Jessica Gonzalez said:There are no real ideas or programs, just a bunch of empty slogans. It feels like they're just moving air because they can't even identify the core issues, let alone fix them. Trump really tapped into the heart of what's happening in America, much like how Brexit supporters did over in the UK. The standard of living isn't growing, and the current level is mostly being propped up by mass immigration to drive down costs and fill jobs nobody else wants. Or through outsourcing. It feels like trying to patch a sinking ship with a Band-Aid. As for the US, it's pretty clear we've all watched plenty of American movies and shows. For example, back in the 1920s, how was Ford able to build that famous Model T entirely in America and sell it at a price regular citizens could actually afford? Now, they say factories have to shut down in Detroit—which is a city with below-average incomes, so according to modern economic policy, it's supposedly "competitive"? It doesn't seem that different from many other parts of our country. Factories closed down, replaced by retail jobs in shopping malls that barely pay enough to survive on. About 53% of adults in America have less than $1,000 in their bank accounts. Everyone is just living on credit.
Capitalism is basically a system where most people end up losing—and once enough people feel left behind, you get these right-wing populists popping up, promising everyone will win if we just purge the "sick" parts of society and the "traitors." Then they pick their scapegoats: the corrupt elite, bureaucrats, immigrants, minorities, women, LGBTQ+ folks, some globalist conspiracy, the Illuminati... whatever works. They call for even more cutthroat capitalism, claiming the "real Americans" need to "work and build," leaving no room for anyone perceived as weak. And then, predictably—mathematically, really—the "people" go downhill fast, and everyone acts shocked about why.
It's because that "out-of-touch" elite they hated was actually just a reflection of themselves. Honestly, in a lot of ways, the public can be worse than the elite. Even if political correctness feels fake or forced, and even if those sociopaths at the top ignore basic decency, holding onto certain civilized standards is still an achievement. Trump is technically part of the elite too, but he's the worst kind—the type that looks most like your average American.
So, out of all those voter groups you listed—honestly, only the 'conservatives' seem to have zero critical thinking skills... they’re just blindly loyal to their side, even when their candidate looks like a total clown. I guess "herd mentality" is probably the most accurate label for them.
I mean, Americans have already dealt with celebrity presidents and governors, and we survived the whole era of Hollywood types in office—so you’d think we could just assume things will work out because the real power moves happen behind the scenes. But then there's that other bit of old-school wisdom: everything keeps rolling along until it finally hits a wall. You can't mess with the People—they're always right, no matter what. That’s why the People won, choosing a man of the people who's actually here to build stuff and get things done. And honestly, that's usually how history turns out great.
Maybe they should just tune into a skeptical podcast to get a grip on how things actually work—you know, to find out what the actual official stance from the National Academy of Sciences is. And while they're at it, maybe just repeat to themselves fifty times: 'I f...ing love science!'
Brenda Edwards49 said:Just move to a different subforum, man.
I mean, I don't really vibe with the idea of just bowing down to bullies—not my style. I don't do that in real life, so why would I do it here?
Unless this subforum is somehow the private property of my blood relative or he's just using it as a playground to act out—in which case, someone should probably clarify that.
Brenda Edwards49 said:Man, that deleted post was honestly pretty stupid.
Alright, if you say it's stupid—fine. But plenty of other people on this thread are being just as clueless, and hey, we don't all have to see eye to eye, right? My post was totally on topic, didn't offend anyone, was well-written, and all that good stuff.
The real issue is my posts keep getting nuked because the moderator, the Executioner, just doesn't seem to like me for some reason. Meanwhile, you see tons of off-topic rambling, people being jerks, paranoid accusations, and even straight-up insults from other users (and even the Executioner himself) going unpunished. Nothing gets deleted. It’s honestly pretty pathetic behavior for a mod, don't you think?
It’d be nice if someone actually took a second to look at what I’m talking about—just to confirm whether the executioner is allowed to act like he owns the place while moderating.
I dropped the links, and someone even said they'd check them out. But nothing? Zip. The executioner is still just doing whatever he wants and wiping posts. Honestly, I don't know how else to bring attention to this—it's starting to feel a little Kafkaesque.
It’d be great if someone could weigh in, because this whole situation is just straight-up bizarre. I don't know what's going on with this particular moderator, but no matter what I write, they just scrub it. My posts are totally on topic, polite, and normal.
Here’s what my last deleted post said:
So, today you see mobs on Twitter attacking people over political correctness, whereas yesterday they were lynching non-believers, Jews, or Black people. Isn't that obvious progress right there? Political correctness can be idiotic sometimes, sure, but it beats racism, inquisitions, and all that far-right nonsense. Plus, the mob has definitely calmed down. Maybe one day we won't even need it—we just have to be patient. I guess only our local Taoist sages here have some exclusive insight into the "truth" of the world, making the idea of progress or being politically active seem laughable, since they think everything is always the same—defined by its own opposite, containing its own negation, and so on and so forth.
The thing is, no matter how much they mess with historical context, the left still feels like the engine of progress. If it were the right wing, they'd probably still be bowing to the skull of some ancient prophet. Now, when these local (let's say, American and European) moderate, level-headed thinkers claim "leftist fascism"—whatever that means—is fundamentally the same as the right, yet somehow more dangerous and omnipresent... well, that's some special kind of math. (I've explained what kind, but I can't say it here.) Seriously, looking at the last 25 years in America, think about how many people have been killed, exiled, silenced, or intimidated in the name of leftist exclusivity.
If anyone actually looks, they'll see the post was perfectly on topic—nothing out of line compared to the rest of the discussion.
So, the mod—the absolute executioner of the Philosophy subforum—just hit me with this:
1) A total ban just because I stood up to some trolls. Meanwhile, all their trash-talking and insults? Completely ignored.
2) He teamed up with a few buddies of his to start spreading these wild conspiracy theories that I’m actually some kind of bot or clone.
3) He nuked my post where I was just trying to tell people they were getting a bit too paranoid. But sure, leave the crazy, hateful stuff up—that's fine.
Here’s how our "executioner" responds after being told he's acting totally unprofessional and isn't dealing with a clone:
If the site admins are cool with this level of arrogance and disrespect, just say so—let's get it out in the open. Thanks.
So that’s the mindset—if you actually dare to notice that things aren't quite that simple, and that the West has its own massive blind spots—like a dirty conscience or all those weird connections to our ancient, primal enemies—then apparently you're just "justifying terrorism." 🙏
That's basically it: everyone just retreats into their little tribes and packs. We're the civilized ones, they're all animals; we're Republicans, they're Democrats; we're Cowboys, they're Outlaws. If you have anything else to contribute, you're a traitor. Honestly, the people acting like they'd be the first to build walls and "clean up" America would probably be the most hardcore extremists if they’d just been born into a different context. It's the same deal—the loudest "patriots" here would be the most radical zealots if they were part of a different group.
Someone mentioned how we Americans basically invented religion as this twisted ideological monster. Man, what a tragic and honestly pretty clueless take on history. We didn't invent it; we just polished it up and sanitized it—and at a pretty bloody cost, too. And now we act all shocked when folks in the rural heartland start heading down that same path, especially since they're dealing with the historical trauma that the West itself helped create.
Truly shocking and totally unexpected, right? Just imagine, ladies and gentlemen—such primitive behavior in the 21st century... yikes, we just can't wrap our heads around it. 🙏
Western politics hasn't really faced the music when it comes to Christianity—specifically its darker side—and you can't just separate Islam from the whole Judeo-Christian framework either. Plus, let’s be real, the West isn't living in some perfect little bubble made of nothing but pure love and humanitarianism for everyone else...
To me, there's no real difference between a psychopath dropping bombs and those suits acting all high and mighty while funding the Israeli regime and pulling the strings on civilian casualties from afar. It's the same sickness, honestly—they're basically two sides of the same coin.
So, yeah—let's just wait for the primitive small-minded folks to evolve into sophisticated versions of themselves (assuming they don't kill or enslave half the planet first, which—given how things are going—is a pretty safe bet). Until then? Just stay quiet. Trying to argue is a lost cause anyway.
Morgan Williams said:And the New Testament backs up the very filth God demanded in the Old:
The West and its history don't justify what these people are doing today. The goal should be to eliminate all filth, not to use our own filth to justify theirs.
No excuses—none at all. But there are causes, right? Between past baggage, current issues, genuine oppression, religious fanaticism, and politics... you can't just wipe the slate clean on history, and honestly, things aren't exactly getting better today. It was crosses and swords yesterday, and now it's missiles and drones.
Western civilization didn't just pop out of nowhere, either. It grew from a bunch of different sources, absorbed tons of other cultures, and let's be real—it definitely profited off other people's misery. It’s pretty naive to think exploitation just stopped because we cleaned up our own backyard and don't have to see the grit anymore. So, fine—let these "uncivilized" places deal with it on their own, as long as we don't have to hear about them (unless, you know, we need their oil or cheap labor).
As for the New Testament, you can't just take it at face value without oversimplifying everything. Back when those words were being written, the Old Testament wasn't even in the format we use today. And even if we could pinpoint exactly which part of the tradition Jesus was talking about regarding the Law, it still depends on which aspect of that tradition you mean. Plus, the New Testament itself is super diverse and open to so many interpretations—sometimes even contradicting itself... It's definitely not black and white.
Michelle Doyle61 said:It would be like claiming a psychopath only acted out because the state of the country gave him some sort of "justification" for his intentions. That’s just not how it works. There are very clear, undeniable reasons why he did what he did. It's the same logic as why a group of people would decide to scatter in different directions the moment a bomb goes off in a crowded area. The motives are right there if you actually look at them.
People claim Islam isn't violent? Look, the Quran isn't exactly a massive tome. You can fly through it pretty quickly. I’d actually suggest you sit down and read it for yourself. Once you get into it, you'll see that message of peace and love firsthand.
If you’re claiming it isn't violent, then how exactly do you account for the legal systems in various Middle Eastern nations? I'm talking about things like public lashings or stoning. Is it really possible that every single one of them is just fundamentally misinterpreting the text? It seems hard to believe such a massive, widespread misunderstanding would happen everywhere at once.
How do you think that Quran even came to be—just popped out of thin air, or was it more like an upgrade to an existing ideology? Ever actually peeked into that collection of texts people call the Old Testament? I mean, where do you think these crazy ideas come from—the whole "divine mission" thing, blind obedience to authority, treating outsiders like they don't matter, using deception to get ahead, or basically making murder look okay...
Yeah, we have the New Testament, sure, but too often it’s just been used as window dressing for violence—basically a hollow mantra or just words on a page. Like, what do the Crusades, colonialism, the Inquisition, or corrupt clergy have to do with Jesus’s actual teachings? On the flip side, the Old Testament isn't just a source for some dangerous mental virus; it’s also a monument to the human spirit—a pretty magnificent work... Just like Islam isn't just pure primitivism and violence; it’s a religion that, in certain ways, pushed past Judaism and Christianity, carrying this incredibly deep mystical tradition...
It's hard for Muslims to really catch up to the West when you look at the negative historical track record. So, why don't we actually dig into the root of the problem? We like to act all high and mighty like we solved it ages ago, but we didn't—we're just playing dumb. Then we act surprised when we see these nasty symptoms popping up over the fence, acting like they have nothing to do with us. But they do—it's cultural, it's ancestral, and honestly, it's just cause and effect.
Robin Fox2 said:Well, I suppose the guys can check in once they arrive in 2015, but until then, we'll just stay behind this wall 😁 ...
If they follow the same path "our" civilization took, the rest of the world is pretty much screwed in the meantime. We definitely started off on that track. Honestly, I'm not sure if being tech-savvy or having a "superior" culture acts as some kind of magic shield against a massive wave of barbarians. History usually tells us otherwise.
Emily Ward3 said:Well, I suppose you could look at it that way. Americans tend to stir up trouble all over the globe, yet somehow, nobody else seems to act quite like these maniacs. It makes you wonder where they actually find their inspiration—is it really found in some supposed "religion of peace"?
It’s a common mistake to paint an entire group with one brush, but that’s just not how reality works. You can't judge billions of people by the actions of a tiny, radical few. It’s like saying all Americans are obsessed with football just because a certain number of us live for Sunday games—it’s a massive oversimplification that misses the bigger picture entirely. ☕
Let’s be real for a second. Are you truly, deeply concerned about the people dying on the streets in China every single day? Or maybe it's the situation in Lebanon—does that actually keep you up at night? Are you tossing and turning, drafting elaborate plans to provide aid however you can? If that were true, I’d expect to see you out there every day helping the homeless in your neighborhood, feeding the poor, supporting orphans, or volunteering with special needs kids. We could sit here and moralize until sunrise, but the blunt reality is that neither you nor I actually care about what happens halfway across the globe. In fact, if you really cared about the suffering right in front of your eyes, you would have already adopted three kids, taken in three rescue dogs, or opened your home to refugees and the local homeless population. It’s only natural to feel a momentary pang of sympathy when we hear news about hurricane victims in Mexico or the tragedies in Lebanon, but at the end of the day, those events are happening on the other side of the world. They aren't going to change my life, and they certainly aren't going to change yours.
The situation in Paris isn't devastating simply because it happened in a developed nation; the real tragedy lies in the motive behind the attack. We’re looking at religious extremism here. And please, don't try to justify it by pointing out that France is involved in foreign conflicts or—get this—has a history of colonization. That doesn't change the core issue. 🙏 You can't just pin everything on Americans; they didn't go around inventing historical figures like Muhammad either. It feels like modern discourse is just obsessed with hunting for scapegoats—focusing entirely on the tragic imagery of dead children in Palestine or grieving families in Syria. It’s as if people believe that because those specific tragedies happened there, only they have the standing to demand justice. It's a bit like blaming the weather for a broken window while ignoring the person who threw the rock.
I have to wonder, does a nation even exist that is 100% pure, where the citizens have never committed a single wrong? And is our plan now just to seek vengeance across the board? Look at how Americans handled things with the Mexicans—nobody is out there looking for a crusade in the name of faith. 😁
It isn't that I view Islam as an absolute evil, nor am I blind to other issues. It’s just that this topic is incredibly relevant right now, and it seems like it’ll stay that way for a long time, all because of how certain policies in America were drafted five years ago. 🙂
I truly enjoy it when someone talks nonsense just for the sake of hearing themselves speak. Most of the time, it ends up being this incredibly foolish and misguided attempt at a point.
Why on earth should I be polite and tolerant toward someone who treats me with the exact same hostility and who is obsessed with forcing sick rules upon everyone else?
So you basically just described how they act when they're in a group—like it's just wired into them or whatever. Kind of like how you're over here acting all tough and punching at the right wing. Have you actually ever stood up on the front lines and told them off?
boldfox88 said:The fundamental flaw in the argument that jihadists have nothing to do with Islam is that these fanatics actually find their core ideologies rooted in Islamic teachings and the Quran. Could a movement defined by such madness and bloodshed sustain itself for decades based solely on the doctrines of other faiths? I don't think so. While history shows wars and atrocities committed in the name of Christianity, those were typically driven by established nation-states pursuing tangible material interests, where the cross served merely as a unifying symbol for their ambitions.
On the flip side, the claim that Islam itself is an inherently dangerous religion ignores the reality that there are over a billion Muslims globally, yet the instability is concentrated in one specific region. This area is deeply traumatized—not just by extremist factions, but historically by the actions of Western, developed nations. Take France, for example. Throughout the last century, they imported thousands of workers from North Africa, benefiting from cheap labor while maintaining a clear conscience because conditions were ostensibly better than the desperation found back home. And things were better—until those individuals began forming families and raising children. Living on meager wages far below the French standard of living, they could offer their kids nothing more than life in the Parisian suburbs and street culture. Being culturally, racially, religiously, and socially isolated from the rest of the country, these alienated youths never had a fair shot at a normal upbringing or education. In such a volatile environment, even a tiny drop of extreme Islamist doctrine is enough to turn people into weapons.
Ultimately, Muslims must confront the fact that certain interpretations within their faith allow for the kind of radicalization that fuels modern evil. Simultaneously, the West must accept its share of historical and contemporary responsibility for the current state of affairs in Africa and the Middle East. Further division, finger-pointing, border closures, and extreme policies will only serve to make the situation worse. Islam acts as the vehicle through which terrorists are radicalized, but it isn't the root cause of their existence. The cause runs much deeper.
By the way, has the individual identified by the passport actually been confirmed as the attacker, or was the passport simply found at the scene without proving that the owner was actually present?
Maybe dig a little deeper into history—and while you're at it, check out how Islam actually started. 😉
The mental virus currently running through the Islamic world is basically just a mutation of something that’s been baked into Western civilization for ages—honestly, our past is even more brutal. It just got more sophisticated over time instead of disappearing.
Take the American elite, for example—they aren't just greedy when they export terror globally; there's this deep-seated religious fundamentalism woven right into them.
Look, I’m not defending fundamentalists—keep them far away from me—but I highly doubt closing borders is going to fix anything long-term. It's not like the rest of the world is just going to stop existing on the other side of the fence. It'll resurface eventually, and probably looking way uglier than before.
Emily Ward3 said:Did I actually say that? No. What I actually said was:
In plain English, that means those people were decent folks—mostly Muslims on paper, much like how I identify as Catholic—and nobody was forcing their lifestyle on me. Nobody felt the sudden urge to pull a grenade in my living room just because they felt inspired. Nobody gave me grief for offering them a $10 cookie instead of some high-end pastry, and nobody trashed the couch I was sitting on. Does that clear things up?
I should probably add a quick disclaimer: that doesn't mean every Muslim I know is a saint. There have certainly been others who were the complete opposite, and I made sure to distance myself from them early on. It's also worth noting that they tend to act much bolder in a pack than they do alone; when they're in a group, it becomes a competition to see who can be the most devout.
Yeah, that's just how it goes—the home herd is basically the perfect place to let out all that primal nonsense. It's kind of like how you're acting all ultra-conservative here, even though you were probably being polite and tolerant when you were hanging out with them.
Larry Fox5 said:What do you mean you don't see it? The point is the music! It’s simple—just like Bob Dylan was a legend because of his lyrics, other musicians are legends because of the actual sound, and the words don't even matter. Even with Jimi, the lyrics were pretty basic, but he pulled more out of that guitar than Dylan ever did from a pen. You could say the same about Santana—it's basically just him singing "listen to my rhythm, baby" over and over, but man, that composition is killer.
Why would Santana even need lyrics for a track like "Oye Como Va"—when the music itself says everything that needs saying?...
See, with Jimi, it wasn't about being a technical wizard—it was about that madness and trance state that the skill helped him reach. With those other two guys you mentioned, it's more about the raw technique, which—honestly—just doesn't do much for me.
And I wouldn't really put Jimi and Dylan in the same bucket anyway... totally different worlds. Dylan is wordy, cerebral... a poet, you know?
It makes zero sense trying to judge classical music and rock by the same yardstick. One is all about technical mastery and sophistication—while rock is basically just a Dionysian trance for the masses... But that doesn't make it any less "valuable"... obviously both genres borrow bits from each other.
Honestly, those shredder guitarists in rock don't really do it for me... I just don't see the point. Guys like Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen are in their own league entirely—they're more like poets than pop stars. Even then, you can skip through a lot of their stuff, which is the downside of mainstream music—there’s no quality control when everything is driven by pure instinct.
I’m with you—these new Batman movies just don't hit the same. Like, technically? They’re solid. Everything works, the style is polished... but it feels more like solving an equation than watching a movie. The whole structure is just way too forced. That seems to be the problem with most modern blockbusters lately...
I mean, there shouldn't be a point where you can boil the entire movie down to a couple of pages of an essay... In this case, they basically turned the Odyssey into some space alien story 🤦
But even if that's not the only issue, it's still a good film—it's just, why bother with the superhero costumes and the sci-fi action nonsense? If you strip all that away, the movie is actually twice as good. It would totally redefine Batman and the whole genre. Seriously. Like Walter Grant5 said, the whole concept is just off base.
The Burton Batmans were legendary—that mix of fantasy, noir, gothic vibes, kitsch, morbidity, pure madness... just a total visual feast 🙏