Trump’s America - Page 330 - Politics and Economics

Steele’s comments came after Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Paul Hasson was accused by federal prosecutors of stockpiling weapons and creating a hit list of prominent journalists and left-wing politicians.

The president remarked on the news Friday, calling it a “shame.”

"I think it’s a very sad thing when a thing like that happens,” Trump said when asked about the case.

Asked whether his rhetoric was partly to blame for attacks aimed at journalists, Trump said "No, I don't."

“I think my language is very nice,” he added.

Steele, frequent critic of the president and today's Republican Party, slammed the president for not speaking out more strongly against Hasson.

“These are his people,” he said. “And he’s not going to thank law enforcement because he’s probably not happy about what law enforcement did.”

The correct follow-up question would have been, "Why specifically do you think it's a 'shame'"?

That response lets him signal to his deplorabase that he thinks it's a "shame" that one of them got caught without giving overt praise to the guy. And the press keeps letting him off the hook. Of course he's not going to take the blame for it, and it was stupid to ask because that reporter already knew the answer.

02-25-2019 , 01:12 PM

#8227

JudgeHoldem

banned

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,197

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisV

This isn't really a probability thing, it's ambiguity intolerance, which is closely related to cognitive dissonance. Conservatives don't like it when things are shades of gray, it's an uncomfortable mental state. It's tied up with the enthusiasm for authority and religion and so on, structures which provide definite answers to complex questions. That's why they so often switch from one position to its opposite without apparently going through any intermediate stages. You would think that there would be steps in between "yay laissez-faire capitalism, economics 101" and "trade war!", or between "Iraq was the right decision" and "Iraq was a stupid disaster", or between "Mueller is an American hero" and "Mueller is a traitorous Democrat". Etc etc. The idea that globalization, or Iraq, or Mueller, might actually be some combination of good and bad is too uncomfortable, there's no certainty there. Lack of certainty is lack of security, lack of security is fear. Fear is the cornerstone of conservative thought.

So yeah, it's motivated reasoning to suddenly be like "hate crimes are fake news" but it also reflects the aversion to having a complex view of anything.

I really like everything you said here, but couldn't it also apply to the other side in some ways?

02-25-2019 , 01:27 PM

#8228

eyebooger

Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 58,716

No.

02-25-2019 , 01:55 PM

#8229

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 56,713

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudgeHoldem

I really like everything you said here, but couldn't it also apply to the other side in some ways?

Other side? Sure among the tens of millions of people who vote for Democrats there are some people who want simple answers and are driven by fear, but he's describing some of the personality traits that make someone more conservative and more likely to vote for Republicans.

02-25-2019 , 02:11 PM

#8230

uDevil

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 6,941

People in this world are divided into two sides-- the side that thinks there are two sides, and the side that doesn't.

02-25-2019 , 05:45 PM

#8231

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 56,713

Quote:

Originally Posted by uDevil

People in this world are divided into two sides-- the side that thinks there are two sides, and the side that doesn't.

02-25-2019 , 06:52 PM

#8232

uDevil

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 6,941

It's great that that shirt is black and white, lol.

02-25-2019 , 10:06 PM

#8233

turtletom

old hand

Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 1,749

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrWookie

Even if they say yes, it's not necessarily consent. If your boss tells you "Suck my dick or you're fired," and you say OK and do it, that's still illegal.

Is that true?

I can see it being that way in a civil context but not for criminal law. Any serious crime will likely have a mens rea requirement. If there was no mens rea then having some weird fantasies could set you up for "sexual harassment" crimes merely because you uttered the wrong words.

02-25-2019 , 10:47 PM

#8234

ChrisV

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 40,336

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudgeHoldem

I really like everything you said here, but couldn't it also apply to the other side in some ways?

Yeah, all these things apply to people in general, but ambiguity intolerance is more the domain of the right. The left is more likely to go the other way, for example, this scene from Life of Brian:

Quote:

Stan: It's my right as a man.
Judith: But why would you want to be Loretta, Stan?
Stan: I want to have babies.
Reg: You wanna have babies?!
Stan: It's every man's right to have babies if he wants them.
Reg: But... you can't have babies!
Stan: Don't you oppress me!
Reg: I'm not oppressing you, Stan, you haven't got a womb! Where's the foetus gotta gestate? You're gonna keep it in a box?!
Judith: Here, I've got an idea. Suppose you agree that he can't actually have babies, not having a womb, which is nobody's fault, not even the Romans', but that he can have the right to have babies.
Francis: Good idea Judith! We shall fight the oppressors for your right to have babies, brother. Sister, sorry.
Reg: What's the point?
Francis: What?
Reg: What's the point of fighting for his right to have babies, when he can't have babies?!
Francis: It's symbolic, of our struggle against oppression!
Reg: Symbolic of his struggle against reality...

The joke here is the maintenance of ambiguity in the face of an unambiguous fact about the world. The audience recognises this as characteristic of the left, that's why it's funny.

There are closely related phenomena as well - like for example many liberals rationalized away Clinton's sexual assault accusers, but that's not really ambiguity intolerance - which is a specific subtype of rationalization. When you know ambiguity intolerance was happening is when you see opinions rapidly shift from one pole to another. The Iraq War is a good example, because the more consequential the issue, the less ambiguity can be tolerated.

02-25-2019 , 10:49 PM

#8235

Trolly McTrollson

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 36,794

Mother**** Clint and John Wayne:

(nb: sometimes Native Americans mocked white people, so really it applies to the other side in some ways)

Last edited by Trolly McTrollson; 02-25-2019 at 10:58 PM.

02-26-2019 , 09:19 PM

#8236

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 99,984

Brando didn't want to leave his island where he could molest his daughter in peace.

02-26-2019 , 10:17 PM

#8237

anatta

diamond sharp wisdom

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 35,729

thought clay higgins shot himself at the end of shawshank. omg did u see this guy? cnn. cuomo.

Quote:

Glen Clay Higgins, known as Clay Higgins, is an American politician and reserve law enforcement officer from the state of Louisiana. He is the U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district.

wiki. nut low. i mean nut.

02-27-2019 , 08:01 AM

#8238

Huehuecoyotl

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 29,257

Quote:

A Maryland lawmaker apologized Tuesday for using a racial slur to describe a majority-black county in suburban Washington.

Del. Mary Ann Lisanti (D-Harford), who is white, allegedly told a white colleague late last month at an Annapolis cigar bar that campaigning in Prince George’s County on behalf of another candidate amounted to door-knocking in a “****** district,” reported The Washington Post.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5...b03a10c232b9c5

02-27-2019 , 10:42 AM

#8239

+rep_lol

banned

Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 14,900

disgusting and she should lose her job over it

02-27-2019 , 03:53 PM

#8240

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 56,713

Cigar bar probably up there with frat house on the highest density of terrible people list.

02-27-2019 , 05:04 PM

#8241

+rep_lol

banned

Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 14,900

agree. also, golf course.

02-27-2019 , 07:34 PM

#8242

scottc25

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 5,444

Quote:

Originally Posted by +rep_lol

agree. also, golf course.

Hey now

That being said I agree. There are a lot of MAGA deplorables at my private club. They are all 60+, I am in FL after all.

02-27-2019 , 07:41 PM

#8243

Max Cut

Guest

Posts: n/a

density: cigar bar > frat > yacht club > golf course > poker room

YMMV

02-27-2019 , 07:56 PM

#8244

stinkubus

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 4,422

Golf courses are huge. They'd have to come in last, by density.

02-27-2019 , 08:30 PM

#8245

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 56,713

Imagine a cigar bar in a golf course clubhouse.

02-27-2019 , 08:53 PM

#8246

Max Cut

Guest

Posts: n/a

Quote:

Originally Posted by microbet

Imagine a cigar bar in a golf course clubhouse.

doucheosmium

02-27-2019 , 10:10 PM

#8247

TeflonDawg

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5,931

I wonder if in the future there will be genetic research done on the various political types. Is there an empathy gene? Cognitive dissonance? Intellectual honesty?

I just don't understand how people choose to say and support ****ed up things with a straight face. Especially the more intelligent people who know better. We have social media now. Everything is becoming more blatant and obvious, and yet needle feels like it isn't moving...

02-27-2019 , 11:11 PM

#8248

scottc25

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 5,444

Quote:

Originally Posted by microbet

Imagine a cigar bar in a golf course clubhouse.

...in Jupiter, FL.

02-28-2019 , 09:08 AM

#8249

stinkubus

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 4,422

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeflonDawg

Social media is a huge part of the problem. Their algorithms make them the most efficient propaganda delivery vehicles ever invented, and they can also ensure that you never, ever view any contradictory information.