Just gonna leave this here:

The dictator’s dilemma: The distortion of information flow in autocratic regimes and its consequences

Abstract

Humans have been arguing about the benefits of dictatorial versus democratic regimes for millennia. Despite drastic differences between the dictatorships in the world, one of the key common features is the Dictator’s Dilemma as defined by Wintrobe [1]: a dictator will never know the true state of affairs in his country and is perpetually presented distorted information, thus having difficulties in making the right governing decisions.

Sucks when reality pierces the bubble created by the yes-men around you.

?

Based on how CBP has been treating people for years… they’d be shipped to CECOT for lying about not using social media.

Should I feel targeted, as this description applies to several hundred million people in the U.S. alone.

Why does that scene from The Life of Brian play in my mind when reading this?

As legal-bullshit specialists, I wouldn’t put it past 'em to figure out how it’s legal for the Republican Party to spend on federal races, but not Democrats.

I just listened to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series, and I’m reminded of this exchange:

Trillian:…ever since they reinstituted the death penalty for insurance executives.

Arthur: For what offense?

Trillian: Offense?

No true Scotsman, eh? This is the U.S. military, like it or not. If you served, and believed in honor, my condolences.

Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter what people say, the truth will reveal itself no matter one’s feelings about MAGA or liberals. Whatever people have said about other politicians, I’ve been watching the President’s mental state deteriorate in a manner congruent with the progression of dementia since the early signs in his first term. And, for the record, no, that doesn’t mean he’s going to be gone soon. The life expectancy after diagnosis is years; he might die before the end of his term, or (with the best care in the world) he might not. We’ll see about Schumer, too. I haven’t seen any dementia symptoms in him, but I haven’t paid any attention to him, either.

But Trump was showing early signs of dementia during his first term. He’s showing signs of rapidly-advancing dementia now. Non-dementia health claims about other politicians without evidence in no way discredit the claim that he’s visibly declining with dementia symptoms. The difference here is evidence. (And is it really an improbable that an elderly President would suffer dementia in his second term, and that his staff would try to cover it up?)

U.S. manufacturing has shrunk for 9 straight months? Damn, something must’ve happened 9-12 months ago!

That’s weird, even by hyperbole standards. Which politicians, exactly? I’d only heard it about Biden, because Repiblicans project enough for an IMAX multiplex.

I can pinpoint the moment, it was “solitract.” Like, lonely intestines? I think I finished out that season, but haven’t watched any Doctor Who since then. It was just so hand-wavey with a ridiculously dumb name that it demolished my ability to suspend disbelief.

No surprise, when Republicans pretend that some loser-nobody is the second coming, you’ve gotta go look up who TF they’re on about.

Hardly. Bill Gates came from a wealthy family, attended a private school, and through it had thousands of hours of computer programming time several years before even the Altair 8800 came out. He had a personal connection to IBM through his mother, which is how Microsoft got the DOS deal. His circumstances were unique, and his success the result of a hefty dose of luck.

Seems like Germany could save a lot.of.money by not building lanes that you’re not allowed to drive in!

That’s utterly ridiculous. If the highway has three lanes, it’s because on average there’s too much traffic for two lanes. That’s why they added a third lane. What—the left lane is for passing, the right lane is for cruising, and the middle lane is for decoration?

No worries, The Best Supreme Court That Money Can Buy™ will find some bullshit excuse legal reasoning to overturn this ruling.

English isn’t that far off. Animal has the same root as animate, which is the Latin anima, “soul” or “breath.” The English word plant has synonyms and general connotations of fixedness or non-intentionality.

Hot take: The euphemsism “flipping burgers” is so dismissive of the physical and emotional labor of working at a fast-food place that anybody using it unironically needs a punch on the nose.