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The Pacific Alpine Commonwealth of Mount Seymour | This. A parliamentary system has its own set of drawbacks, and is not clearly preferable to a presidential system. But either type you can have with a non-FPTP voting system— STV/IRV/Ranked-Choice principally. Of course, such a change is just as unlikely to ever occur in the current climate. It’s one of the only things the Republican and Democratic parties can agree on: that the system which allows them to preserve their stranglehold on politics has to remain in place (ironic, considering it’s a system which is massively harmful to the democracy they claim to uphold). No one wants to write the law to give themselves more competition. Cameroi, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 3 othersCanaltia, Novian Republics, and Kinectia | |
via Oatland | Aclion | https://youtu.be/PQRyGacBRA4?t=193 Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and Canaltia |
Cameroi | media has a role to play in this if they would. they don't HAVE to give ALL the air, to candidates from the two major parties. Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Canaltia, and Kinectia | |
Areulder | They will, not least because most "journalists" today are little more then political activists and they're in a relationship with their preferred political party. Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Canaltia, Novian Republics, and 1 otherKinectia | |
Digedingdangdong | That comparison doesn't hold up because in 2016 the party hierarchy was very unified behind Hillary -- not just "someone other than Bernie," but specifically Hillary Clinton -- and they put their thumbs on the scale hard. This time around, there are several candidates being given serious consideration. Even if Biden wins the primary, there will still be some other candidates that got a fair shake. Also, keep in mind Clinton had a lot of baggage that had nothing to do with moderate vs. progressive. A moderate candidate who isn't Hillary Clinton won't necessarily have so much baggage or such a divisive campaign style. Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Canaltia, and 1 otherKinectia | |
The Rewilding of Ruinenlust | I agree with you; I think I didn't explain myself properly the first time around. I meant that because the outcome of these elections is no longer a "big tent" strategy, but, as several others have pointed out, it is more so a contest of whose base can be more roused to action, namely to actually go out and vote. For example, just within my own small circle of personal local contacts, there were several who voted for Sanders in the primary election, only to sit home when it came down to Trump vs. Hillary, since Hillary simply did not inspire the same level of enthusiasm, even above and beyond all of her other faults as a candidate and a public figure (such as what you mentioned). There was no equivalent groundswell of support for Hillary that there had been for Sanders in the primary, and yet Trump had absolutely enflamed and enlivened not only the vast majority of the traditional Republican base, but also he had 'inspired' (if you want to call it that) many otherwise disinterested people to get involved and to vote. In other words, my comparison between Clinton and Biden is to say that they are both these overexposed, been-around-the-political-block ten thousand times, and do not represent--for better or worse--the hottest energy in the party from rank-and-file voters, since the new push on the left is towards ever-more-liberal candidates. Even if the party itself got burned and exposed for having put their thumbs on the scale for Hillary, making her primary election season more like a coronation, and so now they will be more objective, it is still the case that many young voters, of whom there are more than enough to potentially vote and push the election in their direction. Those young voters don't seem too interested in Biden. Running Biden would be banking on the strategy that the "average voter" (read: an older person, all things being equal, and also a white person) will decide to switch to Biden from Trump, despite the fact that both white people and older people voted for Trump in 2016, on average. That may end up being precisely the correct strategy, for all I know, since young people seem to be okay with allowing ancient people who will be dead in a few decades to make all of the decisions that they themselves will have to live with for the next half-century. I wonder, though, if a better strategy might be to copy the Republicans' dynamic in 2016, in which a massively enthusiastic base turned out to vote for Trump, and the rest of the party largely fell into line anyway, since they weren't going to vote for the other side. TL;DR -- I agree with your assessment, for the most part, but what the overall best strategy for the Democrats is depends on whether it would be to their advantage to 1. lean into their base, assuming that the middle-left will vote Democrat anyway, simply because Trump is so unpalatable to them, or alternately 2. to lean towards the middle, and hope that the energy of the left wing base doesn't cool down to the point where there simply isn't the groundswell of maniacal support, which Trump will more-or-less have (even if he shoots someone on 5th Avenue, as the Orange Block of Cheese himself has pointed out in the past). I'm on the fence as to which of the two strategies is better, but in no case do I think the Democrats could run a candidate who would mop the floor with Trump's hair, since the current climate of America's hyper-partisanship will always put both major candidates within striking distance (assuming nobody launches a 3rd party campaign). --- In a more Machiavellian sense, perhaps the best Democratic strategy would be to run someone like Biden and to also secretly fund a 3rd party candidate or an independent candidate whose positions would almost exclusively only peel voters away from Trump. Like some upstanding, über-Christian type who could bang on about abortion and transgender people and praying in school and all that stuff, but who would also be a model citizen in his own right, a regular Church-goer, someone from a little farm in Missouri or something, etc. That would break up the Republican vote, which would easily throw the election to virtually any Democratic candidate. Having said that, perhaps you're entirely correct that Biden is just the thing, since he's from Pennsylvania, so Trump would have to work out some different Electoral College strategy. Lord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Canaltia, and 2 othersRivienland, and Kinectia | |
Caracasus | I've been watching politics both here and in the wider world and I'm genuinely starting to worry that the entire thing is some sort of sick soap opera laid on for the amusement of some vast cthullonic entity of unimaginable malevolence and evil. I'm even more worried that this idea is just a self defense mechanism in my brain and that the truth is the entire theater of democracy is crammed with broken automatons, springs winding down and gears bent that in the absense of any direction whatsoever simply keep bumping into walls and staggering through tired, worn soundbites. When the mob breaks into number 10 they'll drag May out - she'll just be mouthing "strong and stable. Strong and stable." Maybe the problem is that the real movers and shakers simply don't have anyone but themselves' best interests at heart, but frankly that's been true throughout a lot of history. It might be the impending climate disaster. Maybe that's how it'll end. Bands of dying peasants searching out the air ventilation chimneys of the vaults the wealthy are hiding in, ready to plug each one with cement. Musk might make it to Mars, and him and a bunch more billionaires and deranged fans will eke out a half decade or so before some critical failure and plummeting supplies makes a second graveyard in our solar system. The last sole survivor driving out in a rover to meet the sunset, lips stained with the grease from a grim retelling of the Donner party. Or maybe the system itself is just collapsing in on itself like a deflating whoopee cushion, and all the garbage around us is simply air escaping in a long, drawn out fart. Maybe it'll suddenly get worse, maybe it'll be gradual. Perhaps when the UK is forced to enter into an organ harvesting trade deal we'll be lining up - one kidney, eye and lung short - for our Amazonbucks and grimly stating that at least we've got some organs left. God alone knows. Anyway, happy weekend Forest. The new bluestocking homeland, Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, Ruinenlust, and 8 othersLord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Canaltia, Rivienland, Northern Wood, Santa guerrera, and Kinectia | |
Ook oorg | *Looks off to the side* *See Ook oorg playing on laptop* Lord Dominator, Dwardossa, Turbeaux, and Canaltia | |
Sapnu puas | Whoa, my school's website blocker goes offline between 9:50am and 10:10am, although on and off. Couldn't find any games to take advantage with, so if it keeps happening, any ideas for browser games on iPad? Caracasus, Shwe Tu Colony, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 1 otherCanaltia | |
Autonomous cleaner bot cleaners | High unemployment is ravaging Autonomous Cleaner Bot Cleaners. A recent career fair in Autonomous Cleaner Bot Cleaners City consisted of a tumbleweed rolling through empty booths, and the Autonomous Cleaner Bot Cleaners Career Shopper is only two pages long and stuffed with ads for pizza parlors and discreet massages. They’re just not hiring. In an attempt to get your economy jumping again, a trio of self-professed experts have come forward to proffer advice. “The problem is lack of opportunity,” says Ashley Long, who so far has been unable to use her underwater basket weaving degree. “The government needs to guarantee that every young person can get a job, maybe to build parks or repair bridges or design specialty baskets. That’s the only permanent way to get Autonomous Cleaner Bot Cleaners working again.” Today, Autonomous cleaner bot cleaners is proud to announce the creation of the Washing Progress Administration (WPA), which is mandated with achieving full-employment through a national campaign promoting cleanliness. Our printer-bots are already hard at work creating appropriate propaganda encouragement: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=cleaning&co=wpapos Please contact your local WPA office for further details. And remember, the only thing we have to fear is, um, dirt. -- Reminds me of that time Parliament sold the UK to Honda: https://youtu.be/b4m_ajuNmSA -- It’s budget time and the military is in a fierce ideological struggle: should bayonets continue to be issued to the troops? “There’s nothing more terrifying than the sight of Autonomous Cleaner Bot Cleanersian steel!” asserts veteran General Annan, while skewering one of your childhood teddy bears that you still keep on your desk with a shank. “The bayonet is a tried and tested weapon; having a blade at the end of your gun is an essential back-up. Besides, it’s hardly like they’re the most expensive thing in the arsenal. Also, make sure the navy and air force have them too; you’ll never know when they’ll come in handy.” https://www.google.com/search?q=roombas+with+knives Caracasus, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and Canaltia | |
The Sylvan Hivə of Turbeaux | Biden would be a great VP candidate (assuming he would accept that position again). I would be all for a more progressive nominee running for president with him in the VP slot. The Dems could secretly fund Evan Mcmullin since he already split some votes away from Trump in 2016. Bob Corker could be an even better choice (if he could be persuaded to run as an independent or third-party candidate). Also, I am hoping that Weld gets a chance to debate Trump (either formally or informally) and makes him look bad to some of Trump's base. It should be mentioned that Trump could employ a similar strategy against the Democratic Party. Fortunately, the independents who could split votes away from them are wealthy enough that some Trump money would most likely not push them into candidacy if they ruled it out independently. Trump could still mess with the Democratic nomination process by funding a candidate that would not threaten his hold in Rust Belt states. He could also throw a lot of cash toward the Green candidate (assuming that they would accept it or Trump's people could make it appear to be small-dollar grassroots funding). One has to expect that a corrupt and seemingly amoral president will be ready for some 2020 election hijinks. EDIT: Is Aexnidaral unaware that Ransium has a follow-up proposal planned (that is quite clearly implied if you even skim the text)? Oh well, it should pass easily without their support. Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Canaltia, and Kinectia | |
Digedingdangdong | Oh, yeah, we want Weld to make as much noise as possible. I wouldn't even put it past him to do something wonky like running as an independent or endorsing the Democrats once he loses the primary. Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and Canaltia | |
The Sylvan Hivə of Turbeaux | Given his history, I am pretty sure that he would run as a Libertarian and not endorse the Democratic candidate. I am much more excited about Mike Gravel getting a spot in the Democratic debates. I voted for him in the 2008 primary. Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and Canaltia | |
The Democratic Island Federation of Frieden-und Freudenland | I am not hopeful about Biden, to be honest, and disappointed that he managed to collect a sweeping 6.3 million dollars in donations on his first day of candidacy. I just don't get why it looks like we should be electing old white men for presidents. Fine and some old white women. The candidates whom we hear about the most often are Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, etc. I want to see some diversity. I think Buttigieg would be an interesting candidate, though I have doubts about how many Americans will feel comfortable voting for a self-identified gay Christian. o.O Caracasus, Lord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, and 1 otherCanaltia | |
Autonomous cleaner bot cleaners | If demographic trends are accurate and I've understood them correctly, if such a candidate can openly and honestly address the issues and ideas of youth and young adults in a way that doesn't come across as just more Dad-jokey pandering nonsense...a self-identified gay Christian could probably slay an election easily. -- **engages leaf and yard litter vacuum mode** **empties bag of leaves into a pile** **jumps in pile** ^.^ ... <.< ... >.> **shampoos a squirrel** Caracasus, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 5 othersDarths and Droids, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Canaltia, and Rivienland | |
The Rewilding of Ruinenlust | Re: The Resolution Repeal: Plants! Does it also include the protection of plant species! It mentions bacteria and viruses, but I didn't see it. Then again I'm half-asleep, so maybe I missed it. We are Forest, after all. Made of plants. Best things ever. :-) | |
The World Machine of Shwe Tu Colony | After much too long working on my Post an Account, here it is. This tells the tales of MV Crossbar, the humanitarian assassin filled with rage over the deaths of his compatriots; of Jeremy Sentinel, the lone survivor of a wintertime tragedy; & D'aillisioux, the medium by which they rediscover themselves & their lost time, time burned or time frozen. The song used for the story's theme, "When The Lights Went Out," connects with all three, & when confronted by their peculiar situation, all but one can remember where it all fell down, & where the lights had went out. "The immortal man is quite possibly the wealthiest, for he has a resource that might never be renewable: time." -Sekka Verndara Take, each day Wasted Time "NYG!" I shouted at him as he ran past me, but he didn't give me even a glance. I let my eyes drift into their red, spiraling form indicative of focus & stood still as I steeled my nerves, only for the lights to cut out, "Hmm? What the..." I shook on the flashlight on my pistol, but it looked like I was standing somewhere else. Somewhere I shouldn't be. I took out my communications crystal with a shaking hand. "J-Jeremy," I began as I stepped forward, hearing a peculiar song in the distance from D'aillisioux, "Jeremy, get here. Fast. Something's wrong with D'aillisioux, I don't..." The world shook & I was thrown to the floor. "Agh! We don't have much time, Jeremy," I yelled into the crystal as I put it away. I started up yet again, not willing to let even a few seconds pass & soon enough I was running in the vast, dark void. Then, I was standing in front of him, & as I shined the flashlight all over, I found that his room was dark & grey like some sort of prison's basement, unlike the poster-adorned one he himself had decorated as a result of our art therapy program for him. There were no butterfly or hummingbird hawk-moth swarms flying towards the sky on the walls, nor cities withered by time & faces turning into trees. None of his beautiful artwork to accompany me, & as I shined my flashlight onto him, I could tell that somehow, we had lost everything. Maybe his ill-spent time had finally claimed him, & that my habit of burning time hadn't been enough to save him. Before I could confirm, Jeremy walked into the room, touching my shoulder, & then his. "Sorry for the wait," he said as the room returned to normal, yet D'aillisioux's body lied limply in front of us, presumably exhausted from creating his illusory world, "I did find— I did find— I did find— agh!" He gripped his left eye with an agonized hand, & he fell to the floor as the emotions from D'aillisioux's memories overwhelmed him. Bells rang out in the distance. I never would have done Burning Time "School, then when I get home, I need to take care of my siblings… mom & dad are always working," he sighed, glancing at Tsemper, who was standing stalwart & looking into the darkness with his shield & lance in his hands like some sort of guardian statue, "They're always telling me to do well in school, but honestly, I just want to help them. When they get home, they look so tired..." The lad nodded, & the next instant he sped off. The next second, he heard the clanking of heavy paladin armor, & saw out of the corner of his eye a shining shield. The next minute, he was on the floor, with Tsemper over him, his vision coming back swirling & clouded with red blood. The paladin placed a finger over his lips as he hoisted Crossbar up onto his shoulder & then placed him on the other side of the counter, away from his storeroom. "What… what the…?" he began. The Assassin's Resolve, the one that dictated the instantaneous. Seconds later, two paladins lay dead in front of Crossbar, & the lad screamed in terror as Tsemper shoved his shield in front of him to block him from the sight. "Shhh, it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay!" the paladin reassured him, "Gods… Crossbar, what's gotten into you!" He burnt an instant. He spun around & fired his pistol at a paladin approaching him from behind, hardly noticing the bullet wound among the countless blood stains already on him. He burnt another second & a lance thrust towards his head from behind, but he ducked to the side & countered with a pair of shots, one after the other with hardly a second passing between them. Then, he kicked forward the box, trapping another one of his foes that soon after received a bullet to her chest, only for time to rewind. A gunshot, then time rewound again, only to be burnt in an instant. Their charade repeated several times, & at last the crusader mistress began to speak. "W-wait! Don't shoot!" she begged, her body having aged a few days as a result of her reckless time distortion, only to be met with the cold, smoking barrel of his pistol. This time, she did not go back, & her helmeted gaze stared at him almost apologetically before she fell to the floor. Undeterred, Crossbar threw aside his flashlight & continued a sprint through the cold storeroom, dark & now flooded with blood, letting his red, swirling eyes be his light source instead, patrolling the area like some sort of demon. The night went by, & when Crossbar woke up, he cleaned himself up, called Tsemper, & exited the storehouse. Try to remember Frozen Time "Hey, hey, stop being so [DATA DELETED] gay!" the car began moving, launching him a short distance forward, "W-woah!" For a moment, Twister saw something standing beside his car through his side mirror, its ghostly green face accentuating its unholy, baleful gaze, its brown robes like a tree against the night, terrifying him with how it stuck straight out of the road so unnaturally. Its long river of black hair flowed out behind it, blowing in the rushing wind as it seemed to not move, yet still keep pace. "Why did we decide to take that class again?" questioned Pigment, looking behind them. "Right, right," his brother began as he tried to recall the figure, glancing again at his mirrors. "Well, it was pale. Greenish face. Its body was thin & black… No! It was brown!" "Honestly? Let's put something like that behind us," he suggested as he relaxed in his seat, "General, put on some music." He sighed. "Gods, we made it big — we made it to one of the biggest venues in Canada — & you guys are panicking over some weirdo at our side? It's probably just some hallucination on Twister's end. We've been ridiculously busy anyway; when was the last time we got a good nine hours, huh?" "Point being! It's winter, there's ice out at sea, we're tired, so…" he gave a second's pause, trying to come off as calm & collected as possible despite his own slight uncertainty — or perhaps desire for excitement, "Let's not worry, 'kay?" "You be quiet, you're the one making gay jokes all the time!" Pigment, having been mostly silent, suddenly reached over Branch & slapped Jaundal lightly on the cheek, smiling to himself. As friends, of course — all but they themselves were convinced that romantic connotations were much too plausible. "Delphinius," Jeremy spoke up after their fit was over, "Would you like to, ah, switch seats. There's a rest stop coming up pretty soon, right?" By the time the song ended, the rest stop came into view. When Twister pulled on the brakes, his car surged a fair distance forward because of the ice sheets that had frozen the roads nearly solid. "Oh, whoops, sorry," he said as he began backing up, "Make sure I don't hit anything." The group went to use the restrooms at the rest stop: four waited in the car, in case something happened in the silent woods, & three would be allowed to leave. Something felt off, & as Jeremy, Delphinius, Pigment, & General waited in the car, they were not content to stay still, squirming just a little in their seats. "Yo, you two get back, had to sto—" Branch began. "Calm down," General ordered them, his tone slow & deliberate as he scolded them, "Don't be so loud. You'll draw unwanted attention." Both boys shrunk away in their seats, a bit ashamed at their behavior, & Delphinius & Jeremy excused themselves to use the restroom, which they found to be in surprisingly luxuriant quality — it seemed as though someone had plucked the restroom from a hotel lobby & planted it right in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. "Jeez, what's this all about?" Jeremy said to himself as he inspected the area, eventually finding a sign that said "SUPPORTED BY THE ELIZA FAMILY." As he examined the thin, bone-like roots & ends of the branches, he found that it resembled a body, but it was too dark to try to look farther up, even when he stood only a few feet from the trunks. As the background hum grew louder, he noticed that the branches seemed to have begun closing in on him, but he thought little of it. Perhaps they were always like that. Well, no use holding up General & Pigment, he thought as he moved away from the trees & back to the car, only to stop in front of the women's restroom, feeling a foreboding presence within. The hum, he realized, was coming from inside. "Hey, uh, Delphinius? You… you hear that?" "Y-yeah, thanks," the stall door opened, & she waved her head around, letting her clumped hair flop around, "What was that?" "Right… y-you're… I think you're right," she looked behind them, seeing only the empty, frozen road & Jaundal & Branch, "But you feel it too, right?" Soon enough, everyone was back in the car. "Everyone here?" Twister asked as he turned towards them, nodding as a chorus of replies came back, "All right, let's get going." He jammed the key into the car & turned it, only to be met with silence. He tried again, & then again, his face knotting in a slight fear as the car remained quiet. "Ah, [DATA DELETED]. Jeremy, get the jump box out," he said as he exited the car, "Shoulda left it on…" A shrill, radio-like voice began echoing through the area. "LAST SEEN," it gave their current area at the rest stop, & everyone had their eyes on the now-sobbing Delphinius, "REPORTED DEAD TW—" Before anyone could hear, she screeched. The pair of trees suddenly began rushing towards them as radio chatter began to reverberate forth from it. "LAST SEEN. LAST SEEN... REPORTED DEAD TWO MINUTES LATER. REPORTED DEAD TWO MINUTES LATER… VLADISLAV "BRANCH" LASLZO. JOHN "JAUNDAL" DEVERAUX." As the car swerved onto the bridge, it began twisting & turning, barely in his brother's control. Throwing out a barrage of expletives, he began a desperate fight for maneuverability on the frozen road. &, seconds later, Jeremy realized that on the opposite end, lights shone. One minute, fifty-nine seconds. Jaundal & Branch disappeared above the bridge, but just before, Jeremy watched as — perhaps as one last prank — they gave one another their first & last kiss. Jeremy, though, felt dead, & he regarded the rest with a strange, unfeeling eye. They gasped, & he breathed, & his horrified expression fell away into one devoid of emotion. Without a second thought, he shattered the window next to him with his fist, unbuckled his seat belt, & then removed Delphinius's. Seconds before the car sunk away into the frigid waves, he leapt out of the window, covered her mouth to prevent her from inhaling water, & tipped his body flat so that Delphinius wouldn't land in the water. When he was back on the water's surface, he opened his hand & began swimming back to shore. "A FUNERAL IS BEING HELD FOR JEREMY SENTINEL." The creature stretched its arms out, yet when Jeremy noticed, he felt nothing yet again. Not a moment passed before he hoisted Delphinius up onto his shoulders & began a mad dash back to the rest area. His body felt numb all around, as though he did not even exist, & he did not even feel a twinge of fear. Rather, he was propelled sheerly by a sense of duty & a peculiar desire for empathy. Every action he made was instinct, even the sudden swerve right to avoid the third headlight creature that blitzed past them, right into a tree. "Oh, th-thank God!" she began walking out. As Jeremy's eyes began to close, the last thing he saw was a dessicated hand reaching towards Delphinius & snatching her away — it seemed her mind had been weakened by the cold, & so she never realized that they had never called an ambulance. See I've been growing to expect these things from everybody else The Assassin's Guild He smiled to himself as he wiped his eyes, & I went over to where he was. "Who… who are these people?" I asked him as D'aillisioux also bent in close; when I looked at the younger assassin, he hid his face away in the blanket, refusing to let any part of him be seen. Not that I wanted to. I had seen enough the last Heritage Festival. His face contorted as he began to sob in remembrance of them, & he hugged the portrait close to him. As I reached my arm out towards him, he batted it away. "I'll… I"ll be fine. You-you just got-gotta take c-care of him!" he told me. I turned towards D'aillisioux. "That's not true," he proclaimed as he dashed forward & tried to grab his shoulder, but the boy dodged his hand. He knew what I meant. I had never before seen him so vulnerable, & I grew enraged that anyone had ever hurt a precious child like him. Or, rather, all of his would-be time as a child had been immolated for lives of debauchery & of sin, & he had been thrust into a horrible world without a minute to enjoy himself. I couldn't help but wonder if he ever did have a moment to himself, a moment where neither the ghosts of his past were reaching forward & trying to drag him back to the depths of his prior abyss nor where paranoia of the future was daring to taunt him with falsehoods & say that he will be cast aside someday again. In his eyes, I always saw him suffering from his memory & from his imagination, & I couldn't understand how or why he ended up in such a wretched state, trapped in a rack of time that stretched him so far apart. After a few moments of silence, I gestured to the bear. So, on that universal day The lights are on, the story's done; Goodbye The five in that room wished only that they hadn't lost so much time. Caracasus, Mount Seymour, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 1 otherCanaltia | |
Caracasus | I am a bit wary of promoting or supporting any candidate solely on the fact they are a member of any minority representation group. I think that it's a vaguely useful barometer of how inclusive a group is but beyond that I would far rather a candidate that has a track record of good, inclusive policies gets in than someone who is from a minority representation group but has policies that are pretty uninspired. There's a risk I think of unconsciously pushing a narrative that suggests someone who is not part of one particular group cannot possibly support someone who is a member of another group. EDIT, not accusing you of this obviously, but I've certainly see others unconsciously supporting this rather odd take. My main problem with Buttigieg and many other dem candidates is that they seem to have precious few concrete policy ideas aside from 'I am not Trump.' There's a saying about not fighting the last war you fought. It is particularly strange then to fight the last campaign you fought and lost. The new bluestocking homeland, Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, Ruinenlust, and 10 othersLord Dominator, Dwardossa, Turbeaux, Canaltia, Dekks, Rivienland, Cat-herders united, Utopia novas, Peigan, and Kinectia | |
Peigan | While I understand the sentiment I believe people should be elected on their merit and experience, not their identity. I certainly wouldn’t have any issue with voting for a gay man, but Buttigieg is too inexperienced for the presidency and is just another unknown Democrat running on the fact they aren’t Trump. Where as Warren and Bernie have decades of experience. And in the case of Bernie, he’s been consistently pursuing a progressive platform since the 80s, showing he isn’t like Clinton who would flip to whatever position was popular at the moment. Caracasus, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 5 othersTurbeaux, Canaltia, Dekks, Cat-herders united, and Novian Republics | |
The Dead Meme of Dekks | Hi, a member of the Democratic Socialist Assembly here. My personal stance is that regardless of your race, gender, sexual orientation, religions, etc. everyone is equal and deserves respect and to life their life based upon their merits without discrimination. Which is why identity wouldn't be a factor in my pick for any political candidate, what I would factor in is what they have done and would do for the good of their country, equality, human rights, and the environment. That's why I personally support Bernie Sanders even though he happens to be an old white man, he has still faught for the environment, equality, human rights, and has stood steadfast against discrimination. Elect politicians based upon their merits and record, not their identity. The new bluestocking homeland, Caracasus, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ruinenlust, and 7 othersLord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Canaltia, Novian Republics, Peigan, and Kinectia | |
Caracasus | I would state though that FuF definately has a point regarding who the political machine throws up to vote for. Whether intentional or not, it is very much skewed towards rich white men. The new bluestocking homeland, Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, Ruinenlust, and 7 othersLord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Canaltia, Dekks, Rivienland, and Peigan | |
The Dead Meme of Dekks | The political machine and media certainly do have their biases, in general and for the gop it's ofcousre rich white men, but for the democratic establishment it's just a bias towards the rich in my opinion. They don't like Bernie, atleast not as much as the other candidates, alot of mayor Pete's support can be attributed to the media fawning all over him. Caracasus, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 4 othersTurbeaux, Canaltia, Rivienland, and Peigan | |
Cameroi | i think that's a matter of momentum and inertia, but it is, or has been, unfortunately true. part of what may be a new dynamic though, is that demographics are shifting. (and of course this is what has 'conservative' panties in a wegie) the empowerment of women is not entirely an illusion, and it is congress, not the president who make the laws. Caracasus, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 3 othersTurbeaux, Canaltia, and Dekks | |
The Rewilding of Ruinenlust | (all emphasis added) Before I put my two cents in on that specific position, let me say that this type of thing is one of a few areas where I have serious misgivings about common threads of liberal or progressive thinking. While my opinion is apt to be dismissed out of hand by those who are either not men or not white or both, I would also say that I reject that line of reasoning as well, since it assumes that an individual cannot have an "authentic" or "valid" opinion about some issue for which they are looking from the outside (e.g. a white guy talking about issues affecting women of color, for example--but interestingly not vice versa, as everyone is allowed to talk about white men, which is one undeniable breakdown in the logic, whether people like it or not). If we do not allow for someone to have an objective, worthwhile opinion simply because they are in the "problem" group, then how is that different than saying that women, minority groups, groups with physical or psychological struggles, gender issues, etc, etc, are somehow "less than," to use the current turn of phrase, the traditionally dominant groups? In other words, I want to open by saying that despite the fact that I am a 100% white, 100% male, to the best of my knowledge, I am also a human being, and therefore I have the right to an opinion. And if I don't "get" to have an opinion about gender or racial issues, then what gives any other group on this Earth the right, other than by societal fiat, the very same thing that once benefitted white men to the horrendous detriment of other groups throughout many centuries? In other words, if we're all going to be equal, then we really and truly have to be equal, even in terms of how seriously we consider each other's bona fide positions, the key qualifier being bona fide. Arguing from a position of hatred, suspicion, disdain, fear, or otherwise is its own fallacy, the Appeal to Emotion, and often cascades into other fallacies, usually Straw Man, ad Hominem, and especially Equivocation. — I'm always sort of curious what the intention is behind comments like these, since I just don't follow how this sort of thing is any different, ultimately, than a form of discriminatory thought itself, or at least a misguided attempt to rectify past injustices. I'm open to being convinced otherwise on this, if someone can explain it without falling into some sort of contradictory or fallacious argument, but it seems to me that: 0th. If our starting premise is that every individual person, regardless of race, sex, age, gender, religion, ethnicity, physical health, mental health, appearance, intelligence, etc, etc, etc, is equal in value and worth simply and precisely because they all fully belong to the community of currently living homo sapiens, i.e. each person is a human being, and that itself confers and entails equality of rights, and furthermore that: 0.5th. If, furthermore, the only justification that disqualifies an individual from full or even partial enjoyment of those humans rights is their own choices and actions that are wrong, NEVER some categorical label that is beyond one's control, such as those mentioned above, then: — It follows that: — 1st. We cannot discount, devalue, or otherwise penalize or disenfranchise an individual based on the effectively bogus or meaningless criteria of those innate categorical attributes to which we give labels. So no race-based slavery. No gender pay gaps. No bans on gay marriage. No religious discrimination. No locking up of psychologically or physiologically unwell people. No arbitrary penalties for other unchosen circumstances (e.g. the abandonment of twin newborns and/or punishment of the mother, as in some tribal societies). 1.5th. We can say, based on our starting premises 0 and 0.5, that any actions, systems of law or belief, societal norms, etc, that violate them, such as in 1, are wrong, and unacceptable. — 2nd. Death, notably, is NOT one of those categories. That is to say that the living are in fact more valuable and of a "superior rank," at least for the purposes of our moral system of equality, than the dead are. After all, whether the dead persist in some form is a matter for the dead themselves and also for the living as a matter of personal belief and thought. Therefore, our system must prioritize the currently existing and living human persons, since all of the other ones, whether having died yesterday or during the Ice Age, are gone. 2.1 It follows that not only are the classical injustices leftover or continued from historical eras wrong, but also that retaliatory, compensatory, or retributive measures that push back against entires groups or categorical labels for the supposed benefit of other groups or categorical labels is also wrong, since it rests on the very fallacy that justice, morality, ethics, etc, can be adjudicated on the basis of these categorical labels, which we are defining as being—in and of themselves—“[disqualifiers.” 2.2 Therefore, it follows that however well-intentioned it may be, it is ultimately just another—if much less serious and softer—permutation of the same old prejudices and all of the bad “-isms” to have the position that white men “shouldn’t” do or be some entirely legitimate thing in and of itself (e.g. the president, a board member, a wealthy person, a mechanic, a father, a professor, a ballet dancer, a model, a speaker for human rights, etc, etc.) based on the very fact that they are both white and male. Whether anybody likes it or not, there is simply no justification for this if we have accepted our 0th and 0.5th premises as true. 2.3 In other words, if I “don’t get to” do or be something that is in itself legitimate and good because of some circumstantial reality in the past, some currently existing prejudice or double standard, or anything else, other than some bad or wrong action or choice made of my own free will, simply because I’m a white man, then neither is there any justification to give other individual or group any rights or inherent value. Either it’s all of us, or it’s none of us. Either we can all be president, or nobody should be and presidents are in and of themselves an invalid construct, or morally wrong, etc. 2.4 To rephrase the thing as a question, precisely why “should” we not let white men do or be things? Because in the past and continuing into the present, they were the only ones who could do so? If we’re starting with the idea that everyone is an individual, who is entitled on that basis of being a human person, to the same equal rights as everybody else, then erecting a new structure or system by which white men “shouldn’t be… / be doing…” anything at all that is otherwise open to people is wrong. It’s just putting the shoe on the other foot, if only in a small and fractional way. Nevertheless, it rests on the wrongheaded premise that justice can meted out, not for everyone as a collection of equal individuals with the only proscriptions being wrongful actions and choices, but instead by dealing in terms of, yet again, these fundamentally and inherently bogus or valueless categorical labels. So now “white men” are supposed to shut up and go plant potatoes or play MarioKart because “they were bad” in the past, and now “to make up for it” (i.e. because it must be a zero-sum game of tit-for-tat, we cannot actually all move forward together or win together, no), we must have all of the non-whites and/or non-males doing everything, always, all the time, otherwise it’s a sign of societal retrograde motion and stagnation, and of how ever more aggressive, retributive measures are required. — Note on “Diversity” By definition, if we’re speaking of diversity insofar as the human race is concerned, that does, in fact, fractionally include white men to the extent that they exist, unless they are not to be included as human. How is it otherwise? And if we’re still arguing, in good faith, from our 0th and 0.5th premises, then we can say that any group of multiple human individuals who have not discounted themselves on account of their wrong or malā fidē actions and choices is, in some sense, diverse. In common parlance, however, “diversity” has become something of an inverse dog whistle to mean, in effect, “everyone except for white, straight men,” with the almost always unspoken, yet often loudly and clearly heard, and sometimes not even intended, addition of “because you’re bad” and/or “you’re time is over,” and/or “you (group) had your (group) shot for hundreds of years, so you (individual) should just shut up and go away now because “the future is ____ [insert literally anything other than “white” and/or “male”].” Now, if you are not a white male, or are and haven’t though about it before, how do you imagine that sounds to the average, regular white male, just sort of going through their unremarkable life, as we all do? A common, perhaps understandable response is something like, “wait a minute. I, me, ___, was born in 19xx/20xx, and I haven’t ever knowingly done/said [example of classical injustice], so why am I, personally, being discounted or written off simply because I happen to have been born white and male?” Why, indeed? Diversity is indeed an inherent good, an inherent benefit, to any community of living things or any ecosystem, whether physical or social. But it must actually be diversity, and not some politically-motivated or politically-distorted interpretation of “diversity.” — 3rd. Either the categories are bogus, and they are universally meaningless, or they are real, and we are doomed to forever have hierarchies and categories and labels. Either we are all free, unique, infinitely and equally valuable individuals, until and unless we choose to act or to be otherwise, or else we will always be nothing other than our our categories. Either I’m Ruinenlust and you’re FuF and you’re Uan and you’re Ransium, and you’re ___, or I’m just a “white/gay/scrawny/20-something/man”, and you’re just a “black/straight/tall/60-something/woman,” and you’re just a “crippled old fat guy,” and you’re just an “ugly stupid so-and-so,” and we’re all JUST the worst of our (group label) stereotypes on the worst of our (individual) days. — TL;DR: So, I’m going to do the “individuals-are-unique-and-equal” thing, whether it’s realistic or not, and I’m also to gently and yet relentlessly insist that everyone treat me as such in return, since that’s what I’m trying to do with everybody else. The whitest, straightest, most masculine guy in the world can also be just as human and kind and empathetic and objectively positive as anyone else can, believe it or not. But only if we’re all going to be unique and equal individuals. Please don’t take this any of this as a personal rebuke or anything. I value you and your presence here tremendously, and I imagine that if we in real life together at work or something, I’d naturally want to friends. This is one of the few areas where I think there is a genuine bad nugget in the otherwise decent corpus of liberal and progressive beliefs. I moreover think that this is, largely, done in a genuine spirit of recognition that despite all this time and how far we’ve come, there are still vastly more of “the classical prejudices,” as I’ve termed them, in our world and even in parts of Western society than there is of any sort of “reverse” discrimination. However, I do also think such efforts are ultimately founded on the very prejudicial and categorical thinking that discounts individuals for the sake of some kind of official, categorical redressing of wrongs or compensatory approach or even of retribution, in some cases. Moreover, I also readily and easily recognize that, even in the 21st century of the Western World, there are easily more of the classical injustices than whatever there may be of “reverse discrimination,” although while the former is gradually coming down off a centuries-long high, there is simultaneously a small, but growing tide of the latter, which threatens to foreclose on the degree of real, meaningful, enduring progress or leap forward as a society that we may otherwise achieve. — Like I said, I’m entirely open to reconsidering these things, provided that we can actually get there logically, in truth, and in good faith. As always, I welcome feedback. I’m always trying to sharpen and strengthen my ideas, hopefully without totally torpedoing the RMB, lol. :-) I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, by the way. Kawastyselir, Caracasus, Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, and 5 othersLord Dominator, Turbeaux, Canaltia, Altmer dominion, and Rivienland | |
The Kingdom of The Niben | o/ Lord Dominator, Dwardossa, Turbeaux, and Canaltia |