Politics And Current Events

[Factorial]

Call off the search. We found him.

Guilty; contrary to your perspective, I don't think "everything is bad" is a tenable or particularly insightful worldview.

[malkintent]

And why did the media have to wait until after the election to be the "enemy"? Why did trump ever deserve different?

Are you saying that Trump should deserve more harsh/hostile treatment by the media that past presidents? If so, why?

Besides his incompetency and cronyism?

[Algernon]

If we're gonna have billionaire rulers.

Can we have people like Elon Musk and Jeff Besos as our benevolent supreme overlords, you know, actual intelligent people instead of retards like Peter Thiel and Trump?

[Shyster]

And why did the media have to wait until after the election to be the "enemy"? Why did trump ever deserve different?

Are you saying that Trump should deserve more harsh/hostile treatment by the media that past presidents? If so, why?

Besides his incompetency and cronyism?

Your view of incompetency and cronyism is based on your own personal biases. If that is your justification for hostile media coverage, then you are expressly authorizing the media to be biased. And if the media is automatically biased against Trump, then why shouldn't Trump be hostile towards them?

[Factorial]

Another closeted Trump supporter.

[shafnutz05]

If we're gonna have billionaire rulers.

Can we have people like Elon Musk and Jeff Besos as our benevolent supreme overlords, you know, actual intelligent people instead of retards like Peter Thiel and Trump?

Thiel is a genius and a philanthropist. He is not a "retard", in your regretful wording.

[slappybrown]

This charade that the press' value in a democracy isn't as an abrasive is adorable. Bannon himself specifically identified the press as the "opposition party" a month ago, demanding that they "sit down and shut up"; that's not identifying bias as you suggest, it's an anti-constitutional viewpoint.

It's been a never-ending escalation since then as his own people leak; the media prints it; he tweets that the press is evil. Rinse and repeat.

[grunthy]

If we're gonna have billionaire rulers.

Can we have people like Elon Musk and Jeff Besos as our benevolent supreme overlords, you know, actual intelligent people instead of retards like Peter Thiel and Trump?

Thiel is a genius and a philanthropist. He is not a "retard", in your regretful wording.

People that use that word are the ones that truly are.

[malkintent]

And why did the media have to wait until after the election to be the "enemy"? Why did trump ever deserve different?

Are you saying that Trump should deserve more harsh/hostile treatment by the media that past presidents? If so, why?

Besides his incompetency and cronyism?

Your view of incompetency and cronyism is based on your own personal biases. If that is your justification for hostile media coverage, then you are expressly authorizing the media to be biased. And if the media is automatically biased against Trump, then why shouldn't Trump be hostile towards them?

Yeah you're right. Having cabinet positions based on skill and experience and not pay for play is just a bias. I should be more understanding.

[Troy Loney]

And why did the media have to wait until after the election to be the "enemy"? Why did trump ever deserve different?

Are you saying that Trump should deserve more harsh/hostile treatment by the media that past presidents? If so, why?

Besides his incompetency and cronyism?

Your view of incompetency and cronyism is based on your own personal biases. If that is your justification for hostile media coverage, then you are expressly authorizing the media to be biased. And if the media is automatically biased against Trump, then why shouldn't Trump be hostile towards them?

Really?

Well, you must have incredible respect for bush and Obama for not blowing their brains out in response to negative press.

[malkintent]

If we're gonna have billionaire rulers.

Can we have people like Elon Musk and Jeff Besos as our benevolent supreme overlords, you know, actual intelligent people instead of retards like Peter Thiel and Trump?

Thiel is a genius and a philanthropist. He is not a "retard", in your regretful wording.

He's referring to Thiel's nonsensical "when trump means he will build a wall, he doesn't literally mean that" even though he does.

[Shyster]

This charade that the press' value in a democracy isn't as an abrasive is adorable. Bannon himself specifically identified the press as the "opposition party" a month ago, demanding that they "sit down and shut up"; that's not identifying bias as you suggest, it's an anti-constitutional viewpoint.

Being abrasive is not the same thing as being biased or hostile. I have no problems with an abrasive press that is equally abrasive to all sides. I have no problems with a biased press that is open about its biases. I have problems with a biased press that pretends that is "fair and balanced" (to use the Fox News line).

[shafnutz05]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/20 ... ervatives/

This article concerns British campuses, but it's certainly applicable to the States as well. The often-violent anti-free speech behavior exhibited by the so-called "Campus Left" is only hurting their cause. When you can just start screaming that "we shouldn't be giving so-and-so a platform here" rather than openly debate ideas, that will drive a lot of people away from your cause.

Savio’s speech helped push the movement towards success. Berkeley students won their full rights. Students, now liberated from the “machine” of university censorship, were able to create the anti-Vietnam student movement, another famous campus protest.

Nowadays, the student Left are unwilling to honour Savio’s legacy. On the 2nd of February, violent protests at Berkeley shut down a talk by popular conservative speaker Milo Yiannopoulos. Instead of maintaining a liberal and free atmosphere for speech and argument, Berkeley students have become the gears, wheels and levers of the machine that Savio wanted to stop.

In the space of fifty years, Berkeley students have gone from rioting against a university administration that limited their freedom of speech to violently opposing the presence of a speaker they disagree with.

The youth and student members of the British Left have given up trying to win arguments on principle, preferring to shut down the views of those they opponents. But ‘Gen Z’ live in the time of mass media where anyone’s political views can be shared worldwide at ease. By pushing a “you can’t say that” attitude, the young Left in the UK and the US are reducing their opportunity to respond to conservative ideas, and, as a result of this, conservatism is on the rise.

[shafnutz05]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... lshit.html

This is actually surprising, I didn't realize how much resentment there was of the former POTUS and his organizing campaigns at the state Democratic levels. It appears they believe his efforts have done more harm than good, which, if you look at the current political makeup of the federal and state governments, it's a compelling argument.

It is difficult to overstate just how enraged state Democratic activists and leaders are with Organizing for Action (OFA), the political and community-organizing army that grew out of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.

The nonprofit, which functions as a sort of parallel-Democratic National Committee, was founded to mobilize Democratic voters and supporters in defense of President Obama’s, and the Democratic Party’s, agenda. Instead, the organization has drawn the intense ire, both public and private, of grassroots organizers and state parties that are convinced that OFA inadvertently helped decimate Democrats at the state and local level, while Republicans cemented historic levels of power and Donald J. Trump actually became leader of the free world.

[columbia]

On a lighter note, are there any 3rd Amendment advocacy groups out there? I feel like that's something I could dedicate myself to.

[count2infinity]

Shyster... I'm confused. Can you provide an example of a news outlet being abrasive vs. hostile towards Trump?

[columbia]

https://www.instagram.com/p/dIwr_txzij/

[malkintent]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... lshit.html

This is actually surprising, I didn't realize how much resentment there was of the former POTUS and his organizing campaigns at the state Democratic levels. It appears they believe his efforts have done more harm than good, which, if you look at the current political makeup of the federal and state governments, it's a compelling argument.

It is difficult to overstate just how enraged state Democratic activists and leaders are with Organizing for Action (OFA), the political and community-organizing army that grew out of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.

The nonprofit, which functions as a sort of parallel-Democratic National Committee, was founded to mobilize Democratic voters and supporters in defense of President Obama’s, and the Democratic Party’s, agenda. Instead, the organization has drawn the intense ire, both public and private, of grassroots organizers and state parties that are convinced that OFA inadvertently helped decimate Democrats at the state and local level, while Republicans cemented historic levels of power and Donald J. Trump actually became leader of the free world.

Thank god the commandant is getting those fake news sites like cnn, abc, and cbs out of the way so thedailybeast can finally be shown for their journalistic prowess.

[Shyster]

Shyster... I'm confused. Can you provide an example of a news outlet being abrasive vs. hostile towards Trump?

There's a difference between asking tough questions and following up on any inconsistencies (which I fully recognize is the press's job) and being hostile or demeaning. I think that line is becoming blurred.

Edit: I think my views on the state of discourse are in alignment with those of Theodore Dalrymple, as described in the below link. We're getting to the point where political debate is being abandoned in favor of outright hostility, and the fact that someone disagrees with you is grounds to hate them and wish them destroyed. I think I've expressed my distress on this point before.

http://takimag.com/article/the_decline_ ... z4Z0MCFPTh

[columbia]

You green lighted killing the family members of government employees, but are concerned that Trump doesn't have a safe space away from...the media.

[malkintent]

The state of discourse was never your standpoint when the president with the dark skin and funny name had to be railroaded about his birth certificate. Now, when the president says his inauguration was a clear day in the middle of a rainfall, should we perhaps question the intent our speech as to not go from follow-up to hostile. Gotcha.

[Shyster]

You green lighted killing the family members of government employees, but are concerned that Trump doesn't have a safe space away from...the media.

I have indeed stated that government employees and their families would be valid targets if—and only if—they are complicit in the government engaging in tyranny, which I have repeatedly stated is not currently the case. Over the last 20 pages or so of this thread, multiple posters here have speculated about assassinating the president and even called for the bombing of the U.S. capital.

I am not saying Trump needs a safe space from the media. What I'm saying is that its' a Very Bad Thing that a lot of people cannot seem to be able to debate their points of differences without it turning into outright hostility. That's the path that leads to violence.

[columbia]

I appreciate the confirmation.

[count2infinity]

Shyster... I'm confused. Can you provide an example of a news outlet being abrasive vs. hostile towards Trump?

There's a difference between asking tough questions and following up on any inconsistencies (which I fully recognize is the press's job) and being hostile or demeaning. I think that line is becoming blurred.

And see? This is the kind of answer that gets people angry/upset with Trump.

1. Make a statement of what you feel is true: You make a point to say that people are being hostile toward him. You are okay with abrasive, not with hostile.

2. Someone asks for clarification and/or say what you're saying just isn't true: Me asking for an example of what you find hostile vs abrasive.

3. Don't answer the question, just throw out some word salad, or attack... in this case you chose a combo of A and B. Sometimes Trump manages all three at once.

It's becoming more and more obvious that unless you kiss Trump's ass at all times he's going to take almost anything as a personal insult. It doesn't even matter if the questions being asked are abrasive or hostile... they're all taken as attacks. What's the saying? If all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail?

[Shyster]

The state of discourse was never your standpoint when the president with the dark skin and funny name had to be railroaded about his birth certificate. Now, when the president says his inauguration was a clear day in the middle of a rainfall, should we perhaps question the intent our speech as to not go from follow-up to hostile. Gotcha.

Consider the following responses:

That's not true. It was raining that day.

That's not true, you f***ing s**t-headed moron.

Both of these responses could be used to oppose an assertion that "his inauguration was a clear day in the middle of a rainfall." One of them, however, expresses hostility. Can you see which one?