POG Politics Thread Version 3 - Page 217 - Puzzles and Other Games Forum

Earlier today I heard the formulation that conspiracy theories are so successful because they are "floating signifiers" that can be mapped onto any phenomenon.

I thought from there that they can have perfect retrospective explanatory power but are nearly devoid of prospective explanatory power, crucially distinguishing them from scientific ideological maps.

I wouldn't say that's true at all. Although perhaps part of the difficulty is that the technocratic/authoritarian superstate world that the conspiracy theorists have been predicting and the one that we're marching towards, has been so thoroughly saturated into our consciousness from hundreds of sci-fi works and other forms of media that people just treat it all as natural.

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01-12-2021 , 03:41 PM

#5402

Luckbox Inc

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Originally Posted by iamnotawerewolf

bringing it back down to earth (or closer, at least), what has been "grabbed"?

social media had the same power before banning Trump for repeatedly making unsubstantiated claims and fomenting anti-democratic (in relatively objective terms) activity

a power grab would be something like Facebook getting legislation passed to provide new liability shielding for some previously impermissible conduct

It's a fair question. But it's about the precedent that is being set and about people accepting that, imo. I don't think Trump gets deplatformed now without Alex Jones having paved the way with his deplatforming of a few years ago-- which I think we discussed and I likely made similar points at the time.
It's a propaganda ploy. Trump is seen as #1 public enemy by a large segment of the world's population. By banning him you will have people thinking that these corporations are just and on their side. And it will also continue to make censorship easier in the future.

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01-12-2021 , 03:46 PM

#5403

iamnotawerewolf

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the technocratic/authoritarian superstate world that the conspiracy theorists have been predicting and the one that we're marching towards

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Technocracy
Technocracy is a system of governance in which a decision-maker or makers are elected by the population or appointed on the basis of their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge.Wikipedia

The horror...

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01-12-2021 , 03:52 PM

#5404

Luckbox Inc

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Originally Posted by iamnotawerewolf

The horror...

As long as you enjoy the boots

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01-12-2021 , 04:03 PM

#5405

iamnotawerewolf

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There are always boots,

the only question is who wears them.

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01-12-2021 , 04:05 PM

#5406

iamnotawerewolf

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Originally Posted by Luckbox Inc

what are your thoughts on corporate donors pulling their funding of congressmen who opposed election certification?

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01-12-2021 , 04:36 PM

#5407

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Originally Posted by iamnotawerewolf

what are your thoughts on corporate donors pulling their funding of congressmen who opposed election certification?

I'd refer you to the cartoon that CN posted.

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01-12-2021 , 05:14 PM

#5408

pwnsall

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Originally Posted by iamnotawerewolf

There are always boots,

the only question is who wears them.

I always knew ianaww was right wing!

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01-12-2021 , 07:01 PM

#5409

iamnotawerewolf

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Originally Posted by Luckbox Inc

I'd refer you to the cartoon that CN posted.

You would rather corporations not fund political campaigns to begin with?

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01-12-2021 , 10:53 PM

#5410

filthyvermin

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**** like this i just can't ****ing stand about aoc. like this is legit just ****ing disgusting. wtf is she doing liking it?

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01-12-2021 , 11:33 PM

#5411

iamnotawerewolf

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Politics imo

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01-12-2021 , 11:34 PM

#5412

Birdman10687

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Originally Posted by filthyvermin

**** like this i just can't ****ing stand about aoc. like this is legit just ****ing disgusting. wtf is she doing liking it?

"I caused murder and destruction in other countries specifically so I could get some peace and quiet in my own"

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01-13-2021 , 12:07 AM

#5413

filthyvermin

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Originally Posted by Birdman10687

"I caused murder and destruction in other countries specifically so I could get some peace and quiet in my own"

exactly, and lol at "pantheon of democracy"

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01-13-2021 , 12:35 AM

#5414

Sun Tzu

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what does he even mean by pantheon?

are there gods of democracy?

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01-13-2021 , 12:59 AM

#5415

Birdman10687

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I was wondering the same thing. Feels like he doesn't really understand what the word means.

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01-13-2021 , 07:44 AM

#5416

iamnotawerewolf

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Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

what does he even mean by pantheon?

are there gods of democracy?

Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?

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01-13-2021 , 01:01 PM

#5417

Luckbox Inc

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Originally Posted by iamnotawerewolf

You would rather corporations not fund political campaigns to begin with?

Never responded to this-- but I refer you to the cartoon there because this is the sort of normative question that doesn't really have much relevance to anything imo. Obviously I would prefer that corporations not be involved in politics (the same as how everyone who wants a pony should get a pony) but I don't see how it's germane to any of the previous discussion.

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01-13-2021 , 07:34 PM

#5418

wahoopride

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In the interest of fairness since I was hard on her (non) handling of the speakers race, I've appreciated AOC's thoughts on the coup attempt.

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01-13-2021 , 08:03 PM

#5419

pwnsall

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Surprised she's admitted what they're trying is a coup.

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01-14-2021 , 06:13 AM

#5420

filthyvermin

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i criticize trump and his racist followers. but i don't like it when leftists criticize trump and his followers in ways that praise the sacred democracy of usa and our glorious homeland. **** that.

like there's been a lot of language about how criminal they are for storming the capitol, and desecrating our hallowed halls democracy and justice, and hurting our precious policemen. **** that.

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01-14-2021 , 09:34 AM

#5421

iamnotawerewolf

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Originally Posted by Luckbox Inc

You want FB to be required to publish Trump's messages?

You want FB to be broken up by the government?

You want FB to be absorbed (nationalized) by the government?

Last edited by iamnotawerewolf; 01-14-2021 at 09:39 AM.

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01-14-2021 , 09:36 AM

#5422

iamnotawerewolf

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Originally Posted by filthyvermin

Does it help you to think of it as a hook to reel in the otherwise uninitiated? The people who, for whatever reason, are not ready to hear that America is evil?

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01-14-2021 , 09:39 AM

#5423

iamnotawerewolf

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Originally Posted by pwnsall

Surprised she's admitted what they're trying is a coup.

if the agreed upon procedures for removal are adhered to, in what way is it a "coup"?

just like soldiers engaged in combat between powers mutually "at war" are not "murdering" each other

words have meanings only within a system of relations

not all homicide is "murder" and not every supra-electoral transfer of power is a "coup"

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01-14-2021 , 11:36 AM

#5424

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Originally Posted by iamnotawerewolf

Does it help you to think of it as a hook to reel in the otherwise uninitiated? The people who, for whatever reason, are not ready to hear that America is evil?

Lying to people who are already lost doesn't seem like the optimal approach.

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01-14-2021 , 11:37 AM

#5425

pwnsall

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It was just twisting the interpretation of what wahoo said, I'm fine using words to mean things.

In regards to the coup question you asked birdman ages ago in some sense a random person running at congress with a plastic spoon could be a coup attempt, people like to expand definitions when it fits their moral views / rationalizations, eg terrorism, gender pronouns etc.

Here's some random podcast tangentially on stuff like this. People here probably familiar with most of it. It's even a woman scientist for those who care about that.

https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-double-standard/

Last edited by pwnsall; 01-14-2021 at 11:42 AM.

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