The Circle of the Savage Thinker

We all know that a large number of the convicts sent to Australia back in the day were convicted of "stealing a crust of bread to feed my little sister" type crimes but today I learned that a lot of them were sent for stealing their workhouse uniforms. By which I mean they were from Victorian workhouses, which were desperate, exploitative and abusive places on purpose (to encourage people to stop being poor), they decided to take that encouragement and try to make it on their own, left (which they were allowed to do)... and were arrested, imprisoned and eventually sent as convict labour to Australia because they were wearing the uniform they were given when they entered the workhouse (their own stuff was usually all confiscated when they arrived and workhouses didn't pay wages at this time so there was no way for them to get any other clothes). Imagine quitting your job at a fast food restaurant and then you get sent to a distant colony to die tilling fields for the military because you wore your stupid little uniform hat home.

Humanity fucking loves having a prison industrial complex so much. We can just never stop doing it.

May the rest of your year feel like your nervous system taking the deepest breath.