PopeBeanie

It’s rarely a bad idea to “buy local”. Except of course in USA when Trump owns the business, I’d boycott it.

Meanwhile, I think that Trump’s desire is to foment unrest and get populist adrenaline to flow, so any emotional reaction or retaliation from any other country is another arrow in his pocket… until enough Americans wake up and get rid of…[Read more]

Thanks Reg, an appropriate link I neglected until now. Recently I also ran into another interesting-looking writing (Political Tribes by Amy Chua):

Humans are tribal. We need to belong to groups. In many parts of the world, the group identities that matter most – the ones that people will kill and die for – are ethnic, religious, sectarian, or cla…

[Read more]

My educated guess, in brief:

1) Humans are tribal by nature; human history is full of examples of campaigns and wars driven by fear mongering leaders, and other paranoic tendencies. That’s not new.

2) Repressive, authoritarian regimes that wrap entire cultures in their own reality bubble is also just as old as civilization itself.

3) What’s new…[Read more]

PopeBeanie wrote:

I shall write with bigger pictures and audiences in mind, too. When I can remember to.

Damn, I don’t remember writing that last sentence.

Really good thread here. In Simon’s defense, in spite of his defense of religion, I’ll bet most of us can see how far ahead he is of typical religious people and their tribes. “Can there be an atheistic religion?”. I wouldn’t mind a bit if Simon’s ideas could replace current traditions, or if he can get religious people to discover the solely…[Read more]

_Robert_ wrote:

Women in general select men on their potential to succeed in violence. Tall men, muscles, big shoulders, etc.. They find that attractive…firemen you know that whole bit. Woman always go for taller, stronger men. Goes back to prehistoric times. Nice flabby momma’s boys not so much.

There’s probably some validity to that that I had…[Read more]

Unseen wrote:

“Seems” isn’t a weasel word so much as a way flag what you’re saying is an opinion.

Ok, if it’s only an opinion.

“Destroy the lives of all offenders” seems (that word again) to be the de facto result of the general thoughtless failure to make distinctions.

“General thoughtless failure” is another opinion-based declaration…[Read more]

_Robert_ wrote:

BTW this idea that any woman can essentially convict you with an accusation should send shivers down your liberal spine.

Guess I’ve just been too lucky, and so are the men I’ve met, compared to the abused women I’ve met. Anecdotal, I know. Even so, I don’t hate men for their more violent nature… I mean, male (compared to female)…[Read more]

_Robert_ wrote:

#MeToo seems to want to destroy the lives of all offenders, without distinguishing between those whose offense was verbal, somewhat physical, grossly physical, or rape.

OK, I got an A in critical thinking class, so I’m giving myself permission to criticize that comment.

• “Seems” is a weasel word
• “Destroy the lives of all…

[Read more]

Considering the long-term costs of our historic culture of slavery, and considering the physical wife abuse that takes place daily (all one has to do is visit a woman’s shelter to see the evidence), do you think that the cost to men of the #MeToo movement and public allegations actually overwhelms the known damage done and still happening?

I…[Read more]

It amuses me at times the size of a crowd where every single person can be looking down at their devices for long periods of time.

I was going to post about Tristan Harris‘ ideas on how to get beyond these techy-designed addictions.

Unseen wrote:

the 40% who did boycott or throw away their vote must accept responsibility for their part in making Trump President.

I agree with that, but also have to give credit to the Bannon machine for motivating voters in those two states (err, I already forgot which states) that made the electoral college difference. It was totally p…[Read more]

daughterofkarl wrote:

I am still figuring out how to make effective use of the quote function here.

Sorry for scant detail at the moment, but my internet time’s about to expire in about 30 seconds! Try this link and let me know: https://atheistzone.com/groups/tips/forum/topic/making-the-symbol-work-in-your-post/#post-2129

There has been an uptick in anti woman-progressive-movements, which I noticed anecdotally right before Trump was elected. I met a woman who, otherwise seeming intelligent, said to me that “women were put on this earth to please men”. I was flabbergasted. I mentioned that woman abuse was still going on in this country, and she had no clue what I…[Read more]

Unseen wrote:

The radical left, just like the radical right, is only interested in statistics that confirm their view, even if it takes misconstruing them or ignoring flaws as they do so.

In broader terms, this is part of the new, identity politics trend. Tribalism.

_Robert_ wrote:

For example, many of the Bernie Sanders idealist devotees didn’t vote at all in the general election and then were so shocked and talking the end-of-the-world when Trump won. Idiots.

I can buy your reasoning, there. And otoh, too many libs voted for Nader (back in 2000?… I already forgot when!), taking enough votes from Gore i…[Read more]

Robert_ wrote:

I guess fathers don’t matter and mothering and being  leaders in business and government are part time jobs?  This is what drives the middle of the road voters to vote Trump. Women included.

Ah right, it’s the left’s fault when the right acts like idiots. 🙂 I mean, you might as well tell the left they should shutup, for the sake…[Read more]