I am so old I remember a time when Republicans and Democrats were friends...

@pthenq1 Not anytime soon. All indications is that both parties are spiraling towards ever increasing extremism and violence.

@freemo
I don't see the blue one getting crazy.
Republicans have all the internal believers in conspirational and so on.

They hate. As we all can see in Fox news.

No matter. The global warming consequences will make them return to their senses...

@pthenq1 @freemo >I don't see the blue one getting crazy.

Oof, that's some next-level delusion you're living in.

@saitei

In his defense he doesnt live in the USA and relies largely on main stream media to form opinions. Needless to say he wont form very accurate opinions with that being his source.

@pthenq1

@freemo @pthenq1 Yeah that sounds like he's living in a delusion. He could've just taken a couple seconds on any search engine to figure out that what he's saying makes no sense in reality, but he has apparently refused to do so for the past ten years.

@saitei

Even a google search will give you a lot of contradictory opinions and videos, I can certainly understand the incorrect impression one might get without being at ground 0.

@pthenq1

@freemo @pthenq1 Well, when a simple search on any engine gives me that much contradictory information, it would encourage me to do more digging. Not just say "welp, this is too difficult, I'm going to ignore this and just accept whatever my favorite popular news media is telling me". That kinda feels like the worst possible thing to do if you care even slightly about truth.

@saitei

Ideally yes, more digging is in order. But when the landscape is so marred with misinformation I cant really hold it against someone who navigates that landscape and comes to the wrong conclusion despite doing research.

@pthenq1

@freemo @pthenq1 With all due respect, I get the very strong vibe that no research has been done if someone has the audacity to claim that only the Republicans have ever done anything wrong in recent history.
Follow

@saitei

Me and him have argued about these points in detail. While I disagree with him, like you, he has shared enough links and videos and made enough comments on fine details that it would suggest he did some degree of research.

@pthenq1

@freemo @pthenq1 I don't have this history with him, all I see is a short-sighted self-grandizing idiot who will gladly use racism to try and shut people up for daring to disagree with his delusional take on the world.

@saitei

His racist comment was the very first time ive seen him do that in all the time I knew him. I cant say I liked that tactic but it had less hate in it than most racism at least I guess ::shrug::... it is a shame that the first time your interacting with him is with that message honestly.

Either way I understand your reaction given the extent of violence we all went through at the hands of democrats for 4 years, even myself who opposed Trump got a lot of abuse from that side of the table.

@pthenq1

@freemo @saitei
I am a fellow American living in California. No everybody agree, but I think California is still part of the States.

Trump years created a lot of violence in both sides of the political spectrum.

I see people coming to their senses now. It doesn't mean agreement. Just normal political non violent debate.

I saw lot of violence against minorities in Trump years. In that matter things are better now.

@pthenq1

Oh you live in california... sorry I did not know this. For some reason I cant recall now I thought you lived in spain.

One could argue California is their own country, and they wouldnt be too far from the truth. But no I will give you credit as an American then.

That said im sure the democrats rioted in cali like they did on the east coast so much. California pretty strongly leans democrat so there wasnt much need for clashes I would think.

@saitei

@freemo @saitei

They only burned part of Berkeley University as part of the debate to stop some Nazi if giving an alt right conference. I think it was Milo Yiannopoulos.

But it is ok. Nazis cannot spread violence and not getting involved.

We have our fair rate of republicans, but we don't think you are un American if you like Trump... They are not the enemy.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_B

@freemo @saitei

California is a bless. An expensive one. But non less American than Idaho.

@pthenq1

Saying they arent american is more of a joke than a serious jab.

@saitei

@pthenq1

I recall local rioting for both Milo and Ben Shapiro on multiple occasions. The problem with the approch of nazis not getting a voice is that in all the times I've seen that approach taken the end result was the rise of Nazis, including the very first time.

@saitei

@freemo @saitei

I thought like you, but now I realized I was wrong. The paradox of the tolerance and all that.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parado

@pthenq1

Can you name a time where Nazis came to power where they werent first censored en masse? In germany they were extremely unpopular and even persecuted before the popular sentiment suddenly shifted and they rose to power. We see a huge upsurge recently of racist authoritarian types like nazis that seems very clearly to be a result of recent censorship efforts by social media and mainstream news generally having bias. I see the same as largely the pattern around the world, authoritarian racist regimes always seem to be preceeded by an attempt of censorship that directly results in attention and ultimately a rise of power being focused on the bad agents such as nazis.

@saitei

@freemo @saitei there is a Netflix show talking about Nazis coming to power.

The first 3 chapters, specially the 2nd and 3rd is Trump world after the January 6th riot being successful.

We have to avoid the forces used by Trump and Hitler to com to power. Lack of jobs and poverty basically.

netflix.com/title/80138915

@pthenq1

I dont entierly disagree with the idea that Trump would have potentially lead to an autoritative regime, its entierly possible. It is certainly true his supporters at least have a lot of racism to go around (not all, but a lot of them).

Funny thing is you are just proving my point. Trump was censored or otherwise clearly biased against in the media. This is the very reason his supporters grew so fanatical in the first place. So this case proves my point more than anything. Even now his supporters seem more extreme than ever.

@saitei

@pthenq1

Thats why i also included extreme bias in my statement. Before it started witht he media very clearly and against all expectations of good journalism, had an agenda against Trump. They would routinely lie, distort, or provide half truths to paint a picture of Trump worse than he was. I would say journalists going out of their way to obscure the truth is very similar and a precursor to outright censorship.

In the end outright censorship was where it ended, so that is clearly included in the overall picture too, which again seems to have just radicalized his supporters further.

@saitei

@freemo @saitei

That is editorializing and it happens with all the presidents.

Trump called entire sections of the population "enemy of the state", so yeah... He has to shut up.

@pthenq1

No doubt Trump has to shut up. That said while I can agree the News has been bias and lacking in journalistic integrity (what you call editorializing) since before Trump, and yes they will show their bias on most presidents, I have never seen it even approaching the levels that it did for Trump.

Obviously I think its fine to say that while journalists should be called out for their lack of journalistic integrity outside of the scope of Trump, that Trump also incites this very sort of reaction, so it very well is contributed by Trump by making himself a Target.

But regardless of who's fault it is that mainstream media displayed the worst side of themselves in the most extreme fashion to date, the fact remains that this behavior is ultimately a strong component in what caused Trump's supporters to rally in the first place.

@saitei

@pthenq1 @freemo Not everyone you disagree with is a Nazi. All you're doing is make sure that the term "nazi" is losing all its meaning. In fact, it may popularize being a nazi, since all it means is "I don't agree with popular media publications". You're shooting yourself in the foot with this kind of rhetoric.

@saitei @freemo

But that is the thing. We do not have to agree on everything or else be enemies!

That was implicit in all the history of United States. From the more perfect Union and even before.

The problem was that Trump, in order to win, invoked people's demons and fears creating the "us vs them" idea.

That had consequences. And they happened.

@pthenq1

Using fear to win has been the norm since 9/11 onward. Trump just was the first one who lacked any tact when doing it and was transparent in the fact that he was stoking the fires of animosity between americans,.

@saitei

@freemo @saitei

Indeed. The bush press secretary wrote a book where she expressed regrets because she was the first in creating systematic half trues to support in this case the government agenda.

She acknowledges they were the first in doing systematically. Trump improved the method.

@pthenq1

Yup started with Bush, was continued with Obama with skill, then amplified to absurdity with Trump, and now continued with Biden.. no sign of it ending any time soon.

@saitei

@pthenq1 @freemo That was not just Trump. Remember Clinton's "basket of deplorables" statement?

@saitei

Agreed, its been going on a very long time. Trump was just the loudest and least tactful about it.

@pthenq1

@pthenq1 @freemo In my experience, Californians are pretty terrible at creating a nuanced point. Having dated one certainly made me lose all respect for them in general.

"Trump years" didn't really create the violence, it existed prior to him being elected. The media just suddenly had a great scapegoat to excuse any and all violence against the people they disagree with.

I've seen a lot of violence against ordinary white people too. But for some reason nobody cares when the whites are being disenfranchised, even though they built most of the modern world, and most of the modern infra you're using *right now* to shit on them.

@saitei

Since I have worked in IT out of california many times my view of californias is going to be very skewed as my "sample" is not really the general population.

That said I have found californians to be extreme democrats usually favoring very excessive regulation to solve all of lifes problems. I would laugh at Cali when i was there because everything you bought and everything you did usually accompanied with fine print at the bottom of a sign that was half the length of the sign. I remember going to a park once and needed a lawyer to interpret the small-print at the bottom of the visitors welcome sign about all the things you cant do.

That said while I strongly disagree with the authoritative approach californians tend to embrace I wouldnt personally describe them as incapable of nuance, where they fail is their response to that nuance. They are often very bright people (in my circles) and more than capable to hold an intelligent well detailed argument. But in the end they just have their priorities all backwards where getting people to conform is more important than personal freedoms.

@pthenq1

@freemo @pthenq1 In my experience, they're quite dumb people that believe they're the smartest creatures on this entire planet. They love to call everyone racist simply for disagreeing with their politics, and won't shy away from trying to bully and harass people out of a job if calling them racist doesn't work. Though my view may be skewed because that's exactly what happened to me.

I also can't really take them seriously on their values of human beings given their lunatic views on gender and sexuality. LGBTQIAPP++ (or whatever nightmare they've made it into now) acceptance has been an atrocity for the human race.

@saitei @freemo

We have that quality. Californians are Awesome people. :blobaww:

I understand people misunderstanding strong regulations.

One way to see it is that you are free and own of your destiny. The world is not a place that you must crash while you look for self realization though.

So other people discovered, for example, that car pollution emissions are bad. And they did something about it. Therefore you will follow the law about using cars with cathalitics gas treatment and buying expensive gas super purified, either you believe in science or not, believe in global warming or not, etc.

Follow the regulations than older people than you or just better people than you put in place. Your self discovery is not required. And that's freedom.

You get this, you get California.

@pthenq1 @freemo California, with people living in tents, addicted to all sorts of drugs. While people in the most expensive cars just drive by not caring about it all. Where healthcare is reserved for the elite only. Just like the ability to have a roof.

That doesn't sound like something I would want to spread anywhere.

@saitei

A big part of the homeless problem in california has little to do with the government there. Most homeless go there because its one of few places with a mild enough winter temperature that they wont die from exposure.

@pthenq1

@freemo @pthenq1 Does the rest of the USA with mild winter temperatures have the same rates of homelessness?

@saitei @freemo
Yes. But in Georgia for example the government applies chapter 8 and pay their rent and have strong social network in place

It is unforgettable California doesn't do the same.

@saitei @pthenq1 @freemo I wonder if the State is making the hobos get vaccinated. What are they going to threaten them with? Forbid them from camping in underpasses?
@saitei @freemo @pthenq1 Yeah, probably not. These hobos want weed, sex and other drugs. Food is a low priority for them.

@saitei @freemo I think Americans built it. No whites or colored :)

It is American infrastructure, no white infrastructure

@pthenq1 @freemo But when you disagree with it, it suddenly *is* a White problem, not an American problem? This is why people don't take the "racism issue" seriously.

@saitei @freemo no everything is a colored problem. But Afro-Americans killed without reason by cops definitely is not a white problem.

I propose we think the issue as Americans being killed without reason by law enforcement. And perhaps then we all can see something is not right!

@pthenq1 @freemo If you're still talking about Floyd, it wasn't "without reason". The guy committed a crime, was high on drugs, and refused to cooperate with the cops. You may not like the reason, but saying it is "without reason" is false.

@saitei @freemo
Nope. It was proved in the court he was not resisting the cops or the arrest. He was strangulated for 8 minutes. Come on!

Besides, if he committed a crime, it is not cause if being killed.

@pthenq1 @freemo You seem to agree there was a reason. You simply don't like the reason, which is your opinion.

@saitei @freemo
There was a reason for his arrest. No reason for his execution.

If someone stops you for crossing a red light, you expect:

* Being stopped by a cop.
* Getting a ticket or something like that. Even arrested.

You don't expect to be shot. And there are dozens of examples were drivers were shot.

So there is a problem. And there's another problem if we don't understand that your life cannot be in danger everytime the law is broken. Sometimes perhaps, but no all the time.

@pthenq1

While I do agree with you, that chauvin was absolutely guilty in every respect, I do want to point out that just because a court decides something to be true does not garuntee it to be true and is thus not an argument for truth (see fallacy Argument from Authority)

@saitei

@pthenq1

"But Afro-Americans killed without reason by cops definitely is not a white problem."

Strongly disagree there. This problem is two fold 1) cops kill people without justification, both white and black. There is a problem in policing in america that tgoes way beyond the race issue 2) There is a race issue there as well because while police will kill unarmed whites and unarmed blacks and it is an issue for all, blacks are more strongly targeted so there is an amplification of the base problem for blacks that is rooted in some sort of racism.

So I'd say it very much is a problem for whites, just as there is a black/racial component there that needs to be considered too

@saitei

@pthenq1

California, or at least southern California, was built almost entirely by Mexicans. Whites are the immigrants there.

@saitei

@freemo @saitei

Whites are the immigrants everywhere except some regions in Europe :awesome:

Another reason why race based reasoning is a dead end.

@pthenq1

yes obviously in a sense this is true. The difference is just that in south california mexicans are still a large majority.. the rest of america whites have managed to kill most of the native population off which in a sense makes them no longer guests but rather the owners of the "house"

@saitei

Sign in to participate in the conversation
Qoto Mastodon

QOTO: Question Others to Teach Ourselves
An inclusive, Academic Freedom, instance
All cultures welcome.
Hate speech and harassment strictly forbidden.