Mirshe

There's definitely room for Rule of Cool. I always allow Druids to do magical beasts, with the caveat of "I can say no if shenanigans".

A lot of people don't realize that South Korea was a dictatorship until the 80s.

There's been inside rumors that the Pentagon, in traditional fashion, has been listing KIAs as MIA to reduce reported deaths.

Dammit, now I read the comment in his voice and cadence.

We have a functioning court system, it just has the entire federal government's collective fist up its ass.

First off, nowhere in your rant does it ever state that it's about middle-class people or whatever. Is it true that a lot of people have a lot of things they could do without? Yes. Will we have to make changes in order to combat climate change? Yes. But this scans a lot more like "nobody should own things or create or engage with media because minimalism is more environmentally friendly" - which is partially true, but is also a common right-wing canard ("you shouldn't own anything if you're REALLY serious about saving the planet", etc).

Pretty much this. You're effectively halfways to stumping for sumptuary laws because "poor people don't deserve to enjoy anything in life until they're not poor.*

Yup, large automakers bought up a lot of rail lines, especially local inter- and intracities, and tore out the tracks as part of the highway program. My hometown had extensive tram lines (and a halfway built subway that we ran out of money for in the 20s) that got ripped up when I75 got built.

A lot of cities also just did this of their own accord, partially to enforce segregation and redlining. Awful harder for black and brown people to get to your Rich White Neighborhood if there's no train or bus service to easily take them there.

Much easier to say when you're not the one invested with massive power, and often massive wealth too. There's a reason the saying goes that power corrupts.

Prosecutors and state governments love executing people because they keep claiming it "deters crime". It also looks fantastic on your resume to a certain stripe of voters when you can yell "I helped get rid of XX amount of DANGEROUS CRIMINALS".

You also want to kill anyone who you've already decided to kill, because otherwise they tend to have a habit of being exonerated. It's awful embarrassing to have to say "yes we framed a dozen murders on this guy who didn't do anything but steal a bike" or whatever.

For doctorates, sometimes. For Master's students, the answer is usually no.

Actually, they do this so helmspeople pay attention to the sign and the speed limit. Saying "5" makes people think they can squeeze up to 7-8, etc. That little extra speed might mean something in a busy boating or shipping lane.