Prelude to the Apocalypse

[Rob]

.

[BryanM]

"we're all just mindless, exploitable cattle"

I never once called our species mindless - I have a ton of respect for the intellect of a human within its own domain of self interest. I called us cows. If you think cows are a garbage animal, that's a prejudice you're projecting upon a wonderful, beautiful, tasty animal.

When a human being is comfortable, they wish to remain so. That's why people in the USSR pretended things were fine right until the place collapsed, how people in Germany turned a blind eye to the extermination camps, how the bourgeois thinks the modern 3rd way democratic party is acceptable. All forms of denial to maintain comfort.

And that's fine. Denial is a perfectly fine coping mechanism. It's necessary to maintain mental health, in a world we're not able to fully control.

But there are times when reality slams into you like a truck, and it's no longer possible to cling to delusion. The ascent of Reagan gave the middle class a $100 annual tax break, the truly wealthy $millions annually, all at the expense of the youth. With the ladders their parents had denied to them, whether from gutting welfare, gutting unions and worker's rights, outsourcing jobs, or automation, they're worse off economically than their parents were. And they know it. Because they see it in their day to day lives.

Every social change comes as a matter of reaction. Civil rights, worker rights, etc - all life and death battles where blood was spilled to make progress.

My outlook has always been optimistic. And I've always been disgusted that things were allowed to get this bad, because, Jesus Christ. These are not mutually exclusive views.

In any event, get back to me on that when half the country hasn't been led to believe that the Clean Air Act is a bigger threat to the nation's well-being than corporate moguls and/or lackeys proudly and openly strangling every government agency to death.

Uh, okay, here we are.

So uh, what are you talking about exactly?

If you're talking about elections where 20% of the country decides how the other 80% will live... well, that wasn't how Hillary and Trump chose to frame their platforms. Hillary made a case that she was paid a lot of money to be president and it'd be swell if you'd just lay down and submit, Trump made a case that he was a wrecking ball of chaos.

If you have a problem with how Clinton, Kerry, and Gore chose to conduct their campaigns, maybe you should try pushing for the idea of trying a different strategy. Instead of going with ideas that are a proven dismal loser



maybe go with the thing that historically has done pretty well and polls tremendously well as well.

Man, Clinton running a campaign ad defending the clean air act... now that would have blown my mind. An ad that actually strives to educate the electorate about issues they might not be aware of. What an incredible idea.

corporate moguls and/or lackeys proudly and openly strangling every government agency to death

I mean, there actually was one candidate in 2016 that made fighting against this a cornerstone of his campaign strategy. But he fell short.

And then we got a lady who told us to look up her awesome means-tested plans on the internet that'll save you $10 a month if you should be lucky enough to be deemed worthy of such overly luxurious and generous help. Only in debates tho.

In ads, she just told us that kids could see and hear Donald Trump on television. Excellent strategy to educate and rally the electorate.

the government can never be counted on

Wait, but aren't corporate Republicans in total control of the government of Russian America?

If there's a problem with the government, maybe they might be somewhat culpable? Really makes you think.



Maybe we should elect more men like Jay Hammond, and fewer like Mitch McConnell.

[Rob]

they're worse off economically than their parents were.

Yeah, but maybe it is wrong to expect to live the deluxe scale destructive Boomer RV lifestyle the last few generations have screwed America (and other countries) for.

Wait, but aren't corporate Republicans in total control of the government of Russian America?

Our piggy bank-smashing governor is an "Independent". There aren't enough Jay Hammonds in the world for the government to not be careless with money. I'm now a firm believer in minimizing the government. Not full libertarian retard, but there is far too much room for corruption, and it will always cycle back to waste and corruption.

[Specineff]

This is one of the reasons why mass third world immigration is a major problem. We can not expect millions of low IQ people to come here and to be able to compete.

And let me ask again, how has this affected you? If they compete, the cry of butthurt is that dey tek er (low skill) jerbs. And, if they or their children work towards an education, the cry shifts about how foreigners are teking er jerbs at the corporate and tech sector levels. So what is it?

It's almost as if people think that just being born American entitles a person to a fancy job, and the fact that they're not getting them is some sort of sacrilege deserving of punishment meted out with extreme prejudice on those heathens that don't worship GodJesus the way Murica has done since its founding.

[Rob]

And let me ask again, how has this affected you? If they compete, the cry of butthurt is that dey tek er (low skill) jerbs.

I could go on and on about various things, but snatching jobs from teenagers and poorly educated whites and blacks is not what I was referring to by competing and not something we need in this country. We don't need competition for janitorial and landscaping jobs. That only benefits the employer who enjoys seeing wages go down and workers fighting over dwindling scraps. Compete as in can do as well as or better than and blend in with average whites, as Asians have done - where we would not be seeing these race baiting fun facts about how much money they don't have.

foreigners are teking er jerbs at the corporate and tech sector levels.

Again, if this was happening for blacks and "Latinx" we wouldn't be seeing Bernie Sanders tweeting those statistics.

It's almost as if people think that just being born American entitles a person to a fancy job,

I've honestly never seen this one before. Also, I have difficulty imagining myself in another country and thinking about the native inhabitants of that country the way you seem to think about Americans while being a guest in our country. It's not helping the impression I've been getting of a hostile and nagging "fight 4 all 11 million" invader class.

[Mischief Maker]

Umm...

If a person can't achieve a moderate level of success in America, odds are they aren't very smart.

Feels good to be half as rich as a Latinx family.

Am I detecting a little self-hate fueling this narrative of yours?

[BryanM]

Lois Griffin, er, Hillary Clinton just compared the Russian Government's presidential preference to 9/11.

Because of course she did.

[Durandal]

I don't really get the thought process behind refusing to get tested for HIV out of fear that you might have it and might go to jail for accidentally getting someone infected, even though you might have taken the necessary precautions to prevent anyone from getting infected in the first place if you did know. This seems like it might fuck over more victims than anything

[Rob]

Am I detecting a little self-hate fueling this narrative of yours?

It was a joke, detective. The PFD (oil CEO paycheck) Bryan was alluding to was a whopping $1100 this year.

[Specineff]

I could go on and on about various things, but snatching jobs from teenagers and poorly educated whites and blacks is not what I was referring to by competing and not something we need in this country. We don't need competition for janitorial and landscaping jobs. That only benefits the employer who enjoys seeing wages go down and workers fighting over dwindling scraps.

Then what's the source of all this butthurt that makes you cry foul when foreigners take low skill jobs, or when they qualify for benefits so they don't get stuck in low-skill jobs?

Compete as in can do as well as or better than and blend in with average whites, as Asians have done - where we would not be seeing these race baiting fun facts about how much money they don't have.

And if they do, it's back to "These low-IQ third-worlders are taking our jobs!" from you.

Again, if this was happening for blacks and "Latinx" we wouldn't be seeing Bernie Sanders tweeting those statistics.

Quick response: Sanders does not speak for us.

Longer response: Latinos don't whine and complain about social injustice like that at least AFAIK, and if they do, they are setting themselves up for a serious rebuke from their fellow hispanics. There's a reason why "Si se puede" ("Yes, we can") is basically our credo, and if we see a big-ass truck at a dealer that we want to buy, we make it happen with the sweat of our brow, instead of whining why and/or how we don't have it.

I've honestly never seen this one before. Also, I have difficulty imagining myself in another country and thinking about the native inhabitants of that country the way you seem to think about Americans while being a guest in our country.

There we go. My generalizing comment caused a reaction in you that probably included justified indignation. Good. By that same token, now imagine yourself in that hypothetical country while being spoken and thought of the exact way you have done in this thread, and how long it would be before saying "Hey, hold on just a second." Just don't use the "I'd make sure I'd emigrated legally" excuse, please; you make zero distinction. If you cannot see it after that, well, too bad.

It's not helping the impression I've been getting of a hostile and nagging "fight 4 all 11 million" invader class.

Oh, please. We both know you wouldn't give an angstrom of consideration to the possibility of improving it.

[Rob]

what's the source of all this butthurt that makes you cry foul when foreigners take low skill jobs

I feel like I'm having to explain something that should be self-evident, but if a job goes to a foreigner instead of an actual citizen, that doesn't just harm one isolated person. We don't need cutthroat competition for things anyone should be able to do when we have many millions who have nothing to do. If anything, we need people who can at least match the output of average whites. Instead we get people who earn less, pay less taxes, take more government assistance and commit more crime. Then we get the privilege of being blamed for their lack of achievement as our country slowly morphs into Brazil.

Quick response: Sanders does not speak for us.

The stats do. But it would be great if, as a can-do collective, you could get these politicians to kindly shut the fuck up.

the possibility of improving it.

Giving a good impression is solely your responsibility.

[Specineff]

I feel like I'm having to explain something that should be self-evident, but if a job goes to a foreigner instead of an actual citizen, that doesn't just harm one isolated person.

Please don't say "this should be evident" to avoid answering questions. And kindly explain to me how is it that a foreigner taking a job causes harm to more than just one person, by using me as an example: How, I, as a foreigner fixing computers at a corner workshop affect people negatively around me as opposed to having a native citizen doing the exact same thing. Please, I want to hear this.

Please tell me how a similar situation nearby has affected you.

We don't need cutthroat competition for things anyone should be able to do when we have many millions who have nothing to do. If anything, we need people who can at least match the output of average whites.

It can't be the fault of the foreigners, legal or otherwise, that we don't see a single white carrying tiles to roofs here in Arizona for 15 bucks an hour (I've done it myself. Pretty grueling.) If aliens take those jobs upon arriving to the USA, it's because they are available due to those "average whites" not taking them. No one can complain about others winning at a game they refuse to play.

Instead we get people who earn less, pay less taxes, take more government assistance and commit more crime. Then we get the privilege of being blamed for their lack of achievement as our country slowly morphs into Brazil.

Then it's the responsibility of the "millions who aren't doing anything" to step up to the plate instead of just pointing fingers. it should be easy to displace those who earn less, pay less taxes and take government assistance, given they are more desireable workers. Also, how can these foreigners need government assistance and getting it without papers, since they're raking in all the big bucks by taking all those jobs and not paying taxes?

Crime is crime. The families of the wounded and victims from the Vegas shooting aren't saying "Welp, at least the shooting wasn't done by one of those low-IQ foreigners with a bone to pick against the USA after getting here thanks to a diversity program." Please stop drawing from that long-tainted well. I myself have never qualified for any sort of assistance, so that concept of foreigners being able to get benefits like some sort of magic lamp they can rub to make wishes, is nothing but a fallacy. And no, benefits that US-born children of immigrants get don't count.

It's just easier to point fingers and find scapegoats. However, by your own words, those scapegoats are at least paying some taxes compared to the millions who don't do anything.

The stats do. But it would be great if, as a can-do collective, you could get these politicians to kindly shut the fuck up.

You tell me this after complaining about the cutthroat competition foreigners represent against natives? Shouldn't that be YOUR responsibility, since they are YOUR senators, citizen? Obama wrote back to me; it shouldn't be different for someone from here.

Giving a good impression is solely your responsibility.

And we know you'd still stick to your prejudiced views. We already do, but finger-pointers still need excuses to look away from their own shortcomings.

[Mischief Maker]

You know, Rob, I'm starting to see what you mean about intolerant liberals.

I saw footage last night of shockingly brazen violence against members of the Alt-Right attempting a peaceful and open exchange of ideas.

But what truly froze my blood cold was all the liberals sitting around me uniformly LAUGHING at this kind of borderline terrorism!

[BryanM]

FOUR LEGS GOOD, TWO LEGS BAD, was inscribed on the end wall of the barn

…

When they had once got it by heart, the sheep developed a great liking for this maxim, and often as they lay in the field they would all start bleating “Four legs good, two legs bad! Four legs good, two legs bad!” and keep it up for hours on end, never growing tired of it.

[Rob]

You know, Rob, I'm starting to see what you mean about intolerant liberals.

I saw footage last night of shockingly brazen violence against members of the Alt-Right attempting a peaceful and open exchange of ideas.

But what truly froze my blood cold was all the liberals sitting around me uniformly LAUGHING at this kind of borderline terrorism!

Gotta love Hollywood. I don't know where the joke ends and reality begins, but I am looking forward to the Richard Spencer/Gainesville drama tomorrow.

[Obscura]

It can't be the fault of the foreigners, legal or otherwise, that we don't see a single white carrying tiles to roofs here in Arizona for 15 bucks an hour (I've done it myself. Pretty grueling.) If aliens take those jobs upon arriving to the USA, it's because they are available due to those "average whites" not taking them. No one can complain about others winning at a game they refuse to play.

This means that the value of that labor is, or at least should be, more than $15/hr.

I'll never understand why leftists want to raise the minimum wage, but do everything they can to prevent the market from correcting too-low wages on its own.

[BryanM]

but do everything they can to prevent the market from correcting too-low wages on its own.

I agree with your pitch for full communism now.

Can't trust these rent seekers and their freakin' gun thugs.



Ask for a dollar, and you get your body floating down the river.

[Specineff]

And in today's totally fake, made-up and dishonest news, Vice-President Pence breaks the tie in the vote so that The Economy(TM) can grow and credit card fees stay low by allowing banks to fuck customers in the ass without fear of legal retaliation. Hallelujah.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/won ... d3085f5d60

Boy, I can't wait to start raking all the dollars that will be falling from the sky thanks to the upcoming economic growth this will bring!

[BryanM]

Somebody's gotta inflate this bubble we're in:





The billionaire tax cuts and other assorted fuckery, aren't just to line their pockets or to kill poor people, but also to keep the magic casino going for a couple more years. Everyone knows this imaginary money that does not and will never exist is going to evaporate sooner or later.

Gotta make sure it's a super great depression, instead of a measly recession.

(And yeah, technically all money is imaginary. But some of it is more imaginary than others.)

___


Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it.


That Weinstein fellow. His liberalism is such a grotesque thing. How easy it is to comfort your conscience by donating $5 to a charity, and then champion for some kind of symbolic but non-economic form of equality between all people. Token gestures to offset the horrors one does elsewhere. Another example of "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" if there ever was one.

[Rob]

Gotta make sure it's a super great depression,

Agreed. Would be totally worth it. I think we'd get a lot of leeches returning to their homelands.

[Durandal]

Gotta make sure it's a super great depression,

Agreed. Would be totally worth it. I think we'd get a lot of leeches returning to their homelands.

Using what? Non-functional public transit they can't afford?

[BryanM]

I really don't think the wealthy are going to go back to hell, Rob. I think it's more probable they'll have Obama put his mean face on, wag his finger, call them fat cats, then slink off back into the shadows to go para-sailing with Richard Branson and Elon Musk.

But you are an optimistic Bernie bro! I'll give you that much.

______


Company adds the word "Blockchain" to its name, its shares go up 394%. lol poker chips.

[Specineff]

Bit redundant given most of you probably know about it thanks to the Evil Fake News Factory that is working so hard to taint the image of Honorable Great Leader President Cheeto, but it has begun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... bXO52kWT9g

Bwa, ha, ha. Wonder how things are going to look next Jan 20, when the First Year Anniversary of the Great And Patriotic Effort Of Making America Great Again is reached.

[Mischief Maker]

This is all a big distraction from Cheeseburgergate.

[BulletMagnet]

No, no, no, you just don't get it. All this time, every single person even remotely involved in this whole thing, from Comey right on down, has obviously taken every single action along the way for no other reason than to cover up for the Clintons.

Not that it even matters, of course.

[BryanM]

51% of democrats approve of serial killer and rapist George W. Bush. In 2008 something like 12% of them did.

Eight to twelve years from now, the same rehabilitation will be done for Trump!'s image. Because that's how corporate America works.

I know it's an ephemeral illusion that doesn't honestly reflect what people think of him, like how Hillary was at ~60% when she was an invisible ghost herself, but jesus christ people.

[Rob]

Americans are retarded.

[BryanM]

Donna Brazille is advertising her book by talking about the money laundering operation that is the democratic party.

Obama put the thing into massive debt, the Clinton people bought out the party 100% by offering to pay off the debt Citigroup (that's a synonym for Obama, remember.) created, drove the place further into the ground. There might have been some slight additional bias during the primary due to this.

This non-story is really only notable due to the identity of the person collaborating the existence of the obvious. Today as things stand, the DNC is FDR style democrat free, nice and purged. And ready to race to the loser's line next year.

[quash]

51% of democrats approve of serial killer and rapist George W. Bush. In 2008 something like 12% of them did.

Eight to twelve years from now, the same rehabilitation will be done for Trump!'s image. Because that's how corporate America works.

I know it's an ephemeral illusion that doesn't honestly reflect what people think of him, like how Hillary was at ~60% when she was an invisible ghost herself, but jesus christ people.

I don't know if "corporate" America has anything to do with it, I think many people instinctively yearn for a simpler time.

But hey, that's great news for Jeb!

Also, looks like I'll be meeting GEOTUS this weekend UwU

[BryanM]

I don't know if "corporate" America has anything to do with it

I'm pretty sure the corporations are responsible for this sort of thing.





Bush_Ellen_Show.jpg

In a normal universe, these people would, like, not like one another so much.

Yeah, cows tend to forget the bad and remember the good of the past (it's a coping mechanism to maintain sanity. You can't live your life in outrage over every single thing 24/7). But our good friends the capitalists like to exploit that tendency to the fullest.

Bush says some words against how mean and interesting Trump is, and he's suddenly part of #TheResistance. So will Trump, once he disses the sith lord's act of tossing people into furnaces that'll replace him.

JEB!

He's really gone down the memory hole and lost most of that abundant mockery value, eh.

Like with the other washed up wanna-be-president political clowns of the past. They really have the shelf life of cheese.