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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
Well, there's always the impeachment process if he crosses a line too far. Even if he doesn't get convicted, he could end up getting so entangled in the ensuing circus to the point where he'd have to put his "greatening" of America on hold for a long time just to make room to try and repair his image.
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I mentioned that earlier. Though in true Trump fashion, he's also claiming the Clinton campaign started birtherism, and taking credit for getting Obama to release his birth certificates.
@Elle: The people who actually have the know-how to run a country; the hanger ons like Flynn, Giuliani, Pence, and Christie, those people are more worrisome to me than the alt right psychos like Bannon.
edited 16th Sep '16 9:20:24 AM by CaptainCapsase
That's a really good point. That's probably the reason he's pushing for a pardon. As soon as he runs out of use for Putin, Snowden becomes a bargaining chip. The likelihood of him being returned to the U.S. is steadily rising.
This. That's pretty much the entire purpose of morality, when you get right down to it. It's a set of rules for how we should conduct ourselves in a way that provides a maximum amount of benefit to the tribe as a whole. At some point, it got hijacked by invisible arbiters of Ultimate Goodness, granting it a holy reverence in society, but even those invisible arbiters tend to just be tribes with different boundary definitions than the nations have.
And then it became obnoxious when it started being used by Moral Egotists wielding purity of intent like a cudgel to try and disqualify other people in order to make themselves look more super-special. I've heard the "Benefitting from a good thing is not TRUE MORALITY! In order to count as a good act, you must gain NOTHING FROM IT!" logic over and over again, and it's always funny because this kind of No True Scotsman approach to morality reeks of people who just do good for that ego-bump that tells them they're better than other people, which is ultimately just a different form of self-interest.
Which in turn is the fundamental danger inherent to morality: turning it into a More-Good-Than-You pissing contest. Letting the Perfect be the enemy of the Good, or even letting the Good be the enemy of the Decent. PROTIP: If you've ever caught yourself being harshly judgmental of another person for not being as Good as you are, you're not as great as you think you are. Those people are essentially the Nice Guys of morality. "I carried your books for you. Am I a candidate for sainthood yet?"
I, personally, am a lot more comfortable with the guy who helps me move my furniture because it means I'll do him a solid down the road than the one who's doing it because he wants recognition and acknowledgement of his moral superiority over the common man. The first guy's just doing what makes a great society: people working together for mutual benefit. The latter's scary as f*ck. Don't Be That Guy.
Yeah. If Trump wins, then every time he does something awful, I want Sanders on TV going, "To all of my followers who didn't listen to me: this is your f*cking fault."
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.@ Capasase:
So are you saying that young peoples' votes be worth more in Elections, as in one young persons' vote counts as two votes cast by older people?
edited 16th Sep '16 9:25:46 AM by Greenmantle
Keep Rolling OnNine times out of ten it's a mix, people help others because it allows them to feel good about themselves and because it can bring benefits later down the line. I helped my ex with the issue she had with the guy she got with after me not so much because I felt she'd later help me out or because I just want to help everyone, but because I feel good when I help people and I enjoy feeling good, I enjoy having that story to tell because it helps me deal with my self confidence issues and feelings of worthlessness, that story is also useful for getting others to like me and be willing to help me.
Now that's all subconscious stuff, honestly when she rang me I just wanted to help because she needed help, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some self interest there for my own mental well being and ego.
As for being a candidate for sainthood, look up Saint Silas, is a real thing.
I'd note that the angry "what the fuck are you people trying to pull?" line has been tried, remember Sarah Silverman calling Bernie or Bust ridicules at the DNC?
edited 16th Sep '16 9:39:13 AM by Silasw
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ CyranWhen it comes to helping people, I just do it because it's nice. They need help, I am able to provide help, therefore I shall provide help. I don't need a gift or favor, I don't need recognition, I just want to make them happy and make their life easier.
Altruism isn't some big scam. It's just being nice for the sake of being nice.
I think what's being stated here is that (almost) no action is ever entirely altruistic in nature, and that that's okay, which I agree with.
It's not that people can't and don't do things for other people just to help out and be nice, but a part of it always comes back to you, even if only as "I feel good when I help others."
edited 16th Sep '16 9:48:15 AM by LSBK
From a psychological perspective it is about gaining something, sure not consciously but we do things that gain us something, we're nice to people because it's the smart thing to do and because we've been conditional psychologically to enjoy being nice to people.
Thing is that's all okay, there's nothing wrong or scamy about the fact that we get something (even if it's just a warm feeling inside) out of helping others.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran

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And he has a decent television outlet, too.
"The devil's got all the good gear. What's God got? The Inspiral Carpets and nuns. Fuck that." - Liam Gallagher