mozz

Tru dat, 100% fair enough.

Also, it isn't true.

The central point I actually 100% agree with -- Cuba actually does an absolutely excellent job caring for its citizens in terms of education, health care, basic metrics of human life, even under absolutely punishing-for-no-reason economic warfare from basically the whole of the Western world. There's a whole little fascinating study to be had, including the realization that their success in that area may actually come as a result of their economic suffering, not in spite of it, because their poverty means there are few big-money people taking over their politics and wrenching all the levers in the direction of profit, i.e. the government can just be left alone and try to do what it's supposed to do in the first place and take care of the people. It's a tiny window into what the US government with all its incalculable power would be able to do if we just could somehow get rid of all the bribers and bribe-takers that are currently in control of everything.

However that said at least that one statistic is total bullshit. Pre-Covid, Cuba's life expectancy was 78, and the US's was 79.

if there are reports of violence, weapons, or anything pointing toward physical danger, the police will lead or co-respond on the call.

OOOOHH

That actually makes total sense; I guess that was the missing piece that I wasn't envisioning when I was talking about how it doesn't make sense.

As a general rule I don't at all agree with the ACAB or "we have to punish the police now" mentality, but sending mental health professionals to these calls if you're going to also have police in the subset of situations where they make sense actually sounds like a great step forward. Thanks for the insight.

Thank you -- yeah, it is frustrating because it's at odds with my usual overall world view, but I'm not gonna sit here arguing against "we tried it in the real world and it definitely works better" which seems like the reality in this case.

Edit: Okay, update -- I just didn't read some important parts of the article. The ACS people work in conjunction with the police when there are weapons or other dangerous elements involved. The police like it because it frees up resources and they don't have to go into situations they're not well trained for, the community likes it because the ACS people deal with mental health crises better than the police, everybody wins.

WTF, you are 100% right

I posted the story viewing it in my mind as "the bad guy won" just as communicating the news, but looking at it now again, the whole story is full of weird propaganda framing which I didn't even notice the first time.

Ukraine-sceptic

Close ally

pro-Western opposition

ahead of liberal, pro-western opposition candidate

vowed “to ensure that Slovakia remains on the side of peace and not on the side of war”

Korčok conceded the defeat and congratulated the winner

You have to read quite a ways into the article to start to see factual elements which are totally at odds with that presentation early on.

announced she would not run for re-election last June after receiving death threats

The new government immediately halted any arms deliveries to Ukraine

plans to amend the penal code and take control of the public media

Kinda seems like that stuff should be in the lede instead of the "The close ally won against the pro-Western opposition" framing

Done

Hm... I was all set to disagree with you but it kind of looks like you're right -- it looks to me like the track record is that it works actually really well.

So... you just thought it was clearly plausible that a handful of people would actually want to go back to their homes and families, and even if this particular source is absolutely transparent propaganda you wanted to report the story because you found it interesting? That would actually make a certain amount of sense, yeah.

So... you just thought it was so obviously ridiculous that it was worth posting even though it's not a meme? That would actually make a certain amount of sense, yeah.

Yeah yeah the article is clearly wild bullshit of the type that can only survive in weird little information-anaerobic spaces where this type of stuff is normal

The question is, why does TokenBoomer think it’s useful and believable to post it here (apparently for serious, as far as I can tell)

This post is a fascinating data point in the "what's up with these weird accounts" question.

UPI is owned by News World Communications BTW; you might know them from some of their other hits like:

• Biden’s White House must stop hindering Israel
• Democratic Party of abortion and drugs set its sights on Florida
• Report: Migrants in Mexico want Biden to win so they can stroll into U.S.