Hope it stays forever

Oh boy, have I got some news for you

Gamepass is a super-obvious telegraphed trap for enshittification. Offer a good value (it is, for the time being), get people dependent on it, then pull the rug out.

How many times have we already seen this?

Are the results anything that would cause any pressure for change though?

Won’t know until we try it 😃

Seems like you would want a lot of organisation too or its just a few people and maybe a 0.1% drop in the fertility rate.

Ideally yes, but even on a personal level the second paragraph (“Part of the point of birthstriking…”) still applies even if no one else joins in. This is in contrast to a labor strike that has no benefit to you (and is actively detrimental) if you try it without the backing of a large group of other people joining in.

It is easier to coordinate a birthstrike than a labor strike because it can be done incrementally. A labor strike absolutely depends on a significant % of the population engaging all at once. Otherwise it fails. A birthstrike can have participation build up over time since it doesn’t adversely affect your day-to-day life the way that a labor strike does, thus it can be held indefinitely. In contrast to working, reproduction is completely optional on an individual level.

But yes, it absolutely stretches out the time frame. Labor strikes produce results in days or weeks. Now we are looking at months and years.

Hypothetically, you could start seeing results in as little as 9 months if people coordinated and actually took it seriously. Even without any sort of concerted effort, I wouldn’t be surprised if the U.S. sees a drop in birth rates in 2026 as large numbers of people independently (i.e. without coordination) say “no thanks!”

Part of the point of birthstriking is that even if the effort ultimately doesn’t work, you’ve still succeeded in protecting your descendants from whatever thing you are striking against. For example, I don’t think we can stop climate change at this point. But even if it doesn’t save the environment, there is value choosing to not create new victims.

UK was formerly on my shortlist but was removed a few years ago.

A birthstrike would be much easier to pull off than a general (labor) strike. Bills don’t stop just because you stopped working, and labor strikes require a high degree of coordination. It’s a significant risk for those going on strike.

In contrast, a birthstrike does not hurt your immediate situation, and actually likely helps it by preventing an increase in financial burden. Additionally, it requires no real degree of coordination. It can start small and pick up steam as more people jump onboard.

Dark Side of the Moon

I’m the cousin of resentful: spiteful

Art is subjective, so there is no one singular meaning.

There needs to be some parameters just to prevent someone from getting a slap on the wrist for a major crime or sent to the gulags for a minor offense.

I really enjoy D&D-based video games, but actual pen and paper is just frustratingly slow. I think if I could change my mindset to consider it a social activity first and a game second, I might find it more enjoyable. But that is also really dependent on the group dynamic and seems more likely attainable for playing in-person rather than with an online group.

Final Fantasy. JRPGs just aren’t my thing

And how many are going to conspire against Mamdani after he beat Cuomo in the NYC mayor primary?

Blood of xenomorphs from the Alien movies

I am not the arbiter of what is/isn’t wrong, but there are some general consensus among the public as well as pertinent legal frameworks.

There’s a difference between wearing a mask because you are engaging in wrongdoing and wearing a mask to prevent unjust retaliation. Even if the actual motive is the same, the implications are very different

The government has always had it out for protestors, to the extent that they’ll try and use agents provocateur to escalate the situation. They don’t want people to protest, they just want people to life back and take it. C’mon, you seriously asking this?

Protestors or vandals and rioters?

The former: to prevent government persecution and unfair retaliation. The latter: yes.

And Israel can stop its genocide against the Palestinians

“Every Breath You Take” by The Police starts playing in the background