Given the basic implausibility of the horseshoe theory, why do so many centrist commentators insist on perpetuating it? The likely answer is that it allows those in the centre to discredit the left while disavowing their own complicity with the far right. Historically, it has been “centrist” liberals – in Spain, Chile, Brazil, and in many other countries – who have helped the far right to power, usually because they would rather have had a fascist in power than a socialist.

Today’s fascists have also been facilitated by centrists

https://theconversation.com/horseshoe-theory-is-nonsense-the-far-right-and-far-left-have-little-in-common-77588

Same place happens to have a much newer article that concludes much the same.

https://theconversation.com/are-the-far-left-and-far-right-merging-together-thats-what-the-horseshoe-theory-of-politics-says-but-its-wrong-234079

Horseshoe models should be scrutinised for what they put in and what they choose to leave out. They emphasise values such as individualism, free markets and moderate policies, but register few of the social inequalities, exploitation and structural violence that often accompany them.

So while the left–right spectrum isn’t perfect, bending it into a horseshoe doesn’t do much to explain the strange political bedfellows of our times.

I think it’s roundabout the time we’d all processed what Luigi did and the guillotine memes and comments took off enough to move the needle.

Some folks call Luigi “The Adjuster” - which as mentioned is a common insurance job which impacts how much someone receives for their claim.

Oh that 90 day view though lol

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today+3-m&geo=US&q=guillotines&hl=en

I was hoping for something like that with “guillotine” but not really.

CEO though…

edit - oh guillotine gets much more interesting if you make it guillotines

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today+3-m&geo=US&q=guillotines&hl=en

I don’t know why I didn’t think of this in the first place, thanks!

Luigi is fairly entertaining though, especially looking at number 1.

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2024-12-01+2024-12-20&geo=US&q=luigi&hl=en

I guess it makes more sense than slamming your testicals against the wall.

In a way relating to human anatomy that has caused me to remove this phrase from my usage in recent years (because I worried how others would take it) the balls=testicles actually always made sense to me, but I’m not going to explain it.

However, now that I know what the most literal interpretation of the phrase actually is, I can feel safe using it again!

I have your exact dichotomy.

Still -

Whew, you OK Minnesota? 😂

I would be very interested to know whether there has been a detectable upswing in the frequency of the terms “guillotine” and “French Revolution” on social media in recent weeks.

It’s not as if Musk didn’t just kill a bill in the US through the power of nothing other than being the President-elect’s actually rich friend.

Yeah, 1984 was just set 40 years too early.

It’s really bugging me that I haven’t seen “The Adjuster” used anywhere but Lemmy so far. I think it’s perfect, just like this album cover.

Just a baby in a suit. His name doesn’t matter.

“My genocide is preventing me from appropriately commemorating our genocide.”

He thinks you mean 11K/year, and you think he means 100k/year. Just trying to help out… :)

He’s probably antsy after getting stabbed a bunch of times while serving his sentence.

Oh I didn’t know about this somehow. Poor guy.

Will do! All you are really missing are a log of F-bombs, but it detracts a bit from the emotion of the situation to have them all bleeped out, IMO.

DOJ opposing, but who listens to them anymore? They had four years to handle the Trump situation, and in a month they’ll be taking their orders from him.

https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/doj-urges-judge-reverse-decision-allowing-derek-chauvin-review-george-floyds

IMO this is all to remind Trump that Chauvin exists hoping for a pardon.

as part of the former Minneapolis police officer’s efforts to challenge his conviction on a federal civil rights charge