• US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    So, basically you're just pushing the same unsubstantiated ideas — Christoffer

    No, there are actually large reservations to be had with the figure
    ↪Benkei
    posted.





    This is probably the most highly-esteemed platform for investigative journalism in the Netherlands.

    But of course I am just a "transphobe", blablabla... :yawn:
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    Open a new thread if you want to continue discussing.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    It's not accurate to consider regret a major factor. It's 1 to 2%. — Benkei

    I straightforwardly mistrust those statistics (Zembla made some interesting programs about the topic). But then again, I'm not saying adults shouldn't be allowed to live in whatever way they desire.

    I'm simply taking issue with blaming high suicide rates on "society" when that society is doing everything it can to be accomodating, while people are subjecting themselves to these kinds of extreme and irreversible procedures.

    But yea, this is getting off-topic.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    It's basically just transphobia. — Christoffer

    Not really. I don't hate or fear trans people - I support any adult's right to choose.

    However, when you start blaming a society that's bending over backwards to accomodate trans people, I am not going to sugar coat things.

    When this thing that on the surface looks like it would destroy your mental health starts actually destroying people's mental health, how is that in any way surprising?
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    The only criminal thing is the high suicide rates among LGBTQ+ due to the still existing stigma and behavior against them. — Christoffer

    The world is bending over backwards to affirm trans people in what is clearly a delusion (that men can become women and women can become men), so I'm not sure what more can be expected.

    Some people are always going to refuse to accept what is in their view clearly a lie (and a harmful one, at that), and such is their right.

    What happens when youthful beauty fades, biological realities set in and people realize they have mutilated their own bodies, sterilized themselves, committed themselves to a life-time of medication on the basis of a fantasy that can never be realized? People get suicidal.

    It's extremely sad, but unsurprising.
  • Abortion - Why are people pro life?
    Philo-babble usually precedes unfortunate conclusions.


    The question is whether or not you think potential life has value, and whether or not it can be terminated with impunity.

    AND

    Whether or not you feel like governments should get a say in any of it.


    'Yay for 1 (ergo. potential life has value, and cannot be terminated with impunity) and 'Nay' for 2 (governments should not be given the power to decide whether or not women shall give birth).


    So the question becomes, how do we deal with moral issues that cannot be arbitrated by governments?

    Well, we can't, really.


    It turns out some things should be left to people to figure out amongst themselves, because governments can't be trusted with the kind of power that would allow them to decide otherwise.
  • Post-truth
    'Post-truth' is a system the US establishment has created, which might indeed be described as such. Trump moves within that system, but he isn't the cause or even a principal part of the problem.

    When you analyze the modus operandi of the US empire since the end of WW2 and especially since the end of the Cold War, it contains a huge amount of propaganda, information operations, etc.

    The US, being a peripheral power, realized they weren't going to dominate the world either through economic or military power, so they devised something different: dominating information flows.

    Eventually this poisons information flows to such a degree that no one trusts a word from anyone.

    So what to do?

    There's nothing to be done. Trust arrives on foot and leaves on horseback, and the US establishment has squandered all of it, both domestically and internationally.

    The only thing that's left to be done is to bite the bullet.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    I detect curious amounts of resentment towards men in the comments. :chin:

    Gee, I wonder why people don't vote for that.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    ↪Michael
    Sounds about right.

    Though, what meaningful change could have been expected from an establishment candidate?

    The US establishment has grown so problematic that its interests run diametrically opposed to anything that could be seen as meaningful change.

    Let's hope this is the final nail on their coffin, but after four years of Orange Doofus I'm sure Frankenstein's monster will rise again.
  • In Support of Western Supremacy, Nationalism, and Imperialism.
    it’s much more nuanced than that. — Bob Ross

    Oh, of course. Your portrayal of countries like China and India as 'degenerate, inferior societies' sure puts you in pole position as an expert on nuance. :lol:
  • What should the EU do when Trump wins the next election?
    Know who loves Trump? The Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans. Know why? They hate China, just like he does. That is, a nation that was devastated by the US has aligned itself with the US instead of China because it needs protection from China. Think that one through. — Hanover

    Europe is not Vietnam, but on the topic of Vietnam - it became a 'partner country' to BRICS a few days ago.
  • What should the EU do when Trump wins the next election?
    4. This is exactly what Trump is trying to motivate. He's trying to save on defense costs by pushing it back on Europe. — Hanover

    This is in Europe's interest, though. Relying on other countries for defense is nothing other than giving up one's sovereignty. This is exactly why I view Europe as little more than Uncle Sam's vassals.

    The solution is for the EU and its many nations is to figure out how to work closely with the US in order to function together harmoniously. — Hanover

    The EU should decouple from the US, and instead seek engagement with continental powers like China. The US is fundamentally a meddling power that relies on dividing the Eurasian continent as the source of its influence.

    Conversely, it doesn't share in the cost of war on the Eurasian continent.

    Let me repeat that: the US thrives when the Eurasian continent is divided, but does not share in the cost of war.

    If you're in any way geopolitically conscious, you will keep the US very far from your door.
  • Withdrawal is the answer to most axiological problems concerning humans
    ↪schopenhauer1
    The reason we avoid something is usually because we fear its influence. For example, one avoids doing drugs because drugs may ruin one's life.

    In the case of life itself however it becomes a bit less clear what it is we're trying to avoid (or gain control over). Death perhaps?
  • Withdrawal is the answer to most axiological problems concerning humans
    Human social interaction, for all its surface appeal and fleeting “highs,” often pulls us into cycles of drama, pain, and struggle that leave lasting marks. Entangling ourselves in the lives and expectations of others can feel exhilarating initially, like a quick fix of validation or belonging, but it frequently devolves into complex webs of obligation, conflict, and disappointment. Much like a drug, social interaction can create a dependency- where we crave that next connection or approval, only to find it comes with an equal measure of stress, misunderstandings, and sometimes even betrayal. In the end, the temporary buzz fades, often leaving us more entangled and drained than before. — schopenhauer1

    Genuinely, I think much of the negative influence we experience from social interactions are a product of the aforementioned whims of passion and desire.

    Asceticism and isolation can be a way to regain control over these influences.

    Fasting can be productive, but don't starve yourself. Even Buddha seemed to have felt this wasn't necessary. But what's stopping you from practicising asceticism?
  • Withdrawal is the answer to most axiological problems concerning humans
    Asceticism and isolation are tried and tested spiritual methods which we see all over the world and throughout the ages, so I think there is merit to them.

    Most (all?) spiritual beliefs that prescribe these practices seem to agree that they are not ends in themselves, but serve to balance the mind against the whims of our passions and desires.

    Once the ascetic believes they have attained a certain level of insight, they may feel they can return to normal (or perhaps monastic) life and be better able to act in accordance to just principles.

    In some ways I view the problems you describe similarly as for example addictive substances. One can avoid them like the plague, in fear of the damage they might do. Or one may, treading cautiously, confront the danger and rise above it. The latter approach bears a certain risk - this is true.
  • In Support of Western Supremacy, Nationalism, and Imperialism.
    For those who are upset at my rhetoric (and perhaps the lens by which I am analyzing this), I challenge you to try to justify, in your response to this OP, e.g., why Western, democratic values should not be forcibly imposed on obviously degenerate, inferior societies at least in principle—like Talibanian Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, China, India, etc. Some societies are so obviously structured in a way antithetical to the human good, that it is virtually impossible to justify leaving them be in the name of anti-imperialism. — Bob Ross

    The fact that you would name countries like Iran, China and India in this list betrays an ignorance that is hard to explain in mere words.

    Meanwhile, the US is aiding and abetting genocide in Palestine as we speak, and has a well-documented track record of genocide running throughout its history. (Native Americans, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, East-Timor, countless conflicts in the Middle-East with death tolls running in the millions, etc.)

    This thread reads like a bad joke - the last spasms of a morally bankrupt empire whose outdated propaganda apparently still holds some unfortunate souls in its grasp.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    A defeat for the US establishment is a win for the rest of the world.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
  • Withdrawal is the answer to most axiological problems concerning humans
    Cook something, let's eat. — Buddha
  • Animalism: Are We Animals?
    What a load of Philo-babble. :lol:

    "Numerically identical to an animal" - this is the reason I can't take modern philosophy seriously. I scanned through the paper briefly, and maybe I missed it, but I couldn't even find the definition of 'animal' the writer uses to make his point.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    ↪Michael
    Nonsense. If that had been the case, I'm sure the initial accounts would have mentioned it. None of them do.

    Instead, they mention a certain British clown traveling to Kiev, after which the negotiations are mysteriously aborted even though all signs were that an agreement was close.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    That “diplomatic solution” was giving into absurd Russian demands. — Michael

    Nope. The Ukrainians put their signature under the draft, so unfortunately this narrative doesn't work.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    ↪Michael
    The point of contention was whether a diplomatic solution was possible with the Russians.

    Answer: yes, it was possible, and this is confirmed to us first-hand by a Ukrainian account no less.

    It is clear as day.

    If you want to believe my views, based on neutral, Western and Ukrainian sources are a product of propaganda, I think that says more about your own biases than mine.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    ↪Michael
    No, I'm talking about this:



    Bennett's comments were obviously highly controversial, which is probably why he was pressured to backtrack on them.

    However, Ukrainian diplomat Alexander Chaly who was part of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul gave a first-hand account that confirmed Bennett's initial statements.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    ↪Michael
    You can find first-hand accounts by a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Istanbul negotiations online. They gave an interview and confirmed that it was the West who blocked the deal.

    This was already reported on earlier by Israeli mediator Naftali Bennett, but the Ukrainian diplomat confirmed it.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    ↪ssu
    The Russians sat down with the Ukrainians and produced a deal under which the Ukrainians put their signature.

    That's a fact you'll somehow have to deal with if you want to argue the Russians cannot be reasoned with.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    As if there would be a "diplomatic solution" for the artificial state that ought to be part of Russia (or at least parts that are Novorossiya) and is ruled by nazis. — ssu

    In March/April 2022 there was a basis for peace, agreed upon and signed by the Ukrainian delegation. The West blocked it.

    In other words, the West is the pink elephant in the room that does not want peace. It's obvious once you simply look at their actions rather than their words.

    Oh and ermm.. Lol!
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    Somehow you seem not to understand that it's an European objective to not let Russia defeat and conquer Ukraine (or take the parts it wants and put a "denazified" puppet regime in the carcass state that is left). — ssu

    It's obvious that the US/NATO insistence on a military rather than a diplomatic solution is a guarantee for Ukraine's eventual collapse.

    So either US/NATO decisionmakers are utterly incompetent, or they are pursuing a completely different agenda that has nothing to do with the survival and well-being of Ukraine.
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)
    Trump is just a populist in the purest sense of the word. Populism is a reaction to a failed political establishment.

    We're seeing the exact same thing happen in my home country, however we aren't as melodramatic about it.
  • Climate Change (General Discussion)
    Warm showers? What decadence. You should have cold showers if you truly care about the climate. It's more healthy too.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    ↪ssu
    Pulling the rug on the Ukrainians wouldn't weaken NATO. It would strengthen it.

    What's weakening NATO is the fact that we're trying to drag Ukraine in even though it would lead to endless conflict with the Russians, undermining the security of everyone involved.

    The only ones who would be weakened are the clowns who got us into this mess in the first place - good riddance I say to that.

    And yea, Ukraine is hardly the first disaster Washington has created, but that's their problem.
  • Israel killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank
    As I've been discussing with Tzeentch, one possibility is the US wants to more-or-less start collapsing the global economy by massive chaos in the various Eurasian "crossroads". @Tzeentch views events in line with this general geopolitical strategy. — boethius

    I have to correct you here.

    My point was not that the US is trying to crash the global economy, but that it is trying to disrupt land-based trade connections between its main rivals in order to maintain control of global trade.
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    ↪ssu
    Trump would be better for Europe. The worst thing he can do is pressure European countries to pay for their own security, which we ought to be doing anyway.

    Also, a Trump victory may expedite European populism so we can get rid of our tragically incompetent and corrupt political establishment.

    And since many in Europe hate Trump, a Trump-led America is likely going to motivate Europeans to start using their own brains again (assuming those haven't completely atrophied by now...).

    If he actually manages to end the war in Ukraine that'd be a bonus.
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)
    ↪Punshhh
    This isn't about Biden, or even the election.

    It's about using the word 'evil' to describe a person whose crimes do not extend much further than being an idiot and the fact that he shouldn't be running for president, while ignoring the actual evil that is being perpetrated by the US government as we speak.

    Apparently, paying hush money to a pornstar is the epitome of evil while aiding and abetting genocidal maniacs is simply 'an unfortunate state of affairs' for which no one seems to bear responsibility.
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)
    ↪Punshhh
    Right.

    The entire US political system kowtowing to a lobby of genocidal lunatics - 'an unfortunate state of affairs'.

    But Orange Doofus saying words we don't like, or Elon Musk making money (what was his crime again?) - oh, now that's evil!

    They're not even in the same ballpark son. Anyone who is unable to see that must have a very thin grasp on reality indeed.
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)
    ↪Wayfarer
    If you would use the word 'evil' to describe Orange Doofus or Elon Musk, what word would you use to describe the current administration as it is literally supplying Israel with the bombs its throwing on hospitals and refugee camps?
  • US Election 2024 (All general discussion)
    For added comedy, the "Iranian connection":

    Accused Iranian hackers successfully peddle stolen Trump emails

    :lol:
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)
    The Iranians apparently want Kamala to win. :lol:

    Election interference, anyone?

    Lol, what a shit show. :rofl:

    Accused Iranian hackers successfully peddle stolen Trump emails
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)


    Shouldn't one's vote depend on which comedian gives you your best money's worth?
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)
    The worst thing about Trump is how he functions as a lightning rid to distract from all the vile shit that is being perpetrated by the US government as we speak.
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