All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[godisawesome]

God, what is wrong with modern conservatives. Why do they believe in so many inconceivable conspiracy theories?

I don't think they really do believe it. I think they realize that their base believes it, and they are will to say whatever they have to say to stay in power.

Some of them simply parrot it because it’s the key to their power, but some of them are bought in on at least a view insanities.

Because, to paraphrase Colbert’s joke, reality has a “liberal bias” by their standards, so they move the goal posts and reject reality.

Which, from a less jokey-perspective, is actually somewhat terrifying. The more someone buys-in on and embraces conspiracy theories, the more they’re revealing that the standards they want to uphold can’t handle reality, and that on some level, they’re aware enough of it they’ve demanded reality change for them.

People who want to argue they support gun rights “for safety” can’t accept reality where they’re fetish for firearms makes the country less safe, so they seek theories that support the fallacy that “more guns = more safety,” which spins off into thinking people who don’t want so many guns want to do them harm. People who want to be strong and patriotic can’t accept the reality that they’ve endorsed would-be traitors, cowards, and pathetic petty nationalists compared to their political opponents, so they double down on the idiocies of nationalism and concoct insanities about global conspiracies. People who want to be righteous Christians can’t accept a reality where they’ve given into idol-worship and anti-Christian thought themselves as part of their other political believes, and know that mere apathy about religion on the part of their opponents isn’t enough to justify their hatred… so they embrace a reality where both the Bible and the world change to suit their preferences.

[worstblogever]

I don't question your reading comprehension. However, your description of my post was contradicted by what was in the post. This is a largely objective point. You did edit out the portion of the post where I noted the specific way in which your description of the comment did not match it, which suggests you're not willing to defend your initial take.

As a sidenote, if it's not kosher to even say that someone is misreading a post, that is open to all sorts of abuse. Someone in bad faith could make up stuff, and then claim that it's inappropriate to point that out. Likewise, it kinda rewards people for being careless if an error can't be noted.

I do think your comments were personal. It's a terrible thing to promote white supremacy. You're going after motives, instead of the specifics. This is an argument we've had before, where it seems you think it's important to be on the right side, and that criticism of someone who means well is suspect.

Well-meaning people can still make mistakes. Rational people should be able to discuss that. Just as it's terrible to promote white supremacy, it's terrible to accuse someone of it and be wrong.

It helps the Tucker Carlsons of the world if people on the left take extreme stands and then double down on it.

Rather than get offended by excerpts of a helpful children's book to combat racism, I will instead offer 5 ways to combat white supremacy for white allies someone could adopt, if they would like to not being accused of promoting it, when it's completely possible they're just unable to realize they are passively contributing to it (Hopefully passively).

It remains not personal. This is, after all, a teachable moment where someone could grow if they chose.

[worstblogever]

Meanwhile, at CPAC, insurrectionist Congressman Mo Brooks shows he hasn't learned a goddamn thing, as he talks about our Founding Fathers knowing when it was time to start a revolution, and pleads with those present to be prepared to "sacrifice" their lives as Revolutionary War heroes did.

[Gray Lensman]

Rather than get offended by excerpts of a helpful children's book to combat racism, I will instead offer 5 ways to combat white supremacy for white allies someone could adopt, if they would like to not being accused of promoting it, when it's completely possible they're just unable to realize they are passively contributing to it (Hopefully passively).

It remains not personal. This is, after all, a teachable moment where someone could grow if they chose.

I can't remember who said it, but the quote was "If my child is old enough to be affected by racism, yours is old enough to learn about it."

[Tami]

Methamphetamine in waterways may be turning trout into addicts

CNN —

Brown trout can become addicted to the illegal drug methamphetamine when it accumulates in waterways, according to new research.

Researchers led by Pavel Horky, a behavioral ecologist from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, set out to investigate whether illicit drugs alter fish behavior at levels found in bodies of water, according to the study published Tuesday.

The team put 40 brown trout in a tank of water, containing a level of methamphetamine that has been found in freshwater rivers, for a period of eight weeks, before transferring them to a clean tank.

Then every other day the researchers checked whether the trout were suffering from methamphetamine withdrawal by giving them a choice between water containing the drug or water without. A further 40 trout were used as a control group.

Trout that had spent eight weeks in water containing methamphetamine selected water containing the drug in the four days after moving to freshwater.

This indicates they were suffering withdrawal because they sought out the drug when it became available, according to the researchers.

[Farealmer]

Methamphetamine in waterways may be turning trout into addicts

I know this is tragic for the fish. But this reads like something out of a Hollywood parody.

[Kirby101]

I know this is tragic for the fish. But this reads like something out of a Hollywood parody.

Trout II The Revenge.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Meanwhile, at CPAC, insurrectionist Congressman Mo Brooks shows he hasn't learned a goddamn thing, as he talks about our Founding Fathers knowing when it was time to start a revolution, and pleads with those present to be prepared to "sacrifice" their lives as Revolutionary War heroes did.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a photo of a scared out of his mind Brooks cowering behind a plainclothes Capitol officer on 1/6? If so, then he's the dead LAST man to call for people to sacrifice their lives in a revolution.

[Tami]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a photo of a scared out of his mind Brooks cowering behind a plainclothes Capitol officer on 1/6? If so, then he's the dead LAST man to call for people to sacrifice their lives in a revolution.

Your missing the point. In true Trumpian fashion, he wants other people to sacrifice their lives (for him) while he finds a nice safe place to watch from a distance.

[BeastieRunner]

A day late ... but ...

Beastie's Cartoons of the Week

[Gray Lensman]

Your missing the point. In true Trumpian fashion, he wants other people to sacrifice their lives (for him) while he finds a nice safe place to watch from a distance.

"Many of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am prepared to make..."

[Tami]

Caitlyn Jenner being called “Bruce” and chased out of CPAC Dallas. Afterwards, one CPAC attendee refers to Caitlyn as “tr*nny” multiple times.


Why am I not surprised.

[Iron Maiden]

Caitlyn Jenner being called “Bruce” and chased out of CPAC Dallas. Afterwards, one CPAC attendee refers to Caitlyn as “tr*nny” multiple times.


Why am I not surprised.

I guess Caitlyn Jenner naively thought that because she was a supporter of the GOP before her change that they would still accept her. I doubt if she will change parties because of this.

[Tendrin]

While some people would be happy to continue to engage in the ridiculous 'critical race theory' moral panic -- when what they really mean is teaching anything about racism and its history at all -- by 'just asking questions' about an anti-racist children's book -- they will of course be conspicuously silent on matters like this one:

https://www.salon.com/2021/07/09/ste...otted-at-cpac/

ALLAS — Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of right-wing militia group the Oath Keepers, was spotted by a Salon reporter Friday evening strolling the halls of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas.

Multiple federal agencies are currently investigating the Oath Keepers for their alleged role in the planning and execution of the Jan. 6 insurrection — and though Rhodes did not himself enter the U.S. Capitol building that day, several members of his group did, according to news reports. As of this week, 16 Oath Keepers have been charged for their involvement in the storming of the Capitol building.

In the months since Jan. 6, Rhodes has voluntarily turned himself over for questioning by federal agents — against the advice of his attorneys, according to the New York Times. He reportedly told authorities that the only reason Oath Keeper members entered the Capitol that day was to provide aid after hearing someone inside had been shot, though the Times notes that an extensive investigation of visual evidence conducted by reporters was not able to verify the claims.

[Tendrin]

Trout II The Revenge.

A movie with a methage.