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

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#119026: Apr 14th 2016 at 12:53:59 PM

To back up Cassidy's claim, Business Insider reported in 2012 that, according to seven separate studies, wealthy people are more likely to "lie, cheat, and steal candy from children." The prevailing theory is that, aside from the points mentioned above, it's because the wealthy can afford the societal hit they might take from doing so, because they don't rely upon society to help them.

Of course, with growing media awareness/scrutiny, they're finding that to be a bit less true, at least in regards to building up further wealth. J.P. Morgan, for example, managed to bilk the Union Army on a massive scale by arranging for one division to buy 5,000 dangerously-faulty guns (as in blowing soldiers' thumbs off) from another of its own divisionsnote . He even used the payment from the Army to pay the Army for it in the process, which is why he got off with only a warning, as someone should have caught him before he could pull it off.

edited 14th Apr '16 12:54:15 PM by ironballs16

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#119027: Apr 14th 2016 at 1:10:29 PM

One of the things I noticed when looking up stuff about the stock market, about how to make money off penny stocks (it's NOT easy), and so on, is that there seems to be a real big "dudebro" mentality around it. On one stock advice website, someone casually posted a degrading sexualized picture of a woman (which was totally irrelevant to the discussion) and no-one called that person out on it. One guy making a video about how to trade penny stocks had someone in the comments section telling him to shut up his "annoying girlfriend".

I'd read before about how people in high risk jobs are very likely to be men with high testosterone. And also, separately, how high testosterone tends to result in awful behaviors: increased selfishness, increased tendency to cheat on a spouse or lover, increased violence, etc. I also think that many of these dudebros are misogynists in part because they have the testosterone that may make them sexually desirable, but they totally suck at keeping a girlfriend or getting a wife.

Also, I gotta comment on this:

In many cases, these people are not moral by conventional definitions; they have perversions, addictions, and/or have cheated in some way or other. Since their self-image cannot handle the idea that they don't deserve their wealth, those traits must therefore become moral in their own minds.

I have a list of quotes that a friend and I came up with, but I can't link it now since Google Drive is blocked at work and that's where I store the quotes. However, one of the quotes that I came up with is how people try to convince themselves that they're good people no matter what. They try to justify any behavior, even if the justification makes no fucking sense.

A perfect historical (and political) example involves stealing land. Settlers saw people who were "not taking advantage of all their land", and so convinced themselves that it was morally right to steal that land and use it right. Then later, settlers saw another tribe that was very super efficient at plowing their land and growing crops, and convinced themselves that this tribe was "immoral" because they were so good at what they did. Time to steal their land to, for the exact opposite justification.

Does it make sense? No. Does it have to? No. They want to do something horrible, and they need a justification, regardless if it's any good or not, to convince themselves that what they're doing is right or justifiable. You see justifications used by criminals and bullies all the time. It's never their fault. The victim deserved it. No matter what, it's justified.

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#119029: Apr 14th 2016 at 1:48:55 PM

In International news, a Russian jet was caught on video buzzing the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea, reportedly coming within 30 feet of the ship.

I swear, Putin basically is Donald Drumpf's Russian counterpart.

[down]

And I mean that more in the "cult of personality" type of way. And at this point, I'm downright convinced that Putin believes his own hype.

edited 14th Apr '16 1:59:37 PM by ironballs16

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#119030: Apr 14th 2016 at 1:52:09 PM

Not at all. Putin is smart and knows exactly what he's doing. The dude is ex-KGB. He knows how to play the brinksmanship game and the proper procedure. There's actually something of an understanding and a routine between two superpowers doing the whole adversary thing. Nobody's really in danger these days.

Trump is just genuinely insane.

edited 14th Apr '16 1:52:38 PM by LeGarcon

Oh really when?
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#119031: Apr 14th 2016 at 1:53:34 PM

Sure about that latter part? I can very well imagine Trump as a person who knows exactly who he's pandering to.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#119032: Apr 14th 2016 at 2:05:18 PM

Trump might be considered a sociopath or some other type, but he is not "insane" in the sense of being entirely divorced from reality. Trump's behavior makes sense if you recognize its underlying cause: ego.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
darksidevoid Anti-Gnosis Weapon from The Frontiers (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Robosexual
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
#119033: Apr 14th 2016 at 2:08:58 PM

Reminder that the NY Dem debate is tonight from 9 to 11.

GM: AGOG S4 & F/WC RP; Co-GM: TABA, SOTR, UUA RP; Sub-GM: TTS RP. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire.
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#119034: Apr 14th 2016 at 2:13:22 PM

Battery is a hard charge to make stick, especially when the defendant is capable of lawyering up, and prosecutors don't like to go for cases they don't think they can win, by and large.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#119035: Apr 14th 2016 at 2:13:41 PM

Let's hope that it doesn't go down a sewer. The quality of the Sanders-Clinton primary has become a lot uglier lately.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
darksidevoid Anti-Gnosis Weapon from The Frontiers (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Robosexual
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
#119036: Apr 14th 2016 at 2:58:18 PM

I'm not especially worried that will happen, but we'll see.

GM: AGOG S4 & F/WC RP; Co-GM: TABA, SOTR, UUA RP; Sub-GM: TTS RP. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#119037: Apr 14th 2016 at 3:15:49 PM

The bar's been set so low I'm not sure either could bend that far without breaking their backs.

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
#119038: Apr 14th 2016 at 3:16:06 PM

On the morals thing, keep in mind that there's a difference between businesses/the wealth and the financial industry, due to how to financial industry works it specifically tends to draw in people with a lot less morals due to both its internal culture and the specifics of how the system makes profit.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#119040: Apr 14th 2016 at 5:55:39 PM

Is that including the superdelegates that have committed to a candidate or not?

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
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
#119041: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:04:06 PM

That assumes that one candidate doesn't drop out once they can't win a majority of the state delegates.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
theLibrarian Since: Jul, 2009
#119042: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:07:17 PM

Considering how Bernie's done lately, I highly doubt he'll drop out.

edited 14th Apr '16 6:07:24 PM by theLibrarian

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#119043: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:09:47 PM

What is "lately"? What are we talking about here?

theLibrarian Since: Jul, 2009
#119045: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:26:03 PM

Bernie also almost immediately disavowed a statement by a campaign organizer that used the word "whores" in a pre-speech speech at one of his rallies.

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
#119046: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:26:13 PM

[up]X4 Even if he gets less normal delegates the Hillary? He's built him entire recent argument on how super delegates should respect the votes of the people, if Hillary has more regular delegates then him that's what they'd be doing by voting for Hillary.

Plus he must realise how a contested convention would go down with the public, and that he can't win one.

edited 14th Apr '16 6:26:33 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
theLibrarian Since: Jul, 2009
#119047: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:36:35 PM

But even in a lot of the states he's won the superdelegates there have declared for Hillary.

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#119048: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:40:12 PM

The cognitive dissonance there is astonishing. I didn't think that even Sander's supporters could imagine a path to victory where he loses the pledged delegate count. Sander's chances of winning are approximately 0, and I wish he'd just give up instead of trying to drag Hillary down.

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
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
#119049: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:42:22 PM

[up][up] Sure, but if Hillary wins the pledged delegate count nationally then they're simply respecting the will of the party nationally instead of regionally.

Edit: Also are we ignoring that in states Hillary won some superdelegates have declared for Bernie?

edited 14th Apr '16 6:45:05 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CassidyTheDevil Since: Jan, 2013
#119050: Apr 14th 2016 at 6:43:46 PM

Statistically, a contested Democrat convention is now all but guaranteed.

Hmm...Would that be a bad thing, or a neutral thing? It doesn't sound good.

All I really want is for the popular disaffection with democracy to fade away...It's kind of alarming to me, that so many people think doing away with democracy will get them a better deal. That's not going to work, at all, and it's the exactly wrong diagnosis of the problem.


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