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Messages - AATW

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1
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: March 19, 2024, 09:04:59 AM »
This must be a pretty big cult if Trump is even or leading in the polls.
Well yeah, it is. I mean, he won in 2016. Not just because of his cult - it's big, but not big enough to win an election on its own. He benefitted from quite a sizeable "anyone by Hillary" vote too.
He lost in 2020 because there was a more palatable opponent.
Unfortunately that opponent is now considered unfit for office. I mean, I don't think Trump is fit for office either, in a different way. As always, The Simpsons showed us the way...


2
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: March 18, 2024, 08:20:37 PM »

3
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: March 15, 2024, 09:04:12 AM »
Comedy routines involving "random" ordinary people saying stupid things should never be taken as a representative sample of anything or in any way meaningful. It's a very real possibility that these interviews were entirely scripted and these people were paid to take part in the charade. And if they weren't scripted, they were almost certainly carefully selected from dozens of other interviews. If you spend hours and hours talking to lots and lots of people, you're bound to eventually run into someone of picturesque stupidity.
Well, that's all fair.
But Trump's going to get in again, isn't he? The number of people who think like the above are not insignificant. We see people on here posting like it. It doesn't matter what is said or done, the only think that matters is who said or did it. Trump good. Biden bad. Simple as that.

4
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: March 14, 2024, 01:47:32 PM »
If you are claiming the average joe on the street doesn't know their ass from a hole in the ground, you got no argument from me.
Well alrighty then. In that case I guess we're not too far apart on this one.
But it is troubling. These people can vote. And there they are doing a 180 degree turn on the spot depending on whether a certain event or comment they're presented with is said to have come from Biden (in which case it's "Boo! Hiss! Biden bad") or Trump (in which case it's "Well, he has a point. U-S-A! U-S-A!")

Again, you're getting bogged down in the detail of whether you can shine UV light in to someone and cure Covid. It doesn't matter. It was just one example in the video. There are others. The point is the people's opinions about what was said or done wasn't based on the merits of them but based entirely on who they were told had said or done those things. I'm not saying Trump has a monopoly on stupid voters by the way, but sheesh! No wonder we end up with such poor leaders.

5
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: March 14, 2024, 01:13:19 PM »
The very first question by "the "man in the street," to the layperson had to do with the issue of a "shining light cure," for respiratory illness, such as corona.

Since UV light is a safe and effective treatment, as anyone can see, can we just dispose of your nonsense now?
Are you currently in training for the "missing the point" event in the 2024 Paris Olympics?
If so then I think the US is a shoo-in for a gold medal.

The point is not whether what Trump said was stupid, or whether what Trump did was bad.

The point is that the same person when presented with a certain statement declared it the ramblings of a dementia patient when told it was Biden who said it. When the reporter pretended that "whoopsie-doodle, I got my notes mixed up" and told them it was actually Trump who said it then suddenly it was all "well, it would depend what that technology was..." and so on.

Do you see the problem?

6
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: March 14, 2024, 12:03:02 PM »
Sigh.



This is why democracy is a terrible idea.

7
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: President Joe Biden
« on: March 08, 2024, 09:45:03 AM »
I think "led" is giving him too much credit. It implies he bravely led them into battle.
Actually what he did was whip them up, said he'd "be right there with them" and then left a load of his most idiotic cult members to run riot on their own while he "bravely" watched on from afar.

But it's certainly true that they wouldn't have been there but for him, so in that sense the whole thing was his doing.

When I said he's not malicious - I don't think he's trying to take America down. But he's a narcissist who has grown up getting everything he wanted. He couldn't handle the fact that he lost so he stamped his feet and insisted he'd won, like a child. The difference is the parents of a young child who does that just laugh at them or tell them off, Trump's cult members believed him.

He won't be a good President if he gets in again, I was reminded recently of the utter bullshit he used to spout on a daily basis - he's not been so prominent over here since he stopped being President so I'd kind of forgotten. But I don't think he'll blow up the whole system, he's not capable of doing that. And at least it's the last time he'll be President so we won't have all that bullshit again in 2028.

I genuinely am not sure who I'd vote for now. I think the whole world is looking on with a sense of "Really? Is that the best two options you could come up with?"

8
Where is this evidence that "Ships always disappear below the horizon, distant landmarks are always partially obscured. And here's the point, they always disappear bottom first."? I don't see that you have provided any evidence at all. These are just statements.
I mean, this is a well known phenomenon. You have whole a Wiki page which attempts to explain why it happens on a Flat Earth.
I've also made personal observations of things like wind farms out to sea. It's noticeable how the distant turbines are obscured more. I've posted videos like the Turning Torso one - multiple observations made from different distances which show the effect. And you can find many timelapse videos on YouTube showing ships going out to sea or coming in to harbour which clearly show the effect.
Do you have an example of a timelapse or other observation where it does not occur?

Quote
Also, the type of curve that this effect is making may not be compatible with creating noticeable obscuration of something near the surface at 23 miles. Most of the examples of variable light curvature of a closer distance. As I have stated, I could either see the other shore or I could not. If light is bending it would need to be bent in a special and precise way to half-obscure a distant 23 mile landmass.
As a wise man once said, Where is this evidence that "The entire beach is visible down to the water splashing upon the shore."? I don't see that you have provided any evidence at all. These are just statements.

And the point you are desperately trying to avoid is that you claim that "provided that there is no fog and the day is clear and calm, the same result comes up over and over throughout the year.". Again, no evidence provided, just your statements. And yet on the aforementioned Wiki page you claim the effect is inconsistent.

9
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: February 21, 2024, 06:58:11 AM »
Well, it looks like there are a lot of very stupid people out there
That was pretty much my point

10
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: President Joe Biden
« on: February 20, 2024, 06:06:36 PM »
Biden just isn’t well enough to be president. He’s not well enough physically or mentally.
Hmm. I dunno about this. To me, one of them (Trump, to avoid ambiguity) has bad intentions, while the other one is "just" in bad health*. We definitely agree that neither is ideal. But, to me, it seems like our options are a comparably healthy person who's actively malicious, and one person who might end up handing power over to another milquetoast Democrat if things get bad enough.

* - if we even accept that narrative to begin with. I honestly don't know if he's any worse than Trump on that front. Recall the hysteria around Trump's health when he was president - and the counter-argument in which his health was declared to be Truly Presidential™ by his doctor.
I'm not sure Trump is actually malicious. He's not trying to take America down from the inside. He's certainly a narcissist and I suspect he mostly wants to be president to go down in history and as a route to making ever more money. His physical health probably isn't that great, I think mentally he's mostly all there, but in other ways he does have a somewhat tenuous grip on reality. I was reminded earlier about Trump's rambling about Covid - his thoughts that they could just shine UV light into people to eradicate the virus. Chuckle. But, overall, I don't think the world will fall apart if (I'm coming to the depressing opinion that it's "when") he's president again.

But I do take gary's point that the world isn't falling apart now either, so maybe I'll change my vote. Not that I get one. It's two pretty depressing options, makes our lot almost look competent. Almost...

11
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: February 20, 2024, 08:51:27 AM »
You characterized the pitch of the sneakers as "grifting."
Yes. And, unusually, you are right in that I somewhat mischaracterized it as such.

Quote
Are you against licensing agreements?
I'm against idiots further enriching Trump. But I guess it's their money to waste as they see fit.

12
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: February 19, 2024, 05:22:26 PM »
I didn't mean he was actually defrauding people.
I mean, if you're going to go around spending $300 on sneakers then you're clearly an idiot, but I guess that's your business.
I just find it hilarious how easy Trump finds it to extract money from his cult.

14
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: February 18, 2024, 09:11:06 PM »

15
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: February 18, 2024, 01:32:05 PM »

16
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: President Joe Biden
« on: February 18, 2024, 11:27:42 AM »
compos mentis1
Ah. Thanks. I rarely see it written down so I took a punt!

Quote
Many of the things he's said, especially during his presidency when his publicity was at its highest, strongly suggested that his grasp on reality was tenuous at best. Are you sure that you're comparing the two fairly, rather than falling for the trap of hearing Biden say silly things more recently?

I largely agree that Trump has little grasp of reality but I think it’s in a different way to Biden. Trump doesn’t seem to know or care what is true, and I agree that’s not an ideal trait in a president. And I basically hate everything he says and stands for. But I think he’s basically mentally all there. He talks bollocks but does so because he’s an idiot and a narcissist. He’s not actually demented. I think he’d get through to the end of the presidency without needing to go into a care home. We had 4 years of Trump before and although I tired of his nonsense the world didn’t fall apart.
Biden just isn’t well enough to be president. He’s not well enough physically or mentally.

They’re both terrible options and it’s quite the dilemma for the US population. Obviously the Trump cult will vote for him whatever happens. That’s not enough to win an election though and I thought after Trump’s behaviour there’s no way they’d elect him again. But with the state of Biden’s health I don’t see how they can give him a second term.

17
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: President Joe Biden
« on: February 17, 2024, 08:18:17 PM »
I can't think of anyone off hand.
Trump it is then, unless he’s in prison.
I was talking to a mate about this yesterday and we both agreed we’d both probably vote for Trump if we were in the US. I can’t stand him, but he is at least compus mentus. Biden just isn’t fit to run the country. Even if he was now, he’s 81. There’s no guarantee he’d get through the 4 years. Why the hell would you elect someone of that age to be president? No one is as sharp at that age as they are in their prime.

Our lot aren’t competent and the options in the UK are fairly depressing but they are at least physically and mentally fit enough to govern.

18
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: President Joe Biden
« on: February 17, 2024, 01:20:30 PM »
Well, you said it made sense for Biden not to drop out. It doesn't.
Who would even replace him?
There surely has to be someone else who is vaguely popular and who has the mental ability to be the president. No?

19
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: February 14, 2024, 02:28:43 PM »
Trump has touched on the animosity a bit, and I agree with him.
Cult member agrees with what cult leader says and tells him to think shock exclusive.

20
Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Trump
« on: February 13, 2024, 02:31:01 PM »
Well, you should because wars are, in general a bad thing.
Seems you want everyone to be involved in one, though.
And you got that from me thinking it's bad that Trump said that he'd "encourage" nations to invade countries who don't pay their NATO subs, did you? Interesting take.

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