Did 9/11 and its aftermath change your view of the world?

Serg97 comments on Sep 11, 2020:

Yes, but look around, how soon we forget, that there are forces out there still trying to destroy this great country!!! They have just changed THEIR names!!!!!

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 11, 2020:

Yes, we need to stop fighting over thoughts. Yes, confronting ideologies is more important. Also important is confronting actions. But most important is confronting and taking the reins of power in every venue.

Did 9/11 and its aftermath change your view of the world?

Serg97 comments on Sep 11, 2020:

Yes, but look around, how soon we forget, that there are forces out there still trying to destroy this great country!!! They have just changed THEIR names!!!!!

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 11, 2020:

@RoscoNovaro More like defund the government and accelerate the process of becoming a mere colony for the rich and powerful to exploit.

Peter Thiel Met With The Racist Fringe As He Went All In On Trump [buzzfeednews.com]

Machiavelliwar comments on Sep 11, 2020:

A lovely little bit of damning, by suggestive reportage. The left is our very most crafty fighters, and crude, on the political field. "He met with, he emailed", what 3 people and their moms? And the sneaky once more mention of Trump's sins. Oh, how thrilling it must be for those composing this ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 11, 2020:

You think these social movements are organic? Do you give the same benefit of the doubt to Soros?

"I was the woman surrounded by BLM protesters at a D.

BlackoutNJ comments on Sep 4, 2020:

What? I mean what? Talk about being fucking brainwashed. She basically said that she was in fear however she feels hopeful that an angry mob is yelling at people on the street? "Oh they just want change" no bitch, change comes in a peaceful and non-cohersive manner. People need to stop covering ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 11, 2020:

@hodrob There are all sorts of debates we can have about what police should and shouldn't do, but the more important point is that none of the social problems they are supposed to fix will actually be solved until communities get more funding. Reallocating police funds, which are the bulk of city budgets, is one way of doing that.

What arguments may help progressives moderate or change their views?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 10, 2020:

If you want to change someone's ideas, I'd advise the following: 1. Act in good faith 2. Assume good faith on their part 3. Learn more about their ideas 4. Make an argument based on #3

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 11, 2020:

@dd54 None of us are completely objective--as much as we might like to think we are. Why persuade at all if you don't have preferred--or biased--ideas? Good faith to me just means 1. You're honest about why you believe in your ideas (e.g. you're not publicly making a moral appeal but privately aware that you're spreading propaganda to pad your company's bottom line), and 2. You're not claiming good faith in offering an argument but refusing to listen, study, and concede when you know you've been proven wrong.

What arguments may help progressives moderate or change their views?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 10, 2020:

If you want to change someone's ideas, I'd advise the following: 1. Act in good faith 2. Assume good faith on their part 3. Learn more about their ideas 4. Make an argument based on #3

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 11, 2020:

@dd54 You can be biased and in good faith at the same time.

What arguments may help progressives moderate or change their views?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 10, 2020:

If you want to change someone's ideas, I'd advise the following: 1. Act in good faith 2. Assume good faith on their part 3. Learn more about their ideas 4. Make an argument based on #3

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 10, 2020:

@dd54 I never claimed to follow that advice with everyone ;). The fact is, not everyone is acting in good faith, and there's not enough time to persuade everyone online. I try to judge who's not acting in good faith and then focus on persuading the ones who are. But still, if you really want to persuade someone, you have to follow it.

What arguments may help progressives moderate or change their views?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 10, 2020:

If you want to change someone's ideas, I'd advise the following: 1. Act in good faith 2. Assume good faith on their part 3. Learn more about their ideas 4. Make an argument based on #3

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 10, 2020:

@dd54 I'm just not making a value judgment. The process is the same regardless of whether you're trying to persuade for good or for bad.

What arguments may help progressives moderate or change their views?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 10, 2020:

If you want to change someone's ideas, I'd advise the following: 1. Act in good faith 2. Assume good faith on their part 3. Learn more about their ideas 4. Make an argument based on #3

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 10, 2020:

@Josf-Kelley Either/or!

The Washington Post conducts an investigation into the protesters kidnapped by federal agents in ...

wolfhnd comments on Sep 10, 2020:

The Washington Post. Democracy dies in the darkness surrounding the Clinton and Biden family corruption.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 10, 2020:

@wolfhnd I was (sarcastically) characterizing your epistemology--not mine.

The Washington Post conducts an investigation into the protesters kidnapped by federal agents in ...

wolfhnd comments on Sep 10, 2020:

The Washington Post. Democracy dies in the darkness surrounding the Clinton and Biden family corruption.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 10, 2020:

And enlightenment lies in sensory deprivation.

A single gender-reveal party in California has caused more property damage than all the 2020 BLM ...

ThomasinaPaine comments on Sep 9, 2020:

And? Ass raping hurts worse than vaginal rape but do we ignore one because the other is worse? Jesus...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 9, 2020:

Yeah, it's not the BLM protests that people are ignoring.

A single gender-reveal party in California has caused more property damage than all the 2020 BLM ...

DeplorableToo comments on Sep 9, 2020:

A pyrotech "mistake" during a drought, is a very bad combination.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 9, 2020:

@DeplorableToo https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/07/5-gender-reveal-disasters-wildfires-fatal-explosion-plane-crash/

A single gender-reveal party in California has caused more property damage than all the 2020 BLM ...

DeplorableToo comments on Sep 9, 2020:

A pyrotech "mistake" during a drought, is a very bad combination.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 9, 2020:

@DeplorableToo Not the first time something like this has happened.

A single gender-reveal party in California has caused more property damage than all the 2020 BLM ...

DeplorableToo comments on Sep 9, 2020:

A pyrotech "mistake" during a drought, is a very bad combination.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 9, 2020:

I still don't understand how these gaudy events survived COVID-19.

A single gender-reveal party in California has caused more property damage than all the 2020 BLM ...

Xtra comments on Sep 9, 2020:

Human lives?

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 9, 2020:

Probably that too, depending on whether you count the murders by police and right-wing paramilitaries.

How are you doing under Covid lockdown?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 8, 2020:

It was surreal at first, but doing pretty well now. Eating healthier, saving money, refocused on work, drinking less, lost 30 pounds, feel more desire to do things like socialize and go outside (not just an obligation), and am becoming more self-actualized through local political organization and ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 8, 2020:

@Machiavelliwar I mean, riding 10 miles on your bike with a backpack full with water bottles and protective equipment is a great way to lose weight!

How are you doing under Covid lockdown?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 8, 2020:

It was surreal at first, but doing pretty well now. Eating healthier, saving money, refocused on work, drinking less, lost 30 pounds, feel more desire to do things like socialize and go outside (not just an obligation), and am becoming more self-actualized through local political organization and ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 8, 2020:

@Mikewee777 Sorry to hear that. I do try to make informed choices, but it is always a risk at the end of the day--any protest could turn into a police riot.

Is ‘cultural Marxism’ really taking over universities?

Seriousreason comments on Sep 8, 2020:

From the late fifties & the Berkinstocks & socks , liberals & their far left insurgents. , post modern ideology . So your comments Willy, regarding post modern teachings in academia.wether they ( the commies) deny it or not Its on display during the of the bright of day..

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 8, 2020:

@Seriousreason https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/how-america-lost-its-mind/534231/

Is ‘cultural Marxism’ really taking over universities?

Seriousreason comments on Sep 8, 2020:

From the late fifties & the Berkinstocks & socks , liberals & their far left insurgents. , post modern ideology . So your comments Willy, regarding post modern teachings in academia.wether they ( the commies) deny it or not Its on display during the of the bright of day..

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 8, 2020:

If it's somehow unconsciously influenced us (whether Marxist or not) despite having never studied it, it certainly has influenced the right.

Is ‘cultural Marxism’ really taking over universities?

dd54 comments on Sep 8, 2020:

LOL Ricky this had been going on for decades. Look at dinner background on the NEA Your a little behind the times but maybe you weren't born in the 60s.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 8, 2020:

@dd54 It's post-structuralism--not Marxism--that is prevalent in universities. And it serves capitalism. No one said Marxism is dead, but there's no conspiracy to indoctrinate people with Marxism or infect culture with it.

Is ‘cultural Marxism’ really taking over universities?

dd54 comments on Sep 8, 2020:

LOL Ricky this had been going on for decades. Look at dinner background on the NEA Your a little behind the times but maybe you weren't born in the 60s.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 8, 2020:

"Dinner background?" Also, did you read the article?

Mark Twain on political violence.

Machiavelliwar comments on Sep 6, 2020:

The emotional plea, to justify The French! Ah, those were the days, eh, Wily? real sweaty peasants to rally around! bet you miss those days......

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

@tonkotsu Funny that only the left is able to criticize the #resistance and the Trumpian right.

To all those on the left (the farther left, the better) I have a simple question and I invite you...

Edgework comments on Sep 4, 2020:

I still haven’t heard anyone talk about the nuts and bolts of creating a socialist utopia in the United States, which, to be honest, is the stated goal of our current crop of socialists, as well as all who have come before. None of them are saying “Let’s be like Sweden; let’s be like ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

@Machiavelliwar "The idea is That Jobs, create inflation, so you set a number of jobless, and tax to keep that number out of the job market!" That is what conservatives and neoliberals believe, and it has been policy for decades. MMTers believe that is is complicated, like you said--it is a function of economic output. Meaning that you can deficit spend, especially in a time like now with very low inflation (and the threat of deflation) due to structural issues, as long as the economic output isn't so out of sync with increased wages (too much money chasing too few goods) that you create inflation that is too high. We have been using that fiscal power to capitalize and add liquidity to the financial system and big business (including the purchasing of corporate junk bonds), but we can also use it to provide public goods, ease state and local budgets, and provide a job guarantee like in the GND (employer of last resort which acts like an automatic stabilizer). When inflation gets too high, yes, taxing more money back out of the economy is the emergency tool to use, but only then. Private equity interests like the Peter G. Peterson Foundation have been pushing deficit hawkery on both parties for years in order to keep wages down and maximize their profits. Deficits don't actually "crowd out" economic activity--it puts money in our pockets--and surpluses take money out! Also, keep in mind, the reason this works is because we're not on a gold standard anymore and we are not experiencing a simultaneous monetary transition and supply shock like half a century ago.

"Israeli soldiers placed IEDs at the entrance to a Palestinian village.

wolfhnd comments on Sep 7, 2020:

From the other sides perspective. You risk your life every day to be humane to people who want you exterminated. That's asking a lot of someone who just wants a peaceful life and probably could care less about the religious rivalries that the Middle East is always embroiled in. (The author is ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

@wolfhnd It's very clear what you meant.

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

Penrodster comments on Sep 7, 2020:

Ahhh, thanks for the video you posted below, context clears things up. Several years ago they had a bad idea for the RNC, tried it and figured out it was stupid. Then they dropped it like a steaming pile of bad idea it was. Thank you for picking it up and lovingly holding it for everyone to ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

@Penrodster "It's only OK when he does it." Got it.

To all those on the left (the farther left, the better) I have a simple question and I invite you...

Edgework comments on Sep 4, 2020:

I still haven’t heard anyone talk about the nuts and bolts of creating a socialist utopia in the United States, which, to be honest, is the stated goal of our current crop of socialists, as well as all who have come before. None of them are saying “Let’s be like Sweden; let’s be like ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

@Machiavelliwar I'm an MMTer, not a Marxist.

"Israeli soldiers placed IEDs at the entrance to a Palestinian village.

wolfhnd comments on Sep 7, 2020:

From the other sides perspective. You risk your life every day to be humane to people who want you exterminated. That's asking a lot of someone who just wants a peaceful life and probably could care less about the religious rivalries that the Middle East is always embroiled in. (The author is ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

Wow. A whole people reduced to "the terrorist entity," as someone once said. Congrats on justifying the next Holocaust.

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

Penrodster comments on Sep 7, 2020:

Ahhh, thanks for the video you posted below, context clears things up. Several years ago they had a bad idea for the RNC, tried it and figured out it was stupid. Then they dropped it like a steaming pile of bad idea it was. Thank you for picking it up and lovingly holding it for everyone to ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

@Penrodster You don't remember his birther campaign?

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

Penrodster comments on Sep 7, 2020:

Ahhh, thanks for the video you posted below, context clears things up. Several years ago they had a bad idea for the RNC, tried it and figured out it was stupid. Then they dropped it like a steaming pile of bad idea it was. Thank you for picking it up and lovingly holding it for everyone to ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

Donny boy's obsession.

To all those on the left (the farther left, the better) I have a simple question and I invite you...

Edgework comments on Sep 4, 2020:

I still haven’t heard anyone talk about the nuts and bolts of creating a socialist utopia in the United States, which, to be honest, is the stated goal of our current crop of socialists, as well as all who have come before. None of them are saying “Let’s be like Sweden; let’s be like ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 7, 2020:

@Hanno DSA is a big tent socialist organization, so its advocacy runs the gamut, but most of what it and its preferred candidates advocate in national electoral politics is social democracy. "Democratic Socialism" reflects their big tent and efforts toward workplace democracy. And Scandinavian social democracy has been watered down by neoliberalism. DSA also isn't much of a force in national politics. There, a handful of leftist donors and institutions (like Justice Democrats) are the main movers. Sometimes they are a bit "moderate" for some in DSA, but I believe they are working toward the same goal of social democracy. Their strategy: https://plantogovern.us/beyond-trump/

THE END? New Yorker explains why 'New York City is dead forever,' 'not bouncing back' [youtube.com]

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 6, 2020:

And here I thought it was dying before as Manhattan became a mere money laundering vehicle for the world's oligarchs. Maybe this will be a chance for it to revive as a city where real people live their lives.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

@B1967 To be fair, there was a lot of life there when I visited ten years ago, more than any place I have ever been, and I'm sure that has and will continue, right-wing demagoguery aside.

What made millennials leftists?

N0DD comments on Sep 6, 2020:

But what will the "leftists" do when they grow up and all the old "rightists" are dead?

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

Fight the liberals for social democracy?

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

dd54 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

LOL Ricky. This is what keeps you up at night?

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

@Machiavelliwar Total deep fake! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urFPm857tJA

Lessons about socialism from Prager.

Haraldson comments on Sep 6, 2020:

[poem]To teach kids about socialism, I took all their belongings, lest for a bed, forced 5 homeless kids to share their room, and fed them Solyanka, one serve about every 3 days, while I enjoyed a 2 bed bedroom by myself, and ate steak 3 times a day. Anyone that complained would be placed on ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

Is it as laughable as claiming that any failures of capitalism are because it did a socialism? Regardless, why would you say socialism failed in Chile, for example?

Are people more racist now than they were 20 years ago?

dd54 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

Having lived in Alabama during the Civil Rights movement and all it entailed from segregation, to desegregation, the KKK, George Wallace, LBJ, activists, Martin Luther King's speeches and standing at the roadside while he marched from Selma to Montgomery I have lived through racism. That said, I ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

@TheMiddleWay It does have a different character in the core.

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

Andyman comments on Sep 5, 2020:

I think it’s the exact opposite and is yet one more example of projection by the left. It is obama who has lain awake these many nights since November of 2016 fretting as Trump dismantled his entire presidency.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

@Andyman "Conservatives are the true liberals because they know that the Bill of Rights is sacred and absolutely crucial to a free society." Well at least the amendments that you recognize as legitimate.

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

Andyman comments on Sep 5, 2020:

I think it’s the exact opposite and is yet one more example of projection by the left. It is obama who has lain awake these many nights since November of 2016 fretting as Trump dismantled his entire presidency.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

@Andyman Yet you're still conflating neoliberal Democrats (and probably Republicans for that matter, the few that are left) with leftists.

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

Andyman comments on Sep 5, 2020:

I think it’s the exact opposite and is yet one more example of projection by the left. It is obama who has lain awake these many nights since November of 2016 fretting as Trump dismantled his entire presidency.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

@Andyman To use your words, the problem with rightists is that you conflate liberals and leftists.

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

dd54 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

LOL Ricky. This is what keeps you up at night?

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 6, 2020:

@dd54 Uhh...we can multitask. It's entirely possible to laugh at Donny boy and focus on the issues that matter at the same time.

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

Andyman comments on Sep 5, 2020:

I think it’s the exact opposite and is yet one more example of projection by the left. It is obama who has lain awake these many nights since November of 2016 fretting as Trump dismantled his entire presidency.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 5, 2020:

I mean, that's what the whole point of electing Trump was, right? Punish those libs!

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

dd54 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

LOL Ricky. This is what keeps you up at night?

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 5, 2020:

It is funny, though.

"NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he ...

dd54 comments on Sep 5, 2020:

LOL Ricky. This is what keeps you up at night?

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 5, 2020:

Thank god there's a photo or else it would have been FAKE news FAKE news.

Are people more racist now than they were 20 years ago?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 5, 2020:

With some historical distance, we can now see how: 1. The gains of the Civil Rights Movement were halted by Nixon amid a racist backlash a year after they were secured, 2. Clinton and Bush offered neoliberalism, 3. Neoliberalism, while offering marginally better racial representation, did not ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 5, 2020:

And I'll note that that historical distance is aided by 1. Actual decades of distance, 2. The information age, and 3. Historically well-educated (and diverse) younger generations coming of age.

Are people more racist now than they were 20 years ago?

johnlondon comments on Sep 5, 2020:

With youth the extreme trendyness of HiP Hop and Rap Music has made so-called racism less for a few decades now. Millennial youth and whatever name American adverting has dreamed up for the latest generation don't accept racism much. I know many cross-cultural couples. It is not even though of ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 5, 2020:

I think you need to examine the two statements you made: 1. Younger generations are better on race. 2. Division is created by increased radicalism. I think it's implied that the radicalism in #2 is mostly a phenomenon among the young. #1 implies low divisiveness among young people, so the division in #2 must be between younger and older people. Have you considered that perhaps that is less a function of some spontaneous radical agenda and more a response to older white people and the Republican Party's racist (and really unjustified because #1 shows the kids are alright) reaction to a diverse younger generation coming of age?

Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’ [fox5sandiego.com]

1patriot comments on Sep 4, 2020:

and now a days i would think the secret service is busy keeping him out of harms way! he should sue this paper and donate the money back to veterans....

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 5, 2020:

@1patriot "Whatabout..."

Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’ [fox5sandiego.com]

1patriot comments on Sep 4, 2020:

and now a days i would think the secret service is busy keeping him out of harms way! he should sue this paper and donate the money back to veterans....

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 5, 2020:

@1patriot He made a stunt of it during his skipped debate in 2016, for example.

Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’ [fox5sandiego.com]

1patriot comments on Sep 4, 2020:

and now a days i would think the secret service is busy keeping him out of harms way! he should sue this paper and donate the money back to veterans....

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 5, 2020:

@1patriot I'm saying he has a long history of falsely pledging donations to veterans.

Hate, Chicago style.

Machiavelliwar comments on Sep 4, 2020:

Ah, the memories, when you could be certain you were the Most Moral man on your block.When integration was the rallying cry, and you could fell smug, about those Whites selling their home when the one Black Family moved into the neighborhood. Oh, for the good old days.....You knew what the Black ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

What?

To all those on the left (the farther left, the better) I have a simple question and I invite you...

Edgework comments on Sep 4, 2020:

I still haven’t heard anyone talk about the nuts and bolts of creating a socialist utopia in the United States, which, to be honest, is the stated goal of our current crop of socialists, as well as all who have come before. None of them are saying “Let’s be like Sweden; let’s be like ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@Naomi Hard to engage in a conversation with someone who isn't operating in good faith. He conflates the state socialism of Cuba with the social democracy advocated via the GND and with the neoliberalism of the DNC. Oddly, he draws a distinction between the social democracy of Scandanavian countries and all of the preceding. Social democracy is what I advocate for. Seems like @Edgework needs to do some good faith homework before we can have a conversation.

Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’ [fox5sandiego.com]

1patriot comments on Sep 4, 2020:

and now a days i would think the secret service is busy keeping him out of harms way! he should sue this paper and donate the money back to veterans....

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

He has quite the track record of promising donations to veterans!

Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’ [fox5sandiego.com]

DotBunn comments on Sep 4, 2020:

Trump said: “I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes. There is nobody that respects them more. No animal — nobody — what animal would say such a thing?”

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

The man has a way with words. What animal, indeed.

Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’ [fox5sandiego.com]

73jazzbass comments on Sep 4, 2020:

False. Another swing and a miss wily Rick.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

FAKE news. FAKE news.

“I wear a mask to protect you, so you need to wear one to protect me.

WilyRickWiles comments on Jul 24, 2020:

Wondering where those "good guys with guns" are now that the Feds have waged war on the population.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@rogue92 Uh huh.

A lot has changed in the last couple hundred years.

Rosary_Trace comments on Sep 4, 2020:

SWAT teams most certainly are paramilitaries, this is how you get around posse-Comitatus. However, if you think that it’s only right wing protesters engaging in violence, either you are deluding yourself or willfully cherry-picking data (much like the legacy media). Both groups are more alike than...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@Rosary_Trace Yes, I know what that is. It's an extension of the policing done in service of business interests. Which is what I'm concerned with. Not sure who "malcontents" refers to, but I don't know that I even mentioned them.

"I was the woman surrounded by BLM protesters at a D.

Penrodster comments on Sep 4, 2020:

I would caution against fully believing any statement made. They know where she lives and works now. There's more to this than a picture and two sentences. Data is still limited and probably always will be.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

Wow, that is really paranoid!

A lot has changed in the last couple hundred years.

Rosary_Trace comments on Sep 4, 2020:

SWAT teams most certainly are paramilitaries, this is how you get around posse-Comitatus. However, if you think that it’s only right wing protesters engaging in violence, either you are deluding yourself or willfully cherry-picking data (much like the legacy media). Both groups are more alike than...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@Rosary_Trace "If I were you, I’d be more concerned with the emerging digital technocracy than a handful of malcontents burning, looting and shooting." I don't follow.

A lot has changed in the last couple hundred years.

Rosary_Trace comments on Sep 4, 2020:

SWAT teams most certainly are paramilitaries, this is how you get around posse-Comitatus. However, if you think that it’s only right wing protesters engaging in violence, either you are deluding yourself or willfully cherry-picking data (much like the legacy media). Both groups are more alike than...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@Rosary_Trace A large majority do.

A lot has changed in the last couple hundred years.

Rosary_Trace comments on Sep 4, 2020:

SWAT teams most certainly are paramilitaries, this is how you get around posse-Comitatus. However, if you think that it’s only right wing protesters engaging in violence, either you are deluding yourself or willfully cherry-picking data (much like the legacy media). Both groups are more alike than...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

I'm talking about who the violence is targeted and for whose interests.

"I was the woman surrounded by BLM protesters at a D.

BlackoutNJ comments on Sep 4, 2020:

What? I mean what? Talk about being fucking brainwashed. She basically said that she was in fear however she feels hopeful that an angry mob is yelling at people on the street? "Oh they just want change" no bitch, change comes in a peaceful and non-cohersive manner. People need to stop covering ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@BlackoutNJ I'd say the best way to cool down the protests is for our elected leaders to meet some of their demands, at least in a symbolic way.

"I was the woman surrounded by BLM protesters at a D.

BlackoutNJ comments on Sep 4, 2020:

What? I mean what? Talk about being fucking brainwashed. She basically said that she was in fear however she feels hopeful that an angry mob is yelling at people on the street? "Oh they just want change" no bitch, change comes in a peaceful and non-cohersive manner. People need to stop covering ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@BlackoutNJ And I acknowledge how the powerful, if not public opinion, have historically been moved when their property is threatened, and less so when protests are uniformly peaceful. Moreover, I acknowledge how even peaceful protests have been met with violence and criminalized.

"I was the woman surrounded by BLM protesters at a D.

BlackoutNJ comments on Sep 4, 2020:

What? I mean what? Talk about being fucking brainwashed. She basically said that she was in fear however she feels hopeful that an angry mob is yelling at people on the street? "Oh they just want change" no bitch, change comes in a peaceful and non-cohersive manner. People need to stop covering ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@BlackoutNJ I'm not going to be trapped into the respectability politics game--allowing protesters to be divided between "bad protesters" and "good" (i.e. coopted) ones.

"I was the woman surrounded by BLM protesters at a D.

BlackoutNJ comments on Sep 4, 2020:

What? I mean what? Talk about being fucking brainwashed. She basically said that she was in fear however she feels hopeful that an angry mob is yelling at people on the street? "Oh they just want change" no bitch, change comes in a peaceful and non-cohersive manner. People need to stop covering ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@BlackoutNJ When the powerful abuse their power with violent consequences for the powerless, I allow for some less-than-violent but not peaceful tactics by those confronting the powerful.

A lot has changed in the last couple hundred years.

CharliePrime comments on Sep 4, 2020:

If Police were not protecting them, Boomers would exterminate AntiFa rioters in a single day.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

@CharliePrime You'd basically have to exterminate the millennials and zoomers. Wouldn't that be a fitting final act of your rotten gerontocracy.

"I was the woman surrounded by BLM protesters at a D.

BlackoutNJ comments on Sep 4, 2020:

What? I mean what? Talk about being fucking brainwashed. She basically said that she was in fear however she feels hopeful that an angry mob is yelling at people on the street? "Oh they just want change" no bitch, change comes in a peaceful and non-cohersive manner. People need to stop covering ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

You can't expect a group of people--a movement--to behave uniformly.

"I was the woman surrounded by BLM protesters at a D.

CharliePrime comments on Sep 4, 2020:

It was hilarious to read this WaPo cat lady virtue-signal about how much she supports BLM, and is not a Christian, while the people she supports threw piss on her. Thanks!

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

I suppose she should have pretended to be what MAGA world projected on her!

A lot has changed in the last couple hundred years.

CharliePrime comments on Sep 4, 2020:

If Police were not protecting them, Boomers would exterminate AntiFa rioters in a single day.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 4, 2020:

Generational warfare.

Ruth Graham of NYT on Twitter: "New issue of the conservative evangelical newsmagazine World has a ...

CharliePrime comments on Sep 3, 2020:

Conservatives love the retarded Q-Anon psyop because it relieves them of responsibility. No need to risk being called a racist or actually suffer for America's survival. You only need to waddle down to the polls and vote Republican every two years because White Hats will ride in to save the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 3, 2020:

@DesireNoDesires Q followers are being taken for a ride. An old ride.

Ruth Graham of NYT on Twitter: "New issue of the conservative evangelical newsmagazine World has a ...

CharliePrime comments on Sep 3, 2020:

Conservatives love the retarded Q-Anon psyop because it relieves them of responsibility. No need to risk being called a racist or actually suffer for America's survival. You only need to waddle down to the polls and vote Republican every two years because White Hats will ride in to save the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 3, 2020:

@DesireNoDesires https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_Our_Children

Ruth Graham of NYT on Twitter: "New issue of the conservative evangelical newsmagazine World has a ...

CharliePrime comments on Sep 3, 2020:

Conservatives love the retarded Q-Anon psyop because it relieves them of responsibility. No need to risk being called a racist or actually suffer for America's survival. You only need to waddle down to the polls and vote Republican every two years because White Hats will ride in to save the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 3, 2020:

@DesireNoDesires Doing research and critical thinking is different than making meaning from randomness to indulge your preexisting prejudices (i.e. those that the Republican Party wants to activate in favor of the powerful).

When does the freedom of speech go too far?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 1, 2020:

How the tables have turned.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 2, 2020:

@Thaw Tell me more about what statues erected to perpetuate Jim Crow or to decriminalize and deracialize Italian Americans had to do with perpetuating the ideal of free speech.

When does the freedom of speech go too far?

WilyRickWiles comments on Sep 1, 2020:

How the tables have turned.

WilyRickWiles replies on Sep 2, 2020:

@Thaw This "commie" never stopped being a free speech absolutist. Meanwhile the right is having a meltdown over BLM and is suddenly openly hostile to the First Amendment. Love the neighborhood watch groups on Facebook for my city--free speech EXCEPT criticism of police. Ban at the first sign of disagreement. I had no idea the right was so sensitive. The merest criticism triggers an existential crisis in these folks.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@Triumph "The loot and burn Communists found out what happens when they leave their sanctuary cities." The only person who "left" anywhere was the bootlicking vigilante boy.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@Triumph Umm... the people who were shot live there. The vigilante does not.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer Ha ha. Your comments are coming through a bit delayed on my end.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer I think I'm on the right side.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer We made laws in this country to stop the KKK when they did this--looks like those laws will need expanding to blue lives matter types.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer I'm not trying to grab people's guns. But you stop being a law abiding citizen when you play cop and especially when you murder someone.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer Lick harder!

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer Dude your conflation is out of control.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer The second two victims ran at him after he appeared to murder someone. They were attempting to disarm and stop an active shooter. We don't know why the first victim ran at him, but some of the "militia" had been pointing their guns at people earlier in the night. All but one victim were completely unarmed, and the other did not have his handgun out. That is called cowardly murder. Fight like a man, god damn it, and don't flee a murder scene!

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer Lol. You mean besides the fact that most of the fires took place the night before and did not require the involvement of the three victims?

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer I'm shilling for rule of law.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@M_MarinoDC Get a grip on the facts, you're all over the place.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer None of these people were "burning cities down." In fact, they had condemned that. You are dehumanizing people who you disagree with politically. "A friend and local business owner described the three activists as peaceful demonstrators who reportedly rallied against police brutality and systemic racism while condemning the use of violence during protests." https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-kenosha-victims-identified-as-anthony-huber-joseph-rosenbaum-20200827-zvrsv7fpqfftlmjyrtjrmg5wwa-story.html

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

@The_Farseer Actually no, that does not follow.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE is a patriot! The radical VIOLENT TERRORIST left HATE him because they fear ...

M_MarinoDC comments on Aug 28, 2020:

The sad thing is that the PA that has brought chargs against him is from outside the jurisdiction of where the action happened. that he was not arrested nor detained by the police at the location and in the city it happened in speaks volumes. What also speaks volumes is the seditious actions of the ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

But it's not sad that this outsider traveled to a place he didn't know and without knowing anyone on the ground and killed three locals?

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

Augur2748 comments on Aug 26, 2020:

When rioters try to destroy property and threaten lives, they need to be resisted with appropriate force.

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-kenosha-victims-identified-as-anthony-huber-joseph-rosenbaum-20200827-zvrsv7fpqfftlmjyrtjrmg5wwa-story.html "A friend and local business owner described the three activists as peaceful demonstrators who reportedly rallied against police brutality and systemic racism while condemning the use of violence during protests."

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 26, 2020:

The shooter was a 17-year old blue lives matter type who answered Alex Jones's LARPing call and joined the boogaloo boys playing cop outside a gas station. He shot a brawler in the head who chased him after they had been arguing all night. Then when bystanders tried to citizens arrest him, he shot ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

Turns out it wasn't a molotov cocktail. It was a plastic bag. https://www.wsfa.com/2020/08/27/kenosha-protests-peaceful-after-night-chaos-shootings/

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

pnw1234 comments on Aug 26, 2020:

Self defense in both cases. The shit talker chases the kid, throws a molotov cocktail at him, attacks, gets shot. Kid leaves, gets chased, attacked and defends himself again. https://twitter.com/ryanbobsy/status/1298530439389487105?s=21

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 28, 2020:

It turns out the guy threw a plastic bag--not a molotov cocktail. https://www.wsfa.com/2020/08/27/kenosha-protests-peaceful-after-night-chaos-shootings/

What do you think? Should Brace Belden be allowed to keep his guns?

Machiavelliwar comments on Aug 27, 2020:

So it was a trick question. You must know, not too many read The Nation. Not even in your community. It is good to feel superior once in awhile.

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 27, 2020:

The Nation is not my favorite publication, but it is one that covered this story. Here's the story from a conservative publication, if you prefer. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/communist-isis-antifa-homeland-securitys-confused-pursuit-pro-kurdish-americans-166253

So.

Rosary_Trace comments on Aug 27, 2020:

All I want to know is where did a 17 yr old get a firearm?

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 27, 2020:

I don't think he had a dad, so probably his mom or a mentor in the youth police cadet program.

So.

CookieMonster comments on Aug 27, 2020:

Common denominator was both tried to fight someone who was armed and who shot them from the prone position.

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 27, 2020:

Social darwinism?

So.

ZuzecaSape comments on Aug 27, 2020:

Yes, if you're being *attacked* by a *crowd* of people with *weapons* intent on inflicting serious injury or death, you are justified in shooting your assailants. But if you're 65m from your house when you decide to start some shit with the neighborhood watch coordinator of the gated community ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 27, 2020:

"Attacked by a crowd." What hyperbole.

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 26, 2020:

The shooter was a 17-year old blue lives matter type who answered Alex Jones's LARPing call and joined the boogaloo boys playing cop outside a gas station. He shot a brawler in the head who chased him after they had been arguing all night. Then when bystanders tried to citizens arrest him, he shot ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 26, 2020:

@Triumph Funny how all the victims were locals and the perpetrator was an out-of-state youth police cadet who didn't know anyone on the scene.

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 26, 2020:

The shooter was a 17-year old blue lives matter type who answered Alex Jones's LARPing call and joined the boogaloo boys playing cop outside a gas station. He shot a brawler in the head who chased him after they had been arguing all night. Then when bystanders tried to citizens arrest him, he shot ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 26, 2020:

More background: https://www.wbez.org/stories/alleged-kenosha-shooter-fervently-supported-blue-lives-joined-local-militia/9015acfd-73cc-4cc2-a6d0-3e7d6e530b53

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 26, 2020:

The shooter was a 17-year old blue lives matter type who answered Alex Jones's LARPing call and joined the boogaloo boys playing cop outside a gas station. He shot a brawler in the head who chased him after they had been arguing all night. Then when bystanders tried to citizens arrest him, he shot ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 26, 2020:

There was an earlier video of an agitated guy who was being criticized for his lack of muzzle awareness. It sounds like maybe he or others had been aiming their guns at the first victim before things escalated.

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 26, 2020:

The shooter was a 17-year old blue lives matter type who answered Alex Jones's LARPing call and joined the boogaloo boys playing cop outside a gas station. He shot a brawler in the head who chased him after they had been arguing all night. Then when bystanders tried to citizens arrest him, he shot ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 26, 2020:

@Triumph Good timeline here: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/08/26/kenosha-shooting-details-videos-show-scenes-wisconsin-protest/3442031001/

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 26, 2020:

The shooter was a 17-year old blue lives matter type who answered Alex Jones's LARPing call and joined the boogaloo boys playing cop outside a gas station. He shot a brawler in the head who chased him after they had been arguing all night. Then when bystanders tried to citizens arrest him, he shot ...

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 26, 2020:

@Triumph There was no rioting in this situation.

Have you guys heard of the boogaloo boys?

Augur2748 comments on Aug 26, 2020:

The way to solve this is for the authorities to get serious and off their ideologically motivated butts and enforce the peace and prosecute and jail violent rioters.

WilyRickWiles replies on Aug 26, 2020:

@Augur2748 The armed people.