Biden Announces Reelection Campaign

[Foxwarrior]

Wow really? Then how do you even use a 5G phone? Do you have to climb on the roof

[Neo Phonelobster Prime]

So around here no worse than a 3G phone.

[Stahlseele]

The millimeterwave 5G isn't even active in many parts of the world as far as i know.
And most of the newer 5g capable phones can not use the millimeterwave stuff either.
5G uses the 3.7GHz combined with the 26GHz spectrum. And as anybody who knows
anything about frequency, higher allways means shorter range and less penetration.
You can allready see extreme differences in reach and penetration when you compare
2.4GHz wifi and 5GHz WiFi.

5G will give you roughly 10 to 20 times the connection speed and lower latency by
quite a bit as well, but it will have much shorter range and be blocked by just about
anything.
This means they will have to up the base station count by several 100% to achieve the
same kind of blanketing.
And of course, those stations also need to have a backbone connection that can then
deliver this performance so the wired part of the net does not become the bottleneck.

[Sashi]

Democrats probably wouldn't like his "become head of empire to help dismantle it" position, but it would be interesting to see how people respond to it. We all know empires are bad, right?

The Democrat position is that empires are bad when people who aren't Democrats run them.

I've been calling this the "nice cops" tactic of smuggling in a lesser of two evils argument. Keep the focus on how it's better to be the subject of a "nice" empire than a "mean" one, or that cops/judges/politicians don't need oversight and accountability, we just need to make sure the people with carte blanche to murder you are nice and would never actually do that (but it's important they have the right to do it, don't question that part).

[deaddmwalking]

And as anybody who knows
anything about frequency, higher allways means shorter range and less penetration.

While longer wavelengths diffract differently in a medium (like water) allowing red light to penetrate further than blue light, I did not think this is universally true. UV light (higher wavelength) penetrates skin better/deeper than red light which is why it causes sunburn. If your statement was universally true I would expect that holding up different color lamps to my arm would have colors closer to red shooting out the other side without apparent obstruction, but that's not what I see.

Edit - From an article on ocean light penetration

Light with longer wavelengths is absorbed more quickly than that with shorter wavelengths. Because of this, the higher energy light with short wavelengths, such as blue, is able to penetrate more deeply.

[Sashi]

Blue light penetrates deeper into the ocean because water slightly absorbs red light, it's a completely different process from the one Stahlseele is discussing, which is about the wavelength of light relative to the material thickness.

If the wavelength is much longer than the material thickness the radiation can basically pass through as if the material doesn't exist. Much like how an ocean wave rolls right over grains of sand but gets slowed down by a boulder. Bigger waves can ignore bigger rocks. For visible light this behavior is almost never observed because visible light's wavelength is between 400-650 nm and almost everything we interact with is much thicker than that.

For radio waves, though, it's a big deal. AM radio waves are hundreds of meters long while FM waves are 2-3 meters long, which explains why you can lose FM signal driving under a bridge.

3G phone wavelengths are on the 10-30 cm range, which explains why reception was spotty in my school's concrete library. 5g wavelengths are 8 cm at the longest and can be sub cm at the shortest which makes them vulnerable to residential interior walls.

Also UV light doesn't penetrate very deeply at all, which is why it gives you a sunburn instead of a boneburn, and red light does pass through your body my more easily than blue, which is why putting your hand over and flashlight makes a red glow, but that's not directly due to wavelength like it is for radio.

[erik]

Wow really? Then how do you even use a 5G phone? Do you have to climb on the roof

:That’s_the_neat_part._You_don’t.jpg:

I groan whenever my phone is on 5G. It’s my wish.com internet connection.

Heh. I tried using my phone last night while waiting outside for fireworks at a nearby city display and it lagged so badly. I don’t think that was a 5G problem, just too many people for not enough towers.

[Thaluikhain]

Or maybe 5g is afraid of fireworks. I mean, it's not much more stupid than it causing covid.

[Kaelik]

Rfk or some member of his staff with his Twitter is making nazi references.

He has a tweet saying that the typical turn around time for secret service requests is 14 days (this appears entirely made up) and then the next sentence is that after 88 days the biden admin has rejected his request.

[PseudoStupidity]

It's weird that two political candidates in the 2024 election have made unmistakable references to the nazis on Twitter.

Also, will nazis ever realize that 14 and 88 aren't crypto anymore? The New York Times explained those in 2020 (idk if they explained it earlier or later as well), even relatively normal people have a chance of recognizing that you're being a nazi when you do that. Or maybe they just don't care anymore and think barely-concealed nazi shit gets you votes now.

[Kaelik]

The coveted nazi vote which we know makes up 55% of all primary voters would help DeSantis beat trump or rfk beat biden, but alas, they will be split between primaries allowing trump and biden to win the primaries

EDIT: it occurs to me now the much funnier joke would be: after DeSantis and rfk lose the gop and dem primaries, they will both compete in the Nazi Party Primary.

[PseudoStupidity]

I wouldn't be that shocked if we got a Nazi party (or something similar) for the 2028 election. It would probably be the most successful third party in the US during my entire life. Ok, I know the Republicans have gotten pretty close to outright genocide with some of their stuff, but I mean a no-shit "HEY GUYS WHAT IF WE DEPORT ALL THE MINORITIES" party running a Kanye-Fuentes ticket or something similarly stupid.

Edit: Actually I bet Kanye-MTG (or any major conservative celebrity + MTG) would be a pretty solid campaign if Trump was out of the picture. Star power and nazi credentials? That's a winning combo here.

[Neo Phonelobster Prime]

The Nazis wouldn't risk splitting their vote like that.

[Kaelik]

The Nazis wouldn't risk splitting their vote like that.

Me feeling particularly mean today: they already split their vote across two parties, what's a third?

[Dogbert]

I wouldn't be that shocked if we got a Nazi party (or something similar) for the 2028 election.

Your country already has 2 nazi parties, why would you want a third?

Ok, I know the Republicans have gotten pretty close to outright genocide with some of their stuff

"Close"? My sibling in Flying Spaghetti Monster, what your country has been doing for the last year and a half IS genocide, trans genocide. The U.S of A is already on Stage 8 of genocide and the rest of the planet is just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[MGuy]

Biden has decided to show up at the picket line for auto workers. While I don't believe this means much to the effort overall I think it's a good sign that the office believes it is good to actually visibly side with workers. From what I understand the act of even showing up for this kind of thing is historic. With all the strikes starting up I hope that this is yet another good sign for the growth of labor power in this country.

[PseudoStupidity]

Symbolic gestures are worth nothing. Remember when the Democrats all wore kente cloth and kneeled, and then immediately began funding the police even more so they can better murder people of color? I'll believe Biden supports unions when he starts actually supporting unions. It is always good optics to look like you support popular things (and the UAW strike is very popular, 75% of the public is on their side), even Trump pulled a stunt last night to try and look like he supports the autoworkers (by speaking at a nonunion shop, which is fucking hilarious).

Publicly shitting on labor always looks bad, and it's why Trump is going to win the Republican primary. If anyone else watched the debate last night it was the most unpopular bastards in the country screaming at each other about how much they want poor people to shut up and be their serfs, among other things like how we should literally invade Mexico or how we should decide which countries South American countries are allowed to make trade deals with (this really happened).

Democrats are never stupid enough to publicly talk about how much they hate unions, they just quietly break strikes and support the capitalists while pretending to support labor. Biden personally fucked over the railroad workers last year!

[MGuy]

Apparently Biden did something more for the railway workers after he shut down their attempt at a strike and from what little I've heard it has been in their interest. It was done quietly and the only reason I know that something happened is because of the media I consumed but it was something.

I do not believe most politicians care in any real way about anything and many of these big media outlets still speak with thinly veiled derision for unions and the "damage" they cause by fighting for better working conditions. My thoughts on Biden and my disgust are how lightly he is critiqued for his past and continuing sins has not changed. I only think it's a step in the right direction for labor power. They just made it easier to start unions I think last month or so as well. That sounds like a pro union, pro worker, move despite Biden being Biden.

Even if it's just playing politics, things like this is evidence that people at large, especially the people that they 'count', are starting to see acting in favor of, or at least getting perceived as clearly pro union, as a good thing. That's beyond just not being actively hostile against them which many of these same people in office were back in their day. Here, I'm not worried about the politician or anything. I'm worried about public perception. There are a lot of people like dead dm who need people like Biden and whoever writes the think pieces they read to act on these kind of things first before they too start believing it's a good thing. Which is useful.

Yes I know our government doesn't act necessarily on things the public likes but the reason the Dems are the lesser of two evils is because they'll occasionally make token attempts at appeasing the voting public. If appeasing the public to them also includes doing even faux support for workers that's a good thing. Now if they can just do something about the people who control our money looking to generate more poverty my stance on the Biden administration might actually soften.

Edit: They talk about that something here.

[PseudoStupidity]

Apparently Biden did something more for the railway workers after he shut down their attempt at a strike and from what little I've heard it has been in their interest. It was done quietly and the only reason I know that something happened is because of the media I consumed but it was something.

I do not believe most politicians care in any real way about anything and many of these big media outlets still speak with thinly veiled derision for unions and the "damage" they cause by fighting for better working conditions. My thoughts on Biden and my disgust are how lightly he is critiqued for his past and continuing sins has not changed. I only think it's a step in the right direction for labor power. They just made it easier to start unions I think last month or so as well. That sounds like a pro union, pro worker, move despite Biden being Biden.

Even if it's just playing politics, things like this is evidence that people at large, especially the people that they 'count', are starting to see acting in favor of, or at least getting perceived as clearly pro union, as a good thing. That's beyond just not being actively hostile against them which many of these same people in office were back in their day. Here, I'm not worried about the politician or anything. I'm worried about public perception. There are a lot of people like dead dm who need people like Biden and whoever writes the think pieces they read to act on these kind of things first before they too start believing it's a good thing. Which is useful.

Yes I know our government doesn't act necessarily on things the public likes but the reason the Dems are the lesser of two evils is because they'll occasionally make token attempts at appeasing the voting public. If appeasing the public to them also includes doing even faux support for workers that's a good thing. Now if they can just do something about the people who control our money looking to generate more poverty my stance on the Biden administration might actually soften.

Edit: They talk about that something here.

It's almost like Biden can fuck them over and still give them some scraps, he's still their enemy! Instead of referencing a union that is for electrical workers and does shit like support the AT&T Time-Warner merger we can instead look at what Railroad Workers United, which actually represents rail workers who got shit on, is saying. Here's what they had to say.

[MGuy]

So a few things. I specifically said my position on Biden hasn't changed.

The thing you posted about the union not wanting to give up their right to strike does not counter the fact that they got concessions, ones the union agreed to that are talked about in the article I posted, and I don't know why you think that it does.

What I'm in support of is workers. Labor power. That Biden happened to be the Dem who showed up is incidental. It could have been any Democrat. The important bit is that it's a sign that the cynical calculation they made to publicly support the workers is itself a good thing for workers. It's the same as how I feel about corporations and their faux support of minorities. I don't personally care about it, and it doesn't change how I feel about them. But that they feel that they should pretend to care is a good sign.

[PseudoStupidity]

So a few things. I specifically said my position on Biden hasn't changed.

The thing you posted about the union not wanting to give up their right to strike does not counter the fact that they got concessions, ones the union agreed to that are talked about in the article I posted, and I don't know why you think that it does.

What I'm in support of is workers. Labor power. That Biden happened to be the Dem who showed up is incidental. It could have been any Democrat. The important bit is that it's a sign that the cynical calculation they made to publicly support the workers is itself a good thing for workers. It's the same as how I feel about corporations and their faux support of minorities. I don't personally care about it, and it doesn't change how I feel about them. But that they feel that they should pretend to care is a good sign.

Bolding mine, and the bolded is just wrong.

The union did not get concessions, they had no say in this and that's why you should be unhappy with the situation. The US government ruled striking would be illegal and enforced a contract, and then the rail workers got some sick days later on. The White House is taking credit for...what? "Pressuring" railroad companies to provide sick days after breaking the strike that would have won the workers a better deal? That is the White House breaking the workers legs but then getting praise for putting a cast on one leg. Don't praise them for that, don't be fucking stupid and cheer people on for literally fucking over workers and then, separately, giving them scraps. You should not be happy that any of that happened! Treating workers like an abused spouse is bad, not good. If you support labor power you obviously would not support breaking a strike and then separately giving them some sick days. That is the opposite of labor power, because labor didn't exercise any fucking power!

That the Democrats pretend to care isn't a good sign, because the Democrats have pretended to care for my entire life. When the fuck did a Democrat last come out and say unions are bad? How is Biden showing up at a picket line somehow different from the kente cloth stunt? Democrats doing performative support of good causes is par for the course, this is not special and is meant to make you think Biden isn't a strike breaking piece of shit who always sides with capitalists. Don't be impressed by the obvious attempt to woo labor after crushing labor less than a year ago.

[MGuy]

So the bolded isn't wrong it is just not good enough for you. Just say that instead of being wrong on purpose. The White House claim isn't why I gave credit to Biden. The union gave Biden credit. It's in the article. If I were to guess it would be in every article I would look up over this specific subject. It is very possible to continue to say Biden bad without choosing to ignore what the unions get and what they are saying. Unions negotiating and striking means that they are negotiating. They aren't guaranteed to get better anything. I'm not in the railroad industry or their union so if the union is saying positive things about something they got I'm in no position to argue with them and there is no reason for me to do so.

Additionally, Unions are not like spouses. Playing politics means dealing with people who most of time do not care about you or your cause, and at worse against actors who are enemies. Imagining that there's some kind of more meaningful relationship between one set of actors attempting to act in their perceived best interest vs another group acting in their perceived best interest is childish. I don't believe Biden, Pelosi, or anyone save for a few congresspeople actually care about anything that I care about. What I care about is only what their actions mean for the things I care about. That you can't fathom that there are hundreds of thousands if not more people swayed by the attitudes and posturing of people in these positions means you're living in a dream world or you just don't want to care about what convinces people that aren't you.

Of course I know this already because every time you choose to become hostile with something I say or do you don't attempt to convince me of anything. Multiple times now you've made it clear Biden/Dems bad and even though in every response I've highlighted that I indeed believe they are still bad, you've gone back to repeating it as if you need not only affirmation of this but something else that you're not making clear. I don't know why that's important for you to reiterate but it shows that you do not care what my position is or why I have it.

What you would have to argue, if you wanted to move me, is that there are not some significant number of people who are swayed by the posturing and acts that are taken by the government. Repeatedly telling me that they are bad (something I've said myself), that it's not enough (something I've said myself), and that stopping the rail worker's strike is bad (another thing we agree on) is not engaging with a point I've made. The thing you did choose to engage with you are just wrong about, again because it isn't good enough for you and your need to reaffirm Biden bad. Biden is bad sure, but the Unions said he did a good. That's not up for argument.

[deaddmwalking]

There are a lot of people like dead dm who need people like Biden and whoever writes the think pieces they read to act on these kind of things first before they too start believing it's a good thing. Which is useful.

Why call me out? I have never NOT been pro-union. I appreciate that I have a weekend. I would love UAW to win a 32-hour work week. In the long term with increased automation we're going to have too little work for PEOPLE. I'm also in favor of a universal basic income. I think that major shocks to our economy. There are almost 700,000 truck drivers in this country and self-driving vehicles are going to eliminate those jobs. Things like that are a major problem if we're not taking care of people.

Whatever point you THINK you're making, leave me out of it.

I'm voting for Biden because I know that Trump is really, really, really, bad for the United States. Voting for the Green candidate or the Socialist candidate might seem better, but this next election is going to be decided by 2% of the total vote in a handful of states and the winner is going to be a Democrat or a Republican. Long term, I think that major changes to our Constitution are in order. I think that 'first past the post' in a field of 20 doesn't do Democracy any favors. I think that House Districts should exist, and instead we should vote by party and apportion seats based on electoral share. I'd be fine if we did that on a National Level (rather than by state, understanding that a state having more people influences the ultimate outcome). But things like that probably won't ever happen. But GENERALLY things become MORE REPRESENTATIVE when Democrats are in charge and LESS REPRESENTATIVE when Republicans are in charge.

That's enough for me right now.

[PseudoStupidity]

So the bolded isn't wrong it is just not good enough for you. Just say that instead of being wrong on purpose. The White House claim isn't why I gave credit to Biden. The union gave Biden credit. It's in the article. If I were to guess it would be in every article I would look up over this specific subject. It is very possible to continue to say Biden bad without choosing to ignore what the unions get and what they are saying. Unions negotiating and striking means that they are negotiating. They aren't guaranteed to get better anything. I'm not in the railroad industry or their union so if the union is saying positive things about something they got I'm in no position to argue with them and there is no reason for me to do so.

Come on, you are not this dumb. You know the IBEW is not a union that represents all the railworkers, right? It's an electrician union. It was also not a real negotiation, as the workers literally weren't allowed to use their chosen negotiation tactic (striking)! What the fuck is a negotiation when one side doesn't get to take any action? It's a fucking dictate.

Additionally, Unions are not like spouses. Playing politics means dealing with people who most of time do not care about you or your cause, and at worse against actors who are enemies. Imagining that there's some kind of more meaningful relationship between one set of actors attempting to act in their perceived best interest vs another group acting in their perceived best interest is childish. I don't believe Biden, Pelosi, or anyone save for a few congresspeople actually care about anything that I care about. What I care about is only what their actions mean for the things I care about. That you can't fathom that there are hundreds of thousands if not more people swayed by the attitudes and posturing of people in these positions means you're living in a dream world or you just don't want to care about what convinces people that aren't you.

Praising Biden for getting you sick days after he broke your strike really is like saying you love your partner because they took you to a dinner after they gave you a black eye. He literally hurt the unions by breaking their strike and forcing them to accept a worse contract than they wanted, then he did a nice thing for them. The nice thing is nice, but he still broke the strike.

Of course I know this already because every time you choose to become hostile with something I say or do you don't attempt to convince me of anything. Multiple times now you've made it clear Biden/Dems bad and even though in every response I've highlighted that I indeed believe they are still bad, you've gone back to repeating it as if you need not only affirmation of this but something else that you're not making clear. I don't know why that's important for you to reiterate but it shows that you do not care what my position is or why I have it.

What you would have to argue, if you wanted to move me, is that there are not some significant number of people who are swayed by the posturing and acts that are taken by the government. Repeatedly telling me that they are bad (something I've said myself), that it's not enough (something I've said myself), and that stopping the rail worker's strike is bad (another thing we agree on) is not engaging with a point I've made. The thing you did choose to engage with you are just wrong about, again because it isn't good enough for you and your need to reaffirm Biden bad. Biden is bad sure, but the Unions said he did a good. That's not up for argument.

Bolding mine.

Did you even read the article by the RWU, a union that represents rail workers? Unions didn't say he did good, ONE union said he did. There were a lot more unions who were going to strike than just the IBEW (which is mostly electricians, hence the name).

My point was Biden showed up at a picket line to get people to vote for Joe Biden, not because he supports labor. Joe Biden knows that he needs to get union support, and he is trying to get that via symbolic gestures instead of actually being pro labor. The man literally forced workers to continue working when they wanted to strike to get better conditions, that is just about the least pro labor you can ever be. If he does something to support the autoworkers that would be great, until then it's just a photo op and we should save our praise for when he actually does something good.

I think you genuinely have no idea what happened, because you really seem to think the IBEW is all the unions ever or some shit.

[MGuy]

So that's a dead end thing you're presenting here and I encourage you to reread the post where I told you I don't know why you think an article about event A is a contradiction to event B occurring. You clearly understand these are two separate events given the intimate partner dynamic you keep bringing up. All that means is you don't care that B happened because of A and that's fine but didn't contradict a thing I've said.

That's before pointing out that you still haven't engaged with the point I made about how it's a good sign that politicians show even faux support for unions.