r/FreeSpeech • u/AliHadjiJafari • 1d ago
In Defense of Penguins
A few days ago, as most of the planet now knows, the U.S. imposed a tariff on the entire world. Among the victims of these sanctions was an uninhabited island in the South Pole; an isle populated solely by penguins. The internet has since exploded with memes about the suffering and liberation of these penguins, while some mock them for supposedly "ripping off" the U.S.
My goal in this post is not to delve too deeply into the history of penguins but rather to address the state of our democracy and its future. For most of my life, I’ve held two guiding principles as pillars of my daily existence: logic and reason. These have been the beacons by which I navigate life.
Logic is the tool that helps me plan my budget, troubleshoot my internet connection, watch my weight, keep my car running efficiently, and manage my daily tasks. It’s like a calculator always on my side. Yet, I’ve learned over the years that logic alone can lead to irrational loops and pitfalls. That’s why I’ve also leaned on reason; what I see as the philosopher, poet, historian, and sociologist within me; analyzing and deciphering life’s complexities.
Lately, though; particularly in the last two months; I feel that these tools are losing their meaning. You see, I didn’t acquire these tools on my own. I spent hours in middle and high school learning arithmetic and grammar, and many years afterward exploring higher concepts like art, philosophy, and critical thinking in college. My knowledge was handed down by teachers who might have earned more working at Costco but chose instead to dedicate their lives to educating grumpy teenagers about geometry and the finer things in life.
As an "aspiring immigrant child," I invested years hoping to shine in the halls of American freedom. I kept reassuring myself that Americans knew better; they invented the computer, the lightbulb, and even sent a man to the moon. Surely, there was logic and reason behind what was happening. Yet now, I watch as immigrant college students are rounded up by masked men, reminiscent of the stories my father and grandfather told of authoritarian regimes. The promise of freedom seems to dissolve into something darker. This movie feels like it lacks a happy ending; Americans are beginning to treat their own people like Saddam once did his.
And so, regarding the penguins, I must say I agree with the rest of the internet: we need to stand up for them. They are not just symbols of abandonment by reason and logic in America; they represent the last hope we have. Today, I stand with the penguins, for it seems that all reason has abandoned this land; and these brave birds stand in defense of logic and reason.
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u/MingTheMirthless 1d ago
I have an old flyer of an old man holding a sign saying God hates faggots. Underneath is a reminder to use your vote, because not everyone uses reason or logic as their primary framework.
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u/quaderrordemonstand 11h ago edited 2h ago
I know this is an anti-trump snark and nobody is interested in actual reasoning, despite that call out to logic and reason. But I'm going to try, and almost certainly fail because this is reddit and everybody just wants to argue
Trumps tarrifs are anti-globalisation, protectionist. In the short term, that means things are almost certainly going to get more expensive in the US and other parts of the world. But what about the long term? Does anyone have a model of the long terms results of not outsourcing everything to countries where its cheaper? Creating and buying products from within the country more than from outside?
Certain countries are already more protectionist than others. France for example, is the most protectionist country in the EU. Taking very many steps to protect its farmers and food production. This doesn't seem to have done them much harm. Meanwhile, the world has been growing more globalised for decades, and during that time, wages have stagnated in the west. Nobody is really getting much richer, except perhaps for the already wealthy. So are living standards improving? Are people healthier? Happier? Can you afford a place to live?
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u/AliHadjiJafari 6h ago
Possibly, but what does that have to do with the penguins? It doesn't seem like there's much reasoning there. Also, do you genuinely believe this is about helping working-class Americans? Secondly, why should I support a xenophobic movement that makes Nazi propaganda and entrenched racism its cornerstone? I'm not convinced that this entire agenda is a socialist plan to make poor people healthy, educated, or provide them with a livable wage. Once again, I stress—what did the penguins do? Many thanks.
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u/quaderrordemonstand 3h ago edited 2h ago
xenophobic
Nazi
racism
Yep. This went as expected. So if you don't really want to reason, I might as well play along. What did the penguins do? Their ran a trade deficit. I'm sure the tariffs will ruin their economy.
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u/AliHadjiJafari 3h ago
That response feels dismissive. If only a selected ethnic group is included, why should I endorse your perspective? You need to demonstrate how your viewpoint benefits everyone, improves lives, and fosters safety. Otherwise, I might as well watch Fox News to feel fear and hate.
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u/quaderrordemonstand 2h ago edited 2h ago
Eh? What do ethnic groups have to do with trade tariffs, or penguins? Has trump imposed a tariff on african americans?
You need to demonstrate how your viewpoint benefits everyone
No, I don't. I didn't say it would. I said that nobody has really given it a go for a long time. The last time things worked that way, the economy generated all those wealthy boomers that reddit likes to complain about. I can confidently say that the status quo is really not all that great for anyone, no matter what their ethnic group.
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u/AliHadjiJafari 1h ago
A long time ago, during the late 1990s and early 2000s, I personally protested the FTAA. You don’t need to convince me that globalization has been detrimental to the world—why should Levi's jeans be made in Vietnam? I lived in Pittsburgh in my youth and watched closed factories become ghosts of a lost past. Later, living in Detroit, I saw a city reduced to the ashes of its former self—heartbreaking.
I stand with workers, but I fear Elon is no factory worker. He doesn’t prioritize workers' well-being; instead, he seems like a manic administrator who takes pleasure in firing people, leaving them out in the cold. His memes, salutes, and dismissive attitude toward America and humanity insulted me. Ironically, he was once an immigrant student, too.
I dream of an America where people have a fair chance—where they can prove their merits, buy a car, compete in the free marketplace, or simply get a factory job and afford rent. But I fear those in power don’t share this vision. And with all of that said, I still stand with the penguins—I don’t care whether someone is a libertarian or liberal.
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u/quaderrordemonstand 1h ago
I completely agree Elon is a headcase, and I'm glad that we share enough life experiences to agree on the principle at least. So how would you choose to go about reducing globalisation?
I assume you'd agree that making foreign imports more expensive will cause US companies to reduce their use? Similarly, that making foreign products more expensive will make people more like to buy national products.
It would clearly be better for the planet too, not claiming that motivates Trump at all.
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u/Coolenough-to 1d ago
The penguins are out of excuses, and out of time. We can live without their knock-off mobile games.
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u/CharlesForbin 23h ago
Among the victims of these sanctions was an uninhabited island in the South Pole; an isle populated solely by penguins.
You need to stop believing the legacy media, who have lied to you again.
You're talking about Heard and McDonald Islands. They are Australian Territories, and were given a 10% reciprocal tariff, just like the rest of Australia. Think of them like Hawaii as part of America.
They are IUCN 1a strict natural reserves, where human habitation is prohibited, so of course nobody lives there, but there is an enormous fishery that exported $1.4M directly to the US in 2022, not to mention indirect exporting to the US of fish incorporated into Australian produce.
Source: I am Australian. Don't be so gullible.
Today, I stand with the penguins, for it seems that all reason has abandoned this land; and these brave birds stand in defense of logic and reason.
Ironic that you'd claim logic and reason in reference to a fatally flawed premise.
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u/AliHadjiJafari 13h ago
Thanks for sharing, but the article you provided actually, explains that a U.S. trade policy error has led to tariffs being imposed on remote and largely uninhabited territories, such as Norfolk Island and Heard and McDonald Islands, due to mislabeled shipping data.
Irony was precisely the point of my story, highlighting how the current circumstances leave me with only one option: to stand with the penguins. My claim is still present I can stand for both logic and reason, and stand with the oppressed penguins.
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u/Chathtiu 10h ago
You need to stop believing the legacy media, who have lied to you again.
You're talking about Heard and McDonald Islands. They are Australian Territories, and were given a 10% reciprocal tariff, just like the rest of Australia. Think of them like Hawaii as part of America.
They are IUCN 1a strict natural reserves, where human habitation is prohibited, so of course nobody lives there, but there is an enormous fishery that exported $1.4M directly to the US in 2022, not to mention indirect exporting to the US of fish incorporated into Australian produce.
Source: I am Australian. Don't be so gullible.
Ironic that you'd claim logic and reason in reference to a fatally flawed premise.
Did you read your Guardian article? It clearly outlined that Heard and Macdonald Islands were mistakenly associated with an export, and that the islands themselves did not export anything.
Relevant excerpt:
According to an analysis of US import data and shipping records, multiple shipments of goods were classified as having originated from Norfolk Island or Heard and McDonald islands when neither the company address, nor the port of departure for the shipment, nor the destination port were located in those territories
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u/bildramer 1d ago
This is not a subtle rant about the year of the Linux desktop, is it?