US Politics Thread

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FogBlueInSanFran said:
Never know what tomorrow will bring stock-market-wise (well, nothing tomorrow LOL) but once again in real-person pragmatic terms, hundreds of thousands of Americans if not millions thrown into needless stupid uncertainty because Action Man wants to piss into someone else’s yard. You’d think an ex-businessman would understand the importance of being able to map out macro/micro-stability, but I keep forgetting he was absolute shit running businesses.
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No doubt they been shorting stocks and will be trousering a huge profit whilst telling the working man they’ve got his back…..
 
Dax777 said:
He is very Trump like in that respect. Which is quite funny considering how much he hates Trump.

Talk about Irony
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You should take a look at this...

The Coddling of the American Mind​


The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure is a 2018 book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. It is an expansion of a popular essay the two wrote for The Atlantic in 2015. Lukianoff and Haidt argue that overprotection is harming university students and that the use of trigger warnings and safe spaces does more harm than good.

Overview​

Lukianoff and Haidt argue that many problems on campus have their origins in three "great untruths" that have become prominent in education: "What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker"; "always trust your feelings"; and "life is a battle between good people and evil people". The authors state that these three "great untruths" contradict modern psychology and ancient wisdom from many cultures

The book goes on to discuss microaggressions, identity politics, "safetyism", call-out culture, and intersectionality The authors define safetyism as a culture or belief system in which safety (which includes "emotional safety") has become a sacred value, which means that people become unwilling to make trade offs demanded by other practical and moral concerns. They argue that embracing the culture of safetyism has interfered with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. Continuing to discuss contemporary partisanship or the "rising political polarization and cross party animosity", they state that the left and right are "locked into a game of mutual provocation and reciprocal outrage".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coddling_of_the_American_Mind
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Never know what tomorrow will bring stock-market-wise (well, nothing tomorrow LOL) but once again in real-person pragmatic terms, hundreds of thousands of Americans if not millions thrown into needless stupid uncertainty because Action Man wants to piss into someone else’s yard. You’d think an ex-businessman would understand the importance of being able to map out macro/micro-stability, but I keep forgetting he was absolute shit running businesses.
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American economist on the prospect of new US trade deals: You're dealing with a man whose deal is "my word is my bond until I change my mind".
 
The perfect fumble said:
You should take a look at this...

The Coddling of the American Mind​


The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure is a 2018 book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. It is an expansion of a popular essay the two wrote for The Atlantic in 2015. Lukianoff and Haidt argue that overprotection is harming university students and that the use of trigger warnings and safe spaces does more harm than good.

Overview​

Lukianoff and Haidt argue that many problems on campus have their origins in three "great untruths" that have become prominent in education: "What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker"; "always trust your feelings"; and "life is a battle between good people and evil people". The authors state that these three "great untruths" contradict modern psychology and ancient wisdom from many cultures

The book goes on to discuss microaggressions, identity politics, "safetyism", call-out culture, and intersectionality The authors define safetyism as a culture or belief system in which safety (which includes "emotional safety") has become a sacred value, which means that people become unwilling to make trade offs demanded by other practical and moral concerns. They argue that embracing the culture of safetyism has interfered with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. Continuing to discuss contemporary partisanship or the "rising political polarization and cross party animosity", they state that the left and right are "locked into a game of mutual provocation and reciprocal outrage".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coddling_of_the_American_Mind
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Why should he read that? Hirsch’s “Cultural Literacy” is more up his alley.
 
TonyM said:
Liverpool fans don't think they are in a cult either.


Then again neither do we realise that we are in the City cult.
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Cults are easy to spot.
1. They are led by a charismatic figure, often with peculiar or flawed character traits. Most cult leaders are extremely self centered.
2. Cults disseminate highly improbable “facts” without evidence.
3. Cult members implicitly and fanatically believe in both the leader and the cult myths.

Current cults to watch out for:
Trumpism
Liverpool fc supporters
The BBC
 
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Elon Musk trying to access sensitive Treasury Systems. Senior treasury official resigns in Protest.​

The highest-ranking career official at the Treasury Department is departing after a clash with allies of billionaire Elon Musk over access to sensitive payment systems, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private talks.

David A. Lebryk, who served in nonpolitical roles at Treasury for several decades, announced his retirement Friday in an email to colleagues obtained by The Washington Post. President Donald Trump named Lebryk as acting secretary upon taking office last week. Lebryk had a dispute with Musk's surrogates over access to the payment system the U.S. government uses to disburse trillions of dollars every year, the people said. The exact nature of the disagreement was not immediately clear, they said.
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KS55 said:
Cults are easy to spot.
1. They are led by a charismatic figure, often with peculiar or flawed character traits. Most cult leaders are extremely self centered.
2. Cults disseminate highly improbable “facts” without evidence.
3. Cult members implicitly and fanatically believe in both the leader and the cult myths.

Current cults to watch out for:
Trumpism
Liverpool fc supporters
The BBC
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I get that supporters of Trump are in a tribal echo chamber - a "cult" if you will.

Why do you think that Liverpool supporters and the BBC fall into this same category?
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Why should he read that? Hirsch’s “Cultural Literacy” is more up his alley.
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I've not read it, but Google is my friend...

"Cultural Literacy" represents the tradition of pluralism in the United States of America. Hirsch also suggests that critical-thinking skills should always be predicated on relevant knowledge: one cannot think critically unless one has a lot of relevant knowledge about the issue at hand.

Not too long ago in a bunch of now deleted posts, we touched on a topic that is understandably very close to your heart, I have no desire to revisit it, I really mean that.

However, in the course of the "debate" you accused me of lying regarding my association with a particular group, implying that my motives were not grounded in "relevant knowledge about the issue at hand" but motivated instead, to put it mildly, by prejudice.

You are, of course, at liberty to express that opinion, but what it did expose is that progressives view pluralism entirely on their own terms. All the panoply of wonderful, warm and empathetic things they believe and vigorously promote is what pluralism is really all about. All those who oppose these wonderful enlightened things are, at best, ill informed and stupid and therefore incapable of "critical thinking about the issue at hand", they're reactionary, at worst bigots, liars and fascists.

Right now social media is infested with progressives ranting about the terrible state of things and when they're not ranting or engaging in purity inquisitions, they're thrusting microphones at Trump supporters ridiculing how stupid and wrong they are and conversely how enlightened and right on progressives are. While this is all very comforting because it reinforces a simple stereotype, one you alluded to in the quoted post, that the likes of Dax777 don't get it because they're too stupid and should educate themselves by reading "Cultural Literacy" or any book without pictures in it. Have you ever considered that Dax777, and others like him, don't get it not because they're incapable, but because you can't sell it, and that you can't sell it because what you're selling doesn't stand up?
 
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The perfect fumble said:
I've not read it, but Google is my friend...

"Cultural Literacy" represents the tradition of pluralism in the United States of America. Hirsch also suggests that critical-thinking skills should always be predicated on relevant knowledge: one cannot think critically unless one has a lot of relevant knowledge about the issue at hand.

Not too long ago in a bunch of now deleted posts, we touched on a topic that is understandably very close to your heart, I have no desire to revisit it, I really mean that.

However, in the course of the "debate" you accused me of lying regarding my association with a particular group, implying that my motives were not grounded in "relevant knowledge about the issue at hand" but motivated instead, to put it mildly, by prejudice.

You are, of course, at liberty to express that opinion, but what it did expose is that progressives view pluralism entirely on their own terms. All the panoply of wonderful, warm and empathetic things they believe and vigorously promote is what pluralism is really all about. All those who oppose these wonderful enlightened things are, at best, ill informed and stupid and therefore incapable of "critical thinking about the issue at hand", they're reactionary, at worst bigots, liars and fascists.

Right now social media is infested with progressives ranting about the terrible state of things and when they're not ranting they're thrusting microphones at Trump supporters to expose how stupid they are. While this is all very comforting because it reinforces a simple stereotype, one you alluded to in the quoted post, that the likes of Dax777 don't get it because they're too stupid and should educate themselves by reading "Cultural Literacy", have you ever considered that Dax777 and others like him, don't get it because you can't sell it, and you can't sell it because it simply doesn't stand up.
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Isn't there a simpler answer?

Both you and Dax are insane?
 
The perfect fumble said:
I've not read it, but Google is my friend...

"Cultural Literacy" represents the tradition of pluralism in the United States of America. Hirsch also suggests that critical-thinking skills should always be predicated on relevant knowledge: one cannot think critically unless one has a lot of relevant knowledge about the issue at hand.

Not too long ago in a bunch of now deleted posts, we touched on a topic that is understandably very close to your heart, I have no desire to revisit it, I really mean that.

However, in the course of the "debate" you accused me of lying regarding my association with a particular group, implying that my motives were not grounded in "relevant knowledge about the issue at hand" but motivated instead, to put it mildly, by prejudice.

You are, of course, at liberty to express that opinion, but what it did expose is that progressives view pluralism entirely on their own terms. All the panoply of wonderful, warm and empathetic things they believe and vigorously promote is what pluralism is really all about. All those who oppose these wonderful enlightened things are, at best, ill informed and stupid and therefore incapable of "critical thinking about the issue at hand", they're reactionary, at worst bigots, liars and fascists.

Right now social media is infested with progressives ranting about the terrible state of things and when they're not ranting they're thrusting microphones at Trump supporters to expose how stupid they are. While this is all very comforting because it reinforces a simple stereotype, one you alluded to in the quoted post, that the likes of Dax777 don't get it because they're too stupid and should educate themselves by reading "Cultural Literacy", have you ever considered that Dax777 and others like him, don't get it because you can't sell it, and you can't sell it because it simply doesn't stand up.
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Just so!

I'm so glad you pointed this obvious fact out!

I'm a womanizer myself and I'm glad that others of my ilk are finally in charge of government.

I'm also an anti-social, narcissist who fucking hates emigrants. So screw all of them. Rip their children from their parents - and just deport all of them.

And climate change is an obvious hoax. All those fires and hurricanes and melting ice - that shit's been going on for ages. Nothing to do with CO2 emissions.

And vaccination. What a joke, Herd immunity is the way to go - just let measles, polio, and covid run rampant - no need to vaccinate - mother nature will make us all immune eventually!

And man-oh-man - those nominees Trump and his MAGA cult are pushing through - I feel so much safer now that the ultra-qualified Hegseth is Secretary of Defense - I really trust him to make excellent decisions (at least when he's sober).

And it's about time that the FBI and the Justice Department is under direct control of the President. It's so comforting that any dissent against Trump will be met with criminal investigation.

And how about the dismissal of all inspectors generals? - fucking waste of time to oversee the Trump administration - Trump and his ilk are among the most honest of all people!

And I'm very proud of my President and my country for releasing all those felons and criminals who invaded the Capitol on 1/6. Those that attacked police - the ultra-right nationalists - hell, I can't wait for them to bomb another American institution just like they did in Oklahoma. That'll wake those woke, lefty Democrats the fuck up!

American is going to be Fucking Great Again - or at the very least Greatly Fucked Again! I can hardly wait!
 
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BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
I get that supporters of Trump are in a tribal echo chamber - a "cult" if you will.

Why do you think that Liverpool supporters and the BBC fall into this same category?
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The Liverpool remark is a bit facetious but, if you look at RAWK, you could be in another strange world. For example many of them believe the myth that Chelsea supporters or other Londoners were responsible for Heysel.
The bbc, however is serious. I think it approaches cult status:
1. The leader is titled Director General, an odd name for a broadcasting company.
2. They have a set of beliefs which it seems are mandatory and they never question them. One is that they are neutral politically and do not lean in a particular direction. This is clearly nonsense. I am not saying they favour a political party but rather follow their own set agenda. We see it most obviously in the sports dept in media city where they do not leave their club allegiance at the door. I remember a few years ago a director saying “We must get over our obsession with Manchester United.” They havent as one responder to hys said recently: “Oh goody, only four United subjects today”. They insist on calling City “AbuDhabi backed” ( which improved from ‘AbuDhabi owned’ as a result of numerous complaints) but they don’t call United ‘USA backed.’
In news and current affairs, the presenters regularly editorialise. Witness Derbyshire saying: “The tories have never been interested in the environment.” Er…they passed the clean air acts in the fifties and Thatcher was the first world leader to address the UN on climate change. She is a chemist by training.
Munchetty has been regularly criticised for editorialising on the news programme.
Finally, for reasons I don’t understand, their employment policies clearly favour Catholics. Check on how many of their directors General have not been catholics. I have no gripe with Catholics, but the BBC used to ask on their employment application form what religion you followed. Why? They also asked for details of any family members already in bbc employment. Why?
The news and current affairs department work under a directive not to quote work which questions the standard view on climate change, even serious academic papers are verboten. The directive maintains that the standard view is ‘settled science’. Settled Science does not exist. Settled science is an oxymoronic phrase.
I could go on, but suffice it to say if you delve into the Beeb, some very peculiar traits emerge.
P.S. Has Anybody here ever had a complaint upheld? A rare event, because the controversial statements they make draw on their belief system.p so can’t possibly be wrong.
PPS The Beeb is Highly London centric. A few years ago, there were widespread floods and a woman complained that one of the worst hit areas, Hull, had not been reported on, even though a man drowned in the street and 30,000 buildings were flooded, with 20,000 people made temporarily homeless.
The beeb’s excuse was that Hull was ‘remote’.
 
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KS55 said:
The Liverpool remark is a bit facetious but, if you look at RAWK, you could be in another strange world. For example many of them believe the myth that Chelsea supporters or other Londoners were responsible for Heysel.
The bbc, however I is serious. I think it approaches cult status:
1. The leader is titled Director General, an odd name for a broadcasting company.
2. They have a set of beliefs which it seems are mandatory and they never question them. One is that they are neutral politically and do not lean in a particular direction. This is clearly nonsense. I am not saying they favour a political party but rather follow their own set agenda. We see it most obviously in the sports dept in media city where they do not leave their club allegiance at the door. I remember a few years ago a director saying “We must get over our obsession with Manchester United.” They havent as one responder to hys said recently: “Oh goody, only four United subjects today”. They insist on calling City “AbuDhabi backed” ( which improved from ‘AbuDhabi owned’ as a result of numerous complaints) but they don’t call United ‘USA backed.’
In news and current affairs, the presenters regularly editorialise. Witness Derbyshire saying: “The tories have never been interested in the environment.” Er…they passed the clean air acts in the fifties and Thatcher was the first world leader to address the UN on climate change. She is a chemist by training.
Munchetty has been regularly criticised for editorialising on the news programme.
Finally, for reasons I don’t understand, their employment policies clearly favour Catholics. Check on how many of their directors General have not been catholics. I have no gripe with Catholics, but the BBC used to ask on their employment application form what religion you followed. Why? They also asked for details of any family members already in bbc employment. Why?
I could go on, but suffice it to say if you delve into the Beeb, some very peculiar traits emerge.
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Cheers. As a Yank I've no insight into the BBC.

From my perspective, though, the BBC's news broadcasts are fair, and unbiased - albeit I've watched none of their sports coverage.
 
BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
Just so!

I'm so glad you pointed this obvious fact out!

I'm a womanizer myself and I'm glad that others of my ilk are finally in charge of government.

I'm also an anti-social, narcissist who fucking hates emigrants. So screw all of them. Rip their children from their parents - and just deport all of them.

And climate change is an obvious hoax. All those fires and hurricanes and melting ice - that shit's been going on for ages. Nothing to do with CO2 emissions.

And vaccination. What a joke, Herd immunity is the way to go - just let measles, polio, and covid run rampant - no need to vaccinate - mother nature will make us all immune eventually!

And man-oh-man - those nominees Trump and his MAGA cult are pushing through - I feel so much safer now that the ultra-qualified Hegseth is Secretary of Defense - I really trust him to make excellent decisions (at least when he's sober).

And it's about time that the FBI and the Justice Department is under direct control of the President. It's so comforting that any dissent against Trump will be met with criminal investigation.

And how about the dismissal of all inspectors generals? - fucking waste of time to oversee the Trump administration - Trump and his ilk are among the most honest of all people!

And I'm very proud of my President and my country for releasing all those felons and criminals who invaded the Capitol on 1/6. Those that attacked police - the ultra-right nationalists - hell, I can't wait for them to bomb another American institution just like they did in Oklahoma. That'll wake those woke, lefty Democrats the fuck up!

American is going to be Fucking Great Again - or at the very least Greatly Fucked Again! I can hardly wait!
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I agree with your sentiment.

Why can't you sell the alternative?
 
The perfect fumble said:
I agree with your sentiment.

Why can't you sell the alternative?
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It's the economy stupid, stupid.

The above response is a bit tongue-in-cheek - nonetheless, I think that many Trump voters had no clue about his politics, what he stands for, and the impact it will have on their lives. Instead, they're superficial, uncritical sheep following tribal-think.

And Plan 2025 - the bedrock of what Trump is going to do was massively unpopular in polls among both Democrats and Republicans - hugely so. And yet the sheeple voted for Trump because he "heard of Plan 2025 but really doesn't know much about it" - fucking bullshit lapped up by the gullible.

Although I largely disagree with this video, there's some truth to this, and some of it is simultaneously hilarious and depressing (Mexican voter surprised that Trump is deporting Mexicans for example):
 
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BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
It's the economy stupid, stupid.

The above response is a bit tongue-in-cheek - nonetheless, I think that many Trump voters had no clue about his politics, what he stands for, and the impact it will have on their lives. Instead, they're superficial, uncritical sheep following tribal-think.

And Plan 2025 - the bedrock of what Trump is going to do was massively unpopular in polls among both Democrats and Republicans - hugely so. And yet the sheeple voted for Trump because he "heard of Plan 2025 but really doesn't know much about it" - fucking bullshit lapped up by the gullible.

Although I largely disagree with this video, there's some truth to this, and some of it is simultaneously hilarious and depressing (Mexican voter surprised that Trump is deporting Mexicans for example):
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False consciousness is a cold comfort.
 
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