I find it interesting that every time xenophobia pops up, nothing ends well for the xenophobes. History rhymes.

WTAF. You can get SDR (software defined radio) boards for under $10 in bulk. I suspect they're already using SDR, especially FM HD-Radio. They've already got antennas, speakers, and amps, so that's not an issue. I really don't see how anyone could think that this would drive up costs in any significant way.

It's true that AM radio is best for emergency broadcasts. There are dozens of "clear channel" stations in the US broadcasting at 50 kW, each reaching 100s of miles. And worst case scenario, it's pretty easy to build your own AM radio receiver.

This was a bill passed on April 1, that mentions Sasquatch.

I'm not sure the BBC got the joke.

Whoever wrote the summary either didn't get the joke, or is an asshole trying to stir shit up -- probably both. They also didn't mention that it would only apply only to actions "for the express purpose" of affecting the weather.

> If at any point in time an intelligent person begins to have doubts about the fundamental worthlessness of the failed species that is humanity, bringing up the topic of chemtrails (or COVID, or...) is a great way to get a quick reminder.

Youâ(TM)ve certainly proven this point!

> intelligent people are well aware are not natural or normal.

Correct. Airplanes are not natural. Well done!

> This didn't used to happen in the 1990s; were there no planes flying then?

Wrong again! Contrails were common in WWII. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/...

> When "crazy nutcase conspiracy theorists" notice this phenomenon, it's called a "chemtrail"

Correct again!

> I've watched these trails spread out and become clouds in real time, and I've even recorded videos showing that it is unmistakeably happening, but to what end? The internet has plenty of such videos already, but the worthless cretins of America are too stupid to watch them.

I'm pretty sure every American has seen them -- no need to watch the videos. It's also easy to prove that they're condensation. Could there be some planes releasing other chemicals? Certainly -- I've seen crop dusting and acrobatic airplanes do it. But it's clearly a completely different phenomenon.

> Ever seen a KC-135 aircraft refueling a civilian passenger plane at low speed and atltitude? I've seen that twice, right over my house, in rural bumfuck nowhere. Explain that shit.

I find it odd that *any* commercial aircraft would be refueled in the air. How exactly would that happen? Why? They don't just build 737s out of the factory with air refueling gear. See https://www.flyingsquadron.com... for some actual expert commentary on the topic.

But the obvious explanation is that you live near a military base. Duh.

> Plans fly over in regular formation, on the exact same parallel flight paths and spaced exactly ~5 minutes apart, for hours on end, one after another.

Ah, an airport. You're confused by what happens near an airport!

Wait. How did Sasquatch not get mentioned in the summary? That seems to be a pretty significant fact.

Also, the bill was passed on April 1.

The true failure was the editors who published the book. The explicitly stated intention of the lockdowns (and encouraging the population to take other measures) was to "flatten the curve". Which was explained (in simple words, that a 5-year-old could understand) as a way to keep "hospitals from being overrun". So claiming it was a failure is a complete fabrication. I don't know if the author and editors are that stupid, or just greedy liars.

Unfortunately, people completely forgot about "flatten the curve". And because shitty leaders (thanks, GOP!) spent years reducing the public's belief in expertise, many people had no inclination to listen to the epidemiologists — many who spent their entire careers gaining a really good understanding of how infectious diseases move through populations. We've had 1000s of doctors, scientists, economists, statisticians, and others spend the past 100+ years learning how to reduce the effects of pandemics just like COVID. But many of us had become pre-disposed not to listen, even when it was in our best interest, collectively and individually.

I was actually affected by the overrun hospitals. I waited 5 hours to get inside the building on December 31, 2020. Luckily it was "only" had a kidney stone. But that's 5+ extra hours that I was in pain, and 5 hours that could have meant life or death in many cases.

Keeping in mind that ideas and names cannot be copyrighted (names can be trademarked though) — what exactly is Paramount claiming has been copied? It seems unlikely that anything of a copyrightable length/nature would be in a fan-fic book.

Yes, well, that's capitalism for you.

Most Americans have no choice in insurer. And their choices are controlled by a powerful cartel that colludes to keep prices high. There is no competition in the health insurance field.

No American gives a rats ass about the "choice" of insurer. They want a choice of doctors and services, but really, and I can not stress this enough, REALLY hate all insurance companies. More than they hate the government even!

And yet, taxes have been cut again and again and again. How do you reconcile that fact with your statement that "Because the people raising taxes will never reach a point when they say "the government has enough money now, let's cut taxes"."

Seems that it's very, very easy for the government to cut taxes, at least for the rich. Why are you afraid of "the people who want to raise taxes" when those people have never actually done so? Seems you are imagining a scenario that is not just unlikely, but counter factual.

No, people want to pay for things with their taxes. The are not, in fact, idiots. They don't want predatory capitalists taking a cut, and figure, correctly, that government is more trustworthy than a man with a profit motive and no morals.

People recognize that certain endeavors are just not well served by a capitalist free market. Health care is a primary one that simply doesn't work unless heavily regulated or run by the government. You do not know what is wrong with you. You do not know how to fix it. You can not shop around for a new liver.

As it is, we are basically running health care like a for profit government, and we are getting the worst of both the public and private worlds. Health insurance amounts to a system of taxation that forces the healthy to pay for the sick, and lets a third party take a huge cut. Replace health insurance with actual government taxation and what have you lost, except for the greedy bastard trying to mark up your heart medications? Nothing.

You showed no proof of anything.

You assholes have no problem with kids reading those same types of sex scenes if it's straight. Just ask Beverly Cleary. Most YA novels have sex scenes. Doesn't make them pornographic or unsuitable for kids.

You aren't American so stop talking as if you know us or our culture, asshole.

You don't know shit then. Stop talking like you know America if you aren't from here, asshole.

We need to raise taxes on the rich back to what they were in the good old days Republicans pine for. Marginal tax rate of 90%. "Oh!" you whine, "Nobody paid that!" Yes, but they paid more than they do now and that's the point. Raise taxes on capital gains, raise corporate taxes, lower taxes for the middle class and boom! Deficit fixed.

Normal people are not lazy, they just don't want to be taken advantage of. The real drag on our economy is billionaires and other tax cheats.