Okay, dead end.

How about relationships?

All purpose is full of meaning. Not all meaning is full of purpose. — creativesoul

Meaning without purpose, aye? Can you explain, show or demonstrate that?

Purpose.

The PC Police got sass AND attitude.

Just as I predicted, the virus is no longer a hoax.

Show-offs.

Sorry I Kant help.

I’ll go on to add, it is not my opinion that negative social stigmas faced by gay people for their gayness are effects of being gay. It isn’t the “being gay” that causes negative stigma, it’s rather more something wrong with the people who employ their agency to stigmatize, marginalize, and devalue others based on sexuality.
— Uglydelicious

I’m very confused how this statement of opinion comes off as “I think you did this”. Can anyone help explain it to me? — Uglydelicious

I will attempt to. In a previous post you wrote:

“effected [affected :yikes: ] by homosexuality” is vile — Uglydelicious

Presumably you consider it vile because this brief statement has the effect of:

stigmatize, marginalize, and devalue others based on sexuality. — Uglydelicious

This may be an oversimplification and seem unappreciative of the more subtle points you’ve brought to light, but if it’s a reasonable interpretation, it’s unclear how the offending statement expresses what you seem to believe it expresses.

By way of example I’ll try to illustrate my confusion. I have an astigmatism. I realize that the astigmatism is not something external to me and that it’s part of my physiology. I’m even willing to accept the idea that it ‘manifests from my being’ though I’m not entirely sure what that’s supposed to mean. Sounds profound so it must be gloriously virtuous.

The astigmatism affects my vision, the effect of which makes things look a little blurry. I don’t believe that I would be stigmatizing myself if I were to say that my astigmatism affects me, even though astigmatism is normally regarded negatively. I sometimes joke that I prefer a soft-focus on life, incidentally, like old films where they blurred the lens for closeups in order to make actors look better. Perhaps the effect of being affected by an astigmatism is aesthetic enjoyment? That’s not so vile, is it?

... something wrong with the people who employ their agency to stigmatize, marginalize, and devalue others based on sexuality. — Uglydelicious

Would you mind explaining how I did that?

I think it’s that murder in general is not politicized, whereas things like capital punishment and abortion are. No politicization no need for political correction, basically.

Seems that everyone is so eager to jump on the politically correct bandwagon that they don’t even think of explaining themselves. What fantasy world do you live on where being gay is a complete non-issue that no one is effected by?

Companies rebrand. Of course you've noticed the bite in the Apple logo, so whatever sublimated meaning was being attempted with Newtons apple was replaced with something of more biblical proportions.



My point is that others deliberately try to control the meaning of symbols etc. in order to manipulate.

There are plenty of topics with low quality OPs that are not locked or deleted.

There are other topics like Is Murder Really That Bad? that are not locked or deleted.

Many feel that murder is more morally repugnant than homophobia or sexism in academia (or far-right rhetoric?), but not our high principled mods?

I was the OP in the "homosexuality" thread that was closed. I did not see the follow up thread until much later, so did not get a chance to reply there. I wanted to note I supported the moderator that made the decision. We had a whispered conversation, and I understood his stance and how my post could come off the wrong way.

The mods here do a good job. Its on us to write our posts in such a way that fits the environment of these forums. I made a mistake in my presentation of the post. It was made hastily during a lunch break after a previous discussion I had with someone. As such, it was presumptive and with loaded language. If I had taken the time to edit it, and given space from my related immediate discussion, I could have written it in a more appropriate manner.

But regardless, even if the mods decide certain subjects are not to be brought to these boards, that is their decision and right. It is a privilege to use these boards and speak with others here. I do appreciate those who defended me, as that post was not intended to be offensive, but it is ok if the moderators make that call that it is. — Philosophim

You seem quite reasonable and articulate to me, if a bit scycophantic. I imagined, because I only had the option to imagine, someone very different.

That’s interesting, and had the topic remained open someone may have come along to explore it. We’ll never know now, but at least we’re secure in our little safe space.

I see the logo and think "Aww, they kinda fucked that apple symbol forever." — Book273

It was always kinda fucked up if you asked me, with “the fall of man” jazz.

Liberty is dead. The idea of liberty is for an advanced society. America is not there yet. We have proven America no longer deserves liberty nor safety and prefers a form of statist slavery.. — Nikolas

A lil som’em som’em from Eleanor:

Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.

Perhaps also a frightening prospect for those who fancy themselves as the arbiters of virtue, because no one welcomes the realization that they’re superfluous, or just plain silly.

It is I who interprets the data and supplies the meaning to the symbols. — NOS4A2

Not entirely, no. For a small and literally iconic example take the Apple logo. Did you give that symbol its meaning? Millions have been spent in attempting to control the meaning of this brand. When you see the logo do you think cheap unaesthetic or low quality? There's a chance that you do but there's a far better chance that you don't.

We're all conditioned beings and our conditioning can be hacked.

The best things in life are free. :flower:

I just looked at graphs for silver and gold. Both corresponded to econonomic trends such as the downturns around 1980 and 2010. Did the Hunt bros even dent the price?

I want to invest in tulips. Who's with me?!

If you're suggesting that those ultimately pulling the strings benefit from a divided nation I tend to agree.

I think that most people are not aware of the role that ego plays in arguing views. I would say that this awareness alongside a mixture of certainty and certainty about areas of belief is important, in order to be free to rise into the skies. — Jack Cummins

There's a great book about psychedelics by Michael Pollan that I read a couple of years ago. Without going into the specifics, generally speaking psychedelics temporarily suppress the ego. Funny thing is that the experience of egolessness often seems to have the effect of inflating egos in the long run. Apparently it can give a sense of superiority. Spiritual/religious egolessness can be even worse because it tends to devalue reason.

I am not saying the pandemic was any kind of plot, but the reaction to it could have been handled MUCH differently. The handling of the economy could have been MUCH different. — synthesis

Of course, but we should acknowledge that no one had or has sufficient control for the situation to be handled ideally, or perhaps even halfway well. With total global cooperation the virus could theoretically be eliminated within a month, but that’s a fantasy. If the pandemic were ignored in the interests of avoiding an economic downturn, that too is a fantasy. Many would refuse to work, shop, recreate, etc. in hazardous situations, or would be unable to do so.

Funny thing is that nobody in the government lost anything — synthesis

I don’t know what you mean by that. It could be argued that Trump lost the election because of the pandemic, for instance.

There are industries that did well during the pandemic, sure.

Since no one but myself can control my motor cortex, I believe the activities you described are the consequence of other, more personal factors. — NOS4A2

Personal factors are exploited in order to ultimately result in particular actions. It’s not folk psychology.

Could you use your words to guide me like a marionette to this or that action?
— NOS4A2

He already has. — Isaac

No, NOS is a wily fucker. :razz:

If you have a theory about how lockdowns are somehow being used as a method of manipulation I’m interested in hearing it.

Ignorance is easily manipulated, it’s as simple as that. Would you deny it?

... social constructionism is a two edged sword in the political arena, potentially as damaging to the wielding hand as to the opposition. — Joshs

Which would ideally have a depolarizing effect.

The recent Capital insurrection suggests that words, specifically words that compose a big lie in that particular case, can have serious consequences. Ignorance can be exploited by unscrupulous influencers.

:up:

Yes, I understand your general take but you mention miscalculation and my interest is your previous claim of manipulation.

Being able to remove pride and self-esteem from the marketplace of ideas seems crucial if one wants to remain in it without fear and stress. — NOS4A2

The purpose of fear and stress is to avoid folly.

I believe a reconfiguration of the notion of self is a necessary step to disentangling identity from ideology. — NOS4A2

Even if that were easily possible our values are not so easily reconfigured.

I would say that probably some of our ideas matter to us more than others, because they are bound up with the way we see truth. — Jack Cummins

Do you mean that some of our ideas may be more important because they construct our worldview and our identity within that framework, or something like that? Otherwise maybe you’re talking about how much we value truth?

the lockdown is a grotesque experiment in human manipulation (IMO) — synthesis

Experiments in human manipulation are going on all around us, but I’m curious what you mean with the lockdown.

I just hope they don't show up at my favorite all male nude beach. — Bitter Crank

I’ve visited beaches like that and further confess that they have their own unique appeal.

Advertising Media in particular project images of the non-existent post racial America. Advertising images reveal a lot about where we are, and where we are not. TV shows like Grey's Anatomy have a high rate of POC in authority positions, and feature a lot of lesbian relationships. Gay men appear too in GA, but not in the hot sexual scenes that lesbians and straights appear in (which are tediously frequent). I can't think of a gay man who has been as central as lesbian characters or POC, or a gay couple that has done more than hold hands and kissed quickly. (I'm picking on Grey's Anatomy because it's the only TV show that I have watched much of, recently.) — Bitter Crank

I forfeit the right to consult with attorney before posting...

In my opinion it’s a good thing that marginalized groups are depicted in high status positions, such as surgeons, because it may alter general perception to some degree, and to be fair, hot male gay sex only appeals to a small percentage of consumers whereas hot lesbian sex has wider appeal (and I confess to that myself). Years ago I remember being on a nude beach where a couple of hot half dressed girls were making out. Incredibly sexy!

Sorry, much of my effort is spent trying to take you seriously.

So there's around 320 black people die in custody every year.

A long list painted in blood is intended to create a false impression; one might reasonably describe as the impression that:

“there’s a racist killing spree being conducted by the police”

There isn't. It's a false narrative. — counterpunch

The list isn’t “created,” it’s a statistic, right? And as far as I can tell those are your words and therefore your particular narrative. I just read that BLM uses red paint to symbolize blood, if that’s what you’re referring to with the bit about painting in blood.

Perhaps, also, given that black people commit more violent crime, they are also more likely to resist arrest. — counterpunch

So we should just assume that that’s the case rather that study the situation? That doesn’t seem like an impartial attitude. Anyway, given that black people are more heavily policed than white the opposite may be more likely.

I cannot see the purpose of posting that. Or indeed, the point in continuing a discussion with someone who isn't honest. — counterpunch

You asked “What are BLM saying then - when protesting outside city halls” and I posted a video of BLM protesters saying things outside of a city hall in California. Maybe a tad facetious but eminently practical and honest.

Basic BLM claim is systemic racism. If you look at their website, language like “deadly oppression” is used. You would not find any hyperbolic claim like “there’s a racist killing spree being conducted by the police” there or on any mainstream media outlet. Again, you fail to show a disparity.

the proportion of black people killed is proportionate to the number of crimes committed by black people — counterpunch

Trying to understand your reasoning, you’re saying that deadly force is justified against citizens if they’re merely associated with crime and regardless if they pose a threat?

If that’s the case, then I imagine that you’d be okay if you had a son and he was killed by police while innocently traveling though a high crime neighborhood that was predominantly white. It’s weird that you’d be okay with that. I would expect more from those who’ve sworn to serve and protect.

If the program wasn't shut down until 2014, where's the data for 2013? Practically speaking, data collection was shut down in 2012 - the year before BLM were formed. There's something very strange here. Woodward and Bernstein would be intrigued! — counterpunch

I’m not very good at conspiracy theories but I’ll give it a shot... perhaps there were no arrest related deaths in 2013 and because this fact didn’t support the false narrative of the communist lizard aliens from outer space that are on a clandestine mission to take control and colonize our planet their supreme leader (Barack Obama) stopped data collection for that year. Hey this is fun :starstruck:

Indeed, no one is claiming there’s a racist killing spree being conducted by the police.
— praxis

Seriously, praxis? Is that the level of debate? Do I have to prove both sides of the argument to you?

What are BLM saying then - when protesting outside city halls — counterpunch

It’s hard to make anything out but I’m pretty sure no one is yelling “there’s a racist killing spree being conducted by the police,” though I did spot a sign that read “blue lives murder.”

I did not stigmatize, and I can only envy the enlightened society that you guys live in where being a black or gay is a complete non-issue.

And I said it once and I will say it for the last time, you want to continue this discussion I will remove you from this fucking forum without blinking I do not give a shit who you are. — StreetlightX

I think you’ve said it more than once actually, so I’ve had ample warning. Also, I honestly don’t think what I wrote is vile so will likely post more atrocious thoughts in the future, and I’m not a valuable forum contributor anyway. So if you don’t ban me I can only assume that you don’t actually believe what I wrote is vile.