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

Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#180401: Mar 31st 2017 at 11:42:14 PM

[up] I think TV Tropes literally is ruining my life. With all the people screaming and freaking out, my Bile Fascination dragging me into these political topics despite never being into politics before 2016 and having no choice but to be part of it now due to politics being the only thing anyone talks about nowadays, having to learn about what horrible thing Trump and/or the Republicans do every single day, the general feeling of hopelessness here...

edited 31st Mar '17 11:43:14 PM by Bat178

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#180402: Mar 31st 2017 at 11:43:32 PM

[up] TBF, I'm pretty sure TV Tropes isn't the only place that's political on-line. Youtube comments, Twitter, Facebook...it's fucking everywhere.

If you have Twitter and Facebook? Quit or just never log on to those things. Believe me, it helps a lot.

TBH, TV Tropes is actually saving my life. It's helping me stay sane during these interesting times. At the very least, I know I'm not alone in thinking things are screwed up.

That's the thing one should never forget: You Are Not Alone

edited 31st Mar '17 11:48:09 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#180403: Mar 31st 2017 at 11:51:32 PM

[up] I know about the politics on other sites. It's why I mostly stick to Deviantart and Japanese sites nowadays, because they generally don't talk about politics unlike most of the internet now, and when I do go on Youtube, I generally avoid looking at comments sections unless what I am watching has absolutely nothing that can be used for political commentary/references. I only made a Twitter account temporarily towards the end of last year to find some Japanese fan-artists for video games I like, but I deactivated it soon after. I don't have any other social media accounts (I'm kinda stuck in the Early 2000's, both in gaming and social habits, as I believe gaming was at it's peak back then and that was the best period of my life). My mother made a Facebook account of me a long time ago, but I have never used it and long forgot the password for it.

edited 1st Apr '17 12:18:37 AM by Bat178

Wispy Since: Feb, 2017
#180404: Mar 31st 2017 at 11:51:48 PM

[up]This, I am deliberately am staying from social media and completely turned off Youtube comments now because I am sick of hearing the shit spewing out of the crazies mouths.

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#180405: Apr 1st 2017 at 12:02:44 AM

Many people called the alt-right Site That Shall Not Be Named brigade collectively shitting themselves and crying out to be saved once the candidate they got into office helped end Net Neutrality.

Another casualty to the Leopards Eating People's Faces Party, with even less sympathy this time.

edited 1st Apr '17 12:03:08 AM by RedSavant

It's been fun.
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#180406: Apr 1st 2017 at 12:53:35 AM

[up] Does that mean that even if Trump says something that threatens something they supported, they think he's just being a comedian?

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
HallowHawk Since: Feb, 2013
#180407: Apr 1st 2017 at 12:56:10 AM

Hate to sound selfish, but if the internet is threatened, will the other countries have to suffer like the Americans do? Like say, extra payments?

BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#180408: Apr 1st 2017 at 12:58:26 AM

Is it rude to go one step further with a joke headline: "Voters for the Kitten-Eating Party Shocked That Their Kittens Are Being Eaten Too"? tongue

@Bat 178: I think you should strongly consider taking small breaks from social media, TVT, and the Internet in general. I can understand feeling addicted to it, and feeling the pull of all of this political stuff, but if it's making you that miserable, allow yourself a break. Be strong.

I understand the pull of the vortex, but even I have things to distract myself from it all, like video games, and my blog... which is also about video games... tongue

edited 1st Apr '17 1:01:10 AM by BearyScary

Do not obey in advance.
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#180409: Apr 1st 2017 at 12:59:54 AM

[up][up] Canada and Mexico definitely would from NAFTA, and considering most websites are based in America and a lot of countries like to copy what America does, the rest of the world very well could suffer from it too. I heard Russia already passed their own version of SOPA, though from what I've seen them say it didn't actually change much there.

[up] I have a huge backlog of video games to play too, but have trouble feeling the motivation to play games anymore, I think I might have gotten burnt out last year. I have gone Nintendo-only for current gen (As they are pretty much the only ones still making colourful cartoony carefree Japanese-style games instead of gritty realistic cinematic Western-style games nowadays) and I mostly retro game.

edited 1st Apr '17 1:17:54 AM by Bat178

Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#180410: Apr 1st 2017 at 1:25:06 AM

Or maybe you guys unite forces as tropers as one the main bastions of sanity (to a certain degree) who should make an example of standing together to any kind of attack presented to the community against any bill. It's what the Internet usually does and will always do.

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#180411: Apr 1st 2017 at 1:36:41 AM

[up] Personally, I want revenge against the scum who doomed both of my homes (Gibraltar and California) and are probably going to make my life much, much more difficult soon.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#180412: Apr 1st 2017 at 1:39:58 AM

Speaking of California, I came across this article about a conspiracy theory that the drought there was deliberately created with chemtrails/weather machines. Oy. Where do these people come from.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Lanceleoghauni Cyborg Helmsman from Z or R Twice Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: In my bunk
#180413: Apr 1st 2017 at 1:53:52 AM

[up]but global warming is still a hoax, mankind only affects the weather when it MEANS to

edited 1st Apr '17 1:56:10 AM by Lanceleoghauni

"Coffee! Coffeecoffeecoffee! Coffee! Not as strong as Meth-amphetamine, but it lets you keep your teeth!"
MorningStar1337 The Encounter that ended the Dogma from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
The Encounter that ended the Dogma
#180414: Apr 1st 2017 at 2:13:29 AM

Oy. Where do these people come from.

I have a feeling there is a root of theology in Conspiracy Theorists. To elaborate, I think many of the things that led to mythology and religions (explanation for nature/the unknown, a scapegoat for all the world's evil to be blamed on, and maybe a source for Morality Tales) combined with ignorance (usually of the willful kind), led to the creation of Conspiracy Theories. Narratives that presume that some sort of higher power, hidden to the world, are pulling the strings behind everyday life. Where The Illuminati, Knights Templar, or other shadowy cabals are trying to make their life hell becuase they stumbled upon some sort of knowledge they don't want reaching everyone, or because they have some trait that they want to hoard for themselves.

edited 1st Apr '17 2:21:56 AM by MorningStar1337

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#180415: Apr 1st 2017 at 2:26:14 AM

[up] Hilariously, these same people who eat up crap like Pizza-gate and the other various Clinton conspiracies (looking at you Greenwald) dismiss all of the stuff related to Russia out of hand.

Guess it gets in the way of their narrative of "Clinton BAD! Clinton is the DEVIL."

...I don't have a very high opinion of Glenn Greenwald.

Okay, to Greenwald's credit even he likely realizes Pizza-gate is bullshit despite his hate-on for the Clintons.

edited 1st Apr '17 4:10:24 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
henry42 [REDACTED] from Western Hemisphere Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
[REDACTED]
#180416: Apr 1st 2017 at 5:08:13 AM

[up]Stuff like "Pizzagate" generally comes from conspiracy cranks like Alex Jones.

One does not shake the box containing the sticky notes of doom!
IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#180417: Apr 1st 2017 at 5:19:06 AM

Did we already post this? Claire McCaskill announces she will not support Gorsuch, citing his 'stunning lack of humanity'

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#180418: Apr 1st 2017 at 6:38:30 AM

[up][up] Alex Jones even apologized for his part in spreading Pizzagate. Not sure how willingly, but he did.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#180419: Apr 1st 2017 at 6:48:26 AM

Democratic Senators opposing Gorsuch are meaningless unless combined with Republicans. If the Democrats try to filibuster this alone, the Republicans will whip out the nuclear option and end the filibuster for SC appointments.

If the Democrats had taken the Senate, they would have been able to tell Trump, "The only candidate we'll accept is Merrick Garland. We will not let Republicans profit by being obstructionist." But now, if they do that, the Republican caucus will just tut tut and say that the Democrats are too obstructionist to work with, and eliminate the filibuster.

Izeinsummer Since: Jun, 2013
#180420: Apr 1st 2017 at 6:52:58 AM

So let them. The filibuster is an anchor around the democratic partys neck if only the republicans ever use it. Either it's a valuable tool defending the rights of minorities in congress or it's not. If is, it should be used when appropriate. "But the republicans might remove the filibuster if we use it!" is nonsensical as an argumentt

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#180421: Apr 1st 2017 at 6:57:21 AM

[The Atlantic] The Republican Identity Crisis. This article is very interesting and probably useful to identify the inner divisions in the GOP, here's a few quotes I found particularly important:

Liz Mair, a libertarian-leaning GOP strategist, wrote that she’s been convinced after “300 gazillion conversations with all sorts of conservatives”—including a range of lawmakers, writers, pundits, candidates, and grassroots-level activists—that the biggest division within the party is one that separates Fox News-a-holics driven by tribal grievance from people who have some kind of philosophically rooted belief system:
I honestly think the split in conservatism comes more down to philosophy versus identity politics than anything. Are you opposed to things on philosophical or tribal grounds? Are you a believer of a member of our clan? (Said in the Scottish sense) ...

I bet if you polled Trump primary voters and asked them what was the bigger problem—insufficiently limited government or transgender Muslim feminists being celebrated at the Oscars, a big majority would say the latter.

The flaw in this formulation, it seems to me, is that virtually every Republican who has entered Congress over the past eight years started out on the anti-establishment end of the spectrum, and then slid—involuntarily, perhaps, but inevitably—toward the establishment end.
I see many colleagues in the party taken in by the "establishment vs anti-establishment" spectrum. Essentially populism, as the anti-establishment folks are "burn it down" because they don't feel represented and want a fighter. That lead to Dave Brat winning in 2014, and Trump winning in 2016.

Now that its Trump vs Brat, you're going to see the inherent decay in this school of thought: the anti-establishment crowd turning on their former heroes like Dave Brat (as they turned on Cantor previously). He's in Congress, he's an insider, he's standing in the way, etc.

It will eventually turn on Trump as well, as he falls short on goal after goal. When it happens (as in, before or after Trump is out of office) is always dependent on having the right person run at the right time on the right message, but it will happen.

Most notable about the anti-establishment position is that there's no consistent end game or policy goal. It exists for the sake of itself. That's what frustrates folks who actually have firm ideological stances.

This is the probably the most provocative construct that was proposed, but it was also a popular one. For many Trump-averse Republicans, one of the biggest perceived differences between themselves and hardcore Trump fans is attitudes toward racial minorities and foreign immigrants. The alt-right dominates one end of the spectrum—and they place themselves on the polar opposite end.

Granted, this spectrum was not proposed to me by any Trump supporters, and no doubt many of them would strongly disagree with this categorization. But there’s no question it’s one of the defining debates inside the party right now. Evan Mc Mullin, a conservative who ran for president last year under the #Never Trump banner, was quoted saying that racism is the single biggest problem with the party today.

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#180422: Apr 1st 2017 at 7:08:30 AM

Well, yeah, the problem with being opposed to something is that such opposition can arise from people who support different propositions. Agreeing on opposing A does not mean agreeing on supporting B.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#180423: Apr 1st 2017 at 7:14:48 AM

I really hope that anyone who has anything explosive to drop, waits until till tomorrow morning.

I hate April Fool's Day.

New Survey coming this weekend!
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#180424: Apr 1st 2017 at 7:39:37 AM

[up] Yes, if you see a news story from today, April 1, make sure it's legitimate. Way too many people think it's funny to lie about someone dying or something huge happening.

Journeyman Overlording the Underworld from On a throne in a vault overlooking the Wasteland Since: Nov, 2010
Overlording the Underworld
#180425: Apr 1st 2017 at 8:24:49 AM

I think one of our problems with Net Neutrality's disappearance would be manufacturers working together to silence forum sites where people give honest reviews of their products. Places like this and our favorite reviewers who break things down and give yay or nay on seeing or using them would be under fire and censored by the creators who shovel shit onto people on a regular basis.


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