Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

openculture.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

281–290 of 648 posts

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#281

Post by Mikeb85 »

Kind of ironic given Bush and Obama were the ones to expand the surveillance state, Hillary demonised the shit out of Russia to try create an enemy/scapegoat, and here Trump is, only a few days in power, not having done anything particularly bad.

Also, I should add - for Democrats out there who keep trying to compare Trump to Hitler, say he's fascist, etc... That weak rhetoric is what gave you guys your worst election result in what, 80 years? The more you cry foul over nothing, the less people will actually believe it. Just an outsider's opinion after an entertaining and somewhat perplexing election.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#282

Post by ElectronCharge »

dllthomas wrote: post #24
beloch wrote: post #17

I must admit, I'm really confused by how impeachment works in the U.S.. Clinton was impeached for perjury and abuse of power because he took advantage of his position (and a political intern) and then lied about it. Now we have a president who is not giving up his business interests while in office and who has already told some absolute whoppers, including the release of official press releases that were nothing but…

> I'm really confused by how impeachment works in the U.S. Impeachment requires a crime. Lying isn't usually a crime, and as best I can tell hasn't been one any of the times Trump has done it (.. yet?). It also hasn't been a crime any of the times Obama has done it. Failure to give up business interests is breaking precedent and confounding ethicists, but also doesn't seem to be illegal. When we come up with somethin…

"Failure to give up business interests is breaking precedent and confounding ethicists, but also doesn't seem to be illegal."

It is not "breaking precedent". George Washington kept his farm.

It's entirely unreasonable to expect a regular citizen to give up his business simply because he's elected to public office. Trump has taken many steps to ensure there's no conflict of interest.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#283

Post by EleventhSun »

hueving wrote: post #73
skylan_q wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get why everyone assumes that you can only be a female if you have a vagina

Most people associate female/male with sexual organs. You can see this any many metaphors (e.g. google "female electrical outlet" and "male electrical outlet").

In 2017, people have to rely on anchoring their sexual meanings based on male/female electrical adapters.

Yep, 1984 is here.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#284

Post by ElectronCharge »

beloch wrote: post #17

I must admit, I'm really confused by how impeachment works in the U.S.. Clinton was impeached for perjury and abuse of power because he took advantage of his position (and a political intern) and then lied about it. Now we have a president who is not giving up his business interests while in office and who has already told some absolute whoppers, including the release of official press releases that were nothing but…

"This is probably a good time for people to be reading 1984."

The best time to have read 1984 was before the 0bama years.

Trump at least seems to have America's best interests at heart.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#286

Post by Gupie »

dagw wrote: post #266
Gupie wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee is not a "foreign state".

No, but the committee is directly appointed by the Norwegian parliament, so the argument could reasonably be made that they're essentially accepting a prize from a foreign state.

No, "Despite its members being appointed by parliament, the committee is a private body tasked with awarding a private prize" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Nobel_Committee

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#287

Post by eropple »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #126
maxerickson wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That too, but I think a big enough scandal will be used regardless of alignment. Pence isn't unpredictable.

Trump won the Presidency, and his impeachment by Paul Ryan et al would tear the Republican Party asunder. Impeachment has to be an option of last resort for them. There's absolutely no guarantee that they'll be able to maintain their majority in the House after that. There's indirect evidence of this in how Republicans treated Trump in the run-up to November.

There's also no indication that they'd be able to get enough Democratic support for it.

I would hope so, because frankly Trump is such a loon that I would rather Mike "electrocute the gay away" Pence, but...

Sigh.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#288

Post by soft_dev_person »

kbenson wrote: post #240
pavanred wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish people and the media stop over emphasizing about every gaffe and focus on real news stories. For instance, the "alternative facts" comment/incident is being talked about everywhere, from TV news channels to news parody shows to talk shows to social media etc. But, at the same time it seems like there is so much more important news that one would think deserves more attention like the executive orders, w…

In one respect, the gaffe is insignificant to current events. In another, it's vastly more important, because while small it erodes the underpinnings of the system by which we actually disseminate information. It's like having to choose between being upset about the person that mugged you for $500 on the street, or the bank that surreptitiously added 0.05% APR or the loan you just got for your house. One feels more i…

The cynical among us have been saying that nothing presented by the White house (and any other government institutions) can be trusted at face value for years. I guess now is the time where everyone becomes a cynic.

But is that such a bad thing?

They say access journalism is dead, but access journalism is just repeating stuff said by people with power. Making them accountable is a good thing.

Trump may have unintentionally restored investigative journalism...

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#289

Post by ElectronCharge »

cpeterso wrote: post #139
jupiter90000 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do people really want him to get impeached and convicted, with Pence being the successor? Seems like a terrible idea...

While Pence may have worse policies than Trump on average, Trump has much worse downside risk because he is unpredictable. Today we have the worst of both: Pence already implementing his domestic policies plus the chance that Trump might nuke someone.

"plus the chance that Trump might nuke someone."

You're delusional if you think Trump will perform a first strike. That's complete nonsense.

He's a businessman, not a warmonger. His rhetoric is entirely along those lines as well.

Re: George Orwell’s 1984 is currently the top selling book on Amazon

#290

Post by dagw »

Gupie wrote: post #286
dagw wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, but the committee is directly appointed by the Norwegian parliament, so the argument could reasonably be made that they're essentially accepting a prize from a foreign state.

No, "Despite its members being appointed by parliament, the committee is a private body tasked with awarding a private prize" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Nobel_Committee

Yea, I know that's the official line. But it would be fairly easy for a lawyer to argue otherwise.
Post reply on HN