I mean I think I would, assuming HTML email just put one of those “ignore all previous instructions and …” deals in size 0 white font at the beginning of my email…

I love that this meme can be fully depicted using emojis. I demand emoji versions of other common memes.

I’m an American from California living in Europe. When people ask me what I miss most about it, I tell them its proximity to Mexico. The cuisine is truly unmatched in the world, god damn. For those of you who’ve never been south of the border, I’m not just talking about your typical Tex Mex stuff. The incredible moles and pozoles and huachinangos and stuff from incredibly beautiful cities like Queretaro, and Puebla, and Oaxaca… just incredible. Writing this comment has made me want to book another trip back to Mexico. To Expedia I go, San Luis Potosí here I come!

I didn’t think the Leopards would terminate my employment!

Making something illegal and actually stopping it are two different things. Also see: drugs.

Line must go up. Our company is prepared to sacrifice any number of employees at the altar of capitalism “concerned” for your well being.

Oh good, more useless e-waste.

You mean Arizona 2?

Territorios Norteños de México.

OP is referring to this: https://jamestown.org/program/the-long-arm-of-the-lawless-the-prcs-overseas-police-stations/

China operates clandestine police operations out of their embassies that harass Chinese citizens living abroad.

I believe they meant that they are surprised our banknotes aren’t made of plastic or a more durable material as Canadian dollars are - rather than the other possible interpretation, referring to a cashless economy.

JFC.

This is the correct answer. Pacific Northwest microbrew is awesome for many styles. But not German/Belgian style beers - you guys haven’t figured them out yet. The big nationally distributed beers like coors and bud are basically horse urine.

Alaska and JetBlue are both nice airlines as a passenger, and AFAIK are pretty decent to their employees. Unfortunately neither is very useful unless you’re staying within your particular coast, or flying from a hub to a very specific destination. The lack of network effect and international destinations limits the usefulness of both, sadly.

Cuba’s one-party communist state outlaws political pluralism, bans independent media, suppresses dissent, and severely restricts basic civil liberties.

Cuba lacks basic freedom of speech or freedom of the press, to say the absolute least. Typical tankie whatabout-ism. In fact, you’re proving the point of the person I originally replied to in this thread!

https://freedomhouse.org/country/cuba

Their claim denial rate is probably “good” for the share price. Less claim payouts equals more money equals more shareholder value. Morbid, isn’t it?

Authoritarianism doesn’t necessarily require nationalism or vice versa, though they’re often linked, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. The USA is pretty flag waving, nationalist brained but individual freedom exists. Versus a country like Saudi as you mention is not particularly nationalist, but repression is widespread.

They are quite different than Russia, but looking only at individual freedom, the two are similar in that freedom of speech is not respected and leaders are not fairly elected.

I think some aspects of freedom are to some extent objectively observable, eg, is freedom of speech or religion observed? These can exist independently of US alignment - there are many countries in the global south that can qualify as free or partially free.

IMO this is why it takes an additional axis to define a government, not just left/right but also free/authoritarian. You can find examples of all combinations. Left wing and repressive? Cuba. Left leaning and free? Sweden. Right wing and repressive? Russia, Saudi Arabia, whatever. Right leaning and free (mostly)? USA.

Obviously, there’s a gradient within these axes, but it’s strange to see people cheering on a country that matches their preferred left or right wing ideology if they’re super repressive.

Just adding to this, some history if anyone is curious: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Vienna