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

DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#329451: Sep 28th 2020 at 8:23:29 AM

Yeah, self-aware Social Darwinists tend to exist only in fiction, as far as I'm aware.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#329452: Sep 28th 2020 at 8:43:26 AM

And even in fiction a lot of the Social Darwinist types turn out to be hypocritical cowards.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#329453: Sep 28th 2020 at 8:48:38 AM

I never bought the Rule of Two because no Sith Lord would endanger themselves to serve a philosophy of selfishness—because that would require them to be selfless before it.

Or to avoid media:

If people actually believed in free market capitalism, they'd support unions because that's the worker correcting for their own employment value. They don't because they just don't want to be held back from exploitation.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#329454: Sep 28th 2020 at 8:48:57 AM

It is spelled "laissez faire", and literally means "let do". Here is the wiki page for those interested.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#329455: Sep 28th 2020 at 8:53:45 AM

So. First debate tomorrow, right?

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#329456: Sep 28th 2020 at 8:55:34 AM

I'm willing to bet ten bucks that Trump flat out doesn't show up.

Double points if it's not on a "friendly" network.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Sep 28th 2020 at 8:55:42 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#329457: Sep 28th 2020 at 8:59:57 AM

I see a couple of possibilities.

Option A: Trump doesn’t show up.

Option B: Trumps shows up, walks off stage the minute they ask about his tax evasion.

Option C: Trump stays, but goes on another “no puppet, no puppet, you’re the puppet” rant.

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#329458: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:03:01 AM

[up]x2+[up] If Trump doesn't show up, he's done for. A sitting President hasn't done that since Jimmy Carter (He refused to debate the 3rd Party Candidate, John B. Anderson).

Trump may be an idiot, but he's not a complete moron. He'll show up.

Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#329459: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:03:18 AM

Maybe it's different in Southern Cali, I dunno.

Couple pages late, but I live in Orange County and rarely see black people anywhere.

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#329460: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:04:38 AM

While the prospect of Trump not showing up being very...Trump, given how insanely idiotic it is, I find it highly unlikely. He still need that thin veneer of showing he respects the democratic process.

TBH if he did it's probably help his ratings.

Edited by Aszur on Sep 28th 2020 at 10:04:57 PM

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
TitanJump Since: Sep, 2013 Relationship Status: Singularity
#329461: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:05:24 AM

Prediction:

"Trump cancels the entire debate by falsifying a drug test that shows Biden testing "Positive" for drugs, somehow making the whole thing illegal, and then have his cult and propaganda tv chant "FAKE NEWS" when Biden and his team repeatedly states the truth that he didn't test positive and that Trump himself haven't taken that test yet either and refuses to do so because "Biden tested Positive FIRST!"."

If he does show up though, I expect Trump getting owned verbally within the first five minutes and after another ten, waddle off the stage in a infantile-tantrum, calling the whole debate "RIGGED!" on Twitter once he finally manage to get off the stage without answering any questions at all.

Trump got zero patience with anything, remember?

"Patience" is just another virtue that is completely alien to him.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#329462: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:07:15 AM

wild mass guessTrump will hire a stunt double to debate for him while he plays golf

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#329463: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:07:23 AM

I expect it would just be a "normal" debate all of these predictions are rather memey.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#329464: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:07:45 AM

Trump not showing up would mean Trump missing an opportunity to be on TV, with a show focused all around him. His ego won't pass that up no matter how incapable he is of following through on what he's agreed to do.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#329465: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:14:38 AM

[up][up][up] Said double would do a legitimately better job than Trump himself ever could have, resulting in "Trump Stunt Double" becoming a write-in spoiler candidate.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#329466: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:16:03 AM

I'll give a more serious prediction, Trump shows up and starts over-confident, having bought into the idea that Biden is senile. Surprised by Biden's lack of senility Trump tries to basically shout him down the way he did Hillary, Biden pushes back and things get very shouty for a while, eventually Trump just starts sulking in the corner, clearly wanting to leave as soon as possible.

Edited by Silasw on Sep 28th 2020 at 4:16:32 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#329467: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:17:42 AM

[up]x6Biden will not take any drug test. He has no reason to accept Trump's ridiculous demands.

Edited by Resileafs on Sep 28th 2020 at 12:17:56 PM

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#329468: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:19:08 AM

Ridiculous drug tests aside, what do we expect Biden to do in the debate?

tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#329469: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:20:11 AM

If he tries to go with the "Biden is mentally incompetent" message I expect him to embarrass himself both because Biden is not and he is. Seriously, unless he's reading off a teleprompter he can barely put a coherent sentence together and even with a teleprompter it's a 50/50 proposition.

Trump delenda est
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#329470: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:28:46 AM

I am sure others have discussed that thanks to the media consistently underestimating Biden and Trump's propaganda, the expectations in Biden for the debate are so low that he'll likely overperform them.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#329471: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:39:53 AM

I do not think Trump thinks Biden is mentally incompetent, or that he will go to the debate with the idea that Biden is mentally incompetent. I think the debate will be a milquetoast boring thing (with the usual trumpisms of him deflecting, not answering, and flat out saying dumb stuff) but no outright tantrums, leaving, not showing up, or even trying to cancel it.

Biden will just give his usual answers in his usual tone and AFTER the thing Trump will levy all the accusations he has. He is a coward. He is not going to fight someone from anywhere else but the comfort of his own toilet with a phone in his hand.

Edited by Aszur on Sep 28th 2020 at 10:40:02 PM

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#329472: Sep 28th 2020 at 9:40:49 AM

He did enough pacing, stalking, and shouting during the debates with Rodham Clinton. We'll see if he feels confident enough to try the same things on a man.

It's been fun.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#329473: Sep 28th 2020 at 10:00:01 AM

This is big; former Trump Campaign Manager Brad Parscale has been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Apparently he is unharmed, though some media sources are saying he assaulted his wife during the incident.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/27/politics/brad-parscale-hospitalized/index.html

It may be linked to Trump's taxes leaking to the media. Or it could be that he has been caught laundering money this summer. Or other stories could be coming out.

Stay tuned.

Edited by Rationalinsanity on Sep 28th 2020 at 2:00:37 PM

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#329474: Sep 28th 2020 at 10:02:50 AM

I mean, sucks for the guy, but what sort of impact to the public do you think that could have?

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#329475: Sep 28th 2020 at 10:07:58 AM

The suicide attempt itself won't have much of an impact, but if there are new stories about campaign leaks/corruption coming, that's a different story.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

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