leicsmac Posted 16 February 2018 Share Posted 16 February 2018 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43079903 Senate at loggerheads once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor Posted 16 February 2018 Share Posted 16 February 2018 On 11/02/2018 at 08:44, MattP said: Piers Corbyn is a scientist. If presented properly with fact and logic, no viewpoint is not valid either. Shouldn't be close minded. It was settled opinion in science once diesel was better for the environment and exercise was bad for you. Piers Corbyn is an astrophysicist apparently - his field is not concerned with the functions of climate change, his opinion might as well be termed that of a non-scientist. Expertise in one field gives no authority to lecture about another. As for the idea that no viewpoint is not valid if presented with fact - thats rather the point, disagreement with anthropogenic climate change is not in agreement with the facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 16 February 2018 Share Posted 16 February 2018 38 minutes ago, The Doctor said: Piers Corbyn is an astrophysicist apparently - his field is not concerned with the functions of climate change, his opinion might as well be termed that of a non-scientist. Expertise in one field gives no authority to lecture about another. As for the idea that no viewpoint is not valid if presented with fact - thats rather the point, disagreement with anthropogenic climate change is not in agreement with the facts. While I think the argument in the first paragraph is salient, it's also been used by a lot of anti-science folk to disparage legitimate experts giving their opinion on something ("oh, Bill Nye is an engineer, what does he know about x" etc), so I'm rather leery of seeing it used tbh. Second paragraph is spot on though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor Posted 16 February 2018 Share Posted 16 February 2018 2 hours ago, leicsmac said: While I think the argument in the first paragraph is salient, it's also been used by a lot of anti-science folk to disparage legitimate experts giving their opinion on something ("oh, Bill Nye is an engineer, what does he know about x" etc), so I'm rather leery of seeing it used tbh. Second paragraph is spot on though. While I get the complaint, it's similarly used by anti-science folk to back up their points in the opposite way (trotting out an engineer to argue against evolution for instance). Ultimately what matters is consensus by experts having assessed the available research, but thats not nearly sexy enough for media reporting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MattP Posted 16 February 2018 Share Posted 16 February 2018 3 hours ago, The Doctor said: Piers Corbyn is an astrophysicist apparently - his field is not concerned with the functions of climate change, his opinion might as well be termed that of a non-scientist. Expertise in one field gives no authority to lecture about another. As for the idea that no viewpoint is not valid if presented with fact - thats rather the point, disagreement with anthropogenic climate change is not in agreement with the facts. It was the BBC who described him as a Scientist on the link I provided, apologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 16 February 2018 Share Posted 16 February 2018 9 minutes ago, The Doctor said: While I get the complaint, it's similarly used by anti-science folk to back up their points in the opposite way (trotting out an engineer to argue against evolution for instance). Ultimately what matters is consensus by experts having assessed the available research, but thats not nearly sexy enough for media reporting. Yeah, totally agree with that. Guess you just have to take each case as it comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor Posted 16 February 2018 Share Posted 16 February 2018 1 hour ago, MattP said: It was the BBC who described him as a Scientist on the link I provided, apologies. He is a scientist, just not from a relevant field. Like me (chemist) lecturing on string theory. My fancy degree doesn't mean I know any more than the layman on other sciences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 16 February 2018 Share Posted 16 February 2018 (edited) Something I read recently that ties into identity politics, that resonated with me rather a lot. Highlights, I think, why the issue needs to be addressed with nuance. "For example, consider the rural whites of Appalachia - they never really had much access to any stolen resources as a result of colonialism, not anything they could actually call their own. It went straight from company towns to desperate poverty and for six generations now those folks have had a boot on their neck, after coming here for a better life than what they left. They never really got a better life. To this day many still live without running water and have open sewer pits in their front yards. Personally, I bought the idea that there was no such thing as a white proletariat until I had the opportunity to drive through rural Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee - that changed my mind real fast. But then they still have privilege in the sense that if they walk into a store and then a Black man does, its the latter who will be followed around by staff. If they have an interaction with police, they will be less likely to be shot. And on and on. But to tell them they're "privileged" gets you nowhere when they're living without electricity and everyone's addicted to meth. Their lives aren't hard *because* they're white, but their lives are still absolute shite and they're still oppressed as all fvck. And to tell them that they're somehow bourgeois settlers is incredibly insulting to them, especially given that some of their ancestors were either brought here as indentured servants or fled for their lives. I kinda feel like *everyone* forgets that the Irish were not historically considered white, both by other white folks and POC alike. That's why the "Irish slave" myth resonates so strongly with so many folks - they also carry the scars of generations' worth of oppression, which in Ireland has never ceased and exists to this day, and although some may live privileged lives in America today, others aren't much better off than their ancestors were or their distant relatives still are today. And even though that myth is soaked in exaggerated bullshit and was devised for the purposes of disingenuously "levelling out the playing field" for the sake of maintaining white supremacy, we need to find a way to cut through the BS while still acknowledging how and why it speaks to so many as it does. I guess my main point is that we need to find a middle ground between coddling elements of white fragility and ignoring or denying the material conditions that lots of white folks still live in and under. Both paths are toxic for different reasons. And finding that middle ground, that's a task that's tricky." Edited 16 February 2018 by leicsmac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buce Posted 18 February 2018 Share Posted 18 February 2018 'The FBI missed the signals of Florida shooter because they were spending too much time on the Russia enquiry'. The vile creature has no shame. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/18/donald-trump-fbi-russia-inquiry-florida-shooting 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FriendlyRam Posted 18 February 2018 Share Posted 18 February 2018 Its plain as day he's in the back pocket of Putin. Using the Florida shooting to deflect is disgusting tbh, if the Americans had any sense they'd drag the piece of filth out of that white house by his neck. Seriosuly, what is taking them so long to remove him? he's bent, even we can see this, he's a total embarrassment, more and more women will no doubt come out and admit to having affairs with him, he's a joke and has zero credibility left at this point, even though he little to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 19 February 2018 Share Posted 19 February 2018 How nice, Kansas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 22 February 2018 Share Posted 22 February 2018 http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43154727 Thoughts? Initial thinking is that legally he doesn't have a leg to stand on as Twitter is a private company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajthefox Posted 22 February 2018 Share Posted 22 February 2018 (edited) Prompts are fine, but you've got to laugh/cry at a President who needs a reminder that his purpose in a meeting with families/survivors of a school shooting is that he "hears them". Edited 22 February 2018 by ajthefox 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted 22 February 2018 Share Posted 22 February 2018 5 minutes ago, ajthefox said: Prompts are fine, but you've got to laugh/cry at a President who needs a reminder that his purpose in a meeting with families/survivors of a school shooting is that he "hears them". That’s really poor. If he was properly listening to the families speak, their views and concerns should determine what his questions back are. Having them pre prepared smacks of someone who is nervous and not confident in their own ability to listen, comprehend, and reply appropriately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 22 February 2018 Share Posted 22 February 2018 http://thehill.com/latino/375085-trump-im-thinking-about-pulling-ice-out-of-california Wonder how this would go down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross-Kemp Posted 23 February 2018 Share Posted 23 February 2018 **** 'em. They don't want to cooperate with the federal government then pull them out. I'd give it 30 days before they're begging for them back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Guiza Posted 23 February 2018 Share Posted 23 February 2018 19 hours ago, ajthefox said: Prompts are fine, but you've got to laugh/cry at a President who needs a reminder that his purpose in a meeting with families/survivors of a school shooting is that he "hears them". Imagine needing to be prompted to give empathy to victims of such atrocities. I think he may be autistic in some shape or form, he's almost certainly on the spectrum, and that would answer quite a few questions about his persona. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellend Sebastian Posted 23 February 2018 Share Posted 23 February 2018 1 hour ago, David Guiza said: Imagine needing to be prompted to give empathy to victims of such atrocities. I think he may be autistic in some shape or form, he's almost certainly on the spectrum, and that would answer quite a few questions about his persona. The thing that does my nut in is that you can see just by the way he talks and acts that something's not quite right. Yet he becomes the Republican candidate and president, a process that involves millions upon millions voting for him. I'd be the first to say that Hillary Clinton comes across as a bit odd as well, but he's different league 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buce Posted 23 February 2018 Share Posted 23 February 2018 7 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said: The thing that does my nut in is that you can see just by the way he talks and acts that something's not quite right. Yet he becomes the Republican candidate and president, a process that involves millions upon millions voting for him. I'd be the first to say that Hillary Clinton comes across as a bit odd as well, but he's different league That's what happens with tribal politics in a two-party state. We not so different in this country, and you don't have to look further than this forum to see it - there are people on here that would religiously vote Tory, regardless of their leader or manifesto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 23 February 2018 Share Posted 23 February 2018 4 hours ago, Ross-Kemp said: **** 'em. They don't want to cooperate with the federal government then pull them out. I'd give it 30 days before they're begging for them back. Of course, that's what Trump is expecting will happen, seeing as all illegals are criminals and so having no enforcement there will surely see crime shoot into the stratosphere. But given that the Califiornian authority seems to have been doing pretty well by ignoring ICE in terms of all this for the time being, I guess we'll see. 2 hours ago, Buce said: That's what happens with tribal politics in a two-party state. We not so different in this country, and you don't have to look further than this forum to see it - there are people on here that would religiously vote Tory, regardless of their leader or manifesto. If anything, it's more ingrained in the US than it is in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajthefox Posted 23 February 2018 Share Posted 23 February 2018 Ted Cruz is hilarious. Quote “I think the Democrats are the party of Lisa Simpson and the Republicans are, happily, the party of Homer and Bart and Maggie and Marge.” Homer and Bart are idiots and Maggie is a fvcking baby. What argument he thought he was making I do not know. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ealingfox Posted 23 February 2018 Share Posted 23 February 2018 As a huge Simpsons fan I'm really enjoying all the digging into the sheer stupidity of that comment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted 23 February 2018 Share Posted 23 February 2018 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 24 February 2018 Share Posted 24 February 2018 http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/trump-i-may-punish-the-entire-world-for-north-koreas-sins.html?utm_campaign=nym&utm_source=fb&utm_medium=s1 Sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 25 February 2018 Share Posted 25 February 2018 http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,984833-1,00.html Fascinating, if lengthy article showing that electoral interference is an old game with old players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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