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JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#140726: Sep 27th 2016 at 7:01:46 PM

They did grade him on a curve, or at least NBC repeatedly pointed out he had "different" expectations. Most of my friends felt the same way. To make things worse many only watched the first bit, the one where Trump did well, though many of them thought he was a dick.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Lennik (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#140727: Sep 27th 2016 at 7:17:02 PM

In regard to the debate about whether to simply denounce and dismiss the alt-right and their ideas as morally bankrupt and evil or to try to convince them to change, I think both of those proposals are easier said than done. Having said that, I think trying to reason with the alt-right is absolutely useless.

You hear it out of Milo every time he opens his mouth. "Racist has become a meaningless term. It's been overused and means nothing now." He and his ilk believe this. They are intellectually incapable of grasping the fact that the reason they've been called racists so many times that it's mundane to them now is because they keep saying racist things. But you can't convince them of that, because these deplorable white middle class sexually frustrated young men who make up the alt-right will literally mock unarmed black people being shot by the police and use racial slurs like it's their job, and they will STILL refuse to believe calling them racists has any weight.

There is simply no convincing them. There's no courting them for a noble cause. They have to be denounced, dismissed as utterly bankrupt, and utterly rejected. If you even waste time trying to explain why their positions are deplorable, they'll just call you an SJW Jew cuck and strut around like they've won. Which I'm sure they'll do anyway, even if Trump loses handily in November.

edited 27th Sep '16 7:19:35 PM by Lennik

That's right, boys. Mondo cool.
Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#140728: Sep 27th 2016 at 7:30:05 PM

"Racists are stupid people blinded by prejudices. We're enlightened rational people who merely call it like it is." Not amount of name-calling will change their opinions because it is so core to how they see themselves.

edited 27th Sep '16 7:30:18 PM by Clarste

BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#140729: Sep 27th 2016 at 7:37:10 PM

I can't believe how little I believe how some white people are so incapable of recognizing racism that they don't recognize it within themselves or others.

What I don't understand is why some of these people rail against "political correctness" when using that term allows them to hide their bigotry behind a banner or rebellion. Don't be politically correct about bigots. Call them out.

Ignorance is a hell of a drug for some.

edited 27th Sep '16 7:40:19 PM by BearyScary

Do not obey in advance.
Lennik (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#140730: Sep 27th 2016 at 7:43:42 PM

They fantasize about being George Carlin. Except when George Carlin railed against political correctness, he wasn't talking about the same thing Trump is talking about.

That's right, boys. Mondo cool.
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#140731: Sep 27th 2016 at 7:55:34 PM

George Carlin was also extremely ignorant to how the government actually functioned and yet he has millions of people who hold his idiotic stand up as if it were gospel

New Survey coming this weekend!
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#140732: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:00:36 PM

I wonder what Carlin would think about the Trump campaign, then...

Do not obey in advance.
Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#140733: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:12:32 PM

There is an intense belief behind Milo and his fans that being called racist is the worst thing. That it's a Scarlet Letter the left hangs around its enemies to silence them, and since they're not actively assaulting and lynching people they can't possibly be racist.

A key feature of their frame of mind is to adopt an absurd caricature of entire groups, which they use as a self-explanatory frame of reference to that ethnic group. To these people, it's simple: white people are not on welfare. Or criminals. Or violent. Or drug users. If pressed, they may admit not every non-white person fits this mold and maybe some white people are criminals, too, and drug addicts, and on welfare...but it's not going to penetrate too deeply, because those are individualized cases to them.

Milo and his fans are usually genuinely perturbed and upset by the notion they're called racists. They're just anti-PC, tellers of hard truths, 'race realists', and some of them even claim to be carrying on the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr (Glenn Beck has flat out done that, as have others) by reducing the man's life and work to a soundbite.

It's to the level where a guy with white power tattoos can scream at a Hispanic person to "go cook my tortilla and build that fucking wall" and then give an interview where of COURSE he's not really racist. We're just too PC and black people need to stop being sensitive about the past.

This is the stuff Trump has pushed to the forefront.

randomdude4 Since: May, 2011
#140734: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:15:28 PM

edited 11th Dec '16 8:46:03 PM by randomdude4

"Can't make an omelette without breaking some children." -Bur
nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#140735: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:30:38 PM

Congratulations America. You'll be electing either your first woman president or your first psychologically ill president.

edited 27th Sep '16 8:30:49 PM by nightwyrm_zero

RhymeBeat True colors from Eastern Standard Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: In Lesbians with you
True colors
#140736: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:37:07 PM

We can't even give Trump that credit. Lincoln had "melancholy" IIRC. In modern terms, depression.

The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
flameboy21th The would-be novelist from California Since: Jan, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
The would-be novelist
#140737: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:42:46 PM

Well he would the first orantugan. Animal right!

[up][up][up]Sorry if I offend you but if your friend is an intellectual and still vote Trump then he is either 1. a privileged asshole 2. a pseudo intellectual 3. pulling some weird Zero-Approval Gambit. 4. having schizophrenia 5. being blackmailed by Trump's cronies.

edited 27th Sep '16 8:48:31 PM by flameboy21th

Non Indicative Username
Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#140738: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:44:51 PM

And the first Oompa-Loompa.

edited 27th Sep '16 8:45:05 PM by Gilphon

GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#140739: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:47:53 PM

Concerning Carlin, he had all but admitted that his comedian self was just a character that he played on stage, even saying in his posthumous autobiography that if he was actually was anywhere near as bitter and misanthropic as the guy on stage, he'd have shot himself years ago. In addition, when he wasn't on stage and thus not his comedian character, he was as nice and gentle as anyone could be. Carlin also knew just how far to take a joke and knew when to abort when a joke went south.

Carlin's lack of political correctness on stage generally served to broaden social awareness as well. For example in one of his routines, Carlin railed against soft language in describing a combat condition which was called "Shell Shock" but was renamed "Battle Fatigue," then "Operational Exhaustion," and finally "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Then he points out that the returning Vietnam War Veterans might have gotten the care they needed if it was still called "Shell Shock." George Carlin used his vulgarity and lack of political correctness to drop anvils that needed to be dropped.

The Alt-Right are just racist assholes.

edited 27th Sep '16 9:00:16 PM by GameGuruGG

Wizard Needs Food Badly
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#140740: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:51:05 PM

You know, it's ironic; for all their talk of "telling it like it is", people being too sensitive and easily offended, etc. the alt-right are some of the most thin-skinned, easily hurt, easily provoked people on the planet.

i'm tired, my friend
chartoc Since: Apr, 2010
#140741: Sep 27th 2016 at 8:57:43 PM

[up]Not surprise by that. Those who claimed to be X tend to be not X. Alt-right is just the the far right under a new name. Also kinda funny that alt-right is just the PC version of racist fools.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#140742: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:06:16 PM

Reminds me a bit of the comic Alonzo Bodden on his news podcast Who's Paying Attention, where he's occasionally said that someone who claims they're not racist is probably racist. I tend to equate it more to if you begin or end a sentence with the words "I'm just saying", it means you know you're saying something you shouldn't.

SgtRicko Since: Jul, 2009
#140743: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:14:29 PM

@randomdude:

The role of VP isn't as powerless as it used to be. Nowadays the Veep actually does carry some weight, and it's not that implausible to imagine them crafting legislation or even being delegated significant roles that the president would normally have. And since Trump will probably want all the glamorous, publicly visible or exciting stuff, that means Pence will get thrown the stuff that sounds boring but actually matters: tax laws, complex legal decisions, changes to previous legal decisions, etc.

Case in point, Dick Cheney: the guy had a lot of pull on G.W. Jr.'s policies, and he also played a major role in much of how the Iraq war was carried out. Hell, his company, Halliburton, made a killing since they were given lucrative contracts on so many little things (mostly logistics) during the occupation. So it's not a stretch to imagine Pence getting more sway over Trump than he's currently showing.

RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#140744: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:20:32 PM

Carlin's lack of political correctness on stage generally served to broaden social awareness as well. For example in one of his routines, Carlin railed against soft language in describing a combat condition which was called "Shell Shock" but was renamed "Battle Fatigue," then "Operational Exhaustion," and finally "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Then he points out that the returning Vietnam War Veterans might have gotten the care they needed if it was still called "Shell Shock." George Carlin used his vulgarity and lack of political correctness to drop anvils that needed to be dropped.

I saw that bit, and thought it was absurd. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder sounds like a serious medical condition, which is exactly what it is. Shell Shock, though, that makes it sound like, "Oh, they're just in shock."

Re: Vice-Presidents: The general rule is that Vice-Presidents have as much power as the President decides to delegate to them, so they can range from being the real power behind the throne to doing nothing except break ties in the Senate (and protect the space-time continuum).

edited 27th Sep '16 9:23:32 PM by RavenWilder

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#140745: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:35:33 PM

Then he points out that the returning Vietnam War Veterans might have gotten the care they needed if it was still called "Shell Shock." George Carlin used his vulgarity and lack of political correctness to drop anvils that needed to be dropped.

I liked Carlin. I enjoyed his routines. This though, is just stupid. It was called shell shock during WWI. You know how many WWI veterans got the help they needed? Not a one. My grandfather served in WWII, when that term was still common (as were "battle fatigue", etc). He was buried alive and woke up screaming every night for the rest of his life because of it. He never got help—hell, in your army, Patton once slapped a shell shocked soldier for "malingering".

Lennik (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#140746: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:36:11 PM

[up][up]I'm not sure I agree. This is not a country that takes mental illness terribly seriously. I think there's an argument to be made that calling it Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder instead of Shell Shock makes some people who are ignorant of the issue go, "Well, that's just doctors trying to sell you therapy and medication by giving it a long-winded name to make it sound more serious." Shell Shock does sound more visceral IMO. I wouldn't say with any conviction that that has a discernible effect on how seriously it's taken, but I can see what thought process might lead Carlin to that conclusion.

Disclaimer: I absolutely do not agree with the sentiments I just hypothetically quoted.

edited 27th Sep '16 9:38:23 PM by Lennik

That's right, boys. Mondo cool.
SgtRicko Since: Jul, 2009
#140747: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:53:04 PM

[up]I'll second that stance. If Carlin felt that way about the name PTSD was currently given at the time, then it means a bunch of morons elsewhere would've shrugged it off as sounding too "modern-ish" or "soft". Heck, just look at any veteran's group page on FB, and you'll see a ton of them doing their damnest to act like PTSD is a modern invention along with SJ Ws and "triggering", and that past war vets survived just fine without therapy.

It might not have been the most effective way to reach out with his message, but if it works, it works.

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
#140748: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:53:54 PM

@random, I don't know why you think your freind is smart, everything you've said about him makes him appear to be an idiot, a troll or simply a liar who's supporting Trump for other reasons (probably racism) and is trying to trick you into thinking its for some 'legitimate' reason.

The idea that the entire world hates the US is popular amongst the ill informed and the knuckle headed, much of the world is often disappointed in the US but if your freind can't differentiate disappointment from hatred that's his problem.

There is a strong argument to be made that a Trump presidency puts the entire human race at risk, let's not test how the rest of the human race would act to such a gun being pointed at its head.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#140749: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:57:16 PM

WWI and WWII vets may not have gotten treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but they were from earlier eras with less medical knowledge and, most importantly, were treated with respect and dignity by the civilians as people who fought and risked their lives for their country. In contrast, Vietnam War vets were treated much worse by the civilian population because of just how unpopular the Vietnam War was when it ended. This is despite the fact these veterans were drafted just like WWI and WWII veterans, and thus fought for their country like those people did. This is also despite the fact that they could have been given better medical treatment.

The point of the routine was to connect Vietnam vets to WWI & WWII vets as people who fought for their country and thus deserving of help and dignity from the people of the country they fought for.

edited 27th Sep '16 9:59:40 PM by GameGuruGG

Wizard Needs Food Badly
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#140750: Sep 27th 2016 at 9:59:02 PM

Regarding mentally ill presidents, Grant suffered from PTSD, and was severely alcoholic to boot. And even he didn't run the country into the ground.

I'm not sure if Nixon's paranoia or Johnson's egomania crossed into the terrain of mental illness, but I wouldn't be surprised if that had been the case.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

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