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

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#106876: Dec 16th 2015 at 6:29:40 AM

Trump said horrible stuff? Who would have thought him capable!

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#106877: Dec 16th 2015 at 6:33:27 AM

I was really kinda hoping that everyone would alienate Trump and his genocide thing but they all jump along and doubled down on it.

Man we really fucked up somewhere didn't we?

Oh really when?
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#106878: Dec 16th 2015 at 6:39:03 AM

Relax, it isn't over until the election results are announced and settled.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#106880: Dec 16th 2015 at 8:15:13 AM

Send Trump into space? No, that would be worse than giving him the Oval office. Do you really want to risk aliens making First Contact with Donald Trump?tongue

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Keybreak (Long Runner)
#106882: Dec 16th 2015 at 8:28:37 AM

The irony of both stories is almost laughable.

You gotta believe me when I scare you away, all that I wish for is that you would stay
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#106883: Dec 16th 2015 at 8:30:19 AM

Don't worry, the aliens won't understand a thing he's saying. They'll be really lucky.

Leviticus 19:34
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#106884: Dec 16th 2015 at 8:53:12 AM

Pulling the nativity scene and having no recognition of anything is honestly probably more even-handed than having a Christmas-specific decoration and then an everything-else-I-guess decoration.

Bullet holes in road signs isn't uncommon in certain areas, sad as that is. The "I love God" thing actually kinda amuses me, though. Also, the gallery of Jesus-related signs in that article has one for "Jesus' Mexican Food". Not sure if serious...

edited 16th Dec '15 8:55:42 AM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Krieger22 Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018 from Malaysia Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm in love with my car
Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018
#106885: Dec 16th 2015 at 9:19:29 AM

Trump has no idea as to what the US' nuclear triad is.

edited 16th Dec '15 9:19:50 AM by Krieger22

I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot
Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#106886: Dec 16th 2015 at 9:58:25 AM

Wish you guys wouldn't call these politicians sociopaths. They're not. While the shit they say is awful, they're still normal (well as about as normal as rich people can be) human beings. Which is honestly a lot scarier

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#106887: Dec 16th 2015 at 10:03:38 AM

Actually, statistically, sociopaths do thrive in political positions as well as police and justice ones.

So it is a good guess, if anything.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#106888: Dec 16th 2015 at 10:22:29 AM

Not all politicians are sociopaths. but if you happen to need a sociopath for whatever reason, well, I'd say the best place to look would be your local assembly of elected officials.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#106889: Dec 16th 2015 at 10:23:47 AM

[up] The more local, the better.

Keep Rolling On
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#106890: Dec 16th 2015 at 10:25:01 AM

IMO, there is a difference between a true sociopath (i.e. someone who innately has a Lack of Empathy) and someone who can and is willing to turn off/ignore his sense of empathy if he feels it hampers his successfulness at something.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#106891: Dec 16th 2015 at 10:26:17 AM

[up] Yes. The difference is psycopathy, and sociopathy, though that is not quite the definition of sociopathy though in practice, it can look like that.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#106892: Dec 16th 2015 at 10:57:45 AM

There's a moment in the debate where Trump is asked about Cruz as his running mate, and he's like "Oh man I've gotten to know him over the past 4 days."

I kind of want a buddy cop movie about these two asshats now.

Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#106893: Dec 16th 2015 at 12:17:55 PM

Re the sociopaths comment which I made (maybe others have as well?). I've always strongly disagreed with that assertion that all/most/many politicians are sociopaths, because I think it's a stupidly cynical analysis and in reality, most people get into politics/push an ideology because they genuinely want to help people and think their ideas are good.

However, besides his awful politics/racism, Trump is insanely self-aggrandizing in a way I've never seen in someone seeking political office. And with Cruz, I was reacting to his carpet-bombing comment coupled with other aspects of his personality and politics. Maybe unfair in his case.

edited 16th Dec '15 12:18:22 PM by Hodor2

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#106894: Dec 16th 2015 at 1:07:22 PM

So, I just caught wind of this on Extra Credits - "Sesame Credit" is a Chinese app that measures how loyal a citizen someone is, giving them tangible benefits for higher scores.

This is Orwellian dystopia level stuff, beating out even England's reputation for being a surveillance state.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#106895: Dec 16th 2015 at 1:16:33 PM

most people get into politics/push an ideology because they genuinely want to help people and think their ideas are good.

I am sorry for summoning Godwin's law seemingly so willy nilly

But do you honestly think Hitler thought what he was doing was wrong?

No one is the villain in their own story.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#106896: Dec 16th 2015 at 1:20:13 PM

I think his point is that we seem to see politicians as sentient slime in a suit, but that they're often in it because they DO want to help, rather than just play Machiavelli.

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#106897: Dec 16th 2015 at 1:22:07 PM

Depends on the politicians. You can't really expect me to believe Trump or Romney are in it to help the country.

Oh really when?
LogoP Party Crasher from the Land of Deep Blue Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Party Crasher
#106898: Dec 16th 2015 at 1:24:29 PM

[up][up][up]I think that's no longer very clear-cut. We are living in an age where there are politicians/entrepreneurs who know that what they are doing is all kinds of wrong, but simply chose to not give a crap and carry on doing it anyways. Mostly motivated by vanity, powerlust and cold, hard cash.

I mean, you can't really claim that people like Dick Cheney, the Koch Bros. and most of the climate change deniers think/thought of what they're doing as "good".

[up][nja]

edited 16th Dec '15 1:26:08 PM by LogoP

It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane.
Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#106899: Dec 16th 2015 at 1:27:53 PM

I think Romney was in it to help the country (well, half of the country at least tongue) and I get the feeling that he is a good guy who just came off rather unsympathetically because of his need/desire to sell himself to the far right.

And for example, while I don't like their theocratic bent, I'm positive people like Santorum, Huckabee, and Carson are well-intentioned.

But Donald Trump's campaign is 100% egotism.

edited 16th Dec '15 1:28:23 PM by Hodor2

Bense Since: Aug, 2010
#106900: Dec 16th 2015 at 1:34:31 PM

I would think it's pretty obvious that Hillary Clinton believes she is justified in doing whatever she can get away with and that her motivation is possessing power (and wealth), not helping people. What keeps me up at night is wondering if those who vote for her care what motivates her, or just care about what she has promised them that the other guy hasn't.

And for the record I believe Romney did honestly want to help people. I think Barack Obama also honestly wants to help people; he's just very bad at actually doing it.


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