Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[iam416]

I think we view diversity in completely the wrong way. Diversity of thought is true value add and, yet, institutions continue to eliminate diversity of thought in the name of diversity of physical traits.

Now, the market-based dude in me says "this creates tons of opportunities for 'non-Woke' to scoop up talent and build far better organizations." And, in a vacuum, I think that's entirely true. But, we're operating in a world where a definite minority is, IMO, able to "terroize" the majority into certain viewpoints. So, I fully acknowledge the latter opinion is debatable as to degree, but it's my opinion. I think the former opinion is probably more agreeable.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I know a lot of people don't care but whatever...Kevin McCarthy just threw his own Committee chair under the bus and denounced the proposed Jan. 6 Commission deal.

Republicans got nearly everything they wanted in this deal. Democrats and Republicans would have had equal control of the commission. No one currently in govt would be allowed to serve on it. No subpoenas could be issued without at least a 6-4 majority vote.

McCarthy's shooting it down because why aren't they investigating BLM too? Why not Antifa? How come the 2017 shooting of Scalise isn't included in its purview? Maybe we should take another look at Benghazi too, and Ruby Ridge, and Fast & Furious and bring Lois Lerner back in. It's just a deeply cynical and dishonest pretense to scuttle a commission that's a threat to bring McCarthy himself in to testify under oath.

So now what's probably going to happen? Congressional Committees are going to do the investigation instead. Highly partisan congressional committees instead of a neutral, bipartisan commission. And they'll have subpoena power and won't need a single Republican vote to issue them. It's hard to escape the cynical view that this is exactly what McCarthy and most Republicans want. They WANT a partisan "witch hunt" investigation to scream hysterically about on Fox. A report written by partisan congressional Dems is a lot easier to paint as political hackery than what the Commission would have produced.

It's just really disheartening to me....this was the best chance at having a reasonably objective assessment of what happened that day and *poof*, forget about it

[Dr. Strangelove]

I think self-selection is an aspect of it, but it's not a primary aspect. Or rather, it's not a primary aspect for the captured organizations any more. I would, instead, say that there was, at some point in time, a tipping point (produced, in part, by self-selection) where it was no longer a matter of self-selection but rather instituttional desire for homogenous thought. So, perhaps self-selection plays a role in producing the capture -- not perhaps, definitely plays a role -- but once it's captured the institution enforces the orthodoxy.

So, I'm way more sympathetic to your argument as at least a partial explanation as to why we are where we are. But, I'm not really buying it for "captured" institutions. The New Yorker, e.g., has zero interest in hiring Kevin Williamson, who is not really a :"trouble-maker." We know that. It happened.

But, again, the more interesting question, to me, is with the institutions that have yet to be captured. There ought not, e.g., be self-selection causes when it comes to working for corporations. This is where your analysis, I think, needs to accept at least some of the more uncomfortable points made by those of use "non-Woke fools." I'm not sure, e.g., why Delta would be more attractive to the Woke than Conservatives either in terms of employement or shareholders. So, that's why the corporate aspect of it is so interesting to me. And, again, I think it gets very nuanced based on the markets they're competing in, coprorate structure and then, can even be broken down into employment environment, PR moves and probably more things.

Major corporations have probably drifted leftwards because your big fortune 500 companies overvalue college degrees for positions that don't really require them. And since most of the colleges are "captured", as you say...plus it's just a hard truth that the dreaded coastal elites have more money to spend than folks in Lumpkin, Missouri.

I will say that of the handful of rightwing-dominated college campuses that exist (Claremont, Hillsdale, Oral Roberts, etc.), they don't appear to be any less conformist than the average liberal-run school. Hillsdale ain't hiring atheist lesbians to teach English and Gender Studies

[iam416]

Well, sure, re conservative institutions. I'm not arguing otherwise. I would think whatever theory one argues should apply should apply without regard to ideology. In fact, Williamson's article likens the current "cancel culture" to, I guess, some sort of "Lavendar Scare" -- which, as I understand it, was anti-gay orthodoxy -- not liberal.

So, there are always two larger points of contention -- one, does the problem exist and, if so, what is the problem; and two, is it actually a problem. Today is pretty much only about (1). Whether you think it's a problem is a completely different discussion.

[lineygoblue]

The WaPo publishes an "ANALYSIS" piece asserting that Israel's "Iron Dome" perpetuates the Israel-Hamas conflict. To cut directly to the chase -- if more Jews died from Hamas attacks then it'd force Israel into a political solution more rapidly.

It wasn't just WAPO. Its becoming a talking point for the leftists in the media that support Hamas. They believe if Israel were forced to give up the Iron Dome and its overall military advantages, that the conflict would be more of a fair fight. As in more dead Jews. Which, is what this is all about. Those who call themselves palestinians want more dead jews. They aren't firing their rockets at Russians or Chinese.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well, sure, re conservative institutions. I'm not arguing otherwise. I would think whatever theory one argues should apply should apply without regard to ideology. In fact, Williamson's article likens the current "cancel culture" to, I guess, some sort of "Lavendar Scare" -- which, as I understand it, was anti-gay orthodoxy -- not liberal.

So, there are always two larger points of contention -- one, does the problem exist and, if so, what is the problem; and two, is it actually a problem. Today is pretty much only about (1). Whether you think it's a problem is a completely different discussion.

I think it's mainly a problem when ordinary schmucks get fired for expressing an unpopular opinion on their own time. Or fired for complying to some forced politics on the job.

If you run a restaurant and you use your Facebook page to post political content and get boycotted or "cancelled" by people who don't like your politics, well, I have less sympathy.

[Jeff Buchanan]

It wasn't just WAPO. Its becoming a talking point for the leftists in the media that support Hamas. They believe if Israel were forced to give up the Iron Dome and its overall military advantages, that the conflict would be more of a fair fight. As in more dead Jews. Which, is what this is all about. Those who call themselves palestinians want more dead jews. They aren't firing their rockets at Russians or Chinese.

There's a huge amount of complexity to the conflict between Palestinians and Israeli Jews but it boils down to this: There will be no solutions until the leadership that represents Palestinians abandons advocacy for the destruction of Israel and the leadership in Israel stops trying to geographically eliminate Palestinians from living within its lawful boarders.

IOW, neither party has any intention of embracing a two state solution where Jews and Arabs coexist on lands they both claim are theirs.

So, what's next? Well, who knows. One thing I know is that serious efforts to end what's going on in that sand-box are absent. Nobody cares. Sure, there's some posturing. None of it serious stuff. This isn't a big story.

At one point, a few months ago, there was hope that Arab nations that were establishing diplomatic relationships with Israel might present opportunities for a road to peace between the two sides. And just to be clear, this was a hallmark, a potentially very successful one IMO, of PDJT's ME FP. That potential seems to be evaporating with the unprecedented street violence between Arabs and Jews who were living together peacefully. It's not being helped with the Biden administration's equivocating. Going forward, it seems to me nothing will change until either the Israelis or Palestinians have political leaders whose priority is peace.

[THE_WIZARD_]

...

[Da Geezer]

Major corporations have probably drifted leftwards because your big fortune 500 companies overvalue college degrees for positions that don't really require them. And since most of the colleges are "captured", as you say...plus it's just a hard truth that the dreaded coastal elites have more money to spend than folks in Lumpkin, Missouri.

I will say that of the handful of rightwing-dominated college campuses that exist (Claremont, Hillsdale, Oral Roberts, etc.), they don't appear to be any less conformist than the average liberal-run school. Hillsdale ain't hiring atheist lesbians to teach English and Gender Studies

I only know about Hillsdale, but they have professors of all political persuasions. Historically, Hillsdale was the first college west of the Appalachians to accept women, and one of the first to accept black and brown students. This used to be called a liberal arts college. Liberal used to mean "one who seeks liberty"

Toward that end, Hillsdale accepts no government funding, which exempts it from the woke strings attached to that funding. Again, liberty. Can you name any progressive college or university that refuses federal funds? Are progressives more conformist than liberals? Of course, they are. Progressives want the individual to take a subservient attitude toward government. Liberals want the government out of our lives as much as possible,

[UMStan White]

Hillsdale College where the president will gladly fuck your son's wife. Or if that's not to your liking, then attend Liberty where the president will gladly let anyone fuck his wife.

[Ghengis Jon]

Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery
Breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign?

[iam416]

I think it's mainly a problem when ordinary schmucks get fired for expressing an unpopular opinion on their own time. Or fired for complying to some forced politics on the job.

If you run a restaurant and you use your Facebook page to post political content and get boycotted or "cancelled" by people who don't like your politics, well, I have less sympathy.

Sure. I guess I'd address the second point in that I don't understand why businesses feel compelled or would otherwise want to make a political point, but here we are. It seems -- anecdotally -- that it's very much on the rise. They very much are participating in the political arena and generally participate on one side.

[Hannibal]

What you are seeing is not corporations reacting to changes in consumer tastes. Corporations are sacrificing money for wokeness. They have done this time and time again in recent years. Movie studios have flushed asinine amounts of money down the toilet on gender-swapped and woke reboots that have been box office bombs. Billions of dollars worth of consumer loyalty have been set on fire by long time stalwart brands like Gillette. There is no feasible business case that says that Twitter and youtube are more profitable and more valuable to stockholders when they kick Donald Trump or Alex Jones off of their platforms. And last but certainly not least, there is no sensible or rational reason for every fossil fuel major on Earth to be committing literal suicide by making carbon neutral pledges that will ensure that they are out of business in 15 years. We are in uncharted territory with capitalism -- where the people who control the purse strings in society are willing to sacrifice billions if not trillons of wealth to push Communism and Political Correctness. The wolves have tricked the sheep into lobbying on their behalf. It's a marvelous sight to behold.

[Ghengis Jon]

Hanni, I honestly think you're living proof of multiverse theory. Or perhaps today's version of Man In The High Castle.

[THE_WIZARD_]

STFU