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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    Here’s another article with research saying exactly what I was pointing out about the difference in law enforcement reaction to the Capitol Riots and BLM protests.

    https://www.vox.com/2021/1/8/22221078/us-capitol-trump-riot-insurrection


    “As I reported in September, research from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project found that out of 7,750 Black Lives Matter protests across 2,400 locations across the country, 93 percent of them were peaceful — yet images of burning and headlines of looting were plentiful, with the president referring to the protesters as “thugs.” [ Trump said this to the Capitol rioters: “We love you; you're very special,”]

    New research from the organization compares the difference in law enforcement response between left-wing protests (anti-Trump, pro-Biden, Count Every Vote, Black Lives Matter, Abolish ICE) and right-wing protests (pro-Trump, anti-Biden, Back the Blue, QAnon, Stop the Steal, etc.), finding that law enforcement was more than twice as likely to use force against liberal demonstrations between May and November. Researchers wrote:

    Unlike demonstrations associated with the right-wing, which authorities attempt to disperse under 4% of the time, demonstrations associated with the left-wing are met with government intervention over 9% of the time. When authorities engage demonstrations associated with the right-wing, they use force nearly one-third or 34% of the time. Meanwhile, authorities use force in demonstrations associated with the left-wing over half or 51% of the time.”

    one disturbing truth here is that if the people who stormed the Capitol were black or God forbid Muslim, they would have been shot dead before they got anywhere near the building and it wouldn’t have been breached. Honestly I think that’s probably the normal response especially when congress is inside. This country has no history of pacifism when elected officials are under threat. Yet somehow being white, right wing extremists had a Valium like effect on the police force. There are reports of them shaking their hands, taking pictures with them and opening the doors to let them leave.

    there was also a 6pm curfew in effect on DC and yet Trump supporters were waking around all over the place that night and no one did anything about it.

    the curfew imposed on the BLM riot was enforced. AFAIK anyways.

    And while I don’t condone rioting or destroying property, it is not at all comparable to storming the Capitol while congress is in session. The former is called rioting. The latter is more or less an act of domestic terrorism.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  2. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Not just the U.S.

    After Bismarck and the disastrous outcome of W.W. I (the somewhat recently united) Germany, once very prosperous was no longer very prosperous. Large groups of people felt that their interests were not represented or even take seriously. Well in comes a messiah/leader and guess what this person knows how to attract and retain the wealth of sponsors. (The Nazi-party was really good at getting money in, read about it because their propaganda was nothing compared to that skill.)

    Under the leadership of Bismarck Germany really became wealthy and people became happier. Now Bismarck was in some ways quite moderate, even tolerant and really took care of his people. After his passing there was no one to really fill his shoes and the old emperor was gone.

    In 1918 crises were looming, a war had ended (badly for everyone involved actually) and there was a void in leadership in Germany. What did the powers (heads of state) in Europe do? Winners play, losers pay.

    In these times the younger generations know that the Nazis were bad. But they do not realise that the conditions worked in the favour of the Nazis. That group of people saw the opportunity and went for it. (By the way the Russian Communist Party was also not known for its kindness regarding critics and "enemies", Lenin and Stalin both had to use violence.)

    The E.U. is struggling to keep it together. The U-part meaning "union", it does not work. For a while the E.U. will be okay but without strong moderate leadership stupid things will happen.

    Whether you are for or against democracy, for it to work you need strong leadership that does not let it go out of control. It is a system (of government) and people can break it. (Look at the Roman Senate and how some emperors took control.)

    Side note: Otto von Bismarck is a fascinating figure, he really cared about his people and built a stronger Germany in a difficult time.
     
  3. JK47

    JK47 Guest

     
  4. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    So I guess you’re comparing a coup to overthrow a legitimate democratic election based on propaganda about non existent voter fraud to killing Darth Vader and overthrowing the Galactic Empire? Interesting...

    speaking of movies. I remember seeing “Olympus Has Fallen” and the other 2 shitty movies in that trilogy and thinking “that could never happen it wouldn’t be that easy to take the White House we must have better security plans in place this is the United States.”

    nope. All it took was.....white people!
     
  5. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    This is actually the most egregious and ban-worthy post in this entire thread.

    A clip from Return of the Jedi Special Edition version!!!???

    For shame JK. For shame.
     
  6. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    You are absolutely right, that was the context that was badly needed here: Weimar Republic.
    That where I think the US is right now. The only questions is what do you do?

    The only reason a "personality' like Trump won in 2016 was that he acknowledged their plight. Using your analogy they wanted Bismarck, what they got was an idiot. But remember that Trump support over last week has not moved at all.

    For the folks who think that the solution is a crackdown, CNN runs the campaign to take Fox off the air, remember that not every populist movement has to turn into fascism, but if people feel that they lost the place to live, it is only the question of time when the shit happens. Because the second Trump will not be an overweight, blabbering, real estate tycoon from NY. He or she will not use Twitter. The next Trump will be soft spoken, calm, and, he may be even using the left wing rhetoric.

    Demented media types live under the delusion that if the have all the money in the world, and they monopolized the communication and propaganda tool, they won the war. Not even close. During Martial Law Solidarity in Poland had nothing except some printing presses and paper, supplied courtesy of AFL CIO, in cooperation with CIA yes, but two months later the distribution was reaching millions of copies. And the movement could put 20k people on the streets in any major city in Poland. And communists controlled every telephone booth.
    And do not think for a second that Silicon Valley, and the biggest media companies that own cable TV are interested in anything other than to get back to China.

    All analogies can only have limited scope, US is entirely different country but what I am absolutely sure of is that the media, tec monopolies game is deadly, do not play it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    There are reasons behind any attempted insurrection. It would be wise to study why Trump has so easily been able to bamboozle people. When people have lost HOPE, they are more susceptible to malign influence.

    Hate to say this: I'm glad to know that Congress has had a little taste in realizing they they are mortal too - that they can be cut, and that when they are cut, they will bleed, just like the rest of us. They serve us. They shouldn't be serving themselves and lining their own pocketbooks. Just not this way, and certainly not by anything inspired by the host of The Apprentice - Presidential Edition.

    Again, I hope that both and all sides figure out that it's not the cultural war shit keeping them apart and that they do have a big common interest: opportunity.

    BLM isn't new. Just the name is new. I still recall the Rodney King riots, which occured when most of you on SBAF haven't yet been born yet. If anyone thinks voting for one party or another will change things, it won't because it hasn't.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  8. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    George Carlin warned us and warned us and we never listened.
     
  9. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I think I agree with this if I’m understanding you correctly. I agree thst it’s dangerous to blame individuals for events like this. Just like I think it’s very dangerous to blame the German people for the Nazi movement. Causes snd conditions. If you blame the people you won’t understand the causes and conditions and history will repeat itself.

    but it’s also important to point out how delusional the logical motivation behind this was even if it did come from legitimate feelings and life situations. This was all created by propaganda hitting its target very precisely snd manipulating already existing emotions stemming from struggles or suffering into other emotions that Trump wanted to bring out in people. Both are necessary for this to happen but with different branding/messaging all the rioters might very well have channeled their suffering or frustration or whatever it was into being liberals or moderate conservatives or something else instead and never think to do something like this.

    edit: I’m not sure I agree that this will be a gut check on DC though. Our current politicians are complete narcissists. I think attacking them physically and hitting that alarm bell that you described probably puts them more out of touch with the common American. It probably creates more elitism and entitlement. Narcissists react in crazy ways when they are threatened.

    they need to try to make a living bussing tables for a year and then go back to DC.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  10. gepardcv

    gepardcv Almost "Made"

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    So more than 540 protests at over 150 locations turned violent. The article suggests that this is not a big deal, and shouldn't have generated headlines.
     
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Root cause. Trump isn't the root cause. Root cause is neglect from those who should have been shepherding our country. Trump is an indicator, a flashpoint.

    Manufacturing jobs
    upload_2021-1-10_9-49-37.png

    Wealth inequality
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    No gains in income relative to GDP or productivity (shoveling more shit for the same money)
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  12. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    ^ I'm surprised worse hasn't happened. When and how did the USA "democracy" become Ferengi?
    [​IMG]

    China and Russian are gloating.
    upload_2021-1-10_10-13-43.png

    upload_2021-1-10_10-14-18.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  13. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    i agree. I guess my post wasn’t clear. Trump is using the root cause to manipulate people with propaganda. Both are necessary for what happened.
     
  14. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Hopefully Biden gets it right. Obama and his first Congress said and intended a lot of the right things, but net worth of 50% of Americans, what little they had, only turned to complete shit while we spent trillions propping up corrupt regimes "nation building" in Afghanistan.
     
  15. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    Thi is not anymore about what Trump did or did not.
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    We really have to stop obsessing about Trump. The more we focus on him, the more we give him a platform. We need to look toward our future, fix what's broken or breaking us. I hope to God that CNN, NBC, ABC don't focus on Trump or furry horns guy during Biden's first 100 days.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Same kind of vampire, different presentation and effect.
     
  18. crenca

    crenca Friend

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    During Biden's campaign (such as it was) he said that the enacting the policy desires of LBGTQwerty was "the greatest civil rights issue of our time". One of his new cabinet ministers (forget which one) led the effort to sue Roman Catholic nuns into providing/paying for abortions, though SCOTUS shut this down. In other words I see no reason for your hope at all, which of course is part of you point.

    It strikes me that neither Biden or the Dems elites (politicians, their moneyed supporters, etc.) are even aware of the disconnect between their left wing moralism and the actual middle and right of the country, so I expect - hope I am wrong - they will play to their base on almost everything. They really do believe they possess/think/live a kind of 'right-ness' and the rest are 'a basket of deplorables' They do like printing money and spending it (GOP is no better), so perhaps some infrastructure bills and the like will sprinkle a bit among the deplorables, but this won't make a fundamental change to their own situation and their relationship those in power.

    @wormcycle, yes what to do. A dynamic that Weimar America - I think this assessment/description is useful - has that Germany perhaps did not is the diversity of local circumstances. During this Covid 'crises' (and it was a real educational crises) the local community (of administrators, staff, volunteers, parents) that makes up our little RC school did well. We put in the effort, planned, assessed and adjusted that plan on the fly as necessary. We have real leaders capable of virtuous action that did what was pragmatically necessary and at the same time followed through on our values. The problem of course is that our little community is a subculture, embeded in a much larger educational community of public schools that has utterly failed. When does the failure of the larger community become bad enough that we are brought down with them? I don't know...
     
  19. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    A key in looking at any of these studies is understanding what is considered upper, middle and lower-income. I suspect that many consider themselves middle income, when they are in fact upper in these studies.
    [​IMG]
    Note that the above is a 2014 number. I suspect the trend has continued down over the last 6 yrs.

    For those interested, here is a link to the PEW Research Center calculator - I just did a bunch of hypotheticals for my area, here are two examples:
    • 2 recent college grads get married... lets call them both engineers and making $55k each. They are Upper. They have a kid next year, same income... they're now Middle.
    • 2 recent high school grads get married. One works as a stocker at the local supermarket and the other a cashier. They make $9/hr each (roughly 37k household) and they are Middle.
    This was eye-opening to me.
    ---------edit typo---------
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  20. dark_energy

    dark_energy Friend

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    The EU needs deeper discussion.
    I'd like to see in depth arguments on why some people are anti-EU.

    Having goods move fast from country to country is useful. Having common rules to do things in an economic environment is useful. Example, cars and planes are put together from components that originate from a multitude of European countries. Having Customs Union is useful, drives prices down. Having a big market is useful.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021

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