I mean, it could be a shitty disfunctional country with a very poor QoL, but still an independent country.

Small states will likely form coalitions with neighbouring states with whom they share culture and values. Texas, California, Florida, and New York might be independent, with nearby coilitions of states falling into their spheres of influence, or they may be the dominant power in a coalition of states.

It would be interesting to see what becomes of the states in the Midwest and the Great Basin. None of them have the economic power to stand on their own, and they will be reliant on having good relations with States that have ports.

Border disputes and tensions will be widespread, and the state-lines we know today will likely be completely redrawn. It's likely too that many States will be facing their own internal succession movements from regions on the other end of the culture wars. Not to mention foreign powers pursuing their interests in the remains of the United States. The only certainty in this hypothetical future is that is will be a big, bloody, mess.

A chilling look into what could be the first real steps towards the Balkanization of the United States. It's sad that it's gotten to this point, but realistically I don't see another path forward. It may be unconstitutional, but unfortunatly that founding document has lost its legitimately as the current administration wipes it's ass with it on a daily basis.

Lying, the secret to success that THEY don't want you to know

A lot of people in this thread are talking about how much women suck because of X, Y, Z. But like... have you tried not dating shitty women? Or at least not getting so hung up on a woman who treats you poorly? Yeah, it sucks to be treated badly, but consider that you just dodged a bullet. You don’t need women like that in your life. Find a woman you actually connect with, someone you share interests with, not just someone you want to sleep with.

Two hard truths a lot of single men need to reckon with:

1: Most people are kind of shitty, and therefore, most women are kind of shitty. I could go on about how consumer culture and social media encourage toxic traits, but the fact of the matter is you should focus on not being a shitty person yourself, and you shouldn’t settle for shitty people either.

2: With number one in mind, you need to broaden your horizons regarding what kind of woman you’re attracted to. Porn and social media have rotted our brains when it comes to attraction. Maybe I’m just pervy, but honestly, I can find something attractive in just about everyone. 90% of people are at least a 7/10 if they put in some effort, and a 7/10 who you truly vibe with is better than a 10/10 who treats you like shit. And trust me, when you form a true romantic connection with someone, they become even more attractive in your eyes.

There are good, beautiful women out there, I know because I’m marrying one. We met online, and she’s one of the kindest and smartest people I’ve ever met, and I find her more beautiful than anyone else in the world. And I’m a fat, impoverished, autist. If I can do it, so can you.

A rare moment of honesty

The reality if you're working class in America; we're all one really bad day and a few less people caring about us from being homeless.

Horror RPGs in general have very succinct combat. Prolonged battles don't really fit the vibes. It's pretty much either you die quickly, kill the monster quickly, or run away.

Yeah I stopped doing it in High School after realizing that it's some North Korea level bullshit. Got a few other kids in my homeroom to stop too, which really angered our teacher. She was a military spouse and would actually yell at us for refusing to participate. In the end, we compromised by standing but not reciting it. Was the begining of my political and social awakening.

TNG and DS9 are the only two series that I really know well enough to make these recommendations for.

I would highly recommend watching TNG before DS9, even if she likes DS9 better. TNG and DS9 work best as companion shows, with TNG building up a lot of DS9 plot-lines in its latter seasons. I would also highly recommend against starting with any episodes involving Q or the Borg, or any of the series "highlights". Let those plots build, and you don't want to spoil some of the best episodes in a sampler. My go-to TNG introduction picks are:

-Cause and Effect

-Darmok

-Measure of a Man

DS9 can be harder to pick introductory episodes for. Its more serialized nature means that a lot of later episodes have a lot of spoilers. I would highly recommend against picking any episodes that highly involve the Dominion or the Dominion War, let that plot build itself up. That does however, leave us with a lot fewer options. My DS9 introduction picks are:

-Duet

-Past Tense

-Bar Association

I mean what are we supposed to do?

I'm working class. I live paycheck to paycheck. I don't have much charisma. I do my best to raise awareness among my peers, with little success. I voted. I support organizing, but unless the strike happens on a weekend I'll be looking at homelessness.

I'm thinking of just going blackout on media, because the constant barrage of the encroaching fascism has wreaked my mental health. I know where this is all heading, and I feel powerless to stop it. I'm a victim of the whims of history. Does that play into the fascist hands? Absolutely. What the fuck else am I supposed to do? Throw my life away in a suicidal attempt at positive change that has a incredibly small chance of success? I need to have a few less things to lose before I'm at that point.

I see people all over social media asking, why aren't you doing anything? Where's our next Luigi? Acting like their provocative online discourse makes them into some revolutionary badass. Well... what the fuck are you doing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGvux7w1Ea4

Song goes so hard, and the lyrics are timeless.

I won't stand for this "Ode to Spot" slander. It's Data's underrated masterpiece!

I attended a top 100 public high school in America, where we were taught Greek and Roman mythology. The problem wasn’t that the subject wasn’t offered, it was that a sizable portion of students weren’t paying attention. Even among those who did, few retained the knowledge beyond the next exam. The real issue with American education isn’t just what’s being taught but how it’s being taught. Subjects aren’t presented in a way that truly engages students or encourages long-term retention.

100%. The graphics may be dated but gen 2 is peak Pokemon aesthetic. Peak sprites and soundtrack.

The alternative is going to be driving on neglected highways that will destroy your vehicle or taking toll roads. Traveling across America is about to become a lot less safe and a lot more inconvenient. I wonder how passenger railways are doing?

I definitely agree that DS9 is the most consistantly good Star Trek. TNG and VOY reach the same highs, but there's a lot more lows in between them.

I would definitely recommend finishing TNG! Seasons 5 and 6 are peak!

I think an attachment to the characters, nostalgic or otherwise, is necessary to enjoy all of TNG. That way even in bad episodes, it's character you enjoy just doing silly things. Without that attachment A LOT of TNG can be hard to get through.

I tend to play random TNG episodes when I'm doing chores around the house. If TNG is what's playing on the P+ Star Trek Channel I'll usually just put that on. Did some early Spring cleaning this week and had a very random selection of TNG episodes playing. Can't believe Paramount put Code Of Honor in the mix there, but maybe it truly is random.

Been on a Trek rewatch kick again, to combat the depressing reality we live in. Rewatched the begining on DS9 season 6. Ep1 A Time to Stand through Ep13 Far Beyond the Stars. I'd argue that this might be the strongest string of Trek episodes in any series!

Rewatched my favorite Voyager episode too, Counterpoint. I tend to hate on Voyager a bit, but there are some really fantastic episodes mixed in with all the mid ones. Counterpoint would easily make it to my top 10 Trek episodes of all time list!

As someone who loves TNG, it's a very mixed bag of a show. It has very high highs, and very low lows. It's a product of its era of television for better or worse.