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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 6, 2020 19:42:06 GMT
This is why they want him to stay in the basement and be quiet:
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 6, 2020 20:00:08 GMT
Yep. However, I will say this: the mainstream media and many prominent woke black journalists or academics have been trying to reinforce exactly what he was saying, which is (the lie) that black Americans are all progressive Democrats, that there is "an" African-American perspective.
That is not true. As should be OBVIOUS. But it is why Rep. Pressley said they didn't need black congresspeople or senators who didn't "vote black" (I think that was her term, and if not, it's close) or NYT Pulitzer-winning journalist (1619 Project) Nikole Hannah-Jones can talk about black people not being "politically black." It's why when we talked during the post-Floyd protests and riots, the idea that the only black leaders were Jones, Ibram Kendi, etc.
I can, off the top of my head, toss plenty of interesting and important American black voices that differ from one another but are not aligned with the alleged "black" voice:
Larry Elder, radio show host
Kmele Foster, political commentator
Coleman Hughes, journalist
Glenn Loury, economist
John McWhorter, linguist Wilfred Reilly, economist Thomas Sowell, economist Shelby Steele, writer Carol Swain, political scientist and law professor
Chloe Valdary, writer and diversity trainer (in a non-woke way) Jason Whitlock, sports journalist
Thomas Chatterton Williams, writer
John Wood Jr, political-social activist
That doesn't include people known for explicitly political roles, like fmr Sec. Condoleeza Rice, Justice Clarence Thomas, any elected officials like Sen. Tim Scott...
The narrative we are fed, including by the progressive black leaders, is that these people are not "really black" or don't say things that are "pro black." And frankly, that's offensive. I will say that personally, I have gotten more insight into a lot of issues from the roughly monthly video discussions between (conservative) Loury and (non woke liberal) McWhorter than maybe anyone else.
That the left fails to understand that many, many people reject over-categorization, is a serious failure. I don't want you to assume you know me because you know I'm a straight white man in my 40s, just like historically liberals fought against the assumption that we knew some individual black person because we knew he was black.
That the left is intentionally, increasingly, stridently insisting that those categories mean everything, and we need to make policy decisions based on them, is probably among my 2-3 biggest frustrations and fears in life.
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 6, 2020 20:29:01 GMT
By the way, here is I think the second-most-recent convo by Loury-McWhorter. They trash the popular Robin DiAngelo book "White Fragility" that is being imposed on the country as some brilliant work of antiracism.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 6, 2020 23:28:29 GMT
Do you know who has become a big supporter of the Republican Party and Donald Trump, and is adamantly against Joe Biden and the Democrats? Leo Terrell!!!
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 7, 2020 0:00:08 GMT
I'll be honest, I've never heard of Leo Terrell.
Dr. West, I am more familiar with. I actually enjoy a lot of his discussions, I find that he can be really sympathetic to all kinds of people even while promoting his own views. (I am annoyed by his habit of calling everyone "Brother [Name]" or "Sister [Name]," but that's my problem.)
I haven't actually heard, but I'm guessing Dr. West is not a Biden fan, either, though he may or may not support him. (For example, similarly far-left people like Noam Chomsky and Chris Hedges differ on that. Chomsky says vote Biden; Hedges says vote for someone else, stop supporting Democrats.)
It is just so deeply offensive to see how much demographic groups are being treated as identities. I don't accept it, and I can't imagine how I ever could. If history proves I'm some sort of ignorant bigot for believing that your melanin level doesn't define who you are and what you think, well, I'll accept the judgment with heretic pride.
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 8, 2020 12:07:54 GMT
Yesterday the president said if Demcorats continue holding up the COVID relief package negotiations, he'd take executive action to do it himself.
You might recall late in President Obama's term the conservative furor over his similar sentiments, saying that if Congress couldn't pass vital legislation, he would act because he had "a phone and a pen."
This isn't about calling out Republicans as hypocrites, but pointing to a regular pattern in American politics.
- Executive is elected, but country (and thus legislature) is split too closely to allow for unilateral action (thank goodness).
- Executive is hopeful negotiations will work; after all, s/he has been elected and has some political capital!
- Negotiations are fruitless, as anything proposed by one side is DOA for the other as a default position.
- Executive threatens to use (and usually does use) executive orders.
- Opposition uses this as political ammunition, decrying executive as a tyrant.
How is anything ever supposed to get done in this environment? Forget the specifics of any individual scenario in which this plays out; just thinking conceptually. We live in a nation of "I refuse to work with you; but if you act alone, I will damn you." The only alternative for the executive is to give in to the other side, which is obviously unrealistic. There is little or no good-faith negotiation.
Ever.
Even in a pandemic.
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Post by B.E. on Aug 8, 2020 13:49:12 GMT
We live in a nation of "I refuse to work with you; but if you act alone, I will damn you." I shouldn't laugh, but I did. Spot on.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 8, 2020 14:02:18 GMT
Yesterday the president said if Demcorats continue holding up the COVID relief package negotiations, he'd take executive action to do it himself.
You might recall late in President Obama's term the conservative furor over his similar sentiments, saying that if Congress couldn't pass vital legislation, he would act because he had "a phone and a pen."
This isn't about calling out Republicans as hypocrites, but pointing to a regular pattern in American politics.
- Executive is elected, but country (and thus legislature) is split too closely to allow for unilateral action (thank goodness).
- Executive is hopeful negotiations will work; after all, s/he has been elected and has some political capital!
- Negotiations are fruitless, as anything proposed by one side is DOA for the other as a default position.
- Executive threatens to use (and usually does use) executive orders.
- Opposition uses this as political ammunition, decrying executive as a tyrant.
How is anything ever supposed to get done in this environment? Forget the specifics of any individual scenario in which this plays out; just thinking conceptually. We live in a nation of "I refuse to work with you; but if you act alone, I will damn you." The only alternative for the executive is to give in to the other side, which is obviously unrealistic. There is little or no good-faith negotiation.
Ever.
Even in a pandemic.
The Republicans and Democrats can hide behind this latest disagreement. It's not about the pandemic. It's not about stimulus/financial relief. It's not even about executive order vs. congress approval. It's all about the upcoming election. Trump is doing this to get votes and the democrats are trying to keep him from getting votes. It's another sad state of affairs when politics comes before the people. But don't get me wrong, I'll gladly accept a check!
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 11, 2020 15:23:08 GMT
Today is primary day in Minnesota. The only race I feel strongly about is voting for an opponent of Rep. Omar, Antone Melton Meaux. He actually seems to have an outside chance of unseating her, though the party is going against him HARD.
In fact, they have filed a complaint of campaign finance allegations (ironic, considering Omar has had several of those herself already, including one where she was found GUILTY), which he strongly disputes. The gist of it is, the DFL (Minnesota dems are DFL, Democratic-Farmer-Labor) blacklists any consultants, marketing firms, etc., who work with any challenger to an endorsed candidate. Obviously Melton Meaux (like every politician) needs professional expertise, and every vendor wants the work. So their solution, which they say is not illegal or uncommon, was to file somehow as a holding company that doesn't have to disclose names, and put the money through there.
It's particularly ironic considering Omar's husband owns the political consulting firm she uses, meaning a portion of campaign donations that go to her (campaign) eventually go to her family, personally. Then you add in that this husband was once just her political consultant, but both she and he were accused of (and denied) an affair, after which both divorced and married each other. So all in all, she's one to talk...
My vote for her opponent will be cast joyfully and hopefully.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 11, 2020 22:47:24 GMT
Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as his running mate:
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 12, 2020 0:14:53 GMT
Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as his running mate:
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 15, 2020 16:58:16 GMT
Andrew Yang, one of the last standing candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, one of the candidates with the highest favorability ratings (even if not actual support), and arguably the one with the most inspiring and innovating messaging/platform/approach, is not among the 34 speakers at next week's convention. (Don't worry, though: there will be more than enough institutionalized, corrupt, and ossified septuagenarians to help inspire us with their messages of "change." Nancy Pelosi, both Clintons, Chuck Schumer, John Kerry ... electrifying.)
Billie Eilish, the vaguely goth, 18-year-old whisper-talking pop star, however, will perform for the convention. She wrote such inspiring lines as:
Bruises on both my knees for you Don't say thank you or please I do what I want when I'm wanting to my soul so cynical
I'm that bad type make your mama sad type make your girlfriend mad type might seduce your dad type I'm the bad guy duh
Glad the Democratic party is focusing on what matters. (I don't mention the GOP because, well, I've said more than enough. It doesn't warrant even a mention, frankly, except to say I don't find it even remotely to be an alternative. More like a rotting corpse the Dems are chasing into hell.)
American politics 2020.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Aug 21, 2020 20:34:31 GMT
I thought Biden had an excellent speech last night. Even though he was reading off of a teleprompter, I don't think he would have faired too well if he had some cognitive issue with how long the speech was.
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 26, 2020 12:35:01 GMT
How many more people have died in the riot-protests this summer than in the events they're protesting? Three people were shot, two killed, last night in Kenosha, WI. The victim of the police violence that initiated the riot-protests was paralyzed, but is still alive.
I understand emotion, anger, frustration. But escalation by definition never de-escalates. Violence--especially seemingly random violence (against people and property)--doesn't bring peace or justice.
I'm so frustrated with humanity right now. I've probably cut my news consumption by 75%, and I think it's the best decision I've made in a while. I haven't watched a second of the parties' infomercials the past week and a half. It isn't clear to me who or what will bring any kind of healing, which America (at least, I can't speak for anyone else) desperately needs--especially because the parties aren't trying in the slightest to do anything but exacerbate the problems.
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Post by Kapitan on Aug 27, 2020 12:02:00 GMT
Yesterday afternoon, a man killed someone near Target Field in Minneapolis. Police identified him and as they closed in on him, he walked into a little entryway downtown and shot himself in the head. It's on security/surveillance camera.
At this point, police rushed up, removed the gun, and began CPR. He was dead.
Rumors immediately spread that they killed him and riots broke out in Minneapolis. Again. Looting, fires, etc., downtown. This time there was a much stronger and faster response from authorities, but there was a lot of damage. Again.
So this time the rioting was to protest the suicide of a murderer? That's our justification?
Is there a place that isn't crazy? I'm sick of being somewhere crazy.
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