One great thing about this site is the diversity of opinions and the willingness to hash out arguments without resorting to insults (with a few exceptions) and simplistic talking points (with a few more exceptions). Lately, however, it has seemed to me that the window of discussion has narrowed, that there is a “Glib” narrative just as pervasive here as the “liberal” narrative is in leftist media. Add in the occasional “What ever happened to so-and-so?” or “has what’s-his-handle been around lately?” comment, and I’ve been wondering if we aren’t becoming an echo-chamber or bubble with the same people making the same predictable complaints everyday, and fewer people deviating from the “Gilb” norm.
I try and be aware of confirmation bias, Its one of easier traps to fall into. Also I have some time on my hands and I know how eager you lot are to be put on lists, so I did some research to try and determine if my concerns are merited or not. I decided to see how many commenters have posted on the site over time, I imagine TPTB have access to more detailed statistics but for my simple experiment I looked at how many different commenter posted on the last Friday in March over the years.
At first blush it does appear we have shrunk, from 142 different posters in 2020 to 104 in 2021. However if you look at the last column where I checked if those who didn’t post on The last Friday in March 2021 had posted earlier in 2021, you see that 92 people had, in fact over 30 people had posted just a day or three before, and while I didn’t catalog it I know many also posted the next day. Of course, you can’t really just add those people into the ’21 number and compare it to the ’20 total because apples and oranges.
So what does this tell us? Nothing really, other than that carpenters probably shouldn’t crunch data, after compiling this list I realized the many flaws in my method, but I put in the time so if you want you can look at the chart and make your own conclusions. One thing I will note is that only 15 commenters who posted on the last Friday in March 2020 haven’t yet posted this year, they may be lurking or just busy with life, but even if they all have decided “The hell with this place” 15 out of a couple hundred doesn’t seem that bad.
In conclusion, are we becoming a echo chamber with dwindling numbers of contributors and viewpoints? Who knows? I don’t think so, at least not to any extent greater than we’ve always been.
I don’t know, I’m still seeing some… spirited discussions here. We’re all a bunch of prickly, contrary types, but manage to stay (mostly) civil, which for me is a big part of the appeal of Glibs.
Well, that and the drunken Friday/Saturday night Zooms.
There’s the Wednesday ones as well, hosted by SP.
Yeah, need to check in on that sometime; my weekday evenings are usually pretty booked up though.
I’ve never not been seeing that. This place is very tolerant. Proof being that ME, myself, and I don’t really worry about being banned from here.
Tolerance, except for my music links. 😉
We’re tolerant, not insensate.
I went from youtube link as only comment a few times a day, to not commenting because of some weird issue with company locked down browser. Always been around and appreciate the comments and articles.
I only have a problem with unoriginal and unfunny insults. Get creative, folks.
*throws old, stale epithets at UCS*
So old they’re new again, pony face?
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/50-old-fashioned-insults-we-should-bring-back/
“Well-meaning, pinheaded, anarchistic crank”
Yep that’s me. Although I would change pinheaded with pigheaded
Do you glove the puns though?
Only if they fit his dry unassuming humor
/eyes insult gloves.
/walks away.
I only have a problem with unoriginal and unfunny insults.
I wouldn’t have thought so from looking at your comments. :-p
I shan’t bother with him. For he is a direct, lineal descendent of the impenitent thief on the Cross!
Was the thief wearing his crucifixion gloves? I hear they’re really expensive for gloves you wear only one time. Especially given the giant hole in the middle.
“Get creative, folks.”
So, when we want to insult someone, should we say “You Joanna Gambolputty!’.
Google Doc; Didn’t Click
Ditto.
Interesting writeup, Hyperbole.
Huh, works for me, but maybe because I made it (although I used the save as a webpage) option, maybe you need to be on Chrome.
Can anyone see it?
I’m not clicking your virus laden link, Fed.
try this. I may have not clicked the let anyone with the link see it box.
“Didn’t click” meaning “I don’t trust google”
Ah, well I got nothing then.
Works for me just fine. Although there’s another variable that was left out, which is the Discord chat as well. I know some people moved from commenting here over to the Discord. I don’t know if there’s still there or not, as I haven’t logged into Discord in quite a while.
Those splitters are dead to us.
/lies
Is there much overlap between those groups? I don’t know that I could keep up with commenting here AND in the discord. The discord was moving pretty fast.
I miss MLW with her magainze covers and woke Charmed reviews.
Where did she go?
Did Charmed break her or did we?
IIRC, she or her family had some health challenges.
I’ve been curious about the discord. How does one go about accessing it? (Not a Fed)
Same (Fed)
But you’re not that kind of Fed
What Xey/Xem said. ^^^
I think overall people call out the narrative when it starts to narrow and bounce of each other. At least what I see….Boomtown
Y’all haven’t chased me off yet (even after I posted a chili recipe where I forgot the chili powder!).
Did you replace it with reaper paste?
As long as you didn’t forget the beans.
NO BEANS!
*throws old, stale epithets at OBE*
YES BEANS! But they must be pinto beans. Anyone who puts kidney beans in chili should be exiled to Pluto.
As long as you didn’t forget the beans.
*dives for foxhole*
In truth, that’s some quality shit-posting. If you could work thin-crust/deep-dish and pineapple into the beans/no-beans conversation, you’d have peak Glibs Foodwars.
I had a pizza with pepperoni, jalapeños, and diced peaches the other day. It was okay.
You’re no Swede
Vocelli? I like their peach pizza.
Well you use the deepdish pizza to soak up the chili with beans and the pineapple to cut the heat…duh.
They weren’t forgotten, just ignored, as he was making chili.
More beans Mr. Taggart?
I think you boys have had enough!
(didn’t even have to click that link, I heard that response in my head, clear as day)
Incidentally, were our Zoom calls held in real-life, I can easily see this situation developing.
During some of the lulls on Zoom, where no one is talking (only occurs when Swissy has dropped off) I just assume as much as that is happening.
“Y’all haven’t chased me off yet (even after I posted a chili recipe where I forgot the chili powder!).”
But if you forgot the cumin, you should be chased off because that is NOT chili!
I think there’s been a not-insignificant number of “I’m stepping away from the internet for my mental well-being” losses, not specific to this site.
Even if people are spitting truth, or especially because of that, the relentless sense of impending doom for this country weighs heavily.
I tend to not comment as much on the weekends, and if I’m on vacation or something I don’t get on the Internet much. I tend to do more Internet stuff on my computer, and I tend to just leave my phone in the other room. There is probably some of that going on. While this site is addictive, it’s not anywhere near as bad as Facebook was.
I tend to comment more during work hours because I’m stuck in front of a computer and there are a lot of things I can’t do.
When in the office, I dread the possibility that this site gets added to the proxy’s block list.
Agreed – I tend to get more anxious and get shittier sleep if I pay too much attention to politics.
That, and my temporary absence, and my recent life change – working for myself – yay! – means that my overall posting numbers are down.
How is your self-employment working out for you? Like OBE’s wife’s mobile dog grooming business, I love it when people break out to pursue their own paths.
I’m making less money but I’m a lot happier. I do like hunting for art and antiques and then reselling at a (small) profit.
I won’t get rich doing it but I’ve been sleeping better plus it gives me time to pursue other hobbies.
It’s a seductive thing, being in control. Or as much control as you can be in, given the vicissitudes of the marketplace.
Interesting. I’ve thought about doing that with wooden furniture and other items. Hell, a lot of things at Goodwill and Re-Store would be perfectly good with a bit of sanding and a new coat of finish.
That, estate sales. and ze internet are good hunting grounds for furniture and other items that can be resold.
The thrift stores around here are _mostly_ 1980s-1990s junky stuff. For the good stuff we’ve had better luck with FB Marketplace and Craigslist.
But – if you’re limited in buying budget – don’t spend too much of you’re money on one large item, it may take too long to sell. ie. several small to mid-priced items are a better bet instead.
I’m making less money but I’m a lot happier.
Sounds like Mrs. Dean. Actually, I think she’s making about the same money (I have no clue; she makes what she makes, spends it on what she wants), but she prefers her current gig as a freelance fitness coach/consultant/massage therapist to her old gig in a gym.
Last night she had this brief delusionary episode – a group of her clients/acquaintances asked her to open a gym and she was giving it serious thought. This morning it was “What was I thinking?”
I believe I maintained a poker face throughout.
The girlfriend has started thinking about opening a salon again. I said that I would be happy to support her in her decision, next year. With the random shut down orders, and economic uncertainty everywhere, I’m not going to help finance something like that now.
Yep. I have real trouble watching even a few minutes of the news these days – that sense of impending doom becomes overwhelming.
We can debate if the evil people who have taken over the government are destroying the country intentionally, through incompetence and stupidity, or some combination. In a Republican Administration there would be a healthy debate here on some of the ideas being floated around. With this disaster, what is there to debate.
Right.
I think we’d find that our respective solutions to problems are often different, or similar but using different methods to get to a certain shared/semi-shared point.
But amongst a group of libertarian-ish individuals, even a large one, there is little room for disagreement that virtually everything happening in government right now is complete bullshit.
Maybe that’s hive-mindedness, maybe not.
Didn’t even make the list. Sad.
Also, on an unrelated note, I can’t see day of articles unless I’m logged in. This has been an issue for me for the past week.
We are partisan and we all have a similar point of view here. That being said, there was a study out recently that said the more partisan you are, the less you use your critical thinking skills. Instead of, “Is this thing good or bad, what are the consequences?”, etc., you think “Does this go along with my party’s position?” I don’t really see the latter type of thinking here, and I don’t notice myself doing that.
I agree with whatever The Other Kevin just said.
It fits into my party narrative so I agree also
I’d like to echo that… echo that… echo that…
Back in my early H&R days I could have been categorized as a moderate conservative type. Heck I voted for W after 9/11.
But as I read more and tested my own ideas against some of the anti-war comments (as an example) it lead me into a more anti-war position.
It isn’t shocking that a “Libertarian” (broad brush) site will have a more libertarian outlook than say DU or Slate.
And no we don’t agree on everything – immigration is a good example. But we don’t chastise or berate or ban those who disagree with the “Glibertarian Party” line.
Totally agree with every word.
One aspect of libertarian “party” that makes it different from Dems and Repubs is that libertarians accept a broad variety of opinions, priorities, etc because we are all about people being free to make their own choices. That means we don’t do anything “lockstep” like the modern Woke dems.
Unfortunately that is also a reason that it’s difficult for a Libertarian candidate to win under that label. They have to “GOP it” like Rand Paul and Thomas Massie so they can at least move the needle a bit and force discussions of ideas that other politicians would rather avoid.
Thanks guys, now let’s go get someone fired for disagreeing with us!
That’s when we’ll know we’ve really arrived.
Just bring up that Land Tax thing again…
Resolved – That diversity of opinion is a social negative.
The left agrees
To add to the conversation, there have also been some new additions over the past year.
I actually find myself censoring views that I know to be unpopular with the agregate, even here. The window of what is okay to talk about varies by venue. While there is greater bredth of acceptability, I do get the sense of “That wouldn’t go over well” in some minefields.
that I know to be unpopular – I think wrong is the word, not unpopular
I know you’re pretty much always wrong, but that doesn’t make you an expert on wrongness.
always – the word is never. jeez for a writer you don’t know words
And you’ve proven me right yet again.
Thanks Pie. Your wrongness is reliable.
My sense is that the only outré views here are those that advocate for the collective over the individual. There are plenty of views that people will disagree with (see, beans, chili, lack thereof) but nothing that would get you shunned.
Not to put you on the spot, but are you willing to share, in broad strokes, what sort of views you wouldn’t advance here?
A lot of them come from the Socially Conservative side of my opinions rather than the Fiscally Conservative side which is more popular here.
I understand the reluctance to bring them up, but I believe there’s a fairly large contingent here that came from the right wing side.
I was left (college days) but not strong enough to want to go out and do anything about it.
After college I swung to the right – paying taxes had that effect.
And now I’m off the political camp reservation, where both sides hate me.
Some of us with a more conservative personal view don’t even come from conservative political thought. The personal is not the political.
Depending on what is meant by “socially conservative”, I suspect I have some of that in my head.
American-style evangelical religious conservative? No.
A preference for some of the social norms that have been tossed overboard in recent years? Yes.
Adamant opposition to leftist social norms, currently embodied by “cancel culture” and critical race theory? You bet your ass.
This.
I don’t pine for the days when a woman was expected to obey her husband as if he were god, but I do have a strong appreciation for the nuclear family
Absolutely agree. I think with the breakdown of social norms many are left floundering. Take births out of wedlock for example. Do I think individuals who reproduce outside of marriage are bad, immoral, etc people? Of course not. But it’s an oft-cited metric with strong ties to increased crime and poverty within populations. Now there is virtually no social pressure preventing it, and there are more government incentives to encourage it.
With the breakdown of any social rules regarding sex/marriage, we seem to be drifting back to this state (which exists in most animal species) where a small handful of high-status males mate with a huge amount of the females, the result being that the rest of the males never mate at all, and few females have a male all to themselves.
This doesn’t seem to be a very good thing for either women or men, and I think we’re going to have to face up to the fact that those rules were there for a reason. Not that I favor governmental methods of enforcing them.
Yeah, it isn’t so much the damage to the adults in these relationships as it is to the children (who tend to then perpetuate the poverty cycle via re-enactment). Moynihan wasn’t exactly a conservative, but he damn sure paid attention, which most lib/progs refuse to do (instead being devoted to whatever fashionable conceit is trending).
Daniel Patrick Moynihan would have no home in the modern Democratic Party.
I like to think he was principled enough that he wouldn’t have towed the lion, but who knows.
I get it. For me, it’s not a fear of shunning or of feeling unwelcome. It’s just a feeling of not wanting to open 15 cans of worms. Mostly, its me not wanting to piss anybody off by criticizing their lifestyle. I’ve screwed up on that too many times as it is. None of my business, no matter my personal thoughts on the topic.
There is a difference between having a set of beliefs that you choose to live by and think that people would be better off if they did or did not do something of another and wanting the power of the state should be used to enforce your moral or social mores.
Legit racism.
That shit doesn’t fly here.
Agreed. It’s another form of collectivism, really. Just an extra stupid one
I have had it out with a few folks, and TPTB swung the banhammer once or twice on that.
Unless it is the (((Them))) what with their moon lasers and illuminaties.
*Kicks pebble*
Why can’t the Irish get a moon laser?
Because you’ll put yer eye out kid!
I’m just tired of being on all of the lists you people have managed to get me on.
The 142 number is awfully close to Dunbar’s number. I’m not sure that’s a coincidence.
Interesting observation.
and I’ve been wondering if we aren’t becoming an echo-chamber or bubble with the same people making the same predictable complaints everyday – most have yet to accept the superiority of the single land tax. and the fact that anarchism is silly.
also basic facts like wine is superior to beer as beverage are still not universally accepted.
We try to stick to reality here.
and fail miserably
Droll troll.
Anarchism is unsustainable and as much a utopian delusion as socialism.
The people who came up with the SLT were just the ‘eat the rich’ party of their day because at the time wealth was in the form of large agricultural estates. It is as rooted in envy as every wealth tax proposal, and as counterproductive and grossly unbalance and destructive.
not as much as the income tax. but lets not get into that again.
Anarchism is silly and I despise wealth taxes regardless of the form they take.
LOL at the home pic.
OK let’s see what Hyp’s yammering about today….
Yup.
LOL at the home pic.
🙂
I like being on the nerds list.
Glad I’m not on it. I don’t want to be lumped in with that asshat CDRM.
dafuq are “democracy rights?”
Mail in voting?
From your home in Guatemala.
Shut the fuck up asshole! You’re just trying to stir shit like usual!
This gave me quite the bit of a laughter fit
I wonder what our overall traffic is?
We never built the roads.
Interesting that the number of participants seemingly peaked last year.
We share a LOT of inside humor that spans a considerable time (going back to TOS). I would think that could appear almost impenetrable to a casual visitor. I think the post election discussions prove we are not a hive-mind (though I have my doubts about a few of you). 😉
It takes about a week and some effort on the part of a newcomer to figure out the inside jokes. Though I still don’t understand why you are all so scared of rusty tin can lids.
STEVE SMITH SCARED OF NOTHING BUT THE DOOMCOCK OF DOOM.
I prefer rusty spoons.
I was expecting this
When the girlfriend and I made the trek down to Arizona, I explained to her that I had been commenting with some of you people for over a decade (going back to the H&R days).
What do you mean, “you people”!?
You know,
moronsinternet weirdosAm I being detained?!
But, out of principle, I am going to disagree, though not with anything in particular.
Am I being detained?! – if that is your kink
On a different metric note, I have seen cartoon views drop by around 40% in the last year. Maybe my cartoons are getting shittier, maybe the site’s diversity is shrinking. Don’t know, don’t care. I got more fools like Hyperbole paying me
cold hard cashfiat digital currency.Youtube boycotters?
*shrug*
I still watch em.
@Hyperbole: You do a much better job of challenging the Glibnarrative than I could, so I leave you to it. Your stance on IP is interesting. It’s one I can’t agree with, but don’t have the wherewithal to make the arguments against you.
And that’s my biggest problem here. I FEEL something is wrong or right, but I can’t (won’t/don’t/time/effort/payoff) make good arguments why I FEEL x. It’s a problem when I try to explain my views to Mr. Mojeaux, also. Therefore, I let you people hash it out and then I think about the actual arguments.
I avoid the links. They make me mad and I am striving for tranquility in my life. However, I may not be interested in the State, but the State is interested in me, so I feel obligated to keep up with how much it’s interested in me.
you and me are quite different as I am quite opposed to the Feel part
The emotion is an indicator that there’s something that needs to be dug into and reflected upon.
My gut reaction has been a good indicator so far, so I won’t ignore the feelz part, even if that’s not what I’m going to base an argument on.
I am also quite opposed to the FEEL part, which is why I don’t comment on things I FEEL are wrong/right. It’s a confliction I don’t have time to sort out.
The other non-payoff of sorting all this out is that nobody on social media debates in good faith. I used to be able to cite things I thought my conversant would accept as a trustworthy source.
Now, there are no common-ground sources, and if somebody disagrees with you, they just poo-poo your source and call you a racist or bigot. Debate over.
Once upon a time, I had incentive to fisk (politely) and explain my position. Now, I have no actual incentive to try to change people’s minds and/or win their hearts.
Once upon a time, I had incentive to fisk (politely) and explain my position. Now, I have no actual incentive to try to change people’s minds and/or win their hearts.
Thisssssssss
Same.
I learned about that reaction pre-social media. We were discussing taxes and the like in the bar (as one does), and I mentioned I preferred a flat tax (it was the time the Fair Tax was the hopeful push) then an incremental one. One of the larval SJW’s at the table went into a rant about how that would hurt lower income workers. After going through the numbers (with her selection of incomes for low/high), showing that the lower income one would be better off, the response was: “The math all sounds right, but it just feels wrong.”
If I were still conflicted after an explanation like that, I’d say thank you and I would go away and think on it.
It took me a long time to be persuaded to anti-cop and anti-war (even though I had examples of both growing up) and anti-death penalty and pro-drug legalization, that should have informed me, but my stint in evangelical Christianity was a stronger pull, I guess. I stopped, thought about the arguments, then slowly changed my mind.
That said, it took continuous exposure to a philosophy I thought fit me to make me change my mind. People on the right and left aren’t willing to expose themselves to alternative opinions at all.
Critically examining beliefs is hard. I’d be somewhat curious to see if there was a correlation between those who made large political belief changes and those who also made similar religious belief changes.
The fair tax is not a flat tax, which one were you defending?
#metoo re your 2nd paragraph. The level and breadth of intelligence here, the quick wit, are admirable and intimidating, at least to me. I go through life functioning via instincts and intuition, but ya’ll seem to articulate what must be going on in my subconscious mind.
I’ll be honest- I come here more as a release valve from all the stupid in the real world. To snark on today’s events and commiserate.
Spirited discussion is a nice bonus but not my primary need.
And sometimes I just have to vent.
An occassional profanity-laden tirade against something inane doesn’t get me banned from here.
Yup. I don’t do serious here. Which makes me absolute shit for offering condolences to people here I like when something bad happens.
Same here.
You nailed it.
Also I’ve stepped back from the internet in general for my mental health.
True. On many issues (e.g. COVID restrictions) this is the only place where I can vent with people who understand my POV. Almost everywhere else, I would be shouted down as a crazy grandma killer.
Something the Glib hive mind seems to agree on.
Word. And I am sure we can all agree that Hawaiian pizza is a crime against humanity.
Fuck you, pal. Hawaiian pizza is the best.
BAN HIM.
Yeah, yeah, you just can’t stand to have your preconceptions challenged.
Pizza: None.
Pineapple: ?
you dislike pineapple?
Loathe.
I didn’t even eat the Father’s Day dinner I made for Mr. Mojeaux.
(Generally for Father’s Day, I cook something he finds intriguing.)
Sorry it was only OK. Generous of you though.
Well, it’s Father’s Day and in my religious culture, Father’s Day is kind of a joke whereas Mother’s Day is sacrosanct. I feel like dads need more than lip service, a card, and a new tie.
That is so wrong I can’t even.
pineapple is among the bottom 3 worst fruit probably. inedible in any form.
I sincerely don’t get it. Is there some kind of genetic condition that makes some people hate pineapple, similar to the cilantro divide?
Anti cilantro people will tell you it tastes like soap (because it does), do pineapple haters taste pineapple differently? Seems to me they just dislike the flavor not have some more concrete rejection of it.
to me it tastes like pineapple and I hate it
Pineapple has a “bite” to it that I assume some people don’t like.
Hawaiian pizza is about the only thing with pineapple that I like. Something about the interplay between the sweet pineapple, salty Canadian bacon, and tart marinara sauce.
Hawaiian pizza is a gift from the gods.
Yeah, the elder Gods of damnation and misery.
All of these people with their food hate. I grew up the youngest in a large poor family. The idea of disliking any kind of food is so foreign to me.
Except Oreos. Fuck Oreos.
Yep…had 5 brothers and sisters, we were lower middle class and you ate what was on the table. My wife cringes that I desire liver and onions on same days.
Another big fan of liver and onions – it has been ages since I’ve had any.
*appends grocery list.
My spicy hawaiian pizza take: it’s okay.
I broke down and tried it a few weeks ago. It was not the best flavor combination ever, nor was it the worst. I would never order one myself though.
They should have made sure the violators were personally responsible and that the penalties couldn’t just be passed back to the taxpayers.
We should invite over Joe or one of the other clowns infesting TOS to give us the contrary view to that. 🙂
Are there many habitués of both?
I’ve dropped in there maybe twice in the last four years. Noped right out.
Rufus, wherever he may bae.
He’s working.
I see him on twitter some.
I’ll DM Dalmia so she can come over and berate us and I’ll start combing the old folks homes for Hihn.
I’m convinced Hihn was legitimately deranged.
BULLY
Yes
He was a bit obsessed over that Heritage Foundation study from 1999 that said whatever the hell it said. Yeah, I think he was truly mentally ill but he was also vicious.
Or was it the Cato Institute? Whatever…
There’s a great reminder of what we aren’t missing, in the slightest.
Right?!
yeah Dalmia went out of her way for the stoopid shitstained articles.
That and the stream of anti-Nigel Farage articles could always get my blood boiling; ideological purity in the face of an oppressive bureaucracy like the EU is not the game I play. Farage is no libertarian saint but my gawd did he speak the truth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zyHU4SkLMA
I don’t miss many things about that site, but truth be told, I do miss “BLOCK INSANE YO MOMMA”.
Makes me think Brochettaward might be the love-child of SIV and FoE.
Impossible. FoE is not a chicken.
I came for the glibbiness.
I stay because of Hype’s signs on the glibzoom.
I hate this kind of topic. The potential to turn into a drama storm is excessive.
But yeah, I think it’s pretty obvious that some of the founders were a wee bit horrified by the yokels that crawled out of lurkerhood. We’ve pretty much lost our West coast OGs, and while HM hasn’t completely abandoned us, he’s a lot les active than he was with the original Axis of Glib around.
But I thought Sloop was yokel. Now I’m all confused! Someone tell me what the narrative is!!!!!111!!
…you see, this is why this topic is bad. If I clarify with an example, that will just stir up shit.
Could be a drama storm, if we had the kind of personalities that prevailed at TOS (due to the lack of adult control over the forum). We all abandoned that for a reason.
What you did there…
The split appears to be mostly over Trump.
In that sense, the site is a reflection of the country.
Trump merely rode the tides, he didn’t generate them. Seems a lot of his fans and nearly all of his foes don’t get that though.
^^ the bearded man has a point
I feel like Trump is what you get when you have a groundswell of Tea Party activity that gets taken over by the establishment and strangled in the cradle–people who kind of agreed with the Tea Party stuff saw what happened there and got a little more convinced, and saw the Swamp. Trump recognizes that and comes out in direct opposition to the Swamp/Deep State/entrenched bureaucracy and people follow him.
What will come after Trump? If nothing else, his fate should serve as a demonstration of the real power of the establishment. Will there be a new reaction to his collapse similar to the corruption /sell-out of the Tea Party? Or will it all slide back under the waves?
What will come after Trump?
DeSantis?
That guy? LITERALLY. HTLER.
I had to read this from your link
https://notthebee.com/article/this-is-what-happens-when-you-drink-too-many-mimosas
Definitely DeSantis (and god how I love the Bee).
Part of Trump’s appeal to Americans of various different backgrounds was that he had a positive message about America. America is great, we don’t need to apologize to everyone, we are not uniquely evil.
After 8 years of lecturing by Obama who both claimed to be an American and then bashed America as somehow one of the most negative forces in the world, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, etc., ordinary people found a literal flag-hugging guy like Trump to be a welcome break from the collective shame we are supposed to feel for being Americans.
Most americans AREN’T racist, selfish, greedy, bullies, and Trump’s success showed that Americans want to still be allowed to wave the flag and be proud to be American.
Even an observant leftie (whose political goal is more socialism) could adopt some pro-American window dressing and symbolism, and absolutely drub an opponent who constantly shames America vs the rest of the world.
People would rather be FOR something positive, even if vague, than be AGAINST all things negative. Wokeism is not appealing to the majority of Americans.
And if we flush our national heritage down the shitter, pull down statues of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, etc, we wont have a national unity or common culture, and new immigrants will find some other groups to adhere to instead of proudly joining the melting pot and becoming American.
Whatever else i might be, I’m not a nerd.
The Tyranny of the Majority
Does it really matter if the instrument curtailing liberty is a monarch or a popularly elected legislature? This conundrum, along with the witty version of it put to a Boston crowd in 1775 by the little-known colonial-era preacher with the famous uncle — Cotton Mather, addresses the age-old question of whether liberty can survive in a democracy.
Blyes was a loyalist, who, along with about one-third of the American adult white male population in 1776, opposed the American Revolution and favored continued governance by Great Britain. He didn’t fight for the king or agitate against George Washington’s troops, he merely warned of the dangers of too much democracy.
No liberty-minded thinker I know of seriously argues today in favor of a hereditary monarchy, but many of us are fearful of an out-of-control hybrid democracy, which is what we have in America today. I say “hybrid” because, there remain in our federal structure a few safeguards against run-away democracy such as, the equal state representation in the Senate, the Electoral College, the state control of federal elections and life-tenured federal judges and justices.
I note a distinct lack of rhetorical questions.
R C, from the AM lynx-
If only that’s what they were proposing. Haven’t read the deets, but I’d bet my own money they boil down to “impose zoning requirements that X% has to be low-income housing”.
I haven’t bothered to look at the details, but the City of Bozeman and the “advocate community” have been weeping and wailing about a proposal at the state level which would apparently bar coerced “inclusionary set-asides for affordable housing”.
Meanwhile, they seem Hell bent on preventing expansion of the housing stock in general.
You can’t build anything bigger than a breadbox in NYC without that “inclusionary” stuff. Hence, the only thing that gets built is luxury housing because nobody else can afford to support the poors in that manner.
We should invite over Joe or one of the other clowns infesting TOS to give us the contrary view to that.
Exactly.
What this place needs is MORE DRAMA.
I think the comparison would work better if we looked at the comments made during a week or a month rather than on a single Friday. Some people post less on weekends–that may affect Friday afternoons and nights. There are also fewer comments on Friday nights since April 2020 when the glibzoom started. That makes Friday particularly unrepresentative.
Knowing Hype..that is why he used that day…just to be the contrarian he is
I used it so I could use the “what are we reading posts” as an easy way to find the particular days in the archives, didn’t work since they didn’t start until year 3, but that was my reasoning.
You are no fun when you factually respond. Ugh..give me drama! Really good post Hype, something to think about and some self-reflection on if I am just parroting what I read here.
This one of the main things that differentiate us from the echo chambers of the left/right. Rats and Cons have no such self-awareness. To hell with them both. I don’t care if they hate me. All they both want is control, and they will not admit when they are wrong. I just want to be left alone, and when I’m wrong I can man up and admit it.
I lost a long-time friend over that point. She was a conservative and was flabbergasted when I said, “The only difference between the left and the right is which rules you want to enforce.”
My brother cannot processes that train of thought. He insists I must choose a team.
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
My wife has that tattooed on her arm 🙂
If I ever get ink, its going to be a W on either ass cheek. Then, when I bend over its WOW.
Upside down, its MOM
Can always count on Tres so bring in the schoolyard jokes.
We’re all getting tattoos when we get to the camps!
Wouldn’t her home address be more useful?
I write that in her underwear
“please return to”
Stir The Shit! Stir The Shit! Nickelback was good for their first 2 albums (Curb and The State)
You monster.
If you don’t agree, you deserve to wear a Cowboy Hat!
Cowboy Mouth.
And I posted the same damn thing below because I wanted to post a music link.
No no no no no no no!
Dude….
^^^This.
I used to hang out with a guy who genuinely liked Nickelback. He was a Nickelback fan.
He also had a farm with a nice shooting range and a bunch of steel targets.
*sigh* I guess everybody has a price. That was mine.
Needs moar deli-style hearty garlic slices.
Canadian Nazi’s strike again.
A church in Alberta, Canada, has been shut down and fenced off by the Alberta government for running afoul of coronavirus rules.
Alberta Health Services announced in a statement that GraceLife Church would stay closed until it can provide proof that it will comply with health restrictions, the Canadian Press reported.
CTV News reported that the police and security staff were around as chain-link metal fencing was installed around the church building and its parking lot Wednesday.
The church, located west of Edmonton, dismissed public health warnings for months, and its pastor, James Coates, spent a month behind bars.
The red Chinese couldn’t have done it better.
Well, they might have capped a bitch or two.
The men go to camps, the women get raped, the professional sports leagues issue statements condemning the U.S.
I thought they were killing the peeps in camps and harvesting their organs.
They don’t kill them right away. They take blood samples for genetic analysis to “pre-match” them as donors in case politically favored people develop a need for new organs.
Not necessarily in that order.
None of the church members own a bulldozer?
Surely they’ve got a snowplow that would work.
It’s not hard to take down chain link fencing, even without a bulldozer.
It’s about sending a message. Plus there might be a metric cop car there for bonus points.
Metric cop car? Like it doesn’t fit between the lane markers on SAE standard roads?
So most of the congregation shows up and cuts a hole and enters the church for a service. What are the cops gonna do? If enough people would just refuse to accept this shit, it would stop.
Punctuation Nazi points out incorrect apostrophe use in link.
And again The Bee is on point.
I hope we haven’t driven anyone off. (I even sort of miss John some days)
Personally I am always worried I’m going to say something to offend you bastards because this is the one bright spot on the internet for me. If you guys kicked me out for insisting on telling the inconvenient truth that Memphs BBQ is the best, I don’t know where I’d go.
The worry I have is anything about (((them))). I grew up in an area where we didn’t have any (((of those nice people))) and I never figured out he rules of what is anti-Semitic. And (((they))) are as prickly about that as a Finn is about being called Scandinavian.
Some of the other weird rules (no booby links for 30 minutes after links are posted) are also worrying because even after I hear about them, I don’t get them and know I will inadvertently break them someday.
Some of the other weird rules (no booby links for 30 minutes after links are posted)
I thought it was only content laden posts. Basically an attempt to get people to actually address the content of the article before going OT.
Certain rapid commenting behaviour has actually deterred me from contributing more articles.
For me it informs the level of effort i put into articles.
In reading what I just wrote, it sounds judgmental, but it isn’t meant that way. It’s meant to express a synchronization of effort expected by the reader to effort given by the writer. If I can get a couple good points of discussion across in an article that takes 90 minutes of effort, then why spend 3 weeks researching and writing up a law review article that makes the same points and gets the same discussion going?
My content tends to be more creative expression than anything else. But get deterred from putting in effort by the thought that I’d come by and find the first bloc of comments to be all schtick and shitposting.
I think creative content lends itself to just “Good job!” with not much discussion to be had. That’s the nature of it.
I’m really curious about that UCS.
Is it that people go OT too quickly? You wanted more of a response to the article you wrote?
Swiss constantly nagging on Q for his hooter links never made any sense to me. If I wrote an article I wouldn’t be bothered if people distracted from it with nudies. But since I am too lazy to contribute, I don’t have much of a leg to stand on in this argument which is why I never howled at Q’s mistreatment.
Selfishly, I like the engagement on the article and discussing the details of the work/world/plot/characters/etc
Admitting to feeling slighted by how quickly people get distracted makes me feel like a prima donna.
I haven’t seen you commenting on anyone else’s fiction, though.
Yes, I know.
Hence the guilt.
Fair enough. Remind me to give you a noogie next time you visit us in Minnesoda for being such a fancy pants (see, even your word ‘prima donna’ is too fancy).
Swiss is very particular about courtesy. Reminds me of my mom.
I got a cat butt once. One of the highlights of my Glib experience. I do like there being a Swiss the Enforcer.
Swiss enforcement is the essence of neutrality.
I got a cat butt for asking for a hat-tip.
The timing of Qs links have never bothered me. Not something that I click, so the biggest concern I’ve had is inadvertently clicking in when scrolling past. It’s just noise, and I keep scrolling until I find somebody who engages my article.
That said, I get it. You put a few hours into an article, or maybe you’ve been fussing with it for a few weeks to get it perfect, and 10 of the first 15 threads are gossip rag links, pictures of girls, and Twitter drama.
I usually only click a Q hottie link when some other miscreant makes a comment about the attributes of a certain gal. And even then it is a pretty low uptake on my part.
Maybe that is why id never bothered me so much.
It’s more a curiosity to me than anything else. I gave up porn a while ago for faith based reasons, but before that, I could find 10,000 pictures and videos of various girls who checked every box I was looking for and were doing any number of lewd acts with no more than a handful of clicks of the mouse. Curated galleries of a bunch of insta-attention whores strikes me as a bit old hat. I’m genuinely surprised at the level of interest because of that (no offense intended, Q).
I’m genuinely surprised at the level of interest because of that (no offense intended, Q).
I like looking at good looking women.
Yeah, I generally avoid those unless someone comments specifically on one. Usually they are not really interesting, I just scroll by.
Right there in the thicc of it
Back in the Early Times, when we had Belly Up to Bar combo articles with cocktail recipes and trivia contests, there would usually be single-digit comments on my cocktail recipes, any number on the trivia, and the usual slew of OT shenanigans.
Didn’t bother me. I quit putting those up because I ran out of cocktail recipes I could personally recommend based on extensive testing and development, not because everybody ignored them.
Neph is much better on the booze content, anyway.
There’s a reason I generally stick to time honored and traditional recipes.
Appreciate the vote of confidence in my abilities. I’m mildly entertained that people have generally been staying on topic, and it’s the recipes that seem to get more attention then the rest.
Or we learned how to talk about other things using booze as a cover
Just cause you like sweet ketchup on your meats doesn’t deter my view of your holiness.
What? You are talking about KC slop with that sauce slander.
Memphis BBQ is like dry humping in jeans, a great dry rub.
Ah I was thinking of the ‘wet’ rubs I have been seeing lately.
Go on . . . .
KC slop?
Dead to me.
I’m a Gates/Bryants fangirl. You know, the vinegary stuff. Not the stuff my husband uses, which is molasses and ketchup.
Memphs BBQ is the best
It’s all about that Carolina style.
Negative, ghost rider.
If you guys kicked me out for insisting on telling the inconvenient truth that Memphs BBQ is the best, I don’t know where I’d go.
It would be wrong to punish you for your obvious ignorance of the inherent superiority of Carolina barbecue. I, for one, can only pray that you have a Paul-on-the-Road-to-Damascus moment and actually get to find out what you’re missing.
Dude, Memphis BBQ has my undying love because of the eye opening experience from eating it after a life spent in NW Minnesoda. The Norwegians are many things, but culinary geniuses is not one of them.
-1 pickled fish
Look. There are things that should NOT be pickled just like things that should NOT be pickled. Fish being a prime example of things that should NOT be pickled.
lol. Every December my father and I would catch a lot of northen pikes. We’d freeze them and we’d pickle them about mid-August. Actually Mom was in charge of pickling them. The last time she did it, we had to take over so her secret recipe didn’t follow her into the grave.
No one in the family will take any pickled northerns for themselves. We all think maybe 2 pieces per year is enough. The rest is doled out to local Norewegians who think it is better than pickled herring. In return we would get all sorts of access to private land to hunt on or other favors.
Pickled fish, blech! Pickled hogs feet, blech! I mean pigs feet should not even be a thing that humans eat.
The only things that should be picked at plant only. Like cabbage, zucchini, and corn. Especially corn, best pickled food ever. But most people have never even tried it or had it properly prepared. You have to get it homemade by some older couple in Appalachia, or it’s not done right and will be no good. A few exceptions to the 3 I named, like green beans, okra, or tomatoes, but I don’t like any of those.
Fish I love, fried, baked, whatever, but pickled… noooooo!!!!!
Ceviche has to be an exception to that rule.
That is why its called brine or corning in terms of meat but its the same thing.
Pickled green beans are hella good.
“Pickled green beans are hella good.”
Most legit picklers I’ve known in Appalachia, including my great grandma, put the beans and corn in the crock together. When I learned, I just left out the beans because that’s just a waste of space for my corn.
The other thing that most people do not know, is that Zucchini is better pickled than Cabbage. My dad came up with that, I’d never seen anyone else do it. He mixed it half zucchini and half cabbage. When I tried it, I couldn’t believe it. I started making it with Zucchini only. You just shred the same way you do with cabbage.
There are a few Mexican restaurants in OK and TX that put giardiniera on the table in addition to salsa. Spicy pickled vegetables rolled up in a buttered corn tortilla is good.
We only need salt, dill and juniper berries, what else is there for spices?
I actually really miss John and Eddie. If for nothing else but the cat fights they got into with whoever.
I for one was not privy to the exchange between them and the founders that led to them being exiled, so not opining on whether or not the should have been banned. Just expressing that I sort of miss them…
I believe it had mostly to do with John immediately defaulting to ad hominem argumentation and Eddie being truly paranoid.
At least that was my read on it.
John’s not a libertarian. More like a wannabe libertarian who cannot give up the old ways, especially the war mongering side.
Yeah, agreed. But I miss him. If for no other reason, than as long as he is around, I don’t have to worry about being the Biggest Glib Asshole.
John was interesting to have around – to a point – then he would get incredibly abrasive. Needless to say that rudeness never made him many friends; or people who wanted him around.
The sad thing is I don’t remember him always being that way. I think the trolls got to him at TOS and he never recovered.
He does that because he’s like a clone of every conservative poster from sites like The Hill. I mean they’re libertarians too if it’s something they care about. He’ll get along with you until you disagree with him about something and then he’ll attack. He then just assumes you’re a liberal from the other TEAM. I got into some fights with him at TOS because he was war mongering. At that point, he ceases to be interesting.
When flailing in an argument, John likes to question his opponents’ motives instead of their argument.
It’s annoying at best and a reflection of what the progs do as well.
You disagree with me because you are *insert deplorable of choice here*
“When flailing in an argument, John likes to question his opponents’ motives instead of their argument.”
And the other things they do. Like one guy I argue with on another site always uses the exact same attempts at dishonesty.
He was going on about how Trump’s pandemis response was so lame, but Biden’s it just over the top great.
So I asked what the difference was. So he posts this wall of links, all of them to science sites and none of them once mentioned either Trump or Biden.
So I said ‘You just posted a bunch of links with no mention or Trump or Biden or how that related to their response’.
He immediately then went to ‘Science denier!’
You cannot win an argument with those people, because they’re not going to actually engage in one. It will only result in you being called racist, denier, or some variant.
John’s not a libertarian. More like a wannabe libertarian who cannot give up the old ways,
Not libertarian compared to what? The folks around here? Absolutely. Half to three quarters of the GOP? I’m not so sure.
Yeah, I’d agree on that. But his war monger side is very anti-libertarian. He doesn’t claim to be libertarian though. I remember one guy I worked with and he just suddenly became a libertarian. He was always a self proclaimed conservative. But being libertarian was sort of cool at that time, so he decided to jump onboard without understanding what libertarian principles are.
I remember back in the 2016 GOP primaries. He gave up who he supported and it was… wait for it… Rick Santorum. LOL, fucking sweater vest!
Then I got into an argument with him over legalized drugs and he make it perfectly clear that he supported throwing people in cages for drug possession, and he had the typical excuse ‘But I have kids!’.
Then the punch line was when I said I oppose property taxes and he blurts out ‘But roads and bridges!’. And before I could even think about it, I came back with ‘OK, turn in your libertarian card now!’. Fucking roads and bridges, lolol fucking L.
John is gone from TOS as well.
He frequents Instapundit’s comments section.
(I even sort of miss John some days)
I’m disappointed. I thought you were smarter than that.
Hyperbole,
I think you’re missing the situation here. The commonly held views on Glibs are obviously so right and so considered, that prolonged exposure to them will lead people to agree with them. The people who ran away were those wedded to their delusions and couldn’t accept such concentrated truth.
Kidding aside, I think any community is going to have a prevailing narrative. And, by itself, that’s probably not a terrible thing. It allows lots of information that the community relies on to be integrated quickly as a shortcut to approaching every issue on a one-off basis.
The problem is when those communities become corrupt in their narrative. If they’re demanding uniform loyalty to the narrative and attacking anyone who questions it, that’s a sort of corruption. If the narrative is demanding people ignore information that doesn’t tie to it or abandon their own judgement, that narrative has become corrupt.
I’d say the narrative at Glibertarians is generally a pretty healthy one and open to challenges and information that doesn’t comport to the narrative itself.
But there may very well be a general contrarian among us. Not naming names or anything…
I come for the sweet music links..
The culture war cons are generally only fighting the battle the left puts in front of them. A race to the bottom. That doesn’t mean they aren’t often equally as ignorant and stupid. Fortunately I don’t read too much of either. There are smart people for those who can seek out well-informed, intelligent perspectives without the expectation that they will necessarily confirm your biases; people who know see far wider than I could hope too. I know just enough to know that I know nothing at all. Argue only from first principles. Be a good person. The fallout post-Trump on the right is finger-pointing as to why their Orange daddy is gone. Apparently it’s “libertarians” fault. You know, those crony corporate grifter swampy, globalist, big government “libertarians” who control things in the beltway.
*Sohrab Amari shakes fist and scowls*
It’s a good reality check to realize just how little those cons understand. We’ve no fellow travelers, so to speak, anywhere along the moron spectrum.
That being said, I still appreciate the input of some conservative commentators, even if they don’t realize that they’re often railing against a straw man “libertarian”. It’s all just labels, and labels are reductive and largely abused anyway. Ideas matter. Culture matters, but from first principles of what the foundations of a civil, free society is built upon, not just arguing against against against in a reflexive culture war as it circles the drain of intellectual depravity. The right, broadly speaking, is too easily hoodwinked into fighting a conventional war against post-modernist, Marxist guerillas, who have no rules and seek victory by any means necessary. Ideological Vietnam. The only winning move, aside from having nipped it in the bud before it started, is now not to play, perhaps?
These thoughts are not very well presented.
I don’t think I got out of that reactionary mentality until I was a libertarian for quite a while. It’s hard to avoid the gossip and drama that comes with the mainstream agenda, and conservative media sucks, to this day, at rejecting the mainstream agenda.
Your point about first principles is apt. Conservatives go off the rails most often in fights they didn’t pick because they don’t have command of their principles enough to apply them universally. It makes for a lot of emoting when culture war issues come up.
The conservotard crowd have never had any well presented points.
I mean things like ‘You hate freedom! I love freedom! I mean except for freedom to smoke a plant without being thrown into a rape cage. We welcome everyone! I mean except for people with tattoos and them homosexuals.
Apparently it’s “libertarians” fault. You know, those crony corporate grifter swampy, globalist, big government “libertarians” who control things in the beltway.
Sigh.
The truth is, when I listen to a lot of conservatives complain about their leadership, they sound a lot like libertarians complaining about conservatives. The truth is the Sohrab Amaris of the world have to demonize libertarians. As the Matt Welches or Peter Sudermans have to demonize conservatives. Because their respective audiences might start getting funny ideas that maybe their respective leaderships have agendas that favor neither viewpoint.
their respective leaderships – what are the respective leaderships?
For conservatives, the political leadership of the GOP. For libertarians, probably the Cato-Reason axis. I mean, if the media ever go to get the “libertarian perspective”, that’s who they go to.
I thought Niskanen was still the go-to even though they’ve disavowed the philosophy.
Or perhaps because they have disavowed it.
They do love an apostate coming beck to the faith.
I am suspect at the idea of libertarian leadership, the media notwithstanding
Well, yeah. I get your point. Maybe I should have used “public face of libertarianism”. But, given libertarians don’t really have any pure national elected representation, it’s kind of hard to compare.
One thing we definitely are short on is respectable leadership.
I was totally fine with the site until this post.
*stomps off*
As a sort of related thing I have a post about why I trust my opinion which I submitted and deleted before TPTB aw it 3 times until now… for some reason it seems wrong to post
You know who else lived inside of an echo chamber…
Batman?
Beethoven? But it didn’t bother him at all.
Christian Doppler ?
Bunny and the…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hGcJA8fXvU
Maxwell Smart?
How about we list things that we don’t agree with on Glibs?
1) I am probably more pro-choice than many on here. I don’t like it, but I don’t want to make it illegal
2) My only opinion on pizza is based on cost. Should be lower (same with beer, no snobbery on my side)
3) Having dealt with ICE/INS, I am probably more pro-immigrant than most
4) I am not religious at all. Some of you on here are pretty open about your beliefs, which is fine because I don’t think anyone has tried to win an argument using doG as the final “proof”.
That is my list of problems with you other Glibs (so far).
Looking at that list, 3 of the 4 are fairly serious and fundamental to a person’s view on life. The good news is that I don’t think anyone has been so strident that I’ve felt I had to leave. I remember the before times at TOS when Shriek and a few others would destroy discussions with their inanity. (Although, John and his fights with MNG were a secret pleasure).
I have many immigrant friends who have dealt with the hell that is ICE/INS. My issue is the “social safety net” versus immigration and the US’s refusal recognize the conflict between the two.
Also, as usual, those who try to follow the rules are the ones that get screwed.
Well, there’s the difference. People used to come here to make a better life and they worked hard to do that. And they didn’t have any choice but to work. Now you have a lot of illegal immigrants coming here for the same reason and they do work hard and are not looking for handouts. But you get another percentage of them who come here looking for free stuff and that’s mainly because they are encouraged by the left to do just that. And democrats are all too willing to give them your money in exchange for votes.
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”
― Benjamin Franklin
Yup. I agree with that as well. I’d be happiest with more immigration and way less safety nets (govt ones).
My hobby horse is arguing with people who insist that illegals should go back and get in line. There isn’t any line (at least functional one). ICE is just fucked beyond believe. Go ask anyone who has dealt with ICE and they will have a bunch of horror stories about it.
I mostly agree. High wall and wide gate.
My major difference with Trump was his desire to restrict legal immigration.
I do have some sympathy for the argument that pardoning those here illegally creates a moral hazard that government and political parties exploit for their own purposes.
That said, the correct solution is to end the welfare state.
The funny thing is that Obama used to say that (to almost no controversy except from some hardcore “La Raza” pro-immigration groups) but now if you say that, it means you literally want to put Mexicans in death camps.
It’s not even just the welfare state anymore, where is the housing?
I do have some sympathy for the argument that pardoning those here illegally creates a moral hazard that government and political parties exploit for their own purposes
And because it will never be the last pardon.
You get less of what you punish, and more of what you reward.
1) I think it’s a very easy question. The hard question is whether or not the unborn is a person. And I think the perfection of the artificial womb will create a kulturkreig like we’ve never seen before.
2) WhatisthisIjustcan’teven. Little Caesar’s already exists.
3) Illegals seem pretty much the same as anyone else. The H1Bs here are worth what the company is paying htem.
4) Amost everyone is religious, except for nihilists. Even existentialists are mostly animists or statists.
Jimbo at dinner…
I started out thinking that there’s literally nothing wrong with abortion; that it’s nothing more than a medical procedure to remove an unwanted clump of cells from the body. I thought only a hardcore religious fundamentalist would be against it.
Exposure to some discussions on this site led me to change to a more, well, undecided stance. It all comes down to the question of when personhood begins, and whether it begins at some well-defined point or whether it’s a slow transformation. I had to face up to the fact that I don’t have an answer to that question.
That “clump of cells” argument was/is intended to gloss over the reality of ontogeny. We had all that as a practice run at obfuscating the biologic reality of sexes. Since it delivers desired political results, we have not seen the last of it. That said, for me it is still the choice of the woman; but I refuse to buy in to the idea of celebrating it.
I once witnessed a highly credentialed executive say that unborn babies are parasites. A lot of organizations today are filled with highly educated nut cases.
And strangely enough, one of the things that changed my mind was some goofy video where an anti-abortion protester was being yelled at by some radical feminist. She screamed that “it’s not a human being, it’s just a clump of cells!” and he replies, “YOU’RE just a clump of cells”.
Kind of a silly and unintellectual exchange, but it got me thinking about things.
It glosses over the simplest of facts.
That every single one of those “clumps of cells” that were not mitigated by some biological mishap (miscarriage for whatever reason) or willful manipulation (abortion), have been born as human beings.
Never once in humanity has something other than a human plopped out.
1 – I’m agnostic on the whole pro-choice/pro-life thing. I can understand both viewpoints; and can understand why someone would want to terminate a pregnancy but also find it distasteful if done in a cavalier fashion.
I suppose the latter comes from a more conservative point-of-view; taking responsibility from one’s actions. ie, if you got someone pregnant, it’s best that you take on that responsibility.
2 – I rarely eat pizza since, as I get older, the mix of carbs and grease means I’ll be gobbling Tums if I want my stomach to stay in place.
3 – I believe that increased tribalism leads to greater societal friction. Given the current politics, the politicos aren’t interested in the best outcome of immigrants; but they are interested in power (or in the case of some Republicans, cheap labor). A historical example is before the Civil War, when Democrat judges were handing out voting rights to the Irish to consolidate power for, surprise!, Democrat mayors. This may be considered old-fashioned but I consider citizenship a serious business not something to be given away as an inducement for political gain. Without the tethers of a responsible citizenry, you end up in the position where we are today.
4 – I’m an atheist, have been for ~40 years and I don’t see that changing. However, unlike a lot of non-religious people, I’m not militant about it. If you want to believe in a great sky god, have at it. It’s no skin off my back what you believe. If you want to enforce those beliefs with the power of the state, that is something I don’t approve of.
#MeToo
I used to think religious people were all being irrational on some level, but (again) exposure to this site showed me that this is definitely not the case.
I guess my problem wasn’t with religion but with people who assert that their faith is the correct one by weak and poorly thought-out arguments like “you can’t see air but you know it exists” and “well how did we get here then?”
I actually think it would be really interesting to sit down and talk religious topics with someone who is very well-read in Thomas Aquinas, etc.
Principled agnostic here.
There’s nothing more “fun” than being accused of taking the lazy approach to the question.
Of course, that is not to disparage those who are simply cynical about the topic altogether (Hoffer, for example).
The handle of a poster at TOS is essentially what more or less solidified my stance on things spiritual.
Apatheist.
I just can’t bring myself to care that much about something that 1) there is little to no actual knowledge, and 2) I have absolutely no control over.
“The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a God or not. The atheist is a religious person. He believes in atheism as though it were a new religion.” – Hoffer
I’ve landed on resting place for abortion that I’m quite comfortable with. Before 22 weeks, do what you will. After 22 weeks, illegal. This is based on viability – a fetus can survive outside the womb at 22 weeks – its a long shot, but it happens all the time. Before 22 weeks, they just don’t have the lung development. This allows me to avoid the unresolvable philosophical arguments on personhood, and is quite frankly based on my personal experiences in a neonatal intensive care unit – if its murder to kill a baby in a NICU bassinet, then I don’t see how its not murder to kill that very same baby in the womb.
I suspect my views on immigration are pretty heterodox here (I would have no objection to restricted immigration), but I haven’t gone through the exercise of trying to articulate them in a reasoned argument. I keep meaning to, just to test them against this bunch, but haven’t gotten around to it. They rest on what may be some pretty anachronistic assumptions about the nature of a sovereign nation, the nature and importance of a cohesive community, and the idea that immigration laws should be for the benefit of citizens, not non-citizens. Putting it in writing will likely expose some weaknesses/flaws (as it tends to do). Someday . . . .
“I’ve landed on resting place for abortion that I’m quite comfortable with. Before 22 weeks, do what you will. After 22 weeks, illegal.”
I’m not sure we’ve landed in the right place. Watching the behavior of the under 22 crowd these days, I’m pretty sure it should be moved to 22 YEARS. Maybe 40 years…
I used to think in terms of viability, but I read an article linked at TOS years ago that said something like “why are you conditioning somebody’s personhood on whether they can survive in an environment that they’re not supposed to be able to survive in yet?”
I wish I had saved that article, because it was more convincing than I could be in summarizing it. Either way, it completed my shift from undecided leaning pro-life to beyond even mainstream conservative thought on the topic.
That’s not a bad angle.
Like saying tadpoles can be indiscriminately killed because they’re not ready to breathe air yet, and hence, not frogs.
why are you conditioning somebody’s personhood
I find “personhood” to be far too vague and unknowable to use as a dividing line for legal purposes. And is historically subject to abuse.
Viability is admittedly a compromise that may expose persons to being killed without (legal) consequence. But of the available options, its the one I am most comfortable with.
Peter Drucker wrote Post-Capitalist Society and in it he described the dissolution of the nation-state, though he was ambiguous about whether that would result in supra-national entities or regression to tribalism (and we’ve seen the EU in both lights).
Our problem with immigration is that we refuse to accept ourselves as people of an ideal (liberty) and instead view ourselves as proprietors of a land. That is unfortunate.
I have been saying for as long as I can remember that America is not a place, it is an idea. I mostly get blank looks.
My feelings agree with this on the one hand, but on the other hand,
^^^that. Sort of. My thinking finds extraordinary heroic efforts to be suspect, on either end of the lifetime spectrum because of the West’s inability to deal with death and grief. (The other day, somebody here said or linked something profound about this, but I’ll be damned if I can find it.) I also don’t think that species that are endangered because they can’t be arsed to mate (looking at you, pandas) should be saved.
On the third hand, no one can justify sufficiently to me why the 22-week clump of cells on a Planned Parenthood table is different from the 22-week creature in the NICU. Until that happens, I’m going to philosophically err on the side of 22 weeks and the NICU.
On the third hand
That would be a the gripping hand
As usual, I spot the typo the millisecond I hit the “Post Comment” button.
I hereby christen such a thing “slumbrewing it”
Immortality at last!
I do that all the time too–it’s like my eye is drawn to the typo magically as I am clicking the button.
Time to road test my new welding helmet.
we moved on from gloves to helmets?
Next year I gotta remember that the 31st is an important day, I feel kinda left out 😉
Is the last Friday in March, or the 31st? I’m confused. Tell me what to care about, and why.
*wanders off like an installed president*
I am going to have to thank you when I do finally become cool TARDis, I read it quickly and wouldn’t have noticed my mistake until I was left off of the list again next year.
I know my posts are almost always tit-focused, I do try to mix in some other fetishized body parts for the sake of diversity.
https://archive.is/LCCxT
Asses.
T&A FTW, Q!
<>
So I’m on a list within the list, eh? I prefer not to be on anyone’s list – white, black, or shit.
However, I intend to keep lurking until TPTB purge either me or Q’s bouncing booby links.
In the meantime, I’m off to grab a pizza from the freezer for lunch… I think there’s a can of pineapple chunks in the pantry.
This is another reason why I lurk — WP ate the text within my !
I attempted to type “logs in, raises hand, and waves at the Glib hive”.
Do y’all call that a “double Gilmore”?
MOAR TULPAE!
Interesting take Hyp. I can tell you as a relative newbie that if I had just stumbled on Glibs, I may not have stuck around. It can be a bit insular. But since Seguin came over from TOS with the rest of you people, he explained a lot of the inside jokes to me, so I can pretend to be in the know.
Anyway, I learn something new every day that I visit this site, and your perspectives have helped me to flesh out my political opinions instead of just knowing something “feels wrong.” /ht Mojeaux upthread.
[bows and doffs hat to the mythical (G)lib ladies]
That’s not a woman, that’s a Tulpa baby!
I lol-ed.
On the zoom, they make up a good chunk.
Regulars are KK, Tulip, SP, Mojeaux, Lady Z. NW’s girlfriend (I forget her new handle!! Sorry!!).
Hayek pops in regularly enough.
That’s at least 25% of the regular zoomers.
Fuck off, Tulpa!
You really think every infrequent commenter is a Tulpa, don’t you?
Lady Z’s been around for a while.
It was Xe who said Xe is a noob! All noobz are Tulpa until we say they ain’t!
Call me Tulpa all you want, but do not call me Xe.
I see, you’re one of them anti-gender fluency bigots.
What’s this “we” shit, kemosabe?
I thought he was being sarcastic, but my sarcometer may be calibrated too widely.
Thank you.
On another site I’ve been posing on, there is a pretty good mix across the political spectrum. But I’ve in particular that some of the lefties from Western Europe and Australia are insufferable assholes.
Any time I post something obviously sarcastic, most people get it, but those guys… it flies right over their head and they go into attack mode. They have no sense of humor, at all, and pretty much no understanding of how anyone can disagree with them..
Speaking of the left having no sense of humor (they don’t), a libertarian/objectivist friend read my first book and liked it. She interviewed me for her podcast. Okay. Fast forward a year or so and I was bemoaning that my reader base wasn’t the one I had targeted. She baldly said, “Conservatives don’t read [fiction]”, really quite bitterly. That has stuck with me ever since.
My fan base is comprised of mostly lefties because I tell a good story and the politics just have to be borne. I see them post about the books they’re reading all the time. I cannot recall the last time I saw a rightie talk about what they’re reading, fiction or not.
It makes me sad.
The “What we’re reading” article is a monthly treat. I’ve started asking my conservative friends what they’re reading… it’s a great conversation starter.
Yeah, they’re like that. One of them called me a science denier after we disagreed about something. They’re stupid people.
A lot of modern fiction is interlaced with wokism. It’s infuriating and I’ve stopped reading a lot of authors for that reason alone.
I think it’s just that the left is more invested in making and consuming art than the right, so their worldview is the predominant one.
“A lot of modern fiction is interlaced with wokism.”
Almost everything is.
I avoid most of it – I don’t watch much tv, or sports, and definitely not mainstream media. The youtubers I like tend to leave politics at the door. Work is pretty conservative so there hasn’t been much to worry about there. But I do love wasting time on a crappy pulp mystery or crime drama, and that world has been infiltrated.
Silver lining, I’m reading a lot more non fiction. Trashy, I think it was you who mentioned Tyranny of Metrics on the last reading article; I just checked that out from the library.
I read a stupid amount of fiction when I was young, then found sci-fi (which I also read a stupid amount of), and then I went to post-secondary education and found out there was a lot of good non-fiction out there. The bonus was that I learned lots of facts, something that you may only get tangentially from fiction, and the facts I learned helped me to better understand my life experiences and my place in the Universe.
Now I feel like I need to read non-fiction because I only have so much time left, and I avoided a great deal of learning earlier because it was “too hard.” I know I have to die, but I don’t wanna die a dumbass.
I’ve always felt there is a risk of being in a bubble in any community. My core group of friends are pretty understanding of each others’ eccentricities, but our inside jokes and sense of humor would likely turn off someone new with different sensibilities. Even if they share the same sensibilities as the group they may feel reluctant to speak freely.
I brought this topic up one drunken night on Zoom and felt that I was heard. We agreed that we have to keep vigilant to prevent becoming a vacuum.
I found that in my personal group of newer friends, being open to listen to someone’s views before challenging them is a good way to make someone feel more welcome.
In summary we are still not a vacuum, but we need to keep the people and conversation fresh to prevent it from sliding into preaching the same sermon to the same congregation each week.
It’s sort of bubble like here. But it’s not groupthink. We disagree on a lot of things, like libertarians do. Most recently on what constitutes a Tulpa, or not.
On the proggy sites, it is groupthink and anyone attempting to challenge any collectively agreed upon thing will find their self harassed into silence, forced to recant and to grovel and apologize, and then probably forced out anyway.
I’m considered a contrarian by my other peer groups. I try to be the same way with my own beliefs. Am I the baddie?
Yes, you’re a baddie. Why else would you be here. But I ain’t saying you’re wrong.
Obligatory
I would expect that almost everyone on this site, myself included, has contrarian tendencies.
I learned a portion of it from my father who simply loved playing Devil’s advocate with me when I was growing up, mostly just for the entertainment of pissing me off.
The end result of that with me is that I stopped talking to people.
My dad did that. I stopped engaging altogether and he couldn’t understand why.
Tulpa did a number on TOS. Crafty, manipulative son of a bitch. Figured out when myself and others were not posting, and then impersonated us by putting a space in the handle name. Before long everyone is being outright hostile to me and the others, and it was a direct result of then nasty things his socks were saying. On top of that he got everyone believing that anyone with a remotely libertarian viewpoint is all one sock (which was true on the weekends). So it’s a complete shit show over there.
Tulpa is a high bar. I don’t think you should throw it around lightly.
We are all Tulpa.
I don’t think a tightly knit community like this one (and yes, we are tightly knit because outsiders would either be turned off by our in-jokes, not understand them, or be intimidated by them) can help BUT be a bubble.
That’s the nature of the beast.
Trust me, no one else on the internet knows what TMITE means. Or STEVE SMITH. Or, yeah, most/all people will not understand our inside jokes.
Also, drugs falling out of asses.
lol
Heh, I just reminded myself, I’m sure their response to us all owning orphans will be hilarious.
Lou Reed still knows.
ENOUGH ABOUT THE FUCKING SMEGMA!!!
What? What’d I do?
*innocent look*
Well, you did SOMETHING. That’s all we need to know…
Geez. You mention smegma ONCE…
We are absolutely tightly knit, even though most of us have ever met one another outside of the zoom.
Last night’s zoom was absolute proof of that. A group of people helping another out who was having an extremely hard time, in real time. That is what community is.
It was tragic, but also beautiful at the same time to see humanity at its best, or at least trying its best to help where help was needed, even with limited resources.
The only other people I would really even bother with at all were I approached with similar circumstances are (some) family, and guys on my baseball team.
Definitely. I find myself consciously stopping myself from commenting on people’s statements until they get a chance to say a few things, in general. What some people think of as “active listening,” other people see as “interruption.” I try to listen well. There was a point in my life when I went from being very quiet to very outgoing. I’ve been moving back to the quiet side for years, and I think it helps.
I’m glad others see it this way as well. Although sometimes, I feel like I’m a little too tired to get started into an argument. So often in these times, it’s the feeling of the near futility of affecting someone else’s opinion that makes me just shrug and move on. That can be OK, but eventually, if we all shrug and move on, the really vile opinions will win out.
It’s kind of like arguments about pacifism. At what point is it necessary to stake out a position and defend it as forcefully as necessary? The reason that generally peaceful nations arm themselves is because there are always aggressors and barbarians.
Americans have a tendency to believe that we are spreading peace when we’re actually building an empire.
Oh yeah, I know that. I’m thinking more in terms of the ramifications of true anarchy–or at least trying to keep an anarchy going without allowing marauding tribes to take over and form de facto governments.
If no one will defend the good and true and right, it will be snuffed out by the evil and false. I don’t conflate “defense” with “put your military bases all around the world to enforce a peace.” Where that logic fails is thinking you need to be the world’s police man. Why not have a society dedicated to freedom and individualism and allow anyone who shares that and is willing to work for it to come and be a part? Once such a society begins to feel it has an obligation to support the lazy and those opposed to liberty, its death from within is assured.
The nice thing about the US is that for the longest time, it was that home for those who wanted liberty and justice. Now it’s just on the way to being another western European bureaucratic welfare state.
Really? It’s not like we demand tribute from every country that hosts a military base. If this is an empire we’re doing it wrong.
That’s because in the modern world, the tribute to the emperor comes from the citizens for the purported purpose of “spreading peace.”
Our politicians are looting us.
It took me a long time to understand that.
However, I think we’re “building an empire” just to keep the military industrial complex chugging right along. Do we REALLY have any interest in any of these places? Are they gold mines? No. Just keep the taxpayer money flowing.
The MI complex has an interest, the “bringing order to the world” nitwits have an interest, the grifters in DC that skim and take kickbacks have an interest, etc…
But ultimately, that’s what an empire is, using the military and the tax base as tools to enrich the elite and the connected.
Listening to comprehend rather than listening to retort is a skill (((we’ve))) lost culturally, and it’s doing severe damage.
I would comment more if I could. Work has been tough and home life is all-consuming for my after work hours. So I get to post maybe once a week or every two weeks. Enough to still get a hearty “Fuck off, Tulpa” when I do post.
Fuck off Tulpa
Thank you.
And finally we get a Tulpa who knows the correct response. Someone move him into one of the bigger Orphan cages.
I haven’t had time to post as much as I used to but I am still around.
Fun story: after hurricane Laura I discovered one of my neighbors was trapped in their house because of trees that had been blown down. I spent nearly an entire day cutting them out because the poor guy’s chainsaw had crapped out on him. After a couple of hours they tried to get me to go home but I told them hell no, I aint leaving until you can get out. Yesterday he showed up at my front door with about 10lbs of crawfish he had boiled.
Mrs. Suthenboy and I don’t keep up with how long we have been married. Not long ago I said “We have been married over 20 years. I dont know how it went by so fast.” and she replied “You have been telling me that for at least five years.” Ok, 25 years. Since we dont keep track of it we just adopted Valentine’s Day as our anniversary and our tradition is to go eat crawfish. This year we were planning to go with my stepson and his family but something came up and they couldn’t go so we did not go either.
Out of the blue the neighbor shows up with crawfish. Mrs. Suthenboy can peel them faster than she can eat them. She sat at the table and looked like the Cookie Monster, shells flying and juice halfway up to her elbows. She had been craving crawfish. In her words “This is like manna from heaven.”
We are going to grill some ribs for the neighbors.
“Out of the blue the neighbor shows up with crawfish. Mrs. Suthenboy can peel them faster than she can eat them.”
My wife will eat a good portion of all you can peel, she loves those things.
I think the vast majority of internet sites like these become echo chambers simply by nature. Unless there is something done to promote newcomers, then those that trickle in will quickly choose whether or not they wish to stay by content, creators and commenters and either move on or stake a claim.
I suppose this is where I ask if anyone in the group has made the attempt at linking some of the content here elsewhere in an effort to bring in other opinions?
Hell, even paying for small targeted advertising in known online libertarian areas or even subjects?
“Unless there is something done to promote newcomers”
Hey, I’ll have you know that I do more than my share of ‘Fuck Off Tulpa’s.
No!! I like the relative quiet.
I agree CY, even if the comments section has a high barrier to entry for commenting actively, there should be an opportunity to do so without being actively discouraged. This is not an indictment to anyone, just something we need to be aware of as time goes on.
I have sent several people a link to the site for my and other’s articles. None have bit, but that is not going to stop me from doing so in the future.
I have found that a majority of people dont make a distinction between argument and fighting. I enjoy a good argument and have little use for fighting.
Since everyone here, that I am aware of, starts with the premise of self-ownership it becomes easy to mistake this for a bubble but it is not. There are lots of points people here disagree on and that is fine.
I will call y’all liars if you repeat this but it is possible I may not be 100% correct 100% of the time. I am just admitting the possibility, I am not saying that is the case. Just a possibility.
“I have found that a majority of people dont make a distinction between argument and fighting.”
Public school, dude. Debate is dead in this county, passed over for groupthink. No need for debate when everyone agrees, or else…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmO-ziHU_D8
I don’t know if it even rises to the level of group think.
Does anyone really think this is not a Chicom plot to take down the USA? Because it has to be.
Then you’re assuming the Chicom’s run the Pentagon, because THAT place is groupthink central.
I assume China runs them also now.
LOL I knew what that was going to be
Indeed, argument is a fine word, and a worthy and thought-provoking, potentially opinion-changing exercise. Unfortunately, the term has been tarnished and dragged through the mud and is considered “bullying” or “unsafe space” or even “hate speech” by people who know they can’t win a fair debate.
Fighting and arguing are very different. Take a romantic relationship squabble: It should be confined to the single issue at hand in a point-counterpoint civil argument. THat way, when it’s over it’s over, even if unresolved (agree to disagree).
But a “fight” drags in ancient history and absolutes: “You ALWAYS do that!” “See, this is what I mean!” “Oh, here we go again with your blah blah,” That is a fight and has no place in a marriage or even a friendship. Hateful words to your spouse or friend are not forgotten.
When I see a relatively young couple engaged in the “always/never” spats, my heart grieves a little for the unhappy future they are likely to have.
I may not be 100% correct 100% of the time.
I once had someone throw “you think you’re always right” at me in an argument (fight, more likely). I responded with “tell me a belief you hold that you know is wrong.”
Everybody thinks they’re right about everything. Only the wise have the humility to admit that their beliefs aren’t all undergirded by a 100% confidence level and to change their beliefs when proven wrong.
“I once had someone throw “you think you’re always right”
My wife says that pretty much every argument. And I say ‘No, just almost all of the time, especially this time’.
“And I’m right about that, too.”
It can get a bit echoey around here, but then we’re all coming from basically the same place. Also, the world seems to be getting shittier in ways we all see.
I do appreciate you and Juris Imprudent’s efforts at confirmation bias minimization.
This place is at it’s best not when discussion current events, but libertarian philosohy. I’ve learned a lot.
I don’t say much – on-line me is a lot like the IRL me.
I haven’t really had time to post too much lately. But I was wondering if anyone has seen HM on here? I can’t remember seeing him for quite a while. Anyone know if he’s doing OK?
He posted last night or the night before.
Oh. Thanks, that’s good to hear.
I’m pretty sure I saw a comment from him just in the last few days.
Admit it – you just miss his links, don’t you?
He’s hilarious. But sometimes I do take a pause before clicking on his links. Although I think that Sean has recently surpassed him for links I shouldn’t have clicked on.
HEY!
I try to post quality, interesting things …usually…
But, I’ll make an exception, just for you.
I ain’t clicking on that. I volunteer Gender Traitor to do it. And please repost the Hispanic Hillary Mini-Hulk link so that she can click on that too.
I don’t think that was me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFsZJp_ulKs
There it is anyway. Doesn’t seem my style.
I could have sworn that was you…
Quit yer navel gazing and watch this adorable little girl skateboard.
https://twitter.com/Chesschick01/status/1379976198160269314
Adorbs.
That girl got style!
Awesome! Reminds me of skating Pipeline back in the late 80s.
We need an intersectional feminist analysis of the gliberati.
Only then will we truly understand ourselves.
Let’s just cut to the chase. We’re white supremacists and domestic terrorists, who want granny to die, and to put colored folk, women, and children back into chains.
Not sure if anyone can describe Glibs any better. Unless we add on that we want to rape and kill mother Gaia and want machine guns and heroin to be sold in vending machines on our children’s playgrounds.
Mother Gaia can take care of herself. She is one mean bitch, the most powerful of all.
Not according to the greenie weenies. According to them we can’t even allow flatulent cows to roan the earth without killing her.
I think we should ask the libertarian Reddit to come here so we can teach them how not to be total pussies.
It will frighten them so, to the point they’ll immediately disavow their libertarian claims, set themselves on fire, and go run off a cliff screaming. And that’ even before they’ve read a SF post.
Well, they could all get jobs at Salon writing articles about, “I used to be a libertarian, until…”
No, they would run back to get an army of deranged autists to backtrace everyone to their real identity and start harassment brigades against our livelihoods.
He said Reddit, not 4chan.
Reddit still has its own army of investigative autists. They’ve dug up some rather in-depth quantities of information on targets before from very limited threads to follow.
I thought WE were the deranged autists.
“I used to be a libertarian, until…”
About as credible as how they’re a 1 percenter and totally want to pay more taxes.
They’d attempt to report us to the admins and get us banned.
That would be hilarious.
I’m just sad that I didn’t even make the “Nerd” list.
/kicks a rock and walks away
Geeks aren’t nerds.
Geeks and Nerds; bunch of elitists. Step
updown to Dork!/Dork
Late, but thanks Hyp.
I love You People. Even when you are wrong.