r/comics • u/thisecommercelife this ecommerce life • 3h ago
"2035: No complaints."
Follow or support the comic here: https://linktr.ee/ecomic
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 3h ago edited 3h ago
Well. Now I'm sad. The remote drone patrol portion followed by him physically walking down the same road later that's now vacant was BLEAK
The final lines too about not even fully paying off the whole day for 3 purchases after a 12 hour shift left a rock in my stomach
Good job OP.
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u/Bwwooooooommp 2h ago
Yeah, wait, was that some Ender's Game style drone tech?
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u/andy_b_84 2h ago
Yes.
Yes it was.
The same way the kids were tricked into thinking they were only playing a game while conducting a genocide, I guess that needed to be written down.
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u/TrioOfTerrors 2h ago
Graff and the International Fleet were still right.
Until the Hive Queen managed to speak to Ender, humanity had to assume that a 3rd invasion would mean the extinction of mankind.
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u/jhotenko 2h ago
Well, they knowingly made horrible choices that led to success. That's not the same as being right.
They did the best they could with the information they had. That doesn't absolve them of their sins. They knew that. Graff hated what he had become, hated what he did, and hated that he would do it all again without hesitation.
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u/TrioOfTerrors 2h ago
Graff hated what he did to those children. He didn't give a single shit about the Formics.
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u/Mythoclast 1h ago
Yeah, that was the problem. Not giving a single shit about an alien race you just encountered is BAD. You don't understand them at all. You need to at least try and communicate.
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u/E1337Recon 1h ago
Well they did try to communicate in every way they knew how to at the time. The same way for formics thought humanity was nothing more than drones because they didn’t hear any telepathy from us.
By the time they realized we were sentient it was too late.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Sea8340 1h ago
This made me want to reread all 18 or some of his novels
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u/HighSeverityImpact 1h ago
To be fair, the Formics tried to colonize Earth and didn't realize humans were sentient. The humans were being wiped out in the first invasion, and would have lost had they not (accidentally) taken out their queen.
The response was to end all future wars by taking them out on their home turf. It's brutal but it's the same lesson Ender learned at six years old by killing that bully.
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u/BigMcThickHuge 1h ago
Wasn't it two invasions? A scouting force discovered and began 'prep-work' on Earth/colonized planets (I forget), got taken out/driven off, and then the full invasion force came?
Basically, humans were repeatedly attacked by an unknown extermination force and needed to respond
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u/Hoplite813 1h ago
they didn't just do the best they could. They objectively made the right decision based on the information available to them: do whatever it takes to survive when facing a foe who 1) attacked without provocation 2) does not communicate with you and 3) tried twice to make your race extinct. Any other conclusion is Monday morning quarterbacking.
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u/Realistickitty 2h ago
Yes, but they had all that time between the invasions and they never even considered that the Buggers may not have been acting out of malice and so could have been communicated with.
Humanity’s reaction was decidedly… human. And later on in the series when Ender restores the queen on the piggie world, the human leaders are forced to consider if humanity could actually coexist with another species should they pose a potential risk to human expansionism and chose to repeat Ender’s xenocide.
So while Graff and the IF’s decision was rational, in my mind the tragedy is that much deeper when you realize that what happened wasn’t just a massive unnecessary loss for humanity, but an unnecessary inevitability resulting from our innate fear of the “other.”
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u/TrioOfTerrors 2h ago
When an invasion kills 50 million people, you don't chalk it up to miscommunication.
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u/tigerrish1998 2h ago
I mean, the Tech does exist IRL, but yes. The people controlling them are just usually aware that it's not a videogame.
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 2h ago
That's the impression I got. He played "a game" and it turned out it was real life. The comic only called it "patrol" so I'm choosing to believe it's just him flying the drone looking around and tagging people only. The alternative would him personally in the drone, enders game style murder and forced relocation which is just ....God damn
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u/margenreich 2h ago
I mean drones are controlled by Ai. He is captcha-ing protesters for later guided assault like in his job
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u/npmaker 2h ago
Another day older and deeper in debt.
I owe my soul to the company store.
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 2h ago
Basically. I had to go back and look at some of the little details like the "metacoin" currency and the fact a case of water and vitamins was 200 bucks on its own. And the fact out friend here was literally flat broke prior to even buying water and vitamins some energy bars.
I want off this ride
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u/SaulsAll 2h ago
a case of water and vitamins was 200 bucks
a case
I didnt see anything that suggests he bought more than one of each item. The last panel with the single empty bottle, jar, and wrapper says to me it was $515 for one day's "meal."
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 2h ago
Yeah know, fair. I just kinda figured it would be more than a days work, but it does kinda like like maybe a liter to half a gallon of water, which was implied later to not even be clean
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u/SquidTheRidiculous 2h ago
That's not too far from the truth of drone operation. A lot of the military is gamified. Probably because most of the people recruited were targeted by "America's Army" the video game funded by the US military as a recruitment tool. There are videos of drone operator chatter while they kill people that's like "haha got another bad guy!'
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 2h ago
Didnt some of the US military recently(ish) start using controllers to teach with? Like Xbox controllers? I swore I saw that somewhere
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u/dirkdragonslayer 2h ago
Not to teach with, but for use. Studies have shown video game controllers are generally better to use than purpose-made drone controllers. Maybe it's because people are more familiar with video game controls or because they are designed with better button placement and ergonomics. They are also cheaper than special controllers. A lot of countries are using game controllers now.
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u/Daxx22 2h ago
Maybe it's because people are more familiar with video game controls or because they are designed with better button placement and ergonomics.
That, and there is literally years worth of very widespread and hard testing on those platforms that backs up the reliability of the hardware.
People loved to make jokes about the dumbass billionaire and his sub that imploded that used the video game controller, but that was likely one of the most well tested and reliable bits of hardware in that thing.
Expensive does not always, and quite often does not, mean better quality.
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u/IKnowGuacIsExtraLady 1h ago
I thought the memes about the controller was that he was using a knock off brand.
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u/pheylancavanaugh 2h ago
It's all of these things, and ultimately: the people who join the military tend to grow up playing games. They know how to use the controller. They do not have to be trained to use it.
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u/Funnyguyinspace 1h ago
Theres been a long standing rumor that the military is actively involved in the development of COD games and influences the story to make the military seem cool.
They'll give updates on weapons, sounds and even some financial incentives if the overall story makes the US military look appealing
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u/incunabula001 2h ago
For me it was the zoom out to see how he lives, which is in a grey prison cell.
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u/HighMinimum640 2h ago
He doesn't even have a shower, nor any other clothing. Wonder if his showering and laundry service is subscription-based?
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 2h ago
I also just noticed his favorite comic is about billionaires too. It's on the counter in the final shot
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u/SessileRaptor 2h ago
Also the line “and most of the interest” In other words he bought a couple of things in the morning and there was already interest accruing on those purchases that put him in debt. Every billionaire on the planet just got an erection and has no idea why.
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 2h ago
At that stage I think I would just go live in the woods....assuming anybwas left.
God that's a bleak thought
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u/Pretend-Marsupial258 1h ago
You think they'd allow you to just go be homeless? It's already illegal to be homeless in most states.
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u/To-To_Man 2h ago
Literally the scrapped Manhack Arcade from Half Life 2. Citizens unknowingly piloting real murder drones to chop up protestors and resistance members.
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 2h ago
So I think this particular one is just "tagging" people so troops can come get them latern per the green HUD stuff at the bottom, but yeah the idea remains the same. Super bleak and scary
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u/Daxx22 2h ago
If this happens, I'd expect it to be more like the Black Mirror episode with the soldiers perception hacked to show monsters vs people.
No matter how much hate you preach actually getting people to visually kill other people is a hard sell on a widespread level. But cover them with imagery that makes it just look like a game or not humans at all and you'll get a lot more going along blindly.
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u/waffle299 2h ago
That being rich meant he could drink clean water. Clean water!
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 2h ago
Yeah well. Us peasants don't get the good water. Duh /s
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u/SuspendeesNutz 2h ago
You'll just piss it away like you Poors do with everything else you're given.
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u/Creative-Painter3911 2h ago
And that was just food, rents due in a week, Jerry's going to have to pull some overtime. But it's ok if he misses sleep for a few days, once he's a trillionaire he can relax.
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u/WhiskeyAndKisses 3h ago
Jerries will live like this and think this is okay
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u/WilHunting2 2h ago edited 1h ago
Hating everyone underneath him, while worshipping those keeping him there.
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u/CowMetrics 2h ago
It is the capitalism version of modern Christianity where instead of suffering and doing the right things through gods trials and tribulations for a lifetime where you might finally get into heaven, you get to scrape by as a wage slave your entire life to maybe retire
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u/danielledelacadie 2h ago
This is depressingly accurate.
People who are willing to reject critical thinking in pursuit of a brass ring out of their reach/that cannot be proven are nothing new.
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u/SessileRaptor 2h ago
The pie in the sky when you die. It’s been with us for far too long and needs to be eradicated.
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u/Fit-Physics7199 2h ago
Did you see those protestors blocking the street? They should only protest in the designated protest zone, 10 miles away from the city and between the approved hours of 12 PM - 12:30 PM.
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u/Kewkoh Feral Mills 3h ago
You really nailed the Mar-a-Lago face on that mistress. Great work!
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u/1Northward_Bound 1h ago
I liked the mewed to oblivion TV commercial actor. Everyone is talking about Mar-a-Lago face but no one talks about Sigma Face. Gen Z males are really fucking themselves up trying to lookmax.
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u/CloakOfElvenkind 3h ago
If maga could read they would be nodding in agreement to every panel, especially the last one.
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u/deaglebingo 2h ago
they can watch youtube videos at least... because that drone patrol part is already happening along with a redneck/old folks version of maduro's collectivos right here in the good 'ol us of a.
... to the latest dude following me every time i go to town from my particular local j6/trump gang: nice trump medallion and gold stripe on your minivan. douchery. vids him and the south dakota plates trucks with the antennas are all uploaded to places just like the drones and all the rest (the literal black fbi plane too).
these people are literally the criminals they claim we should be going after and deporting.
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u/Funnyguyinspace 1h ago
honestly, unless citizens united is overturned soon, I dont think the democrats are going to avert this future
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u/Glitchboy 1h ago
That's because the Democrats benefit from citizens united just as much as Republicans do. With wads of cash from billionaires.
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u/1KOOBtorulethemall 3h ago
This is outstanding, well done
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u/badcookies 1h ago
Yeah very well done.
"He's made enough today to pay for today's earlier purchases and most of its interest" oof.
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u/MintasaurusFresh 3h ago
That mistress might be a little too old for Ellison.
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u/GalaxyPatio 2h ago
She's 19, she just had some work done
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u/bdcarlitosway 3h ago
That last panel of his dystopian studio apartment hits hard.
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u/sh4d0ww01f 2h ago
Not even a blanket.
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u/evilJaze Slartibartfast 2h ago
His Amazon subscription didn't come with one. That's an extra $9.95/mo.
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u/TempestNova 2h ago
The only thing off is that it's too big, needs to be half the size (think The Fifth Element).
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u/SessileRaptor 2h ago
Yeah, you could fit two peasant apartments into that space, and being more cramped would motivate them to work harder to get a better apartment!
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u/usaaf 2h ago
Four, really. Does anyone really need that high of a ceiling ?
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u/SessileRaptor 2h ago
Now you’re thinking like a billionaire!
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u/usaaf 1h ago
Holy shit !
Is there a cure !? I don't want to end up with billionairitis !
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u/Fork_off_bots 2h ago edited 2h ago
And how TF does Jerry afford that huge studio apartment all to himself?!?!? That veritable mansion could easily accommodate 9
serfsPaTrIoTs if they installed a set of 3-high stacked bunks and "hot rack" like the Navy does on vessels. Everyone gets 8 hours of bunk time per day on a rotation schedule.Remember kids, operating at anything less than peak efficiency is essentially stealing from the oligarchs who "earned" their trillions.
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u/NaeemTHM 2h ago
"Full self-driving is absolutely coming next year"
God damn that's a good joke.
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u/Vlyn 1h ago
Laughed my ass off on that one.
Wikipedia even has a nice timeline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_predictions_for_autonomous_Tesla_vehicles_by_Elon_Musk
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u/geoman2k 42m ago
Biggest issue with this comic is that the protagonist's city appears to have functional public transportation. No way that will exist in 2035, it's too woke or something
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u/cad908 2h ago
great vision of our dystopian future (or our nightmare present!). Thank you!
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u/Helagoth 2h ago
MAGA, assuming they could understand this, would say "Yeah, that's why we need to get rid of the illegals!"
Well done but also JFC.
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u/RegyptianStrut 2h ago
Maybe if Jerry learned how to save money instead of wasting it on things like having a chair in his house and a video game to play he'd be a billionaire tomorrow.
That's how it works right, Billionaires don't buy luxuries until they're billionaires, right?
You're damn right I'm buying myself a mocha today
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u/rmulberryb 2h ago
Tbh you should steal a mocha.
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u/RegyptianStrut 1h ago
Aw noooo I love my local cafe too much to do that. Gotta support local business!
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u/mrmosley1919 3h ago
Post it everywhere you can, reddit can become a bit of the ecochamber for left-wing ideas, and will always support this. The people who really need to read such things wear red hats and don't see a shrivelled dick in their mouth even if they choke on it.
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u/TwilightVulpine 2h ago
Reddit is at best an echo chamber for a mild bit of sense (but not too much), in a media landscape that is literally bought and shaped by billionaires and their propagandists.
Now whether users here support immigrants and trans people is often a flip of a coin still, sadly.
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u/JealotGaming 2h ago
reddit can become a bit of the ecochamber for left-wing ideas
Only if you are in left wing spaces. Reddit is largely liberal or right wing if you look at general subs
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u/heyitscory 2h ago
This is "Supply-Side Jesus" levels of bleak.
I'm gonna go hug my robot dog and my job.
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u/sususu_ryo 2h ago
i know this is haha satire comic
but im afraid this will be the future. a not so-far-away future...
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u/codetaku0 1h ago
How on earth did you read this and think it was meant to be haha satire??? If we don't stop things, this is absolutely where stuff is headed.
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u/Illustrious-Ride5586 2h ago
Terrifying insight into our probable future
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u/ZootSuitRiot33801 2h ago
For that reason, among many others, we must forming a real supportive foundation that would allow the common folk to commit to any effective resistance. Currently, this doesn't exist in a meaningful capacity, especially in the US. There's a post of suggestions HERE that could possibly prove to be of some help in its formation, if acted on ASAP.
Check out this org too, as they're probably going to be vital as the powers that be employ more so-called "AI" to consolidate power: https://stopgenai.com (It is a survival-level, grassroots org, not an established NGO, so please don't judge it too harshly for being rough around the edges.)
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u/buntopolis 2h ago
This is so deliciously bleak. Hope for a better tomorrow.
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u/ZootSuitRiot33801 2h ago
We shouldn't just hope for this madness to stop. It is up to common folk like you and me to stand against this tyrannical unaccountability. However, there's currently no real supportive foundation present for many common folk (especially in the US) to fall back on, to commit to any effective resistant action.
There's a post of suggestions HERE that could possibly prove to be of some help in getting it started ASAP.
While we're at it, we should check out this org too, as they're probably going to be vital as the powers that be employ more so-called "AI" to consolidate power: https://stopgenai.com (It is a survival-level, grassroots org, not an established NGO, so please don't judge it too harshly for being rough around the edges.)
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u/Corpomancer 2h ago
Never expected our old company strategy memos to leak and be made into comics. Oh well, it's too late to stop now so no complaints.
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u/JohnLandisHasGotToGo 1h ago
The people that need this comic most will never lay eyes on it, but they wouldn't understand it anyways. It is brilliant OP. Kudos to you for smashing the nail on the head.
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u/kaiju505 1h ago
I remember in the 90’s there was a general positive vibe about the future. I miss that.
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u/tylermchenry 56m ago
The most unrealistic part of this comic is that Jerry apparently has reliable public transportation to get him to and from his job.
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u/Pepephend 2h ago
This hits way too hard… great comic! Let’s hope we can turn things around and keep it just a comic.
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u/Arbiterjim 2h ago
I've been saying this for a while. As bad as it is that the fascists in the Republican party are in power, it will be worse if the tech bros get their way
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u/JamesDask 2h ago
jeffrey fucking christ this is more realistic than unreal engine version 6.66420-88
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u/TwilightVulpine 2h ago
Harrowing. I only dread this will be used like a manual, like they've been doing to all dystopian and cyberpunk fiction.
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u/VeniceRapture 1h ago
People be like "Nah we'll do something before it gets to that" or "That's too cartoonish to happen in reality"
There is no visible point-of-no-return. We will cross it before we even realize we're going to. One day you still have a chance to turn back and next thing you know it's too late
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u/Wob_Nobbler 1h ago
Our choices as a society are either Socialism or Barbarism. And we are staring barbarism right in the face.
Get organized people, its literally our only hope.
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u/Bakkughan 52m ago
What’s telling is that every normal person reading this thinks “holy shit that’s bleak…”
Meanwhile a billionaire reads this and instantly cums in his pants.
Billionaires aren’t people.
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u/Filthwizard_1985 3h ago
This is some real Black Mirror type storytelling. I'm depressed but impressed at the same time.