Cain
Straussian
I'm adding an off-topic poll because I can.
First three paragraphs in an article from the always perceptive cultural critic Thomas Frank:
http://mondediplo.com/2004/02/04usa
I'm adding an off-topic poll because I can.
First three paragraphs in an article from the always perceptive cultural critic Thomas Frank:
http://mondediplo.com/2004/02/04usa
The problem is this: the vast majority of Americans agree with the basic platform of the Democratic Party(as well as the basic points of the Republican Party of 25-30 years ago). Nearly no one agrees with the actual platform of far-right radicals. The difference is that Democrats felt awfully comfortable that the truth would be enough to sell obviously good programs and policy, while the far-right radicals know for a fact that they can't convince anyone by being straight with them. Therefore, the far-right created campaigns based on advertising, in order to sell their ideas in a sort of bait and switch. By turning language on its head, and disguising their real agenda, the far-right has conducted a culture war upon America. They do all sorts of creative things, like create multiple dummy "grassroots" organizations, so that they can pretend to be a populist movement. They lie without hesitation, because by the time a lie is tracked down, no one in this high-speed MTV world cares anymore.
Cain
Straussian
I'll note multiple views (~16) as of this writing and only a single vote cast for the most important poll ever.
The problem is this: the vast majority of Americans agree with the basic platform of the Democratic Party(as well as the basic points of the Republican Party of 25-30 years ago). Nearly no one agrees with the actual platform of far-right radicals. The difference is that Democrats felt awfully comfortable that the truth would be enough to sell obviously good programs and policy, while the far-right radicals know for a fact that they can't convince anyone by being straight with them. Therefore, the far-right created campaigns based on advertising, in order to sell their ideas in a sort of bait and switch. By turning language on its head, and disguising their real agenda, the far-right has conducted a culture war upon America. They do all sorts of creative things, like create multiple dummy "grassroots" organizations, so that they can pretend to be a populist movement. They lie without hesitation, because by the time a lie is tracked down, no one in this high-speed MTV world cares anymore.[/quote]
I somewhat agree. The problem IS with the so-called cultural war. The idea is that if you pander to homophobes, religious nutcases, anti-abortion groups, and lunatic gun-activists, then they'll ignore more important economic issues. But that's not the whole case. Many are opposed to the nasty, omnipresent federal government, and genuinely believe Republicans will reduce its size and scope. Moreover, an oft-cited 2000 _Time_ poll found that something like 19% of people believe they're in the top 1% of income earners. A further 20% believed they would be in the top 1% one day. If you tell fellow Americans that less than 5% tax filers pays a rate higher than 28% in income taxes, they won't believe you.
Many people in our society are under the impression that they can (and will) become rich. It's not implausible for them to see themselves owning a sprawling estate (usually a ranch) and telling homophobic jokes down at the club with great fanfare. However, it IS unimaginable to see themselves at the over-priced independent book store in town, listening to a talk by Susan Sontag on her latest novel.
It doesn't help that Susan Sontag sucks, but still.
No comment about Sontag...
As far as the rest; yes, many Americans are foolish enough to believe that if only they vote Republican, they can become rich, when the reality is that the vast majority of them will not. Somehow, people have been convinced that somehow it is government regulation that is keeping people from becoming millionaires, as though if only the current millionaires would become billionaires, the rest of us would magically see our incomes triple, or more.
As far as the rest; yes, many Americans are foolish enough to believe that if only they vote Republican, they can become rich, when the reality is that the vast majority of them will not. Somehow, people have been convinced that somehow it is government regulation that is keeping people from becoming millionaires, as though if only the current millionaires would become billionaires, the rest of us would magically see our incomes triple, or more.
On the other hand, periodically they are persuaded by teh Democrats that voting for them will ensure that they are looked after when they're old or sick.
And that's just about as true as being rich under republican leadership.
At least in the U.S. there is a belief that hard work and talent can and should yield results. Failure is seen as part of the attempting to succeed process.
Maybe it's just one of those things about humans that that's the right amount of money to have in the right number of hands. or is it one of those things about bell curves
And that's just about as true as being rich under republican leadership.
At least in the U.S. there is a belief that hard work and talent can and should yield results. Failure is seen as part of the attempting to succeed process.
Maybe it's just one of those things about humans that that's the right amount of money to have in the right number of hands. or is it one of those things about bell curves
Comic-sans isn't exactly my favourite font, in fact it makes my eyes go squiggly with staring at it for too long, and round my neck-of-the-woods it's excessively used in e-mails by people who want to appear ever so slightly wacky and, well, comic really; a kind of virtual equivalent of the cartoon character tie. However, I'm aware that Comic-sans is recommended as an accessible font for web designers who wish to make their pages accessible for users with dyslexia. The variable letter-widths and general assymetry of the typeface seems to ameliorate the "jumping-around" of letters and words that many users with dyslexia experience when trying to read more conventional typefaces.
Unfortunately the typeface caused a bit of a storm in the past few years, with detractors going so far as to delete the font from computers they use, which is not only an unbelievably elitist, and selfish act of vandalism, but also re-inforces the stereotype that (visual) designers are a bunch of squabble-obsessed anal retentives who need to pull their thumbs out their arses (can we still say arses?), get over their personality defects and get in touch with the real world, which is sad really, because some of them are interesting to know and have useful ideas to offer.
<on-topic>is this surprising when you have a political continuum which runs from center-right to far-right? Hegemony - you carnt beat it!
Unfortunately the typeface caused a bit of a storm in the past few years, with detractors going so far as to delete the font from computers they use, which is not only an unbelievably elitist, and selfish act of vandalism, but also re-inforces the stereotype that (visual) designers are a bunch of squabble-obsessed anal retentives who need to pull their thumbs out their arses (can we still say arses?), get over their personality defects and get in touch with the real world, which is sad really, because some of them are interesting to know and have useful ideas to offer.
<on-topic>is this surprising when you have a political continuum which runs from center-right to far-right? Hegemony - you carnt beat it!
Since I'm one of those people who refuses to have Comic Sans installed on his machine, I didn't know what you were talking about.
So: 1) Comic Sans does suck, and people who use it need to stop.
2) Pretty much everyone's dead-on about the myth of hard work and lying because you never get caught and everyone thinking they'll be rich someday and it's really frustrating.
So: 1) Comic Sans does suck, and people who use it need to stop.
2) Pretty much everyone's dead-on about the myth of hard work and lying because you never get caught and everyone thinking they'll be rich someday and it's really frustrating.
Zero said:
Sure. Where do I sign up. Our slogan might be "From each according to abilities, To each according to his needs".
Equal Results is so much more appealing than Equal Opportunity; you wonder why no one ever tried to make it work. What the hey: 100,000,000 deaths is nothing.
Zero said:
Sorry you don't understand reality as history presents it. Someone said: "life is tough, and it's even tougher if you're stupid". Or if that doesn't apply, paraphrasing Winston, "If you are under 30 and not a liberal you have a hard heart, if you are over 30 and liberal you have a soft head"; maybe it's 35 or 40 now -- people seem to mature later now.
The usual Looooooony Left response to the actual point I made is "but... but... maybe only 30,000,000 were actually killed".
Or you can continue to spew petulant insults at those you disagree with.
Ummm...the transmission is coming in clearer, but it seems to be in a foreign language.hammegk said:
Sorry you don't understand reality as history presents it. Someone said: "life is tough, and it's even tougher if you're stupid". Or if that doesn't apply, paraphrasing Winston, "If you are under 30 and not a liberal you have a hard heart, if you are over 30 and liberal you have a soft head"; maybe it's 35 or 40 now -- people seem to mature later now.
The usual Looooooony Left response to the actual point I made is "but... but... maybe only 30,000,000 were actually killed".
Or you can continue to spew petulant insults at those you disagree with.
Cain
Straussian
Let me say I had no idea comic sans was so intensely detested. Now I feel like a complete e-loser/cyber-virgin/n00b.
The curmudgeonly disposition of building up an irrational and hostile attitude against something cosmetic and popular is exactly what I do best (or so I thought). This is an embarrassing lapse.
The curmudgeonly disposition of building up an irrational and hostile attitude against something cosmetic and popular is exactly what I do best (or so I thought). This is an embarrassing lapse.