JCauto

17 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Deflection.

Those "dozens of countries with far worse laws, human rights records, killings of journalists and repression of their population or minorities" are off topic. If there were threads about them we'd have something to say about them as well.

Oh, really? So point me to your posts about the Iranian government and their cold-blooded torture-murder of dozens of students and protesters. I'm sure there must be several since this has been going on for a while. I'm sure, like the many posts here about Israel, that your posts hectoring the Iranian government are filled with ironic references to "Fascists" and "pogroms" and other words that just happen to be those describing the Nazis.

Just one post of yours and your point is well taken. If there are however no posts about Iran and their far far far far far worse behaviour over the last several months, then you're a liar and full of it.

5 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

This is a thread about seven Israel Jews being murdered and you are stating that Israelis are the same as Nazis .

   I think its better not to reply to your points , as its going off topic 

Oh but they DESERVED it! Evil Jews who supported the existence of Israel! Just Palestinians fighting back!

This is what Anti-Semitism is, dehumanization and hatred.

Sorry, didn't read past the headline. But is this a story about parliament?

The conflation of the interests of Jews outside of Israel and Israel is one of the identifying markers for anti-semitism. The reasons for the fervent Republican support of Israel have nothing to do with their love of Jews and everything to do with energy security for the USA in the Middle East and preparation for the apocalypse for which we're required to die. The post of Jingthing was an excellent summary. 

I am one of those Jews outside of Israel - I have never been there, I have only distant relatives there, none of whom I'm in regular contact with. I am happy that Israel exists as it provides a safe haven for Jews who haven't had one. But beyond that, my "love" for Israel is probably akin to a Catholic Canadian's "love" for the Vatican. The US used to have these same tropes directed against Catholics right up until JFK became president and I believe this was an issue in his election. 

https://www.history.com/news/jfk-catholic-president

I had this happen to me once when I lived in Thailand. Woke up after a weird dream about a snake, which was particularly strange as I seldom remember dreams. Went downstairs and to my shock discovered a snake on the beam above the stairs. Went and found some neighbours who assured me it was harmless and shooed it away for me, then insisted that the next young woman I was to meet would be the one I would marry. I did shortly thereafter meet a lovely young woman (how unusual in Thailand), and was particularly intrigued given this prognostication. Alas, was not to be and I moved eventually to Cambodia without a wife.

My conclusion was that the snake got in the house and went to snuggle up to the only warm thing in it, which happened to be me. 

On 12/9/2022 at 10:53 AM, it is what it is said:

 

earth carrying truck, bet that had some momentum. i'd hazard a guess that the lack of serious injury is a testament to the safety design of cars today, rather an amulets... but what do i know...?

No, of course not! It's a miracle! A Buddhist amulet! 

Nothing to do with engineering that kept that car intact around the bodies of the people sitting in it. Just a miracle because the Buddha decided he'd intervene in this one situation, whereas he's often busy when others die. Or I guess she quickly looked up her Karma score and realized she had enough points to make it through this one. Just absurdity piled upon absurdity.

So glad I didn't follow my father into the healthcare field. Having these idiots stand around a patient's bed praising Jeebus for saving their loved one after I pulled a 24-hour shift to keep them alive would <deleted> me off to the point of crucifixion of the celebrants.

11 minutes ago, JCauto said:

Kind of a trivial point in my opinion. Sure, life isn't fair, that should be obvious to anyone with eyes, ears and a brain. 

The real point is hidden - once you accept that as a fact, what is it you do about it?

This thread is somewhat of a continuation of an interesting discussion from a week or so ago about what makes an "activist" versus a "keyboard warrior" or whatever. The difference is "action". So going back to your point, for example, I accept that life isn't fair as a fact, and it inspires me to do whatever I can with my short time on this earth to make it a bit fairer in my particular little corner of the world. You on the other hand accept that life isn't fair, and rather than be inspired, you're daunted and instead choose to simply shrug your shoulders and use this as an excuse for not doing anything. Hence, you're a "keyboard warrior", while I'm an "activist". By the way, I don't think that there's anything wrong with either choice, simply because so much depends on individual circumstance.

Seems to me that this is a bigger issue than simply "activist" versus "non-activist" because so much about whether one does anything about something is related to that individual's personal circumstances. In order for people to become activist about issues they care about, there needs to be a worldview that there is a point to doing something and that you're personally willing to be the one that does something about that even though you most likely won't get a tangible reward for it, and quite possibly will have to go through some difficult experiences along the way. This is the main difference, and it's more similar to the difference between cynicism and optimism. This is another reason why Conservatives will almost ALWAYS <deleted> on the people who are activist, because the very nature of Conservatism is to maintain the status quo and not be activist except in service of that cause.

LOL. Just realized it is the same thread. Glad the discussion continues.

On 11/24/2022 at 6:36 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. Sport has been propaganda for ages. When a team win at the Olympics people act as though the country won, which is a nonsense, especially in professional sport when the team members may not even be of that nationality.

There's a word for it now - sportwashing.

On 11/23/2022 at 3:04 PM, Stocky said:

Life isn't fair - once you accept that as a fact, then everything else falls into place.

Kind of a trivial point in my opinion. Sure, life isn't fair, that should be obvious to anyone with eyes, ears and a brain. 

The real point is hidden - once you accept that as a fact, what is it you do about it?

This thread is somewhat of a continuation of an interesting discussion from a week or so ago about what makes an "activist" versus a "keyboard warrior" or whatever. The difference is "action". So going back to your point, for example, I accept that life isn't fair as a fact, and it inspires me to do whatever I can with my short time on this earth to make it a bit fairer in my particular little corner of the world. You on the other hand accept that life isn't fair, and rather than be inspired, you're daunted and instead choose to simply shrug your shoulders and use this as an excuse for not doing anything. Hence, you're a "keyboard warrior", while I'm an "activist". By the way, I don't think that there's anything wrong with either choice, simply because so much depends on individual circumstance.

Seems to me that this is a bigger issue than simply "activist" versus "non-activist" because so much about whether one does anything about something is related to that individual's personal circumstances. In order for people to become activist about issues they care about, there needs to be a worldview that there is a point to doing something and that you're personally willing to be the one that does something about that even though you most likely won't get a tangible reward for it, and quite possibly will have to go through some difficult experiences along the way. This is the main difference, and it's more similar to the difference between cynicism and optimism. This is another reason why Conservatives will almost ALWAYS <deleted> on the people who are activist, because the very nature of Conservatism is to maintain the status quo and not be activist except in service of that cause.

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Chuwit seems to have a lot of information.. most of it turns out to be true and very damning for certain people.

 

Love this guy, it's about time someone popped up from the swamp and basically started singing. Can't believe nobody has quieted him with a lead muzzle given the number of people he's making upset by breaking the fourth wall.

22 hours ago, John Drake said:

Several years ago, I read that some 800,000 Chinese had moved into Laos. They simply came in and started to live there like they owned the place. That, in a country of 7 million people. I can't find the article now and I see that Wikipedia says the Chinese in Laos only amount to one or two percent of the population, although they dominate 100 percent of business, finance, and commerce. So who knows the real numbers. I do know that it is a distinct source of trouble to share a border with China or border a small country that does and serves as a transit corridor.

This is another example of why one should be very wary of Wikipedia. I can already disprove the article, seeing as I know several Lao persons without Chinese ancestry who are businessmen. Anyone who has any sense whatsoever would immediately know this is utter <deleted>.

9 hours ago, hotchilli said:

 

The Nordic police ?

It's a typo. They're actually the team that deals with unfortunate foreign men who have been Bobbitted by their wives and had their members fed to ducks. The "No-Dick" Police.

On 12/8/2022 at 8:39 AM, Gottfrid said:

That´s great! Amazing to see a fellow dirt bag, that swindle others to get caught while living the high life. Now it´s time to face the music to a different tune. Bye bye Mr. Big!

Seems bad form to be cheering on someone who is apparently doing the same thing as you but was unfortunately caught whilst doing so. 

1 minute ago, Pla Simon said:

 

You're wrong in your interpretation of my post and of me. 

 

I gave an opinion based on a balanced viewpoint - I certainly don't advocate violence. I have no political leanings towards extremist views in any sense, but nevertheless find such stories evocative.

 

Not interested in any of the groups you started electronically shouting about - nor did I make the slightest inference.

 

It's down to your view. To say there aren't radicals on all sides is completely wrong, in my opinion.

This is to me problematic - not about yourself personally, as I don't know you nor have I recalled any posts of yours. Nor that your statement is incorrect, of course there are radicals on all sides, and even some sides that we as normal people probably don't even know exist. 

What's problematic is that here is an unambiguous article about a clear threat from the Right and, in all places, in Germany where it all went so bad in the past. An article that points out how this is just another example of the threats to democracy that are all emerging around the same time and from the same general political direction. The response of many from the Right is to downplay the seriousness of the incident and then to engage in "whataboutism". Your post was classic "whataboutism". Sure, there are some Left radicals/extremists that exist in this world. Why are you even mentioning them? What did they have to do with this incident? Why bring them up unless there's been a concerted effort from the Left to overthrow democratically elected governments? 

This is why I responded to your post. It is the same reason why we Lefties get upset with "All Lives Matter". Sure, of course, that was never in question and was never THE question. It's raised to reduce the impact of the BLM movement by trivializing what they're fighting against and it's raised by people who are not and have never been threatened in the same way. 

2 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Back in the 1970s the threat to democracy came mostly from the left. Today it comes mostly from the right. I did not intend to imply that the threat today comes from the left, but you mentioned in your post that it never came from the left. 

Yeah, I suppose so. The biggest threat to the Baader-Meinhof Gang is Old Age.