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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#155001: Nov 14th 2016 at 12:23:55 PM

I mean, of course a saying like that isn't going to be accurate all the time.

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#155002: Nov 14th 2016 at 12:25:13 PM

@speedyboris

It's funny because while I always openly supported things like feminism and anti-racism I used to swing way more to the right/libertarianism as a teen. Back then the ACLU just came off as a bunch of angry fedoras purposefully picking fights with Christians for no real reason. Though being exposed to the worst of Internet leftism by fandom and going to school with legitimate communism apologists at an early age probably didn't help.

Better critical thinking skills in college plus greater confidence in my queerness helped with getting a more nuanced understanding of political issues despite having to deal with a lot of the annoying people who put me off out-and-proud liberalism in the first place, but it was being a way into grad school and working or interacting with lots of people from around the world, with different histories and backgrounds and experiences, plus maturing tastes in the way I enjoy media, that really pushed me to rally behind progressive causes in earnest. Even if the ACLU can be a little unnecessarily aggressive at times, I'm fully in support of their civil libertarian causes.

edited 14th Nov '16 12:27:58 PM by AlleyOop

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#155003: Nov 14th 2016 at 12:27:35 PM

[up][up] It's not accurate most of the time; the Silent Generation was more democrat leaning than the boomers who are less democrat leaning than Generation X who are WAY less democrat leaning than millenials.

edited 14th Nov '16 12:27:46 PM by CaptainCapsase

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#155004: Nov 14th 2016 at 12:27:59 PM

The point of the original statement by Bismarck was a direct mockery of socialism. It shouldn't be taken as an actual statement of fact.

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#155005: Nov 14th 2016 at 12:33:10 PM

[up][up]At some point in there though the 70s happend and the demographics of the major parties shifted significantly. I don't except you can look at it as a continuous chain.

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#155006: Nov 14th 2016 at 12:34:37 PM

[up] The point remains though that at various points in time the ideologies of older generations have been to the left of younger generations, in contrast to the present situation where they're generally to the right of the youth.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#155007: Nov 14th 2016 at 12:53:04 PM

Plus, the definition of conservative changes from generation to generation. Once people get all the reforms they want, they stop the next wave (sometimes) and become the new conservatives. Its not like people turn 40 and wake up opposing marriage equality.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#155008: Nov 14th 2016 at 12:53:52 PM

The other issue with that saying is that in the current US, the Republicans aren't actually conservative. At all. In any way whatsoever. They're reactionary radical ideologues who are willing to collapse the whole system so that their ideology can be ascendant. The problem is that they don't really have a coherent ideology beyond "keep us in charge forever, and ruin everything for those who oppose us."

Like, you could genuinely call Mike Pence a "radical Christian", because he ascribes to a weird limited offshoot of Christianity that has the torture of a distinct group as a desired tenent.

edited 14th Nov '16 12:55:24 PM by Zendervai

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#155009: Nov 14th 2016 at 1:05:11 PM

The problem is RADICAL CHRISTIANITY. Christians aiming for government should undergo EXTREME VETTING.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#155010: Nov 14th 2016 at 1:08:41 PM

There's really little difference between a fundamentalist Christian and a fundamentalist Muslim when you get right down to it but heaven forbid anyone in power point that out.

randomdude4 Since: May, 2011
#155011: Nov 14th 2016 at 1:32:23 PM

There's very little difference between fundamentalists of any religion, including non-religions like atheism. None should be allowed in politics.

"Can't make an omelette without breaking some children." -Bur
higherbrainpattern Since: Apr, 2012
#155012: Nov 14th 2016 at 1:41:00 PM

I've been feeling numb for the past couple of days. Everything that's been happening since Trump got elected feels like a fever dream.

Reince Priebus is the Chief of Staff? Fucking Steve Bannon is a goddamn chief strategist???? And Paul Ryan wants to privatize Medicare and Social Security, because of course he does.

I just...feel like giving up right now. I feel like the US took a couple of steps forward in the last eight years but then took a 100 steps back with Trump's election.

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#155013: Nov 14th 2016 at 1:51:14 PM

I remember me and my sister watching Luke Cage on Netflix, and she mused on how people still think that racism is a thing when shows like that can be made, and there's even a black American president. (obvious answer: it's because racism is still a thing that shows like that need to be made.)

I wonder if she's had some new thoughts on the subject since Trump got picked. I got kinda scared of outright picking a fight when I saw her yesterday, though.

edited 14th Nov '16 1:51:24 PM by Kayeka

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#155014: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:10:43 PM

[up][up]Honestly, in the past week, I've tried to cheer myself up with the reassurance that the Trump administration would surely implode, but each time, I'm reminded of the enormity of our defeat and it makes me feel ill. I'm happy only that Massachusetts roundly rejected Governor Baker's ballot measure agenda, scuttling the charter school drive and legalizing pot. It just makes me feel incoherently angry that people in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida are going to burn away a decade of my life in favor of creatures like Trump and his ilk transforming America in their image.

edited 14th Nov '16 2:15:08 PM by CrimsonZephyr

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#155015: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:16:11 PM

The evidence that we are not truly a post-racial society can be argued in part from the continuing existence and relevance of products like Luke Cage (which is very much a blaxploitation homage), Boondocks, etc. We wouldn't have those things if black people were truly culturally homogenized and treated exactly equally, just like we don't have modern day products pointing out the differences between Irish-Americans and 'white people.' Minorities get assimilated and become part of the new white people, then depressingly join the crowd when we move on to the next poor bastards to pick on.

And of course we still have a million hard statistics about how much it still sucks to be a black in many situations, but when you're living in a nice safe suburbia and don't know any minorities, abstract statistics are easy to ignore. Why are so many prisoners black? Oh, they're just criminals being treated completely fairly by an even-handed justice system, who cares about them?

And I mean, I'm guilty of it too. For most of my life, I used to think serious, publicly-voiced racism was completely a thing of the past because I never experienced it except in the context of obvious trolling. Then I shared dinner with a man who wasn't afraid to say that he thought segregation was great for schools, and it blew my freaking mind.

edited 14th Nov '16 2:19:10 PM by Karkadinn

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
Sharysa Since: Jan, 2001
#155016: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:17:52 PM

Okay, so the Tangerine might have told his more racist supporters to stop with the hate crimes, BUTTTTTTTT he has also elected a literal white supremacist among his advisors.

Actions speak louder than words, bruh. I still ain't trusting him.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#155017: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:19:07 PM

Telling your supporters to back off doesn't mean much when you've been encouraging them for years.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#155018: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:19:40 PM

I just...feel like giving up right now. I feel like the US took a couple of steps forward in the last eight years but then took a 100 steps back with Trump's election.

A lot of people are still fighting and will continue to do so. The march of progress isn't a straight line, there are always gonna be setbacks.

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#155019: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:19:57 PM

Donald Trump flip-flops so much, it's legitimately uncomfortable taking anything he says at face value. Like, if he said, "I am not going to send all brown people to the gas chambers," I would still be nervous about being disappeared.

edited 14th Nov '16 2:20:17 PM by CrimsonZephyr

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#155021: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:20:43 PM

[up]Hah, like I said. Guy's a weather vane.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#155022: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:22:03 PM

"If you don't like his policies now, just wait five minutes. He's like the weather in Texas."

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#155023: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:23:58 PM

@Kayeka

Tell your sister that some African-Americans have a serious problem with Luke Cage for playing to the notion that Harlem is a warzone and hitting every stereotype it could. To suggest that racism is over because of a TV show, let alone that show, is pretty ludicrous.

Sharysa Since: Jan, 2001
#155024: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:24:10 PM

Rational Insanity: Yeah, that too. Two straight years of whipping racism into a frenzy against ONE public speech for five minutes? Nope.

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#155025: Nov 14th 2016 at 2:26:01 PM

@Alley: Something tells me what the executive branch says their policy is over the next four years will have nothing to do with what they're actually doing.


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