#youtube is a lobby

[random-jot]

I hadn't seem a direct comparison about this yet, but I can't be the only one who twigged how similar these two scenes were right? Honestly been thinking about this ever since Whole Cake.

[the-lion-guard-88]

I can’t unsee it…

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Streets [in the 1920s-'30s] weren't well organized, and didn't have features like crosswalks, turn lanes, and traffic signals. You had streetcars, horses, pedestrians, and the new kids on the block: the automobile, all mixing on increasingly crowded streets. The biggest conflicts were between pedestrians and drivers. And the results were often deadly. Pedestrians, including children, were being struck and killed by cars. In those early days, motorists were held responsible, and the public was horrified by all of the deaths. You have to remember that, in cities, kids played in the street. People couldn't comprehend the idea that you'd have to keep kids off of the streets all day long to keep them safe. Everyone realized that speed was the real problem. cars could go [much] faster than the flow of traffic in 1920s cities. Some cities wanted to do something about it -- something more than just speed limits. They wanted to mandate speed governors on all cars to ensure they couldn't go more than, say, 20 or 30 miles per hour within city limits. It was at this point that the auto industry realized they needed to fight for the right to own the street.

Should jaywalking be legal? YouTube. 20 November, 2020 (human-edited from a transcript of auto-generated captions)

I really think this may be a way to create walkable cities without banning cars altogether, for the people for whom cars are an accessibility need -- without discriminating against those who simply cannot use cars.

I mean, if folks were thinking up this solution 100 years ago, surely we have the tech to make it work today. Right?

[robertreich]

How the Corporate Takeover of American Politics Began

The corporate takeover of American politics started with a man and a memo you've probably never heard of.

In 1971, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce asked Lewis Powell, a corporate attorney who would go on to become a Supreme Court justice, to draft a memo on the state of the country.

Powell’s memo argued that the American economic system was “under broad attack” from consumer, labor, and environmental groups.

In reality, these groups were doing nothing more than enforcing the implicit social contract that had emerged at the end of the Second World War. They wanted to ensure corporations were responsive to all their stakeholders — workers, consumers, and the environment — not just their shareholders.

But Powell and the Chamber saw it differently. In his memo, Powell urged businesses to mobilize for political combat, and stressed that the critical ingredients for success were joint organizing and funding.

The Chamber distributed the memo to leading CEOs, large businesses, and trade associations — hoping to persuade them that Big Business could dominate American politics in ways not seen since the Gilded Age.

It worked.

The Chamber’s call for a business crusade birthed a new corporate-political industry practically overnight. Tens of thousands of corporate lobbyists and political operatives descended on Washington and state capitals across the country.

I should know — I saw it happen with my own eyes.

In 1976, I worked at the Federal Trade Commission. Jimmy Carter had appointed consumer advocates to battle big corporations that for years had been deluding or injuring consumers.

Yet almost everything we initiated at the FTC was met by unexpectedly fierce political resistance from Congress. At one point, when we began examining advertising directed at children, Congress stopped funding the agency altogether, shutting it down for weeks.

I was dumbfounded. What had happened?

In three words, The Powell Memo.

Lobbyists and their allies in Congress, and eventually the Reagan administration, worked to defang agencies like the FTC — and to staff them with officials who would overlook corporate misbehavior.

Their influence led the FTC to stop seriously enforcing antitrust laws — among other things — allowing massive corporations to merge and concentrate their power even further.

Washington was transformed from a sleepy government town into a glittering center of corporate America — replete with elegant office buildings, fancy restaurants, and five-star hotels.

Meanwhile, Justice Lewis Powell used the Court to chip away at restrictions on corporate power in politics. His opinions in the 1970s and 80s laid the foundation for corporations to claim free speech rights in the form of financial contributions to political campaigns.

Put another way — without Lewis Powell, there would probably be no Citizens United — the case that threw out limits on corporate campaign spending as a violation of the “free speech” of corporations.

These actions have transformed our political system. Corporate money supports platoons of lawyers, often outgunning any state or federal attorneys who dare to stand in their way. Lobbying has become a $3.7 billion dollar industry.

Corporations regularly outspend labor unions and public interest groups during election years. And too many politicians in Washington represent the interests of corporations — not their constituents. As a result, corporate taxes have been cut, loopholes widened, and regulations gutted.

Corporate consolidation has also given companies unprecedented market power, allowing them to raise prices on everything from baby formula to gasoline. Their profits have jumped into the stratosphere — the highest in 70 years.

But despite the success of the Powell Memo, Big Business has not yet won. The people are beginning to fight back.

First, antitrust is making a comeback. Both at the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department we’re seeing a new willingness to take on corporate power.

Second, working people are standing up. Across the country workers are unionizing at a faster rate than we’ve seen in decades — including at some of the biggest corporations in the world — and they’re winning.

Third, campaign finance reform is within reach. Millions of Americans are intent on limiting corporate money in politics – and politicians are starting to listen.

All of these tell me that now is our best opportunity in decades to take on corporate power — at the ballot box, in the workplace, and in Washington.

Let’s get it done.

[toonstarterz]

Stephen King and J.R.R. Tolkien got NOTHING on the Water 7 arc of One Piece.

Thanks for your patience. Stay tooned!

[because--palestine]

Palestine Talks | John Mearsheimer discusses the Israeli lobby and Israel’s assault on Gaza

[autoboros]

Hmm

[mikewazowskikinnie]

ITS STUCK IN MY BRAIN

This video destroyed me /pos

[likethelastwoman]

I just want to take this opportuny to share my favourite AMV ever

(not mine!!!)

[munchboxart]

This sure is a song

Edit: The moment I uploaded this they removed the song 😭

Here

[imaginationblur]

I love watching Lythero on yt, but my biggest guilty pleasure is looking at all the small animations from the artists and Krooked-Glasses lil chibi’s on the screen! UGHU so good-

Decided to try my hand at trying in that chibi style with my brother and I’s personas

[writingmyheartoutforyou]

This scene is probably my favorite out of the whole series. This is peak One Piece for me, no doubt about it.

No matter what direction the story has taken or the twist along the way. When I think of One Piece, I remember this scene, and 12 year old me watching it on my computer sobbing my heart.

[friedpunster]

made an edit of Tony Tony Chopper's Monster point form to my favorite song about Kaiju

monster point is so fucking cool guys you have absolutely no idea

(also if anyone needs an editor i do want money)

((also also sound on ofc the song is kind of the point))

[crysdrawsthings]

"Hi my name is Lord of Murder Dread Father Bhaal and I am bald as balls (that's how I got my name)"

[inthefallofasparrow]

How (And Why) The Right Stole Christianity |  SOME MORE NEWS

[wesleysniperking]

LUFFY’S JOURNEY

I believe there's more depth to Luffy's journey than just tough decisions. The Water 7 incident with Usopp was just the beginning. It revealed Luffy's love for his crew, but also his realization of his own limitations in protecting them. Thriller Bark and his encounter with Charlos further underscored this struggle, showing that despite being the captain, Luffy faced challenges that were beyond his abilities. The crew's inability to escape Kuma on Sabaody was a clear indication of this. So, Water 7 wasn't just about making tough decisions; it highlighted Luffy's growing awareness of his failures to safeguard his crew, especially with Robin and Usopp's departures serving as significant warnings.

That’s why both these videos hit hard for me.

@Biscuit 1) https://youtube.com/shorts/4kZ5mpi-zAU?si=HUGnERIlST2oK2aC

@Emma Gondouin 2) https://youtu.be/iV1aN-CFi08?si=y9TXItG7QJYPFnv5