Geoff > Status Update

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "@David, good for you! However, college changed my life because of taking Comparative Religions, Ancient Literature, philosophy, several electronics and computer programming classes, accounting clas..."

I have no problem with your opinion but attacking people for not saying what you say (even if they agree largely with your opinion) on a book site isn't exactly what I call direct action and it is a bit high handed to criticize people even when they probably agree on most points with you but haven't expressed them as vigorously.

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "You want a college educated, politically involved population? So do I. BUT we need to S P E L L out solid factual ideas, programs and problems. We need to vote, but we also need to fricking STAND U..."

Fantastic post, aPril. Thank you.

Why is this cunt showing up in my feed?

@Peter is it because of my gender that you think my opinion is an attack? I think so. But what about Geoff's original vigorous status comment?

Tom wrote: "Why is this cunt showing up in my feed?"

Why the fuck are you in mine tommy boy?

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "@Peter is it because of my gender that you think my opinion is an attack? I think so. But what about Geoff's original vigorous status comment?"

Trumpkins are beneath contempt they aren't even reachable.

@Peter I absolutely totally AGREE!

@Manny - Thank you.

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "@Peter is it because of my gender that you think my opinion is an attack? I think so. But what about Geoff's original vigorous status comment?"

Actually I am going to apologize. I went back through the thread and misread it (comment 704). I thought the long thread you posted a few comments back was directed at me and I assumed it was a critique of something I said because of the way replies work. Looking at it more carefully I realized it was directed at someone else. Sorry. I usually hit back when under perceived criticism. My apologies for misreading the comment and being testy about it.

@Peter We're good!

: )

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "You want a college educated, politically involved population? So do I. BUT we need to S P E L L out solid factual ideas, programs and problems. We need to vote, but we also need to fricking STAND U..."

How is "democracy is under threat" a code word? It's code for democracy being under threat - I mean exactly what I say by it. Should I have to explain why democracy is good every time I talk to anybody? If I were a politician talking to a crowd, perhaps, but I'm not, I'm a private citizen talking to people on social media, and I find it a reasonable assumption that most people I talk to are already in favour of democracy.
Speaking of which: things were worse in the past, and I'm sorry you had to experience some of that. But really, 1950s America was a long, long way from being the worst that can happen, historically speaking, in the absence of democracy.

Speaking of what we should say if we're politicians, though: I think shouting people down and accusing them of being Trump supporters who are beneath contempt and aren't even reachable by argument just because they agreed with you using slightly different words is not a winning strategy in a democracy.

Regarding the beneath-contempt nature of Trump supporters: you'd better hope not, because if so there's nothing you can do. Because Trump won most white women, by ten points; he won most white people in every income category other than "earning more than $100,000"; he won most white people in every education category except "has a post-graduate degree". He did better among Hispanics than Romney did; he did better among African-Americans than Romney did. In some parts of the country Trump actually won the Hispanic vote. He even won 1 in 6 LGBT voters.
An electoral strategy that begins by dismissing a majority of the country out of hand as not worth talking to is not a winning electoral strategy in the long run. A party of super-rich, super-educated whites who have to hope each election that the other side says enough offensive things to rally universal turnout and support among minority groups is not a sustainable party of government. Sooner or later, you have to talk to these people. You may find they're not as bad as you think.
[On immigration, for instance: 40% of Trump supporters say increasing religious and ethnic diversity makes America a better place to live. A majority of Trump supporters say that illegal immigrants are hard-working, non-violent, and ought to be allowed to stay in the country if they meet certain basic criteria. Those are opinions you can work with!]

@W, agreed.

If you're just venting anger and frustration on a message board, I guess it's fine, but nothing can really be gained by asserting one's moral and intellectual superiority to the 60 million people who voted for Trump.

The man is going to have to be defeated by building a coalition.

Someone in this thread already mentioned that video of Bernie doing the lord's own work in Trump country. He should be a model for all of us.

Hey guys. Q for you. You know, I'd love for the Electors to do the right thing. But you know what. I am really afraid of what would happen if they were to do that. I think it would be followed by something other than a barrage of legal challenges. I mean literally it just might be best for the immediate safety of everyone to let Trump take over. For now. See if he'll quit after four.

That is a thought experiment. Not a firmly held political belief.

It would be followed by real violence and then martial law? Good chance of that. I wonder what would be worse violence - that immediate uprising/reactionary violence, or the slow violence of his apparent intention to spend four years dismantling the standards of our liberal democracy, economy, climate, and civil rights. I don't know the answer.

Nathan "N.R." wrote: "Hey guys. Q for you. You know, I'd love for the Electors to do the right thing. But you know what. I am really afraid of what would happen if they were to do that. I think it would be followed by s..."

My thoughts exactly. And with that question, we're back to Geoff's original one, What would you stock your bomb shelters with?

Bloody hell, this thread is still going?

^ It's just getting started. I'm sure we can keep this thread alive for the next four years.

If Trump doesn't shut down Goodreads before that ;)

I see the Dept. Of Energy just told DJT to piss up a rope vis a vis climate change work. Cueing up angry tweets followed by death threats to a faceless government employee in t minus three minutes.

James wrote: "I see the Dept. Of Energy just told DJT to piss up a rope vis a vis climate change work. Cueing up angry tweets followed by death threats to a faceless government employee in t minus three minutes."

Good for them! Vive la resistance!

Antonomasia wrote: "Bloody hell, this thread is still going?"

Hey, we can't quit now, I'm trying to get on a watch list.

Geoff wrote: I've never met a Republican who is in any way interested in literature or the arts

It's possible I'm having a sense of humour fail here - but if not, really? Is it that divided? There is nothing unusual here in patrician conservative types supporting opera, arguing that more classics should be taught at school and so forth - and (I assume you went to university) arts and humanities degree courses always have a few of their scions around keeping up the status quo.

Antonomasia wrote: "Geoff wrote: I've never met a Republican who is in any way interested in literature or the arts

It's possible I'm having a sense of humour fail here - but if not, really? Is it that divided? Ther..."

In the old days that was true but the patrician intellectual among Republicans has been going the way of the dodo since Reagan and is on the verge of extinction.

Antonomasia wrote: "Geoff wrote: I've never met a Republican who is in any way interested in literature or the arts

It's possible I'm having a sense of humour fail here - but if not, really? Is it that divided? Ther..."

I'm honestly trying to think of one single Republican I've met who is interested in books or the arts. There's this example - my brother was a lifelong conservative and Republican, but also reads a lot - after Trump secured the nomination he resigned his membership from the party. Hell yes brother.

Kochs donate a shitload to the arts man.

Not to say you've ever met one.

howl of minerva wrote: "Kochs donate a shitload to the arts man."

Is true. Think they'll be running in my circles of friends one day? I mean, in Trump's America won't we all be billionaires?

Geoff wrote: "howl of minerva wrote: "Kochs donate a shitload to the arts man."

Is true. Think they'll be running in my circles of friends one day? I mean, in Trump's America won't we all be billionaires?"

Only if we have Weimar Hyperinflation with a clown like Trump in the white house it is a definite possibility.

What do you think the Kochs' favorite experimental novels are?

Since the Kochs are such purveyors of the arts, think I could hit them up to help fund my project of building my modular synthesizer rig? Think they're into extended textural sound collages?

Geoff wrote: "What do you think the Kochs' favorite experimental novels are?"

Atlas Shrugged

Geoff wrote: "What do you think the Kochs' favorite experimental novels are?"

Based on this recent WP article, my top guesses would be The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I'm now curious to know what other novels President-elect Trump has read.

Geoff wrote: "Think they're into extended textural sound collages?"

Maybe. If it's like the sound of a dying planet, punctuated by a very large cash register?

Not one of my Republican relatives has read a single book for decades or is interested in any other liberal arts activity. The only books in my fundamentalist Christian Republican relatives' homes are children's books for toddlers. I recall museum visits when their kids were in elementary school, but those who were home-schooled buy education packages from religious organizations and their kids go to religious meet-n-greets, and the kids have so-called religious science contests. The one I saw featured religious scenes from the bible, and they win an award for art. Dioramas and cutting out photos and drawing ancient Jews in robes in Israel with red sheep counted as an art class.

Some of the Republican Libertarians tend to have manuals on cars, gardening, and home repairs.

Oh holy fuck why is Ayn Rand the only writer these assholes have ever read. Like, you can't find a barista who doesn't love Murakami and you can't find a neocon who doesn't love Rand.

Manny wrote: "Geoff wrote: "What do you think the Kochs' favorite experimental novels are?"

Based on this recent WP article, my top guesses would be The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I'm now curious to know ..."

Maybe he is the inspiration for "American Psycho"

Seriously, ask any barista in this town what they're currently reading, 98% will say Wind Up Bird Chronicle

howl of minerva wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Think they're into extended textural sound collages?"

Maybe. If it's like the sound of a dying planet, punctuated by a very large cash register?"

It actually kinda does

I have talked with a few home-schooled kids, and two told me the earth is 6,000 years old. I found out the religious home-schooling packages are priced low to high, so what package home-schooled kids learn how to read and write depends on their pocket book.

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "Some of the Republican Libertarians tend to have manuals on cars, gardening, and home repairs. "

Next to the morocco-bound Hayek and von Mises.

I read Marakami he is not bad but I wouldn't say he's my fave.

Peter wrote: "I read Marakami he is not bad but I wouldn't say he's my fave."

Oh I was just being silly, don't sweat it

Bet you regret that Murakami quote tattoo now don't you Geoff?

But just to be sure, my ex-Republican brother reads a lot, but I'm pretty sure he thinks most of the music and art I'm into is "weird"

Like that Ragnar Kjartansson piece The Visitors I've been urging everyone in the DC area to go see - he wouldn't know what the fuck to do with that

howl of minerva wrote: "Bet you regret that Murakami quote tattoo now don't you Geoff?"

You're telling me - and plus it's a tramp stamp!

Peter wrote: "Maybe he is the inspiration for "American Psycho."

At the risk of shameless self-promotion, see here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So you're saying he has different tastes to you in politics, literature and art. Sounds reasonable.

Geoff wrote: "howl of minerva wrote: "Bet you regret that Murakami quote tattoo now don't you Geoff?"

You're telling me - and plus it's a tramp stamp!"

In the harsh light of the retrospectoscope, "PUT YOUR WIND UP BIRD HERE" wasn't the classiest choice.