Damaged vending machines. "No change" messages on broken ATMs. Pepsi ads sponsoring diabetes research. These images may have little in common, but transmit a widely shared yet subtle sensation — they’re the unsettling reminders of a dark and strange twist in the reality we find ourselves in today. And unfortunately folks, it’s also a pretty bleak one.
Let me present to you the 'Boring Dystopia' subreddit, an online community dedicated to "chronicling how Advanced Capitalist Society is not only dystopic, but also incredibly boring." In case you've never heard of this term, it was coined by the late British academic and cultural theorist Mark Fisher. It refers to the feeling of unease in the form of mildly coercive signs that flourish in a late-stage capitalist society.
We at Bored Panda scoured the online group and handpicked some of the most vivid examples that illustrate there's something not quite right with this world. Continue scrolling and be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comment section below. And after you’re done reading this piece, take a look at our earlier compilations full of dystopian madness right here, here, and here.
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We're All Just Profit Potential
It's so well-written as well, sounds like a passage from a dystopian novel, but the dystopia is our reality.
Something makes me wonder if those children are still alive :((
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My heart cries for you guys. No, this is not okay - not in the name of capitalism, free markets or Ayn Rand. We were so traumatised by the fake propaganda against socialism and Russia, we forgot the basic rights each citizen is owed by their country. Like the proverbial frog we’re being boiled alive in the water of corporate greed and the skewed political process we don’t even realise that by global standards of living, the majority of our population is living below the poverty line and the authorities, instead of doing something about it are hand-in-glove with the businesses; each law and rule only exacerbating the problem.
Call for workers to be paid living wages, and for health care to be affordable, and a chorus of brainwashed nitwits hollers "Socialism! Socialism!" It's easy to scoff at the struggles of the working class when you've never experienced them.
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I can’t even read to the end. It’s too upsetting. I love so many Americans I’ve met. Amazing people. You get a bad rap over a few v loud bad apples. But I thank god I’m Canadian all the time.
Yea, as a Canadian, can confirm that this s**t happens here too. We are America Lite, anything happening down there comes here. Or is already here.
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Most likely yes. Minimum wage is 7.25 10-12$ if your lucky. But even 10-12 isnt livable. Irony of it all is this: minimum wage workers have been begging n protesting for wages to go up. The world resuses with ppl saying "you dont deserve it" or "if you get more pay prices of everything will just go up" the irony lies within the 2nd argument "prices will go up if you are payed more" prices have been going up. Up and up and up while pay stays the same. Their argument holds 0 weight. Payment of minimum wage workers stays yet cost of living keeps going up. And the world we live in refuses to allow them to have a livable wage because "prices will go up". Its f****d up its unfair its a broken system. And so few fight on the side of the worker.
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So well written, please write a novel. We need an updated capitalist-dystopian anthem starkly based on reality.
I was in a check out line at the grocery store, and a lady in front of me didn’t have enough to pay, and asked the cashier to take something off. The cashier took an item off than put it back in her cart. It made me feel really touched that kindness exists in this corporately greedy world. Fight back even in small ways.
There are so many things to love about America. As someone who grew up watching American high schools on tv I have a feeling of having ‘missed out’ by not going to school there- the pep rallies and cafeteria and prom.. but the ridiculously low minimum wage and standard of living there is just so inequitable. The minimum wage here in Australia is like $20 per hour. And there is a compulsory 10% contribution to superannuation for every employee in the country.
Maybe you missed out compared to those who went to high school in a beach town where you had surfing and BBQ parties. My high school was in the middle of a cornfield. The cafeteria served bad pizza and tater tots. I think we had a Beatles cover band once at our pep rally. You didn't miss much.
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This story is definitely truth about the relationship between a company and a bottom tier employee. I hope they really did this and weren't caught. Praise be to you clerk for not putting a monetary value on someone's health.
Rejoice! We are now living in a world that has completely erradicated compassion.
Same as it ever was. The robot overlords have merely perfected their shtick.
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Whoever you are, I wish you well. Keep your head up, don't ever give up. This world is a much better place because of people like you. Yes, I am crying...
And the Republicans (who happily cut off poor people's food stamps, fight against free healthcare and let banks walk all over us on housing issues) would say "why did she have all those kids if she can't support them?" Seriously, we have one political party that supports a reality TV star who tried to encourage a violent coup of our own government and people STILL support ALL that. Even the poor people the Republicans have nothing but contempt for, vote for them. When did America get so stupid?
Those same Republicans are now overturning Roe v. Wade. Women's rights are being set back decades. It's appalling.
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Very possible after taxes are taken out of paycheck
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In a job like that, I’d wear a mask everyday, just as routine. If masks don’t work, why do surgeons wear them?
If they do work why are people still getting sick? Jus sayin
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What is that? Where are you from? Cough medicine here is about $2 and for children free of charge, kid health insurance is payed from government...
I live in America and can tell you the price of some Over the counter cough medicines and things like that are ridiculous. Sometimes doctors will give you a prescription for what you need but you not only need insurance to see the doctor but insurance for the prescription.(not that you cannot see a doctor or get a prescription w/o insurance but if you do that in this situation just buying the medication would be cheaper). Most people cannot afford to see a doctor or get meds without insurance. Depends on the type of insurance you have and how you get it. That being said, even with insurance a lot of people still have to pay a lot to see the doctor and for prescriptions and still can't afford it. Its pathetic.
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Is this really real? If so... Oh my god. This is exactly why I don't like capitalism.
Wow - wish I hadn't read that now. And to all of you saying must be US because kids would get it free everywhere else - very true, but here in UK an employee in a cheep bargain food shop could write something just as tear jerking.
This brought me to tears...whoever you are, thank you for doing this for the mother. I know this struggle all to well and your act of true compassion is refreshing and needed now more than ever!!
Except, other than US healthcare where "dystopian" is an understatement, most big shops actually make minimal profit per item, the big yearly profit is purely economy of scale. Easy to make a million selling 10 million items.
I loved reading this like it was a post apocalyptic story.. but can't love it because it's our current reality. The amount of people begging for money on socials for medical care is disgusting. Me trying to figure out if my parents can afford to keep trying to help me walk again or if I should save their money & listen to the regular Drs & learn how to live like this..
I'm sitting here crying because I know all too well her situation. I'm sorry for you and I'm sorry for her. I hope you don't get fired I know it's hard to find another job. Namaste
I work in a drugstore, too...have for 22 years...through five different corporations. I make $15 an hour, because the company raised everyone in my position to that wage. I try not to think about things like this person...it's much too depressing.
Every single sentence of this is fallacy. Is it a breaking them all down? Let me just bring you to the one that did most heart-wrenching. If your child is crying with fever, you can take them to the emergency room and they will get treated for free... That is the law in all 50 states. Stop it. You're a thief
Yeah, cuz if they don't profit, YOU don't have a job, businesses are required to earn money, I'll bet you that most,if not all the management, would do the same, well, probably out of their own pocket, but the business cannot, it's not some Ebenezer Scrooge, trying to stick it to the public, it's a company that has stockholders, employees, etc, that depend on them making money, if it's so dear to you, why didn't you put your hard earned money up? Life is not fair, that mother in your story should've been pissed at you, most people realize that shoplifting is a crime, but more importantly, to cover the cost of stealing, most stores will raise their prices, so you're not screwing the evil shopkeepers, you're screwing yourself, and me and anyone one else that buy stuff. Termination of employment isn't the only thing, you can also be criminally prosecuted, and you are right by saying "this isn't equal" one is a business, the other one is a human being.
Good for you for doing that. I just would remind everyone that this is not capitalism this is cronyism. The pharmacies, drug companies, insurance companies, and government have created a system that ensures that big companies cannot fail. True capitalism would create competitive prices for medical services, drugs, and even insurance. None of those exist because the market is controlled by corrosive government policies and rich corporations. Bureaucracy creates problems, not equality.
My health insurance is so high that I can't afford medicine or to go to the doctor.
The story hurt my heart. I have worked those exact same jobs, same situations, the illness from being around sick people all the time, for huge corporations but also family -owned businesses that pretended to care but didn't. Big or small, we're just expendable "resources". I had to take a year off due to long-term Covid health-problems and depression when I saw what I really meant in a "family" business- they even made sure I couldn't collect $122 a week in unemployment or any Covid benefits. I'm so sorry so many people have to live like this.
As a manager of a store I have two points to make. The first point, profit for the store on non prescription is probably around 15% net of expenses. So for every $9 bottle of cough syrup, the store makes $1.35. Second, at my store, I empower the cashiers to do exactly what this person did. If someone is a little short on cash, go ahead and give them the item anyway, at your discretion. Just make sure you write the item off so it doesn't mess up the inventory or make it look like I have a lot of theft in the store, because then it's a problem for me.
I would love to read a book written by this OP. Sincerely, a published author 😁 Like likes like
the way that I'd read this book but no it's real life welcome to f*****g earth
We're all paying the corporate greed machine with our very souls, yet still not enough.
Let me guess, American. The place where people trample each other every Black Friday, trying to get big TVs.
Yes. And also the place where regular people risk their employment to help another human being.
Load More Replies... Or the other option, democratic socialism. These are not all the same.
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Lmao where are these forced sex change operations happening? I know a few trans people who actively want them and can't afford it. Oh wait, it's only available inside the unhinged mind of a republican
Load More Replies... From A 7-11 In Allen, Tx
Real Nice System We Have Here
To learn more about boring dystopia, we reached out to Macon Holt, Ph.D., a researcher at Copenhagen Business School and author of Pop Music and Hip Ennui: A Sonic Fiction of Capitalist Realism. He told Bored Panda this phrase is related to Mark Fisher’s critical term capitalist realism, "which he used to describe the pervasive belief that capitalism is the only viable form of the political, social and cultural organization following the end of the cold war."
It may be difficult to wrap your head around the term "boring dystopia" but once you get the hang of it, chances are, you’ll start seeing it everywhere. "[It] is more about the aesthetic experience of living in capitalist realism at a point in time when the system appears ever more unsustainable (ecologically, [politically], and in terms of increasing inequality and decreasing standards of living) but in which no other way to organize society has emerged," Holt explained.
“If I Had A Super Power, It Would Be To Fly. I Would Tell Other Children From Around The World To Come And Play With Me And My Sisters, And To Drink Tea Together!” – Mohamad, A Syrian Refugee In Lebanon
Sadly, This Situation Is Only Gonna Get Worse
It's sickening how screwed up the economy is. All we can do is hope it gets better in time, but unfortunately, that seems like wishful thinking. I'm so used to living in apartments (and now a trailer in a trailer park because rents for apartments are ridiculously high) that I have no idea what it's like to live in a house. Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough. But only maybe.
Wait? Am European Lol
While freedom is still a glorified statement against healthcare or weapon laws- my mind humming some lines of Bobby McGhee. and it 's gettin louder everyday
Although most of us grew up imagining a dystopian future full of terrifying end-times scenes, brutal police states, and decadent rulers, it is more likely to consist of mundane and unappealing scenarios. Holt mentioned exciting movies like Blade Runner or The Matrix from the '80s and '90s that offered depictions of going out with a bang, "But as the years in which those images came around, none of the dreams or nightmares came true," he said.
"Instead, space travel is becoming the hobby of billionaires while they ignore the ecological crises they could perhaps help with, AI and robots seem either to be surveilling us while they vacuum or when we click on a link, and the VR worlds of the metaverse are just ways to charge us more rent for spaces that we can't actually occupy."
"Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag", From United Auto Worker, October 1937
This one made me kinda smile, but it is sadly true. 1937 authors knew what was up!
Normal Country
Cool Era We're Living In
The media needs a dose of reality. (also, yes we should allow trans bathrooms)
Typically, the most evident samples of boring dystopia are senseless ads and ordinary images of broken machinery. When asked about other examples of this experience, Holt mentioned we can find it in bureaucracy, "like the terms of a rental contract that forbid tenants to use cooking oil on the stove, so a landlord can keep the deposit if a single drop is found on the extractor fan hood."
"NFTs are perhaps a good example of boring dystopia,” he continued. "If a sci-fi writer were to dream up a situation in which people paid the money they had earned doing actual work for a certificate of verification that they own a .jpeg of a bored ape, their editor would probably say the world the story depicted would be too depressing to publish."
Sign Here
One Day The Masses Might Cotton On
You’re Not Wrong
He also noted that outlets such as Bored Panda draw attention to the conditions of contemporary boring dystopia in its name and try to break up the monotony of the everyday. "In boring dystopia, people are often anxious about work, housing and the future of the planet, and there's very little to alleviate this. As Mark Fisher put it 'No one is bored, everything is boring.'"
Unions Are Needed!
The American Dream: Move Out
Don't assume it's all peaches and daises in Europe, people are broke here too, with the same ridiculous housing costs and everything else, In the U.K. for example we just have universal healthcare, no guns and nowhere near as much racism but it isn't perfect by any means.
2% Of Musk's Wealth Could Help 42m People
Boring dystopia tells us that while capitalism is often labeled as the most efficient economic system out there, it is not necessarily geared toward human flourishing. "Depending on who you ask, it can be argued that in some particular corners of the world at a certain point in history when there was a relatively strong welfare state and high tax regime, capitalism was part of what brought a good number of people out of poverty."
Siri To Stop Bad Cops
Back To School
Honestly heartbreaking that they have to take precautions like that.
Validating Your Employees By A Pointing System
If my boss tried any of that s**t (not that she would), I would sue the company to the ground, holy s**t!
However, other people will point to the historical and contemporary violence, the destruction of the environment, and the inequality and exploitation required to make such "market dynamism" possible. According to Holt, capitalism has only ever been efficient at producing more capital. But "capital doesn't care who holds it. How it is made, what it is spent on or invested in and who gets to decide these things have always been political questions. And the answers to these questions have been, largely, deferred to the market for a long time, which has produced a world of increasing inequality, anti-democratic power structures, ecological ruin and boredom," he told us.
Glad Critical Medical Care Is Being Taken Care Of By Private Companies That Definitely Give A S**t
American Healthcare In A Nutshell
After The Government Let Companies Influence School Curriculums, My Exams Now Look Like This
For some, pictures pointing out our dull dystopian reality could be a source of entertainment. For others, they may create a daunting sense of a lost future. Speaking of the latter one, Holt said that the material things that make people feel that way (skyrocketing housing prices, student-loan debts, insane medical bills — the list goes on) stem from actions at various levels of society. "It is just what happens when the interests of people with power align," he added. "Boring dystopia is the experience of our faith in the future having been betrayed. There is not a quick fix. Instead, to quote Donna Haraway, we have to "stay with the trouble" if we want to commit to a future we can flourish in."
Epstein's Homie
Capitalism At Its Finest. Smh
the $150 is a fair price, giving that they need to do a mass amount of tests (aids on of them) and store the blood. They also do a lot of non-profit support. But charging thousands for a blood transfusion is criminal
Found On Linkedin. Fantastic
"One piece of advice that is really easy for coming to terms with and starting to imagine a way out of boring dystopia would be to read Fisher's Capitalist Realism: Is there no Alternative? It is an incredibly accessible piece of critical theory and is only about 86 pages long. It is a great jumping-off point for finding out more. Read it with friends and talk about it after. It is a great way to feel less alone in a world that seems to be ever more isolating," Holt concluded.
Gen Z And Millennials Are Ruining This Country! How Dare They
Capitalism Leads To Concentrated Wealth. Concentrated Wealth Means Concentrated Power. Therefore Capitalism Is Incompatible With Real Democracy, Which Requires Dispersed, Not Concentrated Power
A Grim Reality Sets In
I feel this. You just work and work everyday with the aim of life or economic status getting better. But it feels as though it never does.
The Way Most People Engage In Online Discussion Today Is On A Handful Of Centralized Platforms Owned And Operated By A Few Very Large For-Profit Tech Companies
Don't Solve The Problem, Just Spend Tons Of Money To Ignore It
Reality Is Often Disappointing
Supercops
Walmart Is Selling “Support Local” Shirts
In The Modern Dystopia, You Become The Ad
State Trooper Fired For Disloyalty Simply For Speaking Out And Telling The Truth
How Might This Have Happened
Reddit, I Just Discovered The Meaning Of Life
Arrested For Holding Up A Blank Sign
Facebooks Re-Brand Did Nothing
Anti-Ai Face Paint
There's an AI technique called universal perturbations which subtly changes pixel values which are entirely indistinguishable to humans but completely mess up classification algorithms. You can even train them to cause the algorithm to mistake you for something specific: like a panda! 🐼
Whoever Made This Billboard Can Shove It Up Their A**
Texas Lawmakers Posing As Human Beings, After Passing The New Abortion Ban
After Working From Home For Two Years, "Return To Work" Today
Nbc Is Turning Water Into Thousands Of Pounds Of Real Snow For Their 'Once In A Lifetime' Superbowl Coverage... In Southern California... During A Drought
Haha, There Was A Tussle At The Rich People's Gold-Statue Party
“I think I’ll just watch from here. From my balcony. In my million dollar mansion”
Yea... Let's Go Ahead And Bring Back Slavery
Note: this post originally had 130 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.
If you are a bit too mad here is a cat to lower your bp. imagesqtbn...sqpCAU.png 
Im honestly scared for the future right now
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And sadly our govt might have a escape clause but if anyone decides that they wish to redo our govt people will be hurt
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I hate how in society, especially American society, everyone is just another cog in the machine, and people aren't treated like actual people.
Every time I read or watch a movie about an apocalyptic future, or those articles about "what would you do in a zombie apocalypse?" I'm like "Die. I would happily die. Hopefully fast enough. Why would I fight to live in a frickin' apocalyptic world plagued by creatures who kill everything that makes a sound?!" (A bit off-topic? Mmm, maybe... But that's what this article made me think of, soooooo... 🤔)
oh what the hell. I hate these articles because they make me feel so hopeless and useless but I always read them. I'm scared, so scared for the future. I'm really into sci-fi and dystopia right now, and those realities keep seeming a little more realistic :(
You live in the wealthiest and safest time in the universe.
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Don't have kids. Don't force them into this horrible world.
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If you made it to the end and haven't realized more government isn't the solution, go back and review the pics. And then your life...
This is not about distopia, it's mostly stupidity, and some of them are simply not understanding how the society works, or not understanding that people are living from money. I think mostly collected by r/antiwork, what i basically like, but there are some wild ideas connected to it :D
Today I was explaining a conspiracy theory to my husband (not supporting it just telling him) I found he had never heard of Q Anon, and he had missed the story about the White House invasion. I think I might change to his news source
I was feeling pretty bad today. Depression and anxiety really has its grip on me at the moment. And then I read this article. It reminds me how I can't treat my depression and anxiety issues properly. So I feel a lot worse. I shouldn't be here.
I'm in the same boat. This really makes me feel hopeless, like I'd be better off gone than living on this horrid world
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And only one or two was even about Ukraine. There's so much more that isn't on the list.
I realized today that most everything is "rant -able" nowadays. Except for cat videos, discussion of the real world leads directly to a rant. Every example above is rant -worthy. So, cat videos!
Is this the world we want to live in? Is this the world we want to leave for our grandchildren/grandpets?
Nope. So I'm not having kids. It's the kindest thing you can do. #antinatalism
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My appendix was in the process of bursting yet I had to sit waiting in a shi**y plastic chair in front of a woman to fill out forms on a messed-up computer before being eventually wheeled back for emergency surgery. Had to wait for her computer to go back online with the internal system before I could "complete the intake paperwork" - ie: deal with the financials. I didn't, and still don't, have insurance...
All of this was heartbreaking. This is our reality. What are we leaving for the next generations? Woke? Are we really?
" Holt mentioned exciting movies like Blade Runner or The Matrix from the '80s and '90s that offered depictions of going out with a bang". - - - - I think Holt has not watched Bladd Runner.
I'm about to head into the workforce 2 years... I REALLY don't want to rn
Hahaha, lies, propaganda and fear mongering, 1st world problems as usual. People rather complain then see how good they really have it. =XD
Whataboutism, "appeal to bigger problems" fallacy. Many of them are simply things that are expected in modern Western democracies. America just sucks too much to provide them.
Load More Replies... Left-wing Americans: too proud to learn a trade, too lazy to get a useful college degree, but stupid enough to think socialism/communism will work.
daniel280456: too ignorant to understand the current situation in society, too lazy to look into it, but self righteous enough to speculate societies problems.
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If you are a bit too mad here is a cat to lower your bp. imagesqtbn...sqpCAU.png
Im honestly scared for the future right now
Load More Replies... And sadly our govt might have a escape clause but if anyone decides that they wish to redo our govt people will be hurt
Load More Replies... I hate how in society, especially American society, everyone is just another cog in the machine, and people aren't treated like actual people.
Every time I read or watch a movie about an apocalyptic future, or those articles about "what would you do in a zombie apocalypse?" I'm like "Die. I would happily die. Hopefully fast enough. Why would I fight to live in a frickin' apocalyptic world plagued by creatures who kill everything that makes a sound?!" (A bit off-topic? Mmm, maybe... But that's what this article made me think of, soooooo... 🤔)
oh what the hell. I hate these articles because they make me feel so hopeless and useless but I always read them. I'm scared, so scared for the future. I'm really into sci-fi and dystopia right now, and those realities keep seeming a little more realistic :(
You live in the wealthiest and safest time in the universe.
Load More Replies... Don't have kids. Don't force them into this horrible world.
Load More Replies... If you made it to the end and haven't realized more government isn't the solution, go back and review the pics. And then your life...
This is not about distopia, it's mostly stupidity, and some of them are simply not understanding how the society works, or not understanding that people are living from money. I think mostly collected by r/antiwork, what i basically like, but there are some wild ideas connected to it :D
Today I was explaining a conspiracy theory to my husband (not supporting it just telling him) I found he had never heard of Q Anon, and he had missed the story about the White House invasion. I think I might change to his news source
I was feeling pretty bad today. Depression and anxiety really has its grip on me at the moment. And then I read this article. It reminds me how I can't treat my depression and anxiety issues properly. So I feel a lot worse. I shouldn't be here.
I'm in the same boat. This really makes me feel hopeless, like I'd be better off gone than living on this horrid world
Load More Replies... And only one or two was even about Ukraine. There's so much more that isn't on the list.
I realized today that most everything is "rant -able" nowadays. Except for cat videos, discussion of the real world leads directly to a rant. Every example above is rant -worthy. So, cat videos!
Is this the world we want to live in? Is this the world we want to leave for our grandchildren/grandpets?
Nope. So I'm not having kids. It's the kindest thing you can do. #antinatalism
Load More Replies... My appendix was in the process of bursting yet I had to sit waiting in a shi**y plastic chair in front of a woman to fill out forms on a messed-up computer before being eventually wheeled back for emergency surgery. Had to wait for her computer to go back online with the internal system before I could "complete the intake paperwork" - ie: deal with the financials. I didn't, and still don't, have insurance...
All of this was heartbreaking. This is our reality. What are we leaving for the next generations? Woke? Are we really?
" Holt mentioned exciting movies like Blade Runner or The Matrix from the '80s and '90s that offered depictions of going out with a bang". - - - - I think Holt has not watched Bladd Runner.
I'm about to head into the workforce 2 years... I REALLY don't want to rn
Hahaha, lies, propaganda and fear mongering, 1st world problems as usual. People rather complain then see how good they really have it. =XD
Whataboutism, "appeal to bigger problems" fallacy. Many of them are simply things that are expected in modern Western democracies. America just sucks too much to provide them.
Load More Replies... Left-wing Americans: too proud to learn a trade, too lazy to get a useful college degree, but stupid enough to think socialism/communism will work.
daniel280456: too ignorant to understand the current situation in society, too lazy to look into it, but self righteous enough to speculate societies problems.
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