General US Politics

[Radiant head]

lmao did he not try to run for president?

glad he's not taking it though

[Alertcircuit]

Ben Carson ran for President to sell books. The reason he pushed the "I stabbed my friend" story despite his friends saying it was probably made up, was because it makes a good narrative. Troubled black kid finds God and becomes a surgeon makes a good underdog story. And it did. They made a movie out of it.

I doubt he expected to actually win or get an administrative job out of it. If he actually believed the "I don't have the experience to be in government" thing from the beginning, he wouldn't have run for President.

I respect him for knowing when to step out.

[Rezzy]

Maybe Carson originally thought he could handle the job, but on the campaign trail he decided that he's not cut out for the job. I genuinely think Carson is a smart guy. He'd have to be to be a neurosurgeon. I just think he's an example of Sutor, ne ultra crepidam "No further than the shoe, cobbler."

[Lord Raven]

Ben Carson ran for President to sell books. The reason he pushed the "I stabbed my friend" story despite his friends saying it was probably made up, was because it makes a good narrative. Troubled black kid finds God and becomes a surgeon makes a good underdog story. And it did. They made a movie out of it.

Also inspired a ton of my friends since he was a local figure. Hosted cookouts and things to that effect to reach out to local black teenagers who want to become doctors. JHU cut all ties with him as a result of his run at the presidency and my friends are disillusioned with him.

A few of them met him recently at a talk and wanted to throw him out the window because of all of his baggage. He is misinformed to a dangerous degree.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Lord Raven

[tuvarkz]

Oh wow mainstream media. Sure going out just with the family (and the Secret Service) for dinner and not telling the media about it is a total lack of transparency.

[Emperor Petitt]

Oh wow mainstream media. Sure going out just with the family (and the Secret Service) for dinner and not telling the media about it is a total lack of transparency.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7GEa7r8Vyk

And people wonder why I trust news networks as far as I can throw them. This is their big issue now "Oh I know we pretty much spread fear, hate, and discontentment amount those in the US, and bashed Trump while hiding Hillary's mistakes as we are her PACs, but the nerve of this man to ignore us, and go to a private dinner with only telling his security detail and family who were going with them. The nerve of this man wanting us away from him!" Honestly the dead gorilla people were voting for makes more logical sense than these monkies.

[UNLEASH IT]

Oh wow mainstream media. Sure going out just with the family (and the Secret Service) for dinner and not telling the media about it is a total lack of transparency.

This is not really in reply to your post (and not really targeted towards you but rather towards Life) but just something I wanted to say. Raven, Res, Phoenix and others have pointed this out to me and I feel like I need to apologize to them for it. While I've been proclaiming that both sides need to try to set aside their vitriol to allow discussion, I have been more harsh on them than you and Life because I unconsciously held them to a higher standard because for the most part, their views and mine overlap. Another reason for this is that, despite my views, I frequent many places where views that you have are very common (like /pol/ on 4chan) in an attempt to try to understand them. Unfortunately, while there are valid points in their opinions, it's mixed up with so much vitriol and hatred that I actively have to sift through those things to look for things that can encourage discussion and in doing so, I've become desensitized to it. Which is why, rather than react with outrage like other people here, I've come to expect it from you. But what I didn't realize is that that your the vitriolic way in which you present your points gives people who share my views validation that they don't need to discuss anything with you and in a way, perpetuates our own ignorance. For that reason, I am somewhat upset at you. What I'm basically asking you people is to present your points in a way that will encourage discussion and we will try to do the same on our side, while policing those that don't. I feel like I'm being naive, because I'm sure that it's been argued before by many people in this thread who have been here for a much longer time than I, but I want to try it anyway. I feel like I might also try to PM Life to see if we can try to discuss something. Because he's shown himself to able to argue his points in a civil manner but most of the time he doesn't. I wonder to myself sometimes if he's doing it on purpose to turn off people from discussion with him

So maybe there's an issue that we can discuss in a way that doesn't escalate into us telling each other to fuck off. Maybe an issue like the problems that the black community (like stereotyping by police) in the US and many other countries in the western world face.

And I can't say I really know how to solve these problems, because I don't. There's one idea that I have, but I feel like it's so unsavory that I wouldn't be able to argue it well.

Eclipse if you think that this need to be moved to form it's own topic, then do so.

Edited November 16, 2016 by UNLEASH IT

[Yojinbo]

Oh wow mainstream media. Sure going out just with the family (and the Secret Service) for dinner and not telling the media about it is a total lack of transparency.

For real though, who even takes mainstream media serious anymore?

[CyborgZeta]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/supporters-float-jim-webbs-name-for-top-trump-defense-or-state-job-200238800.html

Hopefully someone brings up Webb's name to Trump's team. I think he'd be a good fit as Secretary of Defense.

[Phoenix Wright]

This is not really in reply to your post (and not really targeted towards you but rather towards Life) but just something I wanted to say. Raven, Res, Phoenix and others have pointed this out to me and I feel like I need to apologize to them for it. While I've been proclaiming that both sides need to try to set aside their vitriol to allow discussion, I have been more harsh on them than you and Life because I unconsciously held them to a higher standard because for the most part, their views and mine overlap. Another reason for this is that, despite my views, I frequent many places where views that you have are very common (like /pol/ on 4chan) in an attempt to try to understand them. Unfortunately, while there are valid points in their opinions, it's mixed up with so much vitriol and hatred that I actively have to sift through those things to look for things that can encourage discussion and in doing so, I've become desensitized to it. Which is why, rather than react with outrage like other people here, I've come to expect it from you. But what I didn't realize is that that your the vitriolic way in which you present your points gives people who share my views validation that they don't need to discuss anything with you and in a way, perpetuates our own ignorance. For that reason, I am somewhat upset at you. What I'm basically asking you people is to present your points in a way that will encourage discussion and we will try to do the same on our side, while policing those that don't. I feel like I'm being naive, because I'm sure that it's been argued before by many people in this thread who have been here for a much longer time than I, but I want to try it anyway. I feel like I might also try to PM Life to see if we can try to discuss something. Because he's shown himself to able to argue his points in a civil manner but most of the time he doesn't. I wonder to myself sometimes if he's doing it on purpose to turn off people from discussion with him

So maybe there's an issue that we can discuss in a way that doesn't escalate into us telling each other to fuck off. Maybe an issue like the problems that the black community (like stereotyping by police) in the US and many other countries in the western world face.

And I can't say I really know how to solve these problems, because I don't. There's one idea that I have, but I feel like it's so unsavory that I wouldn't be able to argue it well.

Eclipse if you think that this need to be moved to form it's own topic, then do so.

you dont need to keep telling the mods to do stuff. if they need to do something theyll do it.

[Alertcircuit]

Trump (and Obama) don't have to hold press conferences every time they eat a goddamn burger. It's a ridiculous thing to waste news-time on

Don't know enough about Jim Webb to make a judgement on him. I just remember him getting torn up at the debate last year..

[Rezzy]

Has anyone else been taking a lot of flak for voting third party since the election?

I think we've got the best that could be expected since the election. Trump reaffirmed that he's not going after gay marriage and he seems to be less belligerent than before the election. Plus I haven't had my pussy grabbed once or had to go to electroconvulsive therapy.

[Time the Crestfallen]

Has anyone else been taking a lot of flak for voting third party since the election?

I think we've got the best that could be expected since the election. Trump reaffirmed that he's not going after gay marriage and he seems to be less belligerent than before the election. Plus I haven't had my pussy grabbed once or had to go to electroconvulsive therapy.

I've seen a lot of hate for third-party voters on tumblr, blaming them for Trump winning the election. I wouldn't use that as a general example though, considering how far to the left tumblr is.

[eclipse]

Has anyone else been taking a lot of flak for voting third party since the election?

I think we've got the best that could be expected since the election. Trump reaffirmed that he's not going after gay marriage and he seems to be less belligerent than before the election. Plus I haven't had my pussy grabbed once or had to go to electroconvulsive therapy.

Nope, because everyone believes me when I tell them that my state was a foregone conclusion. Which it was, so I decided to vote for a very slim chance of Actual Change.

I will judge Trump when he's actually in office. Right now, he can say that he'll bring down the moon and make cheese snacks out of it, and nothing will happen.

[Rezzy]

Nope, because everyone believes me when I tell them that my state was a foregone conclusion. Which it was, so I decided to vote for a very slim chance of Actual Change.

I will judge Trump when he's actually in office. Right now, he can say that he'll bring down the moon and make cheese snacks out of it, and nothing will happen.

True, but if he had said that he backed Pence on gay marriage and conversion therapy, then I'd be worried. He doesn't have my support, yet, but I'm hopeful and willing to give him a chance, for now.

[eclipse]

True, but if he had said that he backed Pence on gay marriage and conversion therapy, then I'd be worried. He doesn't have my support, yet, but I'm hopeful and willing to give him a chance, for now.

He's in the perfect position to blow steam. He's had all this time to talk, and he'll continue to talk all the way past the holiday season. I prefer to see how his actions line up to his talk. So far, I've seen his nominations for his cabinet, and I'm not encouraged - THAT is an example of action.

[Rezzy]

He's in the perfect position to blow steam. He's had all this time to talk, and he'll continue to talk all the way past the holiday season. I prefer to see how his actions line up to his talk. So far, I've seen his nominations for his cabinet, and I'm not encouraged - THAT is an example of action.

To be fair, I didn't say I thought it was perfect, just the best that could have been expected.

I expected less humility and doubling down on his more extreme views.

Edited November 17, 2016 by Rezzy

[Time the Crestfallen]

To be fair, I didn't say I thought it was perfect, just the best that could have been expected.

I expected less humility and doubling down on his more extreme views.

I'm expecting him to be more humble and try to appear less extreme leading up to taking the White House, and then completely reverse that when he's actually in power.

[tuvarkz]

I'm expecting him to be more humble and try to appear less extreme leading up to taking the White House, and then completely reverse that when he's actually in power.

Agreed on this, he's probably waiting until he's on the White House to rock the boat.

[Time the Crestfallen]

Agreed on this, he's probably waiting until he's on the White House to rock the boat.

Probably to do with the protests. I reckon he's calming down so that the protests and media can calm down. If he was rocking the boat now and continued to do so, the amount of hostility he'd be facing by the time he got in the White House would be hideous.

[Tryhard]

I don't know, I think talk of the registration of undesirables is pretty extreme:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-muslim-registry-immigrants-policy-kris-bobach-reinstate-wall-a7420296.html

It's Trump, so his words mean nothing right now... but that sort of reminds me of a certain -ism.

Thankfully, most of the comments reacting to this I saw seemed to say "I'll register on that as Muslim even if I'm Christian/Atheist/other religion."

Edited November 17, 2016 by Tryhard

[Time the Crestfallen]

I don't know, I think talk of the registration of undesirables is pretty extreme:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-muslim-registry-immigrants-policy-kris-bobach-reinstate-wall-a7420296.html

It's Trump, so his words mean nothing right now... but that sort of reminds me of a certain -ism.

Thankfully, most of the comments reacting to this I saw seemed to say "I'll register on that as Muslim even if I'm Christian/Atheist/other religion."

This doesn't make me feel any better either.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/japanese-internment-camps-muslims-231538

[Lord Raven]

yeah when i read that the other day it gave me a deeply unsettling feeling for the exact reason that phillius posted

i mean fuck the establishment, right?

[-Cynthia-]

And people wonder why I trust news networks as far as I can throw them. This is their big issue now "Oh I know we pretty much spread fear, hate, and discontentment amount those in the US, and bashed Trump while hiding Hillary's mistakes as we are her PACs, but the nerve of this man to ignore us, and go to a private dinner with only telling his security detail and family who were going with them. The nerve of this man wanting us away from him!" Honestly the dead gorilla people were voting for makes more logical sense than these monkies.

The media bashed Hillary for her lack of transparency too (remember the whole pneumonia thing?) Presidents and presidential candidates aren't expected to have any privacy- which I do think is somewhat ridiculous.

[Time the Crestfallen]

yeah when i read that the other day it gave me a deeply unsettling feeling for the exact reason that phillius posted

i mean fuck the establishment, right?

Pretty much. The anti-establishment Trump supporters have voted against the establishment with little regard for what the eventual result is.

It's kind of why I wanted Bernie to be the democratic candidate, since you could say that he was a more healthy and constructive anti-establishment candidate. That is to say, being anti-establishment with actual progression towards something better in mind, as opposed to Trump who, based on what I've seen thus far, will have breaking the establishment his only worthwhile quality in terms of domestic policy (and even then, his transitional team and choices for White House staff don't hill me with much hope).