The only thing that seems to rile up the American populace is their next cell phone app. Really. Far too many of them are fucking worthless.

(January 12, 2015 at 5:26 pm)Minimalist Wrote: The only thing that seems to rile up the American populace is their next cell phone app. Really. Far too many of them are fucking worthless.

I obviously appreciate that frustration, but we don't have time for futility anymore.

(January 12, 2015 at 5:26 pm)NathanHawks Wrote:

(January 12, 2015 at 5:20 pm)Esquilax Wrote: "If I mindlessly join the throng of shrill, condescending voices screaming abuse about the state of the world, surely mine will be the voice picked out of the multitudes as a source of truth!"

Because invective laden diatribes on random forums have always been the way to be taken seriously as a political contributor in this country!

The fallacy at play in this attitude is that nothing could possibly ever happen worth getting worked up about. That fallacy needs to be shat on, shot, and run over.

Being energetic about an issue is not the same thing as being a mindless, screaming dick about that issue. It's so very telling that you couldn't immediately see a difference between the two.

(January 12, 2015 at 4:07 pm)NathanHawks Wrote: Just so nobody wastes their time, my ignore list now contains the following six expletives:

Alex K Cato Chuck Faith No More FatAndFaithless Pickup_shonuff

Nobody cares.

Really.

(January 12, 2015 at 5:28 pm)NathanHawks Wrote:

(January 12, 2015 at 5:26 pm)Minimalist Wrote: The only thing that seems to rile up the American populace is their next cell phone app. Really. Far too many of them are fucking worthless.

I obviously appreciate that frustration, but we don't have time for futility anymore.

I'm 65, lad. Futility is all that is left.

(January 12, 2015 at 5:31 pm)Esquilax Wrote:

(January 12, 2015 at 5:26 pm)NathanHawks Wrote: The fallacy at play in this attitude is that nothing could possibly ever happen worth getting worked up about. That fallacy needs to be shat on, shot, and run over.

Being energetic about an issue is not the same thing as being a mindless, screaming dick about that issue. It's so very telling that you couldn't immediately see a difference between the two.

"Mindless, screaming dick."

You actually managed to withhold insults for one whole message. I'm unclear why you decided to enjoin the abuse.

(January 12, 2015 at 5:36 pm)NathanHawks Wrote:

(January 12, 2015 at 5:31 pm)Esquilax Wrote: Being energetic about an issue is not the same thing as being a mindless, screaming dick about that issue. It's so very telling that you couldn't immediately see a difference between the two.

"Mindless, screaming dick."

You actually managed to withhold insults for one whole message. I'm unclear why you decided to enjoin the abuse.

You're the common denominator here. Ever think you're the problem?

(January 12, 2015 at 5:35 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

(January 12, 2015 at 5:28 pm)NathanHawks Wrote: I obviously appreciate that frustration, but we don't have time for futility anymore.

I'm 65, lad. Futility is all that is left.

Ehh, don't take this as me putting words in your mouth, but I reject the ageism that marginalizes people the more wise they get.

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(January 12, 2015 at 5:40 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote:

(January 12, 2015 at 5:36 pm)NathanHawks Wrote: "Mindless, screaming dick."

You actually managed to withhold insults for one whole message. I'm unclear why you decided to enjoin the abuse.

You're the common denominator here. Ever think you're the problem?

Do you think most Germans, 100 years ago, probably agreed with and conformed to, or disagreed with and resisted, the propaganda campaigns which instructed them on how to put dissidents in their places?

Would you say most Germans, 100 years ago, were despicable people who needed a serious yelling-at-with-facts?

(January 12, 2015 at 5:24 pm)NathanHawks Wrote: Of course I appreciate that. Well, maybe not "of course." You all don't know me any more than I know you.

But look at the historical perspective of the situation and think about the amount of massive action it takes to turn a corrupted social tide in this country. Think how resistant people were to desegregation. They want to believe that which allows them to express their frustrations via nationalized murders and thefts. They are objectively horrible people. I don't want them to be confused into thinking there's any room for good people to approve of their life choices. They're enslaving and murdering the world and laughing about it. Fuck them and fuck their feelings.

Communication is most certainly a two way street, but can we not also admit other facts? Such as that my OP did not deserve the derision it got; that the topics are much more important than any comfortable first-worlder's feelings; that we got this way as a society by thinking it's rude to step on another person's illusions; etc.

I provoke people into acting the way they've acted in this thread so that they can see themselves better. It works better than being calm.

We have a Christian here that has the exact same approach, and you should ask everyone here how well his message comes across.

Provoking people merely causes them to put up walls, which if you're truly trying to communicate a message that you think will make them uncomfortable or a message that they have simply become blind to, is precisely not what you want to do. They're only going to shut you out and completely ignore what you have to say. Human beings are fickle and we don't process information in a purely rational way, so even if you were wielding pure truth, you couldn't just slap people in the face with it and expect them to absorb it.

If you truly feel you have a message worth spreading, you have to tailor it to the people with whom you are communicating.

(January 12, 2015 at 5:45 pm)Faith No More Wrote:

(January 12, 2015 at 5:24 pm)NathanHawks Wrote: Of course I appreciate that. Well, maybe not "of course." You all don't know me any more than I know you.

But look at the historical perspective of the situation and think about the amount of massive action it takes to turn a corrupted social tide in this country. Think how resistant people were to desegregation. They want to believe that which allows them to express their frustrations via nationalized murders and thefts. They are objectively horrible people. I don't want them to be confused into thinking there's any room for good people to approve of their life choices. They're enslaving and murdering the world and laughing about it. Fuck them and fuck their feelings.

Communication is most certainly a two way street, but can we not also admit other facts? Such as that my OP did not deserve the derision it got; that the topics are much more important than any comfortable first-worlder's feelings; that we got this way as a society by thinking it's rude to step on another person's illusions; etc.

I provoke people into acting the way they've acted in this thread so that they can see themselves better. It works better than being calm.

We have a Christian here that has the exact same approach, and you should ask everyone here how well his message comes across.

Provoking people merely causes them to put up walls, which if you're truly trying to communicate a message that you think will make them uncomfortable or a message that they have simply become blind to, is precisely not what you want to do. They're only going to shut you out and completely ignore what you have to say. Human beings are fickle and we don't process information in a purely rational way, so even if you were wielding pure truth, you couldn't just slap people in the face with it and expect them to absorb it.

If you truly feel you have a message worth spreading, you have to tailor it to the people with whom you are communicating.

You are completely right.

The only way this culture will understand, is if they hear about people like me being killed by the state, either for sedition, or the old hat of planted evidence or trumped-up charges.

It really is an entirely lose-lose situation because it is too late, specifically because it is too late on account of the majority of our culture's attitudes being such an effective barrier against counterrevolution.

Carrying on, then. At least a few people might feel something after the cops kill me for protesting, et cetera.


While I recognize the serious, correct, actual and semi-actionable wisdom in what you're saying, and wish I could reply with less snark, here is the thing.

Look at these people. They want me dead so that I'll shut up. Not actively. They just would be totally okay with it. Far more okay than they'd be with social responsibility.

I am a bit worn down after an entire lifetime of that. The best I've ever been able to hope for is people who agree with me but who still blame me for being right in the wrong ways. Nobody wants to lend me their credibility to turn around and say, to a crowd like this, "you know what, he could stand to calm down a little, but you people are seriously fucked up. The only reason he's like this is because he's probably been putting up with shit like you fucking idiots have been spewing here his whole life, because you twats ARE the majority, and the way you're behaving here IS the entire problem in this country."