Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[iam416]

It's not Orwellian in the sense that the Government is not doing it. I suppose that makes it not Orwellian. Heh. However, how many pitchfork examples do you want me to post about individuals losing their job to the "outrage" crowd? Those are ample.

And, I suppose if you wanted to consider Universities as arms of the Government -- and public universities are -- then you do get into some Orwellian shit.

[entropy]

what I still don't get is why the pubs didn't follow George Bush's embracement of Latino's. That was a tactical mistake, imo. And it wasn't that all pubs did it, just enough that dems and the media created the story line that pubs don't care about Latinos... just like they don't care about black Americans. The perception of many is a support of a republican makes you a racist. That believe is real. And alienating the two largest minority groups just made the conversation easier..

as for Asians... they are doing just fine and I don't see a reason they'd collectively join one party or another.

[Ghengis Jon]

Hillary is the most untrustworthy candidate and a closet Republican to boot. Trump is blow hard extortionist who would have been hanged by a lynch mob had he been born 100 years earlier. All other candidates are basically white noise.

It doesn't say much about the electorate, in particular those who (counter-intuitively) show the responsibility to participate in the primaries. Its almost as if both parties are trying to out-loopy each other. Politics has become pander to the base and regurgitate the drivel spewed in the respective echo chambers.


Clowns to the right of me
Jokers to the left
Here I am
Stuck in the middle with you

[Hannibal]

PC reaction gets pushed too far- both Left and Right- sometimes, but to claim we're in Orwellian territory is just silly. People have more freedom and ability to express their views today than at any time in human history.

The avalanche of stupidity one sees on FB and Twitter is unassailable proof.

The Orwellian part is when the self-evident but politically incorrect truth gets replaced by a politically correct untruth.

[entropy]

I read someplace over the holiday that fewer and fewer people are marrying across party lines. If I remember correctly, the % has fallen in the teens for people marrying a spouse with different political party support. The number has been falling since the 60's.

[Hannibal]

what I still don't get is why the pubs didn't follow George Bush's embracement of Latino's..

Because these people vote overwhelmingly Democrat. Republicans embracing this vote is the sheep embracing the wolves.

[hack]

Some of the shit that flies out of people's mouths is astoundingly racist. Probably more racist than the people saying it, often enough. Which speaks to the danger of having a person like Trump out there doing what he's doing. People love it because it distances himself from mainstream politicians, but a small minority on both sides go get their weapons and act on it, and then we all lose.

I agree on Islam. What talent said about Islam being a global problem can be easily asserted in some lefty-packed venues, especially if there's a Muslim at the table who agrees, and yet in other settings with the same crowd it's horrifying and cannot be tolerated. Very challenging for that kind of lefty to deal with reality.

[hack]

But, hey, what do I care. It's clear the Ds don't care a lick about working class white folks, so they'll continue to get their ass handed to them in most non-coastal states, have enough in the electoral college to typically retain the Presidency and more often than not they won't hold Congress.

Yeah but the Rs don't either. Both parties make a show of it in different ways. What would be interesting is if Bernie Sanders actually does, or if his campaign is something to build on. He cares. I think Trump's no-policy-talk approach is going to drown out Bernie's mirror opposite for now though.

[Ghengis Jon]

We need a Will Rogers type of philosopher. In 1928, he ran as the candidate of the "Anti-Bunk" party.
.

Asked what issues would motivate voters? (Prohibition) "What's on your hip is bound to be on your mind" .

Asked if there should be presidential debates? "Joint debate — in any joint you name" .

How about appeals to the common man? "You can't make any commoner appeal than I can".

What does the farmer need? "He needs a punch in the jaw if he believes that either of the parties cares a damn about him after the election" .

Can voters be fooled? "Of all the bunk handed out during a campaign the biggest one of all is to try and compliment the knowledge of the voter".

What about a candidate's image? "I hope there is some sane people who will appreciate dignity and not showmanship in their choice for the presidency".

What about ugly campaign rumors? "The things they whisper aren't as bad as what they say out loud"


And what applies today: " Lord, the money we do spend on Government and it's not one bit better than the government we got for one-third the money twenty years ago."

[Mike]

I read someplace over the holiday that fewer and fewer people are marrying across party lines. If I remember correctly, the % has fallen in the teens for people marrying a spouse with different political party support. The number has been falling since the 60's.

I read something similar, too. It was a study about the attitudes of parents regarding their children"s choice of spouse. Over half said they would disapprove of their child marrying someone with a different political affiliation. Back in the 60s it was only 5%.

[iam416]

Some of the shit that flies out of people's mouths is astoundingly racist.

That's true. I don't experience it as anything other than outlier, though. I go through entire weeks without hearing something that I'd consider "astoundingly racist."

Anyway, I find the current rise of identity politics to be really disheartening. I detest it in all forms. That said, I try to at least understand where its coming from and try to empathize as much as I can. But, at the end of the day, I think it's generally awful for society.

[entropy]

Because these people vote overwhelmingly Democrat. Republicans embracing this vote is the sheep embracing the wolves.

GW got a enough of a spike to give him the election. getting 30% improvement of that vote would be huge

[iam416]

Yeah but the Rs don't either. Both parties make a show of it in different ways. What would be interesting is if Bernie Sanders actually does, or if his campaign is something to build on. He cares. I think Trump's no-policy-talk approach is going to drown out Bernie's mirror opposite for now though.

The problem with the Ds is that they are beholdent to their lockstep voting block--African Americans. So the Ds have to talk AA issues and problems. And they don't do it a way that is particularly uniting with poor white folks. They typically do it a way that pushes them away. Appalachia is a punchline.

Sanders has that potential. He is, afterall, a socialist running in the D primary. However, the constituency he needs to carry are the progressives, and boy do those progressives love them some identity politics. So he's a bit handcuffed.

In theory, his Marxist/income inequality/screw the rich message should transcend race. But he still has to pay homage to it. He also has nearly zero interest in foreign policy and almost no inclination to take the "fears" (legitimate or not) of middle/poor white voters seriously. So, I think he definitely gets some of the poor white folks on board, but I really think he should way better with them.

[Rocky Bleier]

Every time I read 1984, which is every few years, it is apparent how much closer we are to it. The government spying on the people. Endless war. Manipulation of language. Yep. Brave New World is relevant as well. We're a feel-good, anesthetized society who rather watch The Real Housewives than be bothered with what our government is up to, because we trust that they have our best interest at heart.

[Mike]

The Orwellian part is when the self-evident but politically incorrect truth gets replaced by a politically correct untruth.

This is a perfect description of the alleged gender pay gap. Numerous studies (including one by UM) have consistently shown there is no statistical difference once you control for factors like education level and marital status. Yet every time a D gets behind a podium they bang away about how women only make 72 cents on the dollar. It drives me nuts that they are never called on it.