Why the fuck did you expect me to defend capitalism? I answered the best I can.

I'll take that's a slip of the tongue and I'll answer the question whether democracy leads to fascism, given that I've clearly stated I'm a socialist.

I think it's kinda bullshit to say that democracy hasn't done amazing things for the human condition. In any given region, democracy will come and go, nothing lasts forever. But where and when it exists, science, human rights, new ideas, and new culture, will always follow. The fact that things might get worse if we give people agency, as in, they might choose 'wrongly' and give up their democracy, that is not a reason to stop trying, or to try to take that agency away from everyone, yourself included.

I very much dislike people who don't realize that agency and democracy are the foundational human right, the one from which all other rights stem. Without the ability to play the "opinions game", as you call it, whether or not you go hungry is up to the leadership, not you. If you don't have a right to your own opinion, you do not have any control. It's pretty fucking simple. You can't make things better without agency. Nothing will ever get better by just passing the buck to totalitarian leaders and hoping they fix everything for you.

It all comes down to, do you believe that it's possible to mislead people? And relatedly, can you deceive a whole population? I have seen so much evidence that propaganda works, living in our shared capitalist hellscape. I cannot see a >90% agreement, on pretty much any question ever formulated, without a loooot of programming. Nothing is ever that popular naturally. These are not populations that are routinely exposed to differing opinions. Totalitarianism, in all it's forms, has these same indicators: screwy election numbers, cults of personality, government enforced and socially enforced orthopraxis and orthodoxy, etc. It is not a system where you have anything resembling agency.

Lots of things can be argued in academics. The largest communist experiments have been totalitarian. The idea that democracy is a core component to a communist society is now more commonly referred to as democratic socialism.

You are acknowledging total control in both systems, but are arguing against the word totalitarian to describe them. What is your actual argument?

Belief in a simulation implies intelligent design of some sort, so this is, in my opinion, just a 21st century way of asking the age old question, does God exist?

Republicans were like, do these crazy things or we'll cut your funding. Harvard said no. This comes after Columbia mostly acquiesced to similar demands.

Civil rights aren't a technicality. If he 'got off' it would be a victory for everyone who enjoys not being harassed by police.

Slightly more likely than rolling two sixes.

No, they see us as criminals and will deny every right they can, marriage, public service, equal treatment under the law, medical insurance/medication, freedom of association, speech, and even our right to exist. The point is to criminalize and erase our existence from public life.

Let's be clear here: this was not a 'customer', this was a drug addict who died due to their drug addiction. If that sentence makes you feel any less sympathy for them or their family, you can go fuck yourself.