Wikileaks = terrorist organization?

[heironymouspasparagus]

They are also MUCH better at coming up with catchy slogans to help cover things up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsey_Wright

Like that "Make America Great Again..." thing...?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMqcLUqYqrs


After overwhelming Repube control for the last 35 years or so...

[erfalf]

Like that "Make America Great Again..." thing...?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMqcLUqYqrs


After overwhelming Repube control for the last 35 years or so...

By overwhelming you mean slightly over half right of the time right? As opposed to the literal overwhelming control Democrats have had for the last 200 years.

[heironymouspasparagus]

By overwhelming you mean slightly over half right of the time right? As opposed to the literal overwhelming control Democrats have had for the last 200 years.

And look what happened in those two eras.   In that first part, we became the United States of America - and it was a long, hard road -  since the changeover, even Trump has to admit we need to "make America great again."   That's what his slogan IS all about.  He is too stupid to understand what he is saying.   

In those last 35 years we have slid to a noticeably inferior position at home and on the world stage.   Watch the video again... explains it all so anyone can understand.

[erfalf]

And look what happened in those two eras.   In that first part, we became the United States of America - and it was a long, hard road -  since the changeover, even Trump has to admit we need to "make America great again."   That's what his slogan IS all about.  He is too stupid to understand what he is saying.   

In those last 35 years we have slid to a noticeably inferior position at home and on the world stage.   Watch the video again... explains it all so anyone can understand.

So which is it man? Were we great then or were we a bunch of racist land grabbers. Or let's just say were we better then or now. I refuse to believe that our society is regressing (regardless of our leadership). You can't prove me wrong, it's just feelings. But we had our issues back then. You say we are sliding down...from what...from backward to more backward. Was America "great". It's always had it's issues. I honestly just feel so sorry for you. It must be incredibly depressing to have such a negative view of the world.

[erfalf]

And Jeff Daniel's (writer's) memory is rather poor...and contradictory.


"We were able to do all these things...and be all these things because we were informed." More like they were dis informed. No way you can convince me that the generation 50-100 years ago is better informed than the current generation. The reason so much "smile" is hitting the fan nowadays is because people are getting informed. And it's infuriating what has been going on for hundreds of years is only now being understood.

[cannon_fodder]

I cannot speak to how informed people were "back in the day" (I bet data exists for 50 years ago, someone find it!).  But please have a conversation with someone, read facebook, look at memes, read the comments to the Tulsa World.  People in general are not informed.  But don't just rely on anecdotes...

Poll after poll. Study after study.  The majority of Americans are ignorant of the basics of how our government works, economics, history, geography. This is so well known that Presidential candidates now gives speeches at a 7th Grade level, assuming Americans comprehension and knowledge base is on par with an 11 year old.

- Only 34% can name the three branches of government.  Only a portion of those can name what they do.

- Only 25% can name more than 1 freedom guaranteed by the 1st Amendment (1/1000 can name all 5).  

- Only 20% can name the number of US Senators, but they're sure every one of them sucks but their own.

- Nearly 50% think the US President can suspend the Constitution. 35% knows Congress declares war or that the Senate can override a Presidential Veto.  60% think the President appoints judges without senate approval.  

- Less than 50% of Americans can name the country that dropped the atomic bomb.  

- 25% know the terms serve by Congressman and Senators

- 45% believe "revolutionary speech against the government" is punishable under the US Constitution

- Don't bother asking about history - 30% don't know what the Holocaust was, what dates things took place, or basics about global conflicts

- Most don't understand basic political terms or definitions (left, right, fascist, Nazi, communist, socialist, etc.)

- World politics?  Most Americans can't find countries we are currently bombing when presented with a map

- Science knowledge is abysmal

- Basic economics is even worse.

- The number of Americans who follow politics has dropped (26%), while the number of  Americans who try to convince others of their political views has risen (40%).  

Don't confuse willingness to engage with being informed.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaredmeyer/2016/06/27/american-voters-are-ignorant-but-not-stupid/#3de391257ff1
https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/millions-americans-are-embarrassingly-ill-informed-and-they-do-not-care-0
https://wysu.org/content/commentary/are-american-voters-stupid
http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/public-knowledge/

[rebound]

Reminds me of the comparison of George Orwell (1984), and Aldous Huxley (Brave New World).   

General Thesis:  Orwell was worried a totalitarian government keeping information from the people, and using that to manipulate.  Huxley feared we would have so much information that we would tune out and become passive.

There is a pretty good argument that Huxley's vision is what we are living in right now.

https://biblioklept.org/2013/06/08/huxley-vs-orwell-the-webcomic-2/

[Red Arrow]

Most Americans can't find countries we are currently bombing when presented with a map

It would help if those countries would stop changing their names all the time.....

[erfalf]

People (and characters) like Will McAvoy can in one breath say that things were better, maybe even great, back then and in the same breath say Trump is invoking racism by using the phrase "Make America Great Again". "Coincidentally" mental illness has been on the rise over the last 50 years.

[heironymouspasparagus]

So which is it man? Were we great then or were we a bunch of racist land grabbers. Or let's just say were we better then or now. I refuse to believe that our society is regressing (regardless of our leadership). You can't prove me wrong, it's just feelings. But we had our issues back then. You say we are sliding down...from what...from backward to more backward. Was America "great". It's always had it's issues. I honestly just feel so sorry for you. It must be incredibly depressing to have such a negative view of the world.

You haven't been paying attention.  We have regressed a great deal - again, watch the video.  He covers it all perfectly.

As for racist land grabbers - no, not just that - those times were genocide and extermination.  As I have said repeatedly, and you apparently refuse to understand - or more likely just want to be obtuse.

I have also said several times - and it is as true today as it has been for our history - and I will repeat, typing slowly so you can understand; 

No country has done as much good as the United States in the history of the world.  And no country has done as much evil as the United States of America.

Slow enough for ya ??

[heironymouspasparagus]

And Jeff Daniel's (writer's) memory is rather poor...and contradictory.


"We were able to do all these things...and be all these things because we were informed." More like they were dis informed. No way you can convince me that the generation 50-100 years ago is better informed than the current generation. The reason so much "smile" is hitting the fan nowadays is because people are getting informed. And it's infuriating what has been going on for hundreds of years is only now being understood.

People are not informed today - you are a prime example of getting nothing outside of Fake Fox News.  The opposite of informed.  And of course no one can convince you, since you refuse to step beyond the FFN.

Go back and read some of the old McGuffey's readers and math.  They were taught at a higher level much earlier.

[heironymouspasparagus]

People (and characters) like Will McAvoy can in one breath say that things were better, maybe even great, back then and in the same breath say Trump is invoking racism by using the phrase "Make America Great Again". "Coincidentally" mental illness has been on the rise over the last 50 years.

No, that isn't what says Trump is racist - his actions for his entire life are what say he is racist...and criminal - all his business dealings since he was a young kid say that.  As you would know if you looked beyond Fake Fox News.  

[erfalf]

No, that isn't what says Trump is racist - his actions for his entire life are what say he is racist...and criminal - all his business dealings since he was a young kid say that.  As you would know if you looked beyond Fake Fox News.  

Excellent job. You have done a fantastic job of refuting a point that I didn't make (again).

I understand, I'm not that dense, but tell me honestly you haven't heard the argument that the phrase MAGA is racist.

And again... I DON'T bucking WATCH FOX NEWS!!!!!!!!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/esther-suh/the-racist-nostalgia-behind-make-america-trump_b_8145962.html
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/439912/bill-clinton-donald-trumps-make-america-great-again-slogan-racist
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/donald-trump-kkk/473190/
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a55305/make-america-great-again-donald-trump/
http://fortune.com/2016/10/21/the-problem-with-the-make-america-great-again-slogan/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/02/22/white_people_want_to_make_america_great_again.html

and the topper, the one news organization that apparently has a memory longer than a nano-second:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/9/bill-clinton-vowed-to-make-america-great-again-in-/

Conspicuously missing from the bibliography above...you guessed it...Fox News. I must have just got it through osmossis through watching all that conservative media that I don't actually watch.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Excellent job. You have done a fantastic job of refuting a point that I didn't make (again).

I understand, I'm not that dense, but tell me honestly you haven't heard the argument that the phrase MAGA is racist.

And again... I DON'T bucking WATCH FOX NEWS!!!!!!!!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/esther-suh/the-racist-nostalgia-behind-make-america-trump_b_8145962.html
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/439912/bill-clinton-donald-trumps-make-america-great-again-slogan-racist
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/donald-trump-kkk/473190/
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a55305/make-america-great-again-donald-trump/
http://fortune.com/2016/10/21/the-problem-with-the-make-america-great-again-slogan/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/02/22/white_people_want_to_make_america_great_again.html

and the topper, the one news organization that apparently has a memory longer than a nano-second:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/9/bill-clinton-vowed-to-make-america-great-again-in-/

Conspicuously missing from the bibliography above...you guessed it...Fox News. I must have just got it through osmossis through watching all that conservative media that I don't actually watch.

Interesting how many people I talk to that never listen or watch Fake Fox News, but follow the script to the letter.  Drudge fan??

[erfalf]

Interesting how many people I talk to that never listen or watch Fake Fox News, but follow the script to the letter.  Drudge fan??

RCP to be honest. Pretty even split of coverage. It's why I'm so cynical when it comes to both parties. I've seen what 24 hours a day Fox News does to people (family members...not immediate thankfully).