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jfz9580m

(16,297 posts)
88. *Selfish* pigsty is about right
Sat Dec 6, 2025, 12:08 PM
6 hrs ago

Funny anecdote - I was looking for a post by DUer CrispyQ with a cool graphic from Indivisible and instead I got directed to Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” and some rubbish about the virtues of selfishness .

Shills for the “virtues of selfishness” (those tech bros and shills for the Californian Ideology) were good at perverting real cooperation and solidarity while claiming that the failure of completely bogus versions of those things is the failure of the real thing.
God they are stupid. Why would bible banging or Maha “community” work for some random left-liberal feminist you kidnap and shove into some awful thing? Just as a hypothetical. Not that anyone precisely does that. I just mean that the failure of coexistence with unrelatable humans is not a repudiation of real cooperation or a defense of selfishness. All hypotheticals.

Prisoner’s Dilemma is such garbage framing.
It starts off on the assumption that the persons involved are felons/hucksters/scammers. How is that not extortionate from the get go? God those people are morons. Why would a normal person see themself as a criminal whose survival must depend on game-theory based on some felonious type? It’s such trash. That’s also the same worldview as the religious who see one as a sinner from birth.

It’s also a CS worldview that assumes that entire classes of personality (e.g.: real grass roots activists like the little old ladies, public school teachers etc who worked for many of the rights we all enjoy without ever playing some damn game, don’t even exist). And there’s a time and a place for games. Even I play a puzzle game. But not all of reality, (e.g.: serious activism) and the gazillion things that make up reality so implicitly that you never even thought about them can be replaced by some sort of foul game or rubbishy VR. It’s such broken thinking.

If…if such a “game” were even possible (ActivismGame!!!!) it would be immediately defunded by the national security state and media corporations. How is that not obvious? If it worked (except completely performatively) it would not merely be shut down, all the players would be charged by our beloved oligarchs and their politicians. You gotta have some awareness of the reality you exist in instead of scamming people. All hypotheticals..

I was just trying to infer the thought processes of some completely inane people.
Reality is in itself far more interesting. If it isn’t, it’s not because you aren’t playing a foul game. It isn’t interesting in any fun way mostly, but it’s certainly not dull.

I can see why this fucked up nexus between two types of creeps-1) libertarians (who think everyone but parasitic, overhyped & mediocre tech billionaires is a useless eater) and 2) the religious (who believe in original sin) works.

Tech creeps are basically just tech versions of Cato/AEI. They swopped out suits and fossil fuels for hoodies and data-as-oil. It’s the same damn creeps ffs. Robber Barons. Just different aesthetics.

Same whine in a new bottle. Nobody needs their garbage tech.
Low tech with decent humans and a healthy human brain can beat junk tech and awful creeps any day.

But individually as well as the populations as a whole have to get over these shocks first.

I owe DUers CrispyQ and BigmanPigman for these two posts:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220595286

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220794222

My ex mother-in-law, whom I am very fond of and was close to, is a public schoolteacher. She was familiar with activism of this kind.

Unlike left working class mobilisation or other grassroots activism like this, white collar workers of my generation or professional type have no real concept of how to go about that. But we will have to learn, adjusted for new realities that won’t involve (in my case) any books or products just law changes that help rebuild a livable, functional society wherever one is. Not more drivel like the tumorigenic and parasitic “growth” tech billionaires shill which I viciously attack when I can.

These are really horrible people and they are making life hard for so many people. How many people are potentially worried about homelessness, lack of healthcare or just chronically stressed because of some genuinely selfish, callous and sleazy billionaires? We have to organize and stand up for everyone when we have some resources left.
I am myself allergic to power, histrionics and attention (that too for all the wrong reasons or unconnected to a specific piece of pushback). That’s why this is a good time to fight.

I read earlier this year that the Bernie/Aoc voting types do best when out of power. There is some truth to that. The point is not that winning is bad. But that some personality types(that do not fit this completely moronic Prisoner’s Dilemma model) only can get jerked out of social awkwardness etc when things are bad enough that you get over self consciousness and decide to fight back. The spiteful shit aimed at federal workers throughout this year by creeps like Vought and those twerps of DOGE-the cruelty is the point. At least some of those people would be like I was. It’s not being old and lame and not having maps etc as those pathetic tech creeps put it. We are not familiar with a world with no real rules or HR where you are supposed to rebuild fake versions of the rights women or workers fought for with a lame Facebook or Google product tacked on. This hateful shit was not unprecedented in my experience and it is not kayfabe etc. These people really are that shallow, awful, that stupid and they do destroy lives.

Speaking for myself, I was never cut out for politics or media, but necessary activism without any product or theatre is different.

Yikes long post. My head is very full these days and it keeps spilling out..

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Psychiatrist's couches? TED Talks? High school reunions? Whyisthisstillclose Yesterday #1
MAGAts should be on psychiatrists' couches meow2u3 23 hrs ago #67
Ted tech talks jfz9580m 19 hrs ago #76
MAGA has indeed combined many diverse groups into one selfish pigsty, Whyisthisstillclose 7 hrs ago #87
*Selfish* pigsty is about right jfz9580m 6 hrs ago #88
Your post is a great read and an exceptional analysis of Whyisthisstillclose 4 hrs ago #89
I wouldn't bet on Costco or Farmers' Markets. johnp3907 Yesterday #2
Yoga Studios too JustAnotherGen Yesterday #5
Yep, lots of red MAGA hats at the Farmer's Markets around here. Very often the farmer is wearing one. Midnight Writer Yesterday #7
Wish it were the case about Costco MenloParque Yesterday #3
Think about it for a moment. At least they know where to escape Trumpflation. flashman13 Yesterday #18
most of the MAGAs I know go to COSCO Skittles Yesterday #54
So they aren't boycotting Costco over DEI ? JI7 16 hrs ago #82
Libraries. alittlelark Yesterday #4
Was my first thought too, but they'll still go there to ban books 0rganism Yesterday #35
Yep. Aristus Yesterday #37
Message auto-removed Name removed Yesterday #58
The homeschoolers use my public library a LOT. summer_in_TX 18 hrs ago #77
Yeah home schooling is the school of choice Farmer-Rick 7 hrs ago #86
Hell. Churches! (Unless Evangelical.) NM Grins 16 hrs ago #81
That outed Library Girl, lol 😂 Emile 12 hrs ago #84
University community lectures SheltieLover Yesterday #6
I beg to differ on Dentist Offices ToxMarz Yesterday #8
I believe PCIntern has written about his experiences. I just wonder why magats have such rotten teeth... erronis Yesterday #11
Yes I suppose that's true ToxMarz Yesterday #13
The state dental societies do tend to be quite conservative... yardwork Yesterday #22
Agree! Diamond_Dog Yesterday #32
Yes my super MAGAt niece is a receptionist for a dentist ToxMarz Yesterday #42
Waiting for Trump to fix her life. yardwork Yesterday #47
She's waiting for her mom to retire ToxMarz Yesterday #48
OK, that got a chuckle. soldierant 20 hrs ago #74
My EX-son in law is a successful dentist and a huge pro-gun, pro-MAGA narcissistic insufferable lunatic. dameatball Yesterday #46
Message auto-removed Name removed Yesterday #56
Same here LR3 Yesterday #50
I think it is a jab at the supposed poor dental health of MAGATs DBoon Yesterday #51
MAGAts do go to dentists, they just wait until it's too late. eppur_se_muova 23 hrs ago #66
My own dentist is "one of us," I've shared DU with her. Rhiannon12866 17 hrs ago #80
Museums and bookstores are good spaces. yardwork Yesterday #9
any non-mainstream ethnic restaurant DBoon Yesterday #16
Yes! Support local progressives and immigrants. yardwork Yesterday #20
It's my world, too. They need to be avoiding us. Not the other way around. littlemissmartypants Yesterday #10
Volunteer AverageOldGuy Yesterday #12
But look out for ICE, like house trailers look out for tornadoes. nt eppur_se_muova 23 hrs ago #68
Not Sure About Dentist Office ProfessorGAC Yesterday #14
Oh hell no. yardwork Yesterday #21
And What Other Judgment Issues Do They Have? ProfessorGAC Yesterday #23
Exactly. yardwork Yesterday #26
I agree about dentists and dental staff. Magas all the way. I avoid anything coming remotely close to politics Solomon Yesterday #49
Farmers markets have.lots of MAGA, including vendors NewHendoLib Yesterday #15
Farmers markets in my very red area seem to be decidedly blue. Blumancru Yesterday #19
Mensa events Blumancru Yesterday #17
Funny, made me chuckle. cksmithy Yesterday #24
Good one! llmart Yesterday #25
DUzy!! 🏆🏅 littlemissmartypants Yesterday #55
Unless the graduating class is from Bob Jones University mdbl Yesterday #27
A Mensa meeting somethingshiny Yesterday #28
My house. We have ice cream. twodogsbarking Yesterday #29
my house. ret5hd Yesterday #30
Do you have ice cream? twodogsbarking Yesterday #40
And chocolate? calimary 12 hrs ago #83
Libraries might be safe from MAGA IronLionZion Yesterday #31
volunteer to do trail maintenance at a local park or nature preserve DBoon Yesterday #53
Drag shows. Pinback Yesterday #33
Reggae concerts DBoon Yesterday #52
Very funny post! BaronChocula Yesterday #34
And... Betty Boom Yesterday #36
Any place Pagans gather! niyad Yesterday #38
Agree with you. I'm pretty sure 1/2 of my fellow Pilates class members are MAGA. But we all are there for 1 reason. beaglelover Yesterday #39
I see maga in most of those places Tree Lady Yesterday #41
Ethics class. twodogsbarking Yesterday #43
Our local farmers market is owned by maga, and the employees MagickMuffin Yesterday #44
Punk rock shows Initech Yesterday #45
Bootstrap stores NameAlreadyTaken Yesterday #57
Vegan restaurants NameAlreadyTaken Yesterday #59
Unfortunately, that's not entirely true. flvegan 23 hrs ago #63
The symphony. The Madcap Yesterday #60
PRIDE Maj. Dude 23 hrs ago #61
A library. appleannie1 23 hrs ago #62
I Love My Costco.. 💙Lots of DEI Cha 23 hrs ago #64
Any non-Tesla EV meetup. flvegan 23 hrs ago #65
Post removed Post removed 20 hrs ago #75
Love this post LilElf70 22 hrs ago #69
the local library, Amtrak, any facility for adult education, any nonchristian or nondenominal church/temple, paulkienitz 22 hrs ago #70
Green Groups Dear_Prudence 22 hrs ago #71
The library Hassler 21 hrs ago #72
Heaven. milestogo 21 hrs ago #73
. BlueWaveNeverEnd 18 hrs ago #78
Wasn't that a Jeopardy! category? C Moon 17 hrs ago #79
Bookstores? Libraries are better because intheflow 9 hrs ago #85
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