Prelude to the Apocalypse

[BryanM]

Let's just hope the democrats vote "no" as a bloc and use their veto power to...

... sigh. I can't even fucking pretend it's a possibility they'd do something like that.

Once again, there's no penalty for a Dem senator voting to reward literal torture or rape. Maybe there should be.

Politicians suck because they don't represent the people.They care about money most of all, so the donor is king. Money needs to be taken out of politics.

Yeah, this is so obvious that only insane people don't understand this is issue #1. If there's even a single thing you want that would take a nickel away from our Wealthy Capitalist overlords, you can not have it until this is addressed. The problem is how to do it when they're the ones with the power - a chicken and egg kind of problem.

There have been attempts to go around the sock puppets and implement some reforms directly. Unfortunately more often than not such referendums get overturned by those in power, and I've even given up bitching about it in this thread. Just pretend that every month some tepid citizen's reform proposal gets passed and then immediately trashed, save yourself the time and focus.

An extremely helpful thing would be to elect representatives that aren't sock puppets. On the presidential level, we've had one (1) viable person that meets that criteria in the last 40 years. This year, we've had one (1) human being replace a corporate democrat on the ballot. There are a few more theoretical potential pickups on the national level going into the general, but are in red districts with an uphill fight. On the state level things aren't always quite as dire as that at least.

Imagine a world where democrats don't drool on themselves at best when a first-hand gang rapist is nominated to the supreme court. Or even try to actively protect him at worst.

[Durandal]

Unfortunately they weren't selling tickets for the screening where I lived, but for clarity's sake:

Is this whole thing just a massive Charisma stat check? The main goal behind this (or at least what actually resulted from it) seems to be to establish who is more 'believable' or not through words and theatrics, which comes off as more of a PR battle than actually getting to the truth of any matter. Is this some time-honored American tradition I'm not aware of, or what?

I love my courtroom dramas, which is why I can't stand these charades.

[BryanM]

It's a bunch of people pointing out he's a sex offender. (As all people of his caste are. The Bill Cosby thing is a super popular hobby of rich kids.) While everyone else ignores them or calls them lying sluts in the nicest way possible. But that's just the show they put on for us plebs, it's like a professional wrestling match. A tv show to entertain at best with nothing of material consequence at stake underneath.

It's more analogous to police departments investigating themselves for corruption or abuse. "We investigated ourselves and found no problems."

Also functions as a 1984 kind of thing. When the corruption or evil is so blatantly in our face and still gets rewarded, it's supposed to make people demoralized, give up, and check out. As many people like to point out, the #1 electoral group isn't democrats or republicans, it's non-voters.

It is depressing as hell when foreigners ask "If these allegations are true or at least have some merit, why isn't there a criminal investigation? How the hell is it possible he can still be confirmed?" And we have to sigh and explain "because this is 'merica."

[Zen]

Politicians suck because they don't represent the people.

Politicians suck because they are filth. As for "representing the people"; the majority of the talking apes believe in a sky daddy.
The fate of "humanity" should be secure in their assorted hoofs and paws, for sure.

attempts to go around the sock puppets

Represent.Us.
Mission Statement; "to build the movement that fixes America's corrupt political system".
Founded and directed by Josh Silver.
Alumnus of Evergreen State College.



Seems legit.

On the presidential level, we've had one (1) viable person that meets that criteria in the last 40 years.

Oh you fucker! I gotta know; Who?

This year, we've had one (1) human being replace a corporate democrat on the ballot.

Again, who?

Is this whole thing just a massive Charisma stat check? The main goal behind this (or at least what actually resulted from it) seems to be to establish who is more 'believable' or not through words and theatrics, which comes off as more of a PR battle than actually getting to the truth of any matter. Is this some time-honored American tradition I'm not aware of, or what?

Did you not see Jerry Maguire (1996)?

[Rob]

It's a bunch of people pointing out he's a sex offender.

BELIEVE WOMEN



It would be helpful if any of the witnesses she mentioned could corroborate her story. None have done so.

It is depressing as hell when foreigners ask "If these allegations are true or at least have some merit, why isn't there a criminal investigation? How the hell is it possible he can still be confirmed?" And we have to sigh and explain "because this is 'merica."

Which country or countries are these flabbergasted foreigners from, to know what exemplar(s) of justice we're being compared to, if these people even exist? The answer would be to ask the accuser who thought it best to sit on it and make it a public spectacle.

[Weak Boson]

I was sick that day so I spent all day watching the hearing.

I was quite struck by Lindsay Graham's comments. The idea that "there's no way a man as good as this could do something so bad" is tragically untrue and completely typifies the difficult in seeking justice for these kinds of abusive offences. I know folks here are pretty cynical, but I swear there was a moment where Graham really seemed to believe his own lies, and to take comfort in the fact that he was doing the right thing. Of course it's only possible to do that if you put Ford's testimony well out of mind.

I was expecting to tune out during Kavanagh's testimony, instead I was completely confused by his tears - confused and disgusted when it became apparent that he was crying for himself. Things got less interesting after a few breaks when the republican committee members decided to speak on his behalf and when the special guest lady prosecutor was put to sleep. Then the only things to enjoy were the comic double standards Kavanagh and his class benefit from and the (frankly welcome) refrains on beer.

In any case it was definitely a bright moment for Ford who, despite going in there as the plaything of a dysfunctional committee, rose above the indignity of the proceedings to get her voice heard.

[BryanM]

beer.

The social feigned fondness for beer is very much a part of Zen's "people have been bred by natural selection into tamed sheep" meme. Nobody really honestly likes this stuff, it's swill. Peer pressure consensus is the only reason it has any popularity at all. Just like how Star Wars would be nothing today, if it hadn't reached a critical feedback mass.

Man, one of my uncles was a life long alcoholic and it's destroyed his brain and body in retirement. He could have saved so much money and done the same amount of damage to himself with Everclear or something. They'd have been in a much better situation than they are now.

I always dreamed of being a professional alcoholic when I grew up, but I could never reach the heights these real pros have reached. Have too much interest in other hobbies to spend every waking moment chugging it down.

His wife is a Trump booster of course. At their age when they know death is close and all that they have left to show the world that they were here is their descendants and stuff like some rock with 10 naggy orders on it in front of a courthouse. Myself, I try to convince them they should care more about maybe getting their Social Security payments increased a bit, but since that's never spoken of on television (they (democrats+republicans) only ever talk about cutting Social Security whenever it comes up) it's me that comes across like a crazy alien from another planet.

Chapo's cynical observation that we're a monoculture that just sits alone in our houses watching TV is too close to an absolute truth than it ought to be.

[quash]

Dianne Feinstein raped me when I was in high school. I demand that she steps down and the FBI investigate immediately.

[BulletMagnet]

The best part is, the sexual assault allegations aren't the most troubling part of this nomination.

For those who can still recall the ancient history of two years ago, Trump openly campaigned on a promise to nominate Scalia-esque brazen conservative ideologues to the Court (and before anyone attempts to mumble the word "originalist", spare yourselves the embarrassment ), particularly with the end goal of overturning Roe v. Wade in mind. Let me repeat that: Trump literally promised that whoever he nominated was preordained to vote a certain way on certain issues: as such, when Kavanaugh insists that he's "just calling balls and strikes", he's full of shit, because if that was the way he ruled he wouldn't have been nominated. If he weren't at least as empty-souled a plutocrat as Gorsuch, who was perfectly A-O-K with accepting the seat that was stolen in broad daylight by McConnell and company, we wouldn't be having this conversation. If the "values voters" didn't have their latest pitiful excuse to keep voting Republican no matter how amoral a candidate is nominated, we wouldn't be here.

Of course, we already knew that he played a major role in legitimizing the Vince Foster conspiracy theory (before suddenly becoming much less eager to subject a sitting President to legal inquiry, for some mysterious reason ), but yesterday, when he not only cried and screamed after his accuser kept her composure, not only dismissed the allegations against him as yet another Clintonian conspiracy, but warned those involved that they'd "reap the whirlwind for decades to come", who the fuck still thinks this guy is remotely impartial, principled, or even temperanced enough to deserve a lifetime appointment to the nation's highest court?

It's a sad commentary not only on how willing the yeeaaahhh fuck yooouuu yeeaahhh crowd is to debase themselves and everyone around them just as long as they can Own The Libtards, but on how the increasingly hapless "resistance" is somehow unable to make a compelling case out of things we can take to the fucking bank as opposed to unprovable accusations from decades ago.

[quash]

The best part is, the sexual assault allegations aren't the most troubling part of this nomination.

I agree. I think it's quite telling how the rights of a Supreme Court nominee take a backseat to political circus. Even the most head in the sand people are seeing through this most transparent last ditch measure.

But really, the most troubling thing to me is that Democrats think you're actually stupid enough to fall for it.

[BryanM]

Even the most head in the sand people are seeing through this most transparent last ditch measure.

But really, the most troubling thing to me is that Democrats think you're actually stupid enough to fall for it.

... ????

Democrats want this particular rapist to be seated. Otherwise, they would, at a minimum, penalize their caucus members that are going to confirm him. Like the republicans did with Garland. Feinstein actively suppressed Ford's allegation in particular.

Hope this helps, buttercup. You seem really out of it reading Breitbart all day.

Wrestling isn't real, they work for the same guy. Stop pretending to be an ignorant dummy.

Dianne Feinstein raped me when I was in high school. I demand that she steps down and the FBI investigate immediately.

I wish.

[quash]

https://ibb.co/eBeggp

The series finale of America is shaping up to be one for the ages.

[Zen]

not only dismissed the allegations against him as yet another Clintonian conspiracy, but warned those involved that they'd "reap the whirlwind for decades to come",

Its basic enough theatre but still its quite effective.
The “You sowed the wind. For decades to come, I fear the whole country will reap the whirlwind” line, though utterly predictable, was the money shot.
It's what the, as you call them, "yeeaaahhh fuck yooouuu yeeaahhh crowd", came to see.
The Judge has now been anointed with the blood of his own martyrdom. If he survives, his retribution will be righteous , "yeeaaahhh fuck yooouuu yeeaahhh!".

I don't suppose, there is any point in mentioning to you fellas that its all a script?

It's a sad commentary not only on how willing the yeeaaahhh fuck yooouuu yeeaahhh crowd is to debase themselves and everyone around them just as long as they can Own The Libtards, but on how the increasingly hapless "resistance" is somehow unable to make a compelling case out of things we can take to the fucking bank as opposed to unprovable accusations from decades ago.

Yeah, its kinda weird, that at the very same time the erstwhile forgotten "deplorables" feel like they are "winning", their sworn enemies "The Good Guys" are spastically pratfalling at every turn.
There's such a poetic, cyclical symmetry to it all. It feels real, so it must be real.

I'm sure if we all, as BryanM prescribes, vote in greater numbers at the Hotel California and engage ourselves in politics even more, everything will work out fine.


STOP THE PRESSES!;

Wrestling isn't real, they work for the same guy.

OHMYGAAAD!!
Make up your mind!

[quash]

https://twitter.com/MikeTokes/status/10 ... 78112?s=19

Just a coincidence, I'm sure.

[ED-057]

he's a sex offender. (As all people of his caste are.

Do you mean the male caste? Or something more specific like affluenza or psychopathy?

Oh you fucker! I gotta know; Who?

He said viable... maybe Ross Perot.

Politicians suck because they are filth. As for "representing the people"; the majority of the talking apes believe in a sky daddy.
The fate of "humanity" should be secure in their assorted hoofs and paws, for sure.

This guy says that elections may not be the be-all end-all of Democracy

The Judge has now been anointed with the blood of his own martyrdom.

That's a good point. Except in the unlikely event of a confession, neither team will concede and both teams get to have their martyrs. For years to come people can say either "they [almost] ruined that guy with an unsubstantiated allegation!" or "they [almost] put a rapist on the Supeme Court!" depending on whichever suits them.

Sucks for everyone, except the corporate media who probably love talking about this instead of:

The best part is, the sexual assault allegations aren't the most troubling part of this nomination.

[Zen]

Except in the unlikely event of a confession, neither team will concede and both teams get to have their martyrs. For years to come people can say either "they [almost] ruined that guy with an unsubstantiated allegation!" or "they [almost] put a rapist on the Supeme Court!" depending on whichever suits them.

Just so.
Whichever way this pans out, the American people will be divided, demoralised, and debased even further.
It's strange. It's almost like . . . . oh, never mind.

This guy says that elections may not be the be-all end-all of Democracy

Gave it a watch.
"Direct Democracy", discussed here by two "gentlemen" who, I am sure, have the very best intentions towards "improving" Democracy.

They point out that "Representative Democracy", gives you "reality" tv stars as Presidents, while not pointing out, of course, that this class of debasement was always the point of Democracy in general.
Remember when you chaps had a Republic? Yeah, same "Democracy" scam pulled on us, over here in Ireland.
On that point, the example of Irish "Direct Democracy", that Reybrouck gives in this interview, is presented in an impossibly naive way.

But back to "The Show";
ON CONTACT - Hosted by Chris "unhinged" Hedges.
Guest - David Van Coudenhove-Kalergi, sorry, I mean van Reybrouck, who is now considered "one of Europe's foremost intellectuals", apparently
Reybrouck, you must understand, has an absolute obsession with Afro-Euro "bonding".
Indeed, his book Against Elections, which is the basis of their discussion here, has an introduction from that eternal frontman, kofi Annan.

This circus tent is pitched by; "Russia Today - America"!

Jesus wept!


Speaking of horrible video's;

Chapo's cynical observation that we're a monoculture that just sits alone in our houses watching TV is too close to an absolute truth than it ought to be.

Jesus Christ! These boys are Black Holes to testosterone. Just goes to show; Biology informs everything.


Also; Did anyone see where that flash came from?!

Spoiler

[Steamflogger Boss]

Let's just hope the democrats vote "no" as a bloc and use their veto power to...

... sigh. I can't even fucking pretend it's a possibility they'd do something like that.

Once again, there's no penalty for a Dem senator voting to reward literal torture or rape. Maybe there should be.

Politicians suck because they don't represent the people.They care about money most of all, so the donor is king. Money needs to be taken out of politics.

Yeah, this is so obvious that only insane people don't understand this is issue #1. If there's even a single thing you want that would take a nickel away from our Wealthy Capitalist overlords, you can not have it until this is addressed. The problem is how to do it when they're the ones with the power - a chicken and egg kind of problem.

There have been attempts to go around the sock puppets and implement some reforms directly. Unfortunately more often than not such referendums get overturned by those in power, and I've even given up bitching about it in this thread. Just pretend that every month some tepid citizen's reform proposal gets passed and then immediately trashed, save yourself the time and focus.

An extremely helpful thing would be to elect representatives that aren't sock puppets. On the presidential level, we've had one (1) viable person that meets that criteria in the last 40 years. This year, we've had one (1) human being replace a corporate democrat on the ballot. There are a few more theoretical potential pickups on the national level going into the general, but are in red districts with an uphill fight. On the state level things aren't always quite as dire as that at least.

Imagine a world where democrats don't drool on themselves at best when a first-hand gang rapist is nominated to the supreme court. Or even try to actively protect him at worst.

Nothing cuts through partisanship like smashing down corruption reform.

[Rob]

Afro-Euro "bonding".

Speaking of which, just saw these soft-pornographic pics of Macron (if they even appear - image host seems to be acting up) making the rounds and the 70 year old wife starts to make a bit more sense...

Spoiler

Article.

Speaking of horrible video's;

Chapo's cynical observation that we're a monoculture that just sits alone in

our houses watching TV is too close to an absolute truth than it ought to be.

Jesus Christ! These boys are Black Holes to testosterone. Just goes to show; Biology informs everything.

Yeah. Those doughy, slovenly, unmotivated lumps are the essence of the urbanite bugman meme. They do an excellent job of describing their lifestyle, but mistake it for something universal. It's funny to me how they can thumb their noses at any class of people in America (rural or middle class whites are "the worst people our nation can produce" apparently - or did I mishear?).

[BryanM]

Yes, I, too, enjoy feeling superior to other humans while posting on a dead weaboo forum.

[Mischief Maker]

This forum must be in its season finale because all these Daleks just showed up.

[quash]

https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie- ... ge-2018-10

Gotta love how all it takes to placate socialist politicians is a little dough. As above, so below.

[BryanM]

Gotta love how all it takes to placate socialist politicians is doing what they say and pay your employees a living wage.

???? Yeah?????????????????????

That $3 an hour maximum wage for wagies you want isn't ever going to come man. Labor gets pissy long before then, and if Amazon folded over one mere summer of mild organized employee pushback, a normal person knows capital wasn't doing it because they're Santa Claus. It was to avoid having to pay more.

Unless... you do think Amazon should give their employees more, that the employees should form a union and demand air conditioning in their warehouses and 30 minutes of rest a day, at least enough to take a piss and a shit??? In which case welcome comrade, here's your hammer and here's your sickle.

Democracy in the workplace is a fine cause to have, much better than just constantly giving free stuff to upper management and capital.

[Mischief Maker]

I think quash's point was that Bernie Sanders' victory was somehow politically impure and therefore he's a sellout, maaaaaan!

It's weird, conservatives seem to think that everyone with views even a little to the left of theirs live like ascetic monks. I remember back when I was door-to-door canvassing one of the people confided in me how shocked she was to have seen one of our canvassers earlier in the day taking a break and *gasp* smoking a cigarette!

Or maybe quash is a secret tankie and disapproves of any negotiation with the bourgeoisie and thinks Bernie's going to be the first against the wall. Liberals get the bullet, too!

[Zen]

Democracy in the workplace is a fine cause to have, much better than just constantly giving free stuff to upper management and capital.

Preach!

It's weird, conservatives seem to think that everyone with views even a little to the left of theirs live like ascetic monks.

Well said!

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"
The Workers are well able to sustain those who lead the struggle and when one labours for true Social Justice, well, one can work up an appetite!




Worry not for brother Sanders, comrades. He has built up lifetime of skills, in sucking off the public tit.
He will be fine.

[Mischief Maker]

Maybe that's why conservatives are so terrified of antifa.

If liberals are monks, the antifa black bloc must be ninjas!

[Zen]

Maybe that's why conservatives are so terrified of antifa.

Well, who wouldn't be scared of such a fearsome bunch?!


Against my better judgement I clicked on the video you linked;

Liberals get the bullet, too!

. . . GODDAMMIT, MM, a complimentary warning, please!
But everything he (briefly) said, as the "Fascist" was true. Does this make me a Fascist?
The rest was; "how to lie, Cultural Marxism - 101"?

Speaking of which; Cultural Marxism is now a "conspiracy theory"?
Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory
"Cultural Marxism" in modern usage refers to a conspiracy theory which sees the Frankfurt School as part of an ongoing movement to take over and destroy Western culture.[55][56][57][58]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt ... acy_theory

[Rob]

Unless... you do think Amazon should give their employees more, that the employees should form a union and demand air conditioning in their warehouses and 30 minutes of rest a day, at least enough to take a piss and a shit??? In which case welcome comrade, here's your hammer and here's your sickle.

"Bernie is right." - Tucker Carlson

American conservatives need to claim typically forfeited labor and environmental issues, because liberal concern for both is largely show. Shouldn't be hard to convince people that accepting or letting in a metropolis-load of immigrants a year is not a benefit for the little guy laborer or coder or whatever other popular replacements the 1% support bringing in by the thousands and millions.

[BryanM]

This forum must be in its season finale because all these Daleks just showed up.

It does feel like we're coming to the end of the line. Every year we lose more people than we gain. Maybe 10 years left at best. Do you think whoever's left by then will even bother to move to a new one, or would it be a firm so long?

There is something reassuring about the conservative liberals sticking around to the end, and still being offended being told they're identical to everyone else in all but cosmetic matters. But I miss seeing the social liberals around here. I want someone to argue with me for three pages about how things are doing fine "because GDP" and "because the stock market isn't actively cratering right now".

There's a massive fuckoff election season going on. Maybe a repeat of 2006, maybe a beautiful Dem faceplant even with all the reactionary energy on their side.

I want to laugh at Gillum cratering like a rock and have someone get angry at my sass. He'd win by like 8 points if he only ran one ad saying "fuck da banks". Instead, he's going all in on the "fuck Venezuela" and "healthcare isn't that important after all" strategy. And he's gonna lose by 3 points to the guy who called him a monkey.

trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
...ump

"This White House! It was made for me!" - 2016 can't come soon enough

Oh page one, you're so much better than page 222. Now I don't wanna post here either.

It's me that's the zombie.

[quash]

Or maybe quash is a secret tankie and disapproves of any negotiation with the bourgeoisie and thinks Bernie's going to be the first against the wall. Liberals get the bullet, too!

This is actually closer to the truth than you probably thought it was. I know better than to trust The Penguin when he's shilling for Lex Luthor, is all.

Of course, how and why people like Bezos are in the position they're in is where I differ not only with you, but the majority of the conservative circus, as well. I've gotta hand it to the CIA: they've gambled so much on people just not knowing or caring about anything they do that you'd think by now they would've been ousted. Clearly, the game is being rigged in their favor, and in the age where the instruments and methods of control are more obvious than ever, you'd have to be willingly blind to not see them.

[Mischief Maker]

Of course, how and why people like Bezos are in the position they're in is where I differ not only with you, but the majority of the conservative circus, as well. I've gotta hand it to the CIA: they've gambled so much on people just not knowing or caring about anything they do that you'd think by now they would've been ousted. Clearly, the game is being rigged in their favor, and in the age where the instruments and methods of control are more obvious than ever, you'd have to be willingly blind to not see them.

Yeah no, I've spent my whole adult life/legal career being severely underwhelmed by the individuals in seats of power who are purported to be the grey eminences of our nation, especially those educated at the ivy league schools that staff the CIA. And for that reason (as well as Occam's Razor) I'm more inclined to believe the account of Legacy of Ashes.

Besides, it's not like monopolistic trusts based on private control of vital infrastructure haven't made individuals obscenely wealthy before the founding of the CIA.

And how the hell can anyone believe that a supergenius world-controlling cabal decided it's in the best interests of anyone to put pharaoh-like wealth in the hands of this guy?