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

**Malvolio** · 11-07-2021, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by SUPERECWFAN1

I think what makes it unique is Berwick is very disabled if anyone has seen him. So its one of those , ok this is a very unique situation for a handicap online person could be accused for that. I had no idea he existed for years til he did a Scooby Doo sketch awhile back where Velma loses her glasses.

Berwick did answer back that he loves everyone.

Larry the Cable Guy often says that he loves everyone. Right before he goes on a rant about liberals and "woke" culture.

**Malvolio** · 11-07-2021, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by Xheight

Because if we preach enough minorities will be protected from majority views. To paraphrase here 'if everything is normal than nothing is normal'

The characterization of underdogs always needing protect really does not work in a Capitalist society that is individual against all. It is only in binary Proletariat/Capitalist thinking that it is that simply anyway. Punching down is not bulling but simply holding one's own.

But we're not a pure free market Capitalist society. We're a Capitalist society where the upper 1% of capitalists pay off the government to stack the deck in their favor. And punching down is holding one's own? So Dave Chapelle is making fun of transgender people to keep them from making fun of him? I'm not sure how that works.

**Revolutionary_Jack** · 11-07-2021, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by Xheight

Warned of inflation in overstimulating the economy we are seeing inflation and that is showing up in wrong track polls.

Well the good economic numbers came out in the days after VA while inflation was a concern leading up to it, as was issues of the "Great Resignation".

Even then Phil Murphy won the NJ Governor race despite high GOP turnout and Youngkin won VA with a small margin. A better campaign by McAuliffe similar to Murphy's would have won him VA.

Is that the hand of Government or not?

Inflation is more side-effect of stimulating the economy.

You are right in that crediting a good economy to the government is a mug's game. Like for instance the 2008 Financial Crisis wasn't completely Dubya Bush's fault since some of the regulation policies that led to it were instituted when Clinton was in charge. On the other hand, the Financial Crisis happening just months before the elction certainly played a part in Obama getting elected because McCain couldn't tout a strong economy as something to defend and Obama's calls for change simply made way more sense.

On the other hand in 2012, the Economy hadn't recovered and the policies Obama put to rescue it wouldn't take effect later. And Hillary lost depite have a strong economy (stronger than Bill Clinton's) to defend.

So a good economy is a significant factor but not a winning factor by itself.

Half Full/Half empty and we saw that in the election partisanship.

We didn't see it in fact. The 2020 Election was decisively won by Biden, electorally and popularly. It wasn't a close election in numerical terms.

So it's not "half" as in both sides equally saw Trump as good for the economy. That's just not true at all.

**CSTowle** · 11-07-2021, 08:03 PM

A lot of shock humor is meant to be laughing at those who hold the punching down/supremacist outlook. Chappelle himself said he realized he wasn't enjoying that type of humor as much when he noticed many of his "fans" were laughing at him and his people/culture rather than what he was trying to make fun of. Humor that is about a marginalized group is usually considered acceptable if it comes from a member of that group, because the assumption (not always true of course, some will pander to bigots if it means fame/money) is that they understand the issues that impact folk like them and aren't going to do anything to further marginalize themselves.

As to punching down being "holding one's own" that's pretty much the point Carlin made in the linked interview. Of course, he was making the point that it comes from the fear and insecurity of bigots and isn't something one should embrace as the desired outlook. But to each their own. You're also right that looking out for marginalized groups and protecting people from bullies doesn't work in a truly capitalist and individualist society. That's halfway to getting the point. The question then becomes, do you truly believe that's the society we live in (rather than the one you think you'd like us to be living in)?

Follow-ups might include, looking past the simplified "bootstraps" nonsense of rightwing propaganda would a society (if it could be said to be one at all) that truly embraced "every man for himself" in all areas be one anybody in their right mind would want to live in? How would you or your family fare given your minority status? Do you believe in the utopian Libertarian view of politics that if the government included simply the military (and some are iffy on that) and left all other areas to the private sector then humans would be allowed to fail or succeed on their own merits? If so, why do you think a power vacuum of that type wouldn't immediately be filled by corporations, organized crime, warlords/gangs, etc.?

If we're talking about human nature that includes tribalism and looking out for one's own, which often means knitting together alliances against other groups. The whole "sovereign citizen"/power of the individual nonsense is a fantasy usually entertained by those who are uncomfortable interacting with others or want to believe all their success comes solely from their talent and actions (and usually believing all of their failures come from the interference of other people). But in the end it's even less reflective of human nature than communism, that attempts to fit thousands of differently shaped pegs through a square hole. At least they get the basic premise right that we're social creatures by nature, even if they ignore the rest of human nature. Libertarianism/individualism can't even get that right. It seems designed solely to comfort the ego of advantaged people, and to elevate selfishness and callousness into virtues.

**Kid Devil** · 11-07-2021, 08:09 PM

Anyone here a fan of Harold & Kumar?

**Gray Lensman** · 11-07-2021, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by CSTowle

A lot of shock humor is meant to be laughing at those who hold the punching down/supremacist outlook. Chappelle himself said he realized he wasn't enjoying that type of humor as much when he noticed many of his "fans" were laughing at him and his people/culture rather than what he was trying to make fun of. Humor that is about a marginalized group is usually considered acceptable if it comes from a member of that group, because the assumption (not always true of course, some will pander to bigots if it means fame/money) is that they understand the issues that impact folk like them and aren't going to do anything to further marginalize themselves.

I would posit that humor can sometimes come from other marginalized groups - but one can usually tell good natured humor from mean spirited humor. Mel Brooks tosses out a few jokes based on certain characters being black, but many, many more Jewish jokes. And puns which people might miss since they are pretty dated - such as the line "Mongo! Santa Maria!" from Blazing saddles, which was a reference to a Cuban musician popular at the time. Mongo Santamaria

**Gray Lensman** · 11-07-2021, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Kid Devil

Anyone here a fan of Harold & Kumar?

Never seen anything by them. Previews made me think of it as a "Two Stupid People on a Road Trip" film, and I never found that genre funny no matter who stars in it.

**Tendrin** · 11-07-2021, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by babyblob

It is just when it comes to it everyone gets a pass for making fun of Transpeople. Make fun of black people, women, victims of sex abuse or domestic violence, Latinos, or Asians people lose their shit. Make fun of a Trans person and it becomes "Well they need to get the Hell over it it is just a joke."

Glad someone else sees it.