Family Ties Are Coming Undone Pew Research Center

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Feminism and subversive action by cultural marxists.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@ObiRonMoldy They are all bad.

I keep seeing the same theme across social media: A want for a second civil war.

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Unity? anyone out there understand this is a must?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Gerri4321 That's not Uniting. That's Tolerance. A temporary peace agreement at best. After they did the deed, did they continue to be United?

Why must so many distort and lie about the truth?

FrankZeleniuk comments on Apr 23, 2019:

A "republic" is a nation based upon founding principles that could be democratic or not. The USSR was a republic, as is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). A democracy is not a system or theory of government it is simply a means of making ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@FrankZeleniuk >> "Foreign or external threats to a nation from within stem from individuals that wish to "fundamentally transform" the nation. " Well we definitely have some of those going on right now.

Classical Liberalism is what got us here. Can it still get us out?

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

It may be that your initial premise is weak, or incorrect-- or in my view, incomplete. Why must it follow that liberalism / progressivism is the impetus for science and philosophical thinking?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@govols :-)

I keep seeing the same theme across social media: A want for a second civil war.

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Unity? anyone out there understand this is a must?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Gerri4321 See, that's the problem with Unity.

Classical Liberalism is what got us here. Can it still get us out?

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

It may be that your initial premise is weak, or incorrect-- or in my view, incomplete. Why must it follow that liberalism / progressivism is the impetus for science and philosophical thinking?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@govols LOL. At least you were polite about it! ;-)

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

MickeyRat comments on Apr 24, 2019:

First, of course a natural disaster or astronomic event can and probably eventually will wipe humanity from the face of the earth but, it won't be because the earth was sick of us. It's just the nature of things. The earth didn't hate the dinosaurs did it? Any speculation about intelligent ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@4p3k, @MickeyRat Wikipedia: NS Savannah: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NS_Savannah NS Savannah Virtual Tour: https://maritime.org/tour/savannah/

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

SeanT comments on Apr 24, 2019:

We are marvels of evolutionary success. Yes, we have both the capacity of be nehilistic or molevelant and doing atrocious things..... and we are capable of great charity, caring, love, art, and selfless giving. We are a part of the animal kingdom and just like other mammals, we will need to adapt...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

I wonder just exactly how many nukes would be required to change the planetary climate...

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

CalebBaeten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Most of the comments on this thread belong on Twitter, not here. I, and I'm sure many others, abandoned Twitter for this platform specifically to get away from the unthinking posts like. "I don't agree, therefore kill yourself," or "you're dumb, therefore you shouldn't have an opinion." I ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@CalebBaeten I like the ability to say what I want to say with however many words I feel like I need to say it. Sometimes that's a lot, and if you've followed any of my posts you'll no doubt agree that I can get rather long-winded :-) I'm not sure that I would try to read more or less into 'long-form' or 'short-form' responses since there is no (reasonable) limit here all responses would seem (to me) to be about equally-weighted in that regard. In any case, it's nice to know that perhaps you are reconsidering your imminent demise and might perhaps stick around awhile. ;-)

Why must so many distort and lie about the truth?

FrankZeleniuk comments on Apr 23, 2019:

A "republic" is a nation based upon founding principles that could be democratic or not. The USSR was a republic, as is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). A democracy is not a system or theory of government it is simply a means of making ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@FrankZeleniuk Yes, I was perhaps not as clear in communicating my thoughts as I could have been. I don't know if all instances of burning the flag equate to questioning one's allegiance to the nation. I personally am quite upset when I see people doing it. I think one can voice one's displeasure with the-- government... yup, I see sorta where you're headed with this-- in burning the flag without being against the nation it stands for. But I'm not sure what/why you're splitting the hair? No offense intended in referencing it that way-- I'm intrigued and would like to hear more. The whole bit about being hoodwinked by government and bankers-- I completely agree with all of that. I like your question about 'Symbols of the Nation' versus 'Symbols of the Government'. I'll have to think about that for a bit. I would like to ask you for your opinion on that same subject. What do you think is the difference between the symbols of the government versus the symbols of the nation? In my mind symbols of the government might include things such as coinage, notes, stamps, passports, etc. Symbols of the nation would be things like the flag, the national anthem, respect for the offices (irrespective of the people in them) of government, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Military insignia and whatever heraldry goes along with it. What else? You made an interesting comment and I'm interested in hearing more.

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

CalebBaeten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Most of the comments on this thread belong on Twitter, not here. I, and I'm sure many others, abandoned Twitter for this platform specifically to get away from the unthinking posts like. "I don't agree, therefore kill yourself," or "you're dumb, therefore you shouldn't have an opinion." I ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@chuckpo Altrusim. Yeah, that's an interesting one. And one that is not solely human either. There are documented cases of animals caring for / adopting other animals-- even animals of differing species-- and even in some cases, animals who would otherwise be natural enemies / predator-prey. Certainly I also agree that people possess a degree of moral faculties that aren't available to animals.

I keep seeing the same theme across social media: A want for a second civil war.

EdNason comments on Apr 24, 2019:

it would not be much of a war when the other side has no guns, and is not sure what bathroom to use.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@The_Farseer I don't really think the 'establishment' wants that either. Ultimately the 'establishment' is owned by the muckity-mucks, one way or another-- if not in actual deed than at least in the sense of their ability to control / defend it. I think the people who want to see it all burn is the media. They have the most to gain and the least to lose. Whoever ends up on top is gonna need a mouthpiece to shout orders out to the masses-- and you know, "Beep beep - CNN at your service".

I keep seeing the same theme across social media: A want for a second civil war.

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Unity? anyone out there understand this is a must?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@The_Farseer Are you going to bow to my god?

Nobody wants to work on themselves.

StephenHenkel comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Seems like you may be projecting, mate. Surely there are quite a few folk who are introspective and working on themselves, right? Haven't you ever worked on yourself a bit? Wouldn't that mean "Nobody wants to work on themselves" is false? Surely, working on oneself is hard, but plenty of ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@ScottforKing I don't know if I agree about "we all want the same things" part. I think that might be the actual cause of a lot of the friction we're having in the world. Add to that the near instant ability to communicate and compare notes and you can have some near-incendiary reactions pretty quick.

Liberty vs risk equation I have often wondered if we could accurately and scientifically measure the...

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

I'm not sure that there is a good answer that works for all parties. It seems to me that "Risk Management" equals "Regulation". But conversely, the lack of risk management seems to lead to "Socialize the Costs, Privatize the Rewards". Too much of either leads to a corrupt society and the only way ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Pate49 Okay, I'm listening-- what would you substitute for regulation in your theory of risk management?

Nobody wants to work on themselves.

waynus comments on Apr 23, 2019:

There seems to be a decided lack of willingness to accept the world for what it is and instead of trying to make it better, trying to blame someone else. The big surprise to so many, is that not everyone agrees with them. People have lost sight of the need to work with those we do not agree with ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@waynus I was suddenly struck with the question of how this has been resolved in the past-- not your specific point about abortion, but the 50/50 issue-- is it perhaps that every so often in the past people have had a war to fight in which large numbers of young men are clubbed out of existence and thus the tie is broken? What issues / paths do you think society has taken in the past which might have been different if those men had lived? Do you think we would have had the 50/50 problem sooner? Do you think the morals of that bygone age would have provided proxy-guidance toward a solution? Lots to think about on that thought.. I didn't really mean to not answer your larger comment, you just made me think about that as I was reading it.

Classical Liberalism is what got us here. Can it still get us out?

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

It may be that your initial premise is weak, or incorrect-- or in my view, incomplete. Why must it follow that liberalism / progressivism is the impetus for science and philosophical thinking?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@govols Interesting comment / question. Interestingly it feels to me like I just had this conversation in another thread, albeit with different words ;-) I think it is necessary to bear in mind that 'society' ultimately emerges from the point of the spear in the sense that it is built on top of power and as such, rights and privileges are really just affordances from those with more power to those with less power as a form of appeasement in return for avoiding the inconvenience and potential detrimental issues associated with constant challenge. I think 'progressivism' is simply this principle taken a bit further up the line, so to speak, as the level of society advances in knowledge, science, technology, productivity and the ability of the workers to collectivize their interests and advocate for more rights and affordances. I think that both sides use whatever advantages they are able to gain or glean to tilt the situation in their favor for as long as they can and to whatever extent that they can do so. So I suppose the real question becomes, is there a true emergent morality which emerges from the struggle between the classes? (And on top of whatever morality emerges from the basic struggle for survival)..? Let's take slavery for example-- do you think slavery ended simply because people's attitudes towards it evolved, or because on a much more practical (and perhaps sinister) level the "powers that be" realized that they could get the same level of work out of the masses-- perhaps more-- if they simply PAID them wages as opposed to providing upkeep? Moreover, I'd argue, it also absolves them from a lot of the 'blame' and 'moral outrage' regarding the conditions in which they're kept and the situation of their lives. As property, all "blame" goes toward the master. As employees, the "blame" is shifted to the workers themselves. And either way the bosses get what they want-- and potentially at a steep discount to boot. The idea of "wage slavery" is not a new one. What is the actual meaning of "Freedom" anyway? Do you have it? Do I have it? Does Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump have it? Consider what actions you believe you could get away with versus what actions you believe either of them have gotten away with-- depending on which side of the "fence" you think you're standing on... How much money does it take to achieve "Freedom"? But, those questions aside-- society is very much an organism. It is of course ostensibly an abstract concept but practically-speaking it is operated as and provided animus as very much in the same manner a living entity might, with many of the same concerns and considerations. Such as the collection of food, acquisition of raw resources, production of goods, removal of waste products, infrastructure ...

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

CalebBaeten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Most of the comments on this thread belong on Twitter, not here. I, and I'm sure many others, abandoned Twitter for this platform specifically to get away from the unthinking posts like. "I don't agree, therefore kill yourself," or "you're dumb, therefore you shouldn't have an opinion." I ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@chuckpo Unfortunately I don't think we're really able to 'transcend our survival'. We can dither about it, put it out of mind for awhile, bandy it about and occasionally even consume ourselves making questionable points. But-- so far at least-- we have been unable to actually transcend it. Sooner or later it pops round again and we're faced with what it entails. In my view, in our human culture, the best we've been able to come up with is to contract it out so that we don't have to deal with the unpleasantries directly ourselves. And while I don't like dealing with it any more than the next guy-- in reality most of what we do is disguise it and try to hide what it is that we're doing and abstract it away with some culinary hand-waving-- and butter. I would personally be quite happy not having to eat anything that's been alive in the same way that I've been alive-- that has a face, so to speak. And if you think about it too long you realize that there's some bit of really deep, elemental sadness that goes along with the realization of it. Or if not sadness, perhaps solemnity in the understanding that something else had to die in order that I might live. Or depending on what's on the menu, perhaps thanks or even celebration in the vein of "but for the grace of god..." And I think it is in that particular thought that the true underlying concept of 'morality' is revealed as a side-effect and emergent property of-- or even an inherent property of-- consequence of the need and action of survival. We have a thousand terms for it-- 'Dog eat dog', 'Kill or be killed', 'Us or them' and... well, we have at least three terms for it. In that sober understanding that underneath all of our protocols and platitudes there is an underlying savagery to our nature that we cannot deny about ourselves. Not if we're really being honest. I think most people are okay with the notion of 'live and let live' as long as other people don't get in the way and that a large portion of our society-- and especially our 'morality'-- is constructed around the understanding and desire to not have to come to blows, but that we could-- if we had to. Ultimately, at the end of the day, all of our 'laws' and 'ethics' and 'morality' really only amount to 'affordances' granted by the most powerful to the less powerful as a means of appeasement to avoid the inconvenience of constant conflict and struggle for dominance. So the upshot is that 'morality' is fluid and is essentially a tacit agreement among the members of the community not to do things which piss off the 'big guy' and thus upset the apple cart for everyone. More or less. That at least pencils in the big branches, and all the rest is colored in from there. IMO, anyway.

Today I read a post on a mom’s group on Facebook.

The_Farseer comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Sound like a bunch of bitter morons who keep dating assholes and ignore the nicer guys as "just friends" and before they know it, they are bitter old shrews with short purple hair who blame everyone else and never wake up to the fact that they're terrible themselves with terrible taste in men.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

I believe there is some truth in that.

Today I read a post on a mom’s group on Facebook.

Marta-Amance comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Sounds like the woman's equivalent of a fight club. Very few marriages are ever perfect and all marriages suffer from domination of the one sex over the other. It is a matter of human nature. Our reasons for choosing a life partner are different, as is to be expected. And sometimes we will ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@chuckpo >> "one thing relationships can't endure is irrelevance." And boredom.

Nobody wants to work on themselves.

REParker comments on Apr 23, 2019:

You generalize. That's not true of everyone.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@WilyRickWiles Do you think that too many people are 'hangers on' and can't let go?

Nobody wants to work on themselves.

waynus comments on Apr 23, 2019:

There seems to be a decided lack of willingness to accept the world for what it is and instead of trying to make it better, trying to blame someone else. The big surprise to so many, is that not everyone agrees with them. People have lost sight of the need to work with those we do not agree with ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@The_Farseer What are you proposing, a quest?

Nobody wants to work on themselves.

StephenHenkel comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Seems like you may be projecting, mate. Surely there are quite a few folk who are introspective and working on themselves, right? Haven't you ever worked on yourself a bit? Wouldn't that mean "Nobody wants to work on themselves" is false? Surely, working on oneself is hard, but plenty of ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@LeftySinister Our society has become polarized to the point where we are not allowed to believe or accept that we can be wrong, or that they can be right-- or that there may not be an ultimate truth.

Nobody wants to work on themselves.

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

I think you have completely overlooked the point, and perhaps the obvious as well... consider that most of the "progressives" I see bleating in the media are "white" and/or "white men", they may know all too well where the blame lies.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@LeftySinister I don't disagree. It was simply a chink in the armor that they found to exploit. I doubt they care a whit about the reality of it in any larger sense. It is simply an expedient in the pursuit of an agenda and will be dropped like a rock the moment it loses its effectiveness.

I have a question concerning the Muslim belief and I am hoping One Godless Woman you might see this ...

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

The misconception I thnk you have is this being seen as homosexuality. What it is grooming, abusing, controlling, the people not only the men but the women. (What is a mother's worst fear?) His accounts of abuse are true. If the men contracts a STD it is not the man that is at fault, it is the other...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Gerri4321 What I meant more was that their soul is eaten away bit by bit in doing the deed. You cannot rob someone else of their humanity without losing a bit of your own in the process. But that may be drifting away from the subject.

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

CalebBaeten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Most of the comments on this thread belong on Twitter, not here. I, and I'm sure many others, abandoned Twitter for this platform specifically to get away from the unthinking posts like. "I don't agree, therefore kill yourself," or "you're dumb, therefore you shouldn't have an opinion." I ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@chuckpo >> "well now I'm intrigued. Don't tease me!" I was mainly just referring to the point that 'morality' is generally the 'ethical' way of 'doing unto others' before they do unto you. I guess that, and combined with the seeming never-ending obnoxious hand-wringing and signalling of virtue from obsequious sycophants to those in power in an effort to shore up and assure one's own survival within the colony... you know, see which silver-backs need to be assuaged and all of that.

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

CalebBaeten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Most of the comments on this thread belong on Twitter, not here. I, and I'm sure many others, abandoned Twitter for this platform specifically to get away from the unthinking posts like. "I don't agree, therefore kill yourself," or "you're dumb, therefore you shouldn't have an opinion." I ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@chuckpo Yup. Sorry, Spring Break and the kiddos out of school. And I come and go anyway. I have many interests and only so much time ;-) I did see the thread you're referring to and added a link to the original discussion in case anybody has an interest in pursuing it further. Thanks for the mention, btw.

I did a little experiment, to see what would happen.

The_Farseer comments on Apr 24, 2019:

You're not giving any information. What happened?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@DuranDuran I cannot speak for 'a lot of people', I can only speak for me. My view is that in some ways he is a bit like the 'bull in a china shop' careening around and breaking things. However, I don't think he is at present breaking anything of particular value-- and in fact, he is ultimately doing all of us a huge favor in taking on the obsequious cesspit that some people refer to as 'Washington'. Moreover, I think-- despite what he *SAYS*-- what he is *ACCOMPLISHING* is of great value to us all, and he is doing it in the only way that it can be done, by being rough and rowdy and leaving etiquette at the door. Further, I don't disagree at all with him when he points to the mainstream media as the fawning lapdogs of the corporate-globalist industrial-techno-establishment, because they are. Their masters say 'bark' and they yap away endlessly and snap at his heels until he stomps them down and they run away sniveling. Jim Acosta is a great example. Rachael Maddow is another. For myself, I sincerely hope that he is for real and not simply some deep-cover corporate shill, because we desperately need that swamp to get drained-- in the same way the forest needs a cleansing fire to clear out all of the dead wood and encourage new growth to begin. If we continue on the same path that we've been on, I shudder to think of the consequences. We've been tricked, lied to and played for fools for decades by the globalist elite and their career political lackeys and are teetering on the brink of a disturbing dystopian reality made possible through advances in computation and information technologies-- big brother is standing at the door beckoning us into an overwhelming authoritarian dictate. And the Democrats-- particularly-- are jumping up and down like monkeys and clowns screeching and cajoling us through the door. A little power now in return for a lifetime of servitude and perhaps a scrap or two from the master's table. The Republicans, for their part, were not much better until recently. The last two years have seen a strange renaissance of sorts within the party. A number of the 'old guard' has died off or wandered away, leaving a power vacuum which has been (so far) seemingly held in check by President Trump and his administration-- they are still not really sure what to make of him, where he stands, what his allegiances are-- but he's making progress under the 'Republican' banner so it looks like for the moment they are giving him some rope to see where he's taking them-- and us, the rest of us along with him. Personally, I don't think he's going where they think he's going but they haven't completely figured that out yet. Some of them have though and I think we're seeing a new breed of 'Republican' emerge. One that is truer to the original ...

Why must so many distort and lie about the truth?

FrankZeleniuk comments on Apr 23, 2019:

A "republic" is a nation based upon founding principles that could be democratic or not. The USSR was a republic, as is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). A democracy is not a system or theory of government it is simply a means of making ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@FrankZeleniuk I believe if you build a nation that professes to be free that you must defend the action of burning the very symbol of that nation in protest of that nation-- as perverse-sounding as that may be. That the censorious act is ultimately the more pernicious and corrosive element.

I have a question concerning the Muslim belief and I am hoping One Godless Woman you might see this ...

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Someone else may be able to explain it more succinctly-- but it's my understanding that in such cases the one with the phallus doing the penetrating is not committing a homosexual act (though this may be a matter of interpretation and perhaps other situational factors) while the one engaged in the ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Karma-Fride Sheep lie ;-)

I have a question concerning the Muslim belief and I am hoping One Godless Woman you might see this ...

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

The misconception I thnk you have is this being seen as homosexuality. What it is grooming, abusing, controlling, the people not only the men but the women. (What is a mother's worst fear?) His accounts of abuse are true. If the men contracts a STD it is not the man that is at fault, it is the other...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Gerri4321 I would personally dispute the word 'win' in conjunction with any aspect of that-- but I agree with you.

I keep seeing the same theme across social media: A want for a second civil war.

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Unity? anyone out there understand this is a must?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Gerri4321 In my view, 'Unity' requires 'sameness' which implies agreement. 'Tolerance', on the other hand, recognizes that disagreement exists and thus does not require 'sameness' but rather simply a protocol to permit people who disagree to remain amicable despite their differences.

I have a question concerning the Muslim belief and I am hoping One Godless Woman you might see this ...

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

The misconception I thnk you have is this being seen as homosexuality. What it is grooming, abusing, controlling, the people not only the men but the women. (What is a mother's worst fear?) His accounts of abuse are true. If the men contracts a STD it is not the man that is at fault, it is the other...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

Yes, I think you are closer to the truth. To put it more crassly, we're talking about a stiff woody versus a warm hole. There is no real "sexuality" being exhibited here apart from the base mechanical element and rather it's really about corruption and power for the sake of power. In other words, pure evil. Regardless of the gender.

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

CalebBaeten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Most of the comments on this thread belong on Twitter, not here. I, and I'm sure many others, abandoned Twitter for this platform specifically to get away from the unthinking posts like. "I don't agree, therefore kill yourself," or "you're dumb, therefore you shouldn't have an opinion." I ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@chuckpo Oh boy did you just open up a great big can-o-worms... you could find yourself hopelessly wrapped around the axle when you drop 'morality' into the same sentence as 'survival'... :-) I really enjoy your comments btw. I hope you know that.

Liberty vs risk equation I have often wondered if we could accurately and scientifically measure the...

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

I'm not sure that there is a good answer that works for all parties. It seems to me that "Risk Management" equals "Regulation". But conversely, the lack of risk management seems to lead to "Socialize the Costs, Privatize the Rewards". Too much of either leads to a corrupt society and the only way ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Pate49 IMO, that's essentially what Risk Management is on a large scale. How else can you institutionalize it?

Rockin My World This morning I was sitting here on the couch minding my own business when it felt...

jwhitten comments on Apr 23, 2019:

I felt another one at 1:28pm and went and checked and sure enough, there it was.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Lindajailbird Possibly. They really are doing extensive work in the street outside of my building. I am quite happy to chalk it all up to that-- except whatever it was they did seems to have registered on the seismograph a half hour away from here! That's some pipe-laying if you ask me!

I did a little experiment, to see what would happen.

The_Farseer comments on Apr 24, 2019:

You're not giving any information. What happened?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@MickeyRat I don't dispute or disagree with you on your first point. Especially the part about not intending to do anything about it. On the second I agree that JEB was the 'anointed one' from the Republican side, who was intended to carry the ball in the event that the country chose "Red" over "Blue".... (you know, "Coke" over "Pepsi", for all the difference it makes) Donald Trump apparently came out of left field-- Asimov's literary 'Mule'-- and screwed the proverbial pooch. Possibly two or three times. And quite likely captured on video even-- but I digress... ;-) Historically Trump has been far more "Blue" than "Red". That, to me, is one of the funniest and ironical ironies of this whole freakin' fiasco. And, quite by accident, as far as I'm concerned-- being exactly what this country needed to put out the fires, shovel the shit, punch the bullies in the balls, and generally right this train and put it up back on the rails. Although I doubt we'll ever hear an admission, I don't think there was anybody more stunned or surprised than Donald himself when he won. But I think we can all consider ourselves extremely lucky that he did. I thank god every single day that Hillary isn't the President. We all and the whole world with us, all dodged a bullet that day and we should never, ever forget it.

Rockin My World This morning I was sitting here on the couch minding my own business when it felt...

Marydaniels6011 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

And where are you located

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

Currently in the Maryland area.

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

So do the earth a favor and off yourself. The fact that you haven't simply indicates that you're either a hypocrite or playing for laughs...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@2FollowHim Then you didn't actually read what he wrote, consider its implications and are simply knee-jerking based on your simplistic interpretation of what I wrote. I invite you to try again.

Cloning of animals for human consumption

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Well, on the plus side, only one animal has to die...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Gerri4321 There has been a lot of research and experimentation into the science of cloning-- so much in fact that the idea of 'cloning' itself is practically old-hat at this point. You might recall the much ballyhooed arrival of "Dolly the Sheep" from way back in the mid 1990's. Here is a web page that goes into more detail about "Dolly the Sheep" and animal cloning in general: http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical-advances/timeline/cloning-dolly-the-sheep/. I think the quick answer to your question is that they do clone other animals, have performed (are performing) research into the possibilities of "laboratory grown" food (meat) sources, but the present consensus is most likely to be that the old-fashioned methods are still the most productive and cost-effective at this point. Do you have any specific questions about cloning or are you just looking for info in general?

I keep seeing the same theme across social media: A want for a second civil war.

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Unity? anyone out there understand this is a must?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Gerri4321 Again I respectfully disagree. Tolerance is the art of accepting the existence of differing opinions and values without coming to blows, as would be required under the doctrine of 'unity'.

The police.

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

A number of those Policemen these days are of the 'Self Serve' variety.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Boardwine That's pretty scary.

The Government is treating Assange like a hacker to punish his journalism.

Littlerock comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Journalism in the most pragmatic sense; If you want to get the goods, sometimes you need to break a few laws, endanger people's lives and disregard any concern for the collateral damage from exposing sensitive information to your enemies. Oh yes, we do have those to consider... He's guilty of ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Littlerock By all accounts that I saw, Assuage was all but a prisoner there at the embassy. He did not even have a shower in his room and had to take towel baths. Here is one account from The Intercept: https://theintercept.com/2019/04/15/julian-assange-health-medical-care/ Whether or not the rest of the accounts blaming him for his hygiene are true I cannot say. But I strongly believe that he was the victim of gas-lighting and smearing by the British and Ecuadorian governments leading up to his ousting from the embassy. Which, in my mind, means there are a lot of unanswered questions regarding his "detention", the conditions in which he was "held" and the overall situation in general. While I understand that his stay there was ostensibly "voluntary", it is questionable what choices and latitude that he actually had or at least felt like he had to comport himself within. As far as publishing the material on Wikileaks, I think the precedent there is well established regarding publishing incriminating information. If the Washington Post gets a pass for "The Pentagon Papers" then Assange should get a pass for "Wikileaks". We may not like it individually, but collectively I think people like Assange are doing us all a favor by working to protect liberty. Sometimes that seems to go counter to prudence, but in the end, I think preserving the right and ability to tell / reveal the truth is an important fundamental 'affordance' if not an actual 'right'.

Federal Court: chalking tires is trespassing, not police work- [reason.

Serg97 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Chalking tires is not trespassing, IMO. If parking laws are not enforced idiots will not share the right to park with others. They are far to self centered to even consider another persons right to use the space!

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@EdNason Even if they couldn't in the past, they certainly can now with the advent of digital cameras and the overwhelming ubiquity of personal smartphones.

IDW Community

DrN1 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

there is no right without a left, two wrongs never make a right, a double negative makes a positive, two positives can never make a negative? Aye right!!

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

You do know that three lefts make a right...

IDW Community

Marydaniels6011 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

I say they have no redeeming qualities

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

I say they have no qualities to redeem... ;-)

Why must so many distort and lie about the truth?

FrankZeleniuk comments on Apr 23, 2019:

A "republic" is a nation based upon founding principles that could be democratic or not. The USSR was a republic, as is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). A democracy is not a system or theory of government it is simply a means of making ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

I disagree with you there. Everybody should have the same access to the engines of power / government-- but it is incumbent upon those of us who love Freedom, Liberty and the rights and privileges afforded to us under the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the other founding documents, to safeguard those values, to hold them dear and to fight for them vigorously every time somebody comes along to challenge them. Freedom isn't free and it isn't something that can be given. It can only be taken-- fought for with the blood and the spirit of good citizens who are willing to uphold its principle and defend its honor.

I did a little experiment, to see what would happen.

The_Farseer comments on Apr 24, 2019:

You're not giving any information. What happened?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@MickeyRat If we're going to be truth-telling, historically Trump has been pretty liberal-leaning, much more of a traditional Democrat than a Republican. It was only after he entered the race (as an INDEPENDENT you might recall) and found himself lumped in with the Republicans by SMEAR-CO (Hillary, the DNC and the Mainstream Media) that he made a deal with the Republicans to carry their ticket. Hillary, on the other hand, despite being a "Democrat" in name, is a bigger Military-Industrial Hawk than Reagan was. And talk about lying liars-- Trump can't hold a candle to her.... Just look at how many times her plane (Air Force 1) has come under 'sniper fire' while landing in Bosnia... But, despite President Trump carrying out a perfectly reasonable moderate, middle-of-the-road administration, one the Democrats themselves have mostly advocated for themselves prior to his getting elected-- they are PROVING beyond a scintilla of a doubt that they do not care a single WHIT for the OUTCOME or the PEOPLE or the NATION, only that they are OUT OF POWER and will do LITERALLY ANYTHING-- ANY THING-- to oust the duly-elected President to reinstate themselves. There is extremely little that President Trump is doing that the Democrats haven't called for, voted on, or done THEMSELVES **BEFORE** he got into office. And that is an absolute fact-- look it up if you don't believe me. HILLARY FAKE NEWS BOSNIA STORY: [https://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-bosnia-sniper-fire-2016-6]

I keep seeing the same theme across social media: A want for a second civil war.

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Unity? anyone out there understand this is a must?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

Unity is not a must. Tolerance is a must.

Just an observation about the pervasive self hatred amongst white guys these days .

MickeyRat comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Personally, I find it bizarre that someone would use how oppressed they are as substitute for a logical argument. I''m a white guy and yes, historically white guys have done some things that I wish didn't happen but, that's not all they did. Take a moment to be grateful, you have light, air ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

You mean all that TECH-CULTURE that they're busy appropriating??

Retirement and Security

MickeyRat comments on Apr 23, 2019:

I might be willing to lose 25% of my retirement to defeat Biden though. :)

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

Don't worry, it won't take more than 1%...

Trudeau rang up $384K in food, liquor on only 5 flights | Sheila Gunn Reid - YouTube

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Sounds like its time for the Feminists to give Justin the heave-ho (ho-heave?) as with that sort of burn rate and given Canada's newfound mission to spend 95% of their Foreign Policy dollars on Feminist causes, he's cutting considerably into their available funds.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@WorldSigh He is an inspiration to aspiring perverts everywhere.

Cloning of animals for human consumption

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Well, on the plus side, only one animal has to die...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Gerri4321 That's a bit like making sausage, I'm not sure you really want to know.

Once again I get banned from fb.

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

You're looking at it all wrong. Banning you is winning the prize. That's when you know that THEY know that you are SO RIGHT that they can't do anything else except cut your mike. Take your victory lap and your week's free vacation and do something fun.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Marydaniels6011 Me either, what's the point? You're spewing pearls before swine, or something to the effect.

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

REParker comments on Apr 24, 2019:

WOW! You guys really took this to the Dark Side pretty quickly. Between being brow-beaten for a negative attitude and psychoanalized by wanna-be Freuds, I guess I touched a nerve. Let me try to address some of your ass-kicking responses... First of all, nothing lasts forever, and anyone who ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@MADcHATTER Yeah, well there is all that too.

I believe humanity doesn't so much inhabit the earth as it infests it.

CalebBaeten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Most of the comments on this thread belong on Twitter, not here. I, and I'm sure many others, abandoned Twitter for this platform specifically to get away from the unthinking posts like. "I don't agree, therefore kill yourself," or "you're dumb, therefore you shouldn't have an opinion." I ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

I didn't tell you to "off yourself" because I didn't like you or your post. I thought about what you said and it was the only reasonable, rational and logical response. If you sincerely believe that humans are an infestation, then you are morally bound to kill yourself in order to save the planet. If you do not then you are either a hypocrite or else are just posting for the giggles. Don't worry, though, after you go the rest of us will be along shortly...

They're making a new Conan movie with a twist: Trumpan and the Riddle of Steele Dossier.

CodeNameZebra comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Satire cannot possible compete in today's world.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

Ain't that the truth. Any satire involving today's events would have to be boring as hell by definition to even be recognized as imaginary!

In Search of Reason

plebeian_lobster comments on Apr 23, 2019:

I have brought this up in argument, but many folks don't even know what an ad hom is.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

Ad Hominem. I just looked it up. Apparently it's an early form of marketing campaign for erectile dysfunction. 'Ad' means marketing, and 'Hominem' is Latin for 'Small logical Fallacy".

Polygamist and LGBTQ

graesvol comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Here's a somewhat relevant article: https://erraticus.co/2018/07/24/lgbtq-polygamy-marriage-equality/

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Samanthas3 Sure they do. Hillary is 'Good', Trump is 'Evil'. Any questions?

Polygamist and LGBTQ

Samanthas3 comments on Apr 23, 2019:

No, the P is being reserved to pedophile

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

LOL! Dang it! Stop that. Now I have to go clean the coffee off of my screen.

I will take fake outrage for a 1000 Alex.

AZWoman comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Kid needs a therapist.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

Mom needs a therapist. Fixed it for ya.

Russian Collusion

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

No, President Trump survived the Mueller report because (A) he didn't do anything and (B) nobody (besides the Democrats) gave a rat's ass in the first place.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Facci Heh. Where do you think all the press's credibility went?

I did a little experiment, to see what would happen.

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

What did you expect?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@DuranDuran Really? In what way?

I did a little experiment, to see what would happen.

The_Farseer comments on Apr 24, 2019:

You're not giving any information. What happened?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@DuranDuran Vote or don't vote. It's in the Constitution. I suggest you go read it some time. Wikipedia: Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

I did a little experiment, to see what would happen.

The_Farseer comments on Apr 24, 2019:

You're not giving any information. What happened?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@DuranDuran Ignoring all of the rest-- it doesn't matter how many people voted for Clinton-- or Trump for that matter. Only that the Electoral College gave their nod to Trump. That's the way elections have worked in this country since its founding. Interestingly, the winning party rarely has an issue with it, while the party that loses typically thinks its the worst system ever. Go figure.

I did a little experiment, to see what would happen.

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

What did you expect?

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@DuranDuran Welcome to earth. This is known as 'Politics'.

The Government is treating Assange like a hacker to punish his journalism.

Littlerock comments on Apr 23, 2019:

Journalism in the most pragmatic sense; If you want to get the goods, sometimes you need to break a few laws, endanger people's lives and disregard any concern for the collateral damage from exposing sensitive information to your enemies. Oh yes, we do have those to consider... He's guilty of ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Littlerock I won't argue your other points which may or may not be valid-- but I think his hygiene and appearance may not have been entirely of his own design. I think it's unfair to criticize him for things he was probably unable to control.

What's your opinion on biometric firearm safes?

Littlerock comments on Apr 24, 2019:

How about biometric guns? A gun could have just as many functions as a smartphone now, if they bothered to sit down and design one. (Honestly, I haven't given it much thought myself, till now.) The lawful owner of the gun could have a proximity switch like wearing a bracelet, or even having a rf ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Littlerock LOL. This is my rifle, this is my gun...

Family Ties Are Coming Undone Pew Research Center

jwhitten comments on Apr 24, 2019:

Feminism and subversive action by cultural marxists.

jwhitten replies on Apr 24, 2019:

@Janeybird Spousal abuse has been occurring forever and both sides are more or less equally guilty. Drug abuse though, in my view, is likely to be more of a symptom than it is an underlying actual cause-- though without a doubt it is certainly a circular issue and undoubtedly ends up being a de-facto contributor as well. But by the same token, I think you could stick poverty in the same class as drug abuse in terms of ending up with similar results. I was undoubtedly too hasty and brief in my original comment as there are other factors which likely contribute. But I think-- with a bit more nuance-- that there may be another factor which is rarely identified (or even conceived) that may be the ultimate driver, which is the impending confluence of advancing technology, medicine, logistics, communication, information, etc-- such that we are rapidly approaching a post-scarcity economy, the so-called 'singularity'-- which is having an enormous impact and upheaval on human society in such a profound and fundamental way as to completely throw every facet of human existence into a deep existential crisis of the sort, "Well, here we are-- all the problems solved, no need or want-- what the hell do we do now?" I think we are seeing the portents of a type of "cultural tectonics", meaning the great rending and upheaval of civilization at all levels, in all facets and all areas-- social, economic, domestic, national and even global. I think we are seeing the human equivalent of animals freaking out ahead of the earthquake sensing something seemingly intangible and yet still a signal somehow bleating out warning-- and in our case, on the cusp of the great human metamorphosis in which we begin our ascendancy into demi-godhood, at least metaphorically-speaking. If we make it without blowing ourselves up or otherwise collapsing in on ourselves, who knows what we will become, what sort of human civilization will emerge from the other side. But I think it is safe to say that whatever it is, we're going to be different-- very different from who and what we are today. Some people embrace change, some people fear it. But whichever, I think it's fairly safe to say that change is the one thing that's here to stay.

I am intrigued by the "anti-globalization" thing (if it is a "thing")?

EdNason comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Capitalism and globalism are not mutual inclusive.

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

Indeed they are not.

I am intrigued by the "anti-globalization" thing (if it is a "thing")?

Boardwine comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Globalization is a pseudo-Marxist idea of centralizing power and wealth under the control of a small group. Shifting populations of less developed countries into the West and thereby eroding the established value structures and political systems. Extremely dangerous IMHO

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

@DrN1 I think your opening scenario is far more likely as capitalists get richer and can afford to consolidate, expand and commit economic (and physical) warfare to subdue, convert and/or take out the competition. As the captain of an industry one is chiefly concerned labor, resources, production and sales and the acquisition / control of these elements in preferably the cheapest, most cost-effective manner. Ethics are an after-thought and ultimately serve to influence the acquisition and retainment costs as peasant uprisings can get expensive if not held in check.

If a woman falsely accuses a man of rape, and openly admits she lied, she she go to jail.

Julien974 comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Theres a lot of "eye for an eye" here. I wouldnt want that, she should be punished for the crimes she commited. Rape accusations is quite devastating for someones life but really the best that can happen is that the accuser says its a lie. But there might still be consiprarionists who will ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

No, it's pretty much the same for both.

Impediments to Free Speech I think it's fascinating how the Globalists and Big Tech companies ...

Guido_Provolone comments on Apr 16, 2019:

This always gets me. Here's a question. Ever read TOS.... anywhere? The heart of most, include, "We reserve the right to edit or remove content, at any time, FOR ANY REASON...." You agree.... you agree to the CONTRACT.

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

@Guido_Provolone They were doing fine as long as they simply left it alone. They could go back to that and probably dig themselves out of hot water with both the Feds and the public, over time. But if you have 'run sites' before as you say (and I'm not particularly doubting) then you and the lawyers you've hired know full well that there is a big difference between being a 'Common Carrier', an 'Electronic Publisher' and an 'Individual Contributor' with respect to the "mode" and various liabilities and responsibilities which are incumbent upon the operator(s). Booting a user for calling someone a 'no good so and so' is different from banning them because you don't agree with their political speech and you (ought to) durn well know it. I suppose if you ran your site as an 'Electronic Publisher' and that was your thing-- you would be entitled to do that, provided of course that you understood that it was yours-- and yours alone-- responsibility and liability for the content (however it got there) that was being presented on your site. But when you purport to be a 'Common Carrier', your responsibilities are different. You are absolved from all (nearly all) liabilities for the content in return for being neutral about the content. You simply accept it and shuttle it from 'over here' to 'over there'. Granted there is some muddying of the water when you're a "web site" and actually house the data as well. But the basic responsibilities are still the same. Google / YouTube / Facebook / Twitter / et al stepped over the line when they started censoring opinion-- especially political opinion and playing dirty tricks to jigger search results. They are skating on extremely-- extremely-- thin ice and all it's going to take is a couple more blatant incidents before they're hauled in and given a really good spanking.

Impediments to Free Speech I think it's fascinating how the Globalists and Big Tech companies ...

Guido_Provolone comments on Apr 16, 2019:

This always gets me. Here's a question. Ever read TOS.... anywhere? The heart of most, include, "We reserve the right to edit or remove content, at any time, FOR ANY REASON...." You agree.... you agree to the CONTRACT.

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

With respect to 'You agree to the contract', really you don't. You take it or leave it. That is an overwhelmingly one-sided contract where the terms are dictated and you have little to no ability to negotiate nor alter the terms. Many courts of competent jurisdiction are looking down their noses at such contracts and increasingly declining to uphold them. It has not become the norm yet, but the number of precedent setting cases is increasing. Here's a very interesting that discusses some of the issues from the perspective of contract law: PROMISES OF SILENCE: CONTRACT LAW AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/research/cornell-law-review/upload/Garfield-final.pdf Here is another interesting paper from the FCC / Common Carrier and Electronic Publisher perspective: https://lawreview.law.ucdavis.edu/issues/51/3/Articles/51-3_Candeub.pdf

Impediments to Free Speech I think it's fascinating how the Globalists and Big Tech companies ...

Guido_Provolone comments on Apr 16, 2019:

This always gets me. Here's a question. Ever read TOS.... anywhere? The heart of most, include, "We reserve the right to edit or remove content, at any time, FOR ANY REASON...." You agree.... you agree to the CONTRACT.

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

Also, while I don't usually go around quoting "The Guardian", this particular post seems pretty straight-up and on the money with respect to what we're talking about. Personally I've been looking forward to this moment for nearly five years now with a good deal of relish. I'm sick and tired of the big tech companies running roughshod over the Constitution and other well-established US Federal law like it doesn't apply to them. Publishers or platforms? Media giants may be forced to choose https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/29/twitter-urged-responsible-online-abuse

Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin Headed to Federal Prison ?

Guido_Provolone comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Free site. Add to that, the agreed upon TOS... Does not apply.

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

@Guido_Provolone See my other reply to you -- well, since it looks like these threads diverge, I'll repost it here. Feel free to pick one or the other to respond to. Yes, I have read them. But here's the thing. Facebook, et al, claim to be operating the role of 'Common Carriers' (communications), which absolves them of responsibility and liability with respect to content, provided they act to remove actual illegal content promptly upon notice. Illegal content is not the same as "whatever content for whatever reason". When they remove "whatever content" that puts them into the role of a 'Publisher' who is absolutely, completely and wholly responsible for ALL-- as in A-L-L of the content which appears on their site no matter how it got there. They can't have it both ways. They have told people for decades to come and use their sites and talk about whatever you want-- so they could become the new de-facto digital "public street". Then when people did they started censoring the speech holding views they did not like. Which, somewhat ironically, is what AT&T did when it started gaining monopoly status in the early 1900's and which ultimately prompted the "Communications Act of 1934" in an initial attempt to regulate the industry. Sources: Communications Act of 1934: [britannica.com] 47 U.S. Code §?153. Definitions: (Much of which is rooted in the 'Communications Act of 1934' verbiage): [law.cornell.edu] This is a current and relevant court case regarding ISP's (specifically AT&T) and 'Common Carrier' status, etc.-- but otherwise not specifically germane to this specific reply to your comment. I include it to show a bit of the breadth and scope of the 'Common Carrier' statutes: [jolt.law.harvard.edu] Wikipedia: Common Carrier (A pretty good run-down of the ins and outs of being a 'Common Carrier' versus 'Electronic Publisher', etc. Please be aware that the term 'Common Carrier' is rooted in earlier legislation regulating shipping and railroads and such before it became to be applied to communications. So you'll see a lot of that in the description.) [en.wikipedia.org]

Impediments to Free Speech I think it's fascinating how the Globalists and Big Tech companies ...

Guido_Provolone comments on Apr 16, 2019:

This always gets me. Here's a question. Ever read TOS.... anywhere? The heart of most, include, "We reserve the right to edit or remove content, at any time, FOR ANY REASON...." You agree.... you agree to the CONTRACT.

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

Yes, I have read them. But here's the thing. Facebook, et al, claim to be operating the role of 'Common Carriers' (communications), which absolves them of responsibility and liability with respect to content, provided they act to remove actual illegal content promptly upon notice. Illegal content is not the same as "whatever content for whatever reason". When they remove "whatever content" *that* puts them into the role of a 'Publisher' who is absolutely, completely and wholly responsible for ALL-- as in **A-L-L** of the content which appears on their site no matter how it got there. They can't have it both ways. They have told people for decades to come and use their sites and talk about whatever you want-- so they could become the new de-facto digital "public street". Then when people did they started censoring the speech holding views they did not like. Which, somewhat ironically, is what AT&T did when it started gaining monopoly status in the early 1900's and which ultimately prompted the "Communications Act of 1934" in an initial attempt to regulate the industry. Sources: Communications Act of 1934: https://www.britannica.com/event/Communications-Act-of-1934 47 U.S. Code §?153. Definitions: (Much of which is rooted in the 'Communications Act of 1934' verbiage): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/153 This is a current and relevant court case regarding ISP's (specifically AT&T) and 'Common Carrier' status, etc.-- but otherwise not specifically germane to this specific reply to your comment. I include it to show a bit of the breadth and scope of the 'Common Carrier' statutes: https://jolt.law.harvard.edu/digest/ftc-v-at-t-9th-circuit-broadens-ftcs-regulatory-authority-with-regards-to-the-common-carrier-exemption Wikipedia: Common Carrier (A pretty good run-down of the ins and outs of being a 'Common Carrier' versus 'Electronic Publisher', etc. Please be aware that the term 'Common Carrier' is rooted in earlier legislation regulating shipping and railroads and such before it became to be applied to communications. So you'll see a lot of that in the description.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_carrier

Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin Headed to Federal Prison ?

E-E-E comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Page not found: http://prntscr.com/nci1b6

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

Sorry, here it is. I'll correct the one in the OP. https://www.justice.gov/crt/conspiracy-against-rights

Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin Headed to Federal Prison ?

Guido_Provolone comments on Apr 16, 2019:

Free site. Add to that, the agreed upon TOS... Does not apply.

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

Which TOS doesn't apply?

Ilhan Omar said "frankly, I’m tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired...

Gerri4321 comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Ok i have no use for this women and she is a disgrace to the American Congress and more. But there are so many Questions about 9/11 left unanswered. And i think that it was a plot between Islam, bush and Israel. Why well i have many picture's of thing's to Question. And whistler blowers do as well ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

Well the BBC thing makes sense. You know there is always a broadcast delay, right?? ;-)

Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin Headed to Federal Prison ?

CodeNameZebra comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Big stretch.

jwhitten replies on Apr 16, 2019:

Not a stretch at all. They and people employed in their companies are targeting conservative voices. And there have been quite a few insiders leading internal information, memos and such backing up the claims.

It took hundreds of years to build the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Guido_Provolone comments on Apr 15, 2019:

Macaroni will just blame protesters likely. Reichstag2.0 a' la Carte.

jwhitten replies on Apr 15, 2019:

Bingo.

Arduino and electronics Hobbies

jwhitten comments on Apr 10, 2019:

Yup! Make us a group! Might as well make one for the Raspberry Pi and friends too while you're at it and save some time...

jwhitten replies on Apr 15, 2019:

@ROGAN Here's some of my projects: MakeMe.blog

How do we create a voice that isn't going to be drowned by hate?

MADcHATTER comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Well, at least here, we do not allow people to resort to personal attacks. If you cannot debate or discuss and youre only reaction is to insult or attack people then you wont be around long. This is the ONLY real rule we have here. Discuss and Debate...dont demean, dehumanize, demoralize or ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 14, 2019:

@MADcHATTER I suppose we could substitute Comic Sans, I doubt many people would know the difference...

How do we create a voice that isn't going to be drowned by hate?

MADcHATTER comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Well, at least here, we do not allow people to resort to personal attacks. If you cannot debate or discuss and youre only reaction is to insult or attack people then you wont be around long. This is the ONLY real rule we have here. Discuss and Debate...dont demean, dehumanize, demoralize or ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 13, 2019:

@chuckpo Well, the snark is mostly one-sided at the moment.

How do we create a voice that isn't going to be drowned by hate?

MADcHATTER comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Well, at least here, we do not allow people to resort to personal attacks. If you cannot debate or discuss and youre only reaction is to insult or attack people then you wont be around long. This is the ONLY real rule we have here. Discuss and Debate...dont demean, dehumanize, demoralize or ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 13, 2019:

@chuckpo Well, sometimes I think there is a lot of truth getting tossed around in the snark if the opponents have enough 'ammunition' and are matched-up well enough. The problem is that they often end up friends afterwards ;-)

The Death Penalty Are there crimes for which one should be put to death?

ThomasAnderson comments on Apr 12, 2019:

The notion that there exist crimes for which the death penalty would be justified assumes--unjustfiably in my view--that human beings can have perfect knowledge or that executing the guilty is more valuable than protecting the innocent. I oppose final solutions for that reason alone. Prudential ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 13, 2019:

I don't have a big problem with that point of view, I don't entirely share it to the same degree, but the thing that I don't like / am concerned about is when the rights of criminals outweigh the rights of the victim. I realize completely that this statement hides a thousand thorny details. Perhaps so many as to be practically unworkable. It is a highly-nuanced issue and my one paragraph hardly makes a dent into the number of associated concerns.

Let's see how much Obama, Pelosi, Schumer and friends enjoy being 'Sanctuary Cities' now.

iThink comments on Apr 13, 2019:

I said a year ago that all those people marching in favor of open borders should take at least one illegal alien family ( I reject the label "refugees" in reference to people illegally entering the country) into their own homes. I said they should put their money where their mouth is. Let charity ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 13, 2019:

Yeah, me too. Plus I think the entertainment value is going to be off the scale!

"If your view of Julian Assange changed because of the nature of the material he was revealing as ...

dmatic comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Everything will eventually be revealed. From the housetops! Every idle word will be judged, too. Personally, I like transparency.

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@jnaatjes If that's your complaint then you better get comfortable since that seems to be the modus operandi of the information age. But never fear, blockchain is here-- to encrypt it all and save the day.

"If your view of Julian Assange changed because of the nature of the material he was revealing as ...

Causeif comments on Apr 12, 2019:

The astablishment and its cronies can't survive in the light and Assange was exposing their lies and corruption by bringing it out for all to see, so they have to make him pay. I dought it will go to an open court or he will simply disappear.

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

That's my belief and assessment as well.

How do we create a voice that isn't going to be drowned by hate?

Ericrmusing comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Great question. No doubt there are others who feel this way. For some people, confrontation of any kind is abhorrent. The first thing to remember is many people are "for themselves" not "against you". So while you may think you're saying something that will make them uncomfortable, in reality ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

That is an excellent point. And probably one which is at the true heart of many battles I would wager. And definitely dittos to the second point. People are almost always happiest being given an opportunity to monologue and are generally most grateful indeed when you stand there and listen-- or at least nod in all the right places.

How do we create a voice that isn't going to be drowned by hate?

chuckpo comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Such an interesting conversation. I think a lot of people have made good comments. I guess my own contribution would be from counseling couples. Couples come in when they're stuck and don't know what else to do. In a lot of ways, the country is in a really similar place. The first thing a counselor ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

Man, that's two incredibly insightful comments in a row. This is a good thread!

How do we create a voice that isn't going to be drowned by hate?

FrankZeleniuk comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Well, most of us don't think quite as fast on our feet as Ben Shapiro, but I find that the progressive left is only trying to confuse, rather than understand, so arguments and facts are irrelevant. The only way they can justify their position is to shut down discussion and debate with some ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

Damn I wish I had something stronger than a simple 'like' to give you. That was a really good comment.

Some "conservatives" are now attacking Jordan Peterson for not being "manly" enough, for wearing his...

chuckpo comments on Apr 12, 2019:

I've sort of watched Peterson in the last few weeks, and I think he's exhausted. He has gotten more emotional, and I don't know where that's going. I'm a little concerned. I think he should take a minute, but my feeling is he's afraid to waste any of the time he's been granted. I also think he needs...

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

He definitely does look that way. I saw a picture of him recently and he looked haunted, hunted and dark. I've been wondering how all this fame and the vicious attacks he deals with daily has been affecting his psyche. On the other hand, I suppose he'll now be able to afford a good shrink...

I'm not a science denier....But I am not a bullshit eater either...(eater either Rémi ?

Garsco comments on Apr 12, 2019:

Al Gore’s and others’ initiative has, of course, always been to increase (carbon) taxes and control peoples’ lives. They’ve manage to create world-wide hysteria on their narrative. I hope there are lots of conferences like this one of Friends of Science.

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

And to increase his bank account. Global Warming warning has been quite lucrative for him.

Will Democrats realize their leaders are crazy?

CodeNameZebra comments on Apr 12, 2019:

It's not about values, or facts . It's about your tribe winning. A good example(because it's currently more contained) would be the Trump train. A large amount of conservatives bought into the idea. Even now some of those conservatives excuse clearly nonconservative actions by Trump. They placed ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@CodeNameZebra Ironic, huh?

Will Democrats realize their leaders are crazy?

purdyday comments on Apr 12, 2019:

I think it's as simple as they get their political views from biased main stream media and shows like The View, who only report on these things as right wing lunacy. If news media were focused on presenting the facts and not just Democratic propaganda, we wouldn't as divided as we are today.

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@MacTavish Aye! That is bad. It is very important to learnt to think for yourself. To examine things critically and come to conclusions based on your own analysis. Certainly you probably want to consider other points of view and whatever sources you have to review, but at the end of the day-- so goes the old adage-- you get the Government you deserve.

Will Democrats realize their leaders are crazy?

chuckpo comments on Apr 12, 2019:

The democrats I know around here are crazy, so why wouldn't they continue to elect crazy candidates? How long has Maxine Waters been in congress--going on 30 years? Why did real voters elect AOC? I want to think the best of people, but people drink the lies and come back for more in the face of all ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@chuckpo But when you think about it, wouldn't you say that the people you run into tend to be more like you than not? With respect to their socioeconomic status I mean mostly. So just polling "random people" that you run into may not be giving you a good cross-sampling of opinions. I take your point though about most voters being 'low-information' voters, and you might be more right about that than I am. In fact, I often wonder if many people do much research into the candidates at all prior to pulling their levers. But that said. it always seems like the people making the dumbest choices time and time again are on the left. Maybe it has more to do with their promotion of 'free stuff' and handing out cash (through various programs). Or else perhaps they are swayed somewhat by the constant barrage of leftist themes from the media? Yes, I agree with your point about 'team voters' too-- which dovetails well with a sort of 'sports' analogy where it's my team versus yours, rather than an actual examination of issues and picking and choosing from the buffet of candidates. But then what other affect can most people have than standing on the sidelines and rooting for their teams? So yes, after mulling it over some I accept that my previous remark might have been a bit hasty and aimed below the belt a little. Do you think the average person, male or female-- or male vs. female-- or even various combination of ethnicity-- feels more or less enfranchised in our present day system and circumstance? Do you think we're coming together-- whether we admit it or not-- more or less? Or has our society become too 'class-ist' and stratified? Do you think there is as much potential movement (preferably upward) between the classes as is exemplified by the so-called 'American Dream'? If not, what do you think that does to the psyche and outlook of the typical voter, and how do you think that could influence their choices at the ballot box?

Civilian oversight

jwhitten comments on Apr 11, 2019:

Ummmm... we kinda sorta already have a facility for that.

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

@Dutch And then who watches the watchers? How many levels does it go? Far better, IMO, to fix the system we've got than to try and start inventing entirely new divisions. But that's just me, other folks might think otherwise.

Will Democrats realize their leaders are crazy?

CodeNameZebra comments on Apr 12, 2019:

It's not about values, or facts . It's about your tribe winning. A good example(because it's currently more contained) would be the Trump train. A large amount of conservatives bought into the idea. Even now some of those conservatives excuse clearly nonconservative actions by Trump. They placed ...

jwhitten replies on Apr 12, 2019:

IMO, Trump is far more liberal than he is conservative, on most (many) things apart from his fiscal policy. And he pretty much always has been. Just don't tell anybody, they might not take it very well ;-)