Geoff > Status Update

Geoff wrote: "Nick wrote: "Geoff wrote: "I do find it phenomenally depressing that Republicans are willing to destroy all the traditional norms and standards of our democracy and political decency, and are willi..."

financial de-regulation > taxes.

Antonomasia wrote: "Sorry, I know this can get a bit "ooh, a real live Republican! let's ask it things!"."

I'm kind of at a loss with respect to this. I find it shocking you don't know a single one. There are dozens of us!

Nick wrote: "Antonomasia wrote: "Sorry, I know this can get a bit "ooh, a real live Republican! let's ask it things!"."

I'm kind of at a loss with respect to this. I find it shocking you don't know a single on..."

Ha!

Geoff wrote: "Ha!"

I'll be really disappointed if no one gets the reference.

Nick wrote: "You chose to focus on the latter and not the former."

You're right, I did cherry pick there. Apologies.

Nick wrote: "Antonomasia wrote: I'm kind of at a loss with respect to this. I find it shocking you don't know a single on..."
I don't know Republicans in person because I'm in Britain, but I've spent just as much time in face to face conversation over the last year with people who voted for Brexit as with those who didn't.

That was meant to be a general characterisation of parts of several threads!

...And evidently I didn't get it :D

Geoff wrote: "Nick wrote: "You chose to focus on the latter and not the former."

You're right, I did cherry pick there. Apologies."

You'll find I'm way more sympathetic and fair to other side than most of my kind. I have causes and passions that are as left as they come (education being one of them). My dad is an immigrant and I'm a dual citizen. So not every Republican is an anti-immigrant fascist.

Antonomasia wrote: "Nick wrote: "Antonomasia wrote: I'm kind of at a loss with respect to this. I find it shocking you don't know a single on..."
I don't know Republicans in person because I'm in Britain, but I've spe..."

Half of my family lives in London. I used to go every year. It's practically my second home. Agree you'll find far less Repubs there.

And my "dozens of us" reference was Arrested Development (one of the funniest shows ever).

Geoff wrote: "I'm not sure reading is going to tell me much - writing is reasoned, thought through - and this is predominantly about emotions, not reason - so I think to learn why this happened you have to talk to people who voted for Trump."

Yeah, I see what you mean; conversation online or RL as opposed to books that have been mulled over for more than a few minutes before writing.

Obviously we had longer here to make sense of it because of Brexit and the similar movement behind that, but for me, although I was reading loads of news in the run-up to the US election, the thing that meant I never had to struggle to make sense of the Trump win after the event was reading both blog posts and comments on the Archdruid Report, posts addressing macro factors, and in the comments all kinds of different voters, I've never seen such a mixed bunch anywhere else, some Clinton, some Trump but also alot of unabashedly third party, and moderated such that it was rarely aggressive.
(Though of course, the one type that won't be found there is the climate-change denier.)

(Bit behind the thread there, I'd had that comment open in another tab for ages before posting it.)

Peter wrote: "I think that Black-clad ninjas were agent provocateurs. They seem to show up at highly publicized events to paint protests into the Trump narrative."

No, they're the same 'anarchist' idiots of Occupy Oakland who think smashing a window of Tully's Coffee or a local mechanic's shop is somehow striking a blow against Wall Street. They've been a cancer to East Bay (otherwise peaceful) protests for years, way before Trump. Milo is barely a footnote, he's not relevant to anything and if ignored no one would have any idea who he is, nor should they.

Kirk wrote: "Peter wrote: "I think that Black-clad ninjas were agent provocateurs. They seem to show up at highly publicized events to paint protests into the Trump narrative."

No, they're the same 'anarchist'..."

Okay, It just appeared so monumentally stupid to do what they did I thought they were working for the bad guys.

Kirk wrote: "No, they're the same 'anarchist' idiots..."

Yeah, the violent ones who give anarchists a bad name - and are, sadly, what the general public thinks of as anarchists. (Why did the SJWs never get on that, try and do something about "anarchists" being synonymous with "rioters who smash shit up"?) I've met some really lovely pacifistic, responsible people who described themselves as anarchists, the kind of people who participated in the "riot cleanup" day after the 2011 riots in Britain, rather than the preceding events.

Going back four months (!) to the first couple of posts in this thread, here, in case you've not seen it, is a recent New Yorker article, Doomsday Prepping for the Super Rich, (tech execs and investment bankers, mostly, plus a bit of history):
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/201...
It's evident plenty of these people think there is a serious problem with socioeconomic inequality that could easily lead to instability (although there's strangely little mention of climate change, perhaps because the tension is now so great socially that they're thinking in terms of the next 10-15 years).

Antonomasia wrote: "Kirk wrote: "No, they're the same 'anarchist' idiots..."

Yeah, the violent ones who give anarchists a bad name - and are, sadly, what the general public thinks of as anarchists. (Why did the SJWs ..."
The problem with Billionaire Doomsday Preppers is how much will their billions protect them. I assume money might not go the distance in an apocalypse. Be rather hard to buy the loyalty of militia with cash.

Yeah, that point is made in the article, though the reason for posting it was more because significant numbers of these people realise there is a major problem (and at least some of them are also making large philanthropic donations). The wealthiest are perhaps as polarised politically as other parts of the population, it looks like many of them see there is a problem, but disagree on the solution, e.g. the philanthropists there, guys like Tom Steyer or Nick Hanauer, and then there's Trump and his cronies (who are probably planning to cream off what profits they can). There are fewer and fewer who think they can go on with business as usual (e.g. the Koch organisation)

Obama bailing out the banks wasn't enough for you?

At least rhetorically, Trump ran much more as the anti-finance candidate than Hillary.

Are you just counting on Paul Ryan to really be the one in control?

David, was that addressed to Nick?

Oh yeah, sorry.

I guess it could also be taken as a reason for voting against Clinton.

Or even a case of internecine conflict between people who voted for Trump for different reasons.

(But again, I didn't vote for Trump.)

Hm, I'm just doing a bad job keeping up with this thread at this point.

I fucking hated Ulysses. James Joyce can kiss my ass.

Nick wrote: "He has done some things I'm in favor of... and many things I'm not in favor of.

Do I think he's a smart/bright guy? Depends on the day of the week.
Would I let my daughter (she doesn't exist) ne..."

Nick..I am not trying to be obtuse...but seriously....you think taxes will be going down?

I am going to have to go baxk and read all that I have missed!!

David wrote: "I fucking hated Ulysses. James Joyce can kiss my ass."

It's weird how you can be so right on so many things, and so, so dreadfully wrong on this. Cuz honestly, Ulysses is the single greatest novel ever written after Finnegans Wake.

David wrote: "I fucking hated Ulysses. James Joyce can kiss my ass."

And on Joyce's birthday for fuck's sake! Horrible.

I guess you're still my "comrade". Sigh.

Hey Stephen, how 'bout you stop talking and go suck on Aquinas's dick some more!

Nah, I'm just kidding : )

David wrote: "Hey Stephen, how 'bout you stop talking and go suck on Aquinas's dick some more!"

Again, on his birthday. Why don't you head over to Switzerland and piss on his grave while you're at it.

Reread Ulysses sometime. It's the most rewarding novel ever written probably. I mean, I haven't read all the novels.

Geoff wrote: "Reread Ulysses sometime. It's the most rewarding novel ever written probably. I mean, I haven't read all the novels."



You are saying rhat you are unpreprepared because you haven't read all the novels? lol. Oh, Geoff...I am so.disappointed! :)

In particular, you haven't read A Dance to the Music of Time. AND WHY NOT???

Catherine wrote: "You are saying rhat you are unpreprepared because you haven't read all the novels? lol. Oh, Geoff...I am so.disappointed."

That's pretty much what I'm saying

Manny wrote: "In particular, you haven't read A Dance to the Music of Time. AND WHY NOT???"

Cuz it's a lame ass Proust rip-off

I went to all that trouble to explain why it wasn't... no, you're just winding me up. I refuse to fall for it.

Manny wrote: "I went to all that trouble to explain why it wasn't... no, you're just winding me up. I refuse to fall for it."

;)

FW or buts. [bust?]

Nathan "N.R." wrote: "FW or buts. [bust?]"

Tip!

Geoff wrote: "Nathan "N.R." wrote: "FW or buts. [bust?]"

Tip!"

Goan in! Wash* yer head!

* "Check" ::
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpsvB...

Manny wrote: "In particular, you haven't read A Dance to the Music of Time. AND WHY NOT???"

Um...I've not even heard of it, Manny...lol. what does that say about me?!?! lol

David wrote: "I fucking hated Ulysses. James Joyce can kiss my ass."

ZOMG me too, high five. I hope you're not being ironic. I thought I was the only one.

(you're not the only one, but don't tell Geoff)

Oh fuck. Dammit! So much for solidarity.

Geoff wrote: "Oh fuck. Dammit! So much for solidarity."

I'm still here...lol. we can overcome Geoff!! :)

Ok..so here is what I am stocking my bomb shelter with:

1. Good romance novels.
2. Good mystery novels.
3. Yarn, crochet hooks, knitting needle
4. Counted cross stitches, needlepoints, etc

And most important...
5. Chocolate!

I would be a miserable person without chocolate!!÷

Anyone want to join me?

Geoff wrote: "Oh fuck. Dammit! So much for solidarity."

I'm with you, Geoff. [Joyce]

I didn't even finish To the Lighthouse which everyone I know on GR has 5-starred. I'm clearly not built for literary modernism. That or I'm just an idiot.

Any y'all listen to Chapo Trap House?

Just discovered it and it's made my week.

https://soundcloud.com/chapo-trap-house

And here's a profile of them:

https://psmag.com/the-radical-cheek-o...

Eeny-meeny-miny-mo,
To war with whom, shall I go?
Oz, Iran or Mexico?
Eeny-meeny-miny-mo!

Nandakishore wrote: "Eeny-meeny-miny-mo,
To war with whom, shall I go?
Oz, Iran or Mexico?
Eeny-meeny-miny-mo!"

Eeny-meeny-miny-mo!
It's too hard, I just don't know!
Oz is fine, Iran is finer -
Fuck it all, it must be China