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Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

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Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#871
post #856

There's a famous optical illusion with a spinning silhouette of a dancer. When you look at it, you'll swear it's spinning in one direction -- say, counter-clockwise. In fact, you'll be so sure it's spinning counter-clockwise, that the idea it could be spinning in the opposite direction will seem impossible to you. But if you stare at it long enough, and intently enough, you can make it spin the other way. I've notice…

> we're all under the same spell Isn't this an oversimplification of politics, though--that our political opinions are nothing more than preferences around which we form tribes, and that there is not one single tribe that is objectively correct when it comes to matter of policy when, in fact, there are correct ways of deciding on policy. Take vaccines, for example, or the matter of wearing masks. If I am for vaccines…

lol i no longer have energy for gotta hear both sides argument, whether its naive because of a myopic and narrow world view or just bad faith. like you said - how tf is mask wearing a political issue jfc

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#872
post #850

I don't care if you're liberal or conservative. The problem with Trump is that all of his success has come from lying, cheating, and manipulation. That's all he knows. This was never a simple matter of political differences. This was not normal.

That's not true. He restored stock market levels which is a success, and he didn't lie or cheat to do that.

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#874

This title is actually wrong because networks don't decide who wins. If Biden wins, let it be because all due process was followed so that the 71MM who voted for Trump can get behind the new president. There are close and contested elections in various states, with mandatory recounts set, as well as lawsuits underway with affidavits of blocked observers and allegations of fraud. For the sake of not dividing the count…

> This title is actually wrong because networks don't decide who wins.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/El74_VZWMAYZtnZ?format=jpg&name=...

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#875

There's a famous optical illusion with a spinning silhouette of a dancer. When you look at it, you'll swear it's spinning in one direction -- say, counter-clockwise. In fact, you'll be so sure it's spinning counter-clockwise, that the idea it could be spinning in the opposite direction will seem impossible to you. But if you stare at it long enough, and intently enough, you can make it spin the other way. I've notice…

Totally agree, and I've also voted both ways before. But I also would caution against going too far on the "both sides" thinking. There are some obvious examples of regimes in the past in certain countries where one side was just bad and it was not just a matter of different opinions: Germany, Serbia, Rwanda, etc.

I think Trump and his administration lie somewhere between just being misunderstood by "the other side" and 100% depraved. I tend to think they're actually quite far to the depraved side of that spectrum, but that doesn't mean we can't still pay attention to making sure we see things from other perspectives (within reason).

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#876
post #859

There's a famous optical illusion with a spinning silhouette of a dancer. When you look at it, you'll swear it's spinning in one direction -- say, counter-clockwise. In fact, you'll be so sure it's spinning counter-clockwise, that the idea it could be spinning in the opposite direction will seem impossible to you. But if you stare at it long enough, and intently enough, you can make it spin the other way. I've notice…

There is an alternative to such polarized views. In many countries, politics is just politics, it happens in the background and is about as heart felt as the weather report. It can be controversial and felt by all sure, but it shouldn't be a lifestyle or ideological platform that the general public use to divide themselves. It's backoffice stuff, for the most part, and I am too busy being friends to really mind what…

>In many countries, politics is just politics, it happens in the background and is about as heart felt as the weather report.

Which countries are those? Because the US are insane, but politics is heartfelt in all countries I'm familiar with.

Which doesn't mean we have to reach such levels of infighting of course.

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#878

There's a famous optical illusion with a spinning silhouette of a dancer. When you look at it, you'll swear it's spinning in one direction -- say, counter-clockwise. In fact, you'll be so sure it's spinning counter-clockwise, that the idea it could be spinning in the opposite direction will seem impossible to you. But if you stare at it long enough, and intently enough, you can make it spin the other way. I've notice…

I personally find it hard to look at the right as anything but poison. I can disagree with you on economic ideologies, I can disagree with you on military spending, how to treat the drug epidemic, how to solve the incarceration problem, etc. However when one side literally empowers those that executed my family in WW2, it is no longer a disagreement, but a fight for my life.

"when one side literally empowers those that executed my family in WW2, it is no longer a disagreement, but a fight for my life."

Oddly, Trump is the most staunchly Zionist / Pro-Jewish President in American history (of course, all for his own benefit, I don't think he actually cares about any of it.)

Literally his daughter, and most trusted advisor converted to Judaism.

Paradoxically, it's now the 'global left', particularly in Europe who have faced real and serious problems of anti-semitism. In the UK, the Labour Party has had to eject several members for anti-semitic views (not just anti-Israel) and had to embark on programs to remedy the situation.

"In October 2020, the UK's human rights watchdog found Labour to be "responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination"." [1] From the BBC no less!

Most of my childhood friends grew up behind the Iron Curtain (Ukraine, Poland, Czech) or in Communist nations like Vietnam, Cambodia, China. Many family members murdered, starved. My Uncle fled with his mother through a forest across the border, chased by soldiers to escape. Many Serbian/Croatian friends who's parents lived through a very special kind of hell.

Perhaps you can ask one of your workmates from Hong Kong what he thinks about 'Socialism With Chinese Characteristics'? [2]

Please don't let us assume that one person's history or clan's mortal enemies represent the 'big picture' of anything.

Trump is a 'thuggish businessman with authoritarian tendencies' - not actually an ideologue. The extreme views on either side are toxic and have quit a history of mass murder. If we want to compare 'Deaths Caused by Stalin/Mao vs. Hitler' that would be a futile effort I think.

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are both fairly good representations of either side and they're both fine men, if you're having trouble grasping why most people would be ok with that statement, maybe spend some time in another part of the country (Utah?) and make some friends there.

[1] In October 2020, the UK's human rights watchdog found Labour to be "responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination".

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism_with_Chinese_charact...

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#879

There's a famous optical illusion with a spinning silhouette of a dancer. When you look at it, you'll swear it's spinning in one direction -- say, counter-clockwise. In fact, you'll be so sure it's spinning counter-clockwise, that the idea it could be spinning in the opposite direction will seem impossible to you. But if you stare at it long enough, and intently enough, you can make it spin the other way. I've notice…

Are you trying to say that "Truth isn't truth"?

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#880
post #850

I don't care if you're liberal or conservative. The problem with Trump is that all of his success has come from lying, cheating, and manipulation. That's all he knows. This was never a simple matter of political differences. This was not normal.

This is wrong on so many levels. Obama continued the war and killed thousands of innocent people, did nothing for blacks in his 8 years term but he is the baton of morality
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