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The eugenics part of Idiocracy is more of a plot hook than a prediction so I wouldn't go looking to it for genetic manipulation advice and plotting the future of our species based on it's sage advice. The satire of modern life part of it is eerily accurate though. I mean, I can see a few similarities there.
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Feb 22, 2016 04:28
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SumYungGui posted:The eugenics part of Idiocracy is more of a plot hook than a prediction so I wouldn't go looking to it for genetic manipulation advice and plotting the future of our species based on it's sage advice. The satire of modern life part of it is eerily accurate though. Yeah there's some Saganist disdain for coarse culture there. Has anyone read 'Demon Haunted World' - it isn't bad - except for the periodic hand-wringing over 'Beavis & Butthead' and MTV attention spans.
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Feb 22, 2016 04:32
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computer parts posted:It's not completely changed though, he even cheats on his wife with a non-white woman. Oh wow, it's definitely racist in that case. This is silly dude.
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Feb 22, 2016 04:32
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mr. mephistopheles posted:Oh wow, it's definitely racist in that case. This is silly dude. You seem really invested in showing how Idiocracy totally can't be racist.
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Feb 22, 2016 05:01
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If you don't know that images of the filthy underclass outbreeding the noble educated professional types are rooted in just as much racism as they are classism you're either new to this stuff or purposely being obtuse.
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Feb 22, 2016 05:23
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Aesop Poprock posted:I thought Rogan backed off his stupid moon poo poo, what the hell happened? Unless that's an older thing Yea, I'm talking about the older incident. It's just the best example how hard it is to argue with crazy. Thing is, whomever is debating Trump will make a intelligent country point to Trumps word salad, and Trump just has to make a dismissive comment about how they're talking over the American people or something else, and people will see him as winning. At least Trump is such a hated figure, he has an uphill battle. Even if its Bernie, the money people in New York know Trump is an idiot from personal experiance and will accept higher taxes over burning the entire country down through massive mismanagement.
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Feb 22, 2016 05:46
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I feel like people that scoff at Idiocracy as satire probably don't interact with the general public on a regular basis.
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Feb 22, 2016 06:13
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DrNutt posted:I feel like people that scoff at Idiocracy as satire probably don't interact with the general public on a regular basis. Working retail, the more wealthy and educated someone is, the bigger idiot and rear end in a top hat they tend to be.
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Feb 22, 2016 06:16
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twistedmentat posted:
Even better... Since the GOP had gerrymandered themselves a lock on the House, president Sanders won't get anything done. Sanders would be the safest bet because it would be business as usual for at least the next 4 years.
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Feb 22, 2016 06:17
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twistedmentat posted:Yea, I'm talking about the older incident. It's just the best example how hard it is to argue with crazy. Thing is, whomever is debating Trump will make a intelligent country point to Trumps word salad, and Trump just has to make a dismissive comment about how they're talking over the American people or something else, and people will see him as winning. *sees crumbling infrastructure, Flint water, etc.* Mmmmmm Also Reagan's "There you go again."
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Feb 22, 2016 06:48
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twistedmentat posted:Working retail, the more wealthy and educated someone is, the bigger idiot and rear end in a top hat they tend to be. It's truly bizarre. I find myself constantly feeling that bigger salaries only correlate with a person's skill at bullshitting and being an insufferable oval office. We absolutely do not live in anything remotely resembling a just world.
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Feb 22, 2016 07:12
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In somewhat of a breath of fresh air, I read a column David Brooks wrote a few weeks back about how he's going to miss the Obama administration for how anti-corrupt it was compared to most other admins. It's surprisingly refreshing to see a conservative columnist write an almost glowing article about him even if he obviously only respects him for certain aspects. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/opinion/i-miss-barack-obama.html
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Feb 22, 2016 07:14
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mr. mephistopheles posted:Walsh realizing racism drives his party more than any supposed ideology or principles. This. This is exactly my theory of this GOP primary, and sums up how I explain it to people. Isn't it mysterious how Trump could win among evangelicals in an evangelical state against MR. EVANGELICAL himself, Ted Cruz? No. The reason is that for the southern evangelical voter, in my view, racism is more of a core part of their political identity than pious religiousity, hatred of big government and any number of other bullshit policy positions that go into the orthodoxy of being a True Conservative these days. Yeah, there are other elements, they like that he doesn't care what anyone thinks and "tells it like it is" etc., but what he's "telling like it is" are racist views. So the guy who's overtly racist, and does it with humor, charm and charisma (aided by decades in show business) will win over a less appealing but ostentatiously religious and doctrinaire True Conservative like Cruz. Just as the mantra of Bill Clinton's initial election campaign was "It's the Economy, Stupid", I feel that the key to understanding this race is "It's the Racism, Stupid." Really since the Southern Strategy was started I feel that racism is the biggest source of energy that fuels GOP politics in the U.S. There are others, like cultural resentments against intellectual elites etc., but racism is the biggie that makes the thing go round. But it's been utilized in a specific way, see Atwater comments, it's been kind of sublimated and dogwhistled into a lot of talk about affirmative action, urban crime/law and order and what not, and the fuel in the engine has been used to deliver (or try to deliver) the somewhat respectable Bushes and Romneys into the White House. It took a giant shrieking orange baby-man dispensing with the dog whistles and shouting his racism with a bullhorn to expose the game. I'm hoping that this can result in a breaking apart of the 3 legged GOP stool of cultural conservatives, neocon war hawks and money policy types, without the disaster of Trump actually being elected and the possible consequences of that. As amused as I am by the proceedings, I'm a bit scared too.
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Feb 22, 2016 07:22
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twistedmentat posted:Working retail, the more wealthy and educated someone is, the bigger idiot and rear end in a top hat they tend to be. Dunno, I worked Wal-Mart for 3 years handing out food samples. I'd say there's very definitely a correlation between whiteness and level of assholishness that's completely independent of wealth. Not always a guarantee, but the black customers were often the nicest customers I had (beyond wanting seconds or thirds, but generally so did everyone else), the only people nicer were the actual Wal-Mart associates who saw me regularly. Then again I now work in a health-food shop in a rather affluent part of town. Thankfully I'm a kitchen worker, but every now and then the people on the register have to come back and take deep breaths so there's definitely a correlation between wealth and dickishness.
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Feb 22, 2016 08:44
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I don't think the GOP is dead per say, but I think the conservative movement is one that is dying in popularity. I just don't think that particular brand of "Gods and Guns" type of political rhetoric is something you can really sell young Americans on. They're leaning on parody at this point, and stuff that we mock up in photoshop threads. Trump isn't a conservative. He's a nixon-era republican using nixon's method of getting the racist vote. I can at least see the man reaching across the aisle in a similiar vain Nixon did in terms of wanting to make himself look good. (The old "out liberal the liberals" move). As for the conservative movement? It really needs to die out at this point. I can make some points that at the very least the Nixon-era GOP did some really good things in terms of the various government agencies and policies they created. These gaggle of idiots seem intent on destroying the country in favor of some idiotic Ayn Rand version of the Bible to justify their own racist beliefs. The Laffer curve? Cutting essential government programs? Trying to turn our country into some hosed up christian version of a middle east theocracy? All of this poo poo needs to stop. It doesn't work and it has really hurt our country. When the founder of your movement is calling you out for not playing nice and for hijacking his message? It's time to die off. “Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible drat problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.” -Barry Goldwater
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Feb 22, 2016 10:14
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Alkydere posted:Dunno, I worked Wal-Mart for 3 years handing out food samples. I'd say there's very definitely a correlation between whiteness and level of assholishness that's completely independent of wealth. Not always a guarantee, but the black customers were often the nicest customers I had (beyond wanting seconds or thirds, but generally so did everyone else), the only people nicer were the actual Wal-Mart associates who saw me regularly. I'm a massage therapist and I work at/co-own a place that gets a lot of affluent customers. They're generally pretty decent tippers but you're kind of expected to act as a psychologist/vent machine to them and there is just no filter or understanding of anything. Constant bitching about Obama, illegal aliens, transgender people, etc. I love my job but putting up with that kind of stuff and humoring them can get old pretty quickly Although on the other hand you get the really weird spiritual liberal people in who rant about vaccinations, PH level/blood type diets, alternative doctors being murdered by Big Pharm etc so it's not like it's a one party problem
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Feb 22, 2016 11:14
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Aesop Poprock posted:In somewhat of a breath of fresh air, I read a column David Brooks wrote a few weeks back about how he's going to miss the Obama administration for how anti-corrupt it was compared to most other admins. It's surprisingly refreshing to see a conservative columnist write an almost glowing article about him even if he obviously only respects him for certain aspects. i think this is probably a cry for help from a conservative pundit in despair over the primaries
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Feb 22, 2016 11:39
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Aesop Poprock posted:In somewhat of a breath of fresh air, I read a column David Brooks wrote a few weeks back about how he's going to miss the Obama administration for how anti-corrupt it was compared to most other admins. It's surprisingly refreshing to see a conservative columnist write an almost glowing article about him even if he obviously only respects him for certain aspects. It's interesting how we've gone from like 10 different ''Obama's watergates'' to ''remarkably scandal-free'' in 4 years. And what a coincidence that Hillary Clinton is now having to defend herself from so many very serious scandals.
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Feb 22, 2016 12:20
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BROCK LESBIAN posted:Any update on the crazy Uber shooter? Is he a trangendered muslim yet? A wingnut shitstorm was about to blow up about the fact that he was a 'self-desribed Progressive' on Facebook. Then it turned out it referred to a large Insurance company called 'Progressive' that he had worked for. *Sad Trombone sound*
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Feb 22, 2016 13:57
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Beowulfs_Ghost posted:Even better... Since the GOP had gerrymandered themselves a lock on the House, president Sanders won't get anything done. Sanders would be the safest bet because it would be business as usual for at least the next 4 years. That gerrymandering is actually coming under legal fire lately. As their gerrymandering has become more insane and blatant courts are starting to go "knock this poo poo off, you fucks."
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Feb 22, 2016 15:29
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Mr Ice Cream Glove posted:Yesssssssssssss The evangelical / christian authoritarian tears**  Well my day just got off to a good start. Edit: You're right. Lets edit this. Nelson Mandingo fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Feb 22, 2016 |
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Feb 22, 2016 15:44
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Nelson Mandingo posted:The evangelical tears. The best part is walsh is a catholic.
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Feb 22, 2016 15:47
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Every time Walsh talks about race he comes off like a white supremacist so I have no idea why he's suddenly so incredibly outraged about Trump soiling the glorious Evangelical movement. I know everyone wants to think they aren't racist but really he has to know.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:10
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Professional truth sayer has more know how about the Bible than the Pope. Walsh definitely has made a post about "press 1 for English", right?
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Feb 22, 2016 16:17
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Radish posted:Every time Walsh talks about race he comes off like a white supremacist so I have no idea why he's suddenly so incredibly outraged about Trump soiling the glorious Evangelical movement. I know everyone wants to think they aren't racist but really he has to know. Cognitive dissonance and the right wing bubble making what would ordinarily be naked bigotry the new "normal" make it pretty believable.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:17
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FuzzySkinner posted:“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible drat problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.” -Barry Goldwater Nothing else needs to be said about the christian right. Because their principles come 'from god,' they are not amenable to any compromise whatsoever. They advocate a 'kinder, gentler' version of the very theocratic law they fear (sharia). If irony could kill, this period of un-reason would be an ELE.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:18
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LeeMajors posted:Nothing else needs to be said about the christian right. Because their principles come 'from god,' they are not amenable to any compromise whatsoever. The fact that they can still rationalize themselves as being divinely inspired despite ignoring what their supposed beliefs actually say is terrifying because it makes them perfect minions for whoever is loudest at the moment.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:20
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Aesop Poprock posted:In somewhat of a breath of fresh air, I read a column David Brooks wrote a few weeks back about how he's going to miss the Obama administration for how anti-corrupt it was compared to most other admins. It's surprisingly refreshing to see a conservative columnist write an almost glowing article about him even if he obviously only respects him for certain aspects. I wouldn't give Brooks too much credit here. Oh, he's praising Obama's "ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners, and elegance" now that there's no danger of electing the guy again, but if you've had the misfortune to read any other column David Brooks wrote on Obama over the last seven years, you may recall the constant complaints about how big bad Obama was always arrogant and divisive and negative and uncompromising. He's only changing his tune now so he can better decry the "unprecedented" awfulness of the new candidates. A similar revision occurred during Obama's time in office, where conservatives would slam his supposed radicalism in contrast to the halcyon days of moderate Bill Clinton (never mind that they spent Clinton's actual tenure treating him as the anti-Christ). Obama must canonized now so that his fond memory can be used as a bludgeon against Sanders/Hillary. Although the Republican frontrunners this time around are such an unmitigated horrorshow that he can't disappear absolve them entirely, he can still swaddle them in false equivalencies (because a liberal populist like Sanders is just the same kind of bad as a theocratic snake like Cruz!), and his criticism of them will always be in terms of how they fail to represent his imaginary real conservatism (unlike respectable upstanding fellows like Rubio or Kasich, who would push the same awful policies but at least remember to use their inside-voices). Hell, speaking of false equivalencies, right at the top he's comparing Iran-Contra to the multitudinous imaginary Clinton scandles! Well, now that I've typed up this whole screed, I notice it's coming off as a bit aggressive. I want to clarify that I don't mean it as an attack on you; like you said, it's just a pretty novelty to have a conservative positively acknowledge Obama for anything, sincerity be damned. I just really, really, really hate David Brooks.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:22
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Radish posted:Every time Walsh talks about race he comes off like a white supremacist so I have no idea why he's suddenly so incredibly outraged about Trump soiling the glorious Evangelical movement. I know everyone wants to think they aren't racist but really he has to know. As I said above, walsh is catholic, so what is so hilarious about all of this is that to the hard core evangelicals, he is barely a christian.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:23
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Geostomp posted:The fact that they can still rationalize themselves as being divinely inspired despite ignoring what their supposed beliefs actually say is terrifying because it makes them perfect minions for whoever is loudest at the moment. Right. Prosperity Gospel is the perfect example of this. If people actually listened to 'Jesus,' we wouldn't have such an issue providing help for the sick and impoverished. What sick person reads Jesus's plainly communist worldview and says "YEP, gently caress you got mine!  "?
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Feb 22, 2016 16:23
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LeeMajors posted:Right. Prosperity Gospel is the perfect example of this. It came from Calvinism, which the Catholic Church is...not a fan of. American religious thought traces back to people who left Europe because Europe quit being so theocratic.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:26
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*raises eyebrows* I don't think we need to trace anything to Calvinism when Trumpism is so garden-variety authoritarian/fygm. Also: Plenty of theocrats in Europe, many of the worst of them Catholic.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:33
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ToxicSlurpee posted:It came from Calvinism, which the Catholic Church is...not a fan of. American religious thought traces back to people who left Europe because Europe quit being so theocratic. I'm not sure the idea of going off-script is strictly a calvinistic thing--one of the largest divides between catholicism and protestantism is allegorical reading in the bible. How protestants managed to rationalize a non-literal biblical reading to justify their lovely worldview, and then monetize it heavily in the late 20th century is pretty interesting and detestable.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:41
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ToxicSlurpee posted:American religious thought traces back to people who left Europe because Europe quit being so theocratic. This is completely wrong.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:50
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TheDeadlyShoe posted:*raises eyebrows* Calvinism and how Protestantism was practiced in the colonies before America happened is part of what has led to Trumpism. The Protestant Work Ethic has its roots in Calvinism and is why the religious right can justify being so rabidly anti-welfare to themselves. LeeMajors posted:I'm not sure the idea of going off-script is strictly a calvinistic thing--one of the largest divides between catholicism and protestantism is allegorical reading in the bible. Biblical literalists are...an odd thing and the literal truth of the Bible is, from a theological standpoint, a pretty recent thing. The Catholic view is that the Bible isn't meant to be taken literally; as long as you realize you're a sinner, genuinely try to be less of a shithead, and ask God for forgiveness you are Doing It Right. The Protestant view is all over the loving place.
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Feb 22, 2016 16:50
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fishmech posted:This is completely wrong. Agreed, Europeans murdered each other relentlessly over it well into the 20th century. Theocracy wasn't a big deal in Europe, except to the millions who fled for the Western hemisphere.
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Feb 22, 2016 17:48
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quote:Calvinism and how Protestantism was practiced in the colonies before America happened is part of what has led to Trumpism. The Protestant Work Ethic has its roots in Calvinism and is why the religious right can justify being so rabidly anti-welfare to themselves. The very fact that we can tape together most flavors of right-wing Protestantism (and Catholicism to boot) into an amorphous Religious Right seems so contrary to this notion. At least, for me. These groups utterly detested eachother and came from different areas with different ideologies. The unifying impulse is kinder küche kirche, regardless of opinions on god, and you don't need Calvinism to get there.
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Feb 22, 2016 18:07
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TheDeadlyShoe posted:The very fact that we can tape together most flavors of right-wing Protestantism (and Catholicism to boot) into an amorphous Religious Right seems so contrary to this notion. At least, for me. These groups utterly detested eachother and came from different areas with different ideologies. That's where it gets weird and why it's an obvious house of cards; they really don't like each other (some groups believe that only people who go to one specific church will get to Heaven) but got kitten herded together just enough to turn their hate elsewhere. What very few things they all agree on 100% are used to direct their disgust elsewhere; hence harping on gays and abortion so hard so long.
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Feb 22, 2016 18:32
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 quote:I’m just telling it like it is here, friend. I’m telling you what’s on my mind. I’m being completely and painfully honest with you. I don’t believe your anger. I think you want a spectacle, not a solution. A celebrity, not a statesman. A circus performer, not a leader. I think you want to be entertained. I think you’re not taking this seriously enough. I think you’re intellectually lazy so you’ve accepted authoritarianism as a stand-in for strength. I think you’re following the trend of the day. I think you’re wrapped up in media hype. I'm going to caucus for Trump on super Tuesday and mutter "gently caress you Matt Walsh" as I drop the ballot in the box.
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Feb 22, 2016 21:15
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LeeMajors posted:Nothing else needs to be said about the christian right. Because their principles come 'from god,' they are not amenable to any compromise whatsoever. Well and that quote (my favorite) very much nails it. We're beginning to see a good portion of the GOP being taken over by the Evangelical voters they once courted back in that day. We're not seeing people interested in "compromise" or the ability to at least allow basic scientific principles to be voted for. Rather we see the Michelle Bachmann's, Ted Cruz's and Rick Santorum's of the world say outrageous poo poo and get applause for it. These people are legitimately insane and I think would bring upon the apoclypse because they want the world to end and for them to "meet jesus".
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Feb 22, 2016 21:22
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