I don’t know who needs to hear this but “free speech” isn’t what some billionaire says you’re allowed to say on his private property.
This profile might be incomplete.
Open on mastodon.ar.al Aral Balkan
Wall 156 posts
Aral Balkan
I don’t know who needs to hear this but “free speech” isn’t what some billionaire says you’re allowed to say on his private property.
Aral Balkan
Me trying to view upcoming events to see if I want to book at a local venue. I guess not. (Folks, don’t let Facebook hold your businesses hostage to their surveillance. Not all of us are willing to be tracked by Meta, Inc., for the privilege of patronising your establishment.)
Aral Balkan
Which part of “everything is for sale” and “profit is all that matters” did you think excluded human rights and democracy? You cannot fix this within a system that worships at the altars of billionaires and sees human pain and suffering as merely an inconvenient externality.
Aral Balkan
This. And it’s not just Putin. Exploiting greed is the cornerstone of every modern autocrat and wannabe autocrat’s playbook. When we say capitalism is the slippery slope to fascism this is what we mean. This is where you end up if your compass has profit as its true north.
Aral Balkan
What the fuck is Russiaphobia? What absolute bullshit is that? What next? Naziphobia? Talk about playing into Putin’s hands… https://nitter.net/DavidGa49946058/status/1507389423327096832
Show previous comments
protodrew
@aral this is really disappointing to read. Equating a country full of people to Nazis because of the current administration is exactly the kind of thing that damages ordinary Russian people. This is eerily similar to the relationship towards Japanese people during WWII. It is possible to take a materialist understanding towards a conflict and understand that no matter who you think the good guys are, its bad for everyone caught in the middle Honestly expected better from you.
Aral Balkan
“Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions.” — Primo Levi
Aral Balkan
“You, the Westerners, will never get it. Partially because most of yous have a completely different experience of history, and it is that of living your life in a dominating country. Partially because you can’t be arsed to listen, and you never were.” https://freedomnews.org.uk/2022/03/04/fuck-leftist-westplaining/
Aral Balkan
“Antifascism is protecting people from individuals with structural power. Right now that is Putin. If you are protecting his hegemony over his vast and increasing empire, if you are What Abouting into helplessness, you are part of the aggressor.” https://freedomnews.org.uk/2022/03/04/fuck-leftist-westplaining/
Aral Balkan
This is what a hero looks like. Thank you, Marina Ovsyannikova.
Aral Balkan
How people use the tools you make is none of your goddamn business. If they want to tell you, they’ll tell you. If not, keep your fucking nose out of it.
Aral Balkan
Is it any surprise that technology designed by and for corporations works in the interests of corporations, not people?
Aral Balkan
Is Putin dead yet? Asking for a friend.
Aral Balkan
It’s appalling how some of the discourse on the left currently boils down to “if you only do as he says, he won’t have to harm you.” Can you people even hear yourselves right now?
Aral Balkan
Hey isn’t Orban the dickhead who proudly doesn’t recognise EU law? How about we don’t give a shit what that fascist asshole thinks on this for a change? https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1497504901466832899?s=20&t=MkIJQQl5rC7tHPp-bpvz3g
Klaudia (aka jinxx)
@aral As much as I'd love to cut them out, this does also hit NGOs and humanitarian organisations who depend on donations and money from the west. In the long run this will only strengthen the Russian version SPFS and we'll all have to use that when we want to donate to eastern countries isn't that cool, either. And third, this seems to be our only measure and when this one is gone, we're blank.
Aral Balkan
Wild idea: how about we _don’t_ let the psychopaths run things?
Aral Balkan
“But, hey, if you don’t like it, just use a different bionic eye company!” Maybe “voting with your wallet” isn’t the all-encompassing answer some folks seem to think it is… 🤔
Dr. Quadragon ❌
@aral When anybody says "vote with your wallet" in response to a systemic social issue, I already know this cause is doomed.
Aral Balkan
MoviePass “will use facial recognition and eye-tracking technology to ensure that viewers eyes are looking at promoted content in exchange for access to films.” https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/moviepass-track-eyes-phone-cameras-b2013273.html May I just say: fuck these people.
Aral Balkan
The correct answer is always “Meta? You mean Facebook. Those cunts.”
Dr. Quadragon ❌
@aral I'm frustrated that they stole the word "meta" all for themselves. I used to define Fediverse as social metanetwork (i.e. network of social networks). Now I can't do it with a straight face. Or gay face. Or any face. In fact, you can't associate with mr. Zuckerberg without losing face. Which he'll inevitably pick up and put into his book. Hence the name.
Aral Balkan
“Mistakes were made.” – Emperor Palpatine |