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

[Mister Mets]

A Smithsonian (from the National Museum of African American History & Culture) exhibit on whiteness & white culture seems to share a similar view of white culture as white nationalists would have, suggesting that married parents, delayed gratification, the emphasis on the scientific method, planning for the future, valuing intent in legal matters are uniquely white.





I am concerned about the mindset that produced this.

[KOSLOX]

Not necessarily.

I did answer a similar question question yesterday.

And yet here you are repeating the same dumb question.

I wonder if anyone found that poll unscientific, poorly thought out, or invalid due to polling methods.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wash..._opinion_polls

Like I said. Intellectually lazy.

[Tami]

This may sound weird, but while there are several things that shaped my attitudes towards race, from science to my own personal experiences, there are two others: Star Trek in my youth followed by Anime which just reaffirmed it as an adult.

From Anime like DBZ and InuYasha came the idea that if an alien and a human can have really smart and powerful children, same with demons and humans, then why the heck should white people be antagonistic towards Black or Brown people? I mean, we're all humans, and if genetic mixing does occur that can only be a good thing for the future of humans. I mean, come on, aliens and demons get along better with humans in anime and other fiction than do other humans who just happen to look different. Of course, there are cultural differences, but that can happen between many groups of humans.

Star Trek, of course, did it first with Spock then later on with other Star Trek characters. Gene Rodenberry deserves credit for taking risks to slip social messages into his works.

Race, racial injustice, racial discrimination are major league issues that need to be addressed. Problem is, it shouldn't be so hard to do except for the fact that 30-50% of the residents of the US are idiots. The same kind of idiots that refuse to wear masks, pull guns on peaceful protestors, call 911 to complain about birdwatchers, or someone putting paving stones on their front yard, or painting a sign on their property. The same kind of idiots that should never be allowed to wear a badge or hold a gun.

Okay, got that out of my system. Yeah, Mets, I probably have benefited from white privilege, even in ways that I may not even be fully aware of. But I'd gladly share that privilege with everyone in the U.S. if I could. I'm not wealthy, I don't hold a position of power or influence, but if I did I'd at least try to give back what I got without thought of race, religion, or culture.

[numberthirty]

Depends on how bad things get in Texas, and Arizona, I'd imagine. Florida, too, perhaps?

Honestly, it's probably more than that.

Trump usually does the best job of anyone selling folks on not supporting Trump.

If you have a situation where those states look anything like New York or Illinois while Trump is sandbagging his own task force? It's going to do a better job than Biden ever could.

Never mind testing capacity. Never mind that Trump hasn't instructed the Feds to jump on additional emergency room capacity like they did in New York or Illinois. Never mind what the RNC Convention will look like. Never mind the new school year.

Seems like he doesn't have a plan or care to.

[BeastieRunner]

Honestly, it's probably more than that.

Trump usually does the best job of anyone selling folks on not supporting Trump.

If you have a situation where those states look anything like New York or Illinois while Trump is sandbagging his own task force? It's going to do a better job than Biden ever could.

Never mind testing capacity. Never mind that Trump hasn't instructed the Feds to jump on additional emergency room capacity like they did in New York or Illinois. Never mind what the RNC Convention will look like. Never mind the new school year.

Seems like he doesn't have a plan or care to.

Trump has always been the dog chasing cars.

[worstblogever]

You responded on that point, even if no one actually made it.

As a wise man once said, "It's not always about you, Karen."

[kidfresh512]

https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/stat...684110337?s=20

I mean the cringe of it all. Not even going to get into the ethics of shilling for Goya in her position at the WH.

[Tami]

I actually saw the Biden one, which was really odd.

Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Apple, Uber, and others hacked in unprecedented Twitter attack

The Twitter accounts of major companies and individuals have been compromised in one of the most widespread and confounding hacks the platform has ever seen.

It started when Elon Musk’s Twitter account was seemingly compromised by a hacker intent on using it to run a bitcoin scam. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also had his account seemingly accessed by the same scammer, who posted a similar message with an identical bitcoin wallet address. Both accounts are continuing to post new tweets promoting the scam almost as fast as they are deleted.

Shortly after the initial wave of tweets, the accounts of Apple, Uber, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, hip-hop mogul Kanye West, and former New York City mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg, among others, have also been compromised and are promoting the scam.

Be careful, don't fall for it and don't share it if you see it.

[PwrdOn]

This may sound weird, but while there are several things that shaped my attitudes towards race, from science to my own personal experiences, there are two others: Star Trek in my youth followed by Anime which just reaffirmed it as an adult.

From Anime like DBZ and InuYasha came the idea that if an alien and a human can have really smart and powerful children, same with demons and humans, then why the heck should white people be antagonistic towards Black or Brown people? I mean, we're all humans, and if genetic mixing does occur that can only be a good thing for the future of humans. I mean, come on, aliens and demons get along better with humans in anime and other fiction than do other humans who just happen to look different. Of course, there are cultural differences, but that can happen between many groups of humans.

Star Trek, of course, did it first with Spock then later on with other Star Trek characters. Gene Rodenberry deserves credit for taking risks to slip social messages into his works.

Race, racial injustice, racial discrimination are major league issues that need to be addressed. Problem is, it shouldn't be so hard to do except for the fact that 30-50% of the residents of the US are idiots. The same kind of idiots that refuse to wear masks, pull guns on peaceful protestors, call 911 to complain about birdwatchers, or someone putting paving stones on their front yard, or painting a sign on their property. The same kind of idiots that should never be allowed to wear a badge or hold a gun.

Okay, got that out of my system. Yeah, Mets, I probably have benefited from white privilege, even in ways that I may not even be fully aware of. But I'd gladly share that privilege with everyone in the U.S. if I could. I'm not wealthy, I don't hold a position of power or influence, but if I did I'd at least try to give back what I got without thought of race, religion, or culture.

Frankly part of the reason we have such a messed up narrative about race in this country is because so many people draw parallels between it and the depiction of inter-species relations in sci-fi and fantasy shows. The major difference, of course, is that the various races don't come from different planets or have magical powers or anything like that, nor is the idea of different races interacting and having children some radical and unprecedented idea. In reality, the genetic differences between racial groups is miniscule and insignificant compared to the variation found within groups, and even the idea of race itself is mostly a social construct that groups people into totally arbitrary categories. The racial tension that we have isn't some kind of unfortunate circumstance caused by misunderstandings or obscure events far in the past, it's something that was deliberately constructed and maintained by the people at the top of the hierarchy in order to serve their interests at the expense of everyone else. That means that dialogue and engagement won't do anything to fix the problem, nor will largely performative gestures at erasing the symptoms of racism without addressing the underlying issue. The solution can only lie in identifying the people responsible for the problem and forcibly removing them from power so that they can't hurt people anymore.

[numberthirty]

Trump has always been the dog chasing cars.

Ah, sorta.

It usually feels a little more like -

- Dog Chasing Cars...
- Dog Chasing Cars Gets Sidetracked With Attempting To Bite The Mail Carrier...
- Dog Attempting To Bite The Mail Carrier Gets Sidetracked Trying To Tear Up The Garbage...
- Dog Trying To Tear Up The Garbage Gets Sidetracked Chasing Squirrels...

[Tami]

Americans Trapped In Yemen Amid War And Rising COVID-19 Cases Plead For Help

Advocates say that thousands of U.S. citizens and permanent residents are trapped in Yemen, where the coronavirus has been particularly catastrophic due to an already-collapsed health care system and what’s been dubbed the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Yemen closed its borders due to the coronavirus in mid-March. The U.S. State Department brought approximately 300 Americans home in June and July, but advocates and families say others are still trapped there, enduring a war, rising coronavirus cases and a growing shortage of medicine and money.

“The American government needs to speed the process and evacuate them as soon as they can,” said Mohamed Atia, the secretary for the Yemeni American Association. Atia said he receives dozens of calls every day from Americans in Yemen who are running out of medicine and money. Advocates said the U.S. government response to U.S. citizens in Yemen has been notably slower than its response to citizens stuck in other countries.

A State Department spokesperson told HuffPost that the “conditions on the ground in Yemen severely limit our ability to operate,” and that the U.S. has arranged limited repatriation flights from Yemen through Saudi Arabia to the United States in coordination with Yemeni and Saudi authorities.

[Syndiciate]

Frankly part of the reason we have such a messed up narrative about race in this country is because so many people draw parallels between it and the depiction of inter-species relations in sci-fi and fantasy shows. The major difference, of course, is that the various races don't come from different planets or have magical powers or anything like that, nor is the idea of different races interacting and having children some radical and unprecedented idea. In reality, the genetic differences between racial groups is miniscule and insignificant compared to the variation found within groups, and even the idea of race itself is mostly a social construct that groups people into totally arbitrary categories. The racial tension that we have isn't some kind of unfortunate circumstance caused by misunderstandings or obscure events far in the past, it's something that was deliberately constructed and maintained by the people at the top of the hierarchy in order to serve their interests at the expense of everyone else. That means that dialogue and engagement won't do anything to fix the problem, nor will largely performative gestures at erasing the symptoms of racism without addressing the underlying issue. The solution can only lie in identifying the people responsible for the problem and forcibly removing them from power so that they can't hurt people anymore.

James Baldwin noted something very similar in his debate with Buckley in the 60's:

[worstblogever]

And now Trump is using his office to peddle Goya beans. Which, is of course, still illegal. But he doesn't want Ivanka to take all the heat.

https://www.businessinsider.com/trum...-claims-2020-7

As thousands of people keep dying everyday of a pandemic... as Russians put bounties on the heads of American soldiers without recourse... this melting creamsicle looking motherf***er is spending time on this.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

A Smithsonian (from the National Museum of African American History & Culture) exhibit on whiteness & white culture seems to share a similar view of white culture as white nationalists would have, suggesting that married parents, delayed gratification, the emphasis on the scientific method, planning for the future, valuing intent in legal matters are uniquely white.





I am concerned about the mindset that produced this.

I’m surprised the Smithsonian wasted space on this garbage.

[Mister Mets]

And yet here you are repeating the same dumb question.

I wonder if anyone found that poll unscientific, poorly thought out, or invalid due to polling methods.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wash..._opinion_polls

Like I said. Intellectually lazy.

I posted the stuff again to demonstrate that I had addressed a question well before you asked it.

I don't think you're doing this intentionally, but someone acting in bad faith could act in similar ways to what you've been doing, mischaracterizing a comment or asking someone a question they've just answered, and then blaming them for repeating themselves if they take the time to point out the truth.

As for intellectual laziness, do you really think I spend less time and effort understanding perspectives on the other side than the average person (be it the average citizen, the average consumer of current events, or the average poster on this board)? Do you think I engage with people I disagree with politically less often or in a lazier manner than the average person?

I actually saw the Biden one, which was really odd.

Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Apple, Uber, and others hacked in unprecedented Twitter attack



Be careful, don't fall for it and don't share it if you see it.

That's messed up.

And it could have been worse.

Imagine if they had the Obama account tweeting out something nuts/ untrue ("I know for a fact Hillary Clinton had Epstein killed." "It pains me to say this but Joe Biden is clearly too senile to be President. He should step aside and Democrats should nominate Bernie Sanders in his place." "It pains me to say this, but Ruth Bader Ginsburg is not fit to be on the Supreme Court. She should resign immediately." "One of the most vile forces in modern American politics is the SWERF (Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminist) and we need them out of office NOW!" "This is difficult for me to say but after 27 years of marriage and two beautiful daughters, Michelle and I will be getting a divorce. Please respect our family during this difficult time." "Rush Limbaugh is the only honest man in America.") or if that they had tried to make their money by auctioning access to the account, and letting the highest bidder post whatever they want?