurs from socialist development because of workers looking out for each other. Having welfare given to you, without more direct involvement in how it’s dispensed, is less socialist than it is reactionary.

Yeah, that seemed pretty obvious. Even to the most hardcore MAGA it’d probably be obvious, though they’d probably call it a good deal… a GREAT deal.

The people currently in charge of US foreign policy have more than made it clear how two-faced and opportunistic (and fascistic) they intended to be.

Did the US reject your prom invite or something?

Only winning play is to not.

And this is news to people?

To dictators it is. Thankfully most of us aren’t dictators.

Grass and soy.

We have always been at war with Eastasia.

Is the stupidity that people were eating tidepods… or that they were tricked into thinking eating tidepods was actually trend when it was just a few individuals?

It’s part of how car insurance works. It also works by underwriters and adjusters being paid to do everything they can to keep from paying out claims.

It also usually means you have a better chance of good in the future.

Then why did you ask about stopping?

“Hey HR, can I change my tax election to 0? Thanks!”

Other way around, actually.

Do you have a name to go with that torturer or do I get to just take your word for it?

“Leftist” is a particularly difficult descriptor to nail down, especially in the US. It can refer to people with actually progressive views, or just people who see something that helps them advocate violence against people they dont like, or even elements of Stalinism that people like to assume is progressive when it’s closer to fascism in practice.