chapotraphouse

Though it does China dirty calling it the EU.

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In the natural world, we often similar solutions evolve across many species because the solution space for challenges such as movement tends to be fairly small. This phenomenon, known as convergent evolution, illustrates that nature tends to converge on a small set of optimal strategies when faced with similar types of problems. One such strategy is the development of systems for coordination. The ability to act as a unified whole turns out to be a very useful adaptation for the functioning of any complex organism. Let’s take a look at why that is.

To thrive, animals must coordinate the actions of countless cells, tissues, and organs. This coordination is made possible by the nervous system and the brain, which integrate sensory input, process information, and orchestrate responses. Without such systems, a complex organism would collapse into chaos. Imagine a human body where each organ acted independently: the heart pumps without regard for oxygen levels, the lungs breathe without synchronizing with the muscles, and the limbs move without direction. Such an organism would have a very short existence. Coordination proves to be essential for orchestrating complex dynamic systems.

Of course, not all large organisms require such intricate systems. Take the Armillaria ostoyae, a fungus that spans thousands of acres. This organism thrives in a relatively static environment, relying on a network of mycelium to absorb nutrients and reproduce. Its structure is homogeneous, and its ability to adapt to rapid change is limited. While it is vast, it lacks the adaptability of animals. The need for coordination arises from the demands of the environment and the complexity of the tasks at hand. In dynamic, unpredictable environments, the ability to act in coordinated fashion becomes a survival imperative.

We can extend this principle beyond individual organisms to societies, which can be thought of as metaorganisms. Just as cells and organs work together within a body, individuals within a society collaborate to achieve shared goals. Societies, like organisms, compete for resources, and their competition exerts selective pressure. Those that can effectively coordinate labor and resources are more likely to persist and thrive. In small societies, coordination can be relatively simple. A tribe might have a leader who helps organize tasks, but much of the work is distributed among autonomous individuals, each specializing in a specific role, like hunting, crafting, or farming. The structure is flat, and communication is direct.

However, as societies grow, so too does the need for more sophisticated coordination. The transformation from a small tribe to a large civilization is a shift where quantity transforms into quality. With more people comes greater specialization, and with specialization comes interdependence. A blacksmith in a small town might work independently, but in a large society, blacksmiths become part of a broader network of producers, traders, and consumers. This interdependence demands systems to manage complexity, much like a nervous system manages the complexity of a multicellular organism. A group of people specializing in a particular profession is akin to an organ within a living organism.

This pattern emerges in all types of human organizations, from companies to governments. In a small team, direct communication suffices. Each member knows their role, and decisions can be made collaboratively. But as the organization grows, the lines of communication multiply exponentially. What works for five people becomes unmanageable for fifty, and impossible for five hundred. At this point, delegation becomes necessary. Departments form, each with its own leader, and these leaders coordinate with one another. Such hierarchical structure necessarily emerges as a solution to the problem of scale. It mirrors the way an organism relies on a brain and the nervous system to manage its many parts.

The need for coordination, in turn, gives rise to the need for authority. Authority is not inherently oppressive; it is a tool for managing complexity. In a software development project, for example, dozens of individuals might work on interconnected tasks. Frontend developers rely on backend developers to provide data, while backend developers depend on database administrators to manage information. If one team member fails to deliver, the entire project can stall. To prevent such breakdowns, the team must agree on shared norms, schedules, and decision-making processes. These agreements require a team lead to take charge in order to resolve disputes, set priorities, and ensure that everyone is aligned. This authority is not arbitrary; it emerges from the practical demands of coordination.

The same principle applies to large-scale industries. Modern factories, with their complex machinery and hundreds of workers, cannot function without a clear chain of command. Independent action gives way to combined action, and combined action requires organization. Authority, in this context, is not a top-down imposition but a bottom-up necessity. It arises because of the material conditions of production dictated by the scale, complexity, and interdependence of tasks.

Critics of authority often argue for absolute autonomy, but such arguments overlook the real and tangible need for coordination. Authority and autonomy are not opposites; they exist on a spectrum, and their balance shifts with the needs of the group. In a small, simple society, autonomy might dominate. In a large, complex one, authority becomes indispensable. To reject authority outright is to ignore the lessons of both biology and history: that coordination is the foundation of complexity, and that complexity, in turn, demands systems to manage it.

Authority, far from being a mere social construct, is a natural response to the challenges of scale and complexity. It is not inherently good or evil. Rather, it is an effective tool for addressing the needs of the group and the demands of the environment.

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/01/6/7492147/

Tried. Thought about 'happy 6th for those who celebrate' but it's just too depressing. Af course fuck Biden and Kamala and the entire circus of 'managed democracy' but we are in for some darkness friends. Dark shit. A shit tornado, Randy. Ok I found some snark

AAAAA what is this timeline iwantoutiwantouriwantoutiwantout

A strange godlike being who traveled from the delta quadrant to test the mercy of humanity brings the Tuvix flower with him and spreads it aboard the enterprise. Most of them are vacuumed up by ensigns but one makes it into the teleporter when Scotty and Spock are transporting. Creating Scock. The rest of the episode is about convincing this new live form to call himself Spotty

Really haha we’re just having fun here, who’s CIA?

I’m CIA lol it’s OK, just wondering if I have any fellow socialist brothers and sisters from the Agency In Marx we trust imo

It’s OK to work for the CIA and wish for a better country and want communism to exist in it.

It’s OK to advocate for workers’ rights whilst helping reinforce national security.

It’s OK to be against Israel and for the Palestinian cause and still work at Langley.

It’s OK to do an oopsie in Syria, Iraq, Chile, Nicaragua, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Cuba, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, American inner cities, US Presidents, crack, teletubbies, killing dogs and cats, children, and whatever and still be a good communist

It clap is clap OK clap to want Xi Jinpeng as your baby daddy whilst working tirelessly for the prosperity of the US of A in a communist world.

The USA CAN be Communist. The USA CAN be part of the Fifth International.

I just need to know who else is CiA here, so we can hang out and shit.

https://subium.com/profile/kenklippenstein.bsky.social/post/3lezjevkgc22u

On November 23, 2023, it was supposed to be my wedding day, the day I had always dreamed of. 💍👰 Everything was ready: the white dress, the preparations, family, friends—everything I had lovingly planned. 🎉👗 But the war changed everything. 💔

I got married, but there was no joy. 😔 I wasn’t wearing my white dress like I had imagined, and there was no wedding like I had dreamed of. 😢 I got married far from my family, away from everyone I had wished could be by my side in that moment. 🏠💔 The pain in my heart was bigger than any happiness. 💔❤️

Time passed, and a year and a month have gone by since my wedding day. ⏳ Every time I see a bride or hear about a wedding, my heart breaks more. 💔👰 The memory isn’t just a day, it’s a pain that doesn’t go away. 😢💔 I still have a dream, a dream to heal from this pain and live a life filled with joy. 🌟💖

But to be able to move on, I need your help. 🙏 If you want to support me and help me start over, every donation will help me overcome this wound. 💪💸 If you want to help me open the door to hope, here’s the link to my GoFundMe campaign: https://gofund.me/1222af19. 🌈💖

~~actually, would I say it is late night yet in my timezone?~~

What is everyone's thoughts on this? I think this kind of self-criticism and nuance is valuable, and a worthwhile exercise.

But I think it suffers from a framing problem. After presenting the nuances of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, re: Poland. Bad-mouse says "If you're hearing this and thinking 'anti-communism' you're missing the point".

But I don't get that impression from the facts, I get that impression from the way the facts are being framed. The facts are the facts, and we can, and should, have a fruitful, nuanced, discussion as to how the Soviet Union handled the national question in this period, whether the taking of certain parts of Poland after WW2 was just, relations with the Baltic states, etc.

But this isn't framed in that way. It's framed in an almost ultra-left, social-imperialism way, which is what leads me to react to this as anti-communist.

The Soviets anexxing a chunk of eastern Poland that roughly corresponded to what Imperial Russia took in the Third Partition should raise some eyebrows. For instance, it might lead us to ask how a socialist state, formed from a formerly feudal land empire might unwittingly inherit some forms of that old logic.

But that act, in and of itself, is not imperialism. It doesn't match Lenin's definition. Which, if we're doing leftist criticism, we should be using as some kind of standard. Calling it imperialism feels disingenuous.

There’s a lot of ghoulish boomer leaders of state.

There’s the sun downing sexpest Biden, the patron saint of boatdealers Donald, Grandpa known as the butcher of some concentration camp Netenyahu, weird religious cult freak Modi, old uncle who thinks he’s got the virility and strength of a 20 year old Putin.

Then there’s fucking Erdogan. Grandfather who gave your entire family generational trauma and genuinely thinks you all owe him for it, all whilst he holds a veneer of respectability within his community. If you’ve ever had chud family, been in Latin/Arab household, or had military family members you’d probably recognize a douche like Erdogan from a mile away.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-says-it-neutralised-32-outlawed-pkk-members-syria-2025-01-05/

These are the absolute worst of the boomers. This subspecies has evolved to master the cockroach’s heightened powers of self preservation. It is likely Recep Dickhead was taught about how to walk the tightrope that is neoliberalism by his daddy Generalisimo Franco. He expertly weaves his way through awful positions in political conflicts, genocides after genocides, without so much as having his life threatened.

Your typical fascist comes and goes, but Boomer royalty such as Erdogan remain forever.

The Muhammad Ali story in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhKiQx6wPPg

MIT Seminar XXI is an educational program for national security professionals run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Originally for military leaders when begun in 1986, leaders from various government, non-government, and private organizations attend the seminar. The seminar runs annually from September to April in the national capital region. MIT president Susan Hockfield called it a "legendary program".

https://xcancel.com/orikron/status/1875894716795179046

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/6664201

This was inspired after seeing the original article posted here. It's pretty basic stuff for this community but you never know.

https://xcancel.com/posting_forever/status/1875801130774753648