Then why does xenophobia and racism exist
US Politics the 2025 trump presidency thread
- Thread starter alasdairm
- Start date
Please tell us
Fear and hatred of the unknown or unfamiliar, especially when told it is a threat
Who tells you it is a threat and by what authority do they speak?
The authority gained from speaking with confidence, generally those with something to gain from the infighting of the populace
ChemicallyEnhanced
Bluelighter
Yes, he is, He's visibly obese and his doctor also confirmed he was obese the last time he was president. Obese is a BMI of 30 or more and he looks about BMI 35. It's a medical fact that he is obese.
ChemicallyEnhanced
Bluelighter
They really hate anyone who isn't exactly the same as them.
fairnymph
Ex-Bluelighter
Just like the left.
fairnymph
Ex-Bluelighter
Okay.
ChemicallyEnhanced
Bluelighter
The left are the exact opposite. They're the ones who are AGAINST the racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny etc of the right
fairnymph
Ex-Bluelighter
He’s just barely obese according to BMI and we don’t know his body fat percentage. I’m not claiming he’s a paragon of health, but he’s not obviously obese. And I am hugely lipophobic.
4DQSAR
Bluelighter
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- Feb 3, 2025
- Messages
- 1,245
It seems like I have to keep repeating the fact that Donald Trump and the MAGA movement doesn't lie on a monolithic left<--->right metric. Authortarian popularism isn't based on a coherent set of values.
In essence it has three major groupings. The patricians who wield power (and are drawn exclusively from the wealthy elite), the wealthy elite and the people. Power and money are diverted from the people and to the wealthy elite ensuring loyalty. In exchange they invest imperium to a small group or an individual.
History shows us that key methodologies are:
-Identification of a few minorities and the assertion that said minorities represent an immediate existential threat to the nation (scapegoating).
-Appeal to nationalism even when a policy is painly to the detriment of the people with the goal of concentrating power into the hands of the patricians (appeal to authority).
.-Disinformation or misinformation which requires control of the media. Social media being a new twist (appeal to ignorance).
-Identification of other polticial groupings as an 'enemy' and as inherently acting against the interest of the nation (appeal to naivety).
-Identification of a single religion/belief system as being a core element of society (appeal to belief).
-Short-term benefits to the people be it in the form of money or serivices at the cost of power (indoctrination).
Just to be clear - I do not confabultate ignorance with stupidity. Everyone is born equally ignorant. I do not confabulte naivery with gullabilty. We are all fed just two opposing narratives when in fact neither is likely to be accurate. I do not confabulate indoctorination with radicalization. But once indoctronation is successful, it becomes possible for a power bloc to introduce more radical elements. I am not attacking or supporting any demographic or grouping, Creating a consensus is of value to the people. Creating division is of value to the elite.
I have mentioned this before but when you access ANY media, if something appears to be free, ask yourself 'who benefits?' because without exception, if something is free, the product is the consumer (see also Marshall McLuhan's works 'Understanding the Media: The Extensions of Man' and 'The Gutenburg Galaxy: Making of Typographic Man'). As McLuhan famously stated 'the medium is the message' i.e. if you choose to limit your information sources to those that appeal to your prejudices, you will accept the 'truthiness' of a statement while accepting that the statement as given isn't factually correct. IN spite of acknowledging a statment is not factually accurate, if repeated often enough it APPEARS true.
But as Julian Huxley pointed out - 'Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.'
So when Donald Trump stated 'I love the poorly educated', he was simply reflecting on the fact that much of his core supporters are those who are unfamiliar with the fact that media manipulation is the rule rather than the exception. See also 'Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media' by Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky.
Now it may be the case that you do not like Marshall McLuhan, Edward S. Herman or Noam Chomsky BUT it's only by at least understanding other points of view that you can interrogate your chosen media sources. None of the works are entertaining but I challange anyone to cohernetly argue that their analysis is factually incorrect. Note that all of the works I mention were written over 40 years ago. They were not written as a reaction to the current US political situation, they were written with a view to highlighting how the media is manipulated. They even foreshadow social media.
Above are links to .PDF files of the three books. All are available from other sites so you are able to confirm that the texts are unmodified. A film version of 'Manufacturing Consent' is a highly abridged version of the book but if nothing else, it gives an eminently checkable event in which thousands of people were killed. But reporting on the event was not to the benefit of EITHER narratives. So while not actively suppressed, it's almost unknown outside the nation where it occurred.
I feel the film may offer a gateway for people to decide that it is worth their time to read the books I have provided links to. But I am under no illusion that EVERYONE carries their own prejudices so apply critical thinking at all junctures.
See also Falangism, Assadism, Nouvelle Droite, Metaxism, Seven Mountain Mandate, Maoism, Tennōsei fashizumu - note that on any conventional left<-->right metric, these systems cannot be identified. One may assert that some are right-leaning and others left-leaning, but they all share just one thing. They deprive the people of freedoms under the pretext of security. I hope I don't need to quote Benjamin Franklin on the topic of giving up freedoms for temporary safety.
In essence it has three major groupings. The patricians who wield power (and are drawn exclusively from the wealthy elite), the wealthy elite and the people. Power and money are diverted from the people and to the wealthy elite ensuring loyalty. In exchange they invest imperium to a small group or an individual.
History shows us that key methodologies are:
-Identification of a few minorities and the assertion that said minorities represent an immediate existential threat to the nation (scapegoating).
-Appeal to nationalism even when a policy is painly to the detriment of the people with the goal of concentrating power into the hands of the patricians (appeal to authority).
.-Disinformation or misinformation which requires control of the media. Social media being a new twist (appeal to ignorance).
-Identification of other polticial groupings as an 'enemy' and as inherently acting against the interest of the nation (appeal to naivety).
-Identification of a single religion/belief system as being a core element of society (appeal to belief).
-Short-term benefits to the people be it in the form of money or serivices at the cost of power (indoctrination).
Just to be clear - I do not confabultate ignorance with stupidity. Everyone is born equally ignorant. I do not confabulte naivery with gullabilty. We are all fed just two opposing narratives when in fact neither is likely to be accurate. I do not confabulate indoctorination with radicalization. But once indoctronation is successful, it becomes possible for a power bloc to introduce more radical elements. I am not attacking or supporting any demographic or grouping, Creating a consensus is of value to the people. Creating division is of value to the elite.
I have mentioned this before but when you access ANY media, if something appears to be free, ask yourself 'who benefits?' because without exception, if something is free, the product is the consumer (see also Marshall McLuhan's works 'Understanding the Media: The Extensions of Man' and 'The Gutenburg Galaxy: Making of Typographic Man'). As McLuhan famously stated 'the medium is the message' i.e. if you choose to limit your information sources to those that appeal to your prejudices, you will accept the 'truthiness' of a statement while accepting that the statement as given isn't factually correct. IN spite of acknowledging a statment is not factually accurate, if repeated often enough it APPEARS true.
But as Julian Huxley pointed out - 'Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.'
So when Donald Trump stated 'I love the poorly educated', he was simply reflecting on the fact that much of his core supporters are those who are unfamiliar with the fact that media manipulation is the rule rather than the exception. See also 'Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media' by Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky.
Now it may be the case that you do not like Marshall McLuhan, Edward S. Herman or Noam Chomsky BUT it's only by at least understanding other points of view that you can interrogate your chosen media sources. None of the works are entertaining but I challange anyone to cohernetly argue that their analysis is factually incorrect. Note that all of the works I mention were written over 40 years ago. They were not written as a reaction to the current US political situation, they were written with a view to highlighting how the media is manipulated. They even foreshadow social media.
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Above are links to .PDF files of the three books. All are available from other sites so you are able to confirm that the texts are unmodified. A film version of 'Manufacturing Consent' is a highly abridged version of the book but if nothing else, it gives an eminently checkable event in which thousands of people were killed. But reporting on the event was not to the benefit of EITHER narratives. So while not actively suppressed, it's almost unknown outside the nation where it occurred.
I feel the film may offer a gateway for people to decide that it is worth their time to read the books I have provided links to. But I am under no illusion that EVERYONE carries their own prejudices so apply critical thinking at all junctures.
See also Falangism, Assadism, Nouvelle Droite, Metaxism, Seven Mountain Mandate, Maoism, Tennōsei fashizumu - note that on any conventional left<-->right metric, these systems cannot be identified. One may assert that some are right-leaning and others left-leaning, but they all share just one thing. They deprive the people of freedoms under the pretext of security. I hope I don't need to quote Benjamin Franklin on the topic of giving up freedoms for temporary safety.
Last edited:
Electrum1
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2021
- Messages
- 29,129
Trump expected to name Kash Patel as acting ATF director: Sources
Donald Trump is expected to name FBI Director Kash Patel as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, sources told ABC News.
4DQSAR
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2025
- Messages
- 1,245
Interesting. It's always struck me that alcohol, tobacco and firearms are all legal in the USA and products like Tannerite clearly show binary explosives to be legal.
So I've never been quite certain what their role is. I do know that any news item beginning with 'Today ATF officers...' will go on to describe a totally avoidable disaster.
For the sake of efficiency, wouldn't it make sense for whatever they do be done by the FBI (for example)?
So I've never been quite certain what their role is. I do know that any news item beginning with 'Today ATF officers...' will go on to describe a totally avoidable disaster.
For the sake of efficiency, wouldn't it make sense for whatever they do be done by the FBI (for example)?
U.S. official says drone flights over Mexico may signal future strikes
"One idea she [Mexican President Sheinbaum] provided Trump on a recent phone call — to launch a media campaign in the U.S. against drug use — appears to have resonated with the president.
“That was such a great conversation, because we're going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars advertising how bad drugs are, so that kids don't use them, that they chew up your brain, they destroy your teeth, your skin, your everything,” Trump said this week. “And I thanked her for that.”
Lol. "Drugs bad, mmmmh." Keep poisoning yourself with alcohol and cigarettes, America. Prohibition first, safety last.
If I was getting fucked like this I'd need lots of balm for the shine, too.
"One idea she [Mexican President Sheinbaum] provided Trump on a recent phone call — to launch a media campaign in the U.S. against drug use — appears to have resonated with the president.
“That was such a great conversation, because we're going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars advertising how bad drugs are, so that kids don't use them, that they chew up your brain, they destroy your teeth, your skin, your everything,” Trump said this week. “And I thanked her for that.”
Lol. "Drugs bad, mmmmh." Keep poisoning yourself with alcohol and cigarettes, America. Prohibition first, safety last.
If I was getting fucked like this I'd need lots of balm for the shine, too.
Damn what a great idea. It worked so well last time, its sure to work again!
Iceman1216
Bluelighter
Musk, Is a real hit with the religious right that elected him. WTF ????
PBS has a Great documentary
" EVANGELICALS "
Faith to Power
Amazing well done but. Very Scary Shit happening in America !!!
Too many people buying Ammo
PBS has a Great documentary
" EVANGELICALS "
Faith to Power
Amazing well done but. Very Scary Shit happening in America !!!
Too many people buying Ammo
4DQSAR
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2025
- Messages
- 1,245
I think it worth keeping an eye on the Dow Jones index.
It's been going down since Donald Trump became president. You can even see the spikes when tarriffs were announced.
This is because both investors and consumers are losing confidence. Investors since they have no way of knowing what sudden economic changes will be made, consumers because they see huge job losses and wonder how safe their own job is. Don't forget, all of those government employess spent their incomes on goods and servicies. It's liable to depress wages as more people are willing to accept less just to have ANY job and with less income, people spend less. It's a spiral and one the UK went down 25 years ago...
It's been going down since Donald Trump became president. You can even see the spikes when tarriffs were announced.
This is because both investors and consumers are losing confidence. Investors since they have no way of knowing what sudden economic changes will be made, consumers because they see huge job losses and wonder how safe their own job is. Don't forget, all of those government employess spent their incomes on goods and servicies. It's liable to depress wages as more people are willing to accept less just to have ANY job and with less income, people spend less. It's a spiral and one the UK went down 25 years ago...
SvnLyrBrto
Bluelighter
This isnt about steel tariffs though. There are no tariffs on us steel in canada.
Canada has a digital services tax they charge on Netflix and other streaming services. Not sales tax , its literally used to fund canadian content. Why should a company that operates foreign website be subject to Canadian taxes? The whole 25 percent tariff on everything was retarded, but I see the point here. Not only is tax wrong but its funding an industry that competes with Hollywood. If i get pornhub premium account i dont pay canadian sales tax. Thats what he means by reciprocal its been happening a while and its one way.
I see his point the government of Canada has been trying to control Facebook telling them they have to pay whenever anyone links to Canadian news. Google paid, fb told them no and banned news links for Canadian users, still to this day. I actually agree with usa on this. We should not be taxing foreign digital services. The usa doesn't tax Canadian websites, if there are any. They are trying to fuck with YouTube too. To me answer is make better Canadian programming people want to watch. CanCon laws have long history of paying tax dollars to make shit tv no one watches. We should not be trying to force yt to promote it. Make good shit like trailer park boys and people will seek it out...
American private health care companies have a good case under NAFTA that government healthcare is unfair competition too.
Trump orders tariffs on digital service tax countries, including Canada - National | Globalnews.ca
Trump's order directs his administration to consider responsive actions like tariffs to 'combat' digital service taxes imposed on U.S. tech companies by foreign countries.globalnews.ca
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum to impose tariffs on countries that levy digital service taxes on U.S. technology companies, a White House official said.
Another official, providing details of the order, said Trump was directing his administration to consider responsive actions like tariffs “to combat the digital service taxes (DSTs), fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies.”
“President Trump will not allow foreign governments to appropriate America’s tax base for their own benefit,” the official said.
The memo directs the U.S. Trade Representative’s office to renew digital service taxes investigations that were initiated during Trump’s first term, and investigate any additional countries that use a digital tax “to discriminate against U.S. companies,” the official said.
You make very good points. I'm one who is sick and disgusted with the over-regulation of tech both here and other nations too. And I especially despise the way nations are exporting their laws outside their borders and claiming universal jurisdiction over everyone and everywhere. And I do not exclude the US in that. New Zealand, the UK, Equador, and Sweden should ALL have told us to go pound sand when it came to our actions against Kim Dotcom and Julian Assange. But the EU sure as hell has it in, in particular, for US companies in my industry. Maybe trump will put a stop to some of their shenanigans in that regard.
But all of that falls into the category of "Even a broken clock is correct twice a day." And is the above worth the total catastrophic shitshow of authoritarian horrors that is the other 1438 minutes in the day? Sorry, not sorry, I'm a firm "no" on the one.
That's the thing that people ignore about immigration. Immigration leads to an increase in local services used, products purchased, and more tax flow for the region, which creates more jobs for everyone and helps fund infrastructure and schools.
We shouldn't be blaming immigrants for the choices of corporations when they chase profits at the expense of the American public which is what the current rhetoric is doing, and its all based on lies.