General Current Events/Political Discussion

[fcgamer | 4,753]

10 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

The way I see it is...

Being English is also our heritage.  You want to attend NASCAR races and wave the Union Jack while wearing a powdered wig and makeup?

Be my guest.  It's a free country.

Many English people actually don't view the union jack as their flag.

Edited June 25, 2020 by fcgamer

[Link | 2,732]

Biden sucks. 

And every complaint about him can be applied to Trump ten times over.

[fcgamer | 4,753]

11 hours ago, ThePhleo said:

The confederacy is no ones heritage. It only existed from February 8, 1861 to May 5, 1865. That’s 4 years and 3 months...

Ive waited for games to come out three to four times as longer than the confederacy even existed. I’m not lying either...Doom, Final Fantasy 15, Kingdom Hearts 3, Duke Nukem Forever, Half Life Alyx.

What kind of heritage can form over four years? None.

Anyone who flies that flag or claims any legacy from that era are traitors to the United States of America and are guilty of treason.

Same goes for the Nazi flag flyers.

 

America fought two wars against their types, and both of them lost. I’ll bet good money that there’s a sizable overlap on a Venn diagram between neo-nazi’s and modern confederates.

I think we are failing to look at the whole picture when discussing about the confederacy being ones heritage. We can't just talk about the official confederacy itself, rather the whole time period.

I'd venture a guess that the whole "old South" leading up to the confederacy and American Civil War has been romanticised in the collective minds of many. Read some of the great American literature set in those areas and you can clearly see the longing and nostalgia for those olden times, in many of the stories and common themes. So yes, it is a heritage.

Also take a look at the different ways of life, before, during, and after the war, the hardships that the southerners had to go through, which those in the north never did. Another shared collective identity point.

Is slavery a part of that whole narrative? Yes. Is racism part of that whole narrative? Again yes, though it's not like people in the north weren't racist or something like that.

Are the majority of those who are claiming southern pride and looking back nostalicly on those older days of life, the "simpler" way of life, racist? Some might be, but I don't think that's why most people are doing it. We just romanticise what we want to see, and the negative points disappear or get ignored, over time.

When two groups have extremely different collective memories of the same situation, that's when problems will arise. No way we can ever work out a solution that I see, without upsetting one group of people.

[fcgamer | 4,753]

Biden and his family are corrupt, he's also made racist remarks, iirc I saw people posting on here some of the creepy touching he's done, etc. If he becomes president, he will sell out Taiwan to China, I'm sure. 

Speaking of which , did anyone see the recent Hong Kong news?

[Silent Hill | 276]

10 hours ago, MrWunderful said:

11 hours ago, Silent Hill said:

 

Am I crazy or does slightly tweaking this correlate pretty well to the BLM extremists?

Yeah except one is a movement, with no actual structure and one is the president of the united states? Somehow those arent equal.

I see what you are getting at Though.  Your stance that Biden=Trump because one time Biden said something off color doesnt make sense to me, however. Im not going to try to convince you anymore

Biden has done a lot more than make one "off color" comment, and you know that. I get that it's the lesser of two evils at this point, I just don't see how anyone could really think Biden is a good fit (when not comparing directly to Trump) I think Biden is potentially more of a threat, because he'll try and say whatever people want to hear but his actions won't align and he's got a history of that. 

He's lucky Trump is in office now, because that's definitely making Biden the default choice for many. 

[Silent Hill | 276]

6 hours ago, Link said:

There is another level of “why”s behind interaction rate as I noted earlier. 

Why would community demographics be a factor? 

Homicide rates falling YOY, after I re-check myself, you are correct. I vary my media consumption so I admit that is some surprise to me with all the screaming about “thugs” I see. Especially right now, with “104 shootings over Father’s Day weekend, 14 of them fatal”. Homicide-specific raw numbers aside, any source I can find says that the crime rate here remains among the highest in the country. That is the basis for my prior post. 

I agree that Chicago definitely still has a huge crime/homicide problem, but at least the trend is heading in a positive direction. Not sure what the solution is other than gun and gang control, though I'd say more community programs for the youth, better education systems, and increasing the two parent household are good ideas.

 

For why demographics and crime rate matters, here is an excerpt from this study (and there are quite a few similar studies): https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2019/the-truth-behind-racial-disparities-in-fatal-police-shootings/

The data show that it’s not racial bias on behalf of white officers relative to black officers when it comes to fatal shootings, and that’s good news. The bad news, Cesario said, is that internal policy changes, such as diversifying police forces, may not reduce shootings of minority citizens.

Beyond officer race, the team drew other conclusions about details related to racial disparities in fatal officer shootings.

“Many people ask whether black or white citizens are more likely to be shot and why. We found that violent crime rates are the driving force behind fatal shootings,” Cesario said. “Our data show that the rate of crime by each racial group correlates with the likelihood of citizens from that racial group being shot. If you live in a county that has a lot of white people committing crimes, white people are more likely to be shot. If you live in a county that has a lot of black people committing crimes, black people are more likely to be shot. It is the best predictor we have of fatal police shootings.”

Edited June 25, 2020 by Silent Hill

[fcgamer | 4,753]

7 hours ago, Link said:

There is another level of “why”s behind interaction rate as I noted earlier. 

Some people blame black people. Some blame democratic leadership. I blame problems with the system not taking care of our people. Whatever the true source of the problem, and I am certain there are too many factors to count on fingers and toes, the police here have no small part in the violence and oppression, from the Haymarket riots, to the 1968 DNC, to torture under police commander Jon Burge, to the black site at Homan Square, to the murder of Laquan McDonald, a teenager who, yes, was intoxicated, and did have a [butter] knife — and who was shot by Jason Van Dyke 16 times in the back when he was 20-30 feet away from Van Dyke and other police officers, who did not intervene even though McDonald was in further retreat the whole time.

Just looked up the McDonald case, wasn't familiar with it.

I couldn't find many sources that summed up the events, but going off Wikipedia, the guy was high on PCP, had a knife, and was breaking into vehicles. After police showed up, he slashed a tire on a patrol car, damaged a windshield, and refused to drop the knife and comply to police instructions.

I'm sorry, but that sort of behaviour bis why people are getting shot and killed, full stop. It's easy to watch the video and see the guy walking away, but for all anyone knew, he might suddenly turn around and charge officers, or whatever. Especially whilst high on drugs, and carrying a weapon. 

Looking on the other side, yes I agree sixteen shots is excessive, especially when the guy was retreating. Maybe officers need to be trained better to only shoot to disable? 

But it's quite easy for me to see why this altercation even came about, or so many of the others we hear about. 

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

Fired Wilmington cop: “We are just going to go out and start slaughtering them f—— ni—–. I can’t wait. God, I can’t wait.”

Just another bad apple, eh?

 

[Tulpa | 3,537]

2 hours ago, Silent Hill said:

Biden has done a lot more than make one "off color" comment, and you know that. I get that it's the lesser of two evils at this point, I just don't see how anyone could really think Biden is a good fit (when not comparing directly to Trump) I think Biden is potentially more of a threat, because he'll try and say whatever people want to hear but his actions won't align and he's got a history of that. 

He's lucky Trump is in office now, because that's definitely making Biden the default choice for many. 

The guy was thoroughly vetted as a VP candidate and served eight years as vice prez. And yet not a peep. In fact, most on the right thought he was a great choice back then. There's almost nothing new to find out about the guy.

If conservatives had a problem with him, they should have spoken up then, instead of criticizing Obama's suit and what not.

Let's face it, the only reason anyone is saying anything about him now is because he's the Democratic candidate. If Bernie was the candidate, we'd be hearing "OMG, THEY  NOMINATED A COMMUNIST MARXIST SOCIALST IST IST IST!!!"

Edited June 25, 2020 by Tulpa

[Silent Hill | 276]

12 minutes ago, CodysGameRoom said:

Fired Wilmington cop: “We are just going to go out and start slaughtering them f—— ni—–. I can’t wait. God, I can’t wait.”

Just another bad apple, eh?

 

Yep.

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

[Silent Hill | 276]

5 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

The guy was thoroughly vetted as a VP candidate and served eight years as vice prez. And yet not a peep. In fact, most on the right thought he was a great choice back then. There's almost nothing new to find out about the guy.

If conservatives had a problem with him, they should have spoken up then, instead of criticizing Obama's suit and what not.

Let's face it, the only reason anyone is saying anything about him now is because he's the Democratic candidate. If Bernie was the candidate, we'd be hearing "OMG, THEY  NOMINATED A COMMUNIST MARXIST SOCIALST IST IST IST!!!"

Yep, you're right. That's the beauty of politics. Everyone will dismiss the opposing candidate with a myriad of comments. 

[fcgamer | 4,753]

@Tulpa Yup, that's generally what happens with any presidential candidate I'd reckon.

[Silent Hill | 276]

Just now, CodysGameRoom said:

Ditto.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Anyone want to make a case in how Trump will improve the economy, Covid 19 pandemic and America’s standing on the world stage over Biden? 
 

I have a strong feeling with Biden as president, clown shows like Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz arent going to be performing the same disgusting nonsense without their domminatrix in the oval office 

[spacepup | 2,412]

It certainly does seem that neither "side" of the small group here, regarding support for Trump or Biden, is going to actually successfully convince the other of anything.  I do appreciate hearing different perspectives and opinions, but the repeated challenges to the opposing sides don't appear to be actually bearing any fruit.

On a sort of related note, I want to share some thoughts about the word "racist."  There seems to be a lot of emphasis right now on that word, and while I think it's extremely important to talk about racism and highlight / challenge it, I think a lot of the discussions miss the mark, when they talk about a binary system of someone is "racist" or someone is "not racist."  I think it's actually a much bigger discussion not about whether someone "is" or "isn't," but about how ALL of us allow stereotypes and bias to influence our thoughts and actions on a daily basis.  

We should consider that most people aren't really at either EXTREME end - from being a godlike level of unbiased to being a horrible, evil person.  Most people are somewhere in the middle, and personally, I think we can all make some progress if we can do some self-reflection to just acknowledge how we allow stereotypes and bias to help us form preconceived notions about what or who someone else is.  Sometimes those preconceived notions turn out to be confirmed in our minds, and some don't.  The more that we see examples of behavior that fit that stereotype, the further we strengthen our preconceived notions for the next time.  It's just important to understand and acknowledge that, and hopefully, to remind ourselves to give each new person the opportunity to present themselves as an individual, and not as another notch in our idea of what someone "like that" should be or is.

Black people are thugs.  White people are racist.  Liberals are baby-killing extremists.  Conservatives are greedy.  Democrats are X.  Republications are Y.  Trump supporters are crazy.  Biden supporters are socialist.

There is a never-ending list of similar statements we could all make, of many variations, that seem to be repeated around us and in our own minds, because we like to put people in buckets and we like to form sides and feel good about being on the 'right' one.  

Many stereotypes come from partial truths, historical examples, experiences of the people around us and even ourselves - but it's important to remember that they are never fully complete and should not be used to instantly judge someone, as difficult as that is.  We shouldn't allow ourselves to allow continual examples of cases that seem to fit the stereotype, to form any sort of evidence of their power to apply to any groups.

It's hard.  We all do it.  ALL of us.  I wish there was more conversation about discrimination and the misuse of stereotypes, and less "He is 100% racist."  "She is 0% racist."

Having said all of the above, I do still genuinely believe that we do have systemic issues with racism and discrimination, and I sincerely hope that protesters, politicians, community-members, and everyone, can work together in more positive ways to address these, without further dividing us.  There are people at all angles of this, who I believe are creating further divide, and I know we can do better.

 

[Link | 2,732]

3 hours ago, Silent Hill said:

Not sure what the solution is other than gun and gang control, though I'd say more community programs for the youth, better education systems, and increasing the two parent household are good ideas.

Well. I agree very much. 

 

3 hours ago, Silent Hill said:

Our data show that the rate of crime by each racial group correlates with the likelihood of citizens from that racial group being shot. If you live in a county that has a lot of white people committing crimes, white people are more likely to be shot. If you live in a county that has a lot of black people committing crimes, black people are more likely to be shot. It is the best predictor we have of fatal police shootings.”

So black people have more police interaction because they commit more crime? 

[ICrappedMyPants | 302]

I’d like to give props to everyone here. It is refreshing that this thread is very civil compared to what I see on other boards.

[Estil | 1,265]

2 hours ago, ICrappedMyPants said:

I’d like to give props to everyone here. It is refreshing that this thread is very civil compared to what I see on other boards.

Well don't jinx it right before we make 100 pages!  

[Estil | 1,265]

4 hours ago, Tulpa said:

The guy was thoroughly vetted as a VP candidate and served eight years as vice prez. And yet not a peep. In fact, most on the right thought he was a great choice back then.

Actually both me and my now dearly departed grandpa (who was a life long Republican who really loved Reagan's "There you go again" line from 1980; his campaign too occasionally used the MAGA phrase, no fooling!) thought Evan Byah would've been the far better choice.  For those who don't know in the 90s he was a very popular two term Indiana governor who later also became a Senator.  Honestly I didn't see anything really special about Biden.

And of course there's "not a peep"...though we may in fact see a very rare exception this time for 2020 regarding Biden's running mate, I doubt virtually any swing voter made up their mind based on the second guy/girl of either ticket (especially since a VP has not had to take over at President in the past 45 years).  It's the first guy/girl on the ticket that counts!  I honestly wouldn't mind at all being VP (hey you get your name in the history books just the same and you don't have to worry about having to nuke anyone) but for most other people and for most of history it was, as that one guy put it, not worth a bucket of warm *ahem*

[Reed Rothchild | 9,586]

2 hours ago, ICrappedMyPants said:

I’d like to give props to everyone here. It is refreshing that this thread is very civil compared to what I see on other boards.

Furthermore, I'm not sure anyone has been called a cuck, or been told to take any sort of "colored pills"

[Silent Hill | 276]

2 hours ago, Link said:

6 hours ago, Silent Hill said:

Our data show that the rate of crime by each racial group correlates with the likelihood of citizens from that racial group being shot. If you live in a county that has a lot of white people committing crimes, white people are more likely to be shot. If you live in a county that has a lot of black people committing crimes, black people are more likely to be shot. It is the best predictor we have of fatal police shootings.”

So black people have more police interaction because they commit more crime? 

Generally, yes. Especially violent crime. 

[Tulpa | 3,537]

1 hour ago, Estil said:

And of course there's "not a peep"...though we may in fact see a very rare exception this time for 2020 regarding Biden's running mate, I doubt virtually any swing voter made up their mind based on the second guy/girl of either ticket (especially since a VP has not had to take over at President in the past 45 years).  It's the first guy/girl on the ticket that counts!

Sarah Palin.

If anything sunk McCain, it was her. Multiple people I spoke to said she was the reason they didn't vote McCain.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Tulpa

[avatar! | 1,827]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/us/minneapolis-george-floyd-police.html

Apparently many in Minneapolis refuse to call the cops... I don't see this situation ending well (although I hope I'm wrong). 

Mitchell Erickson’s fingers began dialing 911 last week before he had a chance to even consider alternatives, when two black teenagers who looked to be 15, at most, cornered him outside his home a block away from the park. One of the boys pointed a gun at Mr. Erickson’s chest, demanding his car keys. Flustered, Mr. Erickson handed over a set, but it turned out to be house keys. The teenagers got frustrated and ran off, then stole a different car down the street...“Been thinking more about it,” he wrote in a text message. “I regret calling the police. It was my instinct but I wish it hadn’t been. I put those boys in danger of death by calling the cops.”

Edited June 25, 2020 by avatar!

[Silent Hill | 276]

2 minutes ago, avatar! said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/us/minneapolis-george-floyd-police.html

Apparently many in Minneapolis refuse to call the cops... I don't see this situation ending well. 

Mitchell Erickson’s fingers began dialing 911 last week before he had a chance to even consider alternatives, when two black teenagers who looked to be 15, at most, cornered him outside his home a block away from the park. One of the boys pointed a gun at Mr. Erickson’s chest, demanding his car keys. Flustered, Mr. Erickson handed over a set, but it turned out to be house keys. The teenagers got frustrated and ran off, then stole a different car down the street...“Been thinking more about it,” he wrote in a text message. “I regret calling the police. It was my instinct but I wish it hadn’t been. I put those boys in danger of death by calling the cops.”

lol "consider alternatives".

This shit is depressing.