Portland, Ore

Discussion in 'Politics' started by mathman, Jul 21, 2020.

  1. Thus Spoke Registered Senior Member

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    The term "silent majority" isn’t a reference to the popular vote.

    The United States is not a democracy. It's a democratic republic. The Supreme Court retains the right to veto unconstitutional democratic legislation. That’s a good thing because the electoral college was set up so that the majority couldn’t impose its will on the minority.
     
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  3. Thus Spoke Registered Senior Member

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    'Mad' as in cognitive decline?
     
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  5. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Ah, so what you meant to say is that the silent minority will vote for the bad ringleader, while the silent majority votes for the good ringleader.
     
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  7. Thus Spoke Registered Senior Member

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    I used the term correctly. It's your misconception that's throwing you off.

    The topic is about what's happening in Portland, Oregon. My point stands.

    “When property damage is undertaken for the purpose of intimidating a government or society at large, it may be categorized by government agencies as terrorism.”
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2020
  8. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Nope. A majority voted for Clinton. A minority voted for Trump. Trump is, today, the bad ringleader, sowing division and discord and working for unrest because it will help him win re-election.
    And like I said, I am glad that we did just that back around 1776. And while I am not happy that property got damaged, I am very happy that the protests are working - and some of the inequalities in our society are being addressed.
     
  9. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    'Mad', as in full-blown raging psychosis. Plus cognitive impairment - obviously.
     
  10. (Q) Encephaloid Martini Valued Senior Member

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    So instead, we now have the minority imposing it's will onto the majority. Is that democracy?
     
  11. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    No matter how many times you repeat this, it's not going to change the fact that there is no real "intimidation" here. Intimidation typically involves threats of violence, employment of weaponry in one form or another, and the like. We've seen some of that recently, of course, but the perpetrators were on the wrong side--you know, they were "protesting" lockdowns, having to wear face masks, certain gun control measures, that sort of thing--like these guys:

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!


    https://www.rollingstone.com/politi...capitol-building-with-zero-resistance-946606/

    Of course, they're armed and wearing masks, but not for health reasons. Pretty damned intimidating, I would think, but no federal troops were deployed for that sort of thing--why was that?
     
  12. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    Geez! The domestic terr'ris' with the knife on his shoulder can't be much over 17 - just a dumb kid, playing at sojers.
    But then, that's what Mao recruited to do his dirty work, and ISIS, and you know who, back in '36....
    Before this is over, a lot of dumb kids are leaving their blood on a lot of stone, cement and marble steps.
     
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  13. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    One of the scary things is that those people are indistingishable from Trump's "shock troops" - military gear but no rank insignia, no nametag, no affiliation.

    Let's say you see your wife being pulled into a van late at night by two of these thugs. You draw your weapon and open fire, killing them and rescuing your wife. Did you just kill some right wing terrorists? Or federal agents?
     
  14. gmilam Valued Senior Member

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    Right now, I'm not sure there's a difference.
     
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  15. candy Valued Senior Member

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    Question; Did the peaceful protestors attempt to set fire to the federal courthouse with people inside?


    Federal agents are suppose to identify themselves as federal agents; they should be wearing marked clothing but with DJT anything is possible.
     
  16. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    To the right wing there is. And there's a common right wing fantasy about pulling their weapon and defending their loved ones from evildoers. That might represent some serious cognitive dissonance for some.
     
  17. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    How does the canned-goods operation work? I mean, after the shootout between anonymous federal agents and freedom-loving proud white citizens? Which bodies are dressed in BLM teeshirts, which in city police uniforms?
    None of these crazy pretenses are sustainable when the whole world is watching all the time. When do they come out with the true flag?
     
  18. parmalee peripatetic artisan Valued Senior Member

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    Yet somehow they persist--and have a much, much longer shelf-life than any sane and rational person would expect. And in a day and age wherein the overwhelming majority of the populace have practically instant access to information (and disinformation), something that was virtually inconceivable a century ago.

    For instance, how does a person maintain the delusion that this coronavirus is a "hoax?" Perpetrated by whom, exactly? George Soros? And how did he get the whole planet on board with it?

    We don't know who set fire to the federal building in Portland. Yet, given what we've seen to date--and especially over the past few days--it's not that far-fetched to suspect that it was set by right-wing instigators or provocateurs--or even "the Feds" themselves, given what we know of certain FBI practices, say--as opposed to the actual protestors. I'm not endorsing that theory--in the absence of any substantive evidence, I'm trying not to assume anything--I'm just saying that it's not the far-fetched "conspiracy theory" it once might have been.

    However, some of these other ruses are pretty, uh, inexpert?. Yet they've got legs. How does that work?
     
  19. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    It's Google's fault. Well, not entirely, but this practice on the internet of offering every user what he or she is presumed to prefer, rather than undiluted information. To so extent, all mass media do this: cater to a designated audience and tailor their content and tone to their sponsors' requirement. That's just capitalism armed with technology. But the Tea Party Belt has been subjected to a particularly aggressive, co-ordinated propaganda campaign for some decades now. Imagine, at least one generation that has literally never heard any other point of view but the political right - and often very far right.

    You and I don't, but a whole lot of people with the very same dearth of factual information, are absolutely sure that they do know.
    I suspect that conspirators conspired to discredit all conspiracy theories - the plausible along with the fanciful - and muzzle all 'conspiracy theorists' - the experts along with the kooks. Maybe we do use imagination to fill in the blanks where they won't tell us what's really going on, or to replace obvious lies... But collusion is as old as civilization and every tyrant in history has been able to gather a group of willing expediters, extortionists, explainers and executioners.

    There is no known limit to the depth of human stupidity. When it's harnessed in tandem with self-interest and irrational fear, there is no known limit to its destructive power. And it's so malleable, a dim toddler can drive that wagon over that cliff.
     
  20. Thus Spoke Registered Senior Member

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    Property damage? At least 28 people have died during the protests. So, you support violence. Good to know.

    The U.S. is not a democracy. We’re a democratic republic.

    That’s not true at all. There’re not only threats of violence, there’s violence, weapons, fires, deaths, and countless injuries.

    They weren’t breaking the law. It wasn’t a federal building.

    No, not that I’m aware of.

    They were. You can see their insignias in almost every picture.
     
  21. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    Show three such pictures, explain what the insignias mean and tell us what the protocol is for their self-identification when stopping a citizen going about his or her lawful occupations.
    Who died? Of what cause? Through whose fault? Please list the victims and the relevance of each to the presence of unwanted federal agents in Portland.
    How does 'republic' invalidate the concept of democratic governance?
     
  22. Vociferous Valued Senior Member

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    It's called enforcing long-existing law. The federal government has the legal right to protect federal lands and prosecute vandals and arsonists. Trump hasn't outlawed anything nor changed these laws.
    So this is just a typical panicky leftist, looking for any excuse to cry "the sky is falling".

    No, enforcing existing law is no where near approaching martial law. And Trump didn't manufacture the laws he's enforcing in Portland.
    Again, leftists crying "the sky is falling".

    Nonsense. Demonstrations do not use violence.

    Not on federal property.

    Someone needs to learn the difference between terrorism and revolution. Hint: there's been no sudden change of political power in any of these cities.

    What ignorant garbage. The Wiemar Republic didn't start by simply protecting federal property under existing law. Just panicky leftists saying demonstrably stupid stuff.

    Really? Laws that existed long before Trump are somehow suddenly authoritarian techniques? Quit panicking over completely ordinary enforcement of long-existing laws.
    The instigators are the rioters and arsonists who weren't happy just vandalizing local property. They've targeted federal property for a reason.
    You don't make riots worse by refusing to enforce the law. You do make riots worse by being the governor and majors who have ordered the police to stand down from protecting the peace. These Democrats are derelict in their sworn duties.

    Again, vandalism and arson on federal property needs no permission to be enforced by the federal government.

    Not against political opponents. Against derelict politicians who refuse to protect the peace. Trump can't help it that those pieces of crap are all Democrats.
    No DHS, CBP, etc. are not a private army. Quit panicking over the simple protection of federal property. You're being duped by Democrats and leftist media who are apparently correct in thinking you're too ignorant to know any better than what they spoon feed you.
    But just keep on yelling "the sky is falling".
     
  23. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    5,089
    the sky is falling
     

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