S8 E2: Meatpacking & Texas Blackout: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

[@agiar2000]

Seeing that segment on the Texas winter disaster made me so mad. I was living in Huntsville, Texas when that happened. I was lucky enough to have an office I was able to reach that still had power, where I could sleep on the floor when it became too dangerously cold to sleep in my bed at home. Some of my co-workers were still saying things about how people's primary responsibility was to themselves, basically blaming the victims of all this horror instead of the people in charge of the systems that were supposed to help everyone. I was filled with so much rage, and I still am.

[@stoodmuffinpersonal3144]

I feel like that "blaming ourselves for systemic bs," is going to get worse before it gets better. Or just blame any attempt to actually address/ prepare for climate change. Thats what's happening where I live, even though it's pretty damn far from Texas.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

As someone from MI, I found it wild and sad that you're infrastructure fell apart over what is standard winter weather up here. I hope the rest of your friends and family got out ok.

[@TheMalVivant]

“How do you know if someone went to an Ivy League school?” “They’ll tell you”

[@JohnDavidRomo-es6rr]

I used to think it was something to admire, I still do. However it should show.

[@backupplan6058]

There is a difference however between going to Harvard, studying there and graduating from Harvard. Based on the quality of people shown they fall into the first category.

[@Rad9000]

God forbid they are vegan as well.

[@heyitsfei]

Just because someone's a Harvard alum doesn't automatically mean they're smart. An article published in January 2022 in the Journal of Labour Economics reported that 43% of white admits fell into the category of ALDC (athlete, legacy, dean's interest list, or child of faculty/staff). Of that 43%, it was determined that nearly three-quarters would've been rejected if not for their ALDC status. Basically, when it comes to admission into Harvard and many other top universities, it's less about what you know and more about who you know (and however much is in your bank account)

[@stoodmuffinpersonal3144]

And even smart people can be dumb about things they didn't study. And I got a degree and feel like I still dont know shit. So. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Rad9000]

It means they have connections/money.

[@wako1576]

A smart person went to Harvard because theyre smart, a dumb person thinks theyre smart because they went to Harvard. When giving expert opinion, one speaks smart and the other speaks about Harvard.

[@austinemms9772]

How was the Texas Blackout four years ago? I feel like I’m aging at twice the speed of normal humans…..

[@DullyDust]

I think that's a pretty universal human experience, if that helps in any way

[@stoodmuffinpersonal3144]

I started this year as a 30 something but ended it as a 90 something 😅

[@3_Klos1122]

Are you over 40? We all feel that way us over the hill rookies

[@3_Klos1122]

The local plant here has had numerous complaints that the person firing the “stun gun” deal has been missing the sweet spot causing the cows to not be stunned before they’re hung upside down and bled out.

[@Rj-pw7zs]

In all seriousness Kitchen Aid mixers are amazing.

[@jenniferreed9105]

I agree, but I would never buy one with a glass bowl.

[@AndersAndersendark]

I used to work in a meatplant in Denmark, worked at nights as a young man 19 years old, to earn a little money at night, was payed around 34$ an hour 10 hour shifts 4 days a week, 5 breaks a day and 3 days off. Where in the packing area, and we had a lot of fun, we could take more shift that would mean overtime 100% more in hour 68$. A lot of time ago so they earn more today.

[@RhoChalmers]

Omg. We were stuck in or house, with covid, so we weren't allowed into hotels. We were sick and without electricity or water. Neighbors brought us bottled water and our house was super insulated so it never got below 50f. Luckily, we had food to last 12 DAYS.

[@RhoChalmers]

12 days no power of water -after that covid was at point we could leave house to shop

[@davechongle]

jesus christ that sounds near traumatic.. sorry you had to go through that.

[@stoodmuffinpersonal3144]

There has to be a way to get work done without putting people through such extremes. Even Machines break down if you push them past their breaking point.

[@xxfloppypillowxx]

Going to Harvard doesn't mean you're smart it means you're rich and probably white.

[@DullyDust]

How do you know if someone went to Harvard? They will let you know often and instistantly 🙄

[@ThingsThatMakeYouAskWHY]

Exactly 😂

[@aabu4995]

@@DullyDustand they can spell instantly

[@DullyDust]

@@aabu4995 i bet they can. I was saying insistently though, not instantly. I just spelled it wrong xD I didn't go to Harvard

[@cripplious]

Im paralyzed. I have to wear a diaper and when I go out It know how its easy to see someone being in there own waste

[@annjohnson994]

When do you come back on? Either my computer is fecked up and not sending my notification or you're taking a well earned break. Jon Stewart and yourself are my favorite shows. (and I watch very little t.v.) I miss you especially now when so much s**t is going on. Never let anyone tell you you're not one of the best. I always look forward to your show.

[@doccamedulla]

Sometime in February - TBA.

[@bettername2come]

I had to look up what movie contained both Beyonce and John Oliver. That's how memorable the Lion King remake is.

[@ThingsThatMakeYouAskWHY]

13:53 Taking bets on how many workers will get sick? Bad form, mister foreman! Bad form!

[@stevdor6146]

I'm mildly interested to know what number that was bet on was closest to 15,000

[@meganjohnson9540]

Vile…that’s harsh…fair. I want that mixer too. My sister in law got it. I love her. It’s cool.

[@aabu4995]

14:03 he should have read out loud the whole review of chips

[@906087]

Id hate to say it, but I think Perdue deserves an award for making such an insane commercial

[@davidn90]

That slide was gold. Kudos

[@Tonyhouse1168]

Every time I rewatch this episode, I’m reminded that someone actually married Ted Cruz 🤮🤮🤮

[@JaneKaplun-js4lp]

And had sex with him often enough to have children!

[@backupplan6058]

Not only that but slept with, had kids with and have people still vote for that smear of excrement.

[@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez]

I find the idea that nuclear power being hobbled by the cold laughable. The nuclear reactors alone could replace every form of energy listed year round without any problems.

[@mnm1273]

It measurably did, the output of nuclear plants decreased because one of the power plants had a cold related issues. Governor Abbot admitted to it "He also noted that one of the power outages was at the South Texas Project, a nuclear power plant." as reported by ABC news and the EIA shows the dip for nuclear power output that persisted during the crisis. It was a drop of about 20% of all nuclear output

[@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez]

@mnm1273 obviously, whomever built them fucked up then.

[@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez]

@mnm1273 that's just a product of being poorly built, assuming that it actually happened and wasn't an excuse to use less clean energy.

[@mnm1273]

@@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez Why it broke down is irrelevant to the statement you were criticizing. It factually faltered due to the cold and frankly just rejecting that fact because you don't like it is silly, it takes a quick google search to verify the accuracy of his claim John Oliver made. The truth shouldn't be treated as laughable. Instead of speculating about accuracy you could just look up the sources, unless you think the Energy Information Administration is being dishonest (Extreme winter weather is disrupting energy supply and demand, particularly in Texas is the article).

[@bankurofuto.]

Same here with Canada we share the same grid with the United States. More than 50 million people in Ontario and the northeastern United States experience the largest power outage in history of North America on 14th August, 2003 Investigations would later determine that a series of failures in Ohio triggered the blackout. A system monitoring tool was not working, then a generating unit tripped off in an overloaded portion of the grid, and then overheated transmission lines began sagging into overgrown trees and tripping.Aug 12, 2023. They literally had to use a generator on one of the the American border electric plant and slowly chained react slowly all other power plant back online

[@Antney946]

Maple flavoured electricity, yum!

[@spongeintheshoe]

7:00 Well then, what _is_ the local government’s responsibility?

[@JennianaCross]

To collect taxes.

[@spongeintheshoe]

@@JennianaCross And what are we paying those taxes _for?_

[@JennianaCross]

@@spongeintheshoe To finance our own oppression, I guess? Those cops don't hassle minorities for free

[@jlev1028]

To make people's lives miserable. Which is funny enough the platform of every Trump-supporting Republican.

[@tigerrom03]

Thank you

[@3_Klos1122]

A blank $10000. Check isn’t the blank check people hope for. I think of the amount line being blank and the name line has my name. I just have to decide the amount for my service.

[@heatherdowhaluk2128]

I wonder if Texas got fixed

[@HobbiesGamesChillin]

It did not

[@JennianaCross]

Nope.

[@SuperOmi27]

Of course they didn't. People saw power bills in the thousands from that blackout and told they had to pay them.

[@kzisnbkosplay3346]

The irony of the Ted Cruz fiasco is that if he had used a private jet no one would have known

[@gragglenotz]

Haha the peoples court outro was kinda hilarious. The social distancing and reaction was awful and looking back it seems silly. What a wild time.

[@yuw777]

Texas is a great state. Why do they not have enough energy? Get on the job Texas. No reason at all you should not be number one.

[@JohnDavidRomo-es6rr]

Just for that I'm using Tyson chicken logo on the next weed stamp

[@rjpittman4510]

Anyone else forget Rush died?

[@aishahameen]

An audience makes a difference.

[@SuperOmi27]

It's almost like Texas is the last place you should work, or want to work, they care about the company, not the worker. Didn't they also cut out water breaks?

[@HouseSol.CassandrasComplex]

Revisiting this cause... disabled and sick so, I've got time. Not sure how I missed the segment on Texas, but as an ex-pat who had lived all over including Buffalo, Dallas, Houston, and visited many more, I'd like to explain something about Texas to non-Texans. Texas leadership, i.e. the GOP and Rapture Right Republicans, have been organizing Texas as what I refer to as a "fortress state." Texas has a ridiculous abundance of everything else the rest of the country including some of the largest mitary representation out there. In 2008 (faqchk?), it was reported that more than half of the US military was from Texas. There's also all of Texas' little quirks like the Texas Navy, it's independent power grid, the printing of US textbooks, the Gulf of Mexico (not calling it Gulf of America. Fucking stupid) being a major US port and naval hub, and a ton of other seemingly insane goofy shit that, when you actually put it together with moneyed interests, imperialism and egomania... It's been designed as a fortress that embodies the wanted ideals for the rest of the country. The thinking has always been, in that state anyways, that if at any time the rest of the US were to collapse, Texas would be the indomitable fortress where "American ideals" would continue to exist. This indoctrination is beyond stupid and dangerous and I cannot express how absolutely ingrained it is in people out there. Remember the Alamo. Secession from the Union based on the circumstances of Texas' introduction to the union. Its insane, fuedalistic attitude towards the citizenry that lives there. The isolation of that states enormous rural communities to keep them voting red. Ngl... realizing what the Kingdom of Texas really was, became an enormous impetus for my fleeing from that state, in addition to being trans and made homeless by that state numerous times... They took everything from me when I couldn't work harder... when they broke me... when I wasn't "compliant" enough or whatever tf they wanted... I'd be dead now if I had stayed... I probably would have died in that freeze, actually... And there would have been no one, not even in my own family and friends there, that would've even thought twice about me... And yet... knowing all this and literally fleeing from the state for fear of my own life... I still need to go back... This country needs to take back Texas from the legal tyranny consuming that state. It is so important for so many reasons and while I have my own mission for going back and tearing it down from the inside out, it really needs to be understood just exactly how dire Texas is both in danger and need. -_-; And for people thinking from a point of self; if you can change Texas, you can change much of the rest of the country, including your own homes. It's that much the heart of this country AND a major bridge to other parts of the world as well. Oh yeah! I know Texas is a joke to Yankees and what not. We have our own jokes too. Lol. But I can back up these claims with hard data and evidence. In regards to Texas not just being an important National location and reserve, it's also a very powerful international presence as well. In the UK, they have a Texas Club and overseas in Asian countries, Cowboys are to them like Ninjas are to us in America and it's honestly one of the best experiences I think a Texan can have, when someone form Malaysia comes to be a rancher. ^^; There's a brand there that can be reclaimed, is what I'm saying and could lead to a lot of good will if we could just rat out the Rapture Right.

[@stoodmuffinpersonal3144]

"every man for themselves," ethos is how our society is going to parish. Lol.

[@Rad9000]

Also, looks like Tyson needs some Adjusting.

[@kari-pekkamakkeli9494]

Some commercial started just after that Harvard joke and it was something about Harvard! 😂 Skipped it so not sure what kind of bullshit it was... 🤔

[@TrueJoeMama]

10:54 main story

[@MrMatteNWk]

11:40 and that's only the second worst Perdue/soundalikes

[@PentagramMachinist1618]

The defining characteristic of a human being is an instinct to survive that exists in their overall logic. They have a soul which typically means that their overall sum is much greater than the sum of their parts. The world obviously has only a few living human beings and always has. Humans are not warlike because war goes against the instinct to survive. Humans do not strive to create great feats because of the threshold of pain involved. Therefore, these are either subhuman savages or artificial robots in the world.

[@rookie1178]

The these people don't want to wash their meat before cooking

[@justincolombi2583]

Where the hell is the live audience?

[@mnm1273]

This was a season made during the pandemic

[@nitaweitzel822]

I am so Happy to be Vegan No animal products for me. I will live longer and happier and its Much Much Cheaper

[@johnchessant3012]

S8 E2

[@csuiceanu]

Stop speaking BA., there is no bribery in US, lobby mate only lobby :)

[@GiarkReleos]

twisting and distorting your capacity to acknowledge reality, does not remove your intent. Remember that your soulless ways is your undoing. Facts Matter !!

[@charlesurrea1451]

This thing fell flatter than paper. You had best bring back an audience

[@staralchemist129]

This was filmed during lockdown, it’s a reupload

[@commandershepard7728]

Reupload. Booooo

[@MoonfirePone]

No, it's an upload of the whole episode, not just the main story

[@mnm1273]

Full upload actually, giving access to the entire episode

[@stoodmuffinpersonal3144]

INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION. SHARE HOLDER VALUE. WORKER EXPLOITATION. THE SUPPOSEDLY FAIR HAND OF "THE FREE (UNREGULATED MARKET)" MY NEMISIS. We meat ( ;) ) again! Lol