AussieReaper
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
+5,761|6122|what

There's a thread of anti-intellectualism that has been winding through the American culture and I'm sad to say it's reached the White House.

"So called intellectual elite" is not a phrase used by anyone with a semblance of morality. If you're not politically correct, you're politically incorrect. And that's not an ideal to strive for.
https://i.imgur.com/maVpUMN.png
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5328|London, England
Or its just brushing off the nonsense opinions of academia
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX

AussieReaper wrote:

There's a thread of anti-intellectualism that has been winding through the American culture and I'm sad to say it's reached the White House.
It certainly has.

"So called intellectual elite" is not a phrase used by anyone with a semblance of morality. If you're not politically correct, you're politically incorrect. And that's not an ideal to strive for.
I don't agree, people are determining policy who have never been connected with the real world. The 'Liberal Elites' and the 'Neocons' have no stake in society. The 'intellectual elite' is an issue.

On the one hand you have right-wingers clamouring for wars when they pulled out all the stops to dodge the draft themselves and you can bet their children would never have to fight either, and setting taxes which they essentially don't pay.

On the other we have left-wingers who have never been connected with profit making work in their lives redistributing wealth as they see fit, and engineering huge social change which impacts on the average person but not on them.
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Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5328|London, England
That, and as with nearly everything else in life, the ideas they push aren't necessarily correct, they've just been put forth or pushed by people with either money or charisma and forceful personality. It's nearly impossible to quantify most of what is taught in social sciences but it doesn't stop people from becoming True Believers willing to foist their wishes and whims on the rest of us. Anti-Intellectualism is in most case simply pushback against idealism. It's healthy.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX
And its hard to have ideas outside the groupthink, on either side, without being howled down.
It seems to be getting steadily worse too.
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unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

Sampling of modern American conservatism:

  • "Police never detain or kill with sketchy reason, and excessive use of force is never unlawful. You people are all snowflakes with no good reason to be upset or alarmed. Learn to lighten up. Did you see that guy's head bounce off the pavement? Hahahaha!"
  • "Stop paying attention to the little stuff. We're bombin' Assad right now! So all you people who continue to scrutinize or disagree with any of our Republican administration's policies are especially unpatriotic obstructionists who should be taken out back and shot. Keep talking and we'll bomb your libertard traitor city next."
  • "It is ideal for the US to shrink our government and cut back on agency overreach. But because I have nothing to hide, I am totally indifferent to myself and others being surveilled by the very nanny state I so despise."
  • "The idea of unregulated corporate ascendancy makes my dick hard because policy decisions engineered to give mega-firms another leg up are for some incoherent reason beneficial to my small business and its double-digit earnings. It really makes me feel more confident and in charge."

This is just some of the Republican-loyalist schlock that I've heard during my last several political conversations. Completely oblivious to any of its own irony (when present). With a sage nod, one invoked the "changing horses midstream" idiom like he wasn't weirdly conflating the 1860s or 1940s reelections with the first few months of Trump's presidency in a disjointed attempt to defend it. Another went on for some length about how Americans needed to come together in these trying times against ter'rists and Assawd, then capped it off by pining for a MOAB be to be dropped on Hollywood or some other libertard city as a nice little followup to "bommin' ISIS" or whatever.

I mean, I expect this stuff on Yahoo! News comments or forums on a regular basis from people who share space on a Venn diagram with weirdos who like to wax poetic about Germany's economic recovery under Hitler and the Nazi fighting spirit. But I'm still gobsmacked when I encounter it in person. Some people have been so thoroughly exposed to brain-off, right-wing programming, and are so unaccustomed to or conditioned against being disagreed with, that you're constantly walking on eggshells to avoid a fight. And they have the temerity to call other people 'zombies of the media' or snowflakes. Barf.
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3689
We just need to accept and talk about the role the identity on people's politics. There are probably a lot of conservatives who spout the opinions you complain about not out of genuine concern or agreement but because the republican identity they want to be a part of or see themselves a member of accepts these ideas as a baseline.

So a war of ideas or discussion of facts isn't going to get a lot of people anywhere because that is not the sort of thing they are voting along the lines of. Their voting booth habits are an expression of their own anxieties and comforts. How you get past that is beyond me because it is a genuinely much larger issues than convincing someone that slamming a 90 pound sorority girl on her face is a fireable offense or the man in the white house from the golden NYC tower doesn't care about Kentucky's drinking water.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

Sampling of modern American conservatism:

  • "Police never detain or kill with sketchy reason, and excessive use of force is never unlawful. You people are all snowflakes with no good reason to be upset or alarmed. Learn to lighten up. Did you see that guy's head bounce off the pavement? Hahahaha!"
  • "Stop paying attention to the little stuff. We're bombin' Assad right now! So all you people who continue to scrutinize or disagree with any of our Republican administration's policies are especially unpatriotic obstructionists who should be taken out back and shot. Keep talking and we'll bomb your libertard traitor city next."
  • "It is ideal for the US to shrink our government and cut back on agency overreach. But because I have nothing to hide, I am totally indifferent to myself and others being surveilled by the very nanny state I so despise."
  • "The idea of unregulated corporate ascendancy makes my dick hard because policy decisions engineered to give mega-firms another leg up are for some incoherent reason beneficial to my small business and its double-digit earnings. It really makes me feel more confident and in charge."

This is just some of the Republican-loyalist schlock that I've heard during my last several political conversations. Completely oblivious to any of its own irony (when present). With a sage nod, one invoked the "changing horses midstream" idiom like he wasn't weirdly conflating the 1860s or 1940s reelections with the first few months of Trump's presidency in a disjointed attempt to defend it. Another went on for some length about how Americans needed to come together in these trying times against ter'rists and Assawd, then capped it off by pining for a MOAB be to be dropped on Hollywood or some other libertard city as a nice little followup to "bommin' ISIS" or whatever.

I mean, I expect this stuff on Yahoo! News comments or forums on a regular basis from people who share space on a Venn diagram with weirdos who like to wax poetic about Germany's economic recovery under Hitler and the Nazi fighting spirit. But I'm still gobsmacked when I encounter it in person. Some people have been so thoroughly exposed to brain-off, right-wing programming, and are so unaccustomed to or conditioned against being disagreed with, that you're constantly walking on eggshells to avoid a fight. And they have the temerity to call other people 'zombies of the media' or snowflakes. Barf.
On the scale of you're with us or against us, you seem to be against us.

Having seen this play out a few times the hypocrisy still amazes me.

When a Republican is in the whole machine spins the same line, "He's the commander in chief, you have to show him respect, get with the program, you hate your country, you're a traitor, blah blah blah"

When a Democrat is in "Its my sacred duty as a patriot to oppose everything the President does and undermine him at every turn, best to burn down the house to kill one flea, etc etc etc"

Last edited by Dilbert_X (2017-04-13 20:04:09)

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Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX

SuperJail Warden wrote:

man in the white house from the golden NYC tower doesn't care about Kentucky's drinking water.
You mean golden showers?
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SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3689
I honestly expect to one day wake up and see a video of Trump and Russian hookers playing piss games on CNN. I might be disappointed if I never get to see it in fact.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+794|6654|United States of America
There is a a smugness amongst the Right now with an "ends justify the means" sort of aura around politics. They still pass off much of the criticism as "you're just mad you lost". McConnell stealing a Supreme Court seatt from a sitting president worked out with no repurcussions, Trump won so Congresspeople who endorsed him didn't back a loser, and the new administration is full of rich folk who will make sure those coloreds don't get any help. Granted, the poor white people won't get help either, but at least there won't be any minorities trying to better themselves.
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3689
Eh life goes on as it always has in brown America. If poor whites get obliterated a bunch from GOP economic policies, I don't care.

There was a handful of writers at a National Review, the conservative magazine that was at the heart of Never Trump movement, who tried to throw some cold water on the party after November 8th. They recognized that Trump got less votes than Clinton by a lot and that the GOP can't count on election technicalites to win forever. Also that their policies need widespread support to last

How many of the readers acknowledged that point is anyone's guess. If the comment section was anything to go, they seem to have the same smug hatred towards the Never Trump conservative writer as they do with liberals.

There was one comment I liked and remember from a conservative in the comment section on one of those articles. It was posted by an outdoorsy white guy and went something like "This is what I keep telling other conservatives who voted for Trump. His failure and personality will be used to judge all conservatives in the future. We shouldn't rally around someone who will drag us down in the future once he is done with us."
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

It's the short-sighted memester hydra who votes based on lulz, and whose sheer volume in screaming down anything that has the barest hint of opposition utterly drowns out any voice of moderation from the right. Even centrists who point out flaws on both sides get some spittle-sprinkler bellowing for them to shut up in these kinds of comments sections. Maintaining an argument in these venues is an utter waste of brain cells.
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

It's the short-sighted memester hydra who votes based on lulz, and whose sheer volume in screaming down anything that has the barest hint of opposition utterly drowns out any voice of moderation from the right. Even centrists who point out flaws on both sides get some spittle-sprinkler bellowing for them to shut up in these kinds of comments sections. Maintaining an argument in these venues is an utter waste of brain cells.
Sounds to me like you hate America, I bet you'd suck Putin's dick, you Putin's dick-sucking America-hater.
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unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

That's actually pretty close to some of the unironic discourse you get. Funnily enough, normalizing relations with Russia was one of the Trumpie mating calls during his campaign. Nowadays, Putin is just another one of their Hitlers.
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX
Yay, here we go again.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has accused Iran of "alarming ongoing provocations" aimed at destabilising the Middle East and undermining America's interests in the region.

"An unchecked Iran has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea and to take the world along with it," Mr Tillerson said.

President Donald Trump earlier ordered a review of the Iran nuclear deal.

However, the US admits that Tehran is complying with the 2015 agreement.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39649683

Maybe Iran should bomb America as America is undermining Iran's interests in America.

Also, the one nation which has actually used nucular weapons as weapons probably shouldn't be allowed to have them.

Last edited by Dilbert_X (2017-04-20 01:01:35)

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War Man
Australians are hermaphrodites.
+563|6683|Purplicious Wisconsin

Dilbert_X wrote:

Also, the one nation which has actually used nucular weapons as weapons probably shouldn't be allowed to have them.
Testing nuclear weapons is a way of using nuclear weapons, so you are basically proposing no nukes for the world. Oh and good luck trying to rid USA of its nukes without committing genocide.
The irony of guns, is that they can save lives.
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3689
I don't understand what Bill O'reilly got in trouble for. He is a wealthy media personality. Being able to talk dirty to the underlings seems like a perk of the job.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6741|PNW

Maybe he can run for president in 2024 on the basis of having been a TV star with a laundry list of distasteful quotes.
War Man
Australians are hermaphrodites.
+563|6683|Purplicious Wisconsin

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

Maybe he can run for president in 2024 on the basis of having been a TV star with a laundry list of distasteful quotes.
He's not a Republican, can technically run as an independent. I hope he never runs, though.
The irony of guns, is that they can save lives.
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX

SuperJail Warden wrote:

I don't understand what Bill O'reilly got in trouble for. He is a wealthy media personality. Being able to talk dirty to the underlings seems like a perk of the job.
Talking dirty is one thing, trying to blackmail women into sleeping with him is another.
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Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX

War Man wrote:

Testing nuclear weapons is a way of using nuclear weapons
No, its a way of testing them. There's a difference between testing them underground and using them on cities of millions of people.
good luck trying to rid USA of its nukes
Thanks!
without committing genocide.
Don't care really.
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SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3689

Dilbert_X wrote:

SuperJail Warden wrote:

I don't understand what Bill O'reilly got in trouble for. He is a wealthy media personality. Being able to talk dirty to the underlings seems like a perk of the job.
Talking dirty is one thing, trying to blackmail women into sleeping with him is another.
All the women commentators he harassed only got hired because they are considered sexy to WASP middle America. They didn't get the job because they are bright or anything. I don't know what they expected to happen going in there when the reason they wee hired was to look pretty on t.v.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
DrunkFace
Germans did 911
+427|6651|Disaster Free Zone
Even porn stars and prostitutes shouldn't expect to be sexually harassed at work.
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6075|eXtreme to the maX
Yes, if an attractive woman gets hired she should expect to have to sleep with the boss as repayment.
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