Arrandee

They were in Minneapolis.

The Rotor Propulsion Laboratory

100% ^^ this right here.

Valve is one of the very few big companies I am totally fine spending money with. The value proposition is entirely focused on the products and how the customer, me, gets the most from them. No artificial scarcity, no protectionist bullshit, no outrageously exploitative EULA or obvious shafting of vendors. They focused on creating something useful and functional, and they profit from it. Bravo.

And they have been doing this for decades. The first PC I installed Steam on was a Celeron with a Voodoo2 GPU in it.

I have to do business with other companies because they have driven other competitors out of business. I get to do business with Valve.

Money is the best superpower, apparently.

Oh, really. Ya think? In other news, scientists confirm water is wet.

Embrace the Suck. Own it, master it, overcome it.

Pay attention. You are next.

Your personal point of view or constitutionally-protected activity are now grounds for criminal investigation that will empower various three-letter agencies to harass you like Mr. Venegas. Lest we forget the content of National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7):

• Immigration: Those expressing "opposition to law and immigration enforcement" or supporting "mass migration and open borders".
• Gender and Social Ideology: Entities described as adhering to "radical gender ideology" or showing "hostility towards traditional views on family, religion, and morality".
• Political and Economic Beliefs: Individuals or groups associated with "anti-Americanism," "anti-capitalism," and "anti-Christianity".
• Tactics and Actions: "Antifa-aligned extremists" and those allegedly involved in "organized doxing of law enforcement," "swatting," "mass rioting," or "targeting of public officials".

If you aren’t a high-earning, conservative, heterosexual white anglo-saxon protestant taxpayer… if you have the audacity to honestly interrogate your social role and find it unsatisfactory, if you choose to fully exercise your right of self-determination, you just made the list, buddy.

You’ll be investiagated and harassed. You’ll be marginalized and starved of resources. Conveniences and tools you take for grranted will be inaccessible, through loopholes and legal trickery that you will not have the capability to fight. They’re already hard at work:

• Retroactive Review: Agencies must review all domestic terrorism files from the last five years to identify Antifa-related intelligence.
• Informant Rewards: The FBI was instructed to expand its tip line and establish a cash-reward systemto incentivize reporting on fellow Americans for suspected domestic terrorist activity.
• Focus on Nonprofits: A joint initiative between the FBI and IRS was formed to investigate nonprofit organizations, book clubs, and mutual aid networks for suspected links to domestic terrorism.
• Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs): Agencies are required to refer all "domestic terrorism encounters" to JTTFs for "exhaustive investigation," including the identification of financial sponsors and donors.

Build up a network of mutual support. Find a way to live below your means. Do not count on the good graces of institutions. Do not expect the law or your local political people to defend your interests.

In the words of a certain Sith Lord: “I will make it legal”.

Let’s all guess what the political affiliations are for the judge who ruled in favor of the global tarriffs.

So, in 163 millennia, will the shockwave from this explosion reach Sol? Is this an existential threat for the distant future? I should hope by then whatever dominant species is on earth will have figured out how to hedge their bets and spread to multiple worlds.

You are absolutely right, inasmuch as we’re on this ride till it comes off the rails. Our job is to survive with our wits and some resources intact. Unlike the political sphere, we actually have a degree of control over our ability to weather a social cataclysm.

If I had wizarding powers, the first big spell I would learn would be how to turn myself into a witch. That this never comes up is all I need to know about JKR’s point of view.