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Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah

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Re: Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah

#381

Post by sva_ »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #349

I bang on a lot about not saying things like "this person is a threat to democracy" and other such apocalyptic statements. This right here is a perfect example of why: when you steep people in a culture that tells them someone is (or their ideas are) an existential threat, eventually someone is going to be the right level of scared + unstable that causes them to kill people to try to defend their way of life. If you…

The people who came up with the concept of "stochastic terrorism" seem to be pretty silent when it hits the other side.

Re: Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah

#383

Post by throwaway250624 »

mothballed wrote: post #359
ipython wrote: post #346

I was just at a conference today where one of the presenters referenced the "Trust barometer": https://www.edelman.com/trust/2025/trust-barometer According to that study, 23% approved of the statement "I approve hostile activism to drive change by threatening or committing violence". It's even higher if you only focus on 18-34 year olds. Full report here: https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2025-0..…

Is it possible that violence is just more rational for today's 18-34 y/o than it was at some other points in recent history?

[flagged]

Re: Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah

#385

Post by ivape »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #349

I bang on a lot about not saying things like "this person is a threat to democracy" and other such apocalyptic statements. This right here is a perfect example of why: when you steep people in a culture that tells them someone is (or their ideas are) an existential threat, eventually someone is going to be the right level of scared + unstable that causes them to kill people to try to defend their way of life. If you…

Translation: If you keep drawing the prophet at some point someone who really believes will act on it, right?

Sorry. We in the west don’t live like that.

Re: Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah

#386

Post by tracker1 »

lm28469 wrote: post #201
csours wrote: post #137

History books can tell you facts that happened, but they can never truly tell you how it feels. I feel we're riding a knife's edge and there's a hurricane brewing in the gulf of absurdity. ==== Incidentally, I feel like this is why it is so hard to actually learn from history. You can read about the 1918 'Spanish' Flu, but you think "we're smarter now". etc.

We've always been on a knife edge it's just streamed straight into your eyes balls 24/7 now and social media means everyone has to have a black or white opinion about everything.

Men of Virginia! pause and ponder upon those instructive cyphers, and these incontestible facts. Ye will then judge for yourselves on the point of an American navy. Ye will judge without regard to the prattle of a president, the prattle of that strange compound of ignorance and ferocity, of deceit and weakness; without regard to that hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman."

-- James Callender, The Prospect Before Us, 1800

Re: Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah

#387

Post by kybernetikos »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #349

I bang on a lot about not saying things like "this person is a threat to democracy" and other such apocalyptic statements. This right here is a perfect example of why: when you steep people in a culture that tells them someone is (or their ideas are) an existential threat, eventually someone is going to be the right level of scared + unstable that causes them to kill people to try to defend their way of life. If you…

You start your comment saying we should avoid making apocalyptic statements and end it by saying "the cycle is going to destroy our society".

My conclusion is that you don't mind making apocalyptic statements about actions you think are dangerous to society, which sits uncomfortably with your asking other people not to.

Re: Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah

#389

Post by Zigurd »

There's video of the police carrying someone away, with his pants down. They drop him on his face at one point. Apparently the wrong guy.

Utah has what they call "constitutional carry." Extremely permissive gun laws. I'd bet there were several people carrying concealed in that crowd, not counting security and police.

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