Nov 2023 Mod notice:
There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.
If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations
and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines
before posting here.
Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.
If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules
when posting here.
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
I remember I came dangerously close to falling into the alt-right-o-sphere after it somehow got into my 14-year-old head that I, a straight white moderately fortunate male, would become hated for being so because of oppressions that were problems of the past. My god, I was an idiot.
I actually credit this very forum for setting me straight
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison![]()
![]()
![]()
Well no, it's more like "the stuff that composes us was once stars, and in a million billion trillion years, perhaps it will be part of a being capable of reason once again." The kind of stoic comfort one can take to cope with the inevitably of death, and the uncertainty of the times we live in.
![]()
![]()
I'm trying to reassure somebody who is clearly in distress, but I'll remain topical to the best of my ability.
edited 23rd Jan '17 4:52:35 PM by CaptainCapsase
In my experience this is mostly what it is for the alt-right, or at least a big part of it.
Basically when you are self-conscious and maladjusted it is very easy to have that twisted by other people by giving them someone else to blame for their personal problems, whether it be feminists, "sjws", minorities, etc. It begins with personal stuff but eventually becomes political.
Obviously they have goals and want them achieved but even if they fail at every turn, they will always have an "enemy", a scapegoat to project their resentment towards. If they see themselves failing instead of looking at things critically and trying to improve themselves, they can just blame other people instead and not have to accept responsibility for their own flaws.
edited 23rd Jan '17 4:53:39 PM by Draghinazzo
The Fuhrer has named a foe of Net Neutrality to the FCC.
So. Serious question. How do we save net neutrality? How would that be done at this point? Because online organizing, free of censorship from our new dystopian government, is critical to La Résistance.
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."That's what happened last time. It worked last time. We had Obama and a functioning Democratic bloc in office. We'll see if it works now. It probably won't. Trump is a stupidly rich businessman with enough money to pretty much make his own social media site, block it from ever being taken down, and probably bribe the ISP companies to shut down his competitors. And being Trump, he'd put it behind a paywall.
ETA: I'm going to continue spreading the word about Net Neutrality, and if this shit goes I'm gonna suggest harsher things than calls and petitions to senators. Things like "if you support this, we are going to boycott every business you have a hand in and kill your funding base so you can't run for City Council let alone Congress again."
edited 23rd Jan '17 5:08:52 PM by Journeyman
You know what would be funny? If those same guys Trump appointed shut down net neutrality and the websites the Alt-Right dumbfucks use to watch their Anime got nixed as a result.
I am still waiting for Trump to say something incredibly stupid about firearms or come off as in favor of stricter gun controls, just because the reaction of the gun owners who voted for Trump, because they were afraid of an AWB 2.0, will be priceless.
Inter arma enim silent legesIf the Google company decides for one day to just deactivate Google in protest, even God will go "GUYS PLEASE DON'T DO THIS." Government agencies use Google daily for critical functions. When Google stops, you listen.
So we need Google, that's what we need.
"All you Fascists bound to lose."If this does happen we can at least enjoy the schadenfreude.
Also yeah Capsase's post almost made me laugh, but Trump would just find another bully pulpit.
edited 23rd Jan '17 5:12:19 PM by Draghinazzo
How many major corporations have skin in the game, though? I know there are several - like Verizon, I believe - who would actually like nothing better than for a free Internet to die.
Also, the Fuhrer is still spreading the lie about millions of illegal voters costing him the popular vote.
I feel like the thing a lot of people are missing about this is that it's not funny. It's not just another case of Trump being Trump. This is paving the way for even more draconian voter suppression and ballot purging laws down the road. They're laying the groundwork. It's not a statement of fact, it's a statement of intent.
And if that happens, then bye bye democracy. We'll never win another election.
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and most content creators require an internet that doesn't put premiums on internet traffic and limits the flow of users, they are against the restrictions on Net Neutrality because it inherently harms their business.
Telecom companies like Verizon and AT&T are against Net Neutrality because it doesn't allow them to milk money from the most accessed websites and having to charge other websites to allow them to be accessed is another source of venue. Besides from their standpoint they'd love if the whole internet was just a handful of websites because they would just need to bother the connection of a few instead of everything.
Attempts to destroy or limit the Net Neutrality will be fought by the Silicon Valley corporations, thankfully they are not afraid to throw their weight around when it comes to that.
edited 23rd Jan '17 5:24:06 PM by AngelusNox
Inter arma enim silent legesGiven Trump's behavior and how much the Right Wing these days likes to steal from other peoples' playbooks, I could see them pulling tighter on the Fascism and getting those companies burned to the ground and replaced with their own cronies.
I know y'all are going to say, "It can't happen" but let's face it. Worse things than that have happened and been met with the same response. "Can't happen." At least consider the possibility we are facing an already-in-place dictatorship that laid its ground roots long ago so that IF it happens we're not surprised.
![]()
![]()
The funny thing is, the Silicon Valley companies are usually democrat leaning, save the SOPA and PIPAnote soiling things with the Democrats, the Republicans don't deal very well with the US tech sector.
Mostly because the tech sector needs decent trade agreements and access to other countries to remain effective, something Trump and his cronies promised to completely shit on.
![]()
Trying to piss off and burn the US tech sectors will be probably the biggest mistake Trump and republicans could ever make. They aren't something that can easily be replaced without their own expertise and if they represent billions of dollars that the US produces that are a net gain for the US.
edited 23rd Jan '17 5:36:26 PM by AngelusNox
Inter arma enim silent legesHe's already suffering for what he's done. Why do you think his ego needs so much stroking? Considering the aging toll this job takes on literally everyone who has it, leading the free world is probably going to kill or cripple him anyway. So I highly doubt him suffering is going to stop him from being our first psychotically broken President in history who seems like Caligula.
Act with hope, but plan without it. Keep in mind history and what we COULD be facing so that we breathe a sigh of relief when it doesn't get so bad, but can hunker down for the long fight if it does.
ETA: The buried deep down part of Trump that actually accepts the truth others throw at him, which has to be real considering the work he goes into to redefine the truth, probably knew and accepted that the Presidency was going to be the last functional thing he would be doing with his life. This is, if not suicide, then definitely close to it, for him. And he thought it was worth doing. Considering his sniffling, I'd say his health probably isn't really the greatest. Treat him like a religious zealot doing everything he can to usher in Armageddon and I doubt you'll ever be surprised at how bad he tries to make things.
edited 23rd Jan '17 5:37:15 PM by Journeyman
Spraytan Stalin is a fragile flower who doesn't like it when people hurt his fee-fees.
His sniffling is probably related to Hitler sniffling - i.e both of them being high as balls all the time.
edited 23rd Jan '17 5:38:51 PM by math792d
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.

Isn't that basically just reincarnation? Anyways, pretty sure this is off-topic, and belongs on the philosophy thread or something.