He’s simply a conman who tells them what they want to hear and in a way that they enjoy hearing it. Not just anyone can do that. Have you ever watched him speak at one of his rallies? It’s just raw divisive nonsense that only a completely unprincipled narcissist could spew.

It feels more vindictive than cautionary to me, and a really bad idea considering how beat Trump was and the potential backfire.

I can show you evidence of Black Lies Matter riots, but I can't show you evidence of left wing media - not criticizing them, because - as surely, even the least philosophically educated should be aware, one cannot prove a negative. — counterpunch

Damn! I’ve been outfoxed again by your philosophical prowess. But seriously, your claim was: “Black Lives Matter were just applauded uncritically by the left wing media for killing around 40 people, causing hundreds of millions of dollars of property damage....”

we don't hear about it [BLM riot destruction] — counterpunch

You seem to have heard about it.

I could, I guess - but why should I? Because you demand it? — counterpunch

Nah, because philosophers support their claims and you’ve claimed to be a philosopher.

There are Republican members that are not treated as you’ve been treated, therefore you can’t conclude that it’s because of your political identity.

Again you’re not sounding centrist.

Black Lives Matter were just applauded uncritically by the left wing media for killing around 40 people, causing hundreds of millions of dollars of property damage, for looting shops and burning businesses. ... I'm a philosopher. I seek fairness and impartiality in my reason. — counterpunch

Fairness and impartiality are good. How about evidence? Can you post a link of any media outlet doing what you claim?

There are certainly critical distinctions between the Trumpers and the BLM protesters, but there is a similarity often overlooked, and that is that both comprise a marginalized underclass, even if the Trumpers don't realize the source of their anger and even if they are members of the majority race. — Hanover

Some believe that a part of the anger that Trump utilized was them becoming underclass and seeing minorities rising in status.

Philosophically speaking, given that your lot appeal to a subjectivism. how I appear to you says something about you, but it says nothing about me. For you, reality is subjectively constructed. You are responsible for how I appear, not me. So, what is alt-right? Is it like Viet Cong, or the Red Peril? Some menacing name conjured up to stereotype, and demonise anyone who opposes the left wing, politically correct cultural strangle hold? — counterpunch

Remarkable that you can stereotype and criticize stereotyping in the same breath. I merely mentioned that you appear alt-right, meaning that you reason and say the same sort of things that alt-right folks do. It's not a good sign simply because you've identified as a centrist. It indicates deception.

Don't you not think it's incredibly hysterical and childish - and that free speech and a thick skin are better things to encourage in the next generation than a hair trigger sensitivity to offence? — counterpunch

Who was recently whining about StreetlightX's manner of expression?

It [recent insurrection at US capital] doesn't demonstrate anything about racial dominance - as far as I can tell. If you think it does, please explain in what way. I don't see it. — counterpunch

Basically, white conservatives forced access and ransacked the nation's capital. Imagine, if you will, ten thousand African American US citizens planning a protest at the capital, acquiring all appropriate licenses, and on the planned date protesting at the gates of the capital. Would they be able to force entry into the heart of our nation's democracy as easily and deeply as the white conservatives? Even if they were protesting the extinction of a species of butterfly it is very hard to imagine that they would. Of course this is speculative but I think shows a practical difference in racial dominance. One race litteraly has more access to a place than others.

Black Lies Matter — counterpunch

Trying to not be PC? It makes you appear alt-right.

Odd as it may sound, Trump claimed that there was fraud in 2016, just not to the extent of the last election. Preparing the way for any future loss, I guess. But you’re referring to claims of foreign interference? Intelligence agencies reported that it was true, and the Mueller report didn’t exonerate the prez of collusion as he claims it did.

That is my general philosophical position - and incidentally, it's why humankind is headed for extinction. — counterpunch

Let’s hope it doesn’t take root then.

Who should be ashamed in all this is a highly politicised and polarised news media - who are quite willing to publish claims the election system is fraudulent without sufficient evidence — counterpunch

News outlets are businesses that seek profit and consequently cater to their audiences. Some audiences want more factual information and others prefer a more opinionated (bias, as you say) presentation. Do they create news? Hopefully not. Trump is primarily responsible for continually chanting about voter fraud to his gullible base. If an authority figure repeats a lie enough times the weak minded will believe that it’s the truth. And boy did he repeat it. He claimed it as though it were fact rather than suspicion. News networks reported with whatever presentation suited their particular audiences. So by your reasoning it seems that the Divider-in-Chief should be ashamed.

Bias is exactly the same as opinion. Bias is a synonym for opinion. — counterpunch

I think it might be fruitless to argue with such a discerning mind.

I was merely drawing out the views of StreetlightX - who doesn't seem able to explain why he wants to murder people. — counterpunch

I’m surprised that he bothered to explicitly state that he does not want to do that, to those few who are unable to discern expression/content, or merely read.

I'm interested in what you mean by "dominant position" - particularly with regard to race. — counterpunch

The other day a large group of predominantly white middle aged men stormed and ransacked our nations capital. Some of the security opened gates and took selfie’s with them. That demonstrates a dominant position.

The one Trumpist riot is panned as violent rebellion while a wide variety of euphemism is used to explain away the hundreds of BLM riots.

I just don’t get it. — NOS4A2

One difference is that BLM riots are based on actual faults in law enforcement whereas you’ve said yourself that you don’t believe that there was widespread voter fraud.

Also, while it seems beyond doubt that Trump himself is a despicable danger to the republic, it's also true that he has an instinctive street level type of understanding of the American public which surpasses that of his competitors. And that would include most of us here, as evidenced by how eagerly we remain addicted to the reality TV show which Trump is hosting. — Hippyhead

It could be argued that he’s responsible for the condition of the Republican Party today, and that he achieved it in only four years, so how good is his street-smarts? Did he understand his followers well enough to foresee their attack on the capital? Was that part of his genius plan?

He’s a conman and an unprincipled trickster. Tricksters always eventually get caught up in their own net.

If racism is not an opinion - what is it? — counterpunch

A negative bias, and one that is promoted in order to secure a dominant position.

left wing politically correct dogma seeks to control Western civilisation. — counterpunch

Both left and right critique political correctness but it’s not very centrists to claim that it’s a tool of the left to control civilization.

I think he’s proven beyond any shadow of doubt to be a liability to the Republican party, but beyond that I tend to think he’s untouchable.

With 80 million followers and ample funding Trump could easily start his own Twitter-like platform. It is a free country, after all.

The majority is apparently liberal if that’s what you’re trying to say, sans the micro-drama.

I spent the evening glued to the news and was disappointed with the reactionary response to the protest, which not only condemned the violence, but also the spirit. — NOS4A2

The spirit was Trumpers believing the lie that the election was stolen from them and wanting to do something about it. Some violence was preplanned, apparently, and it seems that others just went along with the herd.

All that hogwash about an assault on “the citadel of liberty” and "democracy" was laughable, especially given that for the last 4 years we’ve been taught that violent protest was the surest expression of the voiceless. — NOS4A2

Surest in what sense? Violent protests are typically regarded as the expression of the desperate. I'm not sure that a handful of gullible attention seeking oddballs like horn-guy truly qualify as desperate, at least compared to BLM protesters. They were yelling things like "this is our house," so must have felt some sense of entitlement.

Perhaps if the Trumpers burned down innocent people’s businesses and looted Target the politico-media class would paint a different picture. — NOS4A2

Of course, I would imagine that they'd be ridiculed as hypocrites and not accused of being insurrectionists at all.

Young politicians who are interested in the legacy of Trump:

And secondly, the polarization will thrive, even without Trump. Nothing will change that. — ssu

Hasn't Trumpism or cult-politics proven to be a failed strategy to maintain power? The Republican Party lost the White House and the majority in both chambers of Congress in only 4 years. People like Howley and Cruz may be power-hungry but they're not cult leaders who can spin a web of fantasies and lies that can capture Trump supporter's apparent appetite for faith-based leadership.

Yeah, no, his only value is entertainment.

Had she been attacking him, perhaps. But she wasn’t. The shooter was under no threat. — NOS4A2

Hey, you're sounding like a BLM supporter. :up:

Trump supporters say that antifa members disguised as one of them infiltrated the protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Reminds me of The Walking Dead, a show about a zombie apocalypse. In one episode there's a group of survivors who call themselves the 'whisperers'. They disguise themselves as zombies, infiltrate the herd, and subtly guide them to wherever they want, usually to attack a rival group of survivors.

I imagine that any group that worships Trump could be easily mislead. You might only need some shiny object or perhaps some deep-fried tweekies to lure them around.

The woman then tried to jump through the window, unarmed, and she was executed before she could make it through. — NOS4A2

If I recall correctly, you've said that unarmed BLM rioters shot in the street were killed in self-defense, but when an unarmed rioter is shot storming the nation's capital you say that they were executed. Is your view based on white privilege?

Glad I could help. :victory:

You didn’t get any impression of rioting?

Amazing to think that the left being full of people calling cops pigs might make some cops unhappy with the left. — Garth

Well, in his political career Biden, for instance, has supported much of the ‘law & order’ politics and adversarial culture of law enforcement. No reason to be unhappy when their funding grows, accountability weakens, and are generally empowered regardless of which party holds the reigns.

I don't even know what NOS stands for. — Garth

Putin gives all his trolls cute pet names. NOS in Russian means ‘small droopy balls’.

I don’t know why these people were allowed to get in the capitol building, or why they bothered to do so. — NOS4A2

Trump’s zombie hordes didn’t have the attention span for the boring political theatre that Ted Cruz and the other power-grubbing congressmen had planned for today so they spiced things up a bit. They made their own symbolic gesture, one befitting the lame duck prez.

So far, at least one congressmen has withdrawn their opposition to the electoral count and confirming Biden, as a result of the riot.

So this Baden guy is actually an admin on this site and all he does is insult people who have different views than him? Starting to wonder if I've wasted my time here. — Garth

He has an Irish temper.

@frank

↪frank

You make an odd comment that sounds smart to you but doesn't to someone else and then get frustrated at the reaction (also, the you're not an American so you can't talk about America thing).

You’re Canadian?

Now would probably be a good time for Trump to concede, but yeah, it’s Trump.

It IS absolutely insane to believe that Biden got more votes than Hillary and Obama even though he came in last place when he ran against them in the primary back in 2008? — Harry Hindu

Is 80 million votes against Trump really that hard to believe? He worked very hard for over 4 years to demonize half the country, after all.

The notoriously violent leftists didn’t need to be teargassed on January 6, 2017.

Not official, the scoundrels are still toying with the election, for shits and giggles I guess.

Big Brother sanctioned good times, of course.

Not a good day for the poor Trumpsta’s, with the final nail in the Trump presidency coffin and losing the majority in the senate. Soon their lives will be taken over by the radical left who’ll force them to renounce their religion, remove all windows from their homes, and drink organic tea with soy milk.

People can be just as rude. In fact I’ve disabled chat in the app that I use because people are too often that way online.

Religious faith, to me, has not disappeared, but been has recast towards other orthodoxies such as social justice, intersectionality and critical race theory. — NOS4A2

Groups with common values can form strong bonds and a sense of identity pursuing meaningful goals, that’s what effective branding is all about. The framework is basically the same as religion but with significant differences. Religion is necessarily hierarchical with an ultimate authority at top who has special access to metaphysics of some kind. In this way Trumpism is more religious in nature than the groups you mention because Trump is the top authority who dictates what the “alternative facts” are. There’s no single authority figure in the groups you mention, and though extremists may exist in any group, these groups may claim to value reason.

I also believe that the nascent demand for moral leadership from our politicians is one aspect of that. — NOS4A2

What kind of fool doesn’t want their leadership to share their values, principles, and interests?