Maybe the Amish are on to something ;-) — Wayfarer

I was in Amish country a couple years ago — it’s seeped into their culture too. They give buggy rides, have ice cream stores, sell rootbeer from their farms, own restaurants, etc. There are several different sects. Only the most strict don’t engage in any of this stuff and are self-sufficient. Those are the ones I was hoping to meet—and never did.

The place to come for all Twitter updates and Truth Social reposts, plus the NY Post and Fox News, of course.

Always informative.

If few want to control many, they have to control perception. And they certainly have us firmly by the perception. — Tzeentch

:up:

And by desire, thanks to the merchants of cool and others like them.

A sibling died years ago and the algorithm started sending me ads for crash diet plans, black suits, grief counselling, and tickets to Las Vegas. Ads using psychological profiles and sentiment analysis are incredibly invasive. — fdrake

It’s scary how well some of these algorithms work though— with news, with music, with anticipating what you’ll search for based on the prior search or time of day, etc. We’re still reeling from the effects of the 90s and 2000s ad blitzes, but now with smartphones and social media it makes those days look quaint.

I think if they were to remake the documentary, the “cool” now would be influencers, who are really corporate shills themselves. Much like the example of ICP, they have to sell out — then kids catch on, and someone new comes up, then corporate America absorbs them, and so forth. Since they own these platforms, they get to choose.

And what's the alternative? Are you implying that owning a home is a bad thing? Or renting? — jgill

No, but there are alternatives: pooling resources with friends or family is a common one. But that isn’t very profitable, so it’s made to seem “un-cool.”

My wife and I convinced ourselves that we needed to buy a house before having a baby. We’ve done both — and now I realize I don’t need 3 bedrooms and 1,800 square feet at a 5.65% mortgage rate. I think it was the right move at the time, but I never even considered buying my parents’ house and making a little apartment for them or something — and I wonder why. It’s not because I don’t get along with them or that we’d have no privacy or space, or that it didn’t make better sense financially. It’s partly because in this culture, that’s simply ruled out as an option if you’re a “successful” adult. That’s aggravating to me.

Consequently their minds are all over the place, they have very short attention spans and get bored very easily. But we're all like that nowadays. I'm like it! 'Consumerism' relies on stimulating wants, the more the better, and getting consumers habituated to mass-produced goods. Vast fortunes are made on it. — Wayfarer

Yes indeed. It’s an attention-based economy in many ways now. They want your likes, views, engagement. That makes them money for advertisers. Not altogether different from television shows — the product TV sold was people’s attention, and they sold it to advertisers. Even subscription-based platforms now have ads. Facebook is just a cesspool of it. Twitter too.

There is absolutely no rational reason to buy a diamond for an engagement ring, its a manufactured social pressure — Philosophim

Good example. When I heard the “rule” was 3 months salary it was really irritating. Says who? Here business has taken something once authentic and turned it into something contrived and purely about profit.

it's hard to see the water when you are swimming in it. — bert1

Exactly. It’s precisely this that I like to analyze, where possible.

. I hate the way FB has become an essential service for my work purposes — bert1

The role of social media in all this could be a thread of its own of course, but yes— like iPhones, since nearly everyone has one or is on one, we’re ripe for being even more intelligently targeted, our data being sold without permission. Getting out of it becomes a collective action problem.

What would you like to discuss? — bert1

Whether or not you agree — but also specific examples. For me, I think advertising rears its ugly head in areas one might not suspect — like marriage and especially WEDDINGS. But also homeownership, which I kind of “fell for” in a way. Or the way living at home with one’s parents is viewed as being a loser — which ties into encouraging owning a home or renting.

It’s subtle, but you see the beliefs and values that are essential as prerequisites for the desired consumer behavior manifest themselves in stories on television, from sitcoms to dramas — because the networks are themselves owned by corporate America.

Human beings have the same needs they had 100,000 years ago— but now those needs and the rituals surrounding them have been hijacked. Nothing is exempt — Christmas, marriage, love, where we dwell, what we eat, how we dress, what we strive for. It’s all been infiltrated.

You must have some examples in your own life…

Palestinians are colonizers — BitconnectCarlos

:lol:

Yes, we already know how warped you are. Thanks for the reminder though. Keep fighting the good fight of defending a genocide because the right people are carrying it out. :up:

Surely if it sought to exterminate the Palestinians it would start with the Palestinians within its own borders, no? — BitconnectCarlos

The genocide in Gaza is enough. This has been a goal for decades.

yet it restrains itself. — BitconnectCarlos

It has to cover its actions so that people like you stay placated and complicit. Like every state that’s committed atrocities in history.

And since risible guy is also a huge hypocrite, I’ll eagerly await his next witty remark (which is really simply the ability to move on and the compulsion to get the all important “last word”) while pretending to be above it all.

Again — no wonder he’s a laughingstock here. Glad that I can contribute in displaying it publicly.

I am adult. — AmadeusD

Not my circus — AmadeusD

Yeah, you’re just a happy-go-lucky guy, never missing an opportunity to demonstrate your maturity and wisdom (and to lecture others about it).

Oh wait…

You're a dick. — AmadeusD

LOL. What a thread. — AmadeusD

What a model of self control and polite conversation. Like most sanctimonious twits.

But keep following me around, by all means. I don’t know who you are or why you have a beef, but so be it. Whatever I said in the past must have really triggered you —very glad to see it demonstrated again and again. :up: (And glad to have the opportunity to embarrass you repeatedly for the posturing runt you are.)

Case in point. No wonder no one takes your boring lectures on character seriously. :lol: Just another troll.

Sure! You’re a risible, triggered little imbecile you can’t stop commenting or following me around. You’re right, it is fun! We know you lack the maturity or emotional regulation to move along, so I look forward to continuing. :grin:

White Lotus season 3.

Mike White is great.

Risible.

Yes— like the Palestinians, for example. Israel would like to annihilate them.

Genocide is always wrong. — BitconnectCarlos

Yes. Whether perpetrated by our in-group or not.

Sure. Wouldn’t make genocide right.

It was obviously a set-up — Ludwig V

I don’t think so. I think the underlying hostility towards Zelensky was there all along, but what happened was JD Vance didn’t like being challenged on TV and saw an opportunity to be fake-indignant, as is his performative nature— and of course, Trump couldn’t just sit there and look like less of a manly man, so he had to jump in as well.

They both looked like ridiculous children, and expressed themselves so inarticulately and stupidly that even though I like the idea of a ceasefire, I was cringing. I’m sure his followers eat it up.

But anyway — it wasn’t “planned.” The resentment was right below the surface, and Vance broke the glass. Zelensky did himself no favors by getting frustrated at reporters not letting him talk and Vance’s comments about diplomacy. But in his defense, he’s really not holding many cards — Trump’s right about that. That can be very irritating.

Keep crying little girl. It’s risible.

1981.

I liked 1993 too.

Yes, there we are: a triggered little puke following me around crying about how awful I am.

Cry more, little girl. It’s risible to me.

History is very important, yes. Mythology isn’t.

Lol — risible guy is still triggered about something. Love it. Just nice to know that no one gives a shit about his idiotic Tweets.

original Islamic expansion — BitconnectCarlos

So we’re going back 1400 years or so now…cool.

We should say the same of 10/7. — BitconnectCarlos

Yep.

I'm sure you know that Arab massacres of Jews in Palestine occurred in the 1920s and 1930s before Israel existed. — BitconnectCarlos

Yep.

:yawn:

The victims of 10/7 didn't commit atrocities. — BitconnectCarlos

Hence why we shouldn’t compare a state to a family I suppose.

What would you say if a terrorist bomber from Afghanistan or Iraq blew up your neighborhood? Justified blowback, perhaps? America is no angel. — BitconnectCarlos

Exactly. In fact this was a reaction to 9/11. It’s unspeakably awful and deserves condemnation. And it would be nice if our government wasn’t funding wars and genocides— then acts like that largely wouldn’t be committed.

What if it were your immediate family? — BitconnectCarlos

Because I love my family, I would have even more reason to try to stop them from committing atrocities.

Do what I do: put idiots on the ignore list. You don’t see anything they post. Then they can talk to themselves. In the meantime, I suggest private correspondence or Reddit.

Are you saying many mods are climate science deniers and effectively won't ban evangelists of climate science denial because of this? I sincerely hope not. — Christoffer

No I don’t think so— I meant they take climate change as more nuanced and legitimate thing to debate than, say, Holocaust history. I don’t really view it that way, but it’s not my forum. I’ve said my piece already, and I leave it to others to decide.

As far as the threads go— I created it years ago, and it basically devolved into a receptacle for denialist spam. So since I created it, I can also change it. If someone else wants to create another climate change thread, they’re welcome to. But until it’s better moderated, I see no point in continuing.

And you're a state apologist as well given you supported the American Revolution — BitconnectCarlos

Hardly a state— but I never said I supported it. They had some legitimate points to make. Given what they did to the Indians and the rest of the world, perhaps it would have been better off staying colonies. Whatever the US has developed — like free speech — has come from long struggle, and I like a lot of that. I dislike the genocide parts. I guess I’m un-American.

No I meant I'm Jewish. — BitconnectCarlos

What’s the relevance?

I’m American, therefore I defend Vietnam and Iraq? I’m Catholic, therefore I defend priests molesting children?

What a silly remark.

But yes, I'm situated. I was born to a certain culture, and I'm pretty open about that. — BitconnectCarlos

A state apologist through and through— but at least honest about it. I appreciate that.

But doesn't there come a point where you just can't stand living in a certain country anymore? — RogueAI

I wouldn’t know. If you feel that way, you’re welcome to take your advice. It’s a stupid, stupid way to think about things— but might as well.

Maybe you'd be happier if you told the U.S. to fuck off and moved to a Muslim-majority country. — RogueAI

:lol:

“Love it or leave it!” yelled the same moronic, conventional jingoists in the 60s to the Vietnam protestors. Very original; very brave.

Like most defenders of state atrocities. Not a brain cell among them. Comments like these are so stupid, it’s not even worth responding in any serious way.

David Brooks on the Newshour:

All my life, I have had a certain idea of about America, that we're a flawed country, but we're fundamentally a force for good in the world, that we defeated Soviet Union, we defeated fascism, we did the Marshall Plan, we did PEPFAR to help people live in Africa. And we make mistakes, Iraq, Vietnam, but they're usually mistakes out of stupidity, naivete and arrogance. They're not because we're ill-intentioned.

Apropos of what I was saying. Very typical. Laughable.

What are your thoughts on the decision to fight the revolutionary war and declare independence from Great Britain? Justified or no? — BitconnectCarlos

I think they had good reasons, yes. I’m also mostly in favor of slave revolts— like the one seen on October 7th. Don’t like seeing innocent people killed— but hey, as you said, “that’s war.” You make a strong case for Hamas. Especially considering they’ve killed far less people than the Israeli or US government.

Oh wait— right, you’re just rooting for your team and everyone else is antisemitic. Scratch all that: just replace Hamas with Israel and the same arguments hold — always justified in killing.

:100:

But having been a moderator myself, I can sympathize — you can’t be everywhere at once. I think perhaps most mods also have a different opinion on climate change. It’s fine— I’ll just discuss this particular topic privately and on other websites.

Since the climate change threads are allowed to become a cesspool of denial and misinformation, I’m no longer posting on them— I’ve moved any serious discussion to private group chat. Feel free to message to join if you haven’t been invited already. :up:

defend themselves — BitconnectCarlos

Yeah yeah yeah. Like when the US invaded Vietnam because it was “defending” Vietnam.

Everything is defensive when it’s your team. And intellectually bankrupt apologists don’t have the slightest self-reflection to see it. But it’s conventional, and common. You’re in a large company.

think this mineral deal is no longer about the war, but a way for Ukraine to barter for continued US involvement in the post-war rebuilding. — Tzeentch

Certainly.

Putin is weak and on the ropes. — Punshhh

Nope.

What Trump wants is money. — ssu

I think it’s power and praise. A Nobel prize would be nice. Plus war is costly and unpopular. He’s driven by media, as well, and can read the writings on the wall. He likes money too, of course, but I don’t think that’s a major factor here.

It’s good that Trump wants peace. How he’s going about it is, as usual, a disaster. But hopefully something happens.

Russia will keep the territory they annexed and there will be a guarantee of no NATO membership— either that happens or there’s no end to the war, other than a ceasefire and a long cold war. If Trump actually pushes for that, I’d be surprised.

I don’t think Ukraine could ever agree to it— but without US support they have 0 chance of taking back territory, let alone “winning” the war. They’re not going to win even with US backing. Maybe when Zelensky is out, things change. But it’s unclear to me what exactly happens here, with a mineral deal.