Merv's Politically Incorrect Audio Blog

Discussion in 'SBAF Blogs' started by purr1n, Dec 26, 2018.

  1. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    You can't judge the USPS by how it's functioning lately because the GOP has been trying to destroy it for decades through voting against proposed improvements that would make things better, to intentionally trying to bankrupt or keep them very poor so they don't function well. The GOP sell us on this bullshit idea of the evils of government and then when they get into office they make government ineffective on purpose to back this up. One thing they've done- Bush passed a law requiring all pensions for all employees be pre-paid. No other government agency has this requirement and it put the USPS into the red from being stable before. It's a huge financial burden that accomplishes nothing else and is very intelligently designed because it sounds good so it's hard to repeal. This was all carefully thought out by the GOP think tanks.

    The USPS could easily be much better if our government let them. They're being sabotaged on purpose.
     
  2. robot zombie

    robot zombie Friend

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    The sad reality there, is the corporations have already been given the power to get in the government's pockets. Hell, I'd say that's a big part of a lot of our problems right now. We have set up a system where our elected officials answer to the people who pay them first and the people who vote them in second. They all say they're looking out for you... just like the corporations they really work for. It casts this illusion over every issue... makes a charade of it, when at the end of the day it's all just to keep people in power beholden to the cashflow while giving the impression that things are being done for the people's sake... that they're being heard. Maybe every now and then we catch a bone to gnaw on... keep those teeth busy.

    Makes it hard to know what's real and what isn't when behind every good cause is that same corruption. Still waiting for the day when somebody who says they'll put an end to lobbying actually does it. It's a wonder to me that anyone sincerely believes any major elected official is out there for them. I don't think it's even possible. You either get in because you want to play that money/power game, you go in with good intentions but become that, or you pretty much get blacklisted and go nowhere. Probably the same reason it's so hard to get anybody outside of the two main parties on the ballot. It's rigged that way on purpose because they can't have just anybody getting in on that.

    They tell you we have a choice but really they're all pretty much on the same team and it comes down to which one represents ideas that you most prefer. What flavor of table crumb suits you best? It's not that the issues aren't real, it's just that they've become so mired in ulterior motives that the outcomes boil down to bullshit every which way, to the point where I'm not convinced it matters who is right. Anything people care about is going to be taken advantage of for the benefit of this sprawling corporatocracy that's building up. It's crazy to think about how often they wind up having more rights than any of us do.

    My biggest fear is that inevitable breaking point when people's little bags of fucks runs out. That could realistically be a pretty bad situation. Though honestly, I think there would be a civil war long before people would realize it's all a sham and unite against everything responsible for it. I mean, maybe there is a gradual way to change it. But how? It's hard to see how that works right now, given how everything good gets snatched up and repurposed to suit anyone but the people.

    And that's not even considering global factors. It's really just a big f'ing mess. I hate to be cynical about it but it really seems... pretty bad :/
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2020
  3. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

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    I think the divide between the political philosophies underlying the two dominant parties has become so massive that secession is the only logical end result. I feel bad for feeling this way because I want to believe in the power of diplomacy and decency, but the creation of two separate nations may be in our best interest. I think it's unhealthy to force two people who hate each other to live under the same roof. It certainly doesn't work in marriage and it doesn't seem to be working in politics either.
     
  4. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

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    Living in a garbage state certainly isn't helping you. No hate, I'm stuck living in this shithole as well. As soon as my job allows it, I'm off to greener pastures. Every Cali expat I know is mad that they didn't leave sooner. Not a single one wants to come back.
     
  5. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    If you have to hate because of having different political philosophy the separation is indeed the only healthy solution.. The last time you tried it was 650k of dead people. By that criteria we would have very few functioning democracies in existence.
    And the US would never come to existence or disappear after the Civil War.
    What really make it so sad is that, and forgive me here, a lot of people in the US live under the illusion that the main purveyors of hate, the owners of the media companies, really hate Trump, Biden or whatever. No, they would love to do business with Trump, and exercise the level of control they are use to. The alternative is to make you hate each other and they are doing a fantastic job.
    And of course no discussion is complete or without accusing the other side of being evil or suffering from paranoia.
     
  6. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Actually, it is both sides that signed off on the bill back in 2006. Dems get much of the blame as the GOP on this one.
     
  7. tranq

    tranq Friend

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    I meant to post this here last night, not on the rumors thread..

    I read the other day that the Proud Boys have alot of candidates running in various elections across the country.

    Methinks that SBAFs politically inclined members should start running for office.
    If I've learned anything over the years its that people listen and believe those who say they have the answer or ideas that they think will work. So many people on all sides are too timid to speak up. Too often the crazies on both sides end up being the ones running for office because they are the loudest.....and then those crazies beget more crazies...

    This is the view from a pro gun, pro life, christian, anti trumpian, anti anti fascist, anti BLM (the organization, not the actual people), anti right wing militia, pro affordable care act, pro Social Security/Medicaid, mask wearing - pissed off moderate..

    Ive been an elected small town city official for 6 years and counting.

    isnt it time for the moderates on both side to take back the country and end the madness...
     
  8. Pancakes

    Pancakes Friend

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    I think the problem is that most sensible people don't have the stomach for the toxicity of politics. The crazies on the other hand thrive on it.
     
  9. Pancakes

    Pancakes Friend

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    I've been advocating for this for some years now. But nobody's listening lol.
     
  10. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    Without any irony, good luck to you. But your real opponents are not on your list.
    Here is the quote that has never been more relevant that it is now, in the age of social media:


    "Journalism is not a profession or a trade. It is a cheap catch-all for fuckoffs and misfits—a false doorway to the backside of life, a filthy piss-ridden little hole nailed off by the building inspector, but just deep enough for a wino to curl up from the sidewalk and masturbate like a chimp in a zoo-cage.”

    Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
     
  11. tranq

    tranq Friend

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    Interesting outlook, for sure there are organizations and personalities on both left and right that fit that narrative. Facebook in its entirety fits that narrative. I guess im still naive and still have hope that not everyone in media is like that.
     
  12. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Great book. Love it! The film was a really good adaptation too. But reality?
    Not everyone in media is like that.

    Frankly, we might be better off if a few tripped-out hyper-weidos joined the profession.
     
  13. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    Did someone call me?
     
  14. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Every dog has its day :)
     
  15. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    You know why it hard for moderates to gain power in certain parts of the county like FL?
    • FL is a Closed Primary State.
      • The Independents/No-Party Voters who are about 25% of registered FL Voters are barred from voting in the primaries except for the Non-Partisan races.
    • Majority of the local elections in FL are Partisan.
      • It is done on purpose to bring out the Partisan voters.
      • Where I live in Jacksonville, all the major local elections are Partisan.
    • Both the Republican Party of FL (the GOP) and the Florida Democrat Party (the Dems) have really been enforcing the "Checkboxism" over the last decade.
      • More/less you better follow everything the party stands for or else your ass is getting the boot by the voters/party during the Primaries.
    I was thinking one time to try to run for local office. However, being a registered Libertarian will not even get you votes. Our local elections are done the March after a midterm election. It is a low turnout election that is dominated by GOP registered voters where I am at. Also, the Duval County (where Jax is in) GOP party is the party with $$$$, and if you want to even win a local election you have to more/less ass kiss to the Duval County GOP (considering majority of the businesses and wealthy folks donate to the local GOP) if you even want to win something locally. While in Duval County there's more registered Dems than GOP, they don't show up as much as GOP voters. Furthermore, the local Dem party doesn't have the $ advantage of the Duval GOP. Being in Jax for over ten years, a lot of voters are driven to only vote one party, since they consider the other side to be the Devil. I seen it over and over, possible voters might like you until you say your political affiliation then they will say "sorry I only vote for Dems or GOP, but you are nice but I can't vote for you." Those who aren't registered in a political party in FL get screwed with very partisan and mostly not moderate choices.

    The "Checkboxism" is really a big problem now thanks to our Closed Primary State status. Someone who is running for office and is Partisan more/less have to follow the party line/planks or else their ass gets the boot in Primary season.

    Since you are Pro-Life, we just had a bill passed in our pervious FL Legislative Session that requires written notification from a parent/guardian to sign off on an abortion if the child is under 18. The bill was introduce by the Social Conservatives in the FL House, including one Conservative Democrat House Rep from Jax. When the bill was finally passed in the FL House (after FL Senate passed the bill with party lines), a few of the more Conservatives Dems voted for the bill. After the bill was passed and signed into law by our Gov, the Florida Democrat Party pushed really hard to primary the Conservatives Dems out of their House Seats (due to they were considered to be against abortion and against their party values). Guess what? The state party was successful in getting voters to kick out the few remaining Conservatives Dems out of their House seats. The FL GOP was doing the same thing when attempting to get rid of a GOP House Rep who voted no on the bill, however, that House Rep survived the primary.

    I'm pretty sick of follow everything 100% or else your ass is gone type of thinking nowadays. However, this is now the norm in FL and voters who are either moderates or Independents are disappointed with their crap choices on most of the races they are voting on. This is why both parties will make sure FL will never be an open primary state.
     
  16. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    The quote does not describe every journalist,. But in terms who is dominating the "profession", it is very accurate.
     
  17. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Yup. Cali is bad. But if you move, it's likely not going to be a greener pastures across the board.

    Both my brother and parents live in Texas. My brother is in Houston, and is an energy business executive there. My parents are in El Paso, and they are semiretired with my mother working as an educator, but no longer a principal.

    Texas has no income tax. Awesome! But Texas property taxes are a bit higher than Californias. The state has to get its moneys from somewhere, so in general it's just a re-hash.

    The weather in Texas can be qualified as shit, shittier, and shittiest. Houston in summer kind of sucks. El Paso is summer kind of sucks. California's weather can be nice sometimes.

    There are a lot of far-left weirdos here in Cali. But I'm finding out that there are a lot of far-right weirdos as well. That said, I'm happy here.

    I'm an American, I fully appreciate what that means, and I would not have it any other way.
     
  18. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    @rhythmdevils given that some of the most corrupt, lazy, and parasitical individuals work for the government, do you really want politicians to control you? It didn’t work out for most of Europe and Asia economically in the long run.

    That being said, we need the federal government to strong arm Chinese dumping and environmental waste. China is a typical authoritarian communist state with fake economic numbers, shoddy goods, no rights, no respect for the rules of the international bodies it joined, etc. Most of their large corporations were not for profit businesses that grew. They are picked and funded by the government like Huawei.

    USA and other western governments basically need to stop the sale of large businesses and assets to anything funded by China large SOE. If they bought roads and port access, just confiscate it. It’s the same f'ing shit China bitches about with unequal treaties and colonialism in the 19th century. When they do it with bribes and paper, they think it’s okay. They would do it for “free” with their military but the People’s Liberation Army and Navy sucks and they’re primary attribute is that they have a lot of people. They’re trying to build aircraft carriers now and steal submarine tech. The nuclear powered and nuclear armed submarines are what still give the USA and UK a giant leg up on everyone else. They can’t be destroyed in a pre-emptive strike. How do you think Chinese tribute collection went? They beat up their neighbors until they paid. Then their neighbors mostly beefed up their militaries, gave them the finger, declared themselves emperors too in the 19th century, or got taken away by Western great powers.
     
  19. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
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    @YMO the anti Israel shit some democrats spew is huge. There are left wing people still trying to get the right of return for Palestinian refugees in Arab states. Well that can’t happen. The Arab states and Iran expelled the Jews in the 40s-60s. Where do these people think Israel settled them? It’s not Israel’s fault Arab states shoved the Palestinians into camps and ghettos, creating their own societal problems. Israel has it’s own major issues with the Gaza Strip (a wtf catastrophe that just got 100x worse since Israel handed it over) and the West Bank (The PLO’s insane corruption and refusal to take and abide by numerous peace deals. The settlers. Continued violence).

    Why would a Jew (or Armenian to make it even timelier) vote for a party who panders to people who want to wipe them from the face of the earth? Trump panders to white supremacists and the Democrats pander to anti-semites like Ilhan Omar and idiots like Seth Rogen.
     
  20. crenca

    crenca Friend

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    I have read a some articles in the last few years about the UK's ballistic fleet. Apparently, it's in a perpetual state of "un-readiness". France's fleet (also 4 boats) is supposed to be more ready/reliable.
     

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