• Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I do wish the libertarians would get their shit together and stop running the most batshit crazy candidates they can find. Libertarian philosophies are hit and miss - like their obsession with privatizing everything and letting the “free market” basically run the country is a recipe for some dystopian hellscape shit; but I can respect things like the non-aggression principle, and they at least follow a logic in placing personal liberty as a golden standard that should only ever be infringed when absolutely necessary.

        That’s all in contrast to the GOP, which has no principles at all other than “if the left wants it, it’s bad!” or “because putin said so!” all wrapped in star-spangled veneer with a bible on top.

        I’m hoping that as the GOP continues to devolve into total unapologetic ignorance and hatred, that it’ll eventually swap places with the libertarians, with the GOP becoming the fringe crazies and the libertarians becoming the Democrat’s main competitor.

        They may not be progressive, but they at least bring something to the table; and them getting into power would be a lot less destructive than the GOP having that same power.

        Dunno how realistic that hope is, but still.

        • Franzia
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          1 year ago

          Libertarianism was actually invented as a Leftist political philosophy where the people leveraged the state’s power to maximize freedoms (beyond liberalism). That’s why right wing Libertarians don’t make sense. It’s been invented by think tanks to confuse us. Ask a right wing Libertarian what they believe outside of their economic principles, and it’s often just nazi shit. Or anarcho capitalist shit. Oof.

          • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Libertarianism in general doesn’t hold much water when you start looking for holes. It’s one of those things that sounds good on paper at first glance, but the more detail you dig for, the shittier it becomes.

            I don’t think it has any potential in-and-of-itself; but as a party to keep a healthy amount of pressure on big blue, and occasionally put out a not-horrible policy… I could see it.

          • dragonflyteaparty@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Accurate. They can catch, kill, and subsist on more creatures than any other land animal. They are peerless predators on land.

            • HessiaNerd@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Outside humans, wolves are the most successful land predators. They have spread the farthest, into the most diverse ecosystems etc.

          • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            No. They’re not.

            Apex predators are those that aren’t also prey.

            House cats are predators, but they’re also prey to hawks, eagles and owls. Dogs, coyotes, etc.

              • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Europe has raptors too. Europe has species that fill the same niches… and absolutely will take a domestic cat if the opportunity present.

                This is why, for example cats like to hide in things like boxes and cat caves. it’s because they are not apex predators- they’re very skilled, don’t get me wrong. but they’re not apex.

              • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Domestic cats?

                Because the only places that don’t have owls are Antarctica and very-far-north in the artic circle (ie on the polar ice,)

                Most places in the world have something that fill the niche of hawks and eagles and owls.

                The only cats that are apex predators are the big cats(lions, tigers leapords, panthers jaguars… etc). Domestic cats are prey animals as well as predators.

                Even if in the places domestic cats are let out, humans have killed off most their predators.

                  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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                    1 year ago

                    And I’d wager across other places eagles or owls aren’t snacking on cats outside of chances of opportunity. that’s… still… prey.
                    Like. Seriously. you don’t have to take my word for it. watch your cat. They have a lot of behaviors that trigger because they’re prey animals. Like, you know, wanting to be up on a ledge (where they can watch everything safely, and be away from ground predators- like dogs, being in the cover of cat caves or boxes or under beds, where birds of prey can’t get to them.)

                    I get it. You want to think of cats as fierce hunters. And they are that. none of what that is invalidated by them occasionally being hunted. The reality is that kind of thinking- that the cat will be okay, because they’re fierce apex predators is wrong… and besides man made hazards… there are other animals that will absolutely attack a cat. especially one with a dinner bell on it’s collar.