Stand with Ukraine tonight.

Flood the Fedi with this image.

Boost any of these that cross your feed and feel free to download the image and post your own Slava Ukraini post.

EDIT: See reply below. You might also consider changing your profile header image. 🤔

h/t @wisegreyowl

https://mastodonapp.uk/@wisegreyowl/114083424892854679

#SlavaUkraini

22 December 1894 | A Czech, Gottlieb Mittelbach, was born in Prague. A butcher.

In #Auschwitz from 29 April 1942.
No. 33761
He perished in the camp on 7 July 1942.

... and all I want for Christmas is

An end to patriarchal society,

A workable alternative to neoliberal capitalism,

Leaders worldwide to recognise the urgent threat posed by climate disruption and to ACT.

An end to conflict and warfare,

And peace on earth and goodwill to all.

And every Christmas, when we wish for that latter one I am doomed to be disappointed.

I've been fortunate to find a good bunch of people here on Mastodon. And entirely without algorithms. Have a happy Christmas.

Today in #Austin, #Texas, a group of "Luigis" rallied against corporate healthcare in solidarity with Briana Boston with a banner reading "Deny, Defend, Depose: Greed Kills, passing out flyers and posing for photos with passersby.

Text from flyer handed out by "Luigis" in Austin, TX:

"On December 4th, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down. The bullet casings told the story: this was act of vengeance against UnitedHealthCare, who denies over 30% of health insurance claims—a company emblematic of a system that kills. Every year, over 50,000 Americans die from lack of insurance. 38% percent of us avoid necessary care because we’re scared of the cost. One in twelve is drowning in medical debt. Health insurance companies aren’t doctors. They don’t heal—they profit by restricting access to care. While we ration medications, delay appointments, and worry about bills, they rake in billions. We get sicker and they get richer. This violence isn’t on the evening news. It’s buried beneath their marketing, their endless paperwork, their fine print. But make no mistake: this is violence. And they’re laughing all the way to the bank. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Texas’s largest insurer, denies one in five claims while pocketing $18 billion in revenue. Whether Thompson’s death filled you with joy or horror, it ripped the mask off. The truth was laid bare: these companies are complicit in widespread suffering. Think about the last time you or someone you love worried about a medical bill. Put off care because of the cost. Cut pills in half to make them last. You’ve felt the violence they inflict. Now, the media and government scramble to spin the narrative, calling working-class mother Briana Boston a “terrorist” for uttering “Deny, Defend, Depose” when her claims were denied. We must remain clear headed: a small group gets rich off our illness. The solution is just as simple: abolish these corporations and nationalize health insurance. Single-payer healthcare works everywhere else in the developed world, where people live longer and healthier lives. Texans, by contrast, die three years younger, victims of private healthcare. The only question left is this: When will we stop waiting and take what is ours?"

#DenyDefendDepose #Luigi #LuigiMangione #Healthcare

Penrhos Feilw standing stones near Holyhead on Anglesey, about 3mts in height, thought to be early bronze age, photos August 2022.

#StandingStoneSunday #PreHistory #Anglesey

If Elon Musk does channel $100m to Reform (likely via a UK subsidiary, investing/loaning the money to Reform UK, a private company), we will be part of an interesting political experiment.... what can be achieved by a massive outspending by one minority party?

We may not want to be experimented on but if nothing else it will confirm or modify views on the role of money in democracy.

Perhaps another Billionaire might join the experiment & fund the Greens as a comparison?

#democracy #politics