The Current Events, News, and Politics Thread
07-06-2018, 06:40 PM
Boost Pope
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'Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.' And yet the past, though of its nature alterable, never had been altered. Whatever was true now was true from everlasting to everlasting.
In all seriousness, though. It is necessary to eradicate evidence that the founding fathers of this nation were, in fact, pretty racist. Otherwise, we cannot claim that implementing new racist policies and cultural dogma is a progressive act.
Serious question: in what way is the economy of Silicon Valley centrally planned? I used to live there, and I don't remember anyone talking about production quotas on shoes and tank ammunition.
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07-06-2018, 07:36 PM
Boost Pope
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For Scott: Amazon is getting slammed for not censoring the political viewpoints of its sellers enough: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-report-says/?
We must use consumer pressure to deprive people and groups who we disagree with of equal access to publishing and distribution channels. Only things and ideologies which WE hate may be hated by anyone, and none else.
“Hate movements really rely on symbolism to carry their ideologies and signal their belief systems to other members of their tribe,” said Carrie Sloan, research director for the Action Center on Race & the Economy. “It’s so easy to go to Amazon and get a backpack to signal that your kid is somehow connected to neo-**** and white-nationalist ideology.”
(...)
"The researchers found that Amazon continues to sell T-shirts and pins with Confederate flag imagery, despite the company's 2015 announcement that it would remove all Confederate-themed merchandise from its site following the Charleston church massacre of nine black parishioners by a white supremacist whose racist manifesto was littered with images of the flag.
The report also examined how white nationalist and anti-Muslim groups use Amazon’s e-book, self-publishing, music and Web services businesses to grow their movements.
As the country’s largest purveyor of e-books, Amazon provides such groups with a larger potential audience than they would otherwise have, the researchers said."
(...)
"The researchers found that Amazon continues to sell T-shirts and pins with Confederate flag imagery, despite the company's 2015 announcement that it would remove all Confederate-themed merchandise from its site following the Charleston church massacre of nine black parishioners by a white supremacist whose racist manifesto was littered with images of the flag.
The report also examined how white nationalist and anti-Muslim groups use Amazon’s e-book, self-publishing, music and Web services businesses to grow their movements.
As the country’s largest purveyor of e-books, Amazon provides such groups with a larger potential audience than they would otherwise have, the researchers said."
We must use consumer pressure to deprive people and groups who we disagree with of equal access to publishing and distribution channels. Only things and ideologies which WE hate may be hated by anyone, and none else.
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07-06-2018, 09:31 PM
Boost Czar
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or this article? https://www.fastcompany.com/40447841...driven-economy
Have you watched the show? you must. it's a new rule.
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07-06-2018, 09:42 PM
Boost Pope
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So, Facebook using automated algorithms to screen user- generated content, and Amazon and Uber using software tools to dynamically adjust pricing in response to supply vs demand, is somehow similar to Soviet central economic planning?
The first example is not even relevant to economic planning, and the second is pretty much exactly the opposite.
In a Soviet- style system, the price of a car ride would be dictated by a central authority in a manner which is not responsive to the supply of available cars or rider demand. That's how the old state-regulated Medallion cab systems work, and is exactly the thing which Uber is disrupting.
The first example is not even relevant to economic planning, and the second is pretty much exactly the opposite.
In a Soviet- style system, the price of a car ride would be dictated by a central authority in a manner which is not responsive to the supply of available cars or rider demand. That's how the old state-regulated Medallion cab systems work, and is exactly the thing which Uber is disrupting.
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07-07-2018, 09:49 PM
The argument that a fetus is a person upon conception is not rooted in religion. A lot of religious people hold this view but it's a fairly biological argument. Sperm has fertilized an egg which has attached to the uterine wall and become a viable human fetus. The fetus is alive and will exit the womb as a human with no chance of coming out as a lizard or a chimp. It's human. Killing another human generally constitutes murder which is illegal. There is no religion in this argument. Just saying.
Humans are generally considered "above" other animals not because we're "human", but because of the relationships and what we consider to be economically valuable skills that we develop over our lifetimes - that's why walking out to a field and shooting a person in the head is bad, but walking out into that same field and shooting a pig of prime reproductive age generally isn't. What are the economically valuable skills and relationships that an unborn fetus has developed? There are no economically valuable skills - and there is only one relationship. Unborn fetuses are unique in that this is the only point in their lives when the person who might decide whether or not they live or die (the mother) accounts for 100% of the relationships that they have developed in their life. You might try to argue that the father has a relationship with the child, but evolutionary psychology calls bullshit. The father might *want* to have the child very badly, but the father only has a relationship with the mother, not the unborn child - regardless, mothers who are in a stable long term relationship with the father aren't the ones generally having abortions, or if they are, they are getting daddy's approval anyways.
Also, not sure anyone has ever checked with cows or pigs to see if killing them is against their religion. The first-born Queen Bee and the blue-footed booby don't mind commiting siblicide, while langurs, leopards, and lions practice infanticide as a normal part of life (that's effectively an abortion *after* the baby is born).
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07-07-2018, 10:39 PM
The fact that killing another human is considered wrong has nothing to do with religion. It's one of the basic rules, like property rights, that must be in place for a civilization to flourish and advance. We also have this document that was used to establish the framework of our country that focuses a lot on unalieable rights and not infringing on them. I believe the line is "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This is not religion.
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07-08-2018, 06:32 AM
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Question for you guys. In a lot of news I get here (Europe), there's news of trump lying.
Some recent examples that I can remember, but there's probably more:
Trump claims remains are sent back but his secretary of state denies it
and
My question to the Trump supporters here. Do you think:
1) Trump does not lie
2) Trump does lie, but truthfulness is not mandatory for a US president
Honestly interested!
Some recent examples that I can remember, but there's probably more:
Trump claims remains are sent back but his secretary of state denies it
My question to the Trump supporters here. Do you think:
1) Trump does not lie
2) Trump does lie, but truthfulness is not mandatory for a US president
Honestly interested!
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07-08-2018, 08:52 AM
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So it should be totally ok to kill the homeless, the elderly, the chronically unemployed, etc?
They have no skills to offer society, and are a huge drain on our collective resources.
If yes, then... you win I guess.
If no, then why are you arguing that it's ok to do to a fetus because it *might* end up in one of those categories?
They have no skills to offer society, and are a huge drain on our collective resources.
If yes, then... you win I guess.
If no, then why are you arguing that it's ok to do to a fetus because it *might* end up in one of those categories?
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07-08-2018, 10:41 AM
Boost Pope
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1) If "truthfulness" is defined as "has never told a lie, or committed a misrepresentation," then I don't believe there exists a truthful human being. Beyond that, it's a matter of degrees.
2) I do bot believe that absolute truthfulness would be a desirable quality in any world leader. Politics and War are ugly business, and the person most capable of succeeding at them is not the same one you would want as your priest or doctor.
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07-08-2018, 11:35 AM
Boost Czar
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07-09-2018, 10:19 AM
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Trump, Obama, & both of the Clintons exemplify that almost perfectly.
All politicians say anything that furthers their own self interest.
My question in response would be this,
"If all successful politicians lie or tell half truths or evade subjects as normal operating procedures, why would any person aspiring to be a successful politician hobble themselves with telling the truth?"
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07-09-2018, 11:23 AM
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Good for Trump.
If I was the big guy, females and minorities would be the ONLY judges on my short list.
My preferred judge would be gay female mixed race conservative (if such a person exists).
Not that I am sexist or racist but it would make it politically more difficult for the liberals to raise a stink because it nullifies that racist or sexist slamming from the left and make the confirmation that much easier.
If I was the big guy, females and minorities would be the ONLY judges on my short list.
My preferred judge would be gay female mixed race conservative (if such a person exists).
Not that I am sexist or racist but it would make it politically more difficult for the liberals to raise a stink because it nullifies that racist or sexist slamming from the left and make the confirmation that much easier.
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07-09-2018, 12:23 PM
Boost Czar
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My generation's afraid of opinions, y'all so intolerant (y'all so intolerant)
They're ashamed of themselves 'cause they're privileged and white or they're black and they're opposite (black and they're opposite)
You get charged for harassment for hugging a woman and giving a compliment (giving a compliment)
Y'all way to sensitive, yet, offended to death, bring all the coffins in
I swear that y'all are mad at everything that don't affect your life, heh
I swear that y'all believe that being offended just means that you're right, heh
Swear that y'all just want to be the only ones who everyone likes, heh
I swear if I swear at you ninnies you probably so triggered you'd cry
And nobody want to be real, everyone's scared of how everyone feels
You become so ultra-sensitive and hyper-tolerant that honestly honesty gonna be illegal
It's crazy y'all get so shocked and bothered from people sayin' things that aren't responsible
If that seems logical, y'all are weak then, someone says retard it ruins your weekend
And that's retarded, my hair been in braids cause it looks hella awesome
Y'all like to scream I appropriate culture but I don't hear nothin', I'm paying homage
Y'all are just tryin' to get likes on your comments, googling quotes that are socially conscious
And saying you're woke doesn't make you a prophet, it makes you a liar and stupid obnoxious
[Chorus]
Always on that blah-blah, y'all should keep it to yourselves (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Miss me with that drama, you must think I'm someone else, 'cause y'all don't wanna **** with me
'Cause I don't feel the pressure, no I will not be censored, I'm not afraid that's why they **** with me
My name will be remembered, and I will live forever, I bet y'all hate that y'all are stuck with me
[Verse 2]
Happy Halloween for one evening only you wear what you want (what you want)
Unless it's a poncho, a headdress or afro, you'll **** someone off (eh)
I say Merry Christmas, but I know that it's 'bout to be gone
If religious freedoms such a dire issue, why you dressed like a priest in October for fun
Don't let 'em censor your thoughts, don't let 'em make you regret that you talked
Don't let 'em tell you that nice is the law, tryna make you all right here when nothing is wrong, yeah
Words hurt you, clothes hurt you, memes hurt you, jokes hurt you, we hurt you
Half the time you don't even probably know what hurt you, but you super mad, trust we heard you
You a pawn in the broken system, are you triggered much, you been showin' symptoms
Y'all are so addicted to bein' hopeless victims y'all could crash a plane and blame the road conditions
And your only sickness is your social vision, makes you scared of choices but you're pro decision
So you march a lot but never go the distance, yellin' way too loud until no one listens
[Verse 3]
You look like the devil, you sound like some Christians, you just won a medal for asking permission
You just want a pat on the back in addition to bein' so tolerate fine I admit it
You're nicer, you're better, you're righter, you're brilliant, most sensitive creatures in all of existence
My freedom of thought should be censored with prison, the world would be better if we weren't so different, huh
They're ashamed of themselves 'cause they're privileged and white or they're black and they're opposite (black and they're opposite)
You get charged for harassment for hugging a woman and giving a compliment (giving a compliment)
Y'all way to sensitive, yet, offended to death, bring all the coffins in
I swear that y'all are mad at everything that don't affect your life, heh
I swear that y'all believe that being offended just means that you're right, heh
Swear that y'all just want to be the only ones who everyone likes, heh
I swear if I swear at you ninnies you probably so triggered you'd cry
And nobody want to be real, everyone's scared of how everyone feels
You become so ultra-sensitive and hyper-tolerant that honestly honesty gonna be illegal
It's crazy y'all get so shocked and bothered from people sayin' things that aren't responsible
If that seems logical, y'all are weak then, someone says retard it ruins your weekend
And that's retarded, my hair been in braids cause it looks hella awesome
Y'all like to scream I appropriate culture but I don't hear nothin', I'm paying homage
Y'all are just tryin' to get likes on your comments, googling quotes that are socially conscious
And saying you're woke doesn't make you a prophet, it makes you a liar and stupid obnoxious
[Chorus]
Always on that blah-blah, y'all should keep it to yourselves (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Miss me with that drama, you must think I'm someone else, 'cause y'all don't wanna **** with me
'Cause I don't feel the pressure, no I will not be censored, I'm not afraid that's why they **** with me
My name will be remembered, and I will live forever, I bet y'all hate that y'all are stuck with me
[Verse 2]
Happy Halloween for one evening only you wear what you want (what you want)
Unless it's a poncho, a headdress or afro, you'll **** someone off (eh)
I say Merry Christmas, but I know that it's 'bout to be gone
If religious freedoms such a dire issue, why you dressed like a priest in October for fun
Don't let 'em censor your thoughts, don't let 'em make you regret that you talked
Don't let 'em tell you that nice is the law, tryna make you all right here when nothing is wrong, yeah
Words hurt you, clothes hurt you, memes hurt you, jokes hurt you, we hurt you
Half the time you don't even probably know what hurt you, but you super mad, trust we heard you
You a pawn in the broken system, are you triggered much, you been showin' symptoms
Y'all are so addicted to bein' hopeless victims y'all could crash a plane and blame the road conditions
And your only sickness is your social vision, makes you scared of choices but you're pro decision
So you march a lot but never go the distance, yellin' way too loud until no one listens
[Verse 3]
You look like the devil, you sound like some Christians, you just won a medal for asking permission
You just want a pat on the back in addition to bein' so tolerate fine I admit it
You're nicer, you're better, you're righter, you're brilliant, most sensitive creatures in all of existence
My freedom of thought should be censored with prison, the world would be better if we weren't so different, huh
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