(12-24-2020, 10:57 PM)pbrower2a Wrote: > By the way -- I gave up completely on Donald Trump when he mocked
> the handicapped. I remember hearing jokes about the handicapped
> (except for moron jokes) from people my age when I was about ten
> years old. Most people outgrow such garbage (and it really is
> cruel) when they are about ten years old. Around that age, one
> either finds those repugnant or someone is able to explain why you
> don't do them (Dad tells you that the fellow in a wheelchair is a
> disabled veteran who served his country heroically, and there but
> for the Grace of God go you ten years from now if we get into a
> war with the Soviet Union. I may judge harshly people who hurt
> themselves through their own follies such as drugs, alcoholism,
> extreme obesity, and criminal behaviors.. but I fault nobody who
> did nothing to fault himself.

> I have a neurological disorder that makes me little more than my
> intellect. It has messed me up as can a drug or alcohol habit
> except to not put my life at risk. No, I'm not crazy; I simply
> can't enjoy what many other people enjoy. I could never attend a
> rock concert. Yes, it is genetic. I got a double dose, as my late
> parents both showed signs of being on the autistic spectrum, and
> it is probably a good thing that I never had children; they would
> be at a high risk of institutionalization.

(12-22-2020, 07:33 AM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: > At any rate, the drift toward Stalinist Communism will be stopped
> at that point, and the country will unite to face the existential
> threat.

(12-23-2020, 03:38 AM)Warren Dew Wrote: > You seem very confident that the Stalinist Communism won't itself
> be the threat?

(12-25-2020, 01:41 PM)John J. Xenakis Wrote:

(12-22-2020, 07:33 AM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: At any rate, the drift toward Stalinist Communism will be stopped at that point, and the country will unite to face the existential threat.  

(12-23-2020, 03:38 AM)Warren Dew Wrote: You seem very confident that the Stalinist Communism won't itself
be the threat?

This is an interesting question because it's a question about American culture.

The freedoms guaranteed by the first and second Amendments to the Bill of Rights -- freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to own a firearm -- are all repugnant to the Democrats.  This is manifest in
their hatred of Tea Partiers and Trump supporters, as when Obama contemptuously referred to them as "clinging to their Bibles and guns."

The problem for the Democrats is that these freedoms are deeply embedded in the American culture.  They're implied by the Declaration of Independence, and incorporated into the Constitution.  The Democrats right now are at the peak of their power in Stalinist censorship.  However, even Democrats are opposed to curtailing the basic rights.

(12-25-2020, 06:01 PM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: > But one who uses the power of the moderator to block criticism of
> his opinion has no right to grumble about censorship.

(12-25-2020, 12:40 PM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: ** 25-Dec-2020 World View: Mocking the handicapped

(12-24-2020, 10:57 PM)pbrower2a Wrote: >   By the way -- I gave up completely on Donald Trump when he mocked
>   the handicapped. I remember hearing jokes about the handicapped
>   (except for moron jokes) from people my age when I was about ten
>   years old. Most people outgrow such garbage (and it really is
>   cruel) when they are about ten years old. Around that age, one
>   either finds those repugnant or someone is able to explain why you
>   don't do them (Dad tells you that the fellow in a wheelchair is a
>   disabled veteran who served his country heroically, and there but
>   for the Grace of God go you ten years from now if we get into a
>   war with the Soviet Union. I may judge harshly people who hurt
>   themselves through their own follies such as drugs, alcoholism,
>   extreme obesity, and criminal behaviors.. but I fault nobody who
>   did nothing to fault himself.

>   I have a neurological disorder that makes me little more than my
>   intellect. It has messed me up as can a drug or alcohol habit
>   except to not put my life at risk.  No, I'm not crazy; I simply
>   can't enjoy what many other people enjoy. I could never attend a
>   rock concert. Yes, it is genetic. I got a double dose, as my late
>   parents both showed signs of being on the autistic spectrum, and
>   it is probably a good thing that I never had children; they would
>   be at a high risk of institutionalization.

Thank you for posting this.  This explains why you hate Trump so much,
and perhaps also explains why you hate 74 million Tea Partiers and
Trump supporters, although that's a bit more tenuous.

Quote:Trump claims that he wasn't mocking the handicapped at all.  His side
of the story is given in this Fox News story:

-- Did Trump really mock reporter's disability? Videos could back him up
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/did-trump-really-mock-reporters-disability-videos-could-back-him-up
(Fox News, 14-Sep-2016)

Quote:For what it's worth, my opinion is that if Trump really did mock the
handicapped, then his doing so is wrong, and he should be condemned
for it.

(12-25-2020, 01:41 PM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: ** 25-Dec-2020 World View: Installing Stalinist Communism

(12-22-2020, 07:33 AM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: >   At any rate, the drift toward Stalinist Communism will be stopped
>   at that point, and the country will unite to face the existential
>   threat.  

(12-23-2020, 03:38 AM)Warren Dew Wrote: >   You seem very confident that the Stalinist Communism won't itself
>   be the threat?

This is an interesting question because it's a question about American
culture.

The freedoms guaranteed by the first and second Amendments to the Bill
of Rights -- freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to own a
firearm -- are all repugnant to the Democrats.  This is manifest in
their hatred of Tea Partiers and Trump supporters, as when Obama
contemptuously referred to them as "clinging to their Bibles and
guns."

Quote:The problem for the Democrats is that these freedoms are deeply
embedded in the American culture.  They're implied by the Declaration
of Independence, and incorporated into the Constitution.  The
Democrats right now are at the peak of their power in Stalinist
censorship.  However, even Democrats are opposed to curtailing the
basic rights.  In this forum, Brower recently complained that covid-19
news isn't being reported.  That's because Covid-19 news is being
censored in all the Democrat-controlled media sources that he watches.

Quote:You may recall that I've frequently mocked Obama because all of his
original campaign promises were failures, especially rolling back the
tides.  Even the simplest one, his promise to close Guantánamo prison
on day one, was a failure, as Guantánamo prison is still open today,
12 years later.

Quote:So it's interesting that the same thing is happening with Biden.  He
promised to reverse all of Trump's immigration policies within the
first 100 days, a promise that was so ridiculous it obviously had to
fail.

Quote:Quelle surprise!!  And he hasn't even taken office!!  Now he says that
he's going to appoint a committee, and it will take at least six
months.  Lol!

The point is that whatever attempt the Democrats make to install
Stalinist Communism, rejecting the deeply cultural freedoms specified
by the Bill of Rights, is doomed to failure from the start.

---- Source:

-- Biden: Reversing Trump Border Policies Will Take Months
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-12-22/biden-reversing-trump-immigration-policies-will-take-months
(AP, 22-Dec-2020)

(12-25-2020, 06:23 PM)John J. Xenakis Wrote:

(12-25-2020, 06:01 PM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: I would agree somewhat with the Second Amendment.  In urban areas, reducing the problem of gun deaths is something you could want, but less so in rural areas.  I am with the reds in understanding of why the Founding Fathers wanted people carrying arms, but understand why the blues want to change it.  I think some compromise is possible, but it has been too politicized that right now it isn't worth trying.  Both sides still see a total victory in sight.  The blues have a century plus of precedent, and seem to have not noticed it was started in the Jim Crow south as they eliminated all rights for blacks.  The reds have what the founding fathers wrote into law and the recent court cases have reinforced.  Meeting in the middle is unlikely for now.

I don't agree that there is any hostility towards freedom of speech and religion.  Both the red and the blue major news organizations have agendas.  They are not shy about presenting them.  You could argue that Trump censored the scientists, and argue that he has the power to do so.  I'm dubious.  Other than that, in these days of the internet it is really hard to keep information contained.  I personally think both sides are currently too obstinate and untactful.

Also, no one wishes to tell someone else how to worship, but many object to the use of government force to make others follow their own religious beliefs.  That is objected to, and rather loudly and rightly.

But one who uses the power of the moderator to block criticism of his opinion has no right to grumble about censorship.

You don't post opinions.  You post troll garbage.  Like Sean Love, your objective is to be as destructive as possible.  You're a human wrecking ball.  You've pretty much destroyed this thread with your troll garbage.  But I'll be damned if you're going to do the same to the news thread in the Generational Dynamics forum.  Fuck you. However, you're welcome to post all the troll garbage you want in the Strauss-Howe thread, where it belongs.  Have fun!

(12-26-2020, 07:57 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: > I am tempted to create another thread within the Generational
> Dynamics forum. Strauss, Howe, you and I all use turnings in
> slightly different ways. Mine is not quite the same as Strauss
> and Howe’s. The difference is similar with my conflicts with you,
> a failure to account for obvious differences between the
> Industrial and Information Ages, and lack of emphasis on how each
> crisis has moved the US culture further from the Agricultural Age
> pattern. Thus, the criticisms of Generational Dynamics don’t
> really reflect Strauss and Howe. There should be a place for
> discussing Strauss and Howe.

> I am somewhat concerned that the community is splitting. The blue
> folk seem to be going with Facebook, the red folk seem not to be
> moving to your forum. This is disappointing.

Burner Prime" Wrote:> China BRI facing difficulties in Pakistan due to corruption,
> financing difficulties, Baloch resistance and attacks.

> "...Some experts believe that Beijing’s trade war with the US is
> one factor behind the shift in China’s global lending strategy..."

> https://asiatimes.com/2020/12/china-slowly-retreating-from-pakistans-belt-and-road/

> https://asiatimes.com/2020/12/gwadar-port-sealed-off-to-protect-chinese-firms/

> Trump's strategy toward China may have slowed or weakened her
> substantially. Despite the left's visceral hatred of Trump, seems
> they are not in any rush to knee-jerk reverse his
> policies. Hopefully the same goes with China trade policy.

Quote:> "Rabbits: They eat a lot of vegetarian scraps, plus
> they eat grass and weeds. They are a great source of meat, and
> there is some fur, though rather on the small side. They can also
> be kept in apartments, so they are a choice for those without
> accessible land.

> I would recommend just getting a breeding pair and keeping them
> apart until you need a lot of rabbits. Because, and this is
> self-explanatory, they breed like rabbits. So, keep each in an
> individual cage. The varieties I would recommend are California or
> New Zealand."

(01-01-2021, 12:57 PM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: Here's what I propose to do: I'll call the web host (Small Orange),
explain the situation to them, and ask them to give me cpanel access
to the web site.  I'll then go into the mysql database and make myself
a moderator, and then clear all the spam crap out, and ban the spam
crappers.

They'll just laugh at me, unless I have the support of a lot of
people.  So here's what I want you (all of you) to do: Just post a
message below saying that you support me in doing this.

(01-01-2021, 12:57 PM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: ** 01-Jan-2021 World View: Saving the FT forum

Is there anyone left who wants to save this forum?  Or do you want to
let it turn completely into a garbage dump and die?

Here's what I propose to do: I'll call the web host (Small Orange),
explain the situation to them, and ask them to give me cpanel access
to the web site.  I'll then go into the mysql database and make myself
a moderator, and then clear all the spam crap out, and ban the spam
crappers.

They'll just laugh at me, unless I have the support of a lot of
people.  So here's what I want you (all of you) to do: Just post a
message below saying that you support me in doing this.

If I can get, say, ten or more forum members to support me, then I'll
try calling them, and telling them that I have the support of a bunch
of members.  They may still laugh at me, but the more support I have,
the more likely they are to listen.

Of course, if someone wants to steal my idea and do it yourself,
you're welcome to do so.  Or even better, if Rags or Sam or some other
existing moderator wants to come back and do his job, that's even
better.

(01-01-2021, 10:41 PM)Classic-Xer Wrote:

(01-01-2021, 12:57 PM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: ** 01-Jan-2021 World View: Saving the FT forum

Is there anyone left who wants to save this forum?  Or do you want to
let it turn completely into a garbage dump and die?

Here's what I propose to do: I'll call the web host (Small Orange),
explain the situation to them, and ask them to give me cpanel access
to the web site.  I'll then go into the mysql database and make myself
a moderator, and then clear all the spam crap out, and ban the spam
crappers.

They'll just laugh at me, unless I have the support of a lot of
people.  So here's what I want you (all of you) to do: Just post a
message below saying that you support me in doing this.

If I can get, say, ten or more forum members to support me, then I'll
try calling them, and telling them that I have the support of a bunch
of members.  They may still laugh at me, but the more support I have,
the more likely they are to listen.

Of course, if someone wants to steal my idea and do it yourself,
you're welcome to do so.  Or even better, if Rags or Sam or some other
existing moderator wants to come back and do his job, that's even
better.

You have my support.