Ideally: Would try to heal from the current hell and go back to studying/writing/performing music but I feel like I’m too far damaged to really enjoy it without fear and anxiety that I should be doing something else. So then would try to focus on agronomic research and trying to implement sustainable agri/permaculture at large scale for staple items like grains and tree fruits, and at small/home scale for fresh greens and softer fruits. One can dream.

Most likely: Obsessively try to do everything to protect the revolution and die of a heart attack way too young. I guess I’m channeling my inner Lenin or something.

Indeed, I expressed all of that in longer format. Not sure why you felt the need to summarize?

Given our current worldwide economic situation and the related increase in sex work, I would wager that the amount of people who would still choose sex work if they had their economic needs met and/or other gainful work opportunities (gainful is in reference to the compensation) would be a single digit percentage of the current group.

In any case, as I said above, sex work shouldn’t be criminalized or ostracized.

edits: for clarity of meaning

Not ready enough. I only have kneepads, umbrellas, and gloves. Really ought to get a helmet asap.

I agree that sex work shouldn’t be criminalized or ostracized, but I’d also like to live in a world where people aren’t economically pressured or forced to sell it to survive which is increasingly the case in our current world. The vast increase in sex work lately is literally because of the lack of other gainful work to pay bills and eat. I always think of aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR: How many engineers and scientists and EFFING CHILDREN had to sell themselves sexually to live to see another day? This is not the world I would wish upon anyone.

Yeah good point. The U.S. system is clearly in the midst of collapse, especially in regards to things like healthcare (as if it wasn’t already bad enough). I’ve been hearing horror stories from some family members there. The hot civil war isn’t far away.

TBH I’m surprised it hasn’t already started.

That font tells me all I need to know about the terrible management.

Holy shit is this for real?!?! It’s so shameless I’m in disbelief.

Not to mention the huge increase in new cold war propaganda and pro-hard drugs content over the last 5ish years. Netflix is a dumpster fire.

Time to go sail the high seas, aye.

Oh no it’s just plastic?! :(

I always thought it was metal with a matte finish

Nnnnice. <3

Thanks for sharing comrade. This Tuesday looks like it will be nearing 40C in my area

Moving anywhere is traumatic in its own way isn’t it? At least it always has been for me. But when I look back I know it was a good choice. I hope you’ve felt like moving was worth it for you too.

I think the propaganda is worse outside the U.S. because it’s a big world to propagandize and so it takes more effort than keeping their own (U.S.) population deluded in their super slim Overton window. That being said, it’s been comparatively “easier” in my experience to reason with people in the EU about anti-U.S./anti-neoliberal ideas but you really have to walk them through it because they are constantly hearing the pro-U.S. lines in their own state media. Where as in the states if you tried to do this with an average person you’d be called names so quickly you’d never get a chance to explain anything.

Yeah it was definitely a transition. If I hadn’t moved when I did, there’s no way I would be able to now. I imagine it would be harder once you’ve really settled down too. I had no partner, just left school, and was at a fork in the road with nothing waiting for me at home. Sort of a “this is probably my only shot to gtfo the states, here goes nothing”.

My family and friends said the same thing when I was getting ready to leave. It’s their fear talking, they can’t imagine why anyone would ever NOT love the U.S. because that’s all they’ve been fed. Except for that stupid line about “people hate America because they hate our freedom” LOL.

One thing you realize quickly is how few of your friends and family really care to keep in touch once you’re far away. But at least it leaves more space for meeting new “chosen family”. Once you’re out you start to realize that as bad as you thought the propaganda was in the states, it’s even worse after you left and many of the people in your new country believe it too and idolize the U.S. The struggle is worldwide comrade!

Tjongejongejonge ;-)

Yes the bikes! That’s one of my favorite parts about living in NL. It’s so easy to just bike everywhere. Also helps keep bills down without paying for cars and insurance.

Yeah I moved 10ish years ago to Netherlands. It’s been crazy but overall worth it seeing what happened in the states after I left. To all the people I knew who told me I was being crazy for moving, the few that I still talk to are starting to finally get it. Unfortunately they’re still trapped in the U.S. socio-political climate so bringing up Marx or even just his ideas is way over their head.

Agreed there’s a lot of white musicians that just ‘play jazz’ without really diving into its history, the history of some of the great players and innovators, or trying to cultivate the mood of jazz. In this case, NL is definitely worse than in the states. Whole bunch of white boomer pensioners playing the squarest jazz I’ve ever heard. Thankfully there are some exceptions but they’re harder to find.

I moved to Netherlands. Obviously still part of the imperial core but it was the best I could do given my circumstances. Now I’m too broke to move anywhere else. But poverty in NL is functionally less soul-suckingingly difficult than poverty in US so that’s something.

I never know when I’m going to get called out for appropriation when I’m just trying to live my life and not hate it, so thanks for the backup! Props for rapping too, it’s one thing to write rhymes and then a whole other thing to spit them out with style. Very cool!

Self-exiled from the states and having a hard time coming up with something good:

• I still like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and peanut butter on apples but I only end up eating them when I can’t afford something else which is pretty often as of late. I don’t know the history of those flavor combinations but it was probably appropriated like everything else.

• Am also a non-BIPOC jazz musician, which I guess is a bit appropriative but it has a special spot in my heart and mind and is one of very few things which brings me momentary contentment.

For the rest, fuck the states it’s a shithole country filled with mostly shitty people. China and Russia invading would be doing the world a favor at this point.

Depends on where you live. Not everyone lives where you do.