The Race For 2024

[Politesse]

Fascinating. The Party that is currently lecturing us all on the dangers of disunity and political violence thinks vigilantism and murder count as "basic manly virtues" that all young people should aspire to.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

You talk of vigilantism and murder, but instead show a picture of Kyle Rittenhouse. You contradict yourself.

 

[Derec]

Fascinating. The Party that is currently lecturing us all on the dangers of disunity and political violence thinks vigilantism and murder count as "basic manly virtues" that all young people should aspire to.

Ritt did not murder anybody. He was attacked by three people, two of them felons, one of them armed with a firearm, and defended himself.
As they say, better be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

 

[Swammerdami]

Kyle Rittenouse was an immature 17-year old who got a semi-automatic rifle, and traveled to a different state to "protect his community." He then shot and killed three men, at least two of whom were unarmed. The fact that he was (perhaps rightfully) acquitted of depraved-heart murder does not change the fact that he was a vigilante. Stupid as it should seem, some Infidels cannot think beyond a "He was acquitted therefore he is a hero" fallacy. Rittenhouse has since become some sort of YouTube and video-game celebrity.

That this coward is held up by Trump's running mate as an important example of "manly virtue" just reminds us of how sick America's gun culture has become.

There is likely to be serious valence in the aftermath of this year's planned fascist takeover of America. Most do not appreciate how dire things may get; but idolization of thugs like Kyle Rittenhouse should be a reminder of the extreme moral corruption of the Trump movement. Trumpism has no philosophical backing; it is the brain-storm or Charles Koch, Vladimir Putin and QAnon.


ETA: Question for Rittenhouse fans: Is George Zimmerman another of your heroes? Again, attempt to engage your brain. I am NOT asking if his acquittal was rightful.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Also, I seem to remember Brandon lecturing us about how if you got vaccinated you couldn’t catch covid.

Cite?

No vaccine is perfect. The original vaccine was good enough to give herd immunity (assuming enough people got it) against Covid/Wuhan, but against the variants that keep springing up it pretty much just means a milder case.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

So is anyone getting actual campaign ads this election season? Like "elect this guy, not that guy, here's the reason why" type ads? I realize I'm a Californian and not a boomer so no one is all that interested in my vote anyhow, but I don't think I've seen a single campaign ad this year as such. Bids for money, yes, Bernie and Obama entreating me that democracy will fall if I don't send them a check tomorrow, yes. But nothing like "As president, I'll do such and such!" No billboards, no internet ads, nothing in the mail. I don't watch broadcast tv, so maybe that's my problem. But I feel like if I didn't already go out of my way to follow politics assiduously, I'd have no idea what either candidates' positions even were. Where is all of this fundraising money even going? Ohio, I guess.

I've seen one when I happened to be near my wife's iPad.