1

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 28, 2024, 10:28:50 AM »

Do you really think that Trump sincerely believes that Haitian migrants are running amok and eating pets in Springfield? I certainly don't. This is a strategic move on his part. He's seen success with makiig racist or racially-charged attacks in the past, and he's trying to replicate that.

I dunno. I don’t think he’s that smart.
If he is just playing dumb then he deserves an Oscar. It’s a triumph of method acting.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 27, 2024, 08:40:27 AM »

Yes, it’s doubtful that the case will go anywhere, but it’s yet another example of the number of fucks that Trump gives about the truth and the potential consequences of his words and actions.

Right.
This is my big issue with Trump. I disagree with his general worldview. But that's OK, that can be the basis for some discussion.
But the big issue is the way he comes to decisions and conclusions about things.
He sees something on TV about Haitians eating cats in Springfield - from one of the networks he watches which constantly reinforce his worldview.
He regurgitates it in the debate, is immediately told that there are no credible reports of that actually happening and just mutters "well, I saw it on TV..."

I think literally the next day he's announcing mass deportations, clearly having made zero effort to actually check anything

Now, clearly the mass immigration in to Springfield has caused issues. It's reasonable to believe that something should be done. But the something should be based on actual facts and an understanding of the situation, not right leaning media outlets feeding you lies which you don't bother to check and then start basing policy on even after being told that they were lies.

For someone who goes on about "fake news" all the time, he sure does like to lap up all the lies which feed in to his worldview. Which is depressingly common these days of course, but I don't think anyone who does that should be in any position of power. Make policy based on data and facts, not "stuff you saw on TV". Sigh.

3

Flat Earth Theory / Re: The Firmament /Dome

« on: September 18, 2024, 02:19:40 PM »

The real flying altitude of commercial airplanes is some 6-7 km:

No it isn't.
But even if it was, that would still mean you're half the distance to the sun when you're flying.
Shouldn't it appear twice as big?

4

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: September 18, 2024, 09:15:35 AM »

Oh really, so if I disarmed your police and military entirely, would you feel more or less safe?

I said "people", I'm talking about the general population.
Again, the concept of a "disarmed military" is a nonsensical oxymoron.
I think I'd feel less safe if police routinely carried guns. But overall I agree it's the right thing that they have specialist units who can.

Only in the mind of a person such as yourself does it make sense to disarm the citizens of a country but allow its government to own and distribute weapons only to people it chooses to.

And only in the mind of a person such as yourself does it make sense to let "the people" have guns so they can rise up against the government and then spend most of their time shooting each other rather than doing that.

The purpose of removing guns from a population is not for the benefit of the population; it's for the benefit of the government ruling over them.

What  benefit to the government get from doing that? What, it would mean you can't all rise up against them? You can't anyway. I mean, you could try but they've got much bigger and better toys than you. And you don't have an authoritarian government anyway so why would you want to? In case you ever have one? That seems vanishingly unlikely and even if it did ever happen see above about the better toys they have. I know whose side my money would be on.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: September 18, 2024, 08:20:04 AM »

The only reason you keep bringing this up

I didn't. Rushy did - look at the post I was actually responding to.

Also, the primary intent of the Second Amendment in the US is not for the purpose of personal safety, so your safety argument is irrelevant.

The Second Amendment was written before the government had drones, missiles and nuclear weapons.
The safety argument is not mine, it's one often trotted out by gun fans.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: September 17, 2024, 03:07:32 PM »

You already live in a society where people feel the need to carry guns to feel safe.

Incorrect. People don't carry guns here. The police here don't routinely carry guns either. There are some specialist units who do but, in general people do not carry guns not feel the need to. I'll leave you to think about how nonsensical the concept of a disarmed military is.

The problem isn't the gun.

Up to a point, but removing the guns is an easier fix than trying to fix a large population, a percentage of which will obviously be mental because statistics.

7

Flat Earth Theory / Re: The Firmament /Dome

« on: September 17, 2024, 01:13:57 PM »

The Sun measures 636 meters in diameter, the orbital altitude is some 10-12 km.

That's roughly in the range of cruising altitude of commercial planes. Why don't they hit it? Or at least be noticeably closer to it.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: September 17, 2024, 10:16:06 AM »

It's just like AATW calling out his own country. He doesn't trust his fellow countrymen with guns because he doesn't trust himself with guns and projects it onto others.

I don't particularly want to live in a society where people feel the need to have or carry guns around to feel safe.

The fact of the matter is that Dems cheat elections, rig them so that you can't track their cheating, then, when that doesn't work, they try to shoot you dead.

So...they probably shouldn't have guns then.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 16, 2024, 01:29:37 PM »

It's not a very good attempt if you don't even get a shot off.
I'm amazed this sort of thing doesn't happen all the time in the US, given that you're all armed to the teeth because reasons.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 16, 2024, 08:00:35 AM »

He wasn't admitting that the whole thing was a lie.

Why wasn't he? He's been told it's a lie. The police in the town have quite loudly stated there are no credible reports of this happening.
Trump was told that in realtime during the debate, he just muttered "Well, I saw it on TV".
Oh well, that's ok then. No further questions.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 14, 2024, 07:48:22 AM »

Nice opinion.

Of course it's an opinion. You literally just finished pointing out that the US Presidential Debate doesn't have an objective winner.
Now you're confused that this is a matter of opinion?

But as I said earlier, freedom is in the eye of the beholder. You're free if you think you are and we overwhelmingly believe we are.
Attempts to objectively measure this agree. So yes, we're OK thanks.

All you're doing is standing outside someone's house shouting through the window about how shit it is. Well ok, don't come and live here then. We do live here and we mostly think it's fine thanks. Not perfect, which house is - yours definitely isn't. But, as these things go, it's fine. Thanks for your concern though, obvs.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 13, 2024, 07:58:28 AM »

It is quite funny seeing Trump wandering around claiming he won a debate which he clearly lost, claiming the polls show he won when they clearly don't. I'm sure there are polls of MAGA cult members which do say that, but they're too far gone to be taken seriously.
He behaves like a child who just lost a race and goes around saying "I won! I won! I definitely won!". It's a bit sad really, especially considering there's still a decent chance he could be president again.
In his head he probably does believe he won, he lies to himself as much as he does to others. And it's somewhat depressing that it won't have moved the dial one bit for millions of people who will vote for him no matter what.
But maybe for people who are still undecided his rambling display compared with Harris' far more assured one - and her ability to get under that wafer thin skin of his - will have given them some pause for thought.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 13, 2024, 07:26:08 AM »

it actually doesn't look like that. at all.

To be fair, Tom has quoted a highly reliable source for his claim. The source being the bloke who clearly lost the debate 

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 12, 2024, 05:09:35 PM »

In the books 1985

Is that the sequel to 1984? Is it any good?

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 12, 2024, 04:28:49 PM »

Ah yes, that's why it constantly appears in your major news outlets

It doesn't.

You can't say rude things about people online without getting arrested for it in the UK

Yes you can.

Woah, the word "dystopian" and "authoritarian"

The words I used were hyperbole, so were yours.
But to answer the OP once again - yes, the UK is OK, thanks for asking.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 12, 2024, 11:43:48 AM »

I don't see how "not okay" translated to "dystopian authoritarian nightmare".

Yes, where did I get that idea?!

your government is a chaotic cacophony of nonsense that involves sending people to jail for tweets.

Once again, unsurprisingly, a foreigner cannot comprehend the idea of a right enshrined by the government, because they don't have any rights! Your government doesn't trust you to tweet your own thoughts or to own a weapon. You don't even trust each other to own them, either! A true nightmare of a civilization.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 12, 2024, 08:17:35 AM »

It isn't even that hard to find these. Surely if this was so rare, the UK wouldn't constantly have news articles about it?

If it was that common it wouldn't be newsworthy, it would just be how things are.
As I said earlier in the thread, in some ways neither the US or the UK is OK. Both nations have their issues.
But in other ways, including the freedoms we enjoy, both countries are basically OK.
Organisations who attempt to objectively measure these things regard both nations as free, and people in the UK overwhelmingly feel they're free.
So yes, we're OK thanks.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 11, 2024, 08:31:17 AM »

You said "entire police force". This is incorrect.
You have cherry picked a couple of examples - I have provided examples of similar things happening in the US.

If you want to keep believing that the UK is a dystopian authoritarian nightmare because it makes you feel warm and fuzzy and allows you to shout U-S-A! U-S-A! and wave your little flags then you go right ahead

19

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 10, 2024, 01:23:00 PM »

Culturally, this erupts as an entire police force that punishes people for speech crimes.

No.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 10, 2024, 08:33:00 AM »

Apparently, you can't even give the simple opinion that the Monarchy should be abolished, and you would face life imprisonment for such an opinion.

And in the US you can't even cross the road until the little man tells you. Except when I mentioned that earlier in this thread I was (correctly) informed that in practice that is almost never enforced. So sure, the UK has some silly and outdated laws. So does the US - I posted a link above of a silly laws, one for each State. But in practice in both countries these are rarely or never enforced. I know plenty of people who loudly say we shouldn't have a monarchy. None of them have been dragged off to the salt mines.

This looming threat shows that the UK is an authoritarian state which does not grant its people freedom of belief. Anyone who wants to express this belief that it is time for the Monarchy to go away would be in fear of their freedom should they do so.

No they wouldn't.

Since I have more rights than you do, I am free to express that my system of government should be abolished and re-done without worry of prosecution. This something you are not allowed to express about your Constitutional Monarchy.

Yes it is (I mean in practice - even if in theory you are correct, in practice you are not).

there is a difference between words and actions.

Right. So the words of the law may say one thing but in reality there is no action for some of the things you claim we should be afraid of stating an opinion about. Now you're getting it.

Parents teach their children not to hit people in response to words.

And how does that often go? Words can lead to actions.

The difference is, of course, when you get banned on this website there are no legal consequences.

A banning on this site is analogous to a jailing in real life. I was making the comparison to explain that any society in real life or online is governed by rules which limit what we can say or do.

No one is going to jail like the UK has sent people on social media to jail

Examples have been posted in this thread where that exact thing has happened in the US.

The rule you live under is a total joke.

If you say so. Lucky you don't live under it then.
I guess freedom, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. You're free if you feel you are. People in the UK feel they're free enough.

Britons overwhelmingly believe that Britain is a free country. In fact, they consider it the freest in the world. The US only finishes 5th

https://cps.org.uk/media/post/2023/does-britain-care-about-freedom-new-survey-reveals-sharp-deep-political-divides

As I said, the people over here who I see moaning about "you can't say anything these days" generally go around saying what they like with no consequence.
So we appreciate your concern but overall yes, the UK is okay thanks for asking