In 2017 Idiocracy is a Documentary

[John D]

I mentioned a short while ago that Dalhousie University found itself in the awkward position of having a muslim female student who had expressed openly anti-white racist sentiments on Facebook. Having clearly contravened the student code of conduct, and having refused an informal/restorative resolution, she was going to have to face a disciplinary tribunal. I predicted the university would bend over backwards to get her off the hook. Surprise, surprise! They have.

Dalhousie drops disciplinary hearing over student’s Facebook post

Concern over hateful and violent social-media messages Ms. Khan was receiving, as well as a growing sense that a disciplinary process would not lead to respectful and constructive campus dialogue, prompted the decision, said Arig al Shaibah, the vice-provost of student affairs.

Of course this is the outcome. A white student would have likely been expelled for this kind of behavior. The progressives are doubling down these days.... fucking commies defacing the Francis Scott Key statue in Baltimore, cause somehow he was a racist shit-lord. The NAACP trying to shit on American Airlines and National Public Radio spending several minutes on the stupid topic. AHA quoting the SPLC every two weeks in it's opinion pieces. Youtube demonetizing many conservative (or even moderate) content creators in favor of promoting the likes of Jimmy Kimmel. NFL players still kneeling even as the stadiums are only half full and fans burn their branded stuff.

All the while, most normal people are totally sick of all the shit. There are still a pile of lefty progressives who worship Rachel Maddow and the like, but there is no credibility of the leftist story outside their own little bubble. I am guessing there is a core of perhaps 30% of Americans who buy into the lefty story of America (evil, greedy, racist, colonial killers), but the size of the group is shrinking. They are however, more shrill than ever.

It is weird what is happening to my family. My brother almost took my head off when I explained that Trump is largely responsible for the stock marking growth due to deregulation and working on tax reform. He actually said the growing market was due to the good work of Saint Obama. He looses his mind on this topic... totally irrational. My 22 year old daughter has been so distressed at Facebook that she actually checked out and no longer uses it. This is a big surprise to me. My wife, a big movie fan, can't stand to watch the award shows like the Emmy's or Oscar's anymore. She hates the Hollywood types now... a huge change in her.

Strange times indeed.

[Sunder]

Youtube demonetizing many conservative (or even moderate) content creators in favor of promoting the likes of Jimmy Kimmel.

I posted a video from Lindybeige on this subject a page or two ago.

My earlier prediction seems to have been correct: Youtube has not, contrary to scare-mongering, taken a deliberate hatchet to conservative opinion pieces in order to prop up liberal ones. Rather they've automated their entire system and are letting their little algorithms merrily destroy everything, only bringing a human being in to sort the problem out when enough people or the right people complain. Large media groups are protected because they have Google's ear.

This isn't Orwell, this is 1990s Microsoft redux. And the stupid fuckers will pay for it as competitors like Vid.me take all their business.

[MarcusAu]

Haha... you guys are funny. We don't mess around here in Troy.

It's not a place where I would choose to live. I understand that even with the walls there is high risk from wooden equine fauna.

[John D]

Ultimately it comes down to the authoritarian belief that humanity needs to be saved from its worst impulses by all means necessary, which is very widespread among rich, successful, or simply highly educated people. Think about Ana Kasparian's genuine opinion that she's "better than you", or about Hillary Clinton's entitlement issues. I'm pretty sure even George Soros sees himself as a philanthropic millionaire who promotes freedom, democracy and good governance, and thinks of the advantages that he and his cronies get as a bonus, maybe even as something he's earned and deserves.

I think about it a lot, and it makes me wish Trump could win every election from now until we both pass to the grave, just so I can see that anguished look on her face every four years.

Fucking Judy Woodruff on PBS... haha! Oh shit. Her face when she announced that Trump had won. I roared with laughter! My wife was so pissed at me that night. On god.... I just laughed and laughed and she was furious at me. She doesn't understand the fact that I still think Trump is a total ass... but... Hillary would be 10 times worse for the country.

Imagine a Hillary presidency. She would be sitting in the Oval Office with the house and senate both Republican. NO Legislation would pass. Also, she would continue with Obama's creation of more and more leftist rules and regulation.... double down of Title IX kangaroo courts... double down on allowing Muslim refugees... double down on business regulation. What a fucking disaster. The market would be in the tank. Unemployment would be rising. The Republicans would launch investigation after investigation against her. Wow! That would have been a train wreck.

[VickyCaramel]

You don't need to watch this, I am posting it just because of this idiot's hair. We have reached peak hipster.

[Sunder]

My brother almost took my head off when I explained that Trump is largely responsible for the stock marking growth due to deregulation and working on tax reform. He actually said the growing market was due to the good work of Saint Obama. He looses his mind on this topic... totally irrational.

Your brother is more correct than you want to admit.

This honestly kinda puzzles me and I've mentioned it before: It's one thing to think that certain policies will have this or that effect on the economy, but it's another thing to believe that these effects are instantaneous.

[John D]

Haha... you guys are funny. We don't mess around here in Troy.

It's not a place where I would choose to live. I understand that even with the walls there is high risk from wooden equine fauna.

Haha. Yeah. The name was actually taken from Troy New York. The first settlers here were originally from Troy NY and they just created their own town in Michigan with the same name.

Our prior city council used the Greek history of Troy to make the city emblem. Fantastic idea.. right. The only technical problem is that they decided to use the image of Athena. Haha.... well... she was the patron goddess of the Greeks and Achilles... not the Trojans. Athena helped destroy Troy. I find it pretty funny. Details... details...

download.jpg

(13.99 KiB) Downloaded 94 times

[John D]

My brother almost took my head off when I explained that Trump is largely responsible for the stock marking growth due to deregulation and working on tax reform. He actually said the growing market was due to the good work of Saint Obama. He looses his mind on this topic... totally irrational.

Your brother is more correct than you want to admit.

This honestly kinda puzzles me and I've mentioned it before: It's one thing to think that certain policies will have this or that effect on the economy, but it's another thing to believe that these effects are instantaneous.

This data does not support your position.

[Sunder]

While you can make the case that markets can and do react to expectations, it's important to keep in mind that sometimes those expectations can be wrong.

If anyone banked hard on, for example, the much-touted ACA repeal, they'd probably be smarting right now.

If you want to declare Trump's economic record a winner when basically no time has passed for anything he's put into place to materially affect markets beyond simple expectation, go ahead. From where I'm standing having completely abandoned economic populism there is materially no difference between a Trump economy and a Generic Republican economy.

[Ape+lust]

There goes another one.

https://imgur.com/otHnm4o.png

http://nypost.com/2017/10/26/mark-halpe ... nt-claims/

[Kirbmarc]

Ultimately it comes down to the authoritarian belief that humanity needs to be saved from its worst impulses by all means necessary, which is very widespread among rich, successful, or simply highly educated people. Think about Ana Kasparian's genuine opinion that she's "better than you", or about Hillary Clinton's entitlement issues. I'm pretty sure even George Soros sees himself as a philanthropic millionaire who promotes freedom, democracy and good governance, and thinks of the advantages that he and his cronies get as a bonus, maybe even as something he's earned and deserves.

I think about it a lot, and it makes me wish Trump could win every election from now until we both pass to the grave, just so I can see that anguished look on her face every four years.

I wouldn't go that far, since Trump has been a terrible president so far and promises to be even worse, and making people angry is never a good reason for a political choice, but I understand why that kind of attitude isn't going to convince people to vote Democrat.

The Democrats need not only to ditch the SocJus extremists, but also the "limousine liberal" mindset, in order not simply to win the next election (Trump is becoming so unpopular that he's likely going to jeopardize his own campaign) but to avoid the extreme polarization and divisions in American society and at least TRY to solve some common issues.

I don't think the Republicans have the political will to deal with real problems, and their programs are usually irrational and unrealistic. The Democrats aren't incredibly better, but they'd have a better chance of facing some issues if only they rejected the SocJus/"latte liberal" attitude, which is pointless anyway (what exactly have the SocJus accomplished in concrete terms?).

The US need to reform their economy, politics and foreign policy, and the GOP carries on with more of the status quo, more trickle-down economics, more corporate welfare and lobbies, more neocon plans, even if the religious and conspiracy nutters were kept at bay (right now they're the inmates running the asylum). There is more potential for at least a partial chance of change among the Dems, if the insane Po-Mo/college radical/middle-class entitled mindset was challenged, and some people (including Bernie Sanders) have at least TRIED to challenge it, albeit with little results.

My biggest concern is that Trump's brand of mixing twitter idiocy, alt-right sympathies/ambiguities, conspiracy theories and general buffoonery has reinforced the Regressives/SocJus, who are now thoroughly dominating the Democratic Party thanks to the "Resistance" memes. Today's politics seem to be about crazy feeding into crazy. I'm afraid that this could go on for quite a lot.

[AndrewV69]

Razib Khan:

New Atheism Is Dead, Long Live New Atheism

The money shot (at the end of course).

Addendum: I think some of Scott’s commenters are correct that the rise to prominence of Islam as something that good liberals need to defend in public, no matter their private contempt for the religion (which they share with me candidly of course), also makes New Atheism kind of less attractive.

Now that is something I never do. I do not have contempt for any of the established religions. For example when Jehovahs Witnesses knock on my door I always invite them in for tea, and a biscuit.

Some look disconcerted when they see I have both a Bible and Quran. Sometimes a single female opines she would rather stay outside. In that case I bring out two chairs, tea &c.

But also, Razib had this to say in The Four Modes Of Atheism

I think it gets to the fact that for most humans supernatural beliefs are about the synthesis of intuitions and passions.

...

The social contexts for this resurgence are outlined in the book, but they illustrate that in some ways secularization is a thin culturally conditioned dusting atop a religious cognitive substrate.

As usual, follow the links, read for context etc. etc. etc.

Also:

Whatever Man. Fuck. (Die Antwoord)

[Sunder]

From where I'm standing having completely abandoned economic populism there is materially no difference between a Trump economy and a Generic Republican economy.

Actually, there is still one thing Trump might do that a Generic Republican wouldn't, and that's try to dismantle NAFTA. Which he may still not do if Republicans can talk him out of it.

[jet_lagg]

Ultimately it comes down to the authoritarian belief that humanity needs to be saved from its worst impulses by all means necessary, which is very widespread among rich, successful, or simply highly educated people. Think about Ana Kasparian's genuine opinion that she's "better than you", or about Hillary Clinton's entitlement issues. I'm pretty sure even George Soros sees himself as a philanthropic millionaire who promotes freedom, democracy and good governance, and thinks of the advantages that he and his cronies get as a bonus, maybe even as something he's earned and deserves.

I think about it a lot, and it makes me wish Trump could win every election from now until we both pass to the grave, just so I can see that anguished look on her face every four years.

I wouldn't go that far, since Trump has been a terrible president so far and promises to be even worse, and making people angry is never a good reason for a political choice, but I understand why that kind of attitude isn't going to convince people to vote Democrat.

It's hyperbole. I'm a Democrat and may have voted for Hillary if I hadn't been so disgusted with the party's treatment of Sanders. I live in a solidly blue state, so my third party protest vote affected fuck all anyway. Hey, at least it made me feel a little better.

[John D]

While you can make the case that markets can and do react to expectations, it's important to keep in mind that sometimes those expectations can be wrong.

If anyone banked hard on, for example, the much-touted ACA repeal, they'd probably be smarting right now.

If you want to declare Trump's economic record a winner when basically no time has passed for anything he's put into place to materially affect markets beyond simple expectation, go ahead. From where I'm standing having completely abandoned economic populism there is materially no difference between a Trump economy and a Generic Republican economy.

In general, Trump didn't have to actually do too much to give business more confidence. Business was growing under Obama, but there was a general sense that Obama was pro-regulation (as you could see from all his orders). The market had stayed pretty flat over the year before the election with investors having a general sense of the doldrums. A Hillary presidency promised more of the same... creeping regulation... a push for more burden on business.

So, the Trump bump was not caused by a sense that Trump would fix much... but at least Trump wouldn't continue to make things worse like Hillary would have.

If there is actually some greater success from Trump, like an actual tax change, the stock market will continue to rise. An actually tax policy change is probably not priced into the market. I suspect that any improvement in business tax code will give stocks another big bump.

Investors don't have many good investment options. Interest rates are very low so it doesn't take much good market news to bump the stock market. Investors have money on hand and they are looking for an excuse to toss more of their money into stocks.

I am not making the claim that Trump will be particularly good for the "economy". If a tax cut goes through then we will probably build more US debt. In the short term business will love this because it will increase earnings potential. This may not be sustainable if the government grows debt. The Trump stock market gain is probably a kind of bubble. The trick is to figure out when the bubble will burst.

In the best case, economic growth will help pay down the debt, but this is not guaranteed. In the worst case, the tax cut causes a large government debt increase with no way to pay it down.... this could be very bad with increasing inflation etc. We will not know the answer to this for a while... but this is what we have to watch in my opinion.

[jet_lagg]

But also, Razib had this to say in The Four Modes Of Atheism

There are four causes of atheism that are surveyed in Big Gods:

1) Personality (low social intelligence)

Well that explains everything :lol:

[Kirbmarc]

But also, Razib had this to say in The Four Modes Of Atheism

There are four causes of atheism that are surveyed in Big Gods:

1) Personality (low social intelligence)

Well that explains everything :lol:

This is also interesting:

The author and his colleagues did research where they primed individuals by engaging them in highly analytic thought. Correcting for background variables they found that this biased respondents toward an impersonal god or atheism appreciably. Again, I think it gets to the fact that for most humans supernatural beliefs are about the synthesis of intuitions and passions. Excessive intellectualization is more likely to engender skepticism, or, a hyper-formal model of religion (which I think has become religion qua religion for some).

This argument sounds plausible. Most people don't really think analytically about religion, they experience religion through rituals, prayers, gatherings, giving yourself excuses, hoping for a better future, feeling superior to the non-religious, religious moralizing and religious gossip (pointing out flaws in others through a religious mindset), etc. etc. Religious leaders seem to always understand this and recommend to most people not to think too much about religion, to simply practice it, to follow a series of rituals.

In Phil Zuckerman’s Society Without God he observes that in highly secular Scandinavia many respondents found it difficult to articulate strong feelings toward religion. It was simply not a prominent social institution in the society, though it was still part of the cultural furniture. But like furniture, it didn’t stand out. Societies with strong states, robust institutions, and impartial rule of law, along with some modicum of prosperity, tend to have lower levels of religiosity, and weaker passions about the topic from respondents. Once religiosity becomes less salient in a broad sense, then it becomes less of a concern in general for individuals.

The paragraph above expresses the ideal state of mind towards religion: "it's not socially important to be interested in gods or a god anymore so we just no longer give a shit whether it's true or not".

[Matt Cavanaugh]

There are scammers and profiteers but even they are likely to at least believe in some of the things they say (I'm pretty sure that Anita Sarkeesian sincerely sees herself as a victim and wants to bring forth the Intersectional Feminist Utopia).

No, Sarkeesian is a complete sociopath who only cares about gaining attention for herself and making money. Before she created the false persona of a gamer grrrl, she ran a scam graphology service with McIntosh. Before that, she was into the motivational-guru cult scene. Mark my words: before long, she will be on to yet another scam.

Oh, and 'call in a bomb threat to your own event' needs to be a card in the game.

[MarcusAu]

I might feel a little more indifferent to religion if it didn't inspire every half-assed semi-competent con artist to attempt to bilk their flock for their own personal gain, or to cause outright bodily harm to others.

If as Samuel Johnson said "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" - then religion cannot be far behind.

And yes - this does not rule out other ideologies being used to exploit people too - cf environmentalism, communism (see Animal Farm) or progressivism in general.

I'll go for the over-intellectualism & doubt of atheism - rather than the under-intellectualism & credulity of faith.

Most of the current anti-atheist though seems to be making the argument to consequences fallacy - and they need to be called out on it.

Truth is spelt with a small 't' (unless it's at the beginning of a sentence).

[Matt Cavanaugh]

My brother almost took my head off when I explained that Trump is largely responsible for the stock marking growth due to deregulation and working on tax reform. He actually said the growing market was due to the good work of Saint Obama. He looses his mind on this topic... totally irrational.

Your brother is more correct than you want to admit.

This honestly kinda puzzles me and I've mentioned it before: It's one thing to think that certain policies will have this or that effect on the economy, but it's another thing to believe that these effects are instantaneous.

You and your brother are both incorrect in assuming that is even a good thing -- other than for the rich who are getting richer.

[Matt Cavanaugh]

From where I'm standing having completely abandoned economic populism there is materially no difference between a Trump economy and a Generic Republican economy.

Actually, there is still one thing Trump might do that a Generic Republican wouldn't, and that's try to dismantle NAFTA. Which he may still not do if Republicans can talk him out of it.

He's not going to do squat other than posture, snort coke, tweet at 3 a.m., and pass critical intel to the russians so they will like him.

He vowed that during his first 100 days, he'd declare China a currency manipulator (they are), but reneged.

trump is a complete psychotic, and expecting him to do anything at all other than play out his twisted psychoses on the national stage, is foolish.

[MarcusAu]

More drama...the centre cannot hold...

[Kirbmarc]

Razib Khan:

New Atheism Is Dead, Long Live New Atheism

But in the American context, I do think that New Atheism arose is a particular time and context, George W. Bush’s America, and has declined in salience in another one, where standard-bearer of the Republican party is a cultural Christian at best. The previous President, Barack Obama, was a liberal Christian who admitted that he believed in evolution more than angels.

Yup. That's what I've been thinking. The biggest sources of interest in New Atheism among liberals were George W. Bush's connections to Dominionism in the US and Pope Benedict's social conservative views in Europe. Those people were seen as hostile to liberal ideals, so New Atheism was used as a way to call out their mistakes and flaws (Bush's invasion of Iraq, which was immensely unpopular, the pedophilia scandals within the Catholic Church and the opposition to gay marriage and LGBT rights in general).

Both have been substituted by more liberal, or at least liberal-friendly, leaders (Obama and Pope Francis) so socially liberal people lost interest in New Atheism. The funny thing is that the same reasons that motivated concern towards Bush and Ratzinger (warmongering, hostility towards LGBT people, covering up or even offering excuses for child sexual abuse) are part of the rise of conservative and reactionary islam.

However liberal people in the "West" seem incredibly wary of criticizing islam openly, and hostile to the New Atheists who apply the same severe and uncompromising standards to the Catholic Church and to Islam. This is very likely due to the fact that the conservative right (Christian and not) is very anti-islam, and liberals are incredibly wary of fanning the flames of anti-immigration feelings and of "islamophobia".

Indeed the fear of even incidentally and indirectly promoting racism is so strong among liberals that New Atheism is now seen as a threat, as a wretched hive of alt-righters and racists, even though the most prominent figures of New Atheism (Dawkins, Harris, etc.) have expressed strong criticism of right-wing populism (Dawkins is very anti-Brexit, Harris is very anti-Trump).

[Kirbmarc]

I might feel a little more indifferent to religion if it didn't inspire every half-assed semi-competent con artist to attempt to bilk their flock for their own personal gain, or to cause outright bodily harm to others.

If as Samuel Johnson said "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" - then religion cannot be far behind.

And yes - this does not rule out other ideologies being used to exploit people too - cf environmentalism, communism (see Animal Farm) or progressivism in general.

I'll go for the over-intellectualism & doubt of atheism - rather than the under-intellectualism & credulity of faith.

Most of the current anti-atheist though seems to be making the argument to consequences fallacy - and they need to be called out on it.

Truth is spelt with a small 't' (unless it's at the beginning of a sentence).

I think that in Scandinavia these days Christianity is more or less inoffensive. Islam, on the other hand...

[heddle]

That idiot theTruePooka is trying to reanimate the corpse of A+. Because it's a double-inversion (anti-anti-SJW), it'll be entirely different, so don't let the look and smell fool you.

It's just what everyone's been waiting for.

I bet at minimum (and maximum), Shives, Arel, and Myers go for it.

https://imgur.com/o0GJ2nl.jpg

This is the greatest human gift imaginable. At least from my, a theist's, perspective.

[Shatterface]

Jerry's got ANOTHER stupid determinism post up. And his critics are absolutely trouncing him in the comments and making him throw fits in response.

It was funny to joke that he can't help doing it maybe the first 12 or so times, but the last nine hundred and sixty have just been sad to see.

I just skip those poses now. He's started arguing about the moral distinction between psychopaths, who just can't help it because of their wiring, and the rest of us, who can't help it either because atoms and shit.

[Shatterface]

Poses? Posts. Feckin causality.

[Oglebart]

Ultimately it comes down to the authoritarian belief that humanity needs to be saved from its worst impulses by all means necessary, which is very widespread among rich, successful, or simply highly educated people. Think about Ana Kasparian's genuine opinion that she's "better than you", or about Hillary Clinton's entitlement issues. I'm pretty sure even George Soros sees himself as a philanthropic millionaire who promotes freedom, democracy and good governance, and thinks of the advantages that he and his cronies get as a bonus, maybe even as something he's earned and deserves.

I think about it a lot, and it makes me wish Trump could win every election from now until we both pass to the grave, just so I can see that anguished look on her face every four years.

Did she actually say that? I saw a montage of the Young Turks election night coverage, where they started off happy and gradually lost it as the results came in, but I didn't know about this little titbit.

[Really?]

Did she actually say that? I saw a montage of the Young Turks election night coverage, where they started off happy and gradually lost it as the results came in, but I didn't know about this little titbit.

If you are not in lockstep with Ana about Black Lives Matter and want to employ some reason in the matter, she is fucking better than you.

https://youtu.be/zhwpvzc8pAE

[Kirbmarc]

This is the greatest human gift imaginable. At least from my, a theist's, perspective.

Dictionary Atheists : A+ :: Mainline Christianity : Westboro Baptists

:lol:

The Westboro Baptist used the legal system to annoy people and picketed funerals, so they were much more of a public annoyance. A+ did nothing if not bitching and moaning about who was the Most Self-Righteous of Them All, so they were more funny. They didn't even have the spoons to be obnoxious offline.

They left that job to Antifa :bjarte:

[Sunder]

Honestly it doesn't bother me that much because "I'm better than you" is a sentiment many if not most people hold and the fact that it's impolite to say it out loud doesn't stop people from thinking it.

[MarcusAu]

If you are not in lockstep with Ana about Black Lives Matter and want to employ some reason in the matter, she is fucking better than you.

Much better than you...

[MarcusAu]

Not sure what happened there...

[Oglebart]

Did she actually say that? I saw a montage of the Young Turks election night coverage, where they started off happy and gradually lost it as the results came in, but I didn't know about this little titbit.

If you are not in lockstep with Ana about Black Lives Matter and want to employ some reason in the matter, she is fucking better than you.

https://youtu.be/zhwpvzc8pAE

Thank you. Wow, that's quite a rant. Her eyes are darting about everywhere in that clip. Salt level well over 9000 I would say. Silly woman :bjarte:

[Kirbmarc]

From where I'm standing having completely abandoned economic populism there is materially no difference between a Trump economy and a Generic Republican economy.

Actually, there is still one thing Trump might do that a Generic Republican wouldn't, and that's try to dismantle NAFTA. Which he may still not do if Republicans can talk him out of it.

He won't. He managed to kill the TPP but that's only because it wasn't already fully operational. The Mainstream Republicans would never tear down NAFTA, and he hasn't talked about it more or less since the election. Trump's call for active isolationism/downgrading US military involvement abroad is already waning (his foreign policy is a mix of pure apathy and old Republican/semi neocon policies, like supporting the KSA and blasting Iran and North Korea). His economic protectionism will likely fade in the background, too.

Deep down the economic and political reasons why some people voted for Trump were yet another example of Trump's flaky approach to business and politics: lots of bombastic promises, lots of attention-seeking through provocation, but no true substance (just like Trump University).

[Lsuoma]

This argument sounds plausible. Most people don't really think analytically about religion, they experience religion through rituals, prayers, gatherings, giving yourself excuses, hoping for a better future, feeling superior to the non-religious, religious moralizing and religious gossip (pointing out flaws in others through a religious mindset), etc. etc. Religious leaders seem to always understand this and recommend to most people not to think too much about religion, to simply practice it, to follow a series of rituals.

This is very true, I think.

I found it fascinating, reading Simon Heffer's biography of Enoch Powell, "Like the Woman Roman", how Powell first argued himself out of religion, then back into it. The latter was done for reasons of "Englishness," whatever that means to anyone.

Powell, incidentally, was an amazing character:
Youngest professor in the Commonwealth (Greek at Sydney, age 25, just missing his ambition of beating Nietzsche, at 24, the youngest in modern history).
Promoted from Private to Brigadier during WW II (one of only two to achieve this)
Revised Stuart-Jones' Thucydides and published a complete lexicon of Herodotus by the age of 26
Taught himself many languages - German, French, Italian, Urdu, Russian, Welsh, Portuguese, Modern Greek.
In a three hour Greek translation (from English) exam at Cambridge, exited after 90 minutes having produced two Greek translations, one in the style of Herodotus, one in the style of Plato.
Although an imperialist when younger, foresaw (and accepted!!) the end of the British Empire pre-Aden.
Spoke out about the Hola Massacre in Kenya
Rivers of Blood speech (pretty much proven entirely correct - if anything, he underestimated the impact)

Heffer's book is well worth reading.

[free thoughtpolice]

They found and arrested the guy who painted 'kkk' in a racist hate crime

http://www.buzzfeed.com/tamerragriffin/ ... higan-univ

His name was Eddie Curlin

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3585222

Trump is fueling the rise of the far right to the extent that black people are even joining the KKK. It's worse then we thought. :ugeek:

[shoutinghorse]

Is Norway red pilling?

[free thoughtpolice]

Ultimately it comes down to the authoritarian belief that humanity needs to be saved from its worst impulses by all means necessary, which is very widespread among rich, successful, or simply highly educated people. Think about Ana Kasparian's genuine opinion that she's "better than you", or about Hillary Clinton's entitlement issues. I'm pretty sure even George Soros sees himself as a philanthropic millionaire who promotes freedom, democracy and good governance, and thinks of the advantages that he and his cronies get as a bonus, maybe even as something he's earned and deserves.

I think about it a lot, and it makes me wish Trump could win every election from now until we both pass to the grave, just so I can see that anguished look on her face every four years.

Fucking Judy Woodruff on PBS... haha! Oh shit. Her face when she announced that Trump had won. I roared with laughter! My wife was so pissed at me that night. On god.... I just laughed and laughed and she was furious at me. She doesn't understand the fact that I still think Trump is a total ass... but... Hillary would be 10 times worse for the country.

Imagine a Hillary presidency. She would be sitting in the Oval Office with the house and senate both Republican. NO Legislation would pass. Also, she would continue with Obama's creation of more and more leftist rules and regulation.... double down of Title IX kangaroo courts... double down on allowing Muslim refugees... double down on business regulation. What a fucking disaster. The market would be in the tank. Unemployment would be rising. The Republicans would launch investigation after investigation against her. Wow! That would have been a train wreck.

Name one thing that Trump and the congress has passed. Nothing so far. The stock market is following the same trend as under Obama so far. That demented hillbilly Trey Gowdy just launched more phony investigations against Clinton even though she isn't in office.
For someone that thinks Trump is a total ass it is remarkable how naive you are about buying into his bullshit.
Give him a few years, a trade war, skyrocketing deficits, and his reckless gutting of environmental and financial regulation and there will be another disaster like there was under his slightly smarter counterpart W Bush.
Will you still be laughing then?

[Kirbmarc]

Name one thing that Trump and the congress has passed. Nothing so far. The stock market is following the same trend as under Obama so far. That demented hillbilly Trey Gowdy just launched more phony investigations against Clinton even though she isn't in office.

For someone that thinks Trump is a total ass it is remarkable how naive you are about buying into his bullshit.
Give him a few years, a trade war, skyrocketing deficits, and his reckless gutting of environmental and financial regulation and there will be another disaster like there was under his slightly smarter counterpart W Bush.
Will you still be laughing then?

What pisses me off is that George W. Bush, who was as bad as Trump if not worse (so far Trump has never invaded a country illegally), is now a hero of liberal democracy because of a speech that was interpreted as criticizing Trump.

So it's likely when Trump will crash and burn the neocons will regain complete control of the GOP, while the neolibs, which now paper over their issues through massive virtue-signalling, will still control the Dems, and the US foreign policy will likely stay exactly the same, as idiotic as it has been in the last sixteen years or so, with the same disastrous results :bjarte:

[Matt Cavanaugh]

Powell, incidentally, was an amazing character:
Taught himself many languages - German, French, Italian, Urdu, Russian, Welsh, Portuguese, Modern Greek.
In a three hour Greek translation (from English) exam at Cambridge, exited after 90 minutes having produced two Greek translations, one in the style of Herodotus, one in the style of Plato.

The complexities of Geordie eluded him, however.

[VickyCaramel]

Ultimately it comes down to the authoritarian belief that humanity needs to be saved from its worst impulses by all means necessary, which is very widespread among rich, successful, or simply highly educated people. Think about Ana Kasparian's genuine opinion that she's "better than you", or about Hillary Clinton's entitlement issues. I'm pretty sure even George Soros sees himself as a philanthropic millionaire who promotes freedom, democracy and good governance, and thinks of the advantages that he and his cronies get as a bonus, maybe even as something he's earned and deserves.

I think about it a lot, and it makes me wish Trump could win every election from now until we both pass to the grave, just so I can see that anguished look on her face every four years.

Did she actually say that? I saw a montage of the Young Turks election night coverage, where they started off happy and gradually lost it as the results came in, but I didn't know about this little titbit.

[Sunder]

Jerry comments on that Slatestarcodex piece on New Atheism as well as the original article Scott was commenting on.

[jet_lagg]

I'm confused by Coyne's confusion over Scott's theory that the liberal pushback against New Atheism was caused by the group signalling grey tribe allegiance immediately prior to the grey tribe splitting from the blue tribe. It seems very straight forward, assuming you find tribal signalling to be a coherent social model and believe the split happened.

[Lsuoma]

Powell, incidentally, was an amazing character:
Taught himself many languages - German, French, Italian, Urdu, Russian, Welsh, Portuguese, Modern Greek.
In a three hour Greek translation (from English) exam at Cambridge, exited after 90 minutes having produced two Greek translations, one in the style of Herodotus, one in the style of Plato.

The complexities of Geordie eluded him, however.

Maybe, but he repeated go elected in Wolverhampton, so he did manage Brummie - that and Geordie together is just too much to ask...

[Lsuoma]

I think about it a lot, and it makes me wish Trump could win every election from now until we both pass to the grave, just so I can see that anguished look on her face every four years.

Did she actually say that? I saw a montage of the Young Turks election night coverage, where they started off happy and gradually lost it as the results came in, but I didn't know about this little titbit.

Well, her tits are better than mine. Probably.

[MarcusAu]

This is the greatest human gift imaginable. At least from my, a theist's, perspective.

Dictionary Atheists : A+ :: Mainline Christianity : Westboro Baptists

:lol:

The Westboro Baptist used the legal system to annoy people and picketed funerals, so they were much more of a public annoyance. A+ did nothing if not bitching and moaning about who was the Most Self-Righteous of Them All, so they were more funny. They didn't even have the spoons to be obnoxious offline.

They left that job to Antifa :bjarte:

The Westboro baptists are obviously out to provoke - but has anyone seriously argued that their interpretation of christianity is invalid? I thought that their beliefs fell well within the bounds of the calvinist tradition.

If A+ could be compared to anything it would be Jehovah's witnesses, or the seventh day adventists, or the mormons or some other group coming out of the 'burned over' district of the 1800s. ie they are are new development rather than a traditional one.

[Shatterface]

Trump is fueling the rise of the far right to the extent that black people are even joining the KKK. It's worse then we thought. :ugeek:

Surely a more inclusive KKK should be something to celebrate?

Racists just can't win these days. People will always find something to criticise.

[John D]

Oh, and 'call in a bomb threat to your own event' needs to be a card in the game.

got it.

[windy]

Is Norway red pilling?

https://twitter.com/WestmonsterUK/statu ... 7859975169

Norway has been trolling Sweden over immigration for a while now:
https://www.ft.com/content/23ea67a2-8d8 ... d?mhq5j=e6

An outspoken Norwegian minister has sparked a sharp war of words with Sweden over immigration in an unusually public spat between the Nordic neighbours. 

Sylvi Listhaug, the immigration minister from the populist Progress party, has warned for months that Norway should not copy its neighbour and allow “Swedish conditions” to develop. 

That is code for the gang warfare, shootings, car burnings and other integration problems that Sweden has endured recently in the suburbs of its three largest cities, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. 

But Ms Listhaug poured fuel on a simmering fire by travelling to Stockholm on Tuesday — less than two weeks before Norway votes in parliamentary elections — to visit one of the most violent suburbs, Rinkeby, in what she described as a “learning trip”.

[Steersman]

So the 2nd story on "robot" sex dolls being more popular than regular prostitutes at brothels. (The prior one being noted in Australia.)

My initial reaction is that this is creepy as hell. But far better than the alternative.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest- ... -buy-video

That said, can we get our resident expert (Steersman) on such matters to give it a go and weigh out the pros & cons? And um, go EXTREMELY light on the intimate details. Looking more for issues of economics, ethics, positive or negative experience and likelihood of either completely replacing or partially replacing humans for said service.

Bit of an amusing though cogent follow-up from one of my go-to-persons on the topic, if nothing else ...

https://twitter.com/Maggie_McNeill/stat ... 6252949504

[Steersman]

Is Norway red pilling?

https://twitter.com/WestmonsterUK/statu ... 7859975169

Norway has been trolling Sweden over immigration for a while now:
https://www.ft.com/content/23ea67a2-8d8 ... d?mhq5j=e6

An outspoken Norwegian minister has sparked a sharp war of words with Sweden over immigration in an unusually public spat between the Nordic neighbours. <snip>

But Ms Listhaug poured fuel on a simmering fire by travelling to Stockholm on Tuesday — less than two weeks before Norway votes in parliamentary elections — to visit one of the most violent suburbs, Rinkeby, in what she described as a “learning trip”.

Looks like some other countries or at least jurisdictions within them are likewise "red pilling", finding some courage, some backbone:

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/923602636670091265

Time to read the Riot Act to Islam and to most if not all Muslims; about worn out their welcome in the West ...

[screwtape]

I'm confused by Coyne's confusion over Scott's theory that the liberal pushback against New Atheism was caused by the group signalling grey tribe allegiance immediately prior to the grey tribe splitting from the blue tribe. It seems very straight forward, assuming you find tribal signalling to be a coherent social model and believe the split happened.

Jerry's become a lot more authoritarian in recent times, and essentially only wants people to make comments that agree with his positions. I've thought for a while that he is an aspie who has done a fairly good job of running an emulation of the empathy and social skills most take for granted. That might explain his apparent asexuality too.

[ConcentratedH2O, OM]

Powell, incidentally, was an amazing character:
Taught himself many languages - German, French, Italian, Urdu, Russian, Welsh, Portuguese, Modern Greek.
In a three hour Greek translation (from English) exam at Cambridge, exited after 90 minutes having produced two Greek translations, one in the style of Herodotus, one in the style of Plato.

The complexities of Geordie eluded him, however.

Maybe, but he repeated go elected in Wolverhampton, so he did manage Brummie - that and Geordie together is just too much to ask...

You'd be hung for saying Wolves speak Brummie, that's Black Country.

[Bhurzum]

Time to read the Riot Act to Islam and to most if not all Muslims; about worn out their welcome in the West ...

"The most efficient street cleaner in an egalitarian society is a riot gun" - Anton LaVey

https://i.imgflip.com/119ofk.jpg

Sign me up!

:twisted:

I've got a high score to beat...

[free thoughtpolice]

[Old_ones]

This is the greatest human gift imaginable. At least from my, a theist's, perspective.

Dictionary Atheists : A+ :: Mainline Christianity : Westboro Baptists

:lol:

The Westboro Baptist used the legal system to annoy people and picketed funerals, so they were much more of a public annoyance. A+ did nothing if not bitching and moaning about who was the Most Self-Righteous of Them All, so they were more funny. They didn't even have the spoons to be obnoxious offline.

They left that job to Antifa :bjarte:

"Mainline Christianity" just sounds odd to me.

https://i.imgur.com/SR89Hid.png

[Steersman]

This is the greatest human gift imaginable. At least from my, a theist's, perspective.

Dictionary Atheists : A+ :: Mainline Christianity : Westboro Baptists

:lol:

The Westboro Baptist used the legal system to annoy people and picketed funerals, so they were much more of a public annoyance. A+ did nothing if not bitching and moaning about who was the Most Self-Righteous of Them All, so they were more funny. They didn't even have the spoons to be obnoxious offline.

They left that job to Antifa :bjarte:

"Mainline Christianity" just sounds odd to me.

[.img]https://i.imgur.com/SR89Hid.png[/img]

:-) And just after Trump talks about declaring "opiod crisis a public health emergency" ...

https://twitter.com/MilwaukeeTVNews/sta ... 2311444480

[Steersman]

Time to read the Riot Act to Islam and to most if not all Muslims; about worn out their welcome in the West ...

"The most efficient street cleaner in an egalitarian society is a riot gun" - Anton LaVey

[.img]https://i.imgflip.com/119ofk.jpg[/img]

Sign me up!

:twisted:

I've got a high score to beat...

:-) But sure hope it doesn't come to that - one nuke, even on Mecca, can ruin the whole day, although that might be an exception. ;-)

Though can't say London boobies/bobbies doing much if anything to forestall that eventuality:

https://twitter.com/AMDWaters/status/923437899038756866

https://twitter.com/SteersMann/status/9 ... 9318362112

[Old_ones]

God that was painful. I'm struggling to find words for it. "Whiny and entitled" would be a serious understatement. I had to laugh at a couple points though. Like when she pulled out the jewkeesian meme, and then complained that gamergate was so terrible for her, it was like a "24 hour a day Nickelback marathon".

If your life is so bad that it's comparable to listening to generic radio rock then maybe you should shut up about it. Or talk to someone who has been through an actual crisis so that you can get some perspective.