starkillerfish (she)

Seconded. the meme is not worth it

Ive read a few articles about using machine learning technologies in medicine (for finding tumors for instance) which actually made me quite optimistic about using AI beyond shitty capitalist grifts

for me the arguments would be mostly negative because:

1. using it does not train your research skills
2. using it does not train your creative and academic writing skills
3. it is often just wrong when synthesizing text

so to me those are major cons in an educational context some positives would perhaps be:

1. it is useful as a phrase bank, as it can quickly give ideas on how to put words together.
2. it is alright at giving direction when starting research, sort of like wikipedia

thats all i can think of so far

i am pro website brutalism ( pretty cool website i found that collects this aesthetic https://brutalistwebsites.com/ )

It’s always cool to make socialist connections irl!

Also seemingly promoting the notion that Marx is the only person to critique capitalism ever :/

yeah i got to visit a couple of debates! everyone was super friendly and the topics were super diverse

it was a lot of fun!

just some thoughts from my readings. if anyone has corrections ill be happy to edit.

5. I would be wary of the idea of innovation for innovations sake. If you do want to point to things, I’d point to the USSR space program. There are also numerous nobel prize winners for specific scientific discoveries. Also the internet in the US was government funded. The basic idea of innovation in capitalist mode of production is that the risks of development are taken on by the public (taxes paid for research, eg. vaccines), but the technology and profits are appropriated by the capitalist class.

6. Depends when, but in later stages of the USSR you could make a small business. But to me the question is: what exactly do you want to pursue? If you have an idea how to improve a specific product you could petition to work at that specific department. Making new products would be under the jurisdiction of the relevant GOSPLAN department.

7. Essentially correct, except there were complex (and patchwork) systems in place for purchasing and distribution of produce.

8. There were penalties in place if you refused to work (fines, visits by authorities). You dont lose housing (you are always assigned one) or medical care (free) or payment for family (women worked in the USSR too + childcare was available), but you could get in serious trouble. The question here is also: why would you refuse to work? If you didn’t like your workplace you could fill paperwork to be reassigned. You had vacation days etc. So a refusal like that would probably be seen as a sign of distress.

9. Not easy to answer in a paragraph, but the basic gist is that after Mao the CPC changed quite a bit and saw the introduction of foreign capital and market reforms as a necessity for progress. I think the current CPC position is that they are building up productive forces before moving on to the next stage of socialism.

hanged out with PSL folks while I was in the states. very interesting to see their progress as a party!