The US is collapsing

This was a result of election night that is underreported, but hugely telling and frustrating.

All this noise about California being liberal, progressive, and the resistance to Trump. But they kept slavery in prison legal. And I think the people who are predicting prison "labor" will be used to replace migrant labor if mass deportation does happen have it right. And California had a chance to make that impossible and decided not to.

This is why we need a "New California Republic", with rangers to protect the population, just don't listen those anti-mutties bigots...

Wasn't the ballot initiative also deliberately confusing? I remember seeing something about it and reading it myself and going "what the fuck is the answer for no slavery?"

They also still have the death penalty.

And all because 1950s McCarthyism incepted America with a seed that may eventually destroy it long after the USSR’s dissolution

The only thing that pissed me off more than Trump winning, was seeing how many good Props failed, and bad ones passed.

I'm glad we made LGBT marriage part of our constitution, but jesus christ the voting base here is NIMBYs, NeoLibs, and Conservatives.

Always enjoy your posts, ozma.

California is the USA in a bottle. You got progressive cities, conservative suburbs, rural areas and industrial hotspots, poor folks as well as the obscenely rich. Ronald Reagan was Governor in California for 8 years before becoming the blueprint of conservative candidates for the presidency.

"Scratch a liberal, and a fascist bleeds." Makes you question if Californians really care for the marginalized.

Oh it's worse than that. California voted to make more homeless people, expand the three strikes system by turning some misdemeanors into felonies, and voted itself a slave state to take advantage of all that new prison population.

All that's left is to privatize the pipeline.

But it's okay, they removed the defunct ban on same sex marriage so they're still progressive! Yay!

Land of the free

One person was arguing that they shouldn’t be able to refuse to do “chores” in prison, but the things they do there are things like making license plates, furniture, and fighting wildfires. A bit far from mopping up and taking out the garbage.

The American prison system is designed to make money. Prisons get paid based on how many people they house. Making sure people don't wind up in prison is literally the last thing the warden wants to do. Anybody thinking America is gonna change it's ways out of the goodness of its heart is fucking delusional.

Why that bear don't have 2 heads?

I thought the bear in their logo had two heads

I know it has that reputation but I really don’t think California is the most progressive state. Maybe Oregon? Vermont? Not sure to be honest.

It’s pretty much just basic liberals here. And lots of fascists but they hide out away from everyone else most of the time.

Don’t blame me! I voted Yes!

The baffling thing is that the other side didn’t even file an argument against the measure in the voter guide… and it still lost!

Like, if your side can’t even be bothered to come up with an argument for or against particular legislation, I’m voting with the other side, full stop.

This is a spin on the truth. Slavery has never not been illegal always been legal per the US constitution, as long as the slaves are prisoners. We had a prop on it to disallow mandatory labor in prisons in California. We voted against it because Americans have a hard-on for punishment. Personally I think being caged is punishment enough, ESPECIALLY when you consider the sheer volume of for profit prisons in the US. Hurray, private business can keep doing slavery in the state -_-

It has been and still is legal in federal law across the US

Basically because we're the 4th largest economy in the world, and thus, billionaires also run this state.

We also didn't get rent control adjustments, or a minimum wage hike. So yeah.

Inmates shouldn't have rights. They are worse than animals, have no conscience, no reform measures have actually worked in terms of reducing recidivism, and victims matter more than offenders.

Having them do "Slave labor" is justified.

The US is working exactly as planned

California is not the most progressive state. It's just so big that it being progressive makes the news more.

Some people think the language was confusing

Prop 6 Eliminates Constitutional Provision Allowing Involuntary Servitude for Incarcerated Persons. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

I've seen this. Isn't it because of prisoner firefighters?

Fucking wild

America is falling apart, but not because some people's pet issue is miscasting prison convict work as "slavery". Fasten your seat belts.

I have to do laundry too. 🙁

Yeah I was surprised about that too. I wonder if some people didn't bother to show up to vote because Kamala didn't say she'd support Gaza.