General / Off-Topic Sorry from AMERICA!!!!

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Boomer Kay

B
Zieman said:
I'd rather take my chances with rampaging moose over rampaging trucks you folks in Germany & France have... :p :D
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Developed Western European Countries are actually amongst the safest in regards to car and animal accidents:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

(you can sort the table by some criteria and do your own fancy statistist.. things like the entire Europe having 1/4th of the total traffic fatalities as India has and Sweden and the UK are actually pretty awesome when it comes to road safety .. Kudos)

And the madness goes on:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...er-critical-comments/articleshow/57237179.cms

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...curity-council-aide-craig-deare-a7588586.html

So yea, if you want to keep your job, don't tell him he's incompetent.


And here's the "swedish incident" discussion:
https://twitter.com/SwedeninUSA/status/833462568257732612

It's funny how many midwest guys are total sweden experts - according to their posts.
 
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Adept

Adept
Boomer Kay said:
Which leads back to the 4chan article. Not the board as such, but it's audience, who's so detached from reality, they try to understand the world from their basement. And the more they read about it (even in real media), the more threatened they feel.

What can one do? Well, when you read revies of "the world" on tripadvisor.com, you get the impression the world is a highly mediocra place. A 5.
When you listen to me talk about the world, it's an awesone place full of wonders - including cockroaches on your bathroom floor and goats in your 3rd class bus in the middle of the mexican desert. I can only highly recommend leaving that basement. Come to Germany. (we all know Sweden is a mess .. rampaging moose everywhere).
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The anti-immigration zealots in Finland are the same sort of nuts than the 4chan Anons in the article, but with a higher proportion of middle aged and older males (and some, but not many dumbass females as well).

They don't care about the truth, or seemingly even about going against their own interests (unemployed voting for the far-right, I guess they don't want to eat or have shelter in the future). All that matters is their percieved grievance and hatered for the liberal lefties who don't share their hatred for "the other".
 

Javert

Volunteer Moderator
Javert
I took a look at that article. I guess my reaction was summed up by one of the comments below it:

"Fascinating read, but why would a defeatist gamer living in their mom’s basement bother voting, let alone in numbers large enough to form a significant portion of the 62,985,106 who voted Trump?"

The article rings true to some extent, but I'm struggling to believe this is the single driving force behind the success of Trump / Brexit etc.

Also, just out of interest, does "living out of mum's basement" literally mean that or is it some kind of figure of speech for anyone who is shielded and protected from the chaos they are trying to create?
 

Boomer Kay

B
Javert said:
"Fascinating read, but why would a defeatist gamer living in their mom’s basement bother voting, let alone in numbers large enough to form a significant portion of the 62,985,106 who voted Trump?"
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If they think it's the ultimate "prank", they would. It's nothing political, really.

And I think looking for one single thing that explains Trumps victory is not the way to go. It's just one facet of the picture.

Hillary being way too establishment and both political parties catering more to big investors and their needs instead of about 80% of the population's needs (yes, that "billionaires have so much money, why would they want more" is a belief some people actually hold), maybe some Russian influence/hacking (the US alledgedly did the same with the Jeltsin election, which led to Putin .. well ^^ ), those guys that always voted Republican, those guys who think they profit from lower taxes.

(... and then get ripped off on healthcare things .. another example I had .. a MRI of your head costs 230-320 Euro in Germany - fully covered by health insurance, if it's required (!). The same MRI in the US is 2500-2700 US$ - 60% covered by the health insurance - you could get a flight to germany, pay privately for the MRI and be CHEAPER than the same in the US and actually having health insurance .. like.. really .. guys? Are you still with us?? Single Payer, Public Health insurance!)

Also, just out of interest, does "living out of mum's basement" literally mean that or is it some kind of figure of speech for anyone who is shielded and protected from the chaos they are trying to create?
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I have no statistics on that, but anecdotal evidence: renting an appartment in the US is rather expensive, even in less densely populated areas and the running cost is prohibitive (electricity bills 300-400$ not uncommon + 100+ for internet) and doesn't exist at all in rural areas, so staying in your parent's house is the "smart" choice, as long as your parents have you.
Ah, the fabled college dorms: http://www.forbes.com/sites/denalit...with-the-lowest-dorm-capacities/#1bf6ea0b28f3
 
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Adept

Adept
Boomer Kay said:
(yes, that "billionaires have so much money, why would they want more" is a belief some people actually hold)
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Because when you think about the psychology of a person who becomes a billionaire (or is raised to be the successor of one), that's the first thing that comes to mind isn't it? :D
 

Boomer Kay

B
Starbreaker said:
Calling Trump Hitler doesn't seem to work, ...
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Because his supporters don't look where this points at?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Great German Reich:
4400_6438.jpg


(and the definition is "crazy" is wrong .. of course you did fact check that .. the Einstein quote was about insanity, not crazyness .. the appropriate definition would rather be: not mentally sound ; marked by thought or action that lacks reason - calling him Twitler is reasonable ;p )
 
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FuzzySpider

FuzzySpider
Adept said:
Adams is an idiot who is way too full of himself.
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The message here is correct. Reason, logic, argument, fact? Just like Brexit these things are completely meaningless to Trump and his ilk. And because they're meaningless they have no power. It is like bringing fossils to a creationist church to persuade people to your way of thinking. We're in an echo chamber, our news sources are tainted, information and even solid fact is now not only the enemy of Trump but the enemy of "The People".

So much depends on reversing this madness. As distasteful as you find it the battle will only be won with the same tactics;

Trump got fewer votes than Clinton. He is the loser president. He isn't the president, ever, but the loser president. Every article should be about the loser president, every question to him should be addressed to the "Mr Loser President". Whenever an opponent seeks to raise the matter of the electoral college or anything else - don't respond. Instead pointedly demand what sort of twisted person supports a loser president.

Trump may or may not have shady dealings with Russia. So he is Traitor Trump. Organize rallies and press conferences demanding to know why Traitor Trump isn't telling the world what he knows, and what the Russians are blackmailing him with. When people ask for evidence then turn that right around. Why are they supporting a traitor? Why do they hate their country so much? Why are they such a weak, cowardly, hand-wringing, politically correct "sjw" they'd happily let criminals go free and endanger the country? "Lock him up! Lock him up!"

This is the way to do it. Waiting for people to become smarter is to wait in vain. Let me put it like this:

[video=youtube;Y4Zdx97A63s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Zdx97A63s[/video]

Which of those people could you possibly reason with?
 

Boomer Kay

B
Adept said:
Trump has already given Putin a great gift. "Look, there's not true democracy anywhere. The Americans don't have it any better than we. It's all garbage."
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Eh, there's still free Press in the US.

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/...isaster-texas-trump-makes-good-trade-promises
(there was another more recent one, but I'm out of complementary reads - "first victim of president trump: Texan ranchers" .. even the notion of trade war with mexico gave beef futures a downtrend .. everyone looking at the Dow? Not those ranchers and they're ultra-non-negociable-GOP)

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/...ic-facts-fears-rise-trump-team-doctoring-data

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/...iddle-class-billions-taxes-coverage-employers

(I have family in that business - did I mention the Cowboy Church? :D )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dallas_Morning_News
 
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Adept

Adept
The "Everything is garbage, Democracy is always tainted" line is what Russians are told. Now Trump is verifying Putin's nihilistic propaganda. That is the gift I meant. Not in the US, but in Russia.
 

Aereon Theed

Aereon Theed
FuzzySpider said:
The message here is correct. Reason, logic, argument, fact? Just like Brexit these things are completely meaningless to Trump and his ilk. And because they're meaningless they have no power. It is like bringing fossils to a creationist church to persuade people to your way of thinking. We're in an echo chamber, our news sources are tainted, information and even solid fact is now not only the enemy of Trump but the enemy of "The People".

So much depends on reversing this madness. As distasteful as you find it the battle will only be won with the same tactics;

Trump got fewer votes than Clinton. He is the loser president. He isn't the president, ever, but the loser president. Every article should be about the loser president, every question to him should be addressed to the "Mr Loser President". Whenever an opponent seeks to raise the matter of the electoral college or anything else - don't respond. Instead pointedly demand what sort of twisted person supports a loser president.

Trump may or may not have shady dealings with Russia. So he is Traitor Trump. Organize rallies and press conferences demanding to know why Traitor Trump isn't telling the world what he knows, and what the Russians are blackmailing him with. When people ask for evidence then turn that right around. Why are they supporting a traitor? Why do they hate their country so much? Why are they such a weak, cowardly, hand-wringing, politically correct "sjw" they'd happily let criminals go free and endanger the country? "Lock him up! Lock him up!"

This is the way to do it. Waiting for people to become smarter is to wait in vain. Let me put it like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Zdx97A63s

Which of those people could you possibly reason with?
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To some degree I think you are right. His core or base supporters wont believe anything unless it comes from him. The same was true with varying leaders in the past, INCLUDING Hitler. I think that is why he gets compared to Hitler so often, not because there is a chance he is going to build concentration camps with gas chambers in them, but because he rebukes reality, and pushes his alternative information at such an alarming rate. The only way to destroy that is to destroy the man himself using his own agenda. And I do feel like we need to actually accomplish this. I am starting to wonder if he, like another notorious American is actually a fervent supporter of Russia. Who am I speaking about? Lee Harvey Oswald. It is widely documented how much that man loved the Russians.

Starbreaker said:
Who's crazy? Calling Trump Hitler doesn't seem to work, perhaps a change in strategy is necessary if you don't want to see Trump 2020.
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More than one strategy is going to be required to bring him down. Perhaps referring to him as Hitler isn't a good one. Especially considering his supporters don't seem to mind the correlation. Its a pretty good bet that they don't mind it because a good portion of his supporters are white supremacists. I assume referring to this man as Hitler likely actually fills them with passion and pride, which is the direct opposite of what those calling him Hitler are trying to achieve.

Spacemarkl said:
I think Draxxen is confusing Pence with Bannon.
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Thanks, I appreciate the clarification.

Boomer Kay said:
Because his supporters don't look where this points at?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Great German Reich:

(and the definition is "crazy" is wrong .. of course you did fact check that .. the Einstein quote was about insanity, not crazyness .. the appropriate definition would rather be: not mentally sound ; marked by thought or action that lacks reason - calling him Twitler is reasonable ;p )
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I would hazard a guess that his supporters do not believe this kind of devastation is possible on American soil. That is a European thing. I would also hazard a guess that they are removed from the understanding of such events, having been children or not even born at the time. The reality of the carnage and destruction just isn't fathomable. Its sort of like when you say "the nearest star to earth is 4.37 light years away." Its hard to fathom. When you try and break that down, "93 million miles" it becomes something so obscure that most can't actually wrap themselves around it. The same was true for 1930's America, and the world beyond which is hard to understand for us because we see in our text books the same being true for 1900 America and the world. Events repeat not because people aren't aware of them but because the desire to understand them and to break apart there effects aren't truly dichotomized in an effort to understand precursors and look for similar structures in our own society.

If I was asked, I would say most people believe World War I was created by the assassination of a Arch Duke, not going any deeper. Once they had they would realize that this assassination was a catalyst and not a cause. The symptoms were already there. They just needed a match. There is a reason the Arch Duke was assassinated, and its not because of conspiracy [I say this because re-reading this makes me sound like a nut, I don't do the conspiracy stuff] but because an individual felt shunned either personally or proportionately based on his culture, heritage, or position in the societal hierarchy. Much like Oswald, as mentioned above. Which moves us to WWII which was a repeat of the same symptoms, and even a repeat of a singular identity that felt alienated and mistreated.

Adept said:
Adams is an idiot who is way too full of himself.
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I am glad someone else said this. At first I had the interpretation he was on the right track. Then I noticed the train derailed and killed all the passengers. This view was reinforced when he didn't even answer comments and questions at the end of the video. Instead he talked about his cameras and microphones. I don't know who this guy is, this would be the first time I have ever seen any of his videos... but despite what he said about not being a Trump supporter, my gut tells me he at least likes the way Trump is driving through the corn field. I could be wrong.
 
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Toumal

Toumal
Adept said:
Adams is an idiot who is way too full of himself.
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I've been constantly bewildered by his blog posts these past 2 years. He's not usually stupid, and yet he's been constantly writing about how smart Trump really is, how he has this great plan, etc. etc.

That Trump won the election is no proof of his genius. He tried at the right time and competition among the republican side was weak. As Karl Kraus said: When the sun of culture is low, even dwarves cast long shadows.

When Scott Adams wrote about the recent press conference, I wondered if maybe he got to see an alternate directors cut, a "good version" so to speak, whereas the rest of the world got to see the meltdown one.


I watched President Trump’s press conference with the alleged “meltdown,” and all I saw was Trump talking the way he normally talks. The Huffington Post watched and apparently saw some other set of circumstances. That means we have three possibilities to consider:

1. Huffington Post saw the situation accurately while I was hallucinating.

2. My version of events is accurate and Huffington Post hallucinated.

3. Both the Huffington Post and I were hallucinating.
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The answer is simple: Trump had a meltdown and attacked both free speech and independent media. The fact that he has done this before doesn't not make it a meltdown. Just because he "normally" talks this way doesn't change the meaning.

The fact that Scott seems to suddenly be incapable of logic, and doesn't grasp what's happening, is bewildering. He's literally not understanding what it means when the president of the United States has his underlings proclaim that the media should "get the news from him", and that any dissenting media is "fake news" and the "enemy of the American People".

It's remarkable.

Was this how it went down with Hitler back in the day? People simply choosing to stop thinking? Just listening to the Fuehrer and nodding automatically?


Also, while I don't agree that democrats are "like the son who always tries to do everything right" as Bill Maher alleges, this is still brilliant:

[video=youtube;JFWv42U1l4A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFWv42U1l4A[/video]

- - - Updated - - -

Aereon Theed said:
but despite what he said about not being a Trump supporter, my gut tells me he at least likes the way Trump is driving through the corn field. I could be wrong.
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Wow. Okay, you owe my a drink, because I have to wipe that one off the screen :)
 
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Boomer Kay

B
Aereon Theed said:
I would hazard a guess that his supporters do not believe this kind of devastation is possible on American soil. That is a European thing.
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Well, can't blame them .. at least to some extent.
After all Germans didn't believe 20 years after WW1 that it could become any worse. [blah]

Risk is probably higher that he just rolls back about 50 years of progress in the US and that a lot of people will suffer for that.
I don't get those rose tinted 'conservative' glasses. I knew my great grandfather (born 1899, went trough 2 world wars, came back from the US to Germany in .. 1912 .. and then came 1914) and my grandparents (born in the 20ies, all survived at least 1 war, grandpa still alive at 94 now) and none of them think it was better back then. And they were not actually intellectual or progressive peoples. Quite the contrary. :|
 

Toumal

Toumal
A rollback was his promise. Make America great again. Trouble is, he did not define a date in the past that would serve as target.
 
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