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Post by hondobrode on Sept 16, 2016 11:16:30 GMT -5
Ok, so The Donald has announced that President Obama was born in America.
Whew !
Apparently he just received a phone call from a "very credible source" that convinced him.
Hillary started this in 2008 (?) but now Trump has finished it (?)
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Post by Prince Hal on Sept 16, 2016 11:30:02 GMT -5
Ok, so The Donald has announced that President Obama was born in America. Whew ! Apparently he just received a phone call from a "very credible source" that convinced him. Hillary started this in 2008 (?) but now Trump has finished it (?) This whole travesty is a rabbit hole with a serpent hiding inside.
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Post by hondobrode on Sept 16, 2016 15:12:45 GMT -5
I was thinking today, if Trump wins or appears to win, in keeping with my theory that he doesn't really want to be president, just the center of attention, I suspect he could resign or bow out at the very end.
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Post by hondobrode on Sept 16, 2016 17:21:57 GMT -5
I'd sooner vote for this guy at least he's consistently the real Bizarro
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Sept 19, 2016 19:46:22 GMT -5
I just watched a very depressing video of people at a Trump rally, expressing their concern about their security in the USA, and their conviction that their candidate was the one to restore a safe society. At the very top of their list of worries (because it's the only thing they talked about) is that scourge of American life: Islamic terrorism.
I would really like to know why such statements are given a free pass every time they're made, and why more moderate people (or the media) respond to such concerns by bromides like "you can't blame a whole group for the actions of a few crazy people". Not that it isn't true, but it's beside the point.
The average citizen might possibly be the victim of Islamic terrorism in the US. There are crazy people out there thinking their religion orders them to kill people (and not just moslems, as victims of abortion clinic bombings would know). But let's please call a cat a cat: you are less likely to be killed by a religious fanatic in the US than you are by a cop who thought you were pulling a gun. You are less likely to be killed by a Jihadist than by a bee sting. You are less likely to be killed by Jihadist than by a reckless driver. And you are far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far less likely to be killed by a Jihadist than by an "ordinary" citizen who, one day, decides to get a gun and go postal on his neighbours or co-workers. Victims of jihadist terrorism since 9/11 : less than 150... averaging less than ten a year. Victims of bee stings: about 50 annually. And victims of gun violence? Not suicides, not accidents by actual homicides? Above 10,000 each year. but that is somehow accepted as quite acceptable.
Ten thousand! The gun industry is mathematically a thousand times more dangerous to the American citizen than is islamic terrorism!
But instead of talking about who and what really kills Americans in a violent way, it's much easier to point an accusatory finger at "the other", at the stranger in our midst, and make him the scapegoat for all our fears -both real and imagined.
It worked for so many demagogues in the past, so why abandon a winning formula?
And the good people lap it up.
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Post by Prince Hal on Sept 20, 2016 8:53:11 GMT -5
I just watched a very depressing video of people at a Trump rally, expressing their concern about their security in the USA, and their conviction that their candidate was the one to restore a safe society. At the very top of their list of worries (because it's the only thing they talked about) is that scourge of American life: Islamic terrorism. I would really like to know why such statements are given a free pass every time they're made, and why more moderate people (or the media) respond to such concerns by bromides like "you can't blame a whole group for the actions of a few crazy people". Not that it isn't true, but it's beside the point.The average citizen might possibly be the victim of Islamic terrorism in the US. There are crazy people out there thinking their religion orders them to kill people (and not just moslems, as victims of abortion clinic bombings would know). But let's please call a cat a cat: you are less likely to be killed by a religious fanatic in the US than you are by a cop who thought you were pulling a gun. You are less likely to be killed by a Jihadist than by a bee sting. You are less likely to be killed by Jihadist than by a reckless driver. And you are far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far less likely to be killed by a Jihadist than by an "ordinary" citizen who, one day, decides to get a gun and go postal on his neighbours or co-workers. Victims of jihadist terrorism since 9/11 : less than 150... averaging less than ten a year. Victims of bee stings: about 50 annually. And victims of gun violence? Not suicides, not accidents by actual homicides? Above 10,000 each year. but that is somehow accepted as quite acceptable. Ten thousand! The gun industry is mathematically a thousand times more dangerous to the American citizen than is islamic terrorism! But instead of talking about who and what really kills Americans in a violent way, it's much easier to point an accusatory finger at "the other", at the stranger in our midst, and make him the scapegoat for all our fears -both real and imagined. It worked for so many demagogues in the past, so why abandon a winning formula? And the good people lap it up. Most of these "good people" are easily led and eager to be led. It's long past the time to rethink what "good" means in expressions like that. We Americans exult about being rugged individualists in our thoughts and actions, and for the most part, it's a delusion. We love passing along the hard work of thinking to others; we are expert at creating our own realities; we have no problem entering into co-dependent relationships with our politicians; for us, cognitive dissonance is mental health. The line from Jurassic Park applies: "They're moving in herds. They do move in herds." Madison in Federalist 55, wrote, "In all very numerous assemblies, of whatever character composed, passion never fails to wrest the sceptre from reason. Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob." At times, living in America is like living with an elderly relative or a mentally ill person. You get used to pretending that their reality is reality because it's easier than arguing about every little thing. It's why presidents now have to end every speech they give with "And God bless the United States of America!" It's why we have to pretend that when someone sings or plays "God Bless the U.S.A." it's not only a patriotic moment, but that it's also a beautiful song that captures the essence of being American. It's why people love slogans like "Make America Great Again," but can't tell you what the f*ck that means. I can tell you that it means a return to American exceptionalism, white exceptionalism, Christian exceptionalism, American apartheid, a clear stratification of society and the economy based on race and gender, an educational system that coddles rather than challenges, and the dogma that if we drop enough bombs on another nation, we can control it. Sorry for the inchoate response, RR, but the stupidity and the willful ignorance of my countrymen has been my white whale for decades, but anger and despair overwhelm me when I watch my countrymen ignore common sense, science and reason as well as every value they supposedly venerate. And this goes beyond the Trump-worship we're seeing now; that's just the latest and most vivid manifestation of the behavior of what Mencken dubbed Boobus americanus.
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Post by Rob Allen on Sept 20, 2016 16:54:11 GMT -5
Pictures can indeed be worth a thousand words, can't they? From goplifer.com/2016/09/17/a-thousand-words-and-so-on/ : "A young girl from Flint who became the face of the city’s water crisis got opportunities this year to meet both President Obama and, later, Donald Trump. Here are photos from each of the events."
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Post by Prince Hal on Sept 20, 2016 18:10:24 GMT -5
Pictures can indeed be worth a thousand words, can't they? From goplifer.com/2016/09/17/a-thousand-words-and-so-on/ : "A young girl from Flint who became the face of the city’s water crisis got opportunities this year to meet both President Obama and, later, Donald Trump. Here are photos from each of the events." Thanos vs. Superman
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 23:36:44 GMT -5
Joss Whedon Assembles Famous People Against Trump...
-M
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Sept 22, 2016 0:49:11 GMT -5
Joss Whedon Assembles Famous People Against Trump... -M As a general rule I could care less what celebrities think. Their opinion in general is no more valid or important than Bill at the barber shop or Eddie down at the car wash. But when a major candidate is a reality-star snake-oil salesman with zero governmental experience it somehow makes them more palatable.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2016 1:05:18 GMT -5
One of the things I like about Whedon's video is that it is simultaneously using the clout of the celebrities to bring home his message while at the same time pointing barbs at the idea that their status as celebrities makes their words any more meaningful than any one else's. In a perfect world, someone's fame wouldn't impact if people listened to what they were saying or not, but our world is far from perfect.
In an election year, where electing Cthulhu would be the lesser evil, I welcome anyone who wants to try to make a difference and make their voice and the voice of others heard. I live in a battleground state, I can't go 2 minutes without seeing/hearing some sort of political ad, if I go outside it looks like I am driving/walking through fields of people growing political sings and banners wherever I go, and it all becomes overwhelming white noise as I count the days to election day just do it will all be over, so a fresh, entertaining yet somehow sincere ad like this one is welcome and reminds me of what's at stake amid all the hot air and posturing I have to deal with daily.
-M
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Sept 22, 2016 5:43:24 GMT -5
Don't read the Youtube comments on that clip, though, or you might end up thinking that humanity does not deserve saving.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2016 6:28:02 GMT -5
Don't read the Youtube comments on that clip, though, or you might end up thinking that humanity does not deserve saving. I don't read them either ...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2016 7:08:29 GMT -5
I've long been the opinion that (in the vast majority of cases), posting a youtube comment should lead to your computer being removed and a permanent ban from ever accessing the internet again.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Sept 23, 2016 0:22:40 GMT -5
Joss Whedon Assembles Famous People Against Trump... -M I thought this political piece was hysterical This is the most important vote in the history of mankind-I've heard this in every presidential campaign since Millard Fillmore Please vote-think of the children, the little babies. Trotting out the children as usual Who is the young lady, appearing several times, and looking like she's about to burst into tears? She must be always thinking of the children
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