We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system.

We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee.

The fee would be relatively low for… pic.twitter.com/HTNwtp35Aq

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) February 4, 2025

They are REALLY proud of their gigaprison

"And, peculiarly, Civ 7 only really covers history up to about 1950. You get planes and tanks, but there are no home computers or helicopters in this tech tree at launch. The final science victory condition is launching the first manned spaceflight – quite a step back from setting up an exoplanet colony"

Current State of Political Livestream Watchers:

I've lately felt the need to make a few posts looking back on the days when Reddit wasn't completely lame and normie-fied, and this seemed like a good place to start. This occurred back in the days of 2015, ten years ago now, before Reddit would go on to become completely buckbroken by Trump's victory and G*mergate, thus ushering in the soulless website that is modern Reddit. The drama sub was in its infancy, culture wars and Tiktok hadn't ruined online discouse, it was a simpler time.

Back around the end of 2014, a subreddit would appear by name of 'April30th2015' with a sidebar message and post from user '20141220' explaining that he had mysteriously time traveled in his sleep back to the year of 2014 and felt the need to warn everyone of the impending solar flare disaster on April 30th, 2015 that would effectively plunge the world into chaos. Note: I had difficulty finding the original post as the sub OP eventually deleted their account but most of the sub's other posts are still readily available. The sidebar reads:

At 0250 UTC on Friday 1 May 2015 (which is late on Thursday, April 30th in the US) the power goes out throughout the world due to a solar storm on the level of the Carrington event of 1859 (though most people won't know the cause for several months): the power has gone out and there's no more running water or food deliveries ... and it will be this way for many years to come.

Within a the short period of time leading up to April, the sub amassed a decent amount of attention and as expected, reactions were very mixed.

Most immediately suspected it was a larp and reacted accordingly, quickly developing a meme culture around it and shitposting about the coming 'skeleton apocalypse'.

If the power goes out, people will say 430 blaze it instead of 420 blaze it because they will need to light candles

MRW the power goes out

April 29th be like...

BREAKING: Time Traveler has brought back photographs of the world after the power outage. Warfare and banditry become comonplace.

But this is Reddit and inevitably, some would take the bait.

Realscienceguydude comes to explain to us why time travel is impossible:

Why all of this is Bullsh*t

And 2015 Reddit responds as 2015 Reddit does:

Another brave skeptic steps forward:

Why This Can't Be True

And of course, some would play into the larp to the ridicule of most of the users.

Preparing

The OP would eventually gain his own cabal of edgelords playing along in every post

Horrible... very horrible things await this poor planet

April 30th is not what you think it is. And it's exactly what you think it is. It is probably the end of Humanity as we know it.

I did it, but I couldn't stop them. Their plans have only been delayed for a year.

However, the reactions that would attract the most attention would be the ones genuinely panicking under the conviction that societal collapse was upon us.

I'm legit kind of freaked out about this, someone tell me why I shouldn't be, please.

This guy is a fricking butthole

Gullible person with anxiety here, is this roleplaying?!?!

Is this real?! D:

Now in the days leading up to April 30th, the larp would start to amp up: 20141220 would prophesize that a Malaysian Airlines planes set to take off the morning after April 30th would crash. Reactions were, again, mixed but largely skeptical but this wasn't enough to stop one user from rising up to the occasion.

20151220, you are terrorist and a fear monger. You either release a public message saying that this is a load of bullshit, or I and countless others will report you to authorities. Who's with me?

He'd go on to argue in a now deleted post about his valiant efforts to stop this terrorist.

Now, after rumbleshit had supposedly contacted the authorities over this, 20141220 would abruptly delete his account and a gloating thread would follow.

HE DELETED HIS ACCOUNT

With the bulk of his gloating occurring here

But that wouldn't be the end of this as new accounts stepped in to push the larp.

I am 20141220, and I do not live in Greater London

Many would argue in the comments section about whether he was the legitimate 20141220 or not, but a new account would soon appear. The user SaveTheSpyCrabs would step forward with a post announcing he was 20141220 and this had merely been an epic troll.

He never broke character, *I never broke character.

He'd go on to try to argue some sort of proof in the comments but users remained skeptical. April 30th of 2015 soon approached and to no one's surprise, nothing happened. Users responded accordingly.

GET FRICKED C*NT

SpyCrabs himself would show up to shitpost and try to revitalize the edgelords.

I can't keep hiding.

But this time around, Reddit users weren't biting.

SaveTheSpycrabs most recent post is just him roleplaying.

The subreddit would die a slow death as users got tired of skeleton posting and many moved on to other pastures. Nonetheless, this sub is one of the last remaining vestiges of what Reddit was like in a time not wrecked with culture wars slap fighting.

Belligerents:

/u/OkBuddyLiberals - a centrist/neurodivergent neoliberal who's got a custom Manchin flair.

/u/l00gie - a gay Asian progressoid who's basically an embodiment of the reason dRumph won.

slap fight #1 OkBuddyLiberal's longpost about how the Dems really should punch left if they want to win.

Slap fight #2 l00gie's gaslamp/gatekeep/gayboss way to lose the hearts and minds of the American public.

Lisa is an American TikToker who goes by the handle @ stalkedbythefeds, where she posts videos alleging she is under FBI investigation as a result of her having an affair with an FBI agent named Lenny DePaul. She claims that ever since she told DePaul's wife of their affair, the FBI has retaliated by opening up an investigation against her. Her proof that she is under investigation includes:

• Videos of random people in public

• Videos and pictures of cars parked outside of her house, cars with tinted windows, or cars with „weird license plates"

• People sitting in their cars outside of her gym

• Other insane nonsense

How does she have time to schizo post all day? She previously was a psychiatric nurse pratictioner, but now she collects monthly disability checks for an undisclosed disability, which some of her viewers assume is some sort of mental illness causing her delusions. She claims that the FBI is trying to find evidence of her committing "insurance fraud" relating to her disability, and that they've concocted schemes to make her look like she isn't actually qualified. Or alternatively, just find her guilty of absolutely anything so Lenny can get his sweet, sweet revenge over 4 years later.

Here are some of the ways she claims the FBI have tried to entrap her:

She said that the FBI approached her hairdresser and convinced her to become a CI. She says it was "so obvious" to her because her hairdresser "Started asking questions." She claims that almost everybody that she interacts with is in cahoots with the feds and anybody who isn't will be coerced into becoming an informer.

She also claims the FBI turned one of her lifelong friends into a CI. Supposedly, the FBI tried to get her to commit fraud by convincing her long-time friend to ask Lisa (who was a RN at the time) if she could help get the friend's sister on disability, because she couldn't work due to health complications. Lisa says she "didn't take the bait", and instead accuses her friend of selling out to the FBI when she was seemingly just looking for help for her sister.

She again claimed that the FBI poached one of her friends, this time by trying to get Lisa (still a RN at the time) to sign "emotional support animal" paperwork so she didn't have to pay the pet fee to her landlord. Suprise Lisa, the FBI isn't setting you up- your friends are asking favors from you.

Recently, she announced that to escape the feds, she was going to be moving to Bali (which to many may seem like a worse fate…) But, lo and behold, to the shock of almost no one, within less than 4 days of moving she claimed she was still being followed in Bali. Including the riveting proof of: a lady standing outside on her own porch (complete with scary music in the background)

Although on the surface, this may seem like just another insane schizo "gangstalking" victim, some of her followers have theorized that this is all a very intricate scam concocted to scrape the wallets of r-slurred tiktok users and collect tiktok creator fund money in addition to her disability (which I believe in itself would be insurance fraud. We got er boys!!! ) Her denial of this is not helped by the GoFundMe link in her bio (even if it's only raised less than $300 with a goal of 20k.) Another TikToker, https://tiktok.com/@mamaphilly26 released a series of videos claiming to have previously worked for Lisa, and stating that she believes her story is a ruse.

Even if the whole stalking story is fake, I do not believe that she is not crazy. This is not the face of a sane woman:

https://old.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1igqnoh/new_bill_to_effectively_kill_anime_other_piracy/

https://old.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/1igqo6h/new_bill_to_effectively_kill_anime_other_piracy/

https://old.reddit.com/r/animenews/comments/1igd8x6/new_bill_to_effectively_kill_piracy_in_the_us/

https://old.reddit.com/r/animepiracy/comments/1ignpv7/anime_other_piracy_in_the_us_gets_backing_by/

New Bill to Effectively Kill Anime & Other Piracy in the U.S. Gets Backing by Netflix, Disney & Sonyhttps://t.co/DPQvaZTyt3

— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) February 3, 2025

ITT: Janny cries to his mopping buddies that users treat him the same way he treats them

[–]soulself 11 points 4 days ago

I think you may be engaging too much. It's easy to get caught up in fray and try to mitigate situations, but perhaps you should be more of an observer and just enforce the rules.

Nobody understands what it's like to be a mod until they live it. You are going to piss people off no matter what you do.

If you "live" being a janny you shouldn't

[–]CitoyenEuropeen💡 Skilled Helper 4 points 4 days ago

Yes, you have to escalate each report individually. No, you cannot fire them from the feed or the mod queue with your own account.

I use a very simple auto moderator script to alert the whole team when one mod is under attack, so that we can cover for each other.

is_moderator: true

report: 1

modmail: BRIGADING ALERT

You can also add your alt account to the mods. Switching accounts is faster than navigating to reddit/report in my experience.

Beware of cross-fire! When mod A files a report such as, say, HATE or HARASSMENT, and mod B hits REPORT ABUSE under the same content, AEOT bots will whack mod A.

When a janny "is under attack"

I moderate /r/veteranpolitics. As you can imagine, everything you do is a lose/lose. Unfortunately, I have had multiple reports on my account for hate based speech across the sub. You guys are more than welcome to crawl through it and make judgement, but it's just on moderation comments. I've had people putting me in a position where rule 3 is possibly being violated as well as actual hate speech that I'm removing. It's happening over multiple posts at this point and is consistent. I know it's suggested to send a report through the report feature, but do I need to send every post/comment individually or can I send a report in general. The issue is I'm at about 10-15 hate based reports so I know I'm gonna get clapped by AEO at some poi

Proof that reportmaxxing jannies works. Even if they don't get banned they spend the whole day that someone dared defy the mop

[–]Eclectic-N-Varied💡 Expert Helper 3 points 4 days ago

Had nothing but good luck once we've used the Report Abuse button -- never had either the positives or denials been laid at our doorstep.

What the fuck does this even mean

My hands look like this

so hers can look like this

I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly…

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 3, 2025

Here we spot wild Bardfinn Bluesky activities.

Be valid and ping ! bardfinn for something worthwhile or create a new thread.

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ih184w/comment/matgzke/?context=8

Pft heckin idiot

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ih184w/comment/matfkge/?context=8

Our allies are fricking gone forever

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ih184w/comment/mateyr6/?context=8

HEY WHO STOPPED THE FRICKING CIRCLE SPANK MUSIC??

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ih184w/comment/matikfh/?context=8

"Yeah Canada bent the fricking knee, but not very far!"

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ih184w/comment/mav1x86/?context=8

Canada fooled drumpfler, motherlover!

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ih184w/comment/matklp7/?context=8

"He didn't have to threaten us!!!"

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ih184w/comment/maufbe7/?context=8

Last but not least, lmao bongs

DeepSeek, the explosive new artificial intelligence tool that took the world by storm, has code hidden in its programming which has the built-in capability of sending user data directly to the Chinese government, experts told @ABC News. https://t.co/aqxyeO5kmw

— ABC News (@ABC) February 5, 2025

Wait nvm, it's just a framework lol

https://openeurollm.eu/

Orange Site:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42922989

AI made in 🇪🇺

OpenEuroLLM, the first family of open source Large Language Models covering all EU languages, has earned the first STEP Seal for its excellence.

It brings together EU startups, research labs and supercomputing hosts to train AI on European supercomputers ↓ pic.twitter.com/9YvWBW1CpL

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) February 3, 2025

https://boards.4chan.org/g/thread/104200209

https://lemmy.world/post/25074353

https://old.reddit.com/r/singularity/comments/1ih6ukk/the_eu_is_betting_56_million_on_open_source_ai/

!animalposters !cats

I have a legitimate question for everyone here: is there stuff that HasanAbi has done/said that you dislike?

Apologies for beating a dead horse with Hasan discourse, especially in the form of an AskReddit-style thread, but this is something I've been meaning to ask after lurking on this sub for quite some time and seeing all the drama unfold.

I know the the newest post on this sub right now is another post asking people about Hasan, and things have been pretty heated with the H3H3 content drop, but with how often he's brought up on the sub (and often defended); really not trying to stole further flam wars in asking this. But I was genuinely curious if anyone > here has legit issues with Hasan. Drama he's been a part of, behavior, political takes, people he associates with; anything like that.

I'm asking this to everyone, but in particular, when I pop into Hasan-related threads, I see a not-insignificant amount of comments that go something like "I don't like Hasan, but he's absolutely right/I'm defending him on this". I'm interesting in responses from people like that (though I'm not opposed to any answers).

Edit: and guys, please keep it civil, okay? I'd prefer for this thread not to get locked or deleted due to people escalating things in the comments.

>Hey guys, remember when Hasan Piker said {Insert r-slurred commie drool here}

>How come so many people defend him?????????!??!????

/r/YouTubeDrama was a pretty inactive subreddit sitting at around 70k subs until about 1 year ago with the release of HBomberGuys "Plagiarism and YouTube" video which saw rapid expansion of the subreddit since then. (And attracting the very type of people you would imagine)

Basically Communists who hate all property except intellectual property (THATS MY IDEA DONUT STEAL!)

https://old.reddit.com/r/youtubedrama/comments/1ifi4sy/comment/magi2t7/?context=8

I don't like how he doesn't do the Pog face enough when watching random shit on YouTube for hours

Replies to this comment rightfully inform him that in a true socialist utopia, your youtube ad revenue belongs to the 'people', CHUD!

https://old.reddit.com/r/youtubedrama/comments/1ifi4sy/comment/magblva/?context=8

More people seethe about his lack of reactions over.... WHO GIVES A SHIT REALLY?

Except this time the opinion comes from a Trans Queen Jay Exci so they cant just dismiss them under heckin socialism.

Pictured below VVV (Jay Exci)

(Pronouns She/her REMEMBER)

Except hecking Jay Exci cant be taking seriously because SHE appears on the EFAP podcast with Transphic Weirdos!!!!

Which too be fair I would dismiss anything from EFAP because anyone willing to watch this shit should kill themselves

Lots of comments about his comments on women rights (What a surprise the Turkish Muslim defender hates women's rights)

https://old.reddit.com/r/youtubedrama/comments/1ifi4sy/comment/maggnl9/?context=8

https://old.reddit.com/r/youtubedrama/comments/1ifi4sy/comment/mahircz/?context=8

https://old.reddit.com/r/youtubedrama/comments/1ifi4sy/comment/magclqd/?context=8

https://old.reddit.com/r/youtubedrama/comments/1ifi4sy/comment/magxrnc/?context=8

Mostly self reported FOIDS complaining about this, while still saying they watch and support Hasan Piker.

In the wise words of Daddy Trump

Essentially this thread is exactly confirming what I thought from the subreddit,

That it's filled with the most insufferable 'socialist' cattle, who HATE drama, and only support it if it affirms their gender (lefitist)

I want to develop mind powers to explode peoples brains with my mind.

Guardian gave it 100/100 we can throw that review in garbage can

Author of the review made a whole big butt article where he bitching about cutscene

https://www.theguardian.com/games/article/2024/jul/23/press-x-to-skip-its-time-we-retired-the-video-game-cutscene

Any one who played video games know a cutscene is better than an in-game cute scene where you can control your character because those are unskippable.

Mote bs reviewers and here it comes

https://n4g.com/news/2652490/civilization-7-review-ign#comments

IGN 7/10 basically the lowest score they could give

https://www.eurog*mer.net/civilization-7-review

Eurogaymers 4/10

So the game ain't that good.

Game probably will be in decent state after like 5 years and 100 paid dlc's

Sad but I guess only monster hunter and yakuza pirates for me in February and then in March butt shadow, atelier yumia, dead or alive prism

Wow. 2 million people have viewed my reels in the past 30 days. Is that a lot for some of you? Probably not. To somebody, who just one month ago, bought a new computer brush up on his video editing, and was sitting on a few years of emotionally-charged raccoon footage he didn't think he'd ever get around to? It's fantastic.

Swipe on over to my reels tab to see what I've been working on (I keep them separate from my posts). There's some car stuff, mostly raccoon stuff, and a lot of repeats as I figured out what worked, what didn't, and realized all of the different ways I could cut the footage.

I was pleasantly surprised to see just how much footage I have of One, Two, and Four's short life. It's taken about two years for me to be able to watch it, but now that I have I am so glad I've had the opportunity to share them with the world. They were truly the best raccoons I've ever had, and I've had a lot of raccoons pass through my life. I plan on doing something more long-form with the footage at some point, but my creativity needs a recharge as I'm getting quite frustrated with the process.

For those of you who've endured this somewhat obsessive and absolutely obnoxious episode, I thank you. Things will likely be slowing down now, however, as I'm running out of good footage and time to waste.

Here's hoping somebody brings me some orphaned babies this spring.

______________________

On a more serious note, thank you, rDrama for putting up with my bullshit. For a select few of you though, go frick yourselves and just ignore it if you don't like it lmao. My goal for the month was to become a raccoon influencer on IG and goddarn I did it. What have you accomplished this month that was so great?

As part of my Banlog, I am somewhat inclined to give @BIGBILLYKONGDONG a serious ban for the outrageous boomerphilia on display.

As a work of ironic praise for a 78 year old man's fantasy, it's a solid piece. Truly let us celebrate that we are all collectively engaged in a public arts project to facilitate the transition of boomers out of public life.

It's truly funny that we are all pretending that this old man is a president. That he is mentally capable, and not just lashing out with random whims with other aged decrepit men. The elaborate practical joke we're pulling on our elderly is a riot of laffs.

But:

For me the choice is easy.

BREAKING: FCC releases full unedited ‘60 Minutes’ interview with Kamala Harris.
pic.twitter.com/69QqSd1YLb

— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 5, 2025

Leading report i garbage tho, don't follow

I kinda hate rationalists but I haven't heard a convincing counter argument on AI doom.

Vibes vibes vibes vibes

CIRCUMCISION

As you probably know by now, I firmly stand against the circumcision of infants and young boys. I believe that it constitutes genital mutilation and that it is barbaric that this practice continues without strong legal and social consequences. I don't care whether it is your religion or your culture, circumcision is wrong. I don't care what grown adults do with their bodies, although I would also advise them not to get circumcised.

For many of us, it is obvious that circumcision is a bad idea. However, there are several groups that have worked hard to convince the public that circumcising their child is the best choice to make. Don't fall for their tricks! Today, I'd like to discuss the common arguments made for circumcision, and why they are incorrect.

Before we begin, a quick survey. How do you feel about the circumcision of babies and young boys?

Circumcision prevents STIs and STDs

It is commonly said that circumcision is "cleaner". The logic is that the foreskin, with its many folds, traps dirt, leaving you more susceptible to infections and diseases. With the foreskin removed, it is easier to wash the peepee and prevent dirt from accumulating. According to this logic, men with foreskin are more likely to develop smegma and to infect their partners with bacteria and viruses.

More specific medical claims are also made, and it would be useful to outline them all. Firstly, it is said that circumcision reduces the rates of UTIs, or urinary tract infections. This is noteworthy, because while UTIs are normally easily treatable, they can lead to kidney complications in some instances. It is also said that circumcision reduces the risk of contracting HIV. This has been the motivation to encourage circumcision within African populations where individuals are at high risk of being exposed to the virus. Lastly, there are claims that circumcision reduces the odds of one acquiring penile cancer.

What's the truth?

When it comes to arguments for circumcision, the hygiene line of reasoning is perhaps the easiest to debunk. It is ridiculous how much data there is disproving most of these talking points, yet people act as though research stopped in the 90s. It is sad, and it is an indication that even our medical institutions are not immune to propaganda.

Where do we begin? Let's begin with the general argument that circumcision is cleaner. It is true that the lack of foreskin makes the peepee easier to clean. However, this is simply due to the fact that there is less surface area to clean. This is like saying: "if you cut off your fingers, your hand will be cleaner". Of course it will, there is less hand to get dirty! Besides, if one considers the ease of washing your peepee, it is ridiculous that anyone would think you need to remove skin to keep it clean. It certainly isn't worth mutilating a child over.

Next, let's get into the more specific claims. Firstly, many circumcision advocates argue that circumcision reduces the rates of UTIs. Well, it is true that circumcision reduces your odds of acquiring a UTI. This is what the evidence bears out. However, it is useful to zoom in on the research to get a clearer picture of what's going on. What we find is that the risk of getting a UTI during childhood is a measly 1%! Not worth mutilating a child over. This is pretty much the conclusion of a study published by the National Library of Medicine. They claim that:

Assuming equal utility of benefits and harms, net clinical benefit is likely only in boys at high risk of UTI

As we've discussed, only 1% of boys are at risk of getting a UTI, so the number that is a "high risk" is minuscule. Should these boys get circumcisions? Maybe, but other solutions to UTIs should be considered first. Circumcision is a drastic measure.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15890696/

It is also worth noting that circumcision of infants may be the very thing that causes a UTI! When an infant is circumcised they are left with a wound that can be irritated by faeces and urine in the diaper, leading to infections. In short, just leave the darn foreskin alone.

As previously mentioned, circumcision advocates also claim that circumcision reduces the odds of one contracting HIV. If true, this would be an important discovery, as it could lead to us making headway in the HIV/AIDS epidemic that has gripped the African continent. So, what does the research say? Well, most studies claim that circumcision reduces the risk of contracting HIV by about 60% for men. This is also the number cited by the World Health Organisation.

https://www.who.int/teams/global-hiv-hepatitis-and-stis-programmes/hiv/prevention/voluntary-medical-male-circumcision

According to one study:

Circumcision reduces both the total bacterial load on the peepee and also specifically reduces the relative abundance of these anaerobic genera associated with HIV acquisition. Significant penile microbiome changes are apparent within 6 months of circumcision, and anaerobes continue to decline significantly for at least 2 years post-operatively, mirroring the progressive declines seen in IL-8 levels.

https://aidsrestherapy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12981-017-0167-6

With this evidence at hand, it would seem that we should rush to circumcise all Africans to end the HIV epidemic. Let's get started.

HANG ON!

Before we start snipping off Black foreskins, we need to consider a few things. It is worth noting that there are parties within the medical field who have a vested interest in ensuring circumcision continues. After all, it is a source of income for hospitals, and foreskins are purchased by the cosmetics industry to make skincare products.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-beauty-industry-is-part-of-a-baby-foreskin-flesh-trade-anti-circumcision-activists-warn/

This is horrific, but it is important that you understand this so you can accept that much of the research surrounding circumcision is deeply flawed and skewed to promote the practice. However, there are a few dissenters willing to speak the truth, and through them, we learn about some of the shortcomings of common circumcision research. As we previously discussed, most papers claim that circumcised men enjoy a 60% decreased risk of contracting HIV. This may be a tempting statistic to believe, but you should be cautious. As one paper points out:

the clinical trials were rife with various types of bias, such as attrition bias (the number of participants who dropped out vastly outnumbered those who became infected), duration bias (the trials were not long enough to determine if the positive effect would plateau) and expectation bias. Some of the primary investigators had already called for mass circumcision, Travis writes, so it is no surprise that they got the results they expected to see. This expectation of positive results may also explain why all three trials were terminated early.

The paper also warns that promoting circumcision as a form of protection against HIV is dangerous. It is explained that:

mass circumcision could lead to problems in some settings. It could discourage the use of condoms, for example. Also, circumcised men are "likely to present themselves, especially to poor or illiterate village women, as rendered surgically immune to HIV."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3255200/

Most importantly, consider this: if you are circumcised, is it wise to have unprotected s*x? No! So the choice is either to wear a condom or cut your peepee and wear a condom anyway. Why cut your peepee?

Lastly, we need to address the claim that circumcision reduces the chances of a man acquiring penile cancer. This is probably the most abhorrent one, as the claim is that circumcision is effective at preventing penile cancer IF it is performed on an infant. The same effect is not noted in adult men who are circumcised. As one metastudy notes:

We identified eight papers which evaluated the association of circumcision with penile cancer, of which seven were case–control studies. There was a strong protective effect of childhood/adolescent circumcision on invasive penile cancer

BUT this paper also discovers the following:

In two studies, the protective effect of childhood/adolescent circumcision on invasive cancer no longer persisted when analyses were restricted to boys with no history of phimosis.

In contrast, there was some evidence that circumcision in adulthood was associated with an increased risk of invasive penile cancer

You should also be aware that penile cancer is exceptionally rare to begin with. In the USA, less than 1% of the male population acquires penile cancer. So ask yourself, is it worth mutilating a baby over? I say protect the foreskin because I'm for skin. Read that again.

When circumcision is mandated by religion and culture

For some, the arguments for circumcision have nothing to do with health or hygiene. Instead, they believe that circumcision should be done for religious or cultural reasons. Let's go through a few common religious and cultural arguments.

As you all know, circumcision is a part of Judaism. Circumcision is part of a ritual known as the Brit Milah. They circumcise infants because they believe they are adhering to a covenant between God and Jewish people. The following verse is often cited:

"This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised." (Genesis 17:10)

Personally, I would not worship any God who wanted me circumcised. That's gross! Anyway, the ceremony involves a "trained" specialist known as a mohel (usually a Rabbi) who is supposed to ensure the procedure is done in a way that adheres to Jewish laws. Sometimes, the mohel will perform what's known as the Metzitzah B'peh, which involves sucking the blood of the infant straight from the peepee after making the incision. After the circumcision is performed, there is a great celebration.

Jews aren't the only ones who practice circumcision. For example, Muslims also believe that cutting the foreskin is the right thing to do. It is not mentioned in the Quran though believers point to the Sunnah and Islamic tradition as justification for the practice. Many Muslim boys are circumcised at birth, though some are circumcised during puberty as a coming of age ritual.

The obligation to get circumcised isn't just a part of religion. Many cultures around the world have adopted circumcision as well. In South Africa, for example, Xhosa boys participate in Ulwaluko. This is a ceremony held in the mountains yearly, and it is part of a coming of age ritual. The entire ritual lasts about a month, and the boys are circumcised without anaesthetic.

What's the truth?

This is nonsense! These are by far the worst arguments for circumcision. In short, I don't CARE what your religion or culture says about circumcision. We know that it is genital mutilation, and therefore we should stop the practice immediately, at least when it comes to babies and young boys.

Furthermore, we must understand that religions and cultures are based on traditions that were forged long ago. As we advance and gain new knowledge, our cultures and religions should adapt to reflect this. You don't have to abandon your religion or culture - I get that it's part of your identity. However, you do have to cut away the harmful aspects if you wish for your religion or culture to flourish.

Sometimes, it is worth noting that an aspect of your culture is just silly. This is especially the case in the USA where the widespread propagation of circumcision is due to propaganda from a cereal manufacturer. Let go of this depravity!

While we're on the topic of culture, we might as well address the cultural belief that "cut" peepeees look better than uncut ones. This is nonsense. Firstly, circumcision leaves the peepee with an ugly scar. Secondly, it's not worth cutting your peepee to please women. Thirdly, and most importantly, it it deeply depraved to claim that you prefer mutilated genitals. Anyone that expresses such a preference should be ashamed of themselves.

Circumcision is harmless!

When all else fails, this is what circumcision advocates lean back on. They essentially claim that the foreskin is useless, and that removing it is an arbitrary act. This is also what many men who have been circumcised believe. I understand why - it's a comforting belief, far more comforting than confronting the truth that your parents mutilated you at birth!!! So keep coping if it keeps you sane. There isn't much to elaborate on here. It's a relatively simple claim.

What's the truth?

Good Golly, it is completely false that circumcision is harmless. In fact, the act is very harmful. It is psychologically harmful, as you are violating a child's bodily autonomy. That is a horrible thing to do, and you shouldn't do it, man!

Here's what you should know - circumcision decreases penile sensitivity. Yes, that means s*x feels less pleasurable when you are circumcised. Nobody has a right to interfere with your s*x life like that, which is why every man should fight to eradicate circumcision. There is plenty of research on this topic. For instance there is one paper that states the following:

For the glans peepee, circumcised men reported decreased sexual pleasure and lower orgasm intensity. They also stated more effort was required to achieve orgasm, and a higher percentage of them experienced unusual sensations (burning, prickling, itching, or tingling and numbness of the glans peepee). For the penile shaft a higher percentage of circumcised men described discomfort and pain, numbness and unusual sensations. In comparison to men circumcised before puberty, men circumcised during adolescence or later indicated less sexual pleasure at the glans peepee, and a higher percentage of them reported discomfort or pain and unusual sensations at the penile shaft.

This study confirms the importance of the foreskin for penile sensitivity, overall sexual satisfaction, and penile functioning. Furthermore, this study shows that a higher percentage of circumcised men experience discomfort or pain and unusual sensations as compared with the uncircumcised population. Before circumcision without medical indication, adult men, and parents considering circumcision of their sons, should be informed of the importance of the foreskin in male sexuality.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23374102/

Contrary to popular belief, the foreskin is NOT useless. It covers the peepee head, ensuring it remains moist and the nerve endings are protected. When the foreskin is removed, the peepee head is exposed, and it begins to callous, leading to a loss of sensitivity. This is why circumcision is mutilation.

It is also worth considering the times that circumcision goes wrong. I have spoken about the case of David Reimer, a boy whose peepee was burned off during a botched circumcision. You will also be aware of the shocking number of deaths that come as a result of circumcision within the Xhosa culture. Furthermore, when Jewish rabbis put their mouths on a child's peepee, they run the risk of spreading herpes to the youngling. All these risks can be avoided by simply saying no to circumcision.

Conclusion

Most of the arguments for circumcision come from 2 sources:

1. Cope

Many men have been circumcised and they cannot accept that they have been mutilated, and that their penile sensitivity has been decreased. Hence they cling onto any argument they can that circumcision is harmless, or that it is actually preferable to being intact.

2. Medical profits

People in the medical field stand to gain a profit from performing circumcisions, so they want the public to believe that circumcising babies is good for them, and that you are a good parent for circumcising your child. They typically ask the mother if she wants to circumcise the child straight after birth. The mother, who may be drugged, and is exhaused from childbirth, is overloaded at that point and she can't always make a clear, educated decision. This is wrong, and people in the medical field need to stop taking advantage of women in this way. Firstly, women know nothing about peepeees, it is not their place to say whether a peepee should be cut or not. Secondly, even if the mother said yes, it is against the hippocratic oath to perform circumcisions because doctors are supposed to "do no harm". Cutting off the foreskin when no medical condition necessitates it is definitely doing harm.

That's it for today. I hope you all learned a lot about circumcision, and are equipped with the knowledge you need to fight against circumcision propaganda. Remember, circumcision bad!

Truly, I say this as a feminist ally.

For anyone unfamiliar, the eponymous "crises" in the title are NOT about the evil orange man who is bad - Notes on the Crises is a political economy newsletter started a few years ago by Nathan Tankus to comment on the intersecting global economic disasters triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nathan is a @TracingWoodgrains style "truth neurodivergent" not a wingcucked political hack. He's just a big giant dork who does things like FOIA request the minutes from all US Federal Reserve Board meetings from 1967-1973

Nathan looks like this, and I would believe almost anything that he writes, because it is backed by powerful neurodivergent spirits.

When he writes about the COBOL code in the treasury department, I'm confident he's talking to beardy old men who write and maintain that code.

I would also like to clarify some confusion on social media. The issue with understanding and grasping a COBOL system is not knowing COBOL, as a programming language, in the abstract. Nor is it, god help me, something that AI can "do" because you fired one of these chatbots up and got some code that could compile when you asked "write me some COBOL code". The issue is understanding the specific physical limitations of the system, the way that it interacts with the "Business Logic" of the code and a million other contextual factors.

There is specific code which tells you where to direct specific payments in specific ways and the structures, and why they are structured the way they are, requires deep contextual knowledge. This is "business logic". The entire issue with COBOL and why it has been such a struggle to maintain it is that COBOL systems (both private and public) developed for decades with very little documentation, have a million different path dependent coding choices. Mar Hicks 2020 article in Logic Magazine "Built to Last" is worth a read on this topic.

This is what I meant yesterday when I referenced that 30 different COBOL systems at Treasury had developed their own "dialects" and they launched Payment Application Modernization (PAM), which among other things, unified them. What they unified was the business logic of those systems (as well as likely other factors, most notably the physical architecture of the systems they ran on). Part of me wishes they didn't modernize with PAM because those 30 different and distinct systems would have been more secure from their infiltration. PAM processed 4.7 trillion dollars of payments in 2024.

It's also true that some similar issues can emerge with other more recent programming languages and the way "business logic" emerges if a mission critical IT system developed using a more recent programming language. But COBOL is unique; after all it's literally "common business-oriented language". So while knowing the COBOL programming language is better than not knowing it, it does not make that much of a difference with these young Musk programmers mucking about.