2024 US Presidential Election

[mean mr.mustard]

Cops here in NZ have a much different style than those I had know in the US as well, less moustaches and not such a macho bravado.

They face fewer firearms too.

Most dancers are friendly.

 

[Hammerhead]

He especially needs ones like General Friedrich Olbricht, Major General Henning von Tresckow, and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.

Yep. That comment was today

Not locking up, keeping out. Let in loads of people that want to integrate into American society. Keep out those who want to bring the third world with them.

lol,. You forgot we are a nation of immigrants, built by immigrants..There are far more bad US citizens than there are illegal immigrants. Its a false narrative talking about them as if there mostly bad.

 

[Hiddenjems]

the world is surely a fucked up place right now. why can't people treat one another with kindness and compassion?

Right now? Ever read the Old Testament? Whether you believe in god or not its an ancient book that describes a world filled with “wicked” people doing all kinds of horrible shit.

Wishing for human nature to change isn’t a strategy. Remember 3-4% of people in every group is a psychopath, and half of “normal” people are latent authoritarian just awaiting instruction so they can feel some kind of purpose.

 

[greyfader]

Right now? Ever read the Old Testament? Whether you believe in god or not its an ancient book that describes a world filled with “wicked” people doing all kinds of horrible shit.

Wishing for human nature to change isn’t a strategy. Remember 3-4% of people in every group is a psychopath, and half of “normal” people are latent authoritarian just awaiting instruction so they can feel some kind of purpose.

yes, i've read it, in it's entirety. the new testament also. when i was 16-18 years old. it is one of the reasons i chose not to participate in any of the organized religions of the world.

i am not "wishing" for human nature to change. i fully realize how cruel and flawed most humans are.

i'm just wondering what's wrong with everyone! what is broken inside of them that makes them want to hurt, use, and control others?

actually, 1 in 27 is at least a sociopath, which is a subset of psychopathy.

and, of the half who are leaning latent authoritarian, why are they so weak minded? why do they believe what they hear without question? is it a lack of educaton? or perhaps they grew up not being allowed to make their own decisions and therefore grew up without the critical thinking tools that they should have had?

children have to practice making decisions to be good at it.

the various religious doctrines teach children to blindly obey, not to question why, just believe.

this is indoctrination. we, in the western christian nations, criticize the islamic faith for indoctrinating children while, simultaneously, we send our kids to "vacation bible school" where they sing "onward christian soldiers, marching as to war" at the ages of 4-5-6 years old.

christian soldiers, killing for jesus! what a perversion!

maybe, paying blind allegiance to and pledging loyalty to a cult leader masquerading as an emissary of god is a perversion too, don't you think?

 

[igrowone]

and, of the half who are leaning latent authoritarian, why are they so weak minded? why do they believe what they hear without question? is it a lack of educaton? or perhaps they grew up not being allowed to make their own decisions and therefore grew up without the critical thinking tools that they should have had?

think how evolution works, what's amazing is there's any charity at all
(many)people have inherent ruthlessness built in because it's a successful trait
they're not dumb, they will do what they have to to push their posse forward

 

[armedoldhippy]

But Trump there's literally hundreds of reasons to hate that SOB.

and shitloads of folks that do, as well !

He especially needs ones like General Friedrich Olbricht, Major General Henning von Tresckow, and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.

aren't those the ones that conspired to kill Herr Hitler ? i agree !

 

[dramamine]

think how evolution works, what's amazing is there's any charity at all
(many)people have inherent ruthlessness built in because it's a successful trait
they're not dumb, they will do what they have to to push their posse forward

Charity begins with empathy, the capacity for which all humans and many animals are born. As far as I know, evolution doesn't take that into account. It seems like those born at the top of the heap, silver spoon in mouth, become the most empathy-challenged individuals.

 

[moose eater]

yes, i've read it, in it's entirety. the new testament also. when i was 16-18 years old. it is one of the reasons i chose not to participate in any of the organized religions of the world.

i am not "wishing" for human nature to change. i fully realize how cruel and flawed most humans are.

i'm just wondering what's wrong with everyone! what is broken inside of them that makes them want to hurt, use, and control others?

actually, 1 in 27 is at least a sociopath, which is a subset of psychopathy.

and, of the half who are leaning latent authoritarian, why are they so weak minded? why do they believe what they hear without question? is it a lack of educaton? or perhaps they grew up not being allowed to make their own decisions and therefore grew up without the critical thinking tools that they should have had?

children have to practice making decisions to be good at it.

the various religious doctrines teach children to blindly obey, not to question why, just believe.

this is indoctrination. we, in the western christian nations, criticize the islamic faith for indoctrinating children while, simultaneously, we send our kids to "vacation bible school" where they sing "onward christian soldiers, marching as to war" at the ages of 4-5-6 years old.

christian soldiers, killing for jesus! what a perversion!

maybe, paying blind allegiance to and pledging loyalty to a cult leader masquerading as an emissary of god is a perversion too, don't you think?

Your last 2 posts, as well as the last one by Hiddengems, are awesome. Just leave room for valid self-defense, which is a naturally hard-wired reality for nearly every species.

My mother, as much as she had her own major issues through life, used to say, "Church is for sinners. Saints don't need to go." Though I question the reality of many saints among us.

One of my favorite sayings, quoting myself from over the past many years/decades is, "Humans! Can't eat 'em, can't live with 'em." Of course, Jeffrey Dahmer and Idi Amin (as well as some long-ago Amazonian bush tribes) would disagree with the "Can't eat 'em". part of that.

And of course, I believe it was one of the Founders (or ???) who said, "If man is basically good, then he does not need a government. If he is basically evil, then God help him if he ever gets one." or something to that effect.

The only semblance of any evidence I've seen for 70 years now that there might be a Supreme Being is the fact that we, as a species, are absolutely blind to our own bullshit, yet, with nukes around every corner, we haven't managed to decimate ourselves entirely or the globe into nuclear winter.... yet. But we've done so slowly via other means, by shitting in our own proverbial house.

The spiders, cockroaches, squirrels, ants, sea life, and maybe the coyotes, won't miss us at all after the mushroom cloud. And frankly, I believe we've earned such outcomes a LONG time ago.

 

[igrowone]

Your last 2 posts, as well as the last one by Hiddengems, are awesome. Just leave room for valid self-defense, which is a naturally hard-wired reality for nearly every species.

My mother, as much as she had her own major issues through life, used to say, "Church is for sinners. Saints don't need to go." Though I question the reality of many saints among us.

One of my favorite sayings, quoting myself from over the past many years/decades is, "Humans! Can't eat 'em, can't live with 'em." Of course, Jeffrey Dahmer and Idi Amin (as well as some long-ago Amazonian bush tribes) would disagree with the "Can't eat 'em". part of that.

And of course, I believe it was one of the Founders (or ???) who said, "If man is basically good, then he does not need a government. If he is basically evil, then God help him if he ever gets one." or something to that effect.

The only semblance of any evidence I've seen for 70 years now that there might be a Supreme Being is the fact that we, as a species, are absolutely blind to our own bullshit, yet, with nukes around every corner, we haven't managed to decimate ourselves entirely or the globe into nuclear winter.... yet. But we've done so slowly via other means, by shitting in our own proverbial house.

The spiders, cockroaches, squirrels, ants, sea life, and maybe the coyotes, won't miss us at all after the mushroom cloud. And frankly, I believe we've earned such outcomes a LONG time ago.

 

[Microbeman]

yes, i've read it, in it's entirety. the new testament also. when i was 16-18 years old. it is one of the reasons i chose not to participate in any of the organized religions of the world.

i am not "wishing" for human nature to change. i fully realize how cruel and flawed most humans are.

i'm just wondering what's wrong with everyone! what is broken inside of them that makes them want to hurt, use, and control others?

actually, 1 in 27 is at least a sociopath, which is a subset of psychopathy.

and, of the half who are leaning latent authoritarian, why are they so weak minded? why do they believe what they hear without question? is it a lack of educaton? or perhaps they grew up not being allowed to make their own decisions and therefore grew up without the critical thinking tools that they should have had?

children have to practice making decisions to be good at it.

the various religious doctrines teach children to blindly obey, not to question why, just believe.

this is indoctrination. we, in the western christian nations, criticize the islamic faith for indoctrinating children while, simultaneously, we send our kids to "vacation bible school" where they sing "onward christian soldiers, marching as to war" at the ages of 4-5-6 years old.

christian soldiers, killing for jesus! what a perversion!

maybe, paying blind allegiance to and pledging loyalty to a cult leader masquerading as an emissary of god is a perversion too, don't you think?

Indeed

 

[xtsho]

It doesn’t, I’m just giving you shit. Most cops are fine, it’s just the ones that aren’t good that ruin the reputation. I even used to regularly drink with a retired cop when I still drank, he was a good dude and actually very pro-cannabis. I think it would be hard to consistently see only the worst aspects of humanity and keep a level head about it. As a younger man I definitely had authority issues but as I mature I don’t really hold most of those same opinions, cannabis persecution aside. Cops here in NZ have a much different style than those I had know in the US as well, less moustaches and not such a macho bravado. The Christchurch shooter here was actually taken down by two cops without either firing a shot, I think there’s something to be said for that.

I don't take it the wrong way. We are in the politics section. Things get testy. We're all just a bunch of stoners with opinions. I have mine and you have yours. I'm glad to engage with decent people which you seem to be. We'll never completely agree with everything.

 

[xtsho]

When they routinely fail to arrest and charge their colleagues who frequently file false affidavits in arrest and search warrants hearings and incident reports, or when they 'manufacture' or 'fabricate' probable cause, or when they commit perjury from the stand, as those offenses are not only rampant, but where I live, they are also all felonies (B-felonies, to be specific), then they're more than 'just a few bad apples.'

Until they take significant action on their corrupt peers, every cop who's aware of those behaviors as committed by their colleagues and tolerates it or covers it up and/or fails to file charges and reports against their corrupt fellow officers, is complicit in violating others' civil rights, their oaths of office, and thereby, they are felons themselves.

Meaning there's a WHOLE LOT of cops who are or should be convicted felons.

There are a whole lot of people that should be convicted felons. Police officers are probably less than 1%.

 

[moose eater]

There are a whole lot of people that should be convicted felons. Police officers are probably less than 1%.

How many of them swore an oath to protect, serve and abide by the laws and the constitution(s)?

Such cretins are supposed to be held to a higher standard, not a lesser or same standard.

Edit: Add qualified immunity to that mix, and the fact that cops are not only rarely held to the same standards in court or sentencing as Commoners, despite the fact that they OUGHT to be held to a higher standard, the gang mentality prevalent in their not snitching on each other (*ask Frank Serpico about that; he was in Upstate New York the last time Ray communicated with him), and the 'THICK blue line' that's been to the SCOTUS at least twice to assert (successfully) that they're not obliged to keep anyone safe but themselves, and you have a nearly perfect model for officially ordained corruption.

Not my version of patriotism or 'duty' at all. But some seem to enjoy saluting it.

*And I worked with cops routinely as a MH clinician, the 'classic 'good ol' boy network', and my father was, for a time during my early childhood, a combination deputy sheriff and probation officer in small town/rural Wisconsin... for whom wife and child battering was a 'private family matter.'

 

[moose eater]

Nation's supposed 'top analyst' says Trump will win the election. We'll see.

Meanwhile, Cornell West will indeed be on the Alaska State and Federal RCV ballots, put there as a member of the Borealis Party/Group.

And... in a moment of classic ironic humor, West's statement/platform in the Alaska Election Voters' Pamphlet (book) has him doing a hilarious (to me, anyway) parody of both Sarah Palin and Mike Dunleavy, appealing to the base greed in voters, promising that every Alaskan would receive a $10,000 Permanent Fund Dividend Check (our residents' portion of the Permanent Fund that is made up of a portion of the State's oil revenues' earnings) if he's elected. Fucking hilarious!!

No, I don't think he's really that shallow, but this is a ploy that both Palin and current Governor Mike Dunleavy (a Trumper from the start) have both seemingly successfully used. Literally buying votes. And apparently legally so.

However, the odds of an activist, anti-war, Black guru with an untamed classic early 70s/late 60s afro, who got arrested at OCCUPY Wall St. and elsewhere, getting elected in a mostly Non-partisan/Independent but very Red pro-Trump State, as we saw in recent past, is simply yet another (of many) Alfred E. Newman moment(s) in American/Alaska politics.

Can't wait to see the results of this $10,000 legal bribe to the voters!!

 

[audiohi]

 

[armedoldhippy]

We'll never completely agree with everything.

"when everyone is thinking alike, then nobody is thinking". a quote variously attributed to Lippman, Kennedy, and several others with minor variations.

 

[moose eater]

From Salon; the assertion that Trump might not have been aware that Hitler's generals were Nazis.

"America's best and brightest..."

Bwahahahahahaha...

https://www.salon.com/2024/10/23/not-cognizant-kilmeade-suggests-might-not-have-known-hitlers-generals-were-nazis/

 

[xtsho]

How many of them swore an oath to protect, serve and abide by the laws and the constitution(s)?

Such cretins are supposed to be held to a higher standard, not a lesser or same standard.

Edit: Add qualified immunity to that mix, and the fact that cops are not only rarely held to the same standards in court or sentencing as Commoners, despite the fact that they OUGHT to be held to a higher standard, the gang mentality prevalent in their not snitching on each other (*ask Frank Serpico about that; he was in Upstate New York the last time Ray communicated with him), and the 'THICK blue line' that's been to the SCOTUS at least twice to assert (successfully) that they're not obliged to keep anyone safe but themselves, and you have a nearly perfect model for officially ordained corruption.

Not my version of patriotism or 'duty' at all. But some seem to enjoy saluting it.

*And I worked with cops routinely as a MH clinician, the 'classic 'good ol' boy network', and my father was, for a time during my early childhood, a combination deputy sheriff and probation officer in small town/rural Wisconsin... for whom wife and child battering was a 'private family matter.'

People are people. The majority of LE are decent people. There are assholes everywhere. You can't expect that none are LE.

Having said that I find it difficult to understand how the culture has gotten to the point where good LE looks the other way or protects the bad LE because of what's called the Blue Wall. The good cops get ostracized for calling out the bad ones. It's an embedded culture that needs to go away. Fortunately in the day and age of body cams it has become easier for those LE that are doing right to not have to "Snitch" and can report accurately on wrongdoing because all they're doing is acknowledging what the bodycam shows.

 

[xtsho]

"when everyone is thinking alike, then nobody is thinking". a quote variously attributed to Lippman, Kennedy, and several others with minor variations.

My best friends and I rarely agree.

I prefer engaging those with differing views. Quite often I learn something.

You learn nothing in an echo chamber.

 

[mean mr.mustard]

"when everyone is thinking alike, then nobody is thinking". a quote variously attributed to Lippman, Kennedy, and several others with minor variations.

Why, then, are we faced with only two parties?