The All Things Political Topic - Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence

[Malcador]

Yep, but still displeased they picked one from the US. Thought they'd skip ones from major powers much less a superpower.  Personally he seems ok, aside from some sex abuse mishandling accusations (big ****ing surprise) though, in line with Francis.

Had to laugh at a Catholic forum desperate to know his stance....on the Latin Mass. Crusader LARPers, I guess, as KP said 

[Gromnir]

16 minutes ago, ShadySands said:

and it wasn't Trump or the one he suggested

am gonna try and ignore most pope news for a bit as am already nauseated by the thought o' all the expert opinions on robert prevost/leo xiv from people who couldn't pick him outta a police lineup last week. 

that said, am gonna go out on a limb despite our already admitted ignorance and posit that not trump is a win o' sorts.

...

if the universe punishes us for our hubris, we will be maximal disappointed.

HA! Good Fun!

Edited May 8 by Gromnir

[uuuhhii]

new pope seem like a disaster

guess that is the end of catholic renaissance

[Gfted1]

[Malcador]

No African Pope for a while, then

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

1 hour ago, Malcador said:

Had to laugh at a Catholic forum desperate to know his stance....on the Latin Mass. Crusader LARPers, I guess, as KP said 

Per usual the adult converts are being very normal. I hear JD Vance is drowning his sorrows in CK3 marathons and spending time with the couch, if ya know what I mean.

It's gonna be a minute before we can get a read on Leo 14, but while he's probably not going to be as good as Francis was at least he's not a deranged bootlicker. It could have been worse is scarce comfort but I guess I'll take it.

[rjshae]

3 hours ago, Malcador said:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-britain-expected-announce-tariff-deal-thursday-2025-05-08/

First "win" for Trump. 

I think a trade deal with GB can be considered low hanging fruit. Only 194 more foot surgeries to go.

[rjshae]

4 hours ago, BruceVC said:

And I predict much voters remorse but the other consideration is what are the Dems offering US voters? If they just going to rely on there normal strategy of vilifying Trump will we see much change?

The Dems need to have real policies that arent  just about how terrible Trump is, something substantive and constructive

Remember Obamas successful formulae " yes we can " , I know it was just a slogan but thats what Im talking about 

Yes, the Dems are a mess right now. They need to focus more on issues that impact voters, like health care and the economy.

[Zoraptor]

9 minutes ago, rjshae said:

I think a trade deal with GB can be considered low hanging fruit. Only 194 more foot surgeries to go.

Yep. Without the direct EU access the UK has been trying to make trade deals with anyone. They even joined the Trans Pacific Partnership despite, well, not being anywhere near the Pacific except for intrinsic and important parts of the realm like Pitcairn Island.

They were very close to a deal with Biden's administration last year. Not a free trade deal like the TPP, but then this one isn't by any stretch a free trade deal either. It may even have been delayed specifically to give Trump an ego boost.

[majestic]

1 hour ago, PK htiw klaw eriF said:

It's gonna be a minute before we can get a read on Leo 14, but while he's probably not going to be as good as Francis was at least he's not a deranged bootlicker. It could have been worse is scarce comfort but I guess I'll take it.

Well, Laura Loomer doesn't like him too much, so... guess he's at least all right.

[HoonDing]

[uuuhhii]

59 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

Yep. Without the direct EU access the UK has been trying to make trade deals with anyone. They even joined the Trans Pacific Partnership despite, well, not being anywhere near the Pacific except for intrinsic and important parts of the realm like Pitcairn Island.

They were very close to a deal with Biden's administration last year. Not a free trade deal like the TPP, but then this one isn't by any stretch a free trade deal either. It may even have been delayed specifically to give Trump an ego boost.

 

will uk be desperate enough to destroy nhs further

most likely yes

[Hurlshort]

1 hour ago, majestic said:

Well, Laura Loomer doesn't like him too much, so... guess he's at least all right.

I really don't understand the use of the term woke. Like, I get it is supposed to be an insult against liberal idealogy, but the way it is used seems to imply that if you are a decent human being in any capacity, you are woke.

You want peace? That's woke.

You want to help people in poverty? That's woke.

It just sounds ridiculous. That doesn't even address the marxist comment. Like, do you expect the church to be pro-capitalism? 

[Malcador]

You assume any of these people even know what Marxism is

[Lexx]

Everything they don't like is woke or DEI.

[Zoraptor]

58 minutes ago, Hurlshort said:

Like, do you expect the church to be pro-capitalism? 

My friend, have you not heard the good news about The Prosperity Gospel? God wants you to be wealthy, and if you aren't, it's because you're a dirty sinner. 

Let's be honest here, strip away the name 'Jesus' from the teachings and an awful lot of Christians would regard them as being 'woke marxism'.

[Gromnir]

2 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

I really don't understand the use of the term woke. Like, I get it is supposed to be an insult against liberal idealogy, but the way it is used seems to imply that if you are a decent human being in any capacity, you are woke.

You want peace? That's woke.

You want to help people in poverty? That's woke.

It just sounds ridiculous. That doesn't even address the marxist comment. Like, do you expect the church to be pro-capitalism? 

well, at various points in history, indulgences were a lucrative business venture for the church, an organization which were active involved in marketing their product. the creative businessmen o' the church even found ways to expand their product line to so-called alms-giving, so...

but as to woke

grievance and outrage. is not woke if your family or tribe tribe agrees with a practice. for example, if you got an autistic child, then chances are you don't see programs which seek to help autistic children succeed in school and life as woke... unless the kids being helped is o' a racial or social group you do not belong to. also, if your tribe believes they is being shamed or embarrassed, or if they/them is giving a benefit or reward to somebody whom you don't believe deserves the benefit, then you are gonna be angered by the practice. label those who done you wrong as woke.

is difficult to explain rational and reasonable why it's wrong when they do it. converse, call stuff woke or cancel culture is quicker, easier than meaningful defense. it also helps that anybody who questions your invocation o' "woke" or "cancel culture" may be labeled as "woke." furthermore, once a recognized figure of your tribe identifies an outsider as "woke," y'all can feel justified in attacking such people free o' any guilt. it is a very convenient and easy to follow system, and if you question the system...

woke.

HA! Good Fun!

ps am genuine amused by the far-right/trump coalition outrage against marxism/communism/_____ism given trumpian rejection of free markets and his embrace o' a kleptocratic autarky while promoting  a cultural revolution attack o' intellectuals, experts and elites.

pps jeanine pirro is the interim US attorney for dc

...

whatever. 

Edited May 9 by Gromnir

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

4 hours ago, majestic said:

Well, Laura Loomer doesn't like him too much, so... guess he's at least all right.

Frankly I think having the Loomers of the world hate you is the bare minimum.

3 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

I really don't understand the use of the term woke. Like, I get it is supposed to be an insult against liberal idealogy, but the way it is used seems to imply that if you are a decent human being in any capacity, you are woke.

Then you do understand it. As it's used now "woke" is mostly just a term of abuse, a marginally more respectable way of saying libtarded or whatever. Of course the other times woke gets used it's a dogwhistle for some slur or another, though it's been overtaken by DEI on that front.

[BruceVC]

8 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

I really don't understand the use of the term woke. Like, I get it is supposed to be an insult against liberal idealogy, but the way it is used seems to imply that if you are a decent human being in any capacity, you are woke.

You want peace? That's woke.

You want to help people in poverty? That's woke.

It just sounds ridiculous. That doesn't even address the marxist comment. Like, do you expect the church to be pro-capitalism? 

Yes the word gets abused and thrown around and then it loses its symbolic significance because everything becomes " woke " if you dont like it. It always was a unusual word that only started getting used a few years ago  

But we should be use to this by now, there are lots of examples of abuse of words from certain people on the left and right, I remember when words like racism and Nazi use to mean something and when they were used they were significant and concerning 

Now if you dont like someone on the right or something they said , throw in Nazi or racist for maximum impact 

 

[Gromnir]

6 hours ago, PK htiw klaw eriF said:

Frankly I think having the Loomers of the world hate you is the bare minimum.

Then you do understand it. As it's used now "woke" is mostly just a term of abuse, a marginally more respectable way of saying libtarded or whatever. Of course the other times woke gets used it's a dogwhistle for some slur or another, though it's been overtaken by DEI on that front.

what the alt-right did with woke is a bit more insidious than is being described even if am thinking it were organic.

woke were not always pejorative. original, and for a long time, woke were considered to be a compliment. sure, woke didn't get much use from most o' the public until the last couple decades, but it has been around for a while and were considered a positive attribute for near all o' its existence in the american lexicon. so this ain't like lesbians taking ownership of the c-word.

...

the thing is, what makes something woke hasn't changed much in spite o' the fact that nowadays the term is mostly used as an insult. a woke teacher is perhaps somebody helping students understand that endemic and systematic racism ain't new or unique to the american experience, enable kids to make the connections where they realize that even though a white banker who would never in a million years call a customer the n-word, could nevertheless be promoting racist policies. woke hasn't changed. the teacher we describe is woke whether is being described by somebody who voted for kamala harris or donald trump. however, in 2025 the harris voter is less likely to describe our example enlightened teacher as woke precise 'cause the trump voters has successful managed to turn woke into a pejorative.

being aware o' those social forces seen and unseen which result in disparate outcomes for persons based on race, gender, or whatever, and then doing something to fix those inequities is what is woke. trumpism has managed to make woke a curse regardless o' the fact both tribes functional use the term similar.

kinda f'ing evil when you actual think 'bout it, no?

HA! Good Fun!

ps sadly, there is more than a few sjw types out there who somehow see everything through the prism o' race, and they take every opportunity to remind white males o' their privilege and to criticize anybody they see as being too reckless with their microaggressions and for their perceived failure to properly use trigger warnings.  *eye roll* the flaw o' such people ain't that they is woke but that they is d-bags. 

Edited May 9 by Gromnir

[Azdeus]

On 5/7/2025 at 9:52 PM, Gromnir said:

ps @Azdeus kudos to sweden where tesla sales for the year has dropped by 81%.

Felon's latest antics did help, but combining it with him refusing to sign a collective agreement and our unions now blocking them for years, including sympathy actions from electricians, dockworkers in both Denmark and Sweden, postal services, and his employment of strikebreakers, and that only 75% of Tesla vehicles passing their first safety inspection (After 4 years, new cars require full inspections to be legal to drive on the road), I think they were heading there anyway to be honest.

Edited May 9 by Azdeus

[Gromnir]

not to keep beating on this...

recall this story? am pretty sure sarah anama is teaching same class as @Hurlshot, yes? world civilization for middle schoolers? 

folks on the right are quick to label sarah as woke and her defenders on the left don't wanna insult her by calling her woke, but regardless, we are talking 'bout the same behavior.

now sure, trump folks (and more than a few so-called libertarians,) see a ridiculous spectrum o' actions as woke, but even so, this ain't a matter o' simple pejorative use. particular since the civil rights movement, modeling behaviours o' inclusion and mutual respect has been deemed positive and admirable by just about everybody. not anymore. even when the right and left is talking 'bout the same thing, the kinda original meaning o' woke, the right sees as pejorative worthy and the left now shies away from describing a person as woke.

kinda ironic as am personal not a fan o' the word "woke," but that is 'cause am mild annoyed by reductionist short-hand slang. yet another example o' trump folks and weekend libertarians compelling us to defend something we don't actual approve.

HA! Good Fun!

ps am not gonna get into pope politics until we got a better idea o' who he is, and reading snippets online ain't gonna tell us much. however, the following story won't even need be true to drive many absolute bonkers:

New Pope Has Creole Roots in New Orleans

Robert Francis Prevost, the Chicago-born cardinal selected on Thursday as the new pope, is descended from Creole people of color from New Orleans.

The pope’s maternal grandparents, both of whom are described as Black or mulatto in various historical records, lived in the city’s Seventh Ward, an area that is traditionally Catholic and a melting pot of people with African, Caribbean and European roots.

 

Edited May 9 by Gromnir

[Malcador]

Wonder who's next from Fox to get a nice government job. 

[Gorgon]

 

 

19 hours ago, HoonDing said:

The Ritual: To prevent such an occurrence in the future, a ritual was supposedly instituted during the enthronement of a new Pope. The elected Pope would be seated on a special chair with an opening in the seat (the sedes stercoraria or sedes perforata). A cardinal or other official would then reach through the opening to palpate the Pope's testicles to confirm his male sex. Afterward, the official would announce to the assembly, "Testiculos habet et bene pendentes!" (He has testicles and they hang well!)

[Gfted1]

Imagine how badly it must smell in that room.  The monkey is a nice touch.