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[wierd]

not that I am aware of.  They appear to have always been extremists, but were better at PR management in the pre-internet era, because information was transmitted much more slowly.

These days, they cannot spout sensible-sounding but complete bullshit to diffuse a faux-pas, because the internet is right there, like an army of angry south american ants--- ready to strip their facile argument bare before their very eyes in seconds flat.

As such, PETA has had the "appearance" of becoming more extreme, but the reality is that they just have more transparency that they dont want.

[Reelya]

I find it almost always makes more sense if you view that sort of "whacko PR" from fringe groups as being internal propaganda rather than designed to sway people to their side. The cognitive dissonance comes from the belief that PR is meant to expand your supporter base. It's not, it's meant to cement your control.

think about this: PETA would have an "elite" group of leaders who are in control, and want to stay in control. They could have an inclusive message that brings in a lot more supporters, but ultimately, the new supporters will be "moderates", and come to vastly outnumber the "elite". This could only really end with some of the moderates staging some sort of leadership coup and taking over the organization.

Imagine an analogy of a "club for geeks" which is really geeky, so you get a stint as president and get the idea to do PR to bring in more "average people" and it's really successful, so now the club is 10 times the size. However, at this point, the "average" non-geeky people have other ideas about how the club should be run so they effectively take it over, changing it's core mission statement. How would you feel as one of the original club members?

So, instead of that, the "elite" double-down on the rhetoric, which drives away more "moderate" supporters. This leaves a rump of die-hard ideological followers who are beholden to those core beliefs. The chaff - people who might question the current leaders - are brushed away.

[methylatedspirit]

So PETA's just doing the stuff it does since there's no other option that would let them survive for much longer. PETA's on life support, if that's the case.

[Reelya]

I don't think that's the correct assessment. That assumes that organizations need "broad appeal" to perpetuate themselves.

They don't. You just need sufficient turnover of membership, and the more hardcore you double-down on the rhetoric the easier it is to control, since it ensures that all the current members align to a single viewpoint.

My point was that PETA could broaden their message a lot, but that doesn't in fact provide any benefit to their current administration, since it only means they'd be outnumbered by people who think very differently to how they do, and those other people would invariably vote to change leadership in the long run.

Also, watering-down the message to bring in a lot more members wouldn't mean PETA was more sustainable. They might in fact lose their "special" status, and ultimately fracture or be absorbed into other groups if they did that. Imagine a "socialist" newspaper which decided to be less-socialist to bring in more readers. They might just lose their existing readers but not pick up a dedicated readership elsewhere since they're now "meh". The socialist newspaper is therefore better off going hardcore socialist, even though that "limits their readership". For PETA, similarly, being the group of "extreme animal rights" might in fact be the optimal survival strategy, and trying to broaden the base might kill them off as a unique force.

[George_Chickens]

I can't sleep 'cause I twisted my fucking balls. It hurts so much.

[wierd]

testicular torsion can be a serious medical emergency.  Have you sought medical treatment?

If the answer is 'no', don't wait around. Not if you value your testicles anyway.  It's an outpatient procedure, but this is still a medical emergency.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/testicular-torsion/symptoms-causes/syc-20378270

[Kagus]

I believe that ended up being kind of a big deal in high schools a few years ago, back when "sack-tapping" was all the rage.

[LordBaal]

I'm sick to my stomach.

[Doomblade187]

I'm sick to my stomach.

i wish you quick passage of the stomach bug. Remember too keep drinking fluids and electrolytes.

[Kagus]

Oh, I thought he meant the testicular torsion.

[Yoink]

It is past nine at night and I still haven't cooked dinner or had a shower, the two things I needed to do this evening.

Edit: do I need to mention that I am in an exceptionally shitty mood? Because I am. Everything is awful and I can't properly focus on the soothing music in my headphones with my housemate's guitar playing coming from the other room.

[Baffler]

Man, it seems like everyone's sick. I came down with a fever last night, and I've felt like I've had a brick sitting on my chest all day. No other issues thankfully, but I'm late to the party. Everyone in the house has had the same thing for the last day or two.

[WillowLuman]

My dog passed away yesterday. She'd been real ill for a few days and I was staying near her. Mom came home and it seems she'd been saving her strength to greet someone, because shortly after getting up, she just seized and... that was it. I'm glad at least she went at home, rather than at the vet's but... everyone is heartbroken here.

[Arx]

That's the worst. I'm really sorry to hear that.

[Levi]

testicular torsion can be a serious medical emergency.  Have you sought medical treatment?

If the answer is 'no', don't wait around. Not if you value your testicles anyway.  It's an outpatient procedure, but this is still a medical emergency.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/testicular-torsion/symptoms-causes/syc-20378270

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slobhI2HXhA