https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXIT5w_k4mA
This is why I'll be voting for Trump. I feel strongly that the president should reflect the will of the people, and the will of the people seems to be, "Act like a clown."
I work with normal young people. In my experience I am justified in thinking well of them, and diss all the Millennial and X - Gen trashing. I don't tolerate trashing the Baby Boomers either (I are one). Perhaps it is something about the college environment that lowers the standards well below a polite academic seminar level. Maybe that proved impossible once people stopped smoking pipes, or anything at all. Hard to hold a micro-biotic-felafel in a French existentialist way ;-) College students today, weren't even protozoa when the 60s happened ... they only imagine how activism was (I despised it al the time), and are trying to create an infantile activism (that part of the criticism I agree with). Hope they will grow out of it, when they finally escape the death grip of academia.
But then I find SJWs to be unintelligible.
Yeah, the protestors were clearly in the wrong. Jumping the stage, snatching the mic, screaming in a speaker's face and stopping just short of punching him are not particularly good ways to disagree with someone.
If it was just that, it'd be pretty bad. But the DePaul administrators (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/05/25/speech-by-conservative-speaker-milo-yiannopoulos-shut-down-by-protesters-at-depaul-police-and-security-dont-intervene/) really upped the tally, allegedly dissuading the police from intervening and suggesting that the university not hold controversial events like that, since it "creates a hostile environment for learning" - a proposal that sounds suspiciously like censorship.
I hate how some factions within the left - however small, however fringe - are acting an awful lot like bullies lately. It only gives ammunition to the Right and paints leftists as thugs who can't stand dissent. When the Right criticizes the trigglypuffs out there for being infantile crybullies, I'm forced to concede that they have a point and I loathe agreeing with these guys on just about anything.
Quote from: Hijiri Byakuren on May 28, 2016, 10:44:25 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXIT5w_k4mA
This is why I'll be voting for Trump. I feel strongly that the president should reflect the will of the people, and the will of the people seems to be, "Act like a clown."
Well, anyone who speaks at that university from now on is a fool. De Paul should see its supply of willing speakers dry up to the point that they can't even get third-rate has beens from the Jerry Springer show to turn up.
The divisiveness and acrimony in US politics keeps getting worse, with radio talk show hosts and politicians actively fanning the flames. It's an attempt to influence and silence others purely through intimidation. It works for Trump only if he is the only bully. When the opposition adopts tactic as a counter measure, it will only make the division in the country wider and deeper, and the likely outcome is hatred and ultimately violence. I don't see this ending, and I think it will get much worse. There may be quiet periods in the intimidation where people might experience a sense of hope for the country, but the long term trend will be down.
This is not new. Back at the beginning of the 20th century, when workers were trying to organize, goons would appear on the scene and simply beat the crap out of already abused workers. Eventually the unions hired their own goons and fought back. As futile as the process is, it appears to be uncontrollable. WWII seemed to sidetrack the inner hatred, and we experienced one of those lulls that lasted 45 years with a wide cross section participating in American wealth, but now the goons are coming back as each side attempts to protect it's own interests, and we are continuing our downward spiral again.
My Ex used to work for a dentist, and we used to refer to this man as the nouveau riche. He loved his wealth, and mostly he loved being wealthier than everyone else in town. In vulgar terms, an apt description for him would be "a prick." He was openly contemptuous of the less well to do, and displayed an attitude of "fuck the needs of others".
In a gracious gesture (actually, it was more like an attempt to impress us), we were invited to spend a weekend with his family at their condo on the ski hill. I spent two days skiing and riding the lifts with him, while he continually displayed his pleasure with his personal well being, contempt for the less wealthy, and almost out of the blue, he suddenly asks me, "Do you think we will ever have a violent revolution in the US." I had never thought about it, but apparently he had been, and my first reaction was to suggest that it wouldn't be anytime soon, if ever. But I think I might have been wrong. I don't see such an outcome as unlikely as I once did, and what I see happening now seems like just part of the long term downward spiral. I have no idea how it can smooth itself out. It's not like people are planning for the ultimate confrontation. It's more like they aren't really expecting it, but aren't interested in taking steps to avoid it, either.
What needs to happen, but won't happen, is for people to cooperate with each other so that the country can progress forward as a unit working for the common good. I don't mean the common man. I mean the common good, including the good of the fortunate. But it can't just be one side that cooperates. That's not enough. If one side refuses to cooperate, the spiral and continuing degradation of attitudes won't end.
Quote from: SGOS on May 29, 2016, 04:45:24 AM
The divisiveness and acrimony in US politics keeps getting worse, with radio talk show hosts and politicians actively fanning the flames. It's an attempt to influence and silence others purely through intimidation. It works for Trump only if he is the only bully. When the opposition adopts tactic as a counter measure, it will only make the division in the country wider and deeper, and the likely outcome is hatred and ultimately violence. I don't see this ending, and I think it will get much worse. There may be quiet periods in the intimidation where people might experience a sense of hope for the country, but the long term trend will be down.
This is not new. Back at the beginning of the 20th century, when workers were trying to organize, goons would appear on the scene and simply beat the crap out of already abused workers. Eventually the unions hired their own goons and fought back. As futile as the process is, it appears to be uncontrollable. WWII seemed to sidetrack the inner hatred, and we experienced one of those lulls that lasted 45 years with a wide cross section participating in American wealth, but now the goons are coming back as each side attempts to protect it's own interests, and we are continuing our downward spiral again.
My Ex used to work for a dentist, and we used to refer to this man as the nouveau riche. He loved his wealth, and mostly he loved being wealthier than everyone else in town. In vulgar terms, an apt description for him would be "a prick." He was openly contemptuous of the less well to do, and displayed an attitude of "fuck the needs of others".
In a gracious gesture (actually, it was more like an attempt to impress us), we were invited to spend a weekend with his family at their condo on the ski hill. I spent two days skiing and riding the lifts with him, while he continually displayed his pleasure with his personal well being, contempt for the less wealthy, and almost out of the blue, he suddenly asks me, "Do you think we will ever have a violent revolution in the US." I had never thought about it, but apparently he had been, and my first reaction was to suggest that it wouldn't be anytime soon, if ever. But I think I might have been wrong. I don't see such an outcome as unlikely as I once did, and what I see happening now seems like just part of the long term downward spiral. I have no idea how it can smooth itself out. It's not like people are planning for the ultimate confrontation. It's more like they aren't really expecting it, but aren't interested in taking steps to avoid it, either.
What needs to happen, but won't happen, is for people to cooperate with each other so that the country can progress forward as a unit working for the common good. I don't mean the common man. I mean the common good, including the good of the fortunate. But it can't just be one side that cooperates. That's not enough. If one side refuses to cooperate, the spiral and continuing degradation of attitudes won't end.
Americans are a pretty beaten down bunch. When Pig Christie cut the food stamps down to $16/month for most people, I thought that that was it - you'd see rioting in the streets. Nope. Not even a mention in the newspapers. As long as people can sit at home and watch Unreality TV, they can feel prosperous - they vicariously participate in these well-heeled lifestyles that they have no access to - and, somehow, that's enough for them. You never see any poor folks struggling on these shows, no. It's always a pack of rich fucks, living in palatial homes, riding about in luxury cars, squabbling over bullshit.
This is why Archie Bunker was so popular, back in the day. Trump is Archie Bunker, with lots of money.
Quote from: SGOS on May 29, 2016, 04:45:24 AM
What needs to happen, but won't happen, is for people to cooperate with each other so that the country can progress forward as a unit working for the common good.
I could not agree with you more. It's a little more chaotic than policy. However, it's much easier to implement. All you have to do is be the change. It would be nice if we could always be working for the common good, those who admit this is the only way to nurture humanity. If we could always demonstrate the lightheartedness we must head toward, for the alternatives are a miserable buzz.
To tie this into another thread….its gonna get harder to be a "people person".
People person?
Reminds of my multi decade journey through the prison system. A dark, scarey, soul destroying obstacle course amongst myriads of players, predators, disingenues, scammers and schemers. :madu: When every day was a guessing game of what the person who was feigning friendliness, camaraderie, and empathy to you REALLY wanted. :signhelp: A shot of ass? Two, or three for ones? Run some dope? A future pay back that will destroy your self respect, family, and career prospects? All of the above? I am sssoooo glad to have come out of it as well as I did.
Now that I think about it...............................some of the prisoners weren't very trust worthy either.
Quote from: Flanker1Six on May 29, 2016, 06:17:29 PM
People person?
Reminds of my multi decade journey through the prison system. A dark, scarey, soul destroying obstacle course amongst myriads of players, predators, disingenues, scammers and schemers. :madu: When every day was a guessing game of what the person who was feigning friendliness, camaraderie, and empathy to you REALLY wanted. :signhelp: A shot of ass? Two, or three for ones? Run some dope? A future pay back that will destroy your self respect, family, and career prospects? All of the above? I am sssoooo glad to have come out of it as well as I did.
Now that I think about it...............................some of the prisoners weren't very trust worthy either.
Prison makes criminals. Someone with a lot of power wants it that way. We're beyond prison reform. We need prison replacement. We need better childhoods in the 1st place.