Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
This endless banter is accomplishing what exactly? That there are asshats on both sides of the aisle that play to their base to keep us bickering? We know that already. I'm advocating that we move past that crap and try to mend our fences with each other and then moving that forward to all parts of our lives and people that we interact with on a daily basis. It's got to start somewhere, how about here and now?
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
My momma mighta raised a dumbass jerk but she didn't raise no fool.
My old man told me long ago that if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck....
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Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Mojo,
That's a nice homily and all, but by definition a 'dog whistle' is something that humans can't hear. This means that 'dog whistle racism' is something that only racists can pick up on. You are not a racist, so this sets up a glaring contradiction: Either you are a racist yourself or else you have no actual ability to detect dog whistle racism.
I really don't believe that you are a 'dumbass jerk', but I do think that you should at least open yourself to the *possibility* that you're the one that has been mistaken all these years. After all, this country full of racists did vote for Obama twice...
And really... what's even the point of all of this? If 'dog whistle politics' is even a thing, why do politicians bother doing it? It's not like the racists are going to vote for your side if the politicians don't appear sufficiently racist. And more importantly, I don't see random packs of klukkers firebombing buildings and assaulting innocent bystanders. I *do*, however, see a lot of that behavior coming from your side.
Perhaps all that "quacking like a duck" is just in your head? Perhaps you have misidentified a lot of innocuous statements as racist when they're really not? Perhaps it's causing you to behave in a way that turns people off?
I personally know that you have made this mistake in this thread. I know this because you have called out statements that I have made myself as "racist" and I know for a fact that I'm not.
So maybe you're just, you know.... Wrong. Has that ever occurred to you?
Just a thought,
-Slashy
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GoSlash27
Mojo,
That's a nice homily and all, but by definition a 'dog whistle' is something that humans can't hear. This means that 'dog whistle racism' is something that only racists can pick up on. You are not a racist, so this sets up a glaring contradiction: Either you are a racist yourself or else you have no actual ability to detect dog whistle racism.
I really don't believe that you are a 'dumbass jerk', but I do think that you should at least open yourself to the *possibility* that you're the one that has been mistaken all these years. After all, this country full of racists did vote for Obama twice...
And really... what's even the point of all of this? If 'dog whistle politics' is even a thing, why do politicians bother doing it? It's not like the racists are going to vote for your side if the politicians don't appear sufficiently racist. And more importantly, I don't see random packs of klukkers firebombing buildings and assaulting innocent bystanders. I *do*, however, see a lot of that behavior coming from your side.
Perhaps all that "quacking like a duck" is just in your head? Perhaps you have misidentified a lot of innocuous statements as racist when they're really not? Perhaps it's causing you to behave in a way that turns people off?
I personally know that you have made this mistake in this thread. I know this because you have called out statements that I have made myself as "racist" and I know for a fact that I'm not.
So maybe you're just, you know.... Wrong. Has that ever occurred to you?
Just a thought,
-Slashy
What? I don't recall levelling any charges of racist statements at you in this thread. I do know that I accussed a few public figures of that. But where did I say that about you?
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
43Hitman
I can agree with all of those sentiments. I don't think we need to be the world's watchdog, but we should play a role. I also agree that we've been in the Middle East too long, but I'm not sure what
the answer is there either. Do we pull out and create a vacuum, or do we stay and try to keep the peace between warring tribes at that the expense of American lives and tax dollars? Not easy
answers for sure, but I lean more to the side of bringing our men and women home.
As far as the tax thing, I can only talk about my experience in my field of profession. A lot of my co-workers, including myself, have received raises and promotions in the last 2 years, so to us, it
seems to be working. However, I have to admit that I'm not really astute on taxes and how they affect big corporations and small businesses. Common sense tells me you give more breaks to the
small businesses, not big corporations. Because in theory some of those small businesses grow into big corporations and obviously they would no longer need those breaks. As I've already said
though, I have limited knowledge on how those tax laws work.
Yeah. The answers are not very clear for any of this. I agree with playing a role on the world stage so to speak, but boots on the ground for the better part of 2 decades with no real end in sight feels like something needs to change.
Maybe the tax thing is good? But it certainly hasn't put hardly any money in my pocket. While big CEOs and what not seem to have gotten paid. And now, politicos are saying they have to cut into Medicaid/Medicare and Social Security because the deficit is too large. But didn't their tax cuts and budgets create the deficit (or at least the most recent spate of charges)? So why do I/we have to pay for that? Shouldn't it be these big $$$ corporations and donors that Lindsey Graham is quoted as saying the tax cut was specifically targeted at? But I don't know because no one can ever give a straight answer to a straight question on these issue anymore.
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mojouw
What? I don't recall levelling any charges of racist statements at you in this thread. I do know that I accussed a few public figures of that. But where did I say that about you?
Mojo,
Oh, no! I certainly never took anything you said as directed at me personally. We're all good :D Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.
What I meant to say is that you pointed out statements as 'dog whistles' in this thread "Western democracies, our culture, that sorta thing." and they're really not. I know that they're not because I've often said the same sort of thing myself and I know for a fact *I'm* not racist. So if you're misidentifying these things as 'dog whistles', what else might you be misidentifying? Perhaps your ear isn't quite as finely tuned as you think.
Best,
-Slashy
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GoSlash27
Mojo,
Oh, no! I certainly never took anything you said as directed at me personally. We're all good :D Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.
What I meant to say is that you pointed out statements as 'dog whistles' in this thread "Western democracies, our culture, that sorta thing." and they're really not. I know that they're not because I've often said the same sort of thing myself and I know for a fact *I'm* not racist. So if you're misidentifying these things as 'dog whistles', what else might you be misidentifying? Perhaps your ear isn't quite as finely tuned as you think.
Best,
-Slashy
While many people use these phrases and others and are not being racist in any manner, numerous others use them to be racist or communicate racist type messages out in the open. That is the whole way this works. It is the politics of division. Separate people into bickering factions and make them far far more afraid of the other factions then of the people running for office. Then the politicos can do whatever the hell they want, because they are keeping "you" safe from "them".
This is not a concept or an idea I invented. Take a look it is in a book - https://www.amazon.com/Dog-Whistle-P.../dp/019022925X
Another interesting take here -- https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/201...ampaign-racism and here -- https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/29/...on-dog-whistle
I have no doubt you have said a variety of statements and meant no harm to anyone. But you are also not a national political figure whose every utterance is planned and obsessed over.
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mojouw
While many people use these phrases and others and are not being racist in any manner, numerous others use them to be racist or communicate racist type messages out in the open. That is the whole way this works.
Right... Except that you have no way to actually tell which is which, and that's a problem. It's very easy to fall into the trap of using "dog whistles" to confirm a preconceived notion that somebody is a racist, thus setting up a circular argument. Doubly problematic when people are out there using it as justification for their own excesses.
For example, the whole "punch a Nazi" thing. Lefty extremists feel justified in assaulting people on the grounds that they are 'fighting fascism'. But they are the sole arbiters of who is or is not 'fascist'. It quickly devolves from *actual* fascists, to simply anybody who opposes them, and then simply anyone they don't like.
If you look hard enough and sufficiently broaden your idea of what constitutes 'evidence', you can always convince yourself that somebody is racist.
Quote:
I have no doubt you have said a variety of statements and meant no harm to anyone. But you are also not a national political figure whose every utterance is planned and obsessed over.
I can absolutely assure you that nobody is planning or obsessing over all the nutty stuff Trump says or tweets. :chuckle: I can also assure you that there is no "racist whisperer" code book out there, and no klan meetings where they all get together and decide on which words and phrases count as "dog whistles".
Personally, I've seen the left misidentify so many people on the right as "racists" over the last few years that I'm over it. The problem is, now they're using it as justification for shutting down speaking engagements and smashing people in the face with bike locks.
Best,
-Slashy
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GoSlash27
Right... Except that you have no way to actually tell which is which, and that's a problem. It's very easy to fall into the trap of using "dog whistles" to confirm a preconceived notion that somebody is a racist, thus setting up a circular argument. Doubly problematic when people are out there using it as justification for their own excesses.
For example, the whole "punch a Nazi" thing. Lefty extremists feel justified in assaulting people on the grounds that they are 'fighting fascism'. But they are the sole arbiters of who is or is not 'fascist'. It quickly devolves from *actual* fascists, to simply anybody who opposes them, and then simply anyone they don't like.
If you look hard enough and sufficiently broaden your idea of what constitutes 'evidence', you can always convince yourself that somebody is racist.
I can absolutely assure you that nobody is planning or obsessing over all the nutty stuff Trump says or tweets. :chuckle: I can also assure you that there is no "racist whisperer" code book out there, and no klan meetings where they all get together and decide on which words and phrases count as "dog whistles".
Personally, I've seen the left misidentify so many people on the right as "racists" over the last few years that I'm over it. The problem is, now they're using it as justification for shutting down speaking engagements and smashing people in the face with bike locks.
Best,
-Slashy
I don't know what else to say. You deny that these phenomena exist. Numerous real-world examples say otherwise. You seem to take everything I post as some sort of throaty defense of the left wing of American politics. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Both sides pander to the extremes of their bases in coded ways.
When Reagan talked about "welfare queens" we all knew who and what he meant.
When Hilary and Bill spoke of "super predators" we also all knew who and what they were talking about.
Re: Kavanaugh Confirmed...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mojouw
Both sides pander to the extremes of their bases in coded ways.
Yeah, so you keep saying. Except now *one* side is pandering to the extreme of their base in a very direct, literal way. And the extreme of their base is responding to that pandering violently. You keep trying to equate the two, but they are not equivalent.
Best,
-Slashy