Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[formerShandalay]

I’d be inclined to agree with you… if the rest of the world also wasn’t, in no small quarter, also handling the pandemic in a poor way.

That other countries have anti-Vaxxers and anti-maskers is just absurd. They don’t even have the “excuse” of Trump and the GOP egging on their idiocy like the US does.

The anti-vaxxer and anti-mask talking points are the same everywhere. It's sometimes kind of scary how much they almost verbatim repeat each other's talking points all over the world.
And it's the same talking points that have been used since forever, Pox vaccine making you turn into a cow (or nowadays covid vaccine mutating your dna), being fit and healthy protecting you better than vaccines, vaccines being 'jewish inventions' (those last two mainly peddled by the Nazis back when), government conspiracy, big pharma conspiracy (including big pharma making bank with vaccines and somehow not with all the other medication) and of course 'vaccines don't even work' or 'vaccines make women infertile' (notedly peddled by some muslim and christian groups concerning the polio vaccine in Africa and nowadays used by lots of fake "science!" antivaxxers concerning the covid vaccinations). Oh, and the latest I've heard that vaccines accelerate mutations in the virus.

[Vladier]

I’d be inclined to agree with you… if the rest of the world also wasn’t, in no small quarter, also handling the pandemic in a poor way.

That other countries have anti-Vaxxers and anti-maskers is just absurd. They don’t even have the “excuse” of Trump and the GOP egging on their idiocy like the US does.

Just like COVID, anti-vaxxer movement is a pandemic. Except that instead of being a virus using genetics as a form of existence, it's a memetic cognitive hazard. An unfortunate side-effect of globalization as it pertains to the spread of information, and especially the Internet, is that these ways of thinking, previously endemic, can spread rapidly from person to person, and what would be our societal immune system - informed expert opinions and proper sources of information - is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of ignorance and stupidity and left as just one voice in the crowd, robbed of authority it deserves or is even itself compromised.

[Twdft]

The US has hands down basically pivoted to being really hilariously tragic reality television.

But is it really tragic if you caused the suffering yourself?

[Skulltaker]

I’d be inclined to agree with you… if the rest of the world also wasn’t, in no small quarter, also handling the pandemic in a poor way.

That other countries have anti-Vaxxers and anti-maskers is just absurd. They don’t even have the “excuse” of Trump and the GOP egging on their idiocy like the US does.

Humanity always has had these idiots. Always. With no exception. No matter the country, no matter the year. The difference is, 40 years ago, they were limited to 'that one guy' in their local pub somewhere in whatever small village and so on you came from. They were tolerated. 'Yeah, the government is out to get you, Fred. Here, have another cold one.' Noone paid them any attention. They were locals. They were isolated. Now that is sad in itself, but that's humanity for you.

Now, they can connect to every one of 'their kind'. Anywhere on the planet. And suddenly, they aren't alone anymore. They are part of a crowd, which has a severe impact on their psyche. Strength in numbers. Gives you confidence.

As for 'handling the pandemic poorly' - of course we are. We haven't had something like this happen in a hundred years. We got off lucky that Covid-19 is a relatively mild disease. Imagine if the actual mortality rate had been around 5%, like, let's say, an aggressive flu strain.

Experts have been saying this is going to happen for decades. No one listened or did enough to be prepared.

[Ivanstone]

That other countries have anti-Vaxxers and anti-maskers is just absurd. They don’t even have the “excuse” of Trump and the GOP egging on their idiocy like the US does.

Some countries have their own idiots in charge. Bolsonaro is the biggest one but he’s not the only one.

[Twdft]

Experts have been saying this is going to happen for decades. No one listened or did enough to be prepared.

This all always remind me of the Ringworld premise where an extinction level event was dicovered to be happening 20.000 years in the future. Mankind just carried on with a mindset of let future generations take care of it while Pierson's puppeteers immediately started to move their planets out of the galaxy.

Human nature, we don't think in long enough intervals.

[DarkTZeratul]

Just like COVID, anti-vaxxer movement is a pandemic. Except that instead of being a virus using genetics as a form of existence, it's a memetic cognitive hazard. An unfortunate side-effect of globalization as it pertains to the spread of information, and especially the Internet, is that these ways of thinking, previously endemic, can spread rapidly from person to person, and what would be our societal immune system - informed expert opinions and proper sources of information - is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of ignorance and stupidity and left as just one voice in the crowd, robbed of authority it deserves or is even itself compromised.

Not to mention the language barrier. While there are plenty of counter arguments in English, there are considerably fewer in other languages.

[formerShandalay]

Just like COVID, anti-vaxxer movement is a pandemic. Except that instead of being a virus using genetics as a form of existence, it's a memetic cognitive hazard. An unfortunate side-effect of globalization as it pertains to the spread of information, and especially the Internet, is that these ways of thinking, previously endemic, can spread rapidly from person to person, and what would be our societal immune system - informed expert opinions and proper sources of information - is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of ignorance and stupidity and left as just one voice in the crowd, robbed of authority it deserves or is even itself compromised.

This reads almost poetic. And also very very true.

Misinformation is a problem everywhere and for every topic. But I do think that having a very talkative influential figure, who is also supposed to be representing a country with the world's leading scientists in it is an even bigger problem. That's like... a superspreader and thanks to the internet it's not a local outbreak, but international. All nutjobs everywhere in the world (who of course already existed) felt emboldened and vindicated by it and were able to build upon misinformation already planted in everyone's minds.

[YUPPIE]

i find it pretty disturbing how the morning news on LA today opened by exclaiming how if the republicans win 2024, and trump by extension the world will literally end

[Lenonis]

i find it pretty disturbing how the morning news on LA today opened by exclaiming how if the republicans win 2024, and trump by extension the world will literally end

I'm sure you clutched those pearls equally hard when we heard people say the same thing about biden?

[YUPPIE]

I'm sure you clutched those pearls equally hard when we heard people say the same thing about biden?

the same news mentioned biden in fawning terms, actually, like he's a really good guy. when they say america is divided or something along those lines, you can see it in how it's just one side or the highway mentality

[Ivanstone]

I'm sure you clutched those pearls equally hard when we heard people say the same thing about biden?

We're all doomed already. The 1000 Years of Darkness started 9 years ago. I just need to farm some more mounts and pets in WoW before hanging it up.

[Lenonis]

the same news mentioned biden in fawning terms, actually, like he's a really good guy. when they say america is divided or something along those lines, you can see it in how it's just one side or the highway mentality

So no. You didn't. Hypocrisy noted

[Machismo]

the same news mentioned biden in fawning terms, actually, like he's a really good guy. when they say america is divided or something along those lines, you can see it in how it's just one side or the highway mentality

Nazis are bad.

This should not need to be explained.

- - - Updated - - -

On a hilarious note, my cousin messaged me yesterday to say that our relatives were literally praying to Trump. No, they were not praying for him, which would be weird enough at the Thanksgiving dinner table... they were actually praying to him. They were praying to him to step in quickly, and fix our country, and rid it of Satan. There was some apparent other nonsense, but you get the gist.

They even had a Trump flag displaying above the head of the table.

[Lenonis]

On a hilarious note, my cousin messaged me yesterday to say that our relatives were literally praying to Trump. No, they were not praying for him, which would be weird enough at the Thanksgiving dinner table... they were actually praying to him. They were praying to him to step in quickly, and fix our country, and rid it of Satan. There was some apparent other nonsense, but you get the gist.

They even had a Trump flag displaying above the head of the table.

That's not hilarious. That's deeply disturbing. That's one pretty small step away from thinking they are being called to be the next domestic terrorist.

[Machismo]

That's not hilarious. That's deeply disturbing. That's one pretty small step away from thinking they are being called to be the next domestic terrorist.

Well, they are in a cult.

My cousin called me after she left... pretty sure she's never going back there.

I didn't worship the first girl who let me see her naked this much.

[YUPPIE]

That's not hilarious. That's deeply disturbing.

it's interesting if nothing else how trump cultivates such cult-like loyalty

[Machismo]

it's interesting if nothing else how trump cultivates such cult-like loyalty

Ummm, you're an avowed Trump supporter...

[YUPPIE]

Ummm, you're an avowed Trump supporter...

what I mean is if Trump is paying you, it makes sense you would be loyal even if you might hate someone internally since people will do anything for the money nowadays. But it's the fact he has these devoted followers that he has no direct association with. That suggests insane orating skills or strong charisma.

[Machismo]

what I mean is if Trump is paying you, it makes sense you would be loyal even if you might hate someone internally since people will do anything for the money nowadays. But it's the fact he has these devoted followers that he has no direct association with. That suggests insane orating skills or strong charisma.

Yes... it's a cult.

You are one of those "devoted followers," so tell us why you love him so much?