What’s funny about all this immigration talk is that everyone assumes there’s a problem. There isn’t.

We should be letting even more people in. The entire issue was invented by Republicans for political gain. Much like the national debt, trans in sports, voting fraud, etc.

If someone decided tomorrow that jaywalking was ruining the country, in six months half the country would be agreeing with it — and the other half reacting against it.

I am ready to get banned for misogyny and general bigotry now. I am tired of the general low quality of discussion on this forum, so I don't even really care anymore. — Brendan Golledge

Fingers crossed.

The left must clearly be in this category, because they talk about equality, and then discriminate against white men. — Brendan Golledge

I think MAGA is in the conventional stage of morality, which is concerned with law and order. — Brendan Golledge

All this is true— provided you swallow right-wing propaganda whole. In that Alternative Reality, all of this makes perfect sense.

It’s clear from President Donald Trump’s decision to pause the sweeping global tariffs that he said he would never back down from that the man is a formidable genius and arguably the greatest president in American history.

After seeing U.S. financial markets plummet and the threat of a recession grow exponentially, Trump decided on April 9 to lower his tariffs on most other countries to 10% for 90 days. Boldly getting nothing in return for negotiating against himself over the trade war he started.

[…]

Clearly the best president ever, folks. No U.S. leader has ever lost so much for no reason while regaining some of it and accomplishing nothing with such efficiency. 

https://apple.news/AdbjSJ7ijQ9S8SBvkbyN3SQ

That about sums up this past week, where the “great businessman” and grand negotiator managed to negotiate his way into trillions of lost dollars.

Reminds me of the “Alcohol is the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems” joke. In this case, the alcohol is Trump— maybe Trump Vodka, for example, which went belly up.

Anyway— as the casino-bankrupting Trump sinks the economy and once again reduces the United States to a laughingstock, while accomplishing nothing beyond more efficiently distributing wealth to the .001%, I wonder two things: (1) when will China be the world’s sole superpower? Looking more like a decade or two, tops.

And (2): given this was all totally predictable, just how stupid is the American electorate? Perhaps it’s a sign of resignation, a suicide wish. A degenerated culture. Can’t blamed them, I guess— they’ve been systematically reduced to slaves over the years. Still, it’s worth pondering…

So another climate thread degenerated into a argument about whether idiots should be allowed to spam and derail discussion.

I still applaud your effort @Moliere.

Fly never if it's at all avoidable, and for heaven's sake don't go on ocean cruises. — Vera Mont

:up:

Cruises are so awful for the environment, it’s insane.

And so on. Plenty of data, for those who take a look. — Banno

When you’re a climate denier, data and evidence don’t matter. Better to go with one’s feelings.

how can a lover of nature and humanity best assist the world through the coming disruption? — Moliere

Things that come to mind:

1. Focus on local issues: one’s workplace and town/city. Run for something, petition, vote, etc. Public utilities are a good place to start. Town councils. City councils. Boards of directors. Etc.

2. Electrify everything. Although much electricity generation comes from natural gas and there’s problems with transmission lines, electrification should continue as much as possible. It’s much easier to clean up the electric grid than it is to wait until it’s completely clean before going electric. Heat pumps are a great example — better to replace those old furnaces now.

3. Divest from anything that supports fossil fuels. Take your money out of banks and put them in credit unions. Invest in green companies and research. Make sure your retirement funds aren’t heavily skewed towards fossil fuel companies.

4. Buy local as much as possible. Big Ag is a major contributor to emissions. Eat less meat, especially red meat.

5. Take public transportation as much as possible.

Many more…

Though I find it difficult to argue for this and not also to prohibit climate change denial. — fdrake

Good point.

I think the Trump thread move is great. I’d like to see something similar with climate change. But I’ve argued that already in “New Thread?” to no avail, so I’ll leave it there.

The Trump/Musk backed judge in Wisconsin lost. First real test of voter sentiment.

Who knew the world is now ending because of…vandalism of cars. I thought it was wokeness or Hunter’s laptop or something. Glad to stay up on the latest media-driven obsessions of the clown show.

It’s a great move and I applaud it. :clap:

The waste! The fraud! The abuse! Oh my!

Oh wait— it’s just more exaggerated, delusional bullshit. How shocking.

Reality denial? — ssu

Changed. :up:

There goes the Donald Trump thread.

Yeah yeah yeah…Red Team does the same shit, if not worse, and we don’t care because Red Team Good.


There’s not even an attempt to cover the dogmatism. They display it with pride.

Endless hypocrisy cycle.

Trump and his loser nominees will inevitability screw up even more— only with the environment, the economy, foreign policy, healthcare, education, taxes, etc.

What’s funny is that his idiotic followers and spineless congress now have that part of the brain that accepts mistakes removed; thus we now have to endure endless speculation. This is all COMPLEX and NUANCED.

Lord how I miss the simple, straightforward days of Hillary’s emails…

:rofl:

Glad to see this devolve into exactly the kind of absurdity that inspired it. Nice job boys :clap:

The only true way to deal with science-denying morons. Satire and sarcasm.

:lol:

This is great. I can’t even see what you’re responding to, but I love it all the same.

Ever occur to you that maybe Trump himself had something to do with that? — tim wood

I think this is fair. Compare how Obama was treated in conservative media — he held a coffee while saluting! He wore a tan suit! He asked for dijon mustard! He’s a Muslim! He wants to make himself king! Not to mention endless references to Hitler. For years and years this happened. I couldn’t stand Obama, but it was almost never criticism of doing too LITTLE for working people, or for bailing out banks and the auto industry, or for betraying people on the public option, or for the drone wars. When he was criticized for this, it was minimal— largely because conservatives applaud much of it themselves.

“Liberal” media are also hysterical and largely unfair. The Russia stuff from the beginning was obviously ridiculous to anyone not wearing DNC blinders, the stuff about not disavowing David Duke was BS, the stuff about Charlottesville was BS, the pathetic worship of Robert Mueller, etc.

BUT — and this is where the “all politicians lie” and “both parties are the same” simplemindedness breaks down — Trump has beyond a doubt given them far more to work with. His lies are more numerous and more blatant, his corruption and lack of knowledge about the world, the economy, the military, the government, history, science, philosophy, art — everything except self-promotion— is unlike anything that’s come before. And he’s great at dog-whistling and implications, always making sure (probably thanks to years of being sued and dealing with lawyers) he has plausible deniability.

Imagine Obama likening his opposition to vermin and communists, or implying or explicitly advocating for jailing them. Or saying the election was stolen? What would the reaction on Fox News have been, when they blew a gasket over a condiment preference?

Trump is indeed different. You can’t whip your side into a frenzy and become ever-more extreme in your rhetoric and advocacy of violence and then be surprised when there’s an assassination attempt. I don’t like assassination attempts either — no one serious does — but once again the hypocrisy was so heavy afterwards it was nearly unbearable.

It’s an endless circle of calling out hypocrisy. Both sides are usually correct when they do so. That doesn’t make them equal. Republicans are simply more dangerous and bigger hypocrites. If saying that automatically makes one “biased,” fine. Then we need more bias— because it’s true.

The spin should be recognized for what it is, but simply dismissing it as 'business as usual, nothing to see here' whenever it's convenient (aka: when it's directed at one's political opponents) is the other side of the extreme — Tzeentch

Oh it’s definitely not business as usual. But I think we all know we’re well beyond that.

From my perspective, the Republicans put this train in motion, starting with Palin and the tea party (maybe even the Contract with America) and McConnell’s Senate shenanigans. Their media hasn’t helped; in their attempt to justify their unpopular agenda they’ve had to undermine truth and science and mathematics and reality far more than Dems.

The democrats are spineless corporatists and bureaucrats, but as similar as both parties really are I don’t see them as equal either— they’re not the ones that took us off the rails. So I’m certainly biased in that way — but I think I’m correct to be.

It does appear to me as downplaying - at least, when we consider the probable reaction if the opposite had happened. — Tzeentch

It’ll always appear as downplaying. Take a look at January 6th. What’s that, exactly? I myself don’t think it’s what the democrats make it out to be — but it’s also not what the republicans try to spin it as.

If Trump supporters were burning Teslas, I wouldn’t like it. I don’t like it now. But I would be pushing back against those that spin it. In this case I see much exaggeration. I don’t see that many people in power — or on philosophy forums — coming out in defense of it.

because Tesla is Musk’s sacred cow, and Musk has successfully bought himself a direct line to lawmakers and regulators, we must all now pretend that this is a crime of national consequence. — Benkei

Exactly. It’s just hilarious to watch. The spineless, principle-less, fact-free partisans are such fantastic hypocrites it’s quite incredible.

January 6th: patriots peacefully protesting.
Tesla cars destroyed: domestic terrorism.

I’m not in favor of destroying Teslas. I don’t like seeing it, and I don’t think it’s great strategy (although Tesla shares ARE plummeting). It’s the hypocrisy that I get a kick out of.

Two guys that shrug at January 6th and defend a genocide walk into a bar…

Yeah, that’d be funny or biting, if not for the fact that you’re too stupid to realize that was a joke. But keep trying.

I wish I never existed. — Truth Seeker

My wish is that all the people that wished they never existed would be granted their wish. Just so I could stop hearing about it.

Oh a few cars set on fire. Poor billionaire, boo woo.

Anyone remember the attack on the Capitol? “No one died! It’s just some property damage.”

Anyone die from the Tesla vandalism? No. “Domestic terrorism!”

It’s just so easy. Who can take partisan trolls seriously? Even if they PRETENDED to have principles, maybe they wouldn’t be so easy to spot.

“Domestic terrorism.”

When they do it, it’s terrorism. When we literally storm the Capitol because our cult leader told us the election was stolen, it’s a friendly tour.

:rofl: I love it.

I can’t imagine the reality for someone who has shrilled so relentlessly over the years for any politician, much less for one like Trump. — praxis

On this site anyway. But check Twitter — it’s very common. Hence so many Tweet reposts; he spawns from there.

I’ll pass. — NOS4A2

Excellent!

Your reality involves searching for things like videos of weird individuals inserting their fingers in their ass and wiping them on Teslas, which you then post on a philosophy forum and joyfully call reality. — praxis

Please don’t encourage self-reflection. It’s not like this is a philosophy forum…

Anyway — Please let him just continue. It almost always guarantees a laugh whenever I check.

Reality, brought to you by Twitter.

Spreading those realities, one tweet at a time. Gives great joy to your average mental patient too.

People! We’re living in a new Renaissance! Brought about by the casino-bankrupting reality TV star!

It’s REALITY! Why are you all laughing?

“Rubbing your faces in reality!”

(“Reality” = the stupid Tweets I happen to like today.) Hey, whatever brings one joy. I get to have the joy of laughing at them, so it’s a win-win.

Imagine coming to an internet philosophy forum to promote propaganda that everyone laughs at, day after day.

Genuinely worried you're mentally ill. — AmadeusD

Projection. It’s fairly obvious you’re mentally ill, given that you’ve held some kind of a grudge for literally years (even after being ignored for that amount of time), follow me around, slander and insult me unprovoked, and then continue to obsessively respond even after weeks have passed. All the while trying to maintain an air of being above it all, as if you weren’t the psychopath in this scenario. Being in psychology myself, this is very typical. You see it with most narcissists and sociopaths.

I’ve alerted the moderators already to your behavior.

Anyway- I can see now why I would have put you on the ignore extension, especially given that your other “contributions” are fatuous and remind me of someone who pretends to know it all because they recently took an undergraduate philosophy class.

er. I will refrain from further comment — AmadeusD

Yeah yeah … we all believe that I’m sure. :wink:

Then Trump might develop an appreciation of the complexity of the problem. — Banno

I really don’t think that’s in him. He doesn’t do complexity or nuance.

He's not often wrong, he's just a patently aggressive, disrespectful and emotionally immature person. — AmadeusD

Only to disingenuous, sanctimonious internet twits. I agree it’s a waste of time — and childish — to lower myself to your level. Can’t help myself. Pretentious pukes should be resisted at every instance — that’s my philosophy.

This turned out prophetic: https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/comment/974319

So ignoring court orders, threatening to impeach judges they disagree with, deporting green card holders because they don’t like what they say— you know, the “law and order” party. Violating due process and freedom of speech and assembly.

Now bombing countries and encouraging Israel while failing at a ceasefire in Eastern Europe.

What’s funny is that there’s no outrage from the petty partisan imbeciles who railed against Biden (often for far less). Just shows yet again that most people have no values or principles — just the unadulterated need to root for their preferred WWE wrestler, or sports team — no matter what they do.

We were talking about Democrats, remember? — RogueAI

You were talking about democrats.

Democrats would not support a war against Iran. — RogueAI

Many would. As always, if the pretense is right, they’ll go right along. Probably not with Trump in office though.

Do you see why what you said was really stupid? — RogueAI

Given that you say some of the stupidest things on this forum, and can barely keep up in this conversation without making up diversions, I’d be weary of accusing anyone of stupidity.