Thanks for proving fixed links to the both of you!

You need to use your protests as recruiting grounds for more direct pressure on your government. You should establish or join a lobbying organization and recruit volunteers. You will have these people write letters to the editor, solicit for donations, call and write to your representatives, and schedule in-person meetings with government officials.

Standing on the street and yelling by itself is not enough, you need to become a part of the establishment to affect change, but you can grow your organization by finding people who have proven to be motivated. A protest is a great place for that sort of thing.

The Israel and Palestine situation is way too complicated to be left to “I support Israel.” Support in what way? Their existence? Their military campaigns? Their government? Their settlements? Everything they’ve ever done ever?

Do you then oppose everything done by people from Palestine? Do you then oppose the existence of Palestine?

In my opinion it’s not okay to leave your opinion as that simple. If that’s all you’ve got your opinion is bad because it’s simplistic, not because it supports a particular side.

Entirely ignoring who is at burning man or why, I honestly think there needs to be a line somewhere for sympathy. If you truck yourself out into the desert and things go tits up, well, shit happens. That’s the risk you took.

I say this as a person who used to ride motorcycles, rock climb, and go backpacking. If shit ever went down I wouldn’t have expected any sympathy. I put myself in those risky situations, and there’s just plain gotta be a line for personal responsibility.

With all that being said, when such a massive group of people continuely take the same risk over and over, it’s kinda funny when they finally get bit. It’s the same reason COVID denires getting COVID is funny.

I hear the Netherlands is pretty great, especially when it comes to town planning and transportation.