Is it the same guy?

https://twitter.com/reade...65488099603341314/photo/1
- Canada Cup

dunno. hard to tell.

im sure twitter will figure it out

It's just an angrier society.

Yeah, definitely race, but also class, politics, simple human interactions - everyone is much, much angrier.

The lack of social cohesion is frightening.
- Atomic Wedgie

Time for a war...?

The sudden uptick of people telling non-white people to go back to their country and chanting "build the wall" to their faces right after the last election might be correlated to that somehow.
- TheMussel

Honestly, I think there is cause for concern. It seems to be a powder keg waiting to go off down there.

I don't know how they heal that nation. They are so divided and so hateful. Neither the left nor the right even seem to have a common ground anymore. Everyone except the top x% are feeling disenfranchised, and their ideology seems to prevent them from helping themselves.

I find in Canada that there are political extremists - particularly, obviously, between the Conservatives and the Liberals - but _typically_ there's an understanding of why certain policies exist under different parties.

It doesn't have to resort to - all Liberals are socialists who know nothing about money and want to give the country away and all Conservatives are Nazis who hate non-whites and want to give all the money to the rich.

The fact that both are completely true is irrelevant.

But in the States the hate has been fermenting for so long, it's hard to see that getting better. Donald Trump is not the cause, he's just an enabler; a voice for the anger that's been there and growing for decades.
- Monkeypunk

The growing idea that someone's political beliefs are an affliction as opposed to a viewpoint breaks down discourse and people can't have a real debate to synthesize their thoughts into some common ground.


Just to be clear, believing everything you see on a youtube video is an affliction though

Time for a war...?
- Woderwick

Unfortunately, my mind wandered there also.

I was asking because I am genuinely interested in the 'feel' of whether US is indeed a racist country, or whether this could potentially be as well an issue of how the country treats marginalized groups and the poor in general. I am referring to people with less to no access to proper healthcare and education, low salaried jobs, bad housing, low quality food, etc. etc.

From an outside perspective, the US society focus is almost solely on $ -- and those that lack financial means are stripped of basic human rights.

I am not saying this is not a case of racism (surely think that's a big factor) but I feel that if this same guy would have been driving around in a Porsche and a fancy suit, the police brutality would not have happened..
- MaximusAurelius

There are parts of the United States that are still deeply, deeply racist.

The Trump election really divided the US more than they already were divided. The pandemic is just piling on the fuel for people's frustrations.
- Aetherial

It started long before Trump. I used to get that "civil war" feeling somewhere in the midst of Clinton's presidency. The extremism moved on with Bush / Obama / Trump.

You know what else started in the midst of the Clinton presidency? Fox News.

They have been sowing the seeds for nearly 25 years.

Also known as a shadow?
- Monkeypunk

That's freaky.
The shadow of some person or spirit directly on the dudes forehead?

Illuminati level stuff

It's just an angrier society.

Yeah, definitely race, but also class, politics, simple human interactions - everyone is much, much angrier.

The lack of social cohesion is frightening.
- Atomic Wedgie

All true. but I don't think you can take racism completely out of the equation. I do believe that part of the America that Trump wants to make great again is a much whiter America.

Part of what makes a big part of that country angry is that they can see "their" country becoming less white. Demographics is (are?) are not their friend. An angry, hateful immigration policy has been at the core of Trump's appeal. The cruelty of those camps is not a byproduct, it is the point.

It's true that those things that you talk about and the racism have always been there and we are not immune here. Under Trump though they become core and are designed to give hope to those brave, but well armed patriots, yada, yada, yada.

I read a really interesting study about the collision of white nationalism and democracy. When a white majority that believes that it should keep power sees its power slipping (Republican base is deteriorating) it will turn away from democracy and towards authoritarianism if it believers it necessary to keep power. That's the context for all the voter suppression, no mail in ballot poop we see going on now.

I don't know how they heal that nation. They are so divided and so hateful. Neither the left nor the right even seem to have a common ground anymore. Everyone except the top x% are feeling disenfranchised, and their ideology seems to prevent them from helping themselves.

I find in Canada that there are political extremists - particularly, obviously, between the Conservatives and the Liberals - but _typically_ there's an understanding of why certain policies exist under different parties.

It doesn't have to resort to - all Liberals are socialists who know nothing about money and want to give the country away and all Conservatives are Nazis who hate non-whites and want to give all the money to the rich.

The fact that both are completely true is irrelevant.

But in the States the hate has been fermenting for so long, it's hard to see that getting better. Donald Trump is not the cause, he's just an enabler; a voice for the anger that's been there and growing for decades.
- Monkeypunk

To me, everything comes back to the growing economic divide between rich and poor. It was completely out of control before COVID-19, and it's become much, much worse.

The growing divide is causing the anger - more people fighting for less of the pie, as the rich get fatter and fatter.

I just can't believe that middle aged white men can't see that a health care plan, cheaper, better education and taxing the obscenely rich a little more would help them, not hurt 'Murica.

It started long before Trump. I used to get that "civil war" feeling somewhere in the midst of Clinton's presidency. The extremism moved on with Bush / Obama / Trump.

You know what else started in the midst of the Clinton presidency? Fox News.

They have been sowing the seeds for nearly 25 years.
- Monkeypunk

It was always there, it's just that those voices went quiet during the Obama years.

It was always there, it's just that those voices went quiet during the Obama years.
- PatC80

Somebody described Trump as the first white President. Before Obama it was never an issue

The growing idea that someone's political beliefs are an affliction as opposed to a viewpoint breaks down discourse and people can't have a real debate to synthesize their thoughts into some common ground.


Just to be clear, believing everything you see on a youtube video is an affliction though
- TheMussel

Yeah, somewhere we have set aside that ability to have civil discourse.

YouTube, I think, is a part of the system, but not the problem. The problem in that context is that there is no much information and misinformation that people can't reliable research and trust the data they find. Instead they farm for information that confirms their bias rather than information that is educational or informative. YouTube is a major factor, but really it's just a convenient medium.

I've never personally been overly strict about a political party. My personal leanings tend to lie liking more of the things that the Liberals and NDP stand for (particularly those that are socially conscious or socially progressive), but recognizing that there are corporate interests that the Conservatives provide. I also do understand that are people who are more conservative and don't know how to catch up with social progress, but I don't think we should stunt social progress because some people don't like it.

Taking the time to understand each other is how we have that meaningful discourse. The problem, ultimately, is that it's like arguing with Max or UG (not to throw anyone under the bus) - those viewpoints often find very little middle ground.

Here is today's matchup A or B


- Aetherial

A

Is more of this sh1t going on, or are we all more aware because we have more time to watch the news now?
- Aetherial

Unfortunately i think its seems to be more uncontrollable cops out there.
In the US they are often poorly trained and you have a lot more unintelligent bullies with grudges who join the force simply for the power.
Also, there seems to be no repercussions for these pieces of sh!t.

WTF this is ridiculous

WTF this is ridiculous


- Aetherial

not as ridiculous as the habs making the playoffs

WTF this is ridiculous


- Aetherial

I saw this...incredible.

Wife has to host her company's Zoom Trivia Night on Thursday.

Of course, she's left it until last minute and then dumped it on me.

I've just done the first category - Toronto History - and I'm now drunk and tired.

Please feel free to submit to me your cool, interesting trivia questions.

Suggested categories, but I'll take whatever poop you have:

Geography

Canadian Business

Random poop

Travel

Technology
- Atomic Wedgie

Q: How much does the Scarborough Bluffs erode each year?

A: About a meter

Or

True of False- The Toronto Islands we made using the erosion from the Scarborough Bluffs?

A: True

To me, everything comes back to the growing economic divide between rich and poor. It was completely out of control before COVID-19, and it's become much, much worse.

The growing divide is causing the anger - more people fighting for less of the pie, as the rich get fatter and fatter.

I just can't believe that middle aged white men can't see that a health care plan, cheaper, better education and taxing the obscenely rich a little more would help them, not hurt 'Murica.
- Atomic Wedgie

Yeah, I find that strange. But it's a systemic problem - even here. My mother-in-law grew up in a poorer part of the east coast, which is already pretty poor in general. There's probably no one she hates more than people on welfare, or those who she perceives are "gaming" the system to collect EI.

The poor have been socially guided to hate the poor. I think this was a key part of the class war. Rather than look at the corporations walking away with billion dollar profits and wondering why they were making $7 / hour, it was redirected to hate the person on welfare getting $200 / month.

To the root of your point - I can't fathom how any nation would not want a National Healthcare system.

To me, everything comes back to the growing economic divide between rich and poor. It was completely out of control before COVID-19, and it's become much, much worse.

The growing divide is causing the anger - more people fighting for less of the pie, as the rich get fatter and fatter.

I just can't believe that middle aged white men can't see that a health care plan, cheaper, better education and taxing the obscenely rich a little more would help them, not hurt 'Murica.
- Atomic Wedgie

Think of all the progress of the past 40 years


"While US productivity rose 72 percent from 1973 to 2014, worker pay rose during the same period only 9 percent. The wealthiest have seen their incomes triple in recent years, while the incomes of more than 117 million Americans grew only from $16,000 to $16,200. Globally, wealth has increasingly concentrated: A few years ago, 300 people had the same resources as half the world’s population. Today, only eight people control that much wealth."

From

Winners Take All
THE ELITE CHARADE OF CHANGING THE WORLD
By ANAND GIRIDHARADAS

It started long before Trump. I used to get that "civil war" feeling somewhere in the midst of Clinton's presidency. The extremism moved on with Bush / Obama / Trump.

You know what else started in the midst of the Clinton presidency? Fox News.

They have been sowing the seeds for nearly 25 years.
- Monkeypunk

It sounds bad, but they need a purge down there. The rest of the world will join the north of the US to eliminate the south. Do some house cleaning and start somewhat anew.
Level the backyard and replant.

That should work, no?
Lol

Yeah, I find that strange. But it's a systemic problem - even here. My mother-in-law grew up in a poorer part of the east coast, which is already pretty poor in general. There's probably no one she hates more than people on welfare, or those who she perceives are "gaming" the system to collect EI.

The poor have been socially guided to hate the poor. I think this was a key part of the class war. Rather than look at the corporations walking away with billion dollar profits and wondering why they were making $7 / hour, it was redirected to hate the person on welfare getting $200 / month.

To the root of your point - I can't fathom how any nation would not want a National Healthcare system.
- Monkeypunk

Another great book

Dark Money by Jane Mayer chronicles the Koch brothers and all the others and everything they did to rig the system to convince people to vote against their own interests. So much worse in the US where it costs so much to run a political campaign and so easy to buy politicians

WTF this is ridiculous


- Aetherial

Nice. Love me a good Rube Goldberg.

WTF this is ridiculous


- Aetherial

I saw this the other day.
Crazy clean up and obviously hes had so much time available