They’re so fluffy!

The art of the deal, no?

The only definite distinction is that one provides the service, and the other uses the service.

There is absolutely zero requirement for the hardware or software to be different, aside from changing the configuration to perform the desired task.

You can have two exactly identical machines, one can be a DHCP server, and the other a client. The only difference is that one is configured to act as a DCHP server. This doesn’t need different software necessarily, just different settings.

It’s very simple: human emotion. When something upsets the status quo, people get scared, angry and desperate. They turn to whatever solution they think will fix things.

In the case of nations, that becomes right-wing politics. Many factors in the recent past have caused distress and fear. People are afraid of losing what they have, they don’t like the uncertainty. They lack the education and critical-thinking skills to choose the best course of action, instead they choose the most reassuring course of action.

In 1930s Germany, support for extremist political parties (not just the NSDAP) surged due to the desperate times they were experiencing. Germany underwent a period of hyperinflation, which was followed shortly after by the stock market crash of 1929. They were already in poor shape, both economically and emotionally, due to the punishments meted out by the Versailles treaty.

Things became very bad for the Germans, and they turned to the looneys who offered a solution. A similar scenario is playing out in several countries around the world, especially the US. COVID really upset a lot of people, none more so than the overly emotional and uneducated. They felt attacked and vulnerable, and they were already deluded by years of misinformation. They turn to politicians like Trump, because he appeals directly to their emotions. He makes them feel safe, largely by scapegoating groups who aren’t actually a threat (sound familiar?).

People don’t check if what they’re hearing is true, they care most about having their fears assuaged. This is why we’ve seen a resurgence of right-wing extremism globally.

This is precisely the wrong approach. All it’s going to do is generate sympathy for Elmo. One of the most basic tenets of any resistance is to be sure you don’t make the other side martyrs.

It’s too bad the crazies can’t control themselves, they just harm the cause for the rest of us. I would love to see Tesla collapse, not because it’s a bad product (I love EVs), but because Elmo deserves it. This is not the way to go about it.

To the person responsible: get help, read a few books, maybe you’ll be able to avoid doing exactly the wrong thing from now on. You’re not helping us, you’re helping Tesla.

Not so loud about their beliefs when they backfire, eh?

I hope this kid’s parents suffer terribly. This child depended on them to keep it alive, literally the most fundamental part of being a parent, and they failed miserably. It’s the worst form of betrayal: the kind that costs lives. I wonder what Jesus would have to say about that?