Where are we heading as a nation? - Page 2

carlosy · 12th January 2021, 09:56 AM

I fear that the seed of corrosive lies has been planted so widespread and often, it will be almost impossible to get out of this without going through a very deep and violent valley first.

All these millions of people won't admit to themselves being conned. No. Even if the Trumps and Hannitys etc. all of a sudden would turn 180° around. No, they would rather suggest that those people have been brainwashed or are under some kind of supression.

The sprouts of these seeds won't go away anytime soon.

Mader Levap · 12th January 2021, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by lomiller

In 5-10 years the their supporters is congress will be the "sane Republicans" being pushed aside by a new even more extreme version of the political right. It's been the pattern for decades now and I see no reason why it would change now.

It will change for simple reason - this situation is already unstable. This kind of spiral into degeneracy cannot be endless and has only two possible finales.

Either they win and USA becomes authoritarian right-wing state or they lose and share fate of their spiritual ancestors from first civil war and spiritual brothers from second world war.

There will be a lot of blood.

The Atheist · 12th January 2021, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Thermal

I think a better question would be "what are you doing about the direction your country is headed?" For the overwhelming majority, little to nothing.

I run a sig line in some places that reads:

The biggest problem facing mankind is apathy.
But nobody cares.

Dude111 · Today, 12:29 AM

People are getting tired of all this........ Eventually they will explode!!!!!

Butter! · Today, 11:15 AM

This ******* thread. This was the worst possible thing I could have read today, jesus, I'm basically suicidal now. How can you guys even handle your own thoughts, let alone posting them calmly and matter-of-factly? My brain is broken.

I thought there might be a tiny bit of hope when nothing happened yesterday, but now I've gone down the climate change rabbit hole, and I feel a million times worse than I ever have before.

JoeMorgue · Today, 11:16 AM

Serious answer.

I think if you crunched the numbers most of people in this thread are Gen Xers and this weird and very difficult to describe mixture of pure, true apathy and honestly hating apathy but being resigned to it at the same time is our natural default state.

If you're... like 40-ish you've been told near constantly your entire life that the world was going to end any day now. Various (and this can manifest in a LOT of ways) forms of detached apathy is the only way to really deal with that.

TragicMonkey · Today, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

Serious answer.

I think if you crunched the numbers most of people in this thread are Gen Xers and this weird and very difficult to describe mixture of pure, true apathy and honestly hating apathy but being resigned to it at the same time is our natural default state.

If you're... like 40-ish you've been told near constantly your entire life that the world was going to end any day now. Various (and this can manifest in a LOT of ways) forms of detached apathy is the only way to really deal with that.

I believe I already covered all of that when I said "sex toilet". Honestly, this forum...it's like the words "sex toilet" mean nothing to you people!! *polishes monocle on a passing cat*

Cain · Today, 11:46 AM

Your friendly reminder that if 22,000 people across three states had voted for Trump instead of Biden, then the Orange Menace would have legally secured four more years. (Clinton needed a 40,000 vote swing, and significantly fewer people voted in that election.)

Mike! · Today, 11:47 AM

Don't ask questions, just get in the Handbasket.

Thermal · Today, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Cain

Your friendly reminder that if 22,000 people across three states had voted for Trump instead of Biden, then the Orange Menace would have legally secured four more years. (Clinton needed a 40,000 vote swing, and significantly fewer people voted in that election.)

Additional friendly reminder that if those uptight Capitol police just stepped aside and let the protesters express themselves, they would still be scrubbing blood and entrails off the floors.

TragicMonkey · Today, 12:31 PM

Extra additional reminder that the cosmos is inexorably headed towards ekpyrotic apocatastasis.

Safe-Keeper · Today, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by lomiller

This iteration will disappear soon, but the forces in the background enabling them and egging them on will continue unabated. In 5-10 years the their supporters is congress will be the "sane Republicans" being pushed aside by a new even more extreme version of the political right. It's been the pattern for decades now and I see no reason why it would change now.

The backlash from progressives has been getting steadily stronger, too. Also, whites are shrinking as a demographic in the US.

The Atheist · Today, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Butter!

I thought there might be a tiny bit of hope when nothing happened yesterday, but now I've gone down the climate change rabbit hole, and I feel a million times worse than I ever have before.

Don't let a few doomsayers knock you down.

I think things are being well and truly over-stated.

You have a small minority of utter idiots causing trouble. There was a protest where a whole eight people turned up. Things are nowhere near as bad as they seem, and my comment that USA is going down the toilet isn't a guide that I think you're going to fall in a heap.

Biden looks like he's going to do lots of things immediately which will help.

Keep hope alive!

The insurrectionists are going to win and Trump will be President for Life.	1	1.39%
Several states will attempt to secede and we'll be in another Civil War.	3	4.17%
There will be a long period of terrorism but not a real Civil War.	32	44.44%
The insurrectionists will eventually be taken down but many lives will be lost.	31	43.06%
Cooler heads will prevail and we'll reach some level of calm.	21	29.17%
Planet X will invade and we'll all be killed!	6	8.33%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 72. You may not vote on this poll

12th January 2021, 09:56 AM	#41
carlosy Critical Thinker Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 386	I fear that the seed of corrosive lies has been planted so widespread and often, it will be almost impossible to get out of this without going through a very deep and violent valley first. All these millions of people won't admit to themselves being conned. No. Even if the Trumps and Hannitys etc. all of a sudden would turn 180° around. No, they would rather suggest that those people have been brainwashed or are under some kind of supression. The sprouts of these seeds won't go away anytime soon.
carlosy Critical Thinker Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 386

12th January 2021, 10:24 AM	#42
Mader Levap Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 1,496	Originally Posted by lomiller In 5-10 years the their supporters is congress will be the "sane Republicans" being pushed aside by a new even more extreme version of the political right. It's been the pattern for decades now and I see no reason why it would change now. It will change for simple reason - this situation is already unstable. This kind of spiral into degeneracy cannot be endless and has only two possible finales. Either they win and USA becomes authoritarian right-wing state or they lose and share fate of their spiritual ancestors from first civil war and spiritual brothers from second world war. There will be a lot of blood.
	__________________ Sanity is overrated. / Voting for Republicans is morally equivalent to voting for Nazis in early 30's.

12th January 2021, 10:55 AM	#43
The Atheist The Grammar Tyrant Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 27,863	Originally Posted by Thermal I think a better question would be "what are you doing about the direction your country is headed?" For the overwhelming majority, little to nothing. I run a sig line in some places that reads: The biggest problem facing mankind is apathy. But nobody cares.
	__________________ The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable.

Today, 12:29 AM	#44
Dude111 Scholar Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 111	People are getting tired of all this........ Eventually they will explode!!!!!
Dude111 Scholar Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 111

Today, 11:15 AM	#45
Butter! Rough Around the Edges Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Deep Storage Posts: 7,063	This ******* thread. This was the worst possible thing I could have read today, jesus, I'm basically suicidal now. How can you guys even handle your own thoughts, let alone posting them calmly and matter-of-factly? My brain is broken. I thought there might be a tiny bit of hope when nothing happened yesterday, but now I've gone down the climate change rabbit hole, and I feel a million times worse than I ever have before.
	__________________ Abhore that which is spelled wrong

Today, 11:16 AM	#46
JoeMorgue Self Employed Remittance Man Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 29,791	Serious answer. I think if you crunched the numbers most of people in this thread are Gen Xers and this weird and very difficult to describe mixture of pure, true apathy and honestly hating apathy but being resigned to it at the same time is our natural default state. If you're... like 40-ish you've been told near constantly your entire life that the world was going to end any day now. Various (and this can manifest in a LOT of ways) forms of detached apathy is the only way to really deal with that.
	__________________ Yahtzee: "You're doing that thing again where when asked a question you just discuss the philosophy of the question instead of answering the bloody question." Gabriel: "Well yeah, you see..." Yahtzee: "No. When you are asked a Yes or No question the first word out of your mouth needs to be Yes or No. Only after that have you earned the right to elaborate." Last edited by JoeMorgue; Today at 11:25 AM.

Today, 11:26 AM	#47
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 58,863	Originally Posted by JoeMorgue Serious answer. I think if you crunched the numbers most of people in this thread are Gen Xers and this weird and very difficult to describe mixture of pure, true apathy and honestly hating apathy but being resigned to it at the same time is our natural default state. If you're... like 40-ish you've been told near constantly your entire life that the world was going to end any day now. Various (and this can manifest in a LOT of ways) forms of detached apathy is the only way to really deal with that. I believe I already covered all of that when I said "sex toilet". Honestly, this forum...it's like the words "sex toilet" mean nothing to you people!! polishes monocle on a passing cat
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

Today, 11:46 AM	#48
Cain Straussian Join Date: May 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 14,211	Your friendly reminder that if 22,000 people across three states had voted for Trump instead of Biden, then the Orange Menace would have legally secured four more years. (Clinton needed a 40,000 vote swing, and significantly fewer people voted in that election.)
	__________________ April 13th, 2018: Ranb: I can't think of anything useful you contributed to a thread in the last few years.

Today, 11:47 AM	#49
Mike! Official Ponylandistanian National Treasure. Respect it! Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ponylandistan! Where the bacon grows on trees! Can it get any better than that? I submit it can not! Posts: 39,596	Don't ask questions, just get in the Handbasket.
	__________________ "Never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes... Because then it won't really matter, you’ll be a mile away and have his shoes."

Today, 11:59 AM	#50
Thermal Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 13,033	Originally Posted by Cain Your friendly reminder that if 22,000 people across three states had voted for Trump instead of Biden, then the Orange Menace would have legally secured four more years. (Clinton needed a 40,000 vote swing, and significantly fewer people voted in that election.) Additional friendly reminder that if those uptight Capitol police just stepped aside and let the protesters express themselves, they would still be scrubbing blood and entrails off the floors.
	__________________ We find comfort among those who agree with us, growth among those who don't -Frank A. Clark Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect -Mark Twain

Today, 12:31 PM	#51
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 58,863	Extra additional reminder that the cosmos is inexorably headed towards ekpyrotic apocatastasis.
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

Today, 01:19 PM	#52
Safe-Keeper Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Norway Posts: 10,357	Originally Posted by lomiller This iteration will disappear soon, but the forces in the background enabling them and egging them on will continue unabated. In 5-10 years the their supporters is congress will be the "sane Republicans" being pushed aside by a new even more extreme version of the political right. It's been the pattern for decades now and I see no reason why it would change now. The backlash from progressives has been getting steadily stronger, too. Also, whites are shrinking as a demographic in the US.
	__________________ "He's like a drunk being given a sobriety test by the police after being pulled over. Just as a drunk can't walk a straight line, Trump can't think in a straight line. He's all over the place."--Stacyhs "If you are still hung up on that whole words-have-meaning thing, then 2020 is going to be a long year for you." --Ladewig

Today, 04:21 PM	#53
The Atheist The Grammar Tyrant Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 27,863	Originally Posted by Butter! I thought there might be a tiny bit of hope when nothing happened yesterday, but now I've gone down the climate change rabbit hole, and I feel a million times worse than I ever have before. Don't let a few doomsayers knock you down. I think things are being well and truly over-stated. You have a small minority of utter idiots causing trouble. There was a protest where a whole eight people turned up. Things are nowhere near as bad as they seem, and my comment that USA is going down the toilet isn't a guide that I think you're going to fall in a heap. Biden looks like he's going to do lots of things immediately which will help. Keep hope alive!
	__________________ The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable.