Francis 🇾🇪 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ @francis@greenplenty.social

How much money do you think the United States has spent since 1945 on the Cold War? Sometimes they ask this question then from the back of the audience comes in answer ‘billions and billions‘. A huge underestimate – billions and billions. The amount of money that the United States has spent on the Cold War since 1945 is approximately 10 trillion dollars. Trillion, that’s the big one with the ‘T’. What could you buy with 10 trillion dollars? The answer is: You could buy everything in the United States except the land. Everything. Every building, truck, bus, car, boat, plane, pencil, baby’s diaper. Everything in the United States except the land, that’s what we have spent on the Cold War.

So, now let me ask: How certain was it that the Russians were going to invade? Was it 100% certain? Guess not since they never invaded. What if it was only let say 10% certain? What would advocates of big military buildup have said? We must be prudent. It’s not enough to count on only the most likely circumstance. If the worst happens and it’s really extremely dangerous for us we have to prepare for that. Remote contingencies if there is serious enough have the prepared for. It’s classic military thinking – you prepare for the worst case.

And so now, I ask my friends who are comfortable with that argument, including the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, why doesn’t that same argument apply to Global Warming. You don’t think it’s 100% likely? Fine. You are entitled to think that. If it’s only a small probability of it happening since the consequences are so serious, don’t you have to make some serious investment to prevent it or mitigate it? I think there’s a double standard of argument working and I don’t think we should permit it.

— Carl Sagan, An excerpt of a speech given on the 2nd of September in 1990 at the 5th Emerging Issues Forum at NCSU

The #Tories have been caught trying to ensure that the UK's #climatechange reposes is potentially hobbled....

They know they're heading into (potential) electoral oblivion & want to ensure their toxic climate denial can be actioned via other means.

Luckily the devolved leaders spotted what they were doing.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/01/devolved-leaders-reject-shortlist-for-climate-watchdog-chair-over-tory-links

It never does, Angry.

Via Angry Staffer:

Make it make sense

Rick Lenzie:

Republicans are actively investigating Joe #Biden while claiming the president has total immunity.

Yasmine Ahmed, (Human Rights Watch) on #RishiSunak joining a #farmers demo. while complaining of 'mob rule':

'The idea that politicians are celebrating one set of protesters while cracking down on others is chilling. A country that only allows you to demonstrate on issues it agrees with is the very definition of authoritarian. For a government that prides itself as a defender of free speech, it seems this defence is conditional on you agreeing with the government'

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/01/tories-accused-of-hypocrisy-farmers-protests-crackdown-climate-gaza

Anything that the Australian, UK or US government wants that is available for purchase or fund in its own currency THEY CAN AFFORD to purchase

Anything that is available for them to purchase that they do not purchase or fund is because THEY DO NOT WANT IT.

National Health etc.

Every Doctor

Call for a ceasefire in Gaza:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/we-call-for-a-ceasefirenow-2?source=direct_link&

#GazaGenocide

Remember that any one of these billionaires could solve San Francisco’s homelessness crisis overnight, yet instead they spend their money vilifying the poor and attacking those of us who are trying to house people

Christ alive. There's a fediverse-to-bluesky bridge set to activate soon and the service is opt *out*. That means all your content (public, listed only if the creator is to be believed) will be automatically ported over to a commercial social media platform without your express consent.

According to the creator, you can opt out by adding "#nobridge" to your bio or domain block "bsky.brid.gy".

Maybe think about telling this person what you think about their opt out strategy.
https://snarfed.org/2024-02-12_52106

#FediBlock

The long-run goal is, I think, the same for every human being, that politically he or she may be allowed to live free from fear, insecurity, terror, and oppression, free also from the possibility of exercising unequal or unjust domination over others.
You cannot continue to victimize someone else just because you yourself were a victim once— there has to be a limit. #EdwardSaid
Good Morning to everyone except those who continue to defend/endorse genocidal assault in #Gaza
Day 128. #EndOccupation

This year on #ValentinesDay support the #gigeconomy #workers at #Deliveroo & #UberEats by not ordering food from these platforms & helping them make their one day strike effective.

Many drivers struggle to earn a #livingwage, while their exploitative conditions are now well known.

these are no tech-firms, their business model is based on #wagetheft & the denial of workers' rights as a way to build market share & profitability.

Stand with the riders & drivers!

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/12/takeaway-riders-deliveroo-uber-eats-strike-valentines-day-living-wage-delivery-drivers

What's currently getting in the way of the #India - UK #trade deal?

Now it seems the Indian Govt. is keen to get national insurance contributions paid by temporary staff in the UK (mainly in the IT sector) transferred back to India... the UK, of course, wants to hold on to the money even though the #workers concerned would never receive an associated pension in the UK.

Oh dear, quiet state #wagetheft has been exposed... and the Indians (unsurprisingly) are not happy

You can say you opposed it, you can say you were indifferent, you can say you were complicit, but the one thing you cannot say is that you didn’t know.

#israel #palestine #gaza #genocide