I think the GOP Deathcare plan will pass the senate. I think the GOP are too cowardly and too afraid of losing the easy job of senator to really take a stand against a horrible bill and the dark money players who want the ACA repealed. There is a dark money group already blackmailing Senator Heller of Nevada. They are spending millions to convey the fact that they will primary him if he votes against Deathcare.
The rich will do excellent no matter which way the vote goes
because they are uber rich. Too bad poor people will suffer and die
because of this vote.
What a fucked up political system where the people's representatives are held hostage by millionaires and billionaires.
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Friday, June 23, 2017
Locally Sourced Hate in a Global Market
I'm not entirely sure, but social media, Facebook, Twitter, and similar platforms may not be a good thing for society. In addition to increased connectivity and speed of information in the world, they have also contributed to a rise of tribalism never before seen. Not just in America as observed everyday on FB, and Twitter comments, but globally.
Before the internet and before the explosion of social media if you lived in a small town and were prejudiced against a skin color or sexual orientation, you didn't have a platform to connect globally with people who believed like you did. You might be able to find local friends who hated like you do, but you weren't able to reach out and re-enforce your beliefs with like minded people. You created local tribes.
And in your local tribes you probably didn't greet new people and expose your bigotry and hatred immediately. You had to suss out how they would receive it before you released your prejudice. There was a knowledge and a certain sense of shame. You knew what you believed was not socially acceptable. So you hid it only to reveal it when you knew you were safe among friends. When you did tell people your hate you bridled at "Political Correctness." What others might call civil society.
With Twitter and Facebook there is no shame. No acknowledgement you should be ashamed of your hate. Your hate is no longer a just local manifestation which found like minded bigots. You can join groups which share your small minded hate. You can partake in a echo chamber of re-enforcing belief where doubts you might be wrong never arise. No contrary thought you might be wrong is allowed. Anyone who points out you are _______ is ganged up on and shouted down. Bullies win by sheer numbers and do digital high fives in posts when the oppressed leave the field of battle.
You take great satisfaction from calling dissenters "Snowflakes." But when your world view is challenged you react like the snowflakes you make fun of. You say things digitally you would never dare utter at work. You would never dare bully and threaten someone if they were standing in front of you. Thru a keyboard bullies are invincible.
How many people have been in the news because they lost a job for hateful racists or misogynistic things on social media? It happens often. The people become national or worldwide pariahs in an instant of "retweets" or "shares." Their deeply held beliefs which they would have never shouted thru a bull horn in a crowd 25 years ago go around the world on a wave of electrons. They whine about their self inflicted plight with the excuse being, they were just exercising Free Speech.
In America you get to be as hateful as you want. If you deign to put it online you risk a backlash and all the repercussions which can happen. Apologies are hollow. "I'm sorry if anyone took offense." That puts the onus of offense on the person who was offended by your hateful speech, not you who said it. Silently you still think it. Salvaging your reputation is the goal.
In the current climate people are emboldened to speak vile things to the detriment of society as a whole. The coarsening of rhetoric diminishes humans and creates walls that stop us from understanding each other.
There are lots of self feeding tribes. Liberals, conservatives, vegans, hunters, all religions fighting over god. The shouting they do at each other keeps them from understanding each other.
Before the internet and before the explosion of social media if you lived in a small town and were prejudiced against a skin color or sexual orientation, you didn't have a platform to connect globally with people who believed like you did. You might be able to find local friends who hated like you do, but you weren't able to reach out and re-enforce your beliefs with like minded people. You created local tribes.
And in your local tribes you probably didn't greet new people and expose your bigotry and hatred immediately. You had to suss out how they would receive it before you released your prejudice. There was a knowledge and a certain sense of shame. You knew what you believed was not socially acceptable. So you hid it only to reveal it when you knew you were safe among friends. When you did tell people your hate you bridled at "Political Correctness." What others might call civil society.
With Twitter and Facebook there is no shame. No acknowledgement you should be ashamed of your hate. Your hate is no longer a just local manifestation which found like minded bigots. You can join groups which share your small minded hate. You can partake in a echo chamber of re-enforcing belief where doubts you might be wrong never arise. No contrary thought you might be wrong is allowed. Anyone who points out you are _______ is ganged up on and shouted down. Bullies win by sheer numbers and do digital high fives in posts when the oppressed leave the field of battle.
You take great satisfaction from calling dissenters "Snowflakes." But when your world view is challenged you react like the snowflakes you make fun of. You say things digitally you would never dare utter at work. You would never dare bully and threaten someone if they were standing in front of you. Thru a keyboard bullies are invincible.
How many people have been in the news because they lost a job for hateful racists or misogynistic things on social media? It happens often. The people become national or worldwide pariahs in an instant of "retweets" or "shares." Their deeply held beliefs which they would have never shouted thru a bull horn in a crowd 25 years ago go around the world on a wave of electrons. They whine about their self inflicted plight with the excuse being, they were just exercising Free Speech.
In America you get to be as hateful as you want. If you deign to put it online you risk a backlash and all the repercussions which can happen. Apologies are hollow. "I'm sorry if anyone took offense." That puts the onus of offense on the person who was offended by your hateful speech, not you who said it. Silently you still think it. Salvaging your reputation is the goal.
In the current climate people are emboldened to speak vile things to the detriment of society as a whole. The coarsening of rhetoric diminishes humans and creates walls that stop us from understanding each other.
There are lots of self feeding tribes. Liberals, conservatives, vegans, hunters, all religions fighting over god. The shouting they do at each other keeps them from understanding each other.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Everyday
Everyday I wake up and turn on the Today show and wonder what fucking outrage this horribly unqualified president will do.
And it happens everyday the first 15-20 minutes are spent on some scandal or bullshit tweet he has typed at 3 am.
Do you remember when the news everyday was not about the president being and idiot or the government doing something to destroy America?
Because everyday the GOP are actively working to destroy America. They are rolling back regulations for clean air and clean water. They are denying the earth is growing hotter and man is a big part of it. Do they have another planet to go to because as far as I know this is the only one we have. If we fuck it up the cockroaches are going to be the only ones left to live on it.That and rats.
Every fucking day I despair and rage that this can't be stopped. I've called my government more in past 5 months than I did in the previous decades.
Why is that? Because I never thought the government even under the horrible G W Bush was actively trying to destroy the country so they can give money to the rich.
Every person *45 has put into a cabinet job is unqualified or has a hatred of the thing they now oversee. Who does such a thing? An arsonist looking to burn the country down.
President Bannon has said he wants to destroy Washington. And he's doing a good job of it.
So everyday I fight. I call. I comment.
Because I love my country and an orange fool who never wanted the job is destroying it.
And it happens everyday the first 15-20 minutes are spent on some scandal or bullshit tweet he has typed at 3 am.
Do you remember when the news everyday was not about the president being and idiot or the government doing something to destroy America?
Because everyday the GOP are actively working to destroy America. They are rolling back regulations for clean air and clean water. They are denying the earth is growing hotter and man is a big part of it. Do they have another planet to go to because as far as I know this is the only one we have. If we fuck it up the cockroaches are going to be the only ones left to live on it.That and rats.
Every fucking day I despair and rage that this can't be stopped. I've called my government more in past 5 months than I did in the previous decades.
Why is that? Because I never thought the government even under the horrible G W Bush was actively trying to destroy the country so they can give money to the rich.
Every person *45 has put into a cabinet job is unqualified or has a hatred of the thing they now oversee. Who does such a thing? An arsonist looking to burn the country down.
President Bannon has said he wants to destroy Washington. And he's doing a good job of it.
So everyday I fight. I call. I comment.
Because I love my country and an orange fool who never wanted the job is destroying it.
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