Bellend Sebastian Posted 24 January 2019 Share Posted 24 January 2019 Speaking of which, there's so much Making America Great Again in this that I thought it might as well go in here: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/23/conspiracy-theories-internet-survivors-truth Christ, it makes for a bleak read 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lionator Posted 24 January 2019 Share Posted 24 January 2019 I hope we're all hyped for the imminent US invasion of Venezuela. I can't think for a second what they have which the US might want to get its hands on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ealingfox Posted 24 January 2019 Share Posted 24 January 2019 16 hours ago, MC Prussian said: The general notion that I contest is that the current amount of white men in Congress and Senate is a result of patriarchy or a white monocracy - to me, it's rather a sign of white men being more ambitious to climb up the political ladder. I'm sure that if ethnic minorities and/or women put the same effort into their career, I doubt it'd take them too long to make an appearance and change the overall composition of the two branches (or any political body, for that matter). On what basis do you hypothesise that white men are more ambitious and hard-working than BME men and women? Is there any evidence of this? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 24 January 2019 Share Posted 24 January 2019 4 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said: Speaking of which, there's so much Making America Great Again in this that I thought it might as well go in here: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/23/conspiracy-theories-internet-survivors-truth Christ, it makes for a bleak read Said it on the last page, saying it again here: when can we say that InfoWars is a legit domestic terrorist training website (and to a lesser extent 4/8chan)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 24 January 2019 Share Posted 24 January 2019 20 hours ago, Detroit Blues said: Let's be honest, it took Pearl Harbor to force America into action. We saw what Hitler was doing to Europe, and what Japan was doing to China, and yet it took a swift and devastating attack before we decided to join the war. If history is any lesson, humanity will wait until it's too late to try and stop the change in climate. Too many powerful people and nations have too much to lose by altering the status quo. I fear you might be right. Short-termism could well be the doom of us all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 24 January 2019 Share Posted 24 January 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, ealingfox said: On what basis do you hypothesise that white men are more ambitious and hard-working than BME men and women? Is there any evidence of this? I'd pin part of it down to the educational crisis among minorities in the US specifically. As you can see, black students regularly underperform compared to other ethnicities - with Asian Americans topping everybody else: https://whiteprivilegeisntreal.org/black-white-education-gap/ This in turn is intertwined with poor family situations and crime, with relatively more black men absent from homes and their respective family, unable to act as a role model. The education crisis is then amplified in higher education, which in itself is the basis for an academic career or a career in politics. African Americans fare rather poorly in academia and as part consequence, don't hold that many higher-paying jobs or offices. They simply don't get that far compared to everybody else because of bumps along the road pretty early in life, unfortunately. Ironically, Harvard University had to sustain a lawsuit from Asian Americans who felt discriminated against because despite their better grades, the university went on and allowed students with poorer grades from other ethnicities in. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/oct/18/harvard-affirmative-action-trial-asian-american-students Personally, I think this is an American minority I'd hear more about in the media. Edited 24 January 2019 by MC Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 24 January 2019 Share Posted 24 January 2019 47 minutes ago, MC Prussian said: I'd pin part of it down to the educational crisis among minorities in the US specifically. As you can see, black students regularly underperform compared to other ethnicities - with Asian Americans topping everybody else: https://whiteprivilegeisntreal.org/black-white-education-gap/ This in turn is intertwined with poor family situations and crime, with relatively more black men absent from homes and their respective family, unable to act as a role model. The education crisis is then amplified in higher education, which in itself is the basis for an academic career or a career in politics. African Americans fare rather poorly in academia and as part consequence, don't hold that many higher-paying jobs or offices. They simply don't get that far compared to everybody else because of bumps along the road pretty early in life, unfortunately. Ironically, Harvard University had to sustain a lawsuit from Asian Americans who felt discriminated against because despite their better grades, the university went on and allowed students with poorer grades from other ethnicities in. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/oct/18/harvard-affirmative-action-trial-asian-american-students Personally, I think this is an American minority I'd hear more about in the media. I'd like to hear more about them too. Specifically the part where they have representation in powerful positions proportional to both their merit and demographic numbers. Oh, wait... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnderbyFox Posted 25 January 2019 Share Posted 25 January 2019 This is the most bizarre rambling speech I've ever heard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 26 January 2019 Share Posted 26 January 2019 (edited) 9 hours ago, EnderbyFox said: This is the most bizarre rambling speech I've ever heard Probably realising just how much damage this particular incident is going to cause him next year. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47007081 Edit: A friend of mine puts it rather nicely - "One year and 6 days ago Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer went to Donald Trump and offered him 20 billion dollars for border wall funding to avoid a government shut down. Trump decided not to take the deal because he thought he could do better. Fast forward a year, and another government shut down...this time started because Trump believed he could get maybe 20% of what hed been offered the year before....he got nothing." Edited 26 January 2019 by leicsmac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 28 January 2019 Share Posted 28 January 2019 Picking a fight with Fox News!? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 30 January 2019 Share Posted 30 January 2019 And in todays "America is a post-racial society, honest, look a black guy became President, right?" news: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47048042 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 30 January 2019 Share Posted 30 January 2019 6 hours ago, leicsmac said: And in todays "America is a post-racial society, honest, look a black guy became President, right?" news: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47048042 Chicago has always had one of the highest crime rates in the entire country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Chicago Ever been to the South Side? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 30 January 2019 Share Posted 30 January 2019 2 hours ago, MC Prussian said: Chicago has always had one of the highest crime rates in the entire country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Chicago Ever been to the South Side? I've not had the pleasure of visiting Chicago, but I am aware the crime rates are high...but I'm not sure what that has to do with the specific incidences of hate crime (which is, on the balance of probability, likely is) and their prevalence? Unless it's an argument that overall crime figures are more noteworthy than hate crimes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jattdogg Posted 30 January 2019 Share Posted 30 January 2019 3 hours ago, MC Prussian said: Chicago has always had one of the highest crime rates in the entire country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Chicago Ever been to the South Side? Dated my ex who was from chicago for 5 years or so. Been there many many times and never had any problems racial or violence. Granted most people who live in chicago or probably any major city will avoid the bad areas of "town" at night. If you dont then you are just foolish. Once i took a train over there from toronto. Got there at 3am. Was waiting outside the station for about 5 minutes and i had 0 issues but then again im light brown skin so praly figured i was hispanic and left me alone lol. I was approached by some prostitutes though which if the gf didnt show up would have been my friends for the night. I remember driving to chicago and stopping in Gary indiana to fill up. Ghetto place. The ex told me i was mental when i told her. Shes from the north chicago suburbs (northbrook) area so they all know where to avoid as middle/upper middle class people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 30 January 2019 Share Posted 30 January 2019 14 minutes ago, Jattdogg said: Dated my ex who was from chicago for 5 years or so. Been there many many times and never had any problems racial or violence. Granted most people who live in chicago or probably any major city will avoid the bad areas of "town" at night. If you dont then you are just foolish. Once i took a train over there from toronto. Got there at 3am. Was waiting outside the station for about 5 minutes and i had 0 issues but then again im light brown skin so praly figured i was hispanic and left me alone lol. I was approached by some prostitutes though which if the gf didnt show up would have been my friends for the night. I remember driving to chicago and stopping in Gary indiana to fill up. Ghetto place. The ex told me i was mental when i told her. Shes from the north chicago suburbs (northbrook) area so they all know where to avoid as middle/upper middle class people. I've been to Chicago, too. In the middle of an ice-cold winter, the freezing air from the lake made things worse, and everywhere you went in Downtown Chicago, there were icicle warning signs. Chicago central station lies just above the dividing line between the North and South part, so you're in a safer area, anyway. And yes, Gary is a scary, grim place. Drove past it on the way to Indianapolis, coming through Fairmount for a visit to Jimmy Dean's grave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 31 January 2019 Share Posted 31 January 2019 (edited) On 30/01/2019 at 10:22, leicsmac said: I've not had the pleasure of visiting Chicago, but I am aware the crime rates are high...but I'm not sure what that has to do with the specific incidences of hate crime (which is, on the balance of probability, likely is) and their prevalence? Unless it's an argument that overall crime figures are more noteworthy than hate crimes? Well, I just think the whole highlighting of this particular case is a slight biased view on crime overall and overshadows the main issue - crime in general and the culture of violence in the US in particular. It's merely a drop in the ocean. The automatic question that comes with it: Why highlighting this case in particular? I'm sure there are other cases of "hate crime" or more moving cases of crime in Chicago (and beyond) that deserve even more attention, crimes of which we never hear of or are likely never to hear of. I also think the reporting on these "hate crimes" in the US by the established media now has a slight undertone of anti-Trumpism, as if he's the sole responsible for generating a climate of fear and hatred or encouraging it. Fact is, these things take years, even decades to manifest themselves. So, in that regard, I'd rather we take a look at the Obama and Bush Jr. administration, or even go as far back as Clinton and examine their policies and the measures and programs that came along with it. Edited 31 January 2019 by MC Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 1 February 2019 Share Posted 1 February 2019 7 hours ago, MC Prussian said: Well, I just think the whole highlighting of this particular case is a slight biased view on crime overall and overshadows the main issue - crime in general and the culture of violence in the US in particular. It's merely a drop in the ocean. The automatic question that comes with it: Why highlighting this case in particular? I'm sure there are other cases of "hate crime" or more moving cases of crime in Chicago (and beyond) that deserve even more attention, crimes of which we never hear of or are likely never to hear of. I also think the reporting on these "hate crimes" in the US by the established media now has a slight undertone of anti-Trumpism, as if he's the sole responsible for generating a climate of fear and hatred or encouraging it. Fact is, these things take years, even decades to manifest themselves. So, in that regard, I'd rather we take a look at the Obama and Bush Jr. administration, or even go as far back as Clinton and examine their policies and the measures and programs that came along with it. Thank you for the clarification. Of course, such a climate of fear and hatred has existed pretty much since the first boatload of slaves landed on colonial shores and given the US was born out of violent revolution the violence does seem to have stuck around. However, I think a little difference in the last few years is that in the late 2000's/early 2010's things seemed (though I'd need to look at stats to back that up) to be easing up and getting a bit better in terms of race relations (apart from the hardcore nutters calling Obama the N-word and their counterparts wanting nothing to do with the white man), but with the election of Trump the same old divisions based on race seem to have come to the fore again, and the backslide is rather concerning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 2 February 2019 Share Posted 2 February 2019 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46958829 And Booker joins the race. Decent candidate - if aiming for somewhere closer to the (American) political centre will get the job done next year, he's probably the best to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor Posted 2 February 2019 Share Posted 2 February 2019 (edited) On 23/01/2019 at 15:37, Detroit Blues said: Let's be honest, it took Pearl Harbor to force America into action. We saw what Hitler was doing to Europe, and what Japan was doing to China, and yet it took a swift and devastating attack before we decided to join the war. If history is any lesson, humanity will wait until it's too late to try and stop the change in climate. Too many powerful people and nations have too much to lose by altering the status quo. Bit optimistic to pretend we need to wait for devastating effects to start before any actions taken - particularly when the devastating effects will include massive winter storms (because the jet stream is getting ****ed), and a lot of republicans will come out and make statements along the lines of "it's cold, so much for global warming", because they don't understand the science and have no desire to, because the science isn't convenient for their ideological positions. No, we'll only make any progress when capitalism eats itself. When 71% of global emissions are caused by 100 companies, with their fingers in every pie, the only "change"will be under the pretence that we can individualise the responsibility down to the average Joe, and they just need to stop eating meat, start cycling more etc. Those activities will have basically no impact, such is the disparity between the damage caused by one bloke and one of these companies, but, particularly when some of these companies are state owned, there'll never be anyone holding them accountable. Edited 2 February 2019 by The Doctor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl the Llama Posted 2 February 2019 Share Posted 2 February 2019 3 hours ago, The Doctor said: Bit optimistic to pretend we need to wait for devastating effects to start before any actions taken - particularly when the devastating effects will include massive winter storms (because the jet stream is getting ****ed), and a lot of republicans will come out and make statements along the lines of "it's cold, so much for global warming", because they don't understand the science and have no desire to, because the science isn't convenient for their ideological positions. No, we'll only make any progress when capitalism eats itself. When 71% of global emissions are caused by 100 companies, with their fingers in every pie, the only "change"will be under the pretence that we can individualise the responsibility down to the average Joe, and they just need to stop eating meat, start cycling more etc. Those activities will have basically no impact, such is the disparity between the damage caused by one bloke and one of these companies, but, particularly when some of these companies are state owned, there'll never be anyone holding them accountable. Yep, under the current economic framework companies will always prefer to produce too much and generate excess waste over missing out on a potential sale and the profit from it. The invisible hand has the touch of a paedophile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor Posted 2 February 2019 Share Posted 2 February 2019 1 hour ago, Carl the Llama said: Yep, under the current economic framework companies will always prefer to produce too much and generate excess waste over missing out on a potential sale and the profit from it. The invisible hand has the touch of a paedophile. In other words, to help prevent climate change, don't stop eating meat, just eat the rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 3 February 2019 Share Posted 3 February 2019 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47098826 TBH I hope this guy goes down for his sheer arrogance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 6 February 2019 Share Posted 6 February 2019 The Oscars to be without a host for the first time in 30 years - a sign of the show's decline and a consequence of an emphasis on political correctness? https://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny-news-oscars-will-be-hostless-first-time-thirty-years-20190205-story.html A more in-depth look at ABC's strategy with regards to the format: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/02/oscars-2019-ratings-televising-technical-categories-shorter-ceremony/582043/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wymsey Posted 6 February 2019 Share Posted 6 February 2019 Trump and Kim Jong-Un are set to meet again.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr The Singh Posted 6 February 2019 Share Posted 6 February 2019 1 hour ago, Wymeswold fox said: Trump and Kim Jong-Un are set to meet again.. Second base? How many dates until a home run. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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