Goodwill now resells donated PCs with various linux distros pre-installed, probably to avoid paying for the M$ license. If one looks for a stripped down distro while the look maybe quite retro it tends to just work. I've been on antix linux on all my computers for over a decade and I'm far from a power user -- but a reinstall takes less than an hour and updates are either automatic or requested. Which is to say, M$ doesn't take over my appliance for hours every timeI turn it on because it is ancient hardware -- it just works.
The curious thing about fridges is RV fridges run off propane/DC/AC, have no moving parts, and when in use are constantly jarred due to road motion, and never break down -- nothing to break. Unfortunately, these absorbtion fridges tend to retail for high prices.
I saw a Brazilian made one running off unscrubbed digester gas fed from the excreta of two immense pigs on a farm in Belize in 1996.
My 2004 RV has one and runs whenever I need it. I'd insall it in my house but I'd need to build a cabinet, chimney and gas piping for it first... so instead I have to listen to a compressor spinning when it runs.
No obsolescence, no spare parts, no breakdown, no posibility for continuing profit. Bad ideaQ
They’re also substantially less efficient. No full size fridge would ever use them because they’d chew tons and tons of power to cool in a residential house.
Awesome tech! Just generates heat and is inefficient compared to a compressor so it is less popular in the US. There are also electric absorption fridges.
You are distinguishing between Freedom and Civilization, the latter is, of course, rule by the strongest gang.
Freedom doesn't exist, except perhaps in your personal allodium, and war is necessary to obtain one. However, the average gang doesn't have the muscle.
When money is speech the loudest speakers have the deepest pockets.
When money is speech taxes become censorship.
When money/taxes are depressed to certain groups, or are given to other
certain groups, that money/speech is being recycled into legal bribes/
campaign donations. The 'speech' become circular.
Politicians are donation/bribe demanding machines. Legislation is bribe facilitating speech. Pay go play, follow the money.
The title is almost obvious. Surveilance is already 24/7/365.
If you're not completely appalled you haven't been paying attention.
With regards to 'democracy', as with jurors, common-sense is a mixed bag...
A politician in an area close to mine ran a write-in campaign contacted ~8000+ people, got ~5k votes. The Democrat on the ballot was unknown, signed-up last minute, gave no ballot statment, didn't advertise, or canvas and won; surmisably because they were listed as Democrat.
Another, earlier, was a Democrat state representative who got redistricted out of their seat by their own party for lack of toeing the party line.
Most of my ballot here is single person for each category, Should a challenger come up... well money is speech and thus taxation is censorship, and propaganda costs. When you hear a politician speak they are psychologically projecting from their own affectual experience.
Freedom ended with the concept of allodium. We've all been slaves ever since.
Don't believe that, walk nude, spouting nazi, or Stalinist slogans at work or even in your front yard or porch and see if you can pay your property tax or rent for the next period.
On one (15year old MB) we stream videos nightly.