They don’t need to do 90% of the shit that they do, but “it’s their culture” and everything.

Have microplastics been declared non-kosher?

I mean I see the point that people used to live without these things but I’m not sure how much it matters. Any of us could be exhorted to give something up and it would be a poor consolation to say “people lived without xyz for centuries!”

Medieval times are hardly some kind of healthy baseline everyone should be prepared to return to. Much though we may all be just about to.

It’s not really a question of antisemitism - this is a kerfuffle between Jewish groups.

The ultra orthodox in Israel are on a whole new level of Judaism with prescribed clothing, hairstyles, foods, language, sabbath rules, and marriage practices. Many in-groups around the world insulate themselves by creating all these little divides with the out-group. “Oh no, you can’t eat with them - their food is contaminated and dirty. Of course you can’t marry one of them!”

So there’s quite a cultural divide between them and every other Jewish person there, many of whom are devout but live a modern lifestyle, and many of whom are just cultural members of Judaism, citizens of Israel, and not religious at all.

The reason disposable cookware is a division point has to do, I expect, with keeping kosher / observing the sabbath. Kosher isn’t just for food - a plate or spoon can be kosher to use or not, depending on whether it has ever touched anything “unclean.” Single-use plastics new from the box have never touched anything. And washing dishes counts as doing work (a sabbath tabboo) but dropping a plastic plate in the trash might not count. Hence: anything that affects single-use plastics may have an acute impact on the orthodox because they believe they need these things to adhere to their religious and cultural prohibitions.

I’m not justifying, just explaining. I think this shit is cuckoo.

The ultra-Orthodox community … use disproportionate amounts of disposable kitchenware

Is this because it’s kosher? I remember once a family member was going to host an ultra-orthodox person and had to figure how to cook for them. Everything got cooked in tin foil because that’s fresh and new and won’t be contaminated. I wonder if the disposable kitchenware is the same thing.

There are so many countries even further down this path of collapse whose leaders hold on for long long periods. I mean if Russia follows the Syria recipe, then Putin’s children will rule for decades after he dies.

I’m confused… China is dependent on oil imports flowing through the strait of Hormuz. Much more so than the US is. In fact the US maintains a naval presence in the region specifically so they’d have the capability to block that strait and starve China of oil. China produces very little oil of their own, though they have coal up the wazoo. Blocking that strait is the US’s main card to play if China invade Taiwan.

I’m being generous. I mean the revolutionary and civil wars weren’t exactly imperialism. But you’re right there are older examples to be sure. Like what we did to Mexico.

“Housing.” As in a cot to sleep on? You can get the same at a homeless shelter or by landing yourself in jail.

“Healthcare.” Hm yes the military has a great reputation for taking care of the folks maimed in the line of duty after they’ve sent them into harm’s way. Don’t join the army for your health, y’all!

It’s been decades that our military has been nothing but an imperialist boot. There is no moral ground to stand on in signing up. Work fast food.

Trump wants to try for an illegal third term and he thinks that being in the middle of a war will help his chances. “Don’t change horses mid-stream” or whatever bullshit.

Not just an interesting read: also a good example of the media mentioning Israel’s nukes, like OP seems to think they never do.

Public attention from them and others is why she’s being gently handled. You should thank those who raised the alarm on her behalf, not Israel.

People dropping dead from black-sky coal pollution is the only thing driving developing nations to consider alternatives to it.

Well don’t make the mistake I did and point out that Indian and Chinese coal are going to push us over the brink no matter what western nations do. People will jump down your throat to “educate” you about how western nations already did their climate damage to become developed and we don’t dare tell others they can’t do the same. Of course this white guilt changes nothing about my statement. We should be bending over backward to help these nations industrialize on a cleaner path than others did. And yes I’ve seen the paper from the one gentleman who “foresaw” climate change in the 1800s but if we are at all honest we have to acknowledge that western industrialization happened in ignorance of the effects of carbon dioxide on global warming. Would it have gone differently if they’d known? Probably not. That’s what we’re seeing in India.

No we singlehandedly defeated Japan. We weren’t the ONLY ones fighting the Nazis, just the deciding power in that conflict. You’re welcome.

I guess when your currency is weak you need to focus on domestic independence and be very judicious about foreign purchasing.

This is true. It’s also true that Europe needs to have the capacity to handle something like this on their own. The complaint that the US won’t save Europe THIS TIME, AGAIN, says as much about Europe as the US.

In this day and age I’m always amazed and heartened to hear that there is enough wildlife left to be such a problem like this.

for cheap rice

But isn’t this just the definition of a shortage? The thing becomes scarce and so what IS available becomes incredibly expensive? I don’t see the differentiation you are trying to make. Wild price inflation happens when there is in fact not enough of the thing to go around.