Prelude to the Apocalypse

[Steamflogger Boss]

I wanna give a blanket apology, I've been biting people's heads off unfairly on this thread this last week. It's one thing to see these militias getting a wink an a nod from the cops someplace far away like Portland, it's another thing to see it in my own backyard. And here I am in quarantine with no option to vent my rage but the internet. Sorry everyone, it was unfair of me.

These are frustrating times. Without getting too personal here, it hasn't been great for me the last couple months. Yesterday a friend was getting checked out for a possible stroke, but it ended up just being complications from stress.

[Steamflogger Boss]

Better out than in, as my old man often remarks shortly after ripping a big one!

Better to fart and bear the shame than not to fart and bear the pain!

[Vanguard]

I think that President Hillary would be fairly different from Trump in terms of symbolic gestures, such as inviting the McCloskeys to speak (lol did he really?) and very similar in terms of real policy. She likely would not have pardoned those scumbag soldiers. Any establishment candidate would be gassing peaceful protestors by now, and doing so for a photo op doesn't sound far off from a Clinton move to me. I have no faith she would show an ounce of mercy to the third worlders murdered, impoverished, and otherwise thrown into chaos by the US government's actions, which is far and away the worst thing about the United States.

Not gonna lie, the supreme court angle is convincing. We really do not need more judges ruling that political bribes are protected speech.

[Specineff]

I'm not going to waste anymore time in this thread. You're a miserable person with hate in your heart, and I'm having the time of my life over here unemployed (yet still being paid) in Texas. I came back for a funeral in May and got trapped! My work is very understanding and kept me on payroll. Not my fault, after all, right? The Japanese government wont let me back in. I do miss my cabs, though..

I do hate your hypocrisy for deriding other immigrants after having been an immigrant yourself. And my, is that narcissism?

I'll check back in another 4 years and see if anyone has convinced anyone to switch over, or you've managed to get me off your mind.

Take as long as you want. You're the one who replied. Not like anyone put a gun to your head and forced you to do so, or as if you had contributed meaningfully to the discussion ever since, right?

I also just wanted to let you know that I had a hearty laugh at this:

Laugh all you want, it only makes your pettiness more pitiable. EDIT: See end of post.

You were in the midst of such a vein-popping, foaming at the mouth, fist-shaking, impotent rage

You mean like your own vein-popping, foaming at the mouth, fist-shaking, ad-hominem-and-strawman-laden impotent rage when I called out Trump's bullshit, that you had to defend him as if your life depended on it? Kettle, meet Pot.

that it took you six fucking edits to complete a semi-coherent (yet still nonsensical) post.

Correcting misplaced or missing quote brackets or a comma, and having to expand an argument due to being distracted with other things around the house is a thing, you know. Is that the best you can do? But hey, be petty if that feeds your ego. Thanks for proving to everyone my point about being unable to argue without using ad-hominems.

Patriot bucks? Seriously? WTF is that?

You tell me. You're the one who makes up so many imaginary scenarios to have a discussion with anyone, it would seem you get bonuses in such equally thought-up currency. Did you get any for showing everyone how stupid Minty was and making him cry to a mod about it, as you said you would?

I bid you good day, sir.

Nah, you have a good day. It's evident you need it more.

EDIT: Original, now-deleted post I was replying to.

https://imgur.com/69fNDFj

[BryanM]

Claire's old article, How I Helped Todd Akin Win — So I Could Beat Him Later, is pretty typical of big-brained pol strategy. Todd Akin was the guy who said that women don't need abortions because their bodies have a way of "shutting down" an unwanted pregnancy from rape, if you forgot.

In 2015-16 she was one of the most loyal and extreme of Clinton's attack dogs to maul the left.

In 2018 when it looked like her race was going to be close, she followed up with another big-brain strategy: cling to Trump's leg and hump it, hard. Shockingly, this seems to have given a couple more points in favor of her opponent. Who coulda guessed that people who like Trump would vote for republicans, while democrats don't like voting for Trump supporters?

After being one of the few democrats to humiliating lose in a democrat counter-wave year, Claire was rewarded with a contract with MSNBC. The details of the contract are not public - but my spider sense suspects it's probably at least a few factors more than she ever made working in congress.

The strategy used in the 2016 Clinton campaign to appeal to "suburban" republicans is being repeated here in 2020. "Trump bad, but republicans good!" is their rallying call once more. They'll probably be able to keep that one county in California flipped, but there's probably still an extreme lack of asshole republican actors in the swing states. Polling data says Biden is doing effectively exactly the same as Clinton was in August. The odds say it's another coinflip, and I'd assume it's hedged a bit in Trump's favor.

Their motivation for repeating a disastrous, failed strategy is speculated the same as always: either the most powerful people on the planet are so extremely stupid beyond the point of the rationally possible (their brains seem to work well enough to maneuver spoonfuls of food into their mouths, after all), or they'd prefer to lose like this than win by offering slightly more humane policy.

... I say all this to bring up something that's been bothering me these last couple days: What kind of absolute freak is Obama, who actually tried to win elections and craft an image as a benevolent person? When that's... complete anathema to what democrats are supposed to do, it seems?

I can't stand their worship of Tulsi Gabbard while bashing people far to her left.

I guess you didn't frequent the Warren stans' hangouts. The average posts there were stuff along the lines about how Sanders was a lazy dummy who didn't do his homework. (And that's on the nicer side.) Instead of people who want to expand Medicare, it was more the crowd that fetishizes having lots of Rube Goldberg plans that no one understands, no one can explain in a speech, don't do much, and are intended to never be passed. If they weren't interested in her solely due to her being a professor or a woman.

While Pete forums would have made your brain melt out of your ears. It's normal to dislike people with different value alignments in the middle of a war.

[BIL]

KENOSHA CLOWN SHOW: Browsing the DA's complaint, which reads suspiciously like the layup for a slam-dunk acquittal - Oh noes, Pedo Manlet didn't just get domed, he was also shot in the dick God's a real cute prick sometimes!

Enjoying footage of PM getting his wig on prior to the incident. Straight outta Madison, crazy motherfucker named Rosenbaum! At a glance, he appears an angry little man without much self control - the sort to gamble on attacking and disarming a pudgy Smol Gay Boi. He runnin' away like a lil bitch, yo! Pedal them lil manlet legs as hard as you can while throwing your 40 at his head! What's he gon do when you catch him - shoot you in the dick?

I am loving the spurious, flamingly dishonest argument that when fleeing an enraged mob, one should not resist, but surrender and trust in the well-documented restraint and compassion of enraged mobs. In my Marvel movies it always works out, why not IRL? He said, not having seen a day of peril in his obese, neckbearded, McD's-fuelled bourgeoisie existence.



Smol Gay's lucky this particular mob was a bunch of pussies who broke at the first shots, there were easily enough armed bodies encircling to smother him into a pudgy cadaver. It's almost like the gas station torching set are just bored dickweeds out for a bit of recreational violence. Respect here to Pedo Manlet, a genuinely angry man who'd done hard time and wasn't going to brook anyone coming between him and his Slurpee-dispensing quarry, especially not a chubby little queer hiding behind an AR. Now there's a man I'd put in charge of a death squad, after locking up my kids.

ALSO enjoying footage of Smol Gay doing he crimez prior to his fateful escape from Pedo Manlet.

BONUS FEATURE! Lefty's 1337 Tactical False Surrender & Quickshot Execution - Steal his move!

Spoiler

[Mischief Maker]

I read it as well. If it sounds suspiciously like a layup for an acquittal, it's probably because it's mostly based on the testimony of a Daily Caller reporter (Tucker Carlson's tabloid). The "molotov cocktail" thrown at the shooter turns out to be a plastic bag.

Nothing in the report excuses the Kenosha police for letting the kid walk right past their cars with a gun in his hand and skip town scot-free.

[BIL]

I read it as well. If it sounds suspiciously like a layup for an acquittal, it's probably because it's mostly based on the testimony of a Daily Caller reporter (Tucker Carlson's tabloid).

The stated facts appear sound, going by all available evidence. It's the choice of charges I'm surprised by. They'd be lucky to get him on manslaughter.

I can only assume they're deliberately overcharging with a view to having him skate, but that gets into tinfoil.

The "molotov cocktail" thrown at the shooter turns out to be a plastic bag.

Really invites the question of WTF Pedo Manlet was thinking, doesn't it? He's even seen brandishing his 40 Of Bonking earlier in the night, while assaulting another portly AR-toting greenshirt. A hyper-aggressive ex-con with a long record of violence, bent on stealing a gun, even if it meant chasing down and battering the fleeing owner... what a star!

Nothing in the report excuses the Kenosha police for letting the kid walk right past their cars with a gun in his hand and skip town scot-free.

That was very irresponsible of them, and warrants investigation. Smol Gay was doing all he could to turn himself in, having just fought off the lynch mob! What if they'd actually shown some guts, and attacked him again? Further injury and death would've surely ensued.

[Mischief Maker]

In their weak defense, "Get that guy" followed by skateboard-to-the-face was a pretty effective combo against the guy that brought a bow and arrow to the George Floyd protests.

[ED-057]

Witness the natural progression of the two party system. It wasn't absurd enough that people were made to choose between lying, thieving war mongers owned by special interests as candidates for public office. Now we are to take sides in every scuffle amongst common criminals incited by the corporate media, whipping out each participant's record of charges and convictions like it's a DnD character sheet. Strangler, molester, or gun runner? Which character class do you want to play today?

I have no doubt that this is a peculiar form of fetishism enjoyed by the ruling class. It's a master/slave type arrangement where TPTB take great care in thinking up the most toxic and repulsive options to put on the menu, and then masturbate furiously as the plebs eagerly gobble it up and defend their choice to do so.

[orange808]

So, can anybody make a coherent argument for America's current health care system--without ignoring facts or inventing fake numbers?

Dear Baby Boomer,

I still don't understand how something this obvious can never get traction. Are boomers really this stupid? Universal health care makes sense. It makes sense in every possible way. It's cheaper with better results.

The results speak for themselves. People are "waiting" to see the doctor? Yes. That's true. But, Americans are waiting even longer because of the cost. Europe and Canada are outperforming the American system despite the "wait".

So, that argument is bullshit.

There are no death panels. That's bullshit, too.

Market failure is more destructive and wasteful in this situation than any "government waste". Corporate greed exceeds the costs of red tape and corruption. Europe and Canada have the numbers.

So, are boomers really stupid? I struggle to find another explanation for ignoring facts. It's not even open for discussion. The evidence is piled sky high. So, I don't understand telling me stuff you read in the 1980's, baby boomer. It's 2020. Are you stupid?

I want to know. Are you really stupid, baby boomer? Looks like it to me. If not, prove it.

We've shut down the entire economy to save you from a disease that young people can defeat. If you love meritocracy, why won't you accept nature's death sentence? That's not my point, though. My point is: you tell me the economic cost of changing our health care system is "too high". That's an awfully bullshitty excuse after the baby boomers created a much larger economic downturn to save themselves from Covid. So, that "economic impact" excuse is also bullshit.

Got anything else, boomer?

[GaijinPunch]

Stop blaming the fucking baby boomers for everything. You'd be the exact same cog in the exact same machine as them if you were born 35 years earlier. You sound worse than everyone else calling out millenials.

[BryanM]

Bart at least knows generation X deserves some of the blame.

Still relevant commentary... "The Simpsons is Timeless" would be a more impressive feat if time ever moved forward.

[orange808]

A. Gajin has proven to be a centrist time and again. The duopoly forced us together, but we aren't really allies. I'm also tired of the apologist shit. Baby boomers invented the "open an honest evaluation" when they reached the executive suite. Well, it cuts both ways. Me thinks you protests too much, sir.

Also, age doesn't excuse bad decisions for healthy people--and people with dementia shouldn't be voting.

B. Gen X can be dealt with the same way the boomers handled them. Drown them in votes. They don't have the numbers to object. Let them be libertarians. Split them and they essentially disappear. The boomers are the road block.

Still not seeing a single factual based defense of the current health care system. There won't be a coherent argument, because there is no argument anymore.

[Specineff]

Stop blaming the fucking baby boomers for everything. You'd be the exact same cog in the exact same machine as them if you were born 35 years earlier. You sound worse than everyone else calling out millenials.

That reminds me, my younger brother's mother in law is not a boomer, but fully believes everything about death panels and six-week waits causing a bug bite to develop into gangrene in countries with socialized health care. Even after showing her the incredibly low bills that people from those countries post on social media after major operations (ruptured spinal discs, bypasses, etc)

Just wanted to throw that in.

[CIT]

That reminds me, my younger brother's mother in law is not a boomer, but fully believes everything about death panels and six-week waits causing a bug bite to develop into gangrene in countries with socialized health care. Even after showing her the incredibly low bills that people from those countries post on social media after major operations (ruptured spinal discs, bypasses, etc)

That’s because American politics is not actually about policy but about belief.

If you admitted that Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Israel, Australia, and basically every other civilized country in the world have better healthcare systems in place and have been handling COVID-19 more successfully, you would have to admit that America isn’t the greatestest most exceptionalest country in the world. And it’s really important for a lot of Americans to believe that and continue to live to live a lie.

[Mischief Maker]

I know some radical-ass boomers who were hardcore Bernie fans from his Thom Hartmann days long before the vast majority of millennials even knew who he was. Generational divide-and-conquer is still divide-and-conquer.

The other night Matt Christman said something on one of his livestreams that stuck with me: that it's healthy for the left to get a little more conspiratorially minded and start asking about whether toxic tendencies within the movement are actually ops. We know for a fact that government agents have been infiltrating left-wing organizations for decades at least, why shouldn't we expect it now? Especially since the relative anonymity of the internet only makes it easier. Does "the left eat itself" because of something inherent to the movement, or because of interlopers pretending to be part of it?

I'm extremely suspect of this whole "class reductionist" thing that suddenly became prominent in recent months. Because in practice it seems to have nothing to do with racial justice and everything to do with preventing people from developing class consciousness. When Adolph Reed jr. is disinvited from speaking to the Democratic Socialists of America because he's talking too much about class, my antennas twitch.

[GaijinPunch]

A. Gajin has proven to be a centrist time and again. The duopoly forced us together, but we aren't really allies. I'm also tired of the apologist shit. Baby boomers invented the "open an honest evaluation" when they reached the executive suite. Well, it cuts both ways. Me thinks you protests too much, sir.

Also, age doesn't excuse bad decisions for healthy people--and people with dementia shouldn't be voting.

B. Gen X can be dealt with the same way the boomers handled them. Drown them in votes. They don't have the numbers to object. Let them be libertarians. Split them and they essentially disappear. The boomers are the road block.

Still not seeing a single factual based defense of the current health care system. There won't be a coherent argument, because there is no argument anymore.

Once again, you sound like old white people that talk about "them" rioting.

There are plenty of Gen X and Boomers that know the US has a fucked health care system. There are most certainly millenials that think the opposite. This is shmups... we deserve better than reductionist posts.

[BryanM]

I do agree with Gaijin that being angry at people with no money and no power does act as a hard wall to push people out. It's somewhat like how democrats like to be snooty and act like the sea of red is a bunch of stupid racist rednecks. Kind of hard to sell someone something when you fucking hate them.

And I agree with orange808 that it's infuriating that it's impossible to educate people - the classic line of "Fox News/MSNBC will talk to them thousands of times more than you ever can" illustrating how utterly futile it is. Trying just makes me feel like Jack in that old sasquatch skit, where he keeps presenting evidence to the store clerk and the guy just isn't buying it. Like a crazy person.

This makes me the True Centrist! Bow before my unrivaled magnanimity.

While on the topic of tabletop roleplaying games, cross-faction political discourse is kinda like a really, really god awful game of Lasers and Feelings. With laser people shooting lasers at feelings people and feeling people shooting feelings at laser people.

[BIL]

The Kenosha Clown Show was kicked off by a literal dumpster fire.

The Dumpster of Peace was being wheeled past the gas station. Someone extinguished it. Pedo Manlet's rage meter exploded.

Dumpster. You made me happy.

NEXT EPISODE: Smol Gay The Hunted

[system11]

I wonder how much longer this has to continue before people stop defending this fucking insanity.

STOP DEFENDING SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
STOP ENDORSING AND ENCOURAGING BULLYING AND VIOLENCE AGAINST INNOCENTS
STOP CALLING RIOTERS AND VIOLENT ACTIVIST MOBS "PROTESTERS"
STOP DEMONISING ANYONE WHO TRIES TO STAND UP AGAINST POLITICAL VIOLENCE

And please, stop reacting to stories immediately based on media / twitter narrative. They mislead by omission or distortion of facts, either on purpose or because everyone is rushing to make a story out of something before facts are known.

Last night, it is alleged that a BLM/Antifa terrorist shot someone just for being pro Trump/Blue Lives Matter, with no provocation. If true, this is the first actual straight up political execution, but as ever - wait a few days before judging it. How long was it before we discovered the George Floyd narrative was highly questionable? The event that sparked this whole shit show off has so many questionable elements you have to wonder if the same things would have come to happen, if people had just waited for the full story before reacting to it. 30+ people might still be alive, many hundreds more may still have their livelyhoods intact, public property and historical monuments worldwide might still be intact, some police might not be deaf or blind from attacks by fucking brownshirts.

If you consider yourself part of 'the left' you need to have a serious fucking think about actually calling this out now. And the Democrats need to be kicked into 2040 - they're still encouraging this. Even now, after we've seen all the damage to society they're still encouraging it. The media are still standing in front of fires and saying they're peaceful. Innocent people are being harassed at their homes and in public by groups demanding fealty.

[BulletMagnet]

I wonder how much longer this has to continue before people stop defending this fucking insanity.

Pretty much nobody is, and once you're out of Marginal YouTuber territory all you see is unreserved condemnation if you bother to look. And I'm not sure what else you think should be happening...

...unless you happen to think that any such manner of mass protest ought to be opposed on account of their innate potential for nutcases (and/or saboteurs) to sneak in and turn things violent...which isn't an entirely unreasonable viewpoint on its face, especially in the midst of a pandemic, although I'd imagine that most of the folks who would subscribe to it have previously applauded similar displays, and particularly ones that involved a whole lot more firearms.

[emphatic]

I wonder how much longer this has to continue before people stop defending this fucking insanity.

STOP DEFENDING SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
STOP ENDORSING AND ENCOURAGING BULLYING AND VIOLENCE AGAINST INNOCENTS
STOP CALLING RIOTERS AND VIOLENT ACTIVIST MOBS "PROTESTERS"
STOP DEMONISING ANYONE WHO TRIES TO STAND UP AGAINST POLITICAL VIOLENCE

And please, stop reacting to stories immediately based on media / twitter narrative. They mislead by omission or distortion of facts, either on purpose or because everyone is rushing to make a story out of something before facts are known.

Last night, it is alleged that a BLM/Antifa terrorist shot someone just for being pro Trump/Blue Lives Matter, with no provocation. If true, this is the first actual straight up political execution, but as ever - wait a few days before judging it. How long was it before we discovered the George Floyd narrative was highly questionable? The event that sparked this whole shit show off has so many questionable elements you have to wonder if the same things would have come to happen, if people had just waited for the full story before reacting to it. 30+ people might still be alive, many hundreds more may still have their livelyhoods intact, public property and historical monuments worldwide might still be intact, some police might not be deaf or blind from attacks by fucking brownshirts.

If you consider yourself part of 'the left' you need to have a serious fucking think about actually calling this out now. And the Democrats need to be kicked into 2040 - they're still encouraging this. Even now, after we've seen all the damage to society they're still encouraging it. The media are still standing in front of fires and saying they're peaceful. Innocent people are being harassed at their homes and in public by groups demanding fealty.

Amen, brother.

[BryanM]

If you consider yourself part of 'the left' you need to have a serious fucking think about actually calling this out now. And the Democrats need to be kicked into 2040 - they're still encouraging this. Even now, after we've seen all the damage to society they're still encouraging it. The media are still standing in front of fires and saying they're peaceful. Innocent people are being harassed at their homes and in public by groups demanding fealty.

No seriously, is the double spacing after periods an east coast thing?

I googled it, and variable width fonts were invented over 200 years ago. I thought maybe it was this vestigial thing from the 1960's, but it's obviously not; though I do assume lunatic teachers during children's development years are to blame - can anyone explain where this insane, unnatural thing comes from?

[orange808]

Banksy has good intentions, but some of us yanks have been around. The police don't have easy access to guns to shoot and that's the only reason people aren't gunned down in the UK. You have major race problem and police brutality problem and there are reams of data to prove it.

I realise he doesn't represent his nation (and vice versa), but there is something about a British funded boat delivering refugees to Italy--after the Brits voted to close their borders to refugees.

So, the Union Jacks wave in London town!

Maybe he should paint a burning Union Jack. Know what? Need to deliver those people to the UK. Need to get your own police issue fixed. Need to deal with your own National Front types. Need to come to terms with your own foreign policy and empire history.

Careful pointing that finger. I've seen The Sun.

[Mortificator]

STOP DEFENDING SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
STOP ENDORSING AND ENCOURAGING BULLYING AND VIOLENCE AGAINST INNOCENTS

Got a funny story for you about how the US establishment got itself established.

[FinalBaton]

I wonder how much longer this has to continue before people stop defending this fucking insanity.

STOP DEFENDING SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
STOP ENDORSING AND ENCOURAGING BULLYING AND VIOLENCE AGAINST INNOCENTS
STOP CALLING RIOTERS AND VIOLENT ACTIVIST MOBS "PROTESTERS"
STOP DEMONISING ANYONE WHO TRIES TO STAND UP AGAINST POLITICAL VIOLENCE

And please, stop reacting to stories immediately based on media / twitter narrative. They mislead by omission or distortion of facts, either on purpose or because everyone is rushing to make a story out of something before facts are known.

Last night, it is alleged that a BLM/Antifa terrorist shot someone just for being pro Trump/Blue Lives Matter, with no provocation. If true, this is the first actual straight up political execution, but as ever - wait a few days before judging it. How long was it before we discovered the George Floyd narrative was highly questionable? The event that sparked this whole shit show off has so many questionable elements you have to wonder if the same things would have come to happen, if people had just waited for the full story before reacting to it. 30+ people might still be alive, many hundreds more may still have their livelyhoods intact, public property and historical monuments worldwide might still be intact, some police might not be deaf or blind from attacks by fucking brownshirts.

If you consider yourself part of 'the left' you need to have a serious fucking think about actually calling this out now. And the Democrats need to be kicked into 2040 - they're still encouraging this. Even now, after we've seen all the damage to society they're still encouraging it. The media are still standing in front of fires and saying they're peaceful. Innocent people are being harassed at their homes and in public by groups demanding fealty.

I'd say that's a pretty good take.

especilly the ''wait for the full story'' part. from all media and pol beliefs we often see short vids that are framed to push an agenda. omitting bits or cleverly editing. we often lack the full picture of the context too before knee jerk reacting. in the age of twitter it's really tempting to wanting to react quickly

[BIL]

STOP DEFENDING SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY

It's just property, lives > property, besides, They Have Insurance

said the trust fund private healthcare gaping bougie cunt who never ran a business let alone made an insurance claim in his life

[orange808]

The United States produces and sells millions of guns, while removing very few of them from circulation. The ratio/guns per capita dictates that: guns will be more readily available with every passing year.

"To a man with a hammer, the whole world is a nail."

Of course people from all different walks of life are getting shot. America has a gun culture.

Although, it's important to add one fact to the discussion. The right wing is responsible for maintaining the status quo. The Democrats aren't left. If you say they are, you're either ignorant or willfully disingenuous. If you blame the left for the actions of a government that is entirely right wing (and run by special interests), you can't be taken seriously.

It's the gun culture, dummy.

If the UK had the guns, that drunk meathead dumbass in the pub would be shooting. No doubt in my mind.

[BryanM]

If you blame the left for the actions of a government that is entirely right wing (and run by special interests), you can't be taken seriously.

Biden = Bernie!