I think actually both are right - this bar, AND the bakery. Both are not essential services like grocery stores, so I see no problem with both refusing business with anyone they don't like.

The bakery issue is a bit more complicated as it was not refusing business in general to gay people - it was only not wanting to write some text on the cake that the gay people wanted. Although bigoted, I am fine with that, as this is not an essential service of any kind, although they better not have anything like "we will write on your cake whatever you want" in their advertising, as false advertising can rightfully lead to civil claims.

The bar too? No, bars generally don't advertise that they would give everyone a drink. They just call themselves a "bar". So I see no false advertising related issues there.

you cool with a bakery saying no blacks?

i'm cool with any business rejecting fascists. Intolerance is not tolerated. You know what else I'm cool with? Chuck Schumer closing down a fascist government. But he didn't do that, did he? No. He's funding our demise. Don't fund Nazis so they can better destroy democracy. And never hang out at a nazi bar.

Can only agree. Spend my life not funding fascists and their enablers...

@divVerent @benroyce

Given now the entire US fall under that (thanks, Donald), how to buy a computer such that no American company sees any money from it?

I guess, "used" is an option, and is also what I did recently.

Absolutely. It's a nightmare. I have to fly a lot for my work. I seriously wish I didn't. But the train and ferry option via Paris (which I do take when I can) is a) up to 4 times more expensive and b) frequently not doable because the connections don't work.

I think all we can do is the best we can do, being conscious that there are often options out there which a little searching will find. For eg, I never have to use Amazon any more. Great!

@benroyce @FranceskaMann

My family cancelled Prime. No more Amazon. It felt good to disconnect. Our local merchants appreciate getting to know us & appreciate the business.

Yeah - have felt mildly proud of my kids for dropping their dodgy social media, streaming and news apps. Definitely feels good to be without them.

Such a 1st world set of problems tho!

@divVerent
@benroyce

Clawing our power and information back from billionaires is essential these days. The ways they socially engineer us are not benign. They are destabilizing democracies across the planet, not just 1st world but the whole world. We live in the first world (unless trump took that away from us too). But I still feel connected to the rest of it.

Yup. I agree entirely. Social engineering is a fair description of what is going on. Enshitify and divert attention to some minority group.

I find it frustrating though that folks seem to have no sense of their own privilege when they whine that they cannot give up Amazon, say. That's really like the first tiny baby step in where we are going here.

@benroyce @divVerent

I'm right there with you. people who post tweets where they've owned Elon Musk are being owned by Elon Musk. Their data is training his AI. They are giving themselves away.

Disconnecting from these bastards is a first step, and you're right, it is a baby step. Come on people, let's take our power back! "But I can't leave facebook".

Yes, they can & if they want this nightmare to end, they must do what they do not want to do.

Yup. Being a Brit though, I doubt myself still. I was never on Twittter or FB so leaving is easy! Zero impact.

But yeah - we are going to have to get a lot more uncomfortabe than unplugging from social media. Some of us will go to prison. Some will die. Most will lose more friends and relative connections. Many will sufer professionally.

But - OK. That's what we are up against.

@divVerent @benroyce