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This Happened

This Happened — September 26: Oktoberfest Terrorist Attack

On this day in 1980, the Oktoberfest terrorist attack happened in Munich.

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What was the Oktoberfest terrorist attack?

The Oktoberfest terror attack was a deadly bombing that occurred during the opening ceremony of the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, Germany. The attack was carried out by Gundolf Köhler, a German far-right extremist. He planted a bomb in a trash can near the main entrance of the festival grounds. His motive was believed to be driven by his extremist ideology and opposition to the government's immigration policies and perceived leftist influences.

How many people were killed and injured in the Oktoberfest attack?

The attack killed 13 people, including Köhler himself, and injured more than 200 others. Many of the injured suffered severe burns and shrapnel wounds due to the force of the explosion.

What impact did the attack have on Germany?

The attack highlighted the presence of right-wing extremism in West Germany and raised concerns about the potential threat posed by such groups. It also led to increased scrutiny of security measures and efforts to counter domestic terrorism . Memorials and commemorations are held to honor the victims and raise awareness about the dangers of extremism.

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Ideas

Look At This Crap! The "Enshittification" Theory Of Why The Internet Is Broken

The term was coined by journalist Cory Doctorow to explain the fatal drift of major Internet platforms: if they were ever useful and user-friendly, they will inevitably end up being odious.

A person holding their smartphone

Gilles Lambert/ ZUMA
Manuel Ligero

-Analysis-

The universe tends toward chaos. Ultimately, everything degenerates. These immutable laws are even more true of the Internet .

In the case of media platforms, everything you once thought was a good service will, sooner or later, disgust you. This trend has been given a name: enshittification . The term was coined by Canadian blogger and journalist Cory Doctorow to explain the inevitable drift of technological giants toward... well.

The explanation is in line with the most basic tenets of Marxism. All digital companies have investors (essentially the bourgeoisie, people who don't perform any work and take the lion's share of the profits), and these investors want to see the percentage of their gains grow year after year. This pushes companies to make decisions that affect the service they provide to their customers. Although they don't do it unwillingly, quite the opposite.

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Annoying customers is just another part of the business plan. Look at Netflix , for example. The streaming giant has long been riddling how to monetize shared Netflix accounts. Option 1: adding a premium option to its regular price. Next, it asked for verification through text messages. After that, it considered raising the total subscription price. It also mulled adding advertising to the mix, and so on. These endless maneuvers irritated its audience, even as the company has been unable to decide which way it wants to go. So, slowly but surely, we see it drifting toward enshittification.

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