Thoughts and Prayers!!!

Redux said:
And I absolutely believe you believe that.  But believing all that means you 100% accept that the government functions the way we are told it does.  I don't.  Political battle lines and a nation picking sides is a form of control.  Racism, gun violence, gay rights, abortion.  It's all leverage tools.
Click to expand...
Political battle lines are the difference of opinion everyday people have. The things you listed are the things that people care about, not made up issue to keep the masses in check. I would agree that the government is dysfunctional, and disagree that both sides are trying to do nothing to stay in power.

 
BigRedBuster said:
So, let me summarize.

The Senator and Mayor said they were glad he visited the victims, both he and Melania did a great job and everyone appreciated their visit.

The President said....They lied and it was nothing like that.

Do I have that right?
Click to expand...
trump never passes on an opportunity to attack his enemies.   whether his attacks are based on fact or lies doesn't matter to him....he has to keep attacking.

 
commando said:
trump never passes on an opportunity to attack his enemies.   whether his attacks are based on fact or lies doesn't matter to him....he has to keep attacking.
Click to expand...
A day of healing turns into a day of greater division because Trump is a narcissist who cannot control himself and who cannot stand being out of the center of attention - can't share any of the spotlight wt anyone else.  A small, very small pitiful man.

 
ZRod said:
Political battle lines are the difference of opinion everyday people have. The things you listed are the things that people care about, not made up issue to keep the masses in check. I would agree that the government is dysfunctional, and disagree that both sides are trying to do nothing to stay in power.
Click to expand...


Those differences of opinion were manufactured by those in power to keep us at war with eachother instead of questioning them.  There will always be hot button issues, but those in power amp them up to obscene levels as a form of control.  It's why we have 24hr news commentary on multiple stations and platforms.  Not reporting news, but fueling anger and outrage over said opinions.  It's what keeps us distracted, keeps us divided which makes us weaker.

Would there be as many mass shootings if we didn't glorify the horrible act?  I don't think so.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Redux said:
Those differences of opinion were manufactured by those in power to keep us at war with eachother instead of questioning them.  There will always be hot button issues, but those in power amp them up to obscene levels as a form of control.  It's why we have 24hr news commentary on multiple stations and platforms.  Not reporting news, but fueling anger and outrage over said opinions.  It's what keeps us distracted, keeps us divided which makes us weaker.

Would there be as many mass shootings if we didn't glorify the horrible act?  I don't think so.
Click to expand...
I've got to disagree on differences of opinion being manufactured. The differences are part of human nature, like you and me right now. Most of the hot button issues today (aside from gun violence) have been around since the dawn of civilization.

I do agree that the 24 hour news cycle and tv news in general is toxic and too negative. You're local news is basically a summary of deaths, catastrophies, and crimes with one feel good story sprinkled in. I don't think it's some conspiracy to control the people though. I think it's much simpler than that. It's just money. The producers and executives know what sells, and they need those eyeballs to make money. You can look no further than ESPN to validate this. Sportscenter isn't sports news anymore, it's sports drama. I think the general public is hurting themselves by not demanding better. They don't want to think they just want to feel and have those feelings validated. If tomorrow we all tuned out until we got real fact based programming without the drama you would see the change, but we know that will never happen.

 
ZRod said:
I've got to disagree on differences of opinion being manufactured. The differences are part of human nature, like you and me right now. Most of the hot button issues today (aside from gun violence) have been around since the dawn of civilization.

I do agree that the 24 hour news cycle and tv news in general is toxic and too negative. You're local news is basically a summary of deaths, catastrophies, and crimes with one feel good story sprinkled in. I don't think it's some conspiracy to control the people though. I think it's much simpler than that. It's just money. The producers and executives know what sells, and they need those eyeballs to make money. You can look no further than ESPN to validate this. Sportscenter isn't sports news anymore, it's sports drama. I think the general public is hurting themselves by not demanding better. They don't want to think they just want to feel and have those feelings validated. If tomorrow we all tuned out until we got real fact based programming without the drama you would see the change, but we know that will never happen.
Click to expand...
Exactly.

You know who would love undramaticized news?  People who work in the government.

 
ZRod said:
I've got to disagree on differences of opinion being manufactured. The differences are part of human nature, like you and me right now. Most of the hot button issues today (aside from gun violence) have been around since the dawn of civilization.
Click to expand...


Sure, and who benefits the most off of those differences being exploited and exaggerated?  You can't sit there and tell me you don't think, at least partly, the government as a whole doesn't divide us as a form of control.  It's not even a conspiracy theory, it's mostly accepted as fact.  The left calls the right Nazi's, the right calls the left Commies.  Meanwhile we should be deconstructing partisanship altogether.

 
Redux said:
Sure, and who benefits the most off of those differences being exploited and exaggerated?  You can't sit there and tell me you don't think, at least partly, the government as a whole doesn't divide us as a form of control.  It's not even a conspiracy theory, it's mostly accepted as fact.  The left calls the right Nazi's, the right calls the left Commies.  Meanwhile we should be deconstructing partisanship altogether.
Click to expand...
I'm being pedantic but I would say that the parties do this, not the government. The GOP and DNC aren't the government. At least in my mind the government makes up all the private citizens who work in government positions as well as the elected officials, but I know that's not what you're talking about.

I don't know man, I'm pretty pessimistic but I can't really get down with your view. I don't think it's a form of control as much as it is ineptitude. We elect some pretty stupid people.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
No, the GOP and DNC are merely two sides of the same coin.  And that coin gets flipped by the government we don't see, don't elect and "don't know exists".

Electing stupid people is by design.  It gives us AOC type figures to mock or rally behind depending where you stand.

 
ZRod said:
I'm being pedantic but I would say that the parties do this, not the government. The GOP and DNC aren't the government. At least in my mind the government makes up all the private citizens who work in government positions as well as the elected officials, but I know that's not what you're talking about.

I don't know man, I'm pretty pessimistic but I can't really get down with your view. I don't think it's a form of control as much as it is ineptitude. We elect some pretty stupid people.
Click to expand...


Agree to the bolded.  The government are the people getting up every day going to work to do a job in the government to provide for their family.  Those people WAY outnumber the elected officials who we see on TV every day.  The GOP and DNC specifically do things to try to keep us divided and they are masters at using the media to accomplish that.  

 
BigRedBuster said:
 

Agree to the bolded.  The government are the people getting up every day going to work to do a job in the government to provide for their family.  Those people WAY outnumber the elected officials who we see on TV every day.  The GOP and DNC specifically do things to try to keep us divided and they are masters at using the media to accomplish that.  
Click to expand...


While there's something to be said about the lesser of evils, especially this election cycle, one thing to keep in mind is one of the few things both the GOP and DNC were able to agree upon was passing legislation to make it extremely hard on third parties to make the ballot for both Federal and State elections. 

For example, Kinky Freedman was a third party candidate running in a four horse race in Texas for Governor a few years back...though many folks outside of the large metropolitan areas wouldn't know it, as third party candidates would have to go to every single county and get a percentage of signatures from that county just to be on the ballot. 

Ross Perot had to spend millions of his own money for equal air time because election laws wouldn't include him or provide funds (like they do for GOP and DNC candidates) because the party didn't make a certain threshold of votes (IIRC, 10% of all votes) to receive matching funds. 

What we need is a moderate, independent candidate that can go in and get changes to our election system completed--model some of our election cycle laws after Japan, who limit their election campaigning to ~60 days from the election and require equal air time for candidates. Or other countries, like Great Britain, that are have (at least) four viable political parties that encompass differing parts of the political spectrum.

 
If a third party ever arises it won't bring us together, it will just split 2 major groups into 3.  Eliminating both parties is the only real option, impossible as it may be 

 
Back
Top