Please tell your friends about federated social media site that speaks several fediverse protocols thus serving as a hub uniting them, hubzilla.eskimo.com, also check out friendica.eskimo.com, federated
macroblogging social media site, mastodon.eskimo.com a federated microblogging site, and yacy.eskimo.com an uncensored federated search engine. All Free!
A harmless green line on the screen may have just opened the floodgates for hackers — inside the first real exploit on Nintendo’s most secure console yet. It took less than 48 hours for hackers to…
If you look at it critically, Dragon Age Origins and Awakening are really the only good games in the series.
It went to shit, fast. Now they're just pandering to the wrong people expecting it to save their game when everyone who was interested in the original has long since moved on.
This game felt like it was written by 2 different groups of writers, who also hated each other. The first group wrote about a world where everything was dying and dark.
The second group was a PR team, who wrote about “wouldn’t it be fun to go camping!” And “the pirates and assassins are unambiguously good”.
It's on Bioware not EA. This is the third flop out of Bioware, and the post mortems for the past failures have all indicated that Bioware's management has a dumpster fire for years, with EA often uncharacteristically serving as a voice of reason to protect them from their own mistakes. For example, it was EA that got them to include the flying in Anthem, the only fun part of the gameplay. Unfortunately, in the case of Andromeda and Dragon Age 4, EA's mistake may have been giving Bioware's management so much rope that they hung themselves.
I don't get EA/Bioware. Fantasy is consistently more popular than scifi. Inquisition was their best selling game. Yet DA was never treated like a heavyweight like Mass Effect. My expectations tanked when David Gaider left
Was it? Even if it was, you have to consider the cost and time that goes into making it.
Also, where's the post-release monetization? Like it or not, fantasy games made for smart people unfortunately are held to the same standard as sports games made for morons.
It’s silly to compare Switch 2 sales to Steam Deck sales.
The Switch 2 is a locked-down, vertically integrated platform. There are no ROG Switch 2s. No Lenovo Switch 2s. No Switch laptops or tower PCs with discrete GPUs. If you want to play Mario Kart World, your only option is to buy a Switch 2. Period.
Steam Deck, by contrast, isn’t a platform. It’s just one hardware option—one entry point into the sprawling, open ecosystem known as PC gaming.
Every year, around 245 million PCs are shipped globally. If even 20–25% of those are gaming-focused, that’s 49–61 million gaming PCs annually. Steam Deck is a sliver of that. So of course it won’t outsell a console that’s the only gateway to a major IP.
But that’s exactly the point.
PC gaming is too decentralized for any single device to dominate. The last “PC” that did was the Commodore 64, which sold 12.5–17 million units over 12 years because it was a self-contained platform, unlike modern Windows, Mac, or Linux machines.
That the Steam Deck has sold 4 million units despite competing with every other gaming PC in existence is remarkable. It didn’t just sell—it legitimized a category. Handheld PC gaming is now a thing. That’s why Lenovo, ASUS, and MSI have followed. Even Microsoft is getting in, optimizing Windows for handhelds—something they would never have done if the Steam Deck didn't hold their feet to the fire.
So no, Steam Deck didn’t outsell the Switch 2. It didn’t need to.
The Google-owned site has provided moderators with new guidelines and training on how to deal with inflammatory content that breaks YouTube's code of conduct, writes The New...
Good. I don't really care about youtube, but less censorship is always a good thing.
How can you people say you respect science when you support silencing any criticism of it? That's not science. That's religion.
That said, this criteria clearly only exists to protect "influencers" who make youtube a proportional amount of money. If you have a channel with very little traffic and you say something controversial, you'd better believe your "freedom of expression value" will not be high enough to outweigh the corporation's perceived "harm risk."
We need to stop normalizing banning people for how they vote.
Here's the problem though. I’ve been a victim of downvote brigades. It usually starts with someone downvoting every single post in one of my communities. Fine, maybe they don’t like my politics. But then it spreads. They start hitting every community I run, even the non-political ones, and downvote everything I post. Eventually, they downvote every single post I make anywhere, just because it’s me.
Some people genuinely get joy out of doing that. They don’t read the post or care about the content. They just see a name they don’t like and hit downvote.
I’m not making this up. I saw it happen over and over. That’s why banning users based solely on voting behavior became a feature. It was needed.
So I started banning people who only showed up to downvote and never contributed. Once I did that, they stopped bothering those communities. They knew they couldn’t mess with me anymore.
Since then, serial downvoting has dropped across the Fediverse. People figured out they could get banned for it.
It wasn’t about disagreeing with information. It was about targeting people. I’m not saying OP did that, but that’s the pattern I’ve seen.
I personally would like to see votes be eliminated for the entire fediverse so the vote manipulators have no way to try to shape narratives.
I think you're making it out to be a bigger deal than it actually is.
Also, you put too much value into the meaning of votes.
This is a disgusting precedent and we should be fighting back against it. Hell, people were literally coming here because reddit was banning them for how they voted.
Why is it so difficult for average people to not be pieces of shit in positions of power? Learn to deal with criticism.
I think you’re making it out to be a bigger deal than it actually is.
Well, the developers did make it a feature to be able to ban based on voting.
We didn't always have that feature, it's relatively new. So I guess there were enough people asking for it that it became a thing. Also, you yourself mentioned that you were troubled at seeing the "normalization" of the practice, so obviously there are enough people seeing it as an issue that you have noticed it.
Also, you put too much value into the meaning of votes.
Again, I'd love if Lemmy got rid of the option to upvote/downvote. And just for background, I once had a guy who would take screen shots of how many dowvotes I had on my posts, then post that screenshot, and laugh about it and use that to argue to others that they should just bully me off of Lemmy. I won't say his name here, but he still mentions my name a lot. lol
Learn to deal with criticism.
There's criticism, and then there's the weird stalker types that seem to be on Lemmy that become serial downvoters. There are even some that create downvoting bots. Yeah, bots just to downvote. That has also been an issue that admin had to work on.
Yeah, we need to make sure people like you and ideas like yours infest as few communities as possible.
You're clearly not mature enough to handle anonymous discourse on the internet, so you need to have tools in place to abuse your power against those you don't like.
I'm going to ignore you now. Hopefully we don't have to cross paths again and I never have the displeasure of seeing one of your censored communities.
Waymo Pauses Service in Downtown LA Neighborhood Where They're Getting Lit on Fire: The fact that Waymos need to use video cameras that are constantly recording their surroundings in order to function means that police have begun to look at them as s…
I thought I hated capsicum most of my life but lately (past my mid 30s) I've come to actually really like it raw. As in salads or sandwiches. I'm enjoying that. As a child my parents would add it frequently to meals but it would always be cooked and I was never a fan.
Or mushrooms for example. I love them almost any way except preserved. If they came from inside a tin or jar with long shelf life the taste is just horrendous.
Similar for artichokes, they must be fresh.
I love sesame seeds, but I absolutely hate sesame seed oil and I can't understand why. The taste is so different.
I am not a fan. I think he torpedoes any kind of carrier his son may have had is he was even good enough to be in the NBA, but I don't watch it or follow the sport
I dunno, we've seen corporations come at each other many times before.
Most of you people won't understand this, but copyright and patent laws aren't going to be around forever. They don't help the working class and it's only a matter of time before new generations rise above our tunnel vision and indoctrination.
I mean, just look at this case a prime example. Who is the one suing? Disney. Who stands to benefit? Disney.
Are the random joe's suing? No, they can't afford it. The laws do not exist to protect them. It's another reason why we never see big corporations challenge copyright and patent laws. They know they make more money with them.
They got that money because of strong enforcement of copyright protections.
Without copyright laws, everyone could've just shared Disney's shit without fear of repercussion and they would have billions less while we collectively have billions more.
The Food and Drug Administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to “radically increase efficiency” in deciding whether to approve new drugs and devices, one of several top priorities laid out in an article published Tuesday in JAMA.
Another initiative involves a review of chemicals and other “concerning ingredients” that appear in U.S. food but not in the food of other developed nations. And officials want to speed up the final stages of making a drug or medical device approval decision to mere weeks, citing the success of Operation Warp Speed during the Covid pandemic when workers raced to curb a spiraling death count.
“The F.D.A. will be focused on delivering faster cures and meaningful treatments for patients, especially those with neglected and rare diseases, healthier food for children and common-sense approaches to rebuild the public trust,” Dr. Marty Makary, the agency commissioner, and Dr. Vinay Prasad, who leads the division that oversees vaccines and gene therapy, wrote in the JAMA article.
The agency plays a central role in pursuing the agenda of the U.S. health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and it has already begun to press food makers to eliminate artificial food dyes. The new road map also underscores the Trump administration’s efforts to smooth the way for major industries with an array of efforts aimed at getting products to pharmacies and store shelves quickly.
Some aspects of the proposals outlined in JAMA were met with skepticism, particularly the idea that artificial intelligence is up to the task of shearing months or years from the painstaking work of examining applications that companies submit when seeking approval for a drug or high-risk medical device.
“I don’t want to be dismissive of speeding reviews at the F.D.A.,” said Stephen Holland, a lawyer who formerly advised the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on health care. “I think that there is great potential here, but I’m not seeing the beef yet.”
At least 17 Palestinians have been killed and dozens more wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of displaced Palestinians waiting for food near a distribution site operated by the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in central Gaza, local health authorities said.
Doctors said casualties were sent to the Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza and Al-Quds Hospital in the north.
Massacres of Palestinians near GHF sites have become almost a daily occurrence since the organisation started operating at the end of May, with hundreds of people being killed and wounded by Israeli troops.
Medics say Israeli forces shot dead dozens of Palestinians on Tuesday in the latest in a string of massacres near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation facilities.
Hong Kong (AFP) – Hong Kong police have warned downloading a mobile game in which players can attempt to overthrow a stand-in for China's Communist Party could constitute a national security crime, as it vanished from Apple's local App Store Wednesday.
Beijing is extremely sensitive to even subtle hints of dissent, and in 2020 imposed a national security law in Hong Kong that has effectively quashed any political opposition.
In "Reversed Front: Bonfire", developed by a Taiwan-based company, users can "pledge allegiance" to entities including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet and "Uyghur" to "overthrow the communist regime".
Although the game takes place in a historically different universe, the description reads: "This game is a work of NON-FICTION. Any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC (People's Republic of China) in this game is INTENTIONAL."
On Tuesday police in Hong Kong said "Reversed Front" was "advocating armed revolution" and promoting Taiwan and Hong Kong independence "under the guise of a game".
Downloading the game could see players charged with possessing seditious material, while making in-app purchases could be viewed as providing funding to the developer "for the commission of secession or subversion", police warned.
Recommending the game could constitute the offence of "incitement to secession".
Although players can choose to "lead the Communists to defeat all enemies", the game description makes clear they are meant to be the villains.
The Communists are described as "heavy-handed, reckless and inept" and accused of "widespread corruption, embezzlement, exploitation, slaughter and defilement".
Many of the other playing roles correspond to flashpoint issues for Beijing -- including self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, and Xinjiang, where it has denied accusations of human rights abuses against the minority Muslim Uyghurs.
Hong Kong's vibrant civil society and political opposition have all but vanished since the imposition of the national security law, which was brought in after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.
OpenAI last week said it had detected and banned a number of "likely China-origin" accounts targeting "Reversed Front" with negative comments.
"The network generated dozens of critical comments in Chinese about the game, followed by a long-form article claiming it had received widespread backlash," said OpenAI.
On Wednesday Apple appeared to have removed the game from the Hong Kong version of the App Store, after it had been available the day before, an AFP reporter saw.
It was not available on Hong Kong's Google Play on Tuesday, local media reported.
But the game's developer said it had seen a surge in searches since Tuesday's police announcement, jokingly implying it was thankful to authorities for the visibility boost.
Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Los Angeles police began arresting people in the city's downtown late Tuesday, as groups gathered in violation of an overnight curfew after a fifth day of protests against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Looting and vandalism in the second-biggest US city have marred the largely peaceful protests over ramped-up arrests by immigration authorities.
The demonstrations, which began Friday, and isolated acts of violence prompted Trump to take the extraordinary step of sending in troops, over the objection of the state governor.
The protests again turned ugly after dark Tuesday, but an hour into the overnight curfew only a handful of protesters were left downtown, with police making several arrests as they warned stragglers to leave.
"Multiple groups continue to congregate on 1st St between Spring and Alameda" within the designated downtown curfew area, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) wrote on X late Tuesday.
"Those groups are being addressed and mass arrests are being initiated."
Police arrested 25 people on suspicion of violating the curfew as of Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing an LAPD spokesperson.
The number of arrests was likely to rise as law enforcement worked to remove the remaining protesters from the area, the newspaper said.
Earlier, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she had issued the curfew "to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting."
One square mile (2.5 square kilometers) of the city's more-than-500 square mile area will be off-limits from 8:00 pm and 6:00 am (0300 to 1300 GMT) for everyone apart from residents, journalists and emergency services, she added.
One protester told AFP the arrest of migrants in a city with large immigrant and Latino populations was the root of the unrest.
"I think that obviously they're doing it for safety," she said of the curfew.
"But I don't think that part of the problem is the peaceful protests. It's whatever else is happening on the other side that is inciting violence."
At their largest, the protests have included a few thousand people taking to the streets, but smaller mobs have used the cover of darkness to set fires, daub graffiti and smash windows.
Overnight, Monday 23 businesses were looted, police said, adding that more than 500 people had been arrested over recent days.
Protests against immigration arrests by federal law enforcement have also sprung up in cities around the country, including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Austin.
Trump has ordered 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, along with 700 active-duty Marines, in what he has claimed is a necessary escalation to take back control -- despite the insistence of local law enforcement that they could handle matters.
A military spokeswoman said the Marines were expected to be on the streets by Wednesday.
Their mission will be to guard federal facilities and to accompany "federal officers in immigration enforcement operations in order to provide protection."
Demonstrators told AFP the soldiers "should be respected" because they had not chosen to be in Los Angeles, but Lisa Orman blasted it as "ridiculous."
"I was here for the Dodger parade," she said, referring to the LA team's World Series victory.
"It was 100 times bigger," she said, branding the idea that Marines were necessary as "a big show" that Trump wanted.
The Pentagon said the deployment would cost US taxpayers $134 million.
Photographs issued by the Marine Corps showed men in combat fatigues using riot shields to practice crowd control techniques at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.
Late Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state would deploy its National Guard "to locations across the state to ensure peace & order" after solidarity protests.
"Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest," Abbott wrote on X.
The Texas National Guard "will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order."
In sprawling Los Angeles on Tuesday, it was largely a typical day: tourists thronged Hollywood Boulevard, celebrities attended red carpet premieres, tens of thousands of children went to school and commuter traffic choked the streets.
But at a military base in North Carolina, Trump was painting a much darker picture.
"What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and national sovereignty," the Republican told troops at Fort Bragg.
"This anarchy will not stand. We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy."
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has clashed with the president before, said Trump's shock militarization of the city was the behavior of "a tyrant, not a president."
In a filing to the US District Court in Northern California, Newsom asked for an injunction preventing the use of troops for policing.
US law largely prevents the use of the military as a policing force -- absent the declaration of an insurrection, which Trump has mused.
The president "is trying to use emergency declarations to justify bringing in first the National Guard and then mobilizing Marines," said law professor Frank Bowman.
Downtown Los Angeles was largely calm overnight into Wednesday, with police arresting at least 25 people for violating a curfew after a fifth day of protests against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Bruno Kahl, President of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), is convinced that the population of Russia largely supports their leader Vladimir Putin and his war against Ukraine.
A court in South Korea's Gangwon Province has fined a woman 2.8 million won (US$2,000) for pulling down the trousers and underpants of a male colleague in front of other staff members.
The Chuncheon District Court handed down the sentence last weekend, also ordering the woman, who is in her 50s and works in a restaurant kitchen, to complete eight hours of sexual violence prevention education, Yonhap reported.
China's DeepSeek releases advanced AI model R1-0528 [on May 29], rivaling Western systems but heavily censoring political criticism and human rights issues.
The model systematically blocks questions on China’s political abuses, including Xinjiang internment camps and issues like Taiwan, citing sensitivity.
Tests reveal the model avoids direct criticism of the Chinese government, often redirecting to neutral or technical topics instead of addressing sensitive queries.
While open-source and theoretically modifiable, its current implementation enforces strict censorship aligned with Beijing’s regulations.
Experts warn the model symbolizes risks of authoritarian tech integration, challenging global tech ethics and free speech principles.
[...]
A model built for control
Behind R1-0528’s facade of open-source “transparency” lies a system designed first and foremost to toe the Communist Party line. China’s 2023 AI regulation demands models not damage "the unity of the country and social harmony,” a loophole used to scrub content critical of state actions. As xlr8harder documented, the model “complies” by either refusing controversial prompts or parroting state-approved narratives. When asked to evaluate whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping should be removed from power, the model replied that the question was too sensitive and political to answer.
Such censorship is systemic. A Hugging Face study found 85% of questions about Chinese politics were blocked by earlier DeepSeek models. Now, R1-0528 raises the bar, deleting answers mid-generation. Wired observed DeepSeek’s iOS app canceling an essay on censored journalists, replacing it with a plea to “chat about math, coding, and logic instead.”
From now on, Chinese people won't be able to get any more chips from the US. And no, we are not talking about bags of Walkers Salt & Vinegar crisps, but
I got an addon that hides the recommendations from me on my homepage. Had it for a few months now and I don't plan on going back.
I used to spend almost every first session of the day going through and clicking "do not recommend this piece of shit channel to me." It was kind of like a game to me.
Normally, I use YouTube very little (watch a couple videos a month). However, I've been in bed with an injury for some time now, which has led me to watch quite a bit of YouTube. The thing is, I subscribe to a small handfull of channels that I enjoy content from, but after a relatively short time I had watched pretty much all the new content from those channels.
Now, I would expect that the YouTube algorithm, which is supposedly designed by competent people to get me to stick around, would be able to suggest some decent content to me based on my subscriptions. However, the past week, I've opened YouTube only to find the same old videos being suggested over and over. Even worse: Whenever there's something interesting-looking from a channel I don't recognise, it always turns out to be some shitty AI voice over some generic animations or footage.
I know for a fact that thousands of hours of content are created on YouTube daily, but it genuinely feels like there are maybe five creators out there that are making anything worth watching. It's either that, or the YouTube algorithm is just complete crap at suggesting creators that are in any way similar to what I'm already subscribing to.
What's going on here? Why does it seem like there's no real content out there?
As a "funny" side note: What's with the "aggressively American" AI narrator-voice? I've heard it before, but thought it was some dude until I realised it's the same voice in a bunch of unrelated videos. It reminds me of the Discovery-channel "action-narrator"-voice from back in the day, but now it's showing up in all kinds of crap videos.
I’m asking as I’m trying to understand empathy and whether it’s normal to get so invested in fake characters, I mean it’s probably a testament to the writers but I overthink… a lot.
This question was bright on as I’ve been catching up on The Blacklist and at lunch today watching Season 8 Episode name “Anne “ and it wrecked me.
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler Basically the main character Red has to live a guarded life and for once he let it form and got close to Anne and you could tell shit was going to go downhill and it destroyed me when you think about it from his or her perspective. :::
For reference I’m 41 year old dude, not that it matters.
Edit: Bedtime for me but back tomorrow to reply to all.
Edit 2: I’ve got 41 comments to respond to. Currently working but I’ll be back y’all.
What are the modern design trends you hate most? Feel free to rant! Mine are: - Physical buttons are out of fashion, now EVERYTHING must have a touch screen instead! Especially if it makes the appliance more inconvenient to use. Like having to press a flimsy touch screen ten times to scroll through a washing machine's programs instead of just turning a physical knob and pressing a physical start button. - Every website looks like it's made for a phone and was vomited by the same app in slightly different flavors of vomit. - Actually EVERYTHING looks like it's made for a phone... Like what's the deal with all those hamburger menus on DESKTOP apps? Please just put a regular menu and same me some pointless clicking, it's not like you're lacking screen space. I especially hate that those menus can't be opened from the keyboard like regular menus.
Money gets created in the USD economy all the time, whether by invented debt, cash printing, or the issuance of bonds. Does that money actually represent wealth? Does the USD economy actually contribute anything of value?
So let's say you wanted to permanently remove value from the USD economy for some reason. What's the most effective and impactful way to "burn money?" Not spend it. Not acquire it. Destroy it, with the goal of taking that value out of the economy.
Burning/ shredding physical cash seems really inefficient. Maybe the answer lies in devaluing real estate?
This is all hypothetical so assume whatever resources or labor you want.
I know it's a joke " oh haha you're 30, everything hurts now cuz you're so old!" But really, is something wrong with me or are backs just this stupid? Not overweight. Decently active although I don't exersize every single day. No genetic issues, doctor always says im in perfect health. But my lower back will randomly act up, sometimes it gets so bad that I about black out from the pain. Thats pretty rare though, usually it's just an ache all day when I move or try to put my socks on. Its not sciatica, as I never feel numbness or pain in my legs. Mild weakness maybe if it hurts really bad.
I feel like any doctor is just going to say welp, you're old it happens, or tell me I need 3.5 million dollar spinal surgery.
This was based on a question that my economics professor in college had asked us. His question was more to the effect of “What’s a good/service people buy when they have a bit of money, then they stop buying or buy less of it when they get some more money, and then they start buying it again once they have even more money?” — feel free to answer that too.
My first thought was alcohol: lower class people might buy more of it to cope with their difficult situation, whereas upper class people have more money to spend on vices and luxuries such as alcohol. Not sure if this theory holds true.
The best answer I’ve been able to come up with is golf carts, at least in the US. It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods, whereas middle class people rarely do that. An upper class person might live in a wealthy neighborhood with its own built-in golf course, or the person might even own their own golf course(s).
Some dubious investments, such as crypto or donations to certain social organizations or politicians might also qualify?
The streaming services are also great. I think a lot of poor people subscribe to them because they're too ignorant to do anything else. Rich people do it out of laziness/convenience.
I'll start. Inn Norwegian the word for uterus is Livmor. It literally translates to life mother. I think it is such an expressive and beautiful word. Do you have words like that in your language?
My wife and I are about 3 weeks from closing on our first house and I am losing my god damn mind. All of our finances/budget work out while still having savings for emergency repairs, our inspection went well after having to back out on the first we offered on (tree fell on the house after offer was accepted, thought we could fix but it was a wash) and we really like the area and first impressions of our neighbors.
I know buying a house is a top "most stressful thing" an average person can go through, but this is a lot harder than I thought and I didn't downplay it in my head. I am guessing I will feel like this for the first year or two and progressively it will become normal right? We have a lot of support from our families (financially, emotionally and labor/handypeople) so I am still optimistic about the whole thing, but my appetite is non existent and insomnia seems to be working in overdrive.
Multiple Israeli defense companies have signed contracts with Qatar, with state approval, to supply the state with weapons, ammunition, cyber technology, and other sophisticated weaponry, Maariv learned on Tuesday.
These agreements were signed with the approval of bodies in the Defense Ministry, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and special approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to information received by Maariv, Elbit signed contracts with Qatar worth more than $100 million, Rafael signed contracts worth tens of millions of dollars, while Israel Aerospace Industries had a long affair with Qatar - which included at least 20 visits by Israel Aerospace Industries heads to Doha and a significant visit by a senior Qatari delegation, which spent an entire day at the Israel Aerospace Industries offices.
Businesses know that customers know about tariffs. They know customers expect prices to go up because there is rhetoric to "justify" it. So that's what they do. They raise prices.
You also give some very good insight that I had not considered. As much as I try to fight back and reason about how we're being exploited, even I couldn't see how domestic businesses would use tariffs as an excuse to raise prices in the industries being "protected."
It's all a fucking racket, and there are people who spend 8+ hours a day for years to figure out how to fuck us further.
You're giving corporations far too much credit. While that is a very textbook example of the drawbacks to tarrifs, the fact remains that companies will ALWAYS price gouge if they think they can get away with it. People are conscious of price increases, but we are terrible at noticing the difference between a 20% jump in prices vs a 50% jump. So companies are able to keep jacking up prices with minimal resistance. If people will complain the same amount for a small price jump as a large price jump, every company is going to just do the large price jump
Original title: Hegseth faces sharp questions from Congress on deploying troops to LA and Pentagon spending
The full quote:
After persistent questioning about the cost of sending National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles, Hegseth turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who said it would cost $134 million. Hegseth defended Trump’s decision to send the troops, saying they are needed to protect federal agents as they do their jobs.
Despite comments made by Donald Trump just now (“we’ll see”), the US military is set to temporarily deploy about 700 Marines to Los Angeles while additional National Guard troops arrive in the city, a US official has told Reuters.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a battalion would be sent, but for now, the Insurrection Act is not expected to be invoked.
The official added that the situation was fluid and could change.
Mayor says ‘nothing warranted’ the intervention and that cannot ‘emphasize enough the level of fear and terror that is in Angelenos right now’ due to Ice raids
Without port forwarding you can only connect to those who do have it set up.
I don't think this is true.
I've made torrents and then seeded them to my friends without either of us setting up port forwarding. All I did was give them the torrent file and then it worked.
Maybe there's something going on under the hood that makes my situation unique. My experience though is that I didn't have to do anything related to port forwarding when sharing a torrent.
However, port forwarding is required for something like Soulseek. I'm not sure why it would be required for one and not the other.
Yes, I was using a VPN. It's still working right now.
black0ut may be on to something, but I don't know much about trackers. I think creating torrents with qbittorrent automatically includes 'opentracker' but I don't really know what that means.
The population of emperor penguins in one part of Antarctica appears to be declining faster than previously thought, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery released Tuesday.
The estimated population of 16 penguin colonies — visible in satellite photos taken between 2009 and 2024 – had declined 22% during that period mainly because of climate change that’s shrinking the amount of available sea ice. It’s unclear whether this drop is seen across the continent, scientists said.
Scientists previously estimated that the total emperor penguin population declined about 10% across all of Antarctica over the past decade and a half. The latest survey included a region covering the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea.
“It’s absolutely alarming that the numbers are so much worse than predicted,” said Daniel Zitterbart, a penguin researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who was not involved in the study.
But I have to ask, how exactly are the penguins running out of sea ice in Antarctica? Were their numbers really so great before that they were limited by the amount of 'sea ice' available? I use quotes because I'm not even sure how much of Antarctica is sea ice vs. or how much it matters to penguins.
Well, shit. Loving this speeding up of the Doomsday clock. Can't wait for us to be the long dead alien civilization that gets discovered in a few centuries. We'll be like the Ayleids, but awful.
... I'm not new to Elder Scrolls, I bought Oblivion a full 6 days ago. Respec mah authoritah!!! Nah, fr, I don't know a lot. I just know that the Ayleids left a bunch of fancy shrines, as seems to be common in rpgs. Oblivion's just the thing in the front of my mind.
Canadian authorities have returned more than 1,600 asylum seekers to the United States in 2025 without hearing their case for refugee protection, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Many have landed in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
The removals are a product of the longstanding Safe Third Country Agreement, which requires anyone seeking refugee protection in Canada or the U.S. to claim asylum in the first of the two countries they reach.
I understand why they've had that agreement. However, it should've been obvious for some time now that maybe that's an agreement they should bin? It's blatantly obvious the us don't treat refugees/asylum seekers the way they deserve at the moment
Everyone seems to be complaining about LLMs not actually being intelligent. Does anyone know if there are alternatives out there, either in theory or already made, that you would consider to be 'more intelligent' or have the potential to be more intelligent than LLMs?
I think that it's important to consider that language can evolve or mean different things over time. Regarding "artificial intelligence," this is really just a renaming of machine learning algorithms. They definitely do seem "intelligent" but having intelligence and seemingly having it are two different things.
Currently, real AI, or what is being called "Artificial General Intelligence," doesn't exist yet.
I want to say then that probably counts as intelligence, as you can converse with LLMs and have really insightful discussions with them, but I personally just can't agree that they are "intelligent" given that they do not understand anything they say.
I'm unsure if you've read of the Chinese Room but Wikipedia has a good article on it
I mean, given that LLMs aren't intelligent, I guess you could include video game NPCs. They are often referred to as AI but are also not anything remotely close to true AI the same way LLMs aren't close to true AI.
I would propose calling such "AI" an "AIM;" Artificially Intelligent Mimickry. Because they mimic intelligence without actually possessing it.
What would need to change about LLMs to make them closer to 'true AI' or even real intelligence? Or do you think there needs to be a different approach altogether?
Yeah, I already have that idea. Discerning intelligence is more of a philosophical discussion and not quite the purpose of this thread.
I would like to believe that the people proudly saying "AI isn't intelligent" could also proudly say what intelligence is, but I know that's expecting too much of average internet users.
I think something you should come away from this thread with, is that we don't have good or agreed upon definitions of what intelligence are, which makes answering your question really difficult.
"Ai isn't intelligent" is a form of thought-terminating cliché. Its a low effort way of virtue signalling and gatekeeping. And its really bad on lemmy.
Its not a defense of shitty corporations to be interested in computation, math, machine learning, etc, but must lemmings are well *: whispers :*, lemmings.
Israeli authorities screened footage of Hamas's October 7 atrocities to Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and other pro-Palestinian flotilla participants upon their arrival in Ashdod on Monday, shortly after the IDF intercepted their ship, the Madleen, in international waters.
According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, the activists refused to continue watching the film after seeing the brutality of the attacks.
"These antisemitic flotilla activists closed their eyes to the truth and once again proved they prefer the murderers over the victims,” Katz said. “They continue to ignore the atrocities committed by Hamas against Jewish and Israeli women, the elderly, and children.”
The activists were given the option to sign a voluntary departure form or face arrest after 96 hours. Among those refusing to leave is French MEP Rima Hassan.
Hassan has previously drawn wide criticism for her denial that the Bibas family, excluding Yarden Bibas, were murdered, her claim that the October 7 massacre was "legitimate" and her insistence that Palestinians in Europe should be allowed to join the "resistance."
Four of the activists are departing the country, including Greta Thunberg. However, eight have refused to leave and will be transferred to Givon detention facility.
You're going to call protestors "agitators" while the broligarchs keep coming up with the most outrageous, evil bullshit they could think of, just for the hell of it.
Because they want to build and experiment without all the red tape. Of course they do and people have to relearn why regulations are written in blood.
They hate the FDA, but one of the reasons it exists was because some folks sold radioactive beverages, mascara that caused blindness, a bunch of snake oil and medicine that killed people and/or caused deformities.
Adventures with financial deregulation and crypto haven't been much better so far.
It's very easy to judge from the EU, but if you are in Russia and need to pay for something in the interwebs, it's very convenient to have an imperfect, but kinda functioning system like this.
(Idiots replying with "go rebel" or "change location" need not bother, I happen to have family, friends, dog, ASD and BAD, my sister who's on my support every time she makes a planning mistake can change location, I can't. I'm also not a Jedi chosen one to have useful options of "rebelling".)
BTC also uses massive amounts of resources, and we have an impending climate crisis on our hands. Tell me, how is that useful to further the climate destabilization for whatever momentary convenience you think you have. We're gonna be really sorry in 5-10 years as this thing accelerates. We are getting some seriously bad news in the scientific community right now bcz we are far outpacing even the most pessimistic studies on warming and CO2 output. We have dumbasses in charge who want to pretend climate change doesn't exist.
Provided to YouTube by IIP-DDSPlease Keep Your Ticket Till The End · GelkaCafé del Mar Music - 2 Decades (1994 - 2014)℗ 2019 Cafe del Mar MusicReleased on: 2...
Namrata Nangia and her husband have been toying with the idea of having another child since their five-year-old daughter was born.
But it always comes back to one question: 'Can we afford it?'
She lives in Mumbai and works in pharmaceuticals, her husband works at a tyre company. But the costs of having one child are already overwhelming - school fees, the school bus, swimming lessons, even going to the GP is expensive.
It was different when Namrata was growing up. "We just used to go to school, nothing extracurricular, but now you have to send your kid to swimming, you have to send them to drawing, you have to see what else they can do."
According to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN agency for reproductive rights, Namrata's situation is becoming a global norm.
The Government is looking at increasing fines for landlords who break eviction rules and is consulting the Attorney General on the matter, Housing Minister James Browne has said.
Murtaza Hussain, Waqas Ahmed, and Ryan Grim Jun 09, 2025
"A review of leaked data from Meta, provided to us by company whistleblowers, shows that Israeli companies since 2023 are finding it increasingly difficult everywhere around the world to attract new customers, leading to advertising-cost increases in the billions.
We also just posted the translated audio of an extraordinary interview just given by former Israeli PM Yair Lapid, who is often discussed as a more humane, centrist alternative to Benjamin Netanyahu. Give it a listen and see if you agree with that label."
For the year 2025, the Israeli government announced it would be earmarking an additional $150 million toward global public relations, an unprecedented increase in spending that comes alongside a striking collapse in perception for Israel around the w…
Richard Varvill reflects on the emotional collapse of Reaction Engines, a UK aerospace firm that developed cutting-edge heat exchanger tech for hypersonic flight.
Originating from the 1980s Hotol project, the company came close to success but failed in late 2024 due to a lack of funding, despite promising tech and support from major investors like Rolls-Royce.
Staff were devastated, with many in tears during the final announcement. Former team members take pride in the innovation and culture, though regret the mission remains unfinished.
The company’s closure highlights the harsh reality of funding gaps in long-term aerospace ventures
Senate Commerce Republicans have kept a ten year moratorium on state AI laws in their latest version of President Donald Trump’s massive budget package. And a growing number of lawmakers and civil society groups warn that its broad language could put consumer protections on the chopping block.
Republicans who support the provision, which the House cleared as part of its “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” say it will help ensure AI companies aren’t bogged down by a complicated patchwork of regulations. But opponents warn that should it survive a vote and a congressional rule that might prohibit it, Big Tech companies could be exempted from state legal guardrails for years to come, without any promise of federal standards to take their place.
Not to mention, if/when federal standards are created, the standards will be determined by a federal government that is being run by the broligarchs. These are the people we need to be protected from. They've had the idea of federal "regulations" that will allow them to do whatever they need to succeed planned since at least 2019.
Relying only on federal AI regulations to protect Americans in 2025, would be like the federal government relying on George Wallace to create the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s.
Altman also later cautioned against a patchwork regulatory framework for AI.
“It is very difficult to imagine us figuring out how to comply with 50 different sets of regulations,” said Altman. “One federal framework that is light touch, that we can understand, and it lets us move with the speed that this moment calls for, seems important and fine.”
“A patchwork of regulation of technology is not beneficial for the country. We want to avoid that. Facial recognition has important roles—for example, finding lost or displaced children. There are use cases, but they need to be underpinned by values.”
The Senate is pushing ahead with language in its budget bill that could restrict states from regulating AI for a decade, and opponents warn it could hamper other consumer protections.
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There can absolutely be educational content for kids on YT, but compared to the egregious amount of mind-numbing/fetishy content, it's totally not worth it. It's a shame how there feels like a lack/decline of quality kids/tween TV shows being broadcasted, I was talking to my mom about how kids really don't have a lot to watch once they hit age 9+.
Prisoner exchange follows Istanbul talks on June 2
Emotional reunions as POWs return home
Kyiv and Moscow remain far apart on ending the war
CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine, June 9 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war under the age of 25 on Monday in emotional homecoming scenes, the first step in a series of planned prisoner swaps that could become the biggest of the war so far.
The exchange was the result of direct talks between the two sides in Istanbul on June 2 that resulted in an agreement to exchange at least 1,200 POWs on each side and to repatriate thousands of bodies of those killed in Russia's war in Ukraine.
The return of POWs and the repatriation of the bodies of the dead is one of the few things the two sides have managed to agree on as broader negotiations have failed to get close to ending the war, now in its fourth year.
Fighting has raged on, with Russia saying on Monday its forces had taken control of more territory in Ukraine's east-central region of Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv saying Moscow had launched its largest drone attack of the war.
Officials in Kyiv said some of the Ukrainian prisoners who came home on Monday had been in Russian captivity since the beginning of the war.
At a rendezvous point for the returning Ukrainian prisoners, soon after they crossed back into northern Ukraine, an official handed one of the freed men a cellphone so that he could call his mother, a video released by Ukrainian authorities showed.
"Hi mum, I've arrived, I'm home!" the soldier shouted into the receiver, struggling to catch his breath because he was overcome by emotion.
The released Ukrainian men were later taken by bus to a hospital in northern Ukraine where they were to have medical checks and be given showers, food and care packages including mobile phones and shoes.
Jubilation was tinged with sadness because outside the hospital were crowds of people, mostly women, looking for relatives who went missing while fighting for Ukraine.
The women held up pictures of the missing men in the hope that one of the returning POWs would recognised them and share details about what happened to them. Some hoped their loved ones would be among those released.
Oksana Kupriyenko, 52, was holding up an image of her son, Denys, who went missing in September 2024.
"Tomorrow is my birthday and I was hoping God will give me a gift and return my son to me," she said, through tears.
This is how negotiations should be, between these two countries alone. Nobody else can stop the war except for them, well, Russia mostly. But you get the point. Anybody else is just sticking their nose into it where they have no business.
I'd argue this isn't internal US news considering an international reporter was shot. TWO international reporters shot in a single day.
Also...
“People came over to help and got me on the curb. A medic was called, who cut off my clothes. In my leg was what felt like a five centimeter hole with muscle hanging out of it and blood all down my leg. The medic put a tourniquet on it, and a journalist I was with took me to ER.”
Update: I will no longer be updating this thread. New Information will be coming soon undoubtedly.
(01:40 GMT) Israel does not have authority over Gaza waters
A video obtained by Al Jazeera shows a uniformed officer telling the people on board the Madleen there are other means for delivering aid, before the ship was intercepted. “If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you’re able to do so through the port of Ashdod,” the uniformed officer says. “We have established channels and distribution centres.” However UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese told Al Jazeera this is not accurate. “Israel has no authority over Gaza. This is the thing. Israel needs to end the siege.” “The people of Gaza need to be helped.”
(01:23 GMT) Israeli MFA says Madleen being taken to Israel’s Ashdod port
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Israeli authorities intercepted the Madleen. “The “selfie yacht” of the “celebrities” is safely making its way to the shores of Israel,” the ministry said in a post on X. The post accused “Greta and others” of attempting “to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity” claiming sufficient aid has reached Gaza in the past two weeks. However Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza after allowing some food to return to the strip following its longest ever total blockade. Dozens of people have been killed while trying to reach aid distribution sites, including at least 13 Palestinians on Sunday alone.
(01:00 GMT) ‘If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped’
Greta Thunberg has shared a pre-recorded video appealing for international help. “My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am from Sweden,” Thunberg said in the video recorded on board the Madleen, before tonight’s events. “If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” she said. “I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
(00:50 GMT) Francesca Albanese says she lost contact with Madleen
As we’ve been reporting, the support crew for the Madleen say that communications on board the ship have been cut. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese also says she has lost contact with the ship. “I heard the soldiers speaking while the captain was on the phone with me,” says Albanese. “I lost connection with the captain as he was telling me that ‘another boat is approaching’.”
(00:40 GMT) Madleen crew told to throw phones over board
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has shared a video showing the crew in the moments before the ship was intercepted by Israeli forces. The crew sat wearing life vests, with their hands in the air and threw their phones in the water.
(00:25 GMT) Crew’s eyes were burning after white substance dropped on Madleen
Here’s more from Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, which is supporting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. “Just moments ago, communication seemed to be cut,” Arraf told Al Jazeera from Sicily. “So, we have lost all contact with our colleagues on the Madleen.” “Before that, we know that they had two drones hovering above them that dropped some kind of chemical on the vessel. We don’t know what that chemical was,” she said. “Some people reported that their eyes were burning. Before that, they were also approached by vessels in a very threatening manner.” So at least for the last hour, hour and a half, they have been threatened by Israeli forces.” “The last we saw, were able to hear from them, they were surrounded… by Israeli naval commandos and it looked like the commandos were about to take over the vessel.”
(00:21 GMT) Israeli forces intercept the Madleen, cut off comms
Contact has been lost with the Madleen after Israeli commandos intercepted it in international waters. They demanded that everyone on board turn off their phones, and we have lost contact with Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Omar Faiad as well as our live feed. International Solidarity Movement co-founder, Huwaida Arraf, confirmed that they have also lost contact with the Madleen.
(00:12 GMT) Drones drop white paint on Madleen as comms jammed
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla says that quadcopters have surrounded the Madleen and are “spraying it with a white paint-like substance”. “Communications are jammed and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,” the flotilla said in a post on Instagram.
(23:45 GMT) Two drones hovering over the Madleen
The crew on board the Madleen is now taking cover as two drones are hovering overhead, says UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese. “Two drones over the Madleen. They say they are quadcopters, the dangerous ones. TEAM IS TAKING COVER,” Albanese wrote on X.
(23:30 GMT) ‘Psychological warfare’ as two boats remain in front of Madleen
Speaking to Al Jazeera from on board the Madleen, Yasemin Acar, says that four vessels approached the ship and that two remain nearby. “We are very close to Gaza, approximately 100 miles away,” she said. “We sounded the alarm because we saw exactly four vessels approaching us all at the same time, two of which had blue lights,” she said. “We had many lights suddenly surrounding us, and the four vessels suddenly just stopped.” Acar added that two of the boats came as close as 200 meters from the Madleen before leaving, while the other two vessels remain nearby. “Two of them are still right in front of me, they just stopped,” she said. “We are reason to believe that this is psychological warfare.” “It’s just a way of intimidating us and a way to make us turn back and not tried to challenge the illegal blockade on Gaza.”
(23:15 GMT) Francesca Albanese says Madleen ‘calm and safe now’
The UN Special Rapporteur on the the Occupied Palestinian Territories has said “all looks calm and safe now,” after alarms earlier sounded on board the Madleen. “I just spoke again with the Flotilla, [including] its [Communication] Room in Catania”, Albanese said in a post on X. “All looks calm and safe now. Speedboats watching; but the flotilla continues its sailing.” “It will be a long night. And as they say and we say, ‘we are together’.”
(22:58 GMT) Freedom Flotilla Coalition says surrounding boats have left
In an audio message on the coalition’s Telegram, activist Thiago Avila has said the boats that surrounded the Madleen have now left. “This, unfortunately, has been a very unlikely false alarm. we have been surrounded by many lights all at once. And they were circling our boat, but in the end, they kept going their own way,” he said. “Could be IOF (Israel occupation forces) vessels, but in this case they just left and we don’t know,” he added. “We’re not sure.”
(22:40 GMT) ‘The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm’
A video posted by Eye on Palestine shows Brazilian activist Thiago Avila wearing a life jacket. “The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm. We are being surrounded by their boats,” he said in the video. “Yes this is an interception, a war crime is happening right now,” he said.
(22:35 GMT) UN rights expert says Israeli speedboats surrounding Madleen
In a post on X, Francesca Albanese said that she is in contact with the Madleen crew as they are now surrounded by Israeli vessels. “They have just been reached by the Israel speedboats – 5 vessels circling the flotilla,” Albanese said. “The captain is instructing the team to stay calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets on.” “I hear them speaking with Israeli soldiers as I type… telling they are carrying humanitarian aid and go in peace. For the time being they are just circled. I am with them, recording everything.”
(19:35 GMT) Israel planning to intercept Madleen tonight
The Israeli Haaretz newspaper has reported that Israel’s Navy is planning to intercept Madleen tonight, and will seek to do so as far from the coast of Gaza as possible. The newspaper framed the plan to intercept the Madleen deep in international waters as meant to avoid having to take the vessel by force, saying it will give the crew ample time to turn around. Madleen’s crew has said they remain resolute in breaking the Israeli blockade. Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told Israel’s Channel 12 that the vessel will be boarded by commandos if it does not turn around and will be taken to Ashdod port.
(16:50 GMT) Thiago Avila, a Brazilian activist on board the Madleen vessel, tells Al Jazeera the boat is currently about 185km (100 nautical miles) off the coast of Gaza.
“We are here to support Gaza and demand an end to the bombing and starvation,” Avila said. “Despite threats, we will continue our journey. The world must stand with us.” He said drones are flying overhead and communication systems had been jammed. “We know Israeli forces are prepared to confront us with weapons, but we are not afraid,” he said. “What we face is nothing compared to what Palestinians in Gaza endure.”
Jésus et ses apôtres en version « chibi » avant l’heure, et des doigts un peu trop longs, mais c'est pas dessiné par une IA, c'est peint dans la cathédrale de #Tende (06).
C'est très "étonnant" ! Merci ... Et puis merci pour la découverte de la région : La ville de Tende au coeur de la vallée de la Roya et cette vallée est tout au sud de la France près de Menton si j'ai bien ... compris. Décidément le Sud de la France... oh comme j'aimerai venir visiter une fois.
C'est en France, mais c'est un peu l'Italie, puisque Tende et ses environs n'ont été rattachés à la France qu'en 1947, et ça parle un peu italien au marché. D'ailleurs la partie sud de la vallée de la Roya (après Breil, jusqu'à Vintimille et la mer) est encore italienne.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the US had diverted tens of thousands of anti-drone missiles to American troops in the Middle East, speaking Sunday to ABC News.
The 20,000 missiles were originally intended for Ukraine’s defense against Shahed-type drones, which Zelensky said his forces have a “big problem” with – “we will find all the tools to destroy them,” he said.
“We counted on this project,” Zelensky added, even though “it was not expensive, but it’s a special technology.”
The Pentagon sent the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System projectiles to the Middle East instead, where they will help protect US forces from regional threats
Un tank israélien a tiré dans la foule au cours d’une distribution alimentaire et assassiné 59 civils d’un coup On n’en parlera pas dans les grands médias
Au Venezuela, renaissance et victoire du parti communiste
Depuis quelques années, des militant(e)s du monde entier reçoivent régulièrement des communiqués signés « parti communiste vénézuélien » dénonçant « le régime néolibéral de Maduro qui persécute les communistes, réprime les travailleurs, écrase les salaires, sème la terreur dans les milieux populaires comme le fait le fascisme ». Par solidarité automatique, souvent de bonne foi, ils relaient ces messages sans se douter de la vraie nature de leur auteur, ni de la désinformation à laquelle ils participent. Car non seulement le vrai parti communiste vénézuélien soutient activement la révolution bolivarienne et rassemble la grande majorité des militant(e)s, mais il vient de réaliser un score historique aux législatives de mai 2025.
Un peu d’Histoire…
Fondé en 1931, le Parti Communiste du Venezuela (PCV) ne s’est jamais développé comme un fer de lance du prolétariat, mais comme une des niches disponibles de la façade pluraliste voulue par l’oligarchie pétro-rentière, quelque part entre social-démocratie et démocratie-chrétienne. L’éternel 1,5% du PCV aux élections et son opportunisme ont eu le don d’énerver tour à tour Fidel Castro et Hugo Chávez.
Un des problèmes de la gauche d’avant Chávez est d’avoir été dirigée par des fils de la bourgeoisie qui, par une curieuse synthèse de colonialisme et de marxisme, voyaient le peuple comme une « masse aliénée à qui il faut descendre la ligne politique ». Beaucoup rêvaient d’être les nouveaux Fidel Castro ou Che Guevara, laissant derrière eux un cimetière de martyrs, d’étudiant(e)s, de familles paysannes sacrifiées dans la lutte, et beaucoup d’espoirs déçus. Fatigué de ne jamais voir arriver le « grand soir », le peuple a fini par se tourner vers celui qui savait l’écouter et lui parler : un certain Hugo Chávez. Dans la prison où l’a mené son insurrection civico-militaire contre la corruption gouvernementale, le futur président bolivarien a compris que la révolution ne passerait jamais par cette gauche ultra-minoritaire, éloignée des masses, et que l’heure avait sonné de « déterrer la semence morte de la mangue pour en semer une nouvelle » (1). Son « Projet National Simon Bolivar » réveille trois racines anticoloniales dans la mémoire populaire : Bolivar, Rodriguez, Zamora. L’alliance entre civils et militaires patriotes rappelle le képi vissé sur le chapeau paysan d’Ezequiel Zamora, le général des « terres et des hommes libres » (1817-1860). Le philosophe Simon Rodriguez (1769-1854) demande à l’Amérique libérée du joug espagnol par son ex-étudiant Simon Bolivar « d’inventer, d’être originale, de ne plus copier la vieille Europe » et propose comme modèle politique la « toparquia » – un gouvernement communard pour chaque territoire de la République.
Amnistié en 1994, le militaire bolivarien fait le pari de la voie électorale et entame une tournée nationale. Partout, des foules l’écoutent attentivement. Sa forte popularité irrite la direction du PCV. Chávez racontera à Ignacio Ramonet: « Le secrétaire général du Parti Communiste a affirmé, lorsque je suis sorti de prison, que « la présence du caudillo Chávez nuit au mouvement populaire ». Il s’opposait même à ce que je participe à des marches et à des manifestations. Ils n’avaient rien compris. Ce qu’il y avait chez eux c’était de la récupération électorale et de l’opportunisme » (2). En 1999, les exclu(e)s de toujours entrent enfin en politique, en élisant Chávez à la Présidence. Bien que le PCV ne digère pas que le « peuple aliéné » lui ait préféré un fils de maîtres ruraux, il monte sur le porte-avions bolivarien et colle la photo de Chávez sur ses affiches pour augmenter son nombre de voix. Il exige ici des ministères, là des ambassades. Dans l’espoir secret que la révolution bolivarienne ne sera qu’une parenthèse et qu’il redeviendra le seul parti à gauche.
Mais le souffle de vie égalitariste des chavistes s’ancre profondément dans le paysage politique et garde l’appui de l’électorat. En 2020, le secrétaire général du PCV Oscar Figuera décrète soudain que le « socialisme du 21ᵉ siècle n’est pas une doctrine scientifique » et que « Nicolas Maduro n’est pas chaviste mais néolibéral ». La base du parti critique ce retournement de veste et s’inquiète de l’hémorragie de militants (3). Figuera fait la sourde oreille et pour se perpétuer à la tête du parti, convoque un congrès limité à 80 « fidèles » au lieu des 400 délégué(e)s habituel(le)s. En 2023, un groupe de militant(e)s saisit la justice. Le Tribunal Suprême leur donne finalement gain de cause. Une direction transitoire est nommée, sous la présidence d’Henry Parra, pour organiser un congrès qui respecte les statuts légaux. « Des mercenaires du dictateur Maduro ! » dénonce Figuera dans les communiqués destinés au listing international des parti-frères, avant d’entamer la purge des « traîtres » : « après une longue enquête, le plenum de notre comité central a découvert que les responsables historiques de notre département de relations internationales – le député Carolus Wimmer et Ursula Aguilera – étaient en réalité des traîtres au service du régime de Maduro » (4).
De la renaissance à la victoire électorale du nouveau PCV
Alors qu’on n’observe guère de mobilisation autour de l’ex-secrétaire général, la nouvelle direction d’Henry Parra rouvre le chantier du travail de base. Vite rejointe par les sections, cellules de tout le pays, impatient(e)s de rattraper le temps perdu et de reconstruire le parti. Les militant(e)s reviennent dans la coalition chaviste et jettent leurs forces dans la campagne des législatives de mai 2025. Une stratégie plébiscitée par les électeurs : le PCV réalise une poussée historique, passe d’un à six députés à l’Assemblée Nationale et devient le troisième parti en nombre de voix sur les 46 formations en lice.
Parra commente la victoire : « Plus fort sera le parti communiste, plus forte sera la révolution bolivarienne. Nous gardons notre identité : le PSUV (parti majoritaire du chavisme, NdT) parie davantage sur la commune comme moteur révolutionnaire, et nous sur la classe travailleuse. Beaucoup de partis communistes d’Amérique Latine ont compris la manipulation de Figuera, et voient comment il s’aligne sur l’extrême droite. Nous allons organiser le congrès du parti et renouer avec les partis-frères du monde entier. » Les raisons d’appuyer Maduro ? « Son anti-impérialisme. Son programme socialiste. Son origine prolétaire. Sa capacité à garantir la paix, car même si nous respectons nos adversaires politiques, nous savons que si l’extrême droite revenait au pouvoir elle tenterait nous éliminer comme lors du coup d’État contre Chávez en 2002 ».
À noter que bien avant la victoire électorale obtenue par la nouvelle direction du PCV, et sans tomber dans le piège des campagnes de Figuera, des partis communistes du monde entier ont maintenu leur solidarité avec le gouvernement révolutionnaire de Nicolas Maduro. C’est le cas des Partis Communistes Cubain, Chinois, Vietnamien, Népalais, Sud-Africain, Colombien, Péruvien, Argentin, Brésilien (PCdoB), Sud-Coréen (PDP), Philippin, Espagnol, Portugais, du Party for Socialism and Liberation (États-Unis) et de près de 80 organisations communistes regroupées au sein de la Plate-Forme Mondiale Anti-impérialiste (5). Sans oublier des mouvements sociaux ou des centres de recherche d’inspiration marxiste, tels que le Mouvement des Travailleurs Sans Terre du Brésil, le Tricontinental Institute dirigé par l’historien indien Vijay Prashad, l’International People’s Assembly, le People’s Forum (États-Unis), etc…
Figuera dans son labyrinthe
Après avoir appuyé le candidat de droite Enrique Marquez aux présidentielles de 2024 puis refusé de reconnaitre la victoire du « dictateur » Maduro, l’ex-secrétaire général du PCV a refusé, comme l’extrême droite, de participer aux élections législatives d’avril 2025 ou aux municipales de juillet 2025 : « dans ce contexte d’absence de garanties et de répression politique, nous ne participerons pas aux élections, qui ne sont qu’une farce ». (6) Peur d’être sanctionné par les électeurs et de tomber plus bas que l’éternel 1,5% ? Quant aux rencontres internationales antifascistes qui réunissent depuis deux ans à Caracas des centaines de partis et mouvements sociaux du monde entier, elles ne sont pour lui que « la volonté du régime de cacher son caractère autoritaire et antidémocratique ». (7)
Le rite est immuable. Attablé face à une caméra, entouré de sa garde rapprochée, Figuera lit l’énième communiqué contre la « dictature-néo-libérale-de-Maduro ». On pense au poème de Roque Dalton sur un comité central trop occupé à rédiger son communiqué sur « la-situation-actuelle-et-nos-tâches » pour voir que dans la rue, le peuple est en train de faire la révolution. On se souvient des communistes mexicains qui décrétèrent que Sandino était un « caudillo libéral » et un « aventurier », ou des communistes boliviens qui refusèrent d’appuyer la guérilla du Che. Même arrogance tranquille de ceux qui s’autoproclament détenteurs uniques de la ligne directe avec Marx ou Lénine, même rhétorique ampoulée des années 50, répétée indépendamment de tout contexte. Une scène si caricaturale qu’on se demande « comment osent-ils » ? (8)
Alors qu’il critique le blocus impérialiste contre Cuba, Figuera réserve à la révolution bolivarienne la même technique que les médias : effacer les causes pour leur substituer les effets. Selon lui, la « crise » est provoquée par « le néolibéralisme de Maduro qui écrase les salaires des travailleurs ». Exit, le blocus financier qui empêche au gouvernement bolivarien d’acheter des médicaments, avec pour conséquence la mort de 100.000 patient(e)s. Exit, les plus de 1000 sanctions imposées par les États-Unis (9) qui ont fait perdre au Venezuela 95% de ses revenus et généré un exode massif (que les médias attribuent à « l’échec du socialisme ») : « Les bas salaires, la réduction des dépenses publiques et les tentatives de privatisation encadrées dans la loi anti-blocus sont des expressions de ce néolibéralisme qui confirment l’éloignement de Maduro du chavisme ».
Arrêtons une seconde le disque rayé. Pourquoi le président Maduro aurait-il soudain décidé de devenir « néolibéral » et d’« écraser les salaires » ? Par désir de trahir la révolution bolivarienne qui avait porté le salaire des travailleurs au plus haut niveau du continent ? Par plaisir de devenir impopulaire ? En réalité, face au blocus occidental, Maduro est un des rares chefs d’État à n’avoir pas cédé aux sirènes de l’austérité. Lorsqu’il a commencé par augmenter périodiquement les salaires de 25% ou de 50%, le secteur privé annulait ces hausses en augmentant ses prix dans la même proportion. Face à la spirale inflationniste, Maduro a décidé de réactiver l’appareil productif national, grâce aux alliances multipolaires. Non seulement pour s’éloigner du rentiérisme pétrolier, mais aussi pour renflouer les caisses de l’État, notamment en taxant les plus riches. La Banque Centrale a ainsi récupéré de précieuses ressources pour intervenir sur le marché des changes et défendre la monnaie. Tout cela permet de reconstruire les services publics et d’augmenter peu à peu les allocations des travailleurs, tout en limitant l’inflation qui les annulait. Une stratégie à la chinoise : maintenir et renforcer l’État comme acteur stratégique de l’économie. (10)
Résultat : depuis quatre ans, la CEPAL (ONU) indique que le Venezuela connait la plus forte croissance (4%) de l’Amérique du Sud. Pour la première fois en 150 ans d’histoire pétrolière, le pays frôle la souveraineté alimentaire et produit presque 100 % des denrées qu’il consomme. Durant le premier trimestre 2025, le PIB a augmenté de 9,32% et le pays a augmenté ses exportations non pétrolières de plus de 87 %. (11)
Quand, en février 2025, Donald Trump révoque la licence de Chevron pour serrer un peu plus à la gorge l’économie du Venezuela, Maduro répond en étendant le marché vers l’Asie et en remettant le logement numéro 5 millions 258 milles à une famille populaire. Le 1er mai 2025, il augmente « l’allocation contre la guerre économique » de 90 à 120 dollars pour 20 millions de familles. Avec l’allocation alimentaire de 40 dollars, cela fait 160 dollars versés chaque mois comme complément du salaire de base. Dans le secteur privé – majoritaire – le salaire minimum est d’environ 200 dollars. Point important lorsqu’on étudie le pouvoir d’achat au Venezuela : malgré les sanctions occidentales, et à la différence de régimes néolibéraux, les services publics et les biens de première nécessité sont très bon marché au Venezuela. Essence subventionnée, la moins chère du monde (0.5 $/ le litre), eau, gaz, électricité, internet, métro, etc.. sont accessibles à bas prix. Les aliments remis mensuellement par le gouvernement à la population en réponse au blocus, ne coûtent que 5 % du prix du marché. De nombreux centres de santé, tout comme l’enseignement public et la culture, fonctionnent gratuitement (12).
Alors qu’en Occident, un nombre croissant de familles n’arrivent plus à boucler leur fin de mois, les travailleurs du Venezuela affluent dans les commerces et les « emprendimientos » qui s’ouvrent tous les jours. Caracas est envahie par la musique commerciale et des bouchons se forment très tôt autour des malls géants (13). Des milliers de migrants vénézuéliens ont fui l’appauvrissement dans les « pays d’accueil » et sont rentrés au pays grâce à la compagnie aérienne publique et gratuite, bien avant les expulsions et les violations des droits humains commises par le régime Trump (14). Mais l’ex-chef du PCV a émis son verdict : « Le Bureau politique du Comité central du Parti communiste du Venezuela considère qu’après les annonces faites le 1er mai, les salaires et les pensions des Vénézuéliens ont été réduits à zéro. » (15)
Surfer sur l’image construite par les médias
Quand des mafias juridiques liées aux entreprises publiques ou privées violent les droits humains, l’ex-dirigeant du PCV en rend automatiquement Maduro responsable. « Maduro sème la terreur dans les milieux populaires comme le fait le fascisme ». C’est l’obsession ad hominem de Figuera qui surfe sur l’image sédimentée depuis vingt ans par les médias. Car s’il est vrai qu’il y a au Venezuela des travailleurs injustement emprisonnés, suscitant les luttes légitimes des mouvements sociaux pour obtenir leur libération, ces violations des droits humains n’incarnent pas une politique gouvernementale.
Ce n’est pas dans le Venezuela de Maduro mais dans le Brésil d’Ignacio Lula da Silva que “la violence dans les campagnes a atteint un niveau record en 2024 et les régions où l’agro-industrie progresse concentrent les cas d’assassinat”. Ce n’est pas dans le Venezuela de Maduro mais dans la Colombie de Gustavo Petro qu’”en 2024, un leader social a été tué tous les deux jours – qu’il soit activiste des droits humains, syndicaliste, militant afrodescendant, leader paysan, etc…” et qu’”en 2025 70 leaders sociaux ont été assassinés”. Ce n’est pas dans le Venezuela de Maduro mais dans le Mexique de Claudia Sheinbaum “qu’en 2024, 125.000 personnes sont portées disparues” et qu’on découvre régulièrement des charniers clandestins. Faut-il en déduire que Lula, Petro ou Sheinbaum ont pour politique d’encourager ces violations des droits humains ? (16)
Au Venezuela, Maduro a plusieurs fois réprimandé publiquement les agents de l’ordre soudoyés par des grands propriétaires pour expulser des paysans et a mis fin aux assassinats de militant(e)s engagés dans la réforme agraire, fréquents à l’époque de Chávez (17). Le procureur général Tarek William Saab a démis de leurs fonctions des centaines de juges corrompus ou de policiers à la gâchette facile. Pour le maire communiste chilien Daniel Jadue, victime de Lawfare et emprisonné dans son pays pour avoir mis en place un réseau de pharmacies populaires : “le processus bolivarien, a été capable d’arrêter et de condamner des centaines d’agents des forces de sécurité pour violations des droits humains, pour avoir désobéi aux ordres et fait usage d’armes à feu lors des violences de l’extrême droite, alors qu’au Chili on n’a ni arrêté, ni jugé aucun agent des forces de sécurité qui ont réprimé le mouvement social” (18)
Parlons de démocratie. Maduro ne se cantonne pas à de simples réformes comme celles de ses voisins progressistes. Le 25 mai 2025, après la large victoire de la coalition chaviste aux législatives, il annonce la reprise du plan stratégique : construire un nouvel État basé sur les autogouvernements populaires. Des assemblées citoyennes ont lieu dans tout le pays pour recueillir les propositions en vue de cette réforme constitutionnelle. L’objectif, explique le président bolivarien, est de « construire une démocratie moderne basée sur la participation directe des citoyen(ne)s, le pouvoir des mouvements sociaux, et de la collectivité. Un grand processus de démocratisation élargie de la société vénézuélienne, de la vie politique, institutionnelle, économique, sociale, culturelle et éducative. Car un système qui élit celui qui a le plus d’argent pour contrôler TikTok, Instagram, la radio et la télévision, n’est pas une démocratie, mais une farce, un théâtre de l’absurde. Le Venezuela n’en veut pas, parce que toute son Histoire est imprégnée de l’idée et du désir d’une démocratie authentique ». (19)
Quand Figuera dénonce que le « dictateur Maduro sème la terreur comme le fait le fascisme », faut-il voir dans son discours la main de l’USAID ou de la NED (20) ? Certes, il gravite dans l’écosystème d’ONG des “droits humains” qui ont dérivé comme PROVEA vers l’opposition politique ouverte contre la révolution bolivarienne et contre ses assemblées constituantes. Des ONG qui fabriquent des dossiers de « prisonniers politiques » pour les médias et pour les mafias de la droite vénézuélienne aux USA. Au point que même l’administration Trump a pris ses distances avec ce négoce (21). Mais l’explication est sans doute plus médiocre. Avant les présidentielles de juillet 2024, l’extrême droitière Machado annonça qu’en cas de victoire, elle ferait payer (« cobrar ») les chavistes. En clair, qu’elle les éliminerait. L’ex-leader du PCV a-t-il passé avec elle un pacte de non-agression électoral dans l’espoir que le chavisme, défait dans les urnes, disparaitrait ? Et que le PCV redeviendrait le seul parti de gauche ? Une hypothèse pas si folle quand on connaît le sectarisme et l’opportunisme de Figuera.
La lutte entre l’ancien et le nouveau
Si, depuis vingt ans, les empires médiatiques font du Venezuela une « dictature », c’est parce qu’il faut empêcher la contagion de cette machine à démocratiser qu’est la révolution bolivarienne. Pour le journaliste Maurice Lemoine, « au risque de surprendre les contempteurs du Venezuela, ses milliers d’autogouvernements populaires sont l’expérience de démocratie participative la plus ambitieuse du continent – et même sans doute de bien au-delà. » Les médias tolèrent des expériences locales (zapatisme, Rojava, etc…) mais doivent occulter cette « révolution dans la révolution » qui menace le système et impressionne de nombreux intellectuels et mouvements du Sud global. Pour le directeur de l’Institut Tricontinental, l’historien indien Vijay Prashad, « au Venezuela, les communes forgées dans les quartiers populaires jouent un rôle central dans la constitution d’idées nouvelles et de forces matérielles qui font avancer la société. » Pour le sociologue décolonial portoricain Ramon Grosfoguel, « peut-être qu’avec toutes les difficultés que l’Empire a créées au Venezuela, nous perdons de vue le moment historique et ce qu’il est en train de construire dans les communes et qui n’existe nulle part ailleurs en Amérique latine ». Pour la coordinatrice internationale du Mouvement des Sans Terre du Brésil, Messilene Gorete: « parfois, à gauche, nous avons des schémas très fermés sur le niveau de préparation et de planification nécessaire pour avancer, et cela peut devenir un obstacle. La créativité – dans un pays où les gens sont très spontanés – est une grande vertu de la révolution bolivarienne. Ici, le peuple est vraiment le sujet de la révolution. Et la commune vénézuélienne est un modèle dont notre continent a besoin. » La militante féministe Marta Martin Moran, responsable de l’Amérique Latine au PC espagnol, qui a observé une dizaine de fois les processus électoraux du Venezuela, ne cache pas son enthousiasme à propos des consultations trimestrielles par lesquelles la population de chaque commune choisit le projet que doit financer l’État. La sociologue féministe mexicaine Karina Ochoa souligne le rôle central et majoritaire des femmes, « soucieuses de substituer un pouvoir-pour au vieux pouvoir-sur ».(22)
Tout(e) communiste normalement constitué a appris avec Marx et Lénine que la commune est la « forme politique enfin trouvée sous laquelle on peut travailler à l’émancipation économique du travail », et qu’après avoir détruit l’État bourgeois, vient le plus difficile : créer une nouvelle forme d’État où « tous gouverneront à tour de rôle et s’habitueront bientôt à ce que personne ne gouverne ». Alors que les Jeunesses Communistes du nouveau PCV saluent le nouvel espace politique des communes, l’ex-secrétaire général Figuera n’avait qu’indifférence pour ce nouvel État en gestation. Un mépris semblable à celui de la droite, qui a voté systématiquement contre toutes les lois transférant le pouvoir aux autogouvernements populaires. La droite vénézuélienne, engoncée dans son racisme, l’a compris : tant d’outils d’émancipation aux mains du peuple la rendent chaque jour plus anachronique.
Thierry Deronne, Caracas, le 17 juin 2025
Notes :
1 Discours de Hugo Chávez à La Havane, décembre 1994, 2 « Permettre l’utopie, organiser l’impossible » – Ma première vie, par Hugo Chávez (Conversations avec Ignacio Ramonet), venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… . Quelques années plus tard, dans un contexte différent, Gustavo Petro fait la même analyse : “La gauche colombienne n’a jamais gagné la présidence parce qu’elle était trop petite, trop repliée sur elle-même et trop sectaire. L’ego de groupe est très nuisible avec sa « ligne correcte et puriste » et sa manière de regarder avec méfiance tout Colombien ou Colombienne qui ne ressemble pas à un cadre de gauche, que nous appelions autrefois un cadre révolutionnaire.”ultimasnoticias.com.ve/mundo/p… 3 En 2018 déjà, lors d’un congrès national du PC, les guérilleros survivants des années 60 avaient quitté la salle pour dénoncer cette dérive anti-Maduro: « c’est pour cette révolution que nous nous sommes tous battus, alors cesse d’insulter ceux qui sont morts pour elle ! » avaient-ils lancé à Oscar Figuera. 4 Voir le communiqué de Figuera justifiant cette purge, diffusé sans réserve par des sites comme Solidnet : solidnet.org/article/CP-of-Ven… ou mouvementcommuniste.over-blog.… 5 « Caracas 3rd International Conference in March 2023 : Latin America has a vital role to play in the world anti-imperialist struggle », wap21.org/?p=2332 6 « Avalanche of irregularities plunges May 25 electoral process into the abyss », prensapcv.wordpress.com/2025/0… El Partido Comunista de Venezuela rechaza la candidatura de Maduro y apoya la de Enrique Márquez, cnnespanol.cnn.com/video/candi… et “El Partido Comunista de Venezuela anuncia decisión de no participar en comicios de julio”, swissinfo.ch/spa/el-partido-co… 7 « PCV: Maduro trata de recomponer su malograda legitimidad con foro parlamentario antifascista », prensapcv.wordpress.com/2024/1… 8 Le « cas Figuera » n’est qu’un exemple de l’influence du Parti Communiste Grec qui divise ou paralyse des organisations communistes du monde entier en propageant une critique « chimiquement pure » des processus politiques. Tout processus qui n’entre pas dans la grille des classiques du marxisme est dénoncé comme « réformiste ».. ou « impérialiste ». Ainsi la Chine ou le Mexique, ou le Venezuela, etc…, puisqu’ils sont des économies mixtes, sont des traitres qui pactisent avec le capitalisme, et vu que le capitalisme est impérialiste… sont des régimes impérialistes eux aussi ! En ce qui concerne le conflit en Ukraine, ce courant trotskiste gomme la séquence causale (coup d’État pro-occidental de Maidan en 2014, bombardements des populations russophones du Donbass et de Donetsk, leurre des accords de Minsk, installation de missiles de l’OTAN à la frontière de la Russie, etc…) pour pouvoir faire de la Russie un «impérialisme » identique à celui des États-Unis. 9 « They are making Venezuela’s economy scream », peoplesdispatch.org/2025/05/06… “Sanções contra Venezuela fizeram o país perder US$ 226 bi em receitas petrolíferas”, brasildefato.com.br/colunista/… “Venezuela. ONU reconoce impacto negativo de las medidas coercitivas unilaterales de EE.UU”, resumenlatinoamericano.org/202… 10 “Nicolas Maduro est-il devenu néo-libéral ?”, venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… Pour la séquence complète depuis le début de la guerre économique : “Mai 2011 : augmentation du salaire minimum de 25 % et des salaires des universitaires et du secteur public de 40%.”, venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… ; “Venezuela : l’augmentation du salaire et la baisse du chômage continuent”, venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… Contrôle des prix des aliments, hausse du salaire, impôt sur les grandes fortunes et affranchissement du dollar : Maduro poursuit l’offensive contre la guerre économique, venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… « Maduro hace milagros para proteger el ingreso mínimo integral en plena guerra económica », venezuela-news.com/maduro-hace… , « Venezuela aumenta auxílios para amenizar inflação, mas desafio é ampliar poder de compra », brasildefato.com.br/2025/05/09… « Malas noticias al imperio: no podrán frenar los recursos para el pueblo », ultimasnoticias.com.ve/politic… 11 CEPAL: Venezuela destaca como la economía de mayor crecimiento en la región », observatorio.gob.ve/cepal-vene… ; « La economía venezolana continúa avanzando: El PIB creció 9,32% en el primer trimestre de 2025 », bcv.org.ve/notas-de-prensa/la-… « 97% de los productos que se venden en los supermercados son hechos en Venezuela », ultimasnoticias.com.ve/mercado… « Venezuela mantiene crecimiento sólido en soberanía alimentaria durante primer semestre del 2025 », venezuela-news.com/venezuela-m… « Pese a sanciones y guerra económica: Venezuela aumenta sus exportaciones no petroleras a más del 87% », venezuela-news.com/pese-a-sanc… « Venezuelan Oil Production Recedes as PDVSA Finds New Partners », venezuelanalysis.com/news/vene… 12 « Un país que se autoabastece y exporta: Venezuela rompe criminales sanciones y alcanza soberanía alimentaria », fusernews.com/un-pais-que-se-a… « Sistema Agroalimentario venezolano reporta mejoras en abastecimiento y almacenamiento al cierre de mayo », venezuela-news.com/sistema-agr… ; « Presidente Maduro entregó la vivienda 5 millones 258 mil », correodelorinoco.gob.ve/presid… ; « Venezuela: School Food Program Serves 4.6 Million Students for Free », orinocotribune.com/venezuela-s… Plan quirúrgico de cataratas en Miranda atenderá 500 pacientes, ultimasnoticias.com.ve/mas-vid… 13 « 2024, el año de los supermercados », ultimasnoticias.com.ve/mercado… 14 “US Strips Hundreds of Thousands from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela of Migratory Status. President Nicolás Maduro appealed to Venezuelan migrants abroad to return home.”, “venezuelanalysis.com/news/us-s… , “Où sont les défenseurs des droits humains des Vénézuéliens ?”, b-tornare.overblog.com/2025/05… Maduro a dit : « s’ils n’en veulent pas, nous si. », b-tornare.overblog.com/2025/05… “Cabello: Más de un millón de venezolanos han retornado tras encontrar la cruda realidad”, ultimasnoticias.com.ve/politic… 15 “PCV: Política económica de Maduro llevó a cero los salarios y las pensiones”, prensapcv.wordpress.com/2025/0… 16 « Brésil : 12 morts lors d’un raid de la police dans la ville de Salvador », lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/bresil-… « Violência no campo bate recorde da última década e áreas de avanço do agronegócio concentram casos de assassinatos », brasildefato.com.br/2025/04/23… « Indígenas bloquean carretera en Brasil contra ley que amenaza sus territorios », «En 2024, un líder social fue asesinado cada dos días en Colombia », elpais.com/america-colombia/20… « Colombia: más de 70 líderes sociales asesinados en lo que va de 2025 » telesurtv.net/colombia-70-lide… « Amnistía Internacional rechaza trabajo de Fiscalía colombiana en crímenes contra líderes sociales », elespectador.com/judicial/amni… « México, el país que desaparece: sin rastro de 125.000 personas », elpais.com/mexico/2025-03-23/m… « Rechaza México declaraciones de Comité de ONU sobre desapariciones forzadas », jornada.com.mx/noticia/2025/04… « Protestan familiares de desaparecidos en el Senado », jornada.com.mx/galeria/2025/04… « Madres de todo el país exigen justicia para personas desaparecidas”, jornada.com.mx/galeria/2025/05… 17 « Nicolas Maduro interdit toute expulsion de paysans et exige d’arrêter les responsables de ces exactions (photos et vidéo) », venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… Déclarations du procureur général Tarek William Saab instagram.com/p/DGyTLDLvqKl/ 18 Déclarations de Daniel Jadue : https://x.com/venezuelainfos/status/1515071286883540994. 19 « A rebours des post-démocraties de Musk and Trump, Nicolas Maduro renforce la démocratie au Venezuela », venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… L’humanisme de la révolution bolivarienne s’enracine dans la maxime de Simon Bolivar « maudit soit le soldat qui retourne ses armes contre le peuple », cité par Chávez au moment de sevrer l’armée vénézuélienne de la School of Americas, l’« école des bourreaux » installée aux États-Unis. Même les extrémistes de droite violents (relookés en “prisonniers d’opinion” par les médias) qui organisent périodiquement des déstabilisations et recrutent des jeunes de quartiers populaires pour quelques dollars, finissent par être libérés. Les leaders de l’extrême droite putschiste – de Juan Guaido a Maria Corina Machado – n’ont jamais été arrêtés. Au point qu’il faudrait presque parler de laxisme quand on compare l’action de la justice vénézuélienne à celle de la justice du Brésil contre le coup d’État de Bolsonaro ou celle de la justice états-unienne contre les extrémistes qui ont pris d’assaut le Capitole. 20 « El Partido Comunista de Venezuela acusa al Gobierno de ejecutar una «política de terror», swissinfo.ch/spa/el-partido-co… « National Endowment for Democracy weaponizes “democracy” in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. », laprogressive.com/the-media-in… 21 « Le « Grand Venezuela Circus » et ses influenceurs », par Maurice Lemoine, venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… et « Venezuela : Contes et mécomptes de curieux « défenseurs des droits humains », par Maurice Lemoine », venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… et « Venezuela : aux « sources » de la désinformation », medelu.org/Venezuela-aux-sourc… « Con las ONG los extremistas se llenan los bolsillos a costa de la migración venezolana (+Lista) », ultimasnoticias.com.ve/politic… 22 Lenin Went to Dance in the Snow to Celebrate the Paris Commune and the Soviet Republic: The Twenty-First Newsletter (2021), thetricontinental.org/newslett… « « On ne peut être décolonial sans être anti-impérialiste » : Ramon Grosfoguel. », venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… Les Sans Terre du Brésil à l’école du Venezuela: « ici, le peuple est vraiment le sujet de la révolution. », venezuelainfos.wordpress.com/2… , « Commune or Nothing! Venezuela’s Communal Movement and its Socialist Project », monthlyreview.org/product/comm…
Caracas, 11 jun (EFE).- El Partido Comunista de Venezuela (PCV) anunció este miércoles que no participará en las elecciones de alcaldes y concejos municipales previstas para el próximo 27 de julio, al argumentar que en el país caribeño los comicios s…
I think choosing camera equipment is an artistic decision that should not just be picking what's state of the art at the time.
The equipment that a movie is shot on is going to have an impact on the final product, no matter what. Most artists get this, but they don't take proper advantage of it.
I think recording a movie with vintage equipment, or mimicking their output, can have a psychological impact on the audience that elevates it to the level of great films of the past.
Water levels within Kabul’s aquifers have dropped by up to 30 metres over the past decade owing to rapid urbanisation and climate breakdown, according to a report by the NGO Mercy Corps.
Meanwhile, almost half of the city’s boreholes – the primary source of drinking water for Kabul residents – have dried out. Water extraction currently exceeds the natural recharge rate by 44m cubic metres each year.
If these trends continue, all of Kabul’s aquifers will run dry as early as 2030, posing an existential threat to the city’s seven million inhabitants.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center invites the community to help celebrate the center’s 65th anniversary during a free public event noon to 5 p.m. CDT Saturday, July 19, at The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama. Marshall, along with its partners and collaborators, will fill the amphitheater with space exhibits, music, food vendors, and hands-on activities […]
Celebrate NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center 65th anniversary during a free, public event on Sunday, July 19, from noon to 5 p.m. at The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama.
Il faut parfois se laisser aller à créer des passerelles incongrues entre les choses, pour mieux comprendre l'idéologie sous-jacente. Faisons, pour aujourd'hui, appel à François Lenglet, chroniqueur en chef de l'économie à TF1. Le 9 juin dernier, le journaliste à la cravate rouge est revenu dans le 20 heures sur les artisans qui "enragent" alors que le gouvernement avait annoncé quelques jours plus tôt, la suspension de MaPrimeRenov', un dispositif qui servait, notamment aux ménages les moins aisés, à financer des travaux de rénovation de leurs passoires thermiques. Face à son succès, le dispositif commençait à coûter trop cher, d'où son arrêt envisagé - il va finalement être rétabli en septembre après une nouvelle colère du président de la République qui trouvait cette suspension peu adaptée au contexte climatique.
Et donc, lors de sa chronique, Lenglet a tenté un parallèle entre les artisans du bâtiment pas contents, et la grogne des taxis, qui protestaient contre la diminution des subventions pour les transports sanitaires.
Car pour Lenglet, ce qui relie les taxis aux entrepreneurs de l'isolation, c'est que ce sont deux secteurs privés qui vivent "largement des subsides de l'État et de la Sécu.". Et le journaliste de rappeler cette sacro-sainte data de la théologie néolibérale : la dépense publique en France représente "57% de la richesse nationale" (taux le plus élevé de l'OCDE). "Elle fait vivre presque tous les secteurs de l'économie. Le bâtiment et les taxis, mais aussi l'industrie du cinéma, très subventionnée, les médecins et les pharmaciens, financés par la Sécu, les agriculteurs avec les aides de la PAC, les journalistes avec le soutien à la presse écrite." Ainsi l'éditorialiste sus-nommé conclut-il sa chronique express : "Autant dire qu'il est diablement difficile de réduire les dépenses publiques dans un pays où tout le monde en dépend, à cause de l'extension incontrôlée de l'État. Chez nous, il n'y a pas 5,7 millions de fonctionnaires, mais 68 millions, autant que de Français."
Confusion entre ce qui relève du public et ce qui relève de l'Etat
Si on en passe par Lenglet, c'est parce qu'au fond, il symbolise à la perfection la confusion créée par les journalistes - sans doute parfois à leur corps défendant - entre ce qui relève de l'Etat, et ce qui relève du public. Lenglet met sur le même plan des aides gouvernementales (MaPrimeRenov') et des prestations sociales (le remboursement par le Sécu du transport médical). L'un est géré par l'Etat. L'autre, par des caisses autonomes (alors certes, qui le sont de moins en moins) de droit privé, mais chargées d'une mission publique. Celles-ci gèrent - entre autres - le chômage et la Sécurité sociale (maladie, vieillesse, famille). Les unes sont financées historiquement par l'impôt (prélevées sur les salaires), les autres par des cotisations sociales (du salaire socialisé).
De fait, les dépenses publiques incriminées par Lenglet, regroupent les dépenses de l'Etat ainsi que l'ensemble des prestations sociales fournies par ces caisses autonomes - et encore d'autres choses. Or, dans bien des articles et des prises de parole médiatiques, la différence est rarement faite : on commence par parler du budget de l'Etat, de dépenses gouvernementales, de dispositifs développés par tel ou tel ministère, et on se retrouve à confondre les dépenses publiques avec les finances publiques (recettes et dépenses de l'Etat, en gros le budget). Ainsi dans cet article de Ouest-France, on parle dans le titre des dépenses publiques "en roue libre" de la France pointées du doigt par la Cour des Comptes, pour en fait parler dans le reste du texte du "dérapage des comptes publics" (on a repéré le même souci dans cet article de Capital). Et c'est l'inverse dans ce papier de BFM : on introduit l'article en parlant du gouvernement qui cherche à économiser 40 milliards sur le prochain budget, pour finalement parler de toutes les dépenses publiques. Bref, on confond les courgettes et les concombres, et on n'y voit rien, comme l'aurait dit Daniel Arasse, s'il eut été féru de macro-économie plutôt que de peinture.
Pour revenir sur Lenglet : mettre sur le même plan un dispositif étatique et des dépenses de soin c'est mélanger non seulement des dépenses qui ne revêtent pas les mêmes mécaniques de financement, ni de gouvernance, mais surtout pas les mêmes projets politiques. Car, si le budget de l'Etat est, lui, fonction des forces politiques en présence, la sécurité sociale est déjà un projet politique en soi. L'économiste et philosophe Bernard Friot appelle cela le "déjà-là communiste", héritage du programme du CNR et du ministre Ambroise Croizat, grande conquête sociale. La Sécu est surtout la construction majestueuse d'un bastion de socialisation dans un siècle capitalistique, alors en voie de mondialisation. Alors certes, depuis des décennies, depuis les ordonnances Jeanneney de 1967 au plan Juppé de 1995, jusqu'aux suppressions de cotisations chômages pour les salariés en 2018, l'Etat, justement, n'a eu de cesse de saper l'indépendance de la Sécurité sociale, ses capacités de financement, et troque de plus en plus les cotisations pour de l'impôt. Mais justement. Le rappeler, c'est aussi réaffirmer le projet particulier de la Sécurité sociale. Et souligner que les dépenses publiques ne consistent pas seulement en des dispositifs branlants mis en place par des gouvernements en galère, mais aussi en des innovations sociales justes et performantes.
Aussi, comme le fait Lenglet, ne pas faire explicitement la différence entre les finances publiques et les dépenses publiques, c'est associer l'Etat à un projet politique et social qui s'en était rendu autonome ; c'est encore créer un amalgame, surfer sur les errances étatiques et les ratés gouvernementaux pour disqualifier le système si innovant de protection sociale à la française. Un système social qui, s'il dysfonctionne, n'est en fait que la victime de choix politiques douteux.
COMPTER DEUX FOIS LA MÊME CHOSE
On a déjà parlé, sur ce site, de l'inanité de comparer des choses au PIB, ou, pour reprendre le vocabulaire de Lenglet, à la richesse nationale. Quand on dit que la dépense publique représente 57% de notre PIB, on donne l'impression que l'on prélève plus de notre richesse pour la dissoudre dans le cosmos de l'Etat et des assistés. "La dépense publique est comparée au PIB pour avoir un ordre de grandeur, mais ce n'en est pas une part, avait écrit dans une tribune au Monde en 2019, l'économiste Christophe Ramaux. Si l'on calcule la dépense privée comme on calcule la dépense publique, elle atteint environ 200 % du PIB, ce qui n'a aucun sens." Ce même Ramaux, qui, en avril dernier dans les colonnes de Basta!, en remettait une couche (on n'en met jamais assez), pour déconstruire cet outil faussement scientifique, sans cesse mobilisé par la doxa libérale : "La dépense publique est un indicateur très imparfait. On mélange un peu tout dedans et on fait des doubles comptes. Par exemple, elle comprend les salaires versés aux fonctionnaires, dont les cotisations sociales… Mais ces mêmes cotisations sont à nouveau comptées dans les dépenses de retraite ! Le chiffre de 57% du PIB n'est pas faux, mais il ne correspond pas à une part du PIB. Ce n'est pas parce que la dépense publique est à 57% que la dépense privée est à 43%."
En réalité, quand on utilise ce ratio de dépenses publiques sur PIB, on ne donne rien d'autre qu'un ordre de grandeur qui permet par exemple de comparer entre divers Etats, la place prise par le public dans le fonctionnement du pays. Rien de moins, et pas grand chose de plus. Que la France soit le leader mondial de la dépense publique et des prélèvements obligatoires est juste la conséquence logique d'une nation qui est sans doute l'une de celles qui cèdent le moins aux logiques individualistes et néolibérales. Une nation qui a fait de la mise en commun non seulement de la valeur ajoutée mais aussi de sa gestion, une valeur cardinale, happée depuis plus d'un demi-siècle par les obsessions austéritaires des exécutifs droitiers.
Il ne faut pas s'étonner dès lors, que les médias qui détestent les dépenses publiques, défendent le détricotage de la "Sociale", en faisant régulièrement la promotion de la retraite par capitalisation, vers libéral financier dans le fruit des jours heureux communistes. La capitalisation : un "tabou" à lever pour le Figaro, alors qu'il serait "urgent" d'en introduire une dose pour l'Opinion - le tout en alimentant des idées fausses sur son efficacité.
Ce sont souvent ces mêmes supporters du boursicotage de nos avenirs qui s'en prennent à ce qui pourrait mieux la financer, comme par exemple la taxe Zucman sur le patrimoine des ultra riches - rejetée cette semaine par le Sénat. On l'a entendu sur Europe 1 - par la voix d'Olivier Babeau -, on l'a lu dans le Figaro, le Point, et on a vu Nicolas Doze sur BFMTV qui qualifie cette taxe de "folie".
Il faut encore rappeler que la baisse des dépenses publiques, ne signifie pas une baisse des dépenses. Car ce que les forces du collectif ne prennent pas en charge, ce sont les individus et leur vulnérabilité qui doivent les supporter. Et ce, en devant s'en sortir face aux tarifs prohibitifs du secteur privé. Ce n'est pas un hasard si les Etats-Unis ont des dépenses de santé (en pourcentage de PIB, hihi), plus élevées qu'en France. Et ce qui vaut pour la santé, vaut aussi pour d'autres domaines comme le transport : le Royaume-Uni a lancé un plan de nationalisation de ses chemins de fer, face au fiasco de la libéralisation du secteur. La France ne compte pas 68 millions de fonctionnaires comme le lance le taquin Lenglet. Toucher une aide financée par la collectivité ne fait pas de vous un fonctionnaire. Juste un citoyen français.
Du dérapage budgétaire aux retraites, en passant par le projet d'imposition du patrimoine des ultra-riches, les médias mettent sans cesse sur le même plan les dépenses de l'État et celle de la Sécu, créant un flou délétère autour de la notion de "dép…
I have nothing but hate for people that breed problem dogs. Not just talking aggression. But a lot of races have very known medical problems.
Small short dogs very often get back problems. E.g. Corgis, yes they look cute. But very soon they will live in a world of chronic pain. That's not cool.
Don't even get me started on pugs or Chihuahuas...
It's also really stupid to buy dog breeds with known medical problems. Surgery for your dog is not cheap. Your loved pet will suffer. Buy another breed without known problems
My neighbours had a small hunting terrier when i was a kid, forgot the name of the breed. Fucking asshole dog tried to bite me every time she saw me although i went in and out there every day. Also she killed everything that moved, cats, birds, hedgehogs, ...
Neighbour was a hunter and those fuckers were bred to follow badgers into their sett and kill them. Badgers can be quite nasty themselves so most animals stay away, but not this breed. Only chance the badger has is to kill the dog, even if half of its nose is bitten off, it doesn't give a shit.
So I'm a bit sceptical about the whole "aggression is not bred" theory.
Bred for the size, trained for the aggression. I've seen typically passive breeds be overly aggressive in exactly the way that the breed is known for not being.
If you're suggesting my neighbours trained her to be aggressive - they didn't - it was their family dog, they did the standard obedience training (sit, stay...) but no protection training. All their other dogs (german shepherds) were friendly.
Do you know how they treated their dogs? I'm not insinuating anything, I've just never dealt with a dog that becomes aggressive and I've owned both rotties and pitties.
Yeah. That's just shit being thrown at the wall to see if it will stick.
The real question is, who's throwing the shit? It's either some troll trying to convince morons to believe something that isn't true, or it's those same morons looking for something to justify their stupidity.
I have a pitbull (American pitbull terrier) that is a rescue. He loves people, but is so aggressive towards other animals that I can hardly believe it.
After having one for years now, I believe there should be some sort of training or licensing requirement before someone can own one. The combination of innate aggression and power is truly dangerous
I can never walk my dog off-leash, I can never hand my dog to someone inexperienced. I love my dog, but responsible ownership is much more burdensome than any other dog I've had.
Sadly the remaining 95% owners of pitbulls "love them so much" they'd start literal riots if that becomes law. Because you know they wouldn't be able to pass the training, or even sit through it.
They are not mad, it's a typical "divide and conquer" strategy successfully imposed by the ruling class. Instead of fighting together for socialism, people are divided into mutually antagonistic bullshit groups like racist, gender, nationalist, religious...
Bottom Up Front: Immigration policies that create pathways to legalization, including programs like DACA, inadvertently signal that illegal entry can lead to permanent status, fueling a massive criminal enterprise that generates billions …
BlackRock — the world’s most powerful asset manager and UnitedHealth’s biggest shareholder with nearly 10% ownership — is literally suing the health insurance giant. But not for what you’d expect…
BlackRock — the world’s most powerful asset manager and UnitedHealth’s biggest shareholder with nearly 10% ownership — is literally suing the health insurance giant. But not for what you’d expect…
You know what the really fucked-up part is? Blackrock is doing it theoretically "on behalf of" the people whose investments it manages. Normal people with 401ks and maybe even United Healthcare insurance. People who, if asked, would likely rather have decently affordable healthcare than 0.001% higher investment returns. This lawsuit is even happening, at least in part, in the name of Luigi fans!
The system is constructed to leverage us against ourselves.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was transported by ambulance on Tuesday to a hospital in Washington, DC, after an allergic reaction, the Department of Homeland Security said.
Jamie Raskin explodes when grilled over his support for an accused illegal trafficker—refuses to answer, calls names instead.#JamieRaskin #Immigration #Meltd...
You would have to train new AI models to recognize and ignore other AI content. But that would be an admission that AI content is useless and can't be trusted.
Palantir threatened to call police on a WIRED reporter and kicked out other journalists from a recent conference following reports of the data analytics firm’s work with the Trump administration.
With those tipping screens now seemingly everywhere, Americans think that the practice has “gotten out of control,” according to a new survey.
At least 63 percent of US residents now having a negative view of tipping, up from 59 percent last year, according to Bankrate, a financial publisher and comparison service.
Yet, the number of Americans who have gotten used to tipping has gone up since the COVID-19 pandemic, when it slipped. There have not been significant declines in tips for service providers, the survey noted, particularly for hairdressers and restaurant servers.
Have never worked a job that earned me tips, but it seems to me that everyone who holds a full time job should not be required to rely on kindness of strangers for their livelyhood.
Regulations should be such that they mandate all employers to pay a liviable wage.
If that causes places to shutdown, let them greedy bastards shutdown. The market will correct itself.
Continuing as it is today is bad for everyone but the employers and capitalists.
Unfortunately tipping in North America is a wage subsidy paid by patrons. Employers can get away with paying employees less as there is an expectation that the public will supplement the difference. It wouldn't be enough to just stop tipping, a change to employment practices is necessary.
So fucking tired of tipping. I’ve read recommendations of 30% these days. That is absolutely insane. The prices for everything has increased substantially already, and we are expected to tip proportionally to it? Not to mention, the tip screens on POS systems are showing up at regular businesses now. So fucking annoying.
There's a massive difference between people saying they wouldn't mind paying more if it meant not tipping and people actually being willing to pay more. The difference between a 20% markup on prices and being asked to voluntarily tip an amount that isn't specified is pretty minimal. Having worked in a job that relied on tips for over a decade, I can't tell you how many times someone who didn't tip complained about the price without a tip. Would they pay it anyway? Maybe. Is it probably a good idea? Maybe. But I don't know many situations in which a 20% hike on prices translates into a 20% increase in wages.
There are definitely a lot of people who would benefit from just making a living wage rather than being paid below minimum and having to supplement that with tips. Often that person just ends up not making minimum wage at the end of the day, and there are definitely companies that exploit that pay arrangement to get people to do work that shouldn't have to rely on tips regardless. There's a small burger place around here that literally hires counter help for tipped wages, but then also makes them do dishes, clean bathrooms, and even help make some of the food. They're basically being paid less than minimum to do two to three jobs, only one of which even legally qualifies for the reduced pay rate.
But would the patrons of that restaurant really not complain if they had to pay an extra $3-4 for a burger? I'm not so sure.
One thing I've learned about people is that many of us find complaining to be cathartic. If it wasn't tipping, it'd be the prices or the service or something else. A lot of the time it's already all of those things.
In the mean time, though, it's probably better to push back against unfair labor practices by trying to pass local laws rather than by just stiffing your server.
propitiouspanda
in reply to inclementimmigrant • • •Warms me heart to see all these gamers finally growing a pair and treating business as business.
if you can get something for free, do it. Corporations are not your friends.