I’m not putting my lips on that.

That’s the best part: We don’t know! There are so many taxes and fees and BS spread over so many things that it is very difficult to calculate the total percentage accurately. 40% seems high, but it’s probably not far off when you add everything up.

Whatever, but with that kind of gap there is a power imbalance whether you see it or not.

I’m just being cynical. The overall push is to eliminate anonymity on the internet, which I think will also lead to a massive piracy crackdown eventually. With creeping authoritarianism, it will be used as a weapon.

Seriously, WTF is this?

Don’t get too excited; I’m sure the next move will be to make it easier for those companies to sue the pants off of users en masse. Last thing they can allow is corporate accountability.

Behold the Atlantean and their mastery of laser decoding mechanisms!

Technology keeps getting better and better; it is capitalism that keeps getting worse and worse.

I get you, but unfortunately American politics has been world politics for 80 years.

All I know is in that situation, owning property outright with the means to defend it is the only safe bet. You should just turn it into a prepping hobby, there’s worse stuff to get into out there.

Thank you for this detailed and ignorance-destroying response. The whole welfare queen/deserving poor mentality does seem to lie at the foundation of the struggle. I guess it’s just human nature.

Your comments on how your disdain has shifted to compassion convicts me. I’m not there yet, but I’ve been trying to make that phase transition since last November. Hate certainly isn’t going to fix anything.

Honest question, but have you guys in the UK always been dealing with the conservative morality police or is this a more recent thing? As an American, these people have been a constant detriment to a functioning society for… ever?

My understanding is that such forces have been comparatively insignificant in your country, but “comparatively insignificant” probably says more about how things are here than anything else.

If my father can bring himself to not vote R, anyone can. All it takes is a willingness and ability to look at nuanced issues objectively. You know, the most rare thing on the planet!

Circumstances make the idea of moving feel a bit foolish, but things are quickly getting to the point where it doesn’t matter; mental health should have no price tag.

The other factor is my general contrarian nature; why should I leave? I’m not the one that sucks. AKA, I’m a stubborn ass.

I live in a place that could pass for MAGA Mecca and am literally surrounded on all fronts pretty much anywhere I go. It is extremely isolating. Thankfully my parents are sane; still Christian, but at least they look on with a similar confused horror - though they still “like a lot of what he’s doing, just not how he’s doing it.”

For privacy to have inherent value, it first must be an established, inherent right. Unfortunately, the Constitution doesn’t talk about it to my knowledge. I’ve always inferred that our rights against unlawful search and seizure basically encapsulate the concept, but whatever.

I’ve been using computers for well over 30 years. Teams is an unintuitive pile of shit.

I just want to say this is a masterful use of the format.

How is paying more to said megacorp going to reduce their influence?

Hell the last few months it has been very noticable.