The Political Quinceañera Thread

[Guard Dog]

@Sharpie: In terms of "measuring" intelligence as a science yes, factually discredited. Taken in context of the work however, it comes from the Eugenics era when people believed you could selectively breed a "superior human". The truth is, you can. Anyone who doubts that take a good look at your dog and realize where their ancestors came from. However the notion is (and definitely should be) out of favor because it has been used by some pretty evil folks to justify genocide. Even that aside selective breeding is dangerous in other ways because subtle genetic abnormalities that are insignificant in a diverse gene pool because much more problematic when the pool gets shallower. No matter how clear the water is.

 

But that is a different discussion.

 

Acquired knowledge stems largely on the opportunity to acquire it. And the drive to take advantage of that opportunity when they do have it. A highly intelligent student that has not received a quality education will fail a test on acquired knowledge. It does not mean he's less intelligent. I will bet there are many intelligent people in the world who can neither read nor write because they were never taught. There is the problem when it comes to "measuring" something that can't be measured. My education was in Electronics Engineering. If you and I each took a test on radio wave propagation there is a very good chance I will do better than you. That does not make me smarter than you. That is the exact assumption IQ tests are making.

 

If someone is truly eager to learn they should be able to learn. If they can't then the fault is mostly on them I think. They need to identify WHY they are failing and correct it. Failure to learn something usually stems from 2 thing in my experience; Insufficient drive or a lack of underlying knowledge. If you want to learn Calculus but you never learned Algebra you will fail. The key to everything is foundation. So if you WANT to learn Calculus you need to buy an Algebra book and read it first. That is on the individual. In terms of employment however some employers ARE willing to take that leap of faith. My own career is an example. The job I have now uses almost none of my education and previous experience. It took me almost a year of intense study to get up to speed. But it was important and I was willing to do that.

 

As to your last point, no argument here.

[HoonDing]

Obviously ppl from ****hole countries have lower IQ because of lower standard of education.

 

 

[Malcador]

The controversial project also included a bibliography and quotes from five books, one a text from 1904 called “The Essential Kafir” that argued South African blacks were intellectually inferior to whites

 

Shame they didn't list the full bibliography.

 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Malcador

[Guard Dog]

 

The controversial project also included a bibliography and quotes from five books, one a text from 1904 called “The Essential Kafir” that argued South African blacks were intellectually inferior to whites

 

Shame they didn't list the full bibliography.

 

 

They did on the other site I saw that article. None of it was post-WW2

[Malcador]

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/373434-trump-proposes-eliminating-federal-funding-for-pbs-npr

 

I forget, what is the GOP's obsession with killing PBS ?

[injurai]

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/373434-trump-proposes-eliminating-federal-funding-for-pbs-npr

 

I forget, what is the GOP's obsession with killing PBS ?

 

It's not privately controlled, it's publicly funded, focuses on educational broadcasting.

 

Killing PBS seems far more nefarious to me than wanting to kill off NPR, because NPR is actually liberal leaning where is PBS is very moderate. But even NPR is an important American staple.

[Hurlshort]

They clearly didn't grow up in Mr. Rogers neighborhood.

[ShadySands]

The eminent domained his neighborhood and built a parking lot for a casino

[smjjames]

 

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/373434-trump-proposes-eliminating-federal-funding-for-pbs-npr

 

I forget, what is the GOP's obsession with killing PBS ?

 

It's not privately controlled, it's publicly funded, focuses on educational broadcasting.

 

Killing PBS seems far more nefarious to me than wanting to kill off NPR, because NPR is actually liberal leaning where is PBS is very moderate. But even NPR is an important American staple.

 

 

Isn't PBS pretty much in the same boat as Planned Parenthood where they want to kill federal funding, but there is no federal funding to kill in the first place? You can't defund something that you already aren't funding.

Edited February 12, 2018 by smjjames

[injurai]

 

 

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/373434-trump-proposes-eliminating-federal-funding-for-pbs-npr

 

I forget, what is the GOP's obsession with killing PBS ?

 

It's not privately controlled, it's publicly funded, focuses on educational broadcasting.

 

Killing PBS seems far more nefarious to me than wanting to kill off NPR, because NPR is actually liberal leaning where is PBS is very moderate. But even NPR is an important American staple.

 

 

Isn't PBS pretty much in the same boat as Planned Parenthood where they want to kill federal funding, but there is no federal funding to kill in the first place? You can't defund something that you already aren't funding.

 

 

Not sure, but hopefully.

[Valsuelm]

 

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/373434-trump-proposes-eliminating-federal-funding-for-pbs-npr

 

I forget, what is the GOP's obsession with killing PBS ?

 

It's not privately controlled, it's publicly funded, focuses on educational broadcasting.

 

Killing PBS seems far more nefarious to me than wanting to kill off NPR, because NPR is actually liberal leaning where is PBS is very moderate. But even NPR is an important American staple.

 

 

Well.. it's arguably unconstitutional for the Federal government to be funding such things (and most other things the Federal government funds these days).

 

If states or municipalities want to fund a PBS, NPR, or the like, they're able to do so, and in fact have. Historically a large majority of the funding for some of PBS's most iconic shows came from the private sector and state/local funding.

 

Also... PBS is a bit more subtle than NPR but holy smokes is it a propaganda machine. Arguably a worse one even than NPR due to that subtlety many wouldn't pick up on. It has always been so but in my observations it's become worse as time has gone on. And I've been watching PBS fairly regularly for nearly 40 years. Frontline and Nova are a few of the only shows I still check to see what they're covering (along with Walking Dead for it's coverage of the zombie apocalypse, though the quality of it's coverage is waning: ZombieChowTigers are fake news!). Though I watch less and less as Nova has become incredibly dumbed down overall, and Frontline..... well Frontline is still occasionally good, but too often is just downright blatant bull**** and unintelligently produced at that (see the recent stories on Putin for examples).

Edited February 13, 2018 by Valsuelm

[injurai]

I don't watch Frontline, and haven't watched Nova since I was a kid. But I thought it was always an important channel amongst plenty of other trash and propaganda.

 

I've become more of a C-Span guy myself, but I must admit I don't really use traditional broadcasting at all anymore.

[Valsuelm]

I don't watch Frontline, and haven't watched Nova since I was a kid. But I thought it was always an important channel amongst plenty of other trash and propaganda.

 

I've become more of a C-Span guy myself, but I must admit I don't really use traditional broadcasting at all anymore.

 

C-Span is generally where it's at for U.S. politics, as it's one of the best places to get primary source material.

 

Frontline and Nova have had some gems in the past, though it's been a few years I think since they broadcast a well polished one. Their better shows generally have little to nothing to do with politics. Nova has sadly not only become horribly dumbed down in recent years, but it's pushing insano political agendas these days (see recent episode on black holes).

 

I've been wondering if the talent is just gone....  if no new good episodes pop up in the next year or two I'll eventually come to that conclusion and bid the shows a sad farewell.

[injurai]

Well, I'd imagine it's hard to always source new content that is also ripe for pop-sci. They've put out an insane amount of content over the years. You'll have to fill me in on the insano bits as nothing is turning up from a quick search and I'm not inclined to go watch an episode.

 

As for C-Span, Brian Lamb is an unsung hero. Perhaps once sung about, but media has changed. America often feels too iconoclastic to have national treasures, but to me he would be one. There are very few people I hold in such high regards period, and he's coming from the journalistic tradition to boot.

[smjjames]

Well, I'd imagine it's hard to always source new content that is also ripe for pop-sci. They've put out an insane amount of content over the years. You'll have to fill me in on the insano bits as nothing is turning up from a quick search and I'm not inclined to go watch an episode.

 

As for C-Span, Brian Lamb is an unsung hero. Perhaps once sung about, but media has changed. America often feels too iconoclastic to have national treasures, but to me he would be one. There are very few people I hold in such high regards period, and he's coming from the journalistic tradition to boot.

 

Same here with filling in on Nova and the insano bits. Haven't watched it for years, since I was a kid. No idea how the heck a political agenda would be pushed into an episode about black holes.

[Agiel]

Trump: 'We want to get twice as many planes for half the price'

 

 

 

"In fact, Gen. [Jim] Mattis called me, and he goes, 'Wow, I can't believe I got everything we wanted.' I said, 'That's right, but we want no excuses. We want you to buy twice, OK, twice what you thought for half the price,'" Trump said, according to a transcript of the meeting.

 

"So maybe we're going to get involved a little bit in the buying," he continued. "We want to get twice as many planes for half the price. And believe me, we can do a lot, because the procurement process is very outdated, to put it nicely."

 

Seems that he would find Soviet defence acquisition policies quite attractive. The above quote reminds me of a story in which a PVO Marshal boasted that his service was purchasing Su-27Ps for the same price as MiG-29As. Anyone with a passing knowledge of aviation would know that this is an absurd assertion, considering that the Su-27 is a larger and more sophisticated aircraft than the MiG-29, but given how the Soviet military mindset was of a weird parallel universe in which labour and materiel had no monetary value...

Edited February 13, 2018 by Agiel

[Ben No.3]

Honestly, I’d expect there to be a clear correlation between race and intelligence, especially in the US. Even more so world wide.

 

Now, we have to remember that intelligence is, essentially, the degree of the capacity of the brain to do something (at least that’s the most basic definition I can come up with). Thus, it is essential that the brain of a baby, and later as a child, develops well. If it cannot, then a lack of intelligence is to be the expected outcome.

We should ask ourselves: what is central to the development of a child’s brain? As far as my admittedly limited (but I do believe we’re all in the same boat here; anyway, I’m trying to recollect my memory from my time helping out in a psychiatry) understanding goes, nutrition is one central question in this regard. Now, considering that non-whites in the US and the world tend to be significantly poorer than whites, I would imagine nutrition to be a core reason for such a correlation. Furthermore, poverty also has the potential (pretending on the health care policies of the specific country) to exclude pregnant women from assistance in regards to how to properly handle a pregnancy and what is best for the baby.

 

Thus, a correlation between race and IQ, if anything, backs up the argument that more needs to be done for the emancipation of non whites.

So what needs to be done? Spontaneously, I do believe equal access to information for everyone, a honest, elaborate and early look at pregnancy (and honest, elaborate and early sex ed in general seems to be a problem in the us) in schools, equal access to health care and and doctors appointments as well as the knowledge of these options.

Edited February 13, 2018 by Ben No.3

[pmp10]

 Nova has sadly not only become horribly dumbed down in recent years, but it's pushing insano political agendas these days (see recent episode on black holes).

Wait, how do you use black holes to push political agendas?

I see it happen all the time in history but you'd think astronomy should be relatively safe.

[Ben No.3]

 

What is this propaganda which starts to play before videos?

 

Seriously, this looks like some sort of video game ad. It is despicable how the polish government handles history and treats it like some sort of adventurestory. No facts, no sources, no proper historical work. Instead, mere emotion. Especially with a topic such as the Holocaust, one might expect governments to hadle it with some sort of professionalism. This, however, is laughable.If this was indeed a videogame ad, we should expect some criticism for the poor handling of the subject, and rightfully so. The fact that it is a government behind this video, which seems to view this type of broadcasting as a legitimate political tool, is borderline horrifying

[Guard Dog]

 

What is this propaganda which starts to play before videos?

 

Seriously, this looks like some sort of video game ad. It is despicable how the polish government handles history and treats it like some sort of adventurestory. No facts, no sources, no proper historical work. Instead, mere emotion. Especially with a topic such as the Holocaust, one might expect governments to hadle it with some sort of professionalism. This, however, is laughable.If this was indeed a videogame ad, we should expect some criticism for the poor handling of the subject, and rightfully so. The fact that it is a government behind this video, which seems to view this type of broadcasting as a legitimate political tool, is borderline horrifying

LOL, remember a few years back the US government mistook Fallout 3 art concepts as Al Qaeda plans?

 

Edit: Correction, it wasn't the government is was a contractor that worked for the CIA. Still funny though. https://kotaku.com/5011913/intelligence-group-mistakes-fallout-3-screens-for-terrorist-propaganda

Edited February 13, 2018 by Guard Dog

[Ben No.3]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=18&v=NrkQ20SjHoU

 

What is this propaganda which starts to play before videos?

LOL. I posted this months ago. Made by IPN (Institute of National Remembrance).

 

Here is the full video with narration (yes it is Sean Bean):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q88AkN1hNYM&t=1s

ah wow... I actually forgot that. Anyway, at least it wasn’t an ad on YT back then.

 

Also, regarding to the “fake news glorifying the hellspawn”, BBC is British

Edited February 13, 2018 by Ben No.3

[smjjames]

 

 

 

What is this propaganda which starts to play before videos?

LOL. I posted this months ago. Made by IPN (Institute of National Remembrance).

 

Here is the full video with narration (yes it is Sean Bean):

 

ah wow... I actually forgot that. Anyway, at least it wasn’t an ad on YT back then.

 

Also, regarding to the “fake news glorifying the hellspawn”, BBC is British

 

 

As is The Guardian, though they do have an US based branch.

[HoonDing]

Poe's law

Edited February 13, 2018 by HoonDing

[Zoraptor]

Youtube is meant to be kind of dialing back the political stuff but they really aren't doing so at all. There's also a pro Turkey's invasion of Syria/ Afrin video being played as an ad (which is at least mostly factual, just slanted).

 

If you want real fake news, try the NYT report on the US airstrikes on government forces from a few days ago, which gets about one fact correct. The source for 'hundreds' of russian casualties resolves to a fake social media account- that of one of the ex leaders of the Donbass rebels, Strelkov, who has repeatedly said he doesn't have any social media accounts- it's just multiple sources repeating the second hand information*. Plus even pro YPG sources now admit that the local ex ISIS SDF attacked first then called in airstrikes on the warning response (dozens of artillery, rocket and mortar rounds yet only 1 wounded?) they got- difficult not to when the locals were dumb enough to make videos celebrating the fact and saying they were going to attack government forces again.

 

*Though it's pretty much certain a few were killed; too much of a coincidence that 1960s era S-200s are suddenly able to shoot down modern Israeli jets.

[ShadySands]

Taliban addresses "the American people" 

 

In a rambling nearly 3,000-word letter issued Wednesday, the Taliban urged the "American people" to press their government to withdraw from Afghanistan, reminding them that the Afghan war is the longest conflict in which they have been embroiled -- and at a cost of "trillions of dollars." The letter was addressed to "the American people, officials of independent non-governmental organizations and the peace loving Congressmen."