Social War Room Awards Thread 2021: Locking It Back Down. (The Results Are In.)

[Bourbaki]

You ever drive around EU countries? It would kinda suck if you got stopped and got the "your papers, please" routine in between every individual country. There's nothing inherently wrong with open borders. Of course there are practical concerns when you're sharing a border between vastly different nations. But within reason it's quite convenient and in a sense liberating.

And of course, some of this already is mitigated by ensuring that EU member states aren't so 'vastly different' in the relevant sense: There are conditions for membership, and those are clearly not irrelevant to the concern of sharing open borders.

 

[Sara]

Yeah, but he is an actual massage therapist.

I've seen those movies.....that's how they always start

one of my friends (or I guess acquaintances) become a like spa person (does massage, nails, waxing, etc) everyone would be like oh you can come to house and do it for free ! She finally had to say look I went to school and paid for courses for this career, I don’t ask you to come to my house and do whatever the hell your paid to do for free.

I imagine it’s like if you have a dr or nurse for a friend and your constantly asking them medical advice or to look at this!

 

[Deleted member 405583]

one of my friends (or I guess acquaintances) become a like spa person (does massage, nails, waxing, etc) everyone would be like oh you can come to house and do it for free ! She finally had to say look I went to school and paid for courses for this career, I don’t ask you to come to my house and do whatever the hell your paid to do for free.

I imagine it’s like if you have a dr or nurse for a friend and your constantly asking them medical advice or to look at this!

Tbf, your grace. I didn't ask he was offered up

 

[Sara]

Tbf, your grace. I didn't ask he was offered up

No no I know, but like I can see for example someone’s parents or spouse freely offering up services to be nice , oh you need a haircut? Kayley can cut your hair since youre coming to the BBQ! Etc.

 

[Hollywood Jack]

I'm also definitely not a centrist, if that term means like an ideological commitment to being in the center of American political debates (which itself would be an alternative to partisanship).

Just to be clear, I didn't mean you were a centrist in the sense of someone who vacillates between Democrats and Republicans and being aligned with either the left or right or neither at any given time. I meant more someone who's more in the center ideologically or is more of a centrist Democrat while remaining aligned with Democrats and the left. I'm basing it off of posts I've seen from you, although they can be hard to find. But posts along these lines:

This is another fair point.

I can think of three distinct meanings of "centrist" here:

1. People who hold inconsistent views and support a mix of far-left and far-right policies.
2. What you're referring to, and what I call "bothsidesists." People who think that the truth is necessarily near the halfway point of any popular controversy or think that it's necessarily wrong to consistently agree with one "side" over another regardless of the content of individual arguments.
3. Empirically minded pragmatists, who don't expect huge change and think of the way forward as hard-fought, small changes rather than a remaking of society.

I'm a centrist in that third sense. I support capitalism, not because I think any other system is evil, but because it's what's been shown to best to improve the lives of people, though it has significant holes that necessitate things like regulations, a safety net, and policy directed at increasing opportunity for the non-rich. I think single-payer would be a good system to start from scratch with, but I'm very pessimistic about it working politically in America, and I think the effort to get it has been an obstacle to making smaller reforms (which the ACA finally did). Etc.

I remember a post where you said something along the lines of taking a political compass and being right in the middle. Unfortunately, I'm probably never going to find that post again. I'm sure I didn't describe this perfectly and my intent wasn't to take you out of context or anything like that. It's a descriptor rather than a putdown.

Also, I realize how subjective the term "centrist" can be. There are leftists like Kyle Kulinski who see themselves as "international centrists" because social democracy is considered to be pretty "center" in Scandinavia and Western Europe. In a sense, I can see myself as being "center" when the Overton window is aligned in such a way. But within US politics, I'm decidedly left-of-center.

 

[Jack V Savage]

Just to be clear, I didn't mean you were a centrist in the sense of someone who vacillates between Democrats and Republicans and being aligned with either the left or right or neither at any given time. I meant more someone who's more in the center ideologically or is more of a centrist Democrat while remaining aligned with Democrats and the left. I'm basing it off of posts I've seen from you, although they can be hard to find.

I'd say that centrist Democrats are like Manchin and Sinema. Can't stand them. Like I said, I'm not in the center ideologically. I'm on the left. I support stuff like a SWF, SS for kids, and a land-value tax replacing income and corporate taxes, among other things. Stuff that wouldn't pass today. Also a big increase in (legal and regulated) immigration.

But posts along these lines:

I remember a post where you said something along the lines of taking a political compass and being right in the middle. Unfortunately, I'm probably never going to find that post again. I'm sure I didn't describe this perfectly and my intent wasn't to take you out of context or anything like that. It's a descriptor rather than a putdown.

No, definitely never came up right in the middle of a political compass test, and I generally dislike those because it uses "left" and "right" but in ways that differ from the normal usages of those terms (generally refers to one's position on equality vs. hierarchy).

Also, I realize how subjective the term "centrist" can be. There are leftists like Kyle Kulinski who see themselves as "international centrists" because social democracy is considered to be pretty "center" in Scandinavia and Western Europe. In a sense, I can see myself as being "center" when the Overton window is aligned in such a way. But within US politics, I'm decidedly left-of-center.

That goes back to the thinking in the old post you cited. The term is pretty unclear, and we should specify. As I said in this thread, I'm a conservative on the conservative/radical axis, but decidedly left on the left/right axis, and more than anything a liberal.

I think the "centrist" label comes up because I have contempt for the populist left, which I regard as just being dumb rather than "too far left" or something. Populist leftists often try to tar their opponents on the left with the "partisan" label, but it's not an accurate representation of reality. There's this game they play: "I'm on the left, and I criticize other leftists so I'm super independent and cool, but if they criticize me back, they're not criticizing their own side; they're just hacks."

 

[Islam Imamate]

You really do snipe at @Bald1 pretty often. <45>

True but I genuinely dislike that mentality, that offering tepid centrist takes and resisting political labels somehow makes one an independent thinker. I get it if you're a teenager but you should grow out of that mentality eventually.

 

[Sara]

True but I genuinely dislike that mentality, that offering tepid centrist takes and resisting political labels somehow makes one an independent thinker. I get it if you're a teenager but you should grow out of that mentality eventually.

Sounds kinda like you need to grow up too

 

[Yehudim]

Spoiler: A Word To The Wise

Attacking my boys @Rebelfett and @Khabib Khanate is a great way to get a hard dick forcibly shoved up your arsehole. I'll straight up buck break and take your fucking manhood, okay? Don't do that.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Is there documented proof that moderators and administrators of internet forums have had sex in their lives?

This is a serious question

 

[bobgeese]

???

You were losing the argument so you checked out and started making up a position and attributing to me. Normal thing, but why act surprised?

 

[Sara]

Is there documented proof that moderators and administrators of internet forums have had sex in their lives?

This is a serious question

I know like 2 have for sure.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Sounds kinda like you need to grow up too

That's rich coming from you of all people.

Is there documented proof that moderators and administrators of internet forums have had sex in their lives?

This is a serious question

The evidence is inconclusive at best.

 

[Yehudim]

True but I genuinely dislike that mentality, that offering tepid centrist takes and resisting political labels somehow makes one an independent thinker. I get it if you're a teenager but you should grow out of that mentality eventually.

My only problem is that it doesn't really exist, you're center-right or center-left. A guy like Bald1 certainly leans to the right in his worldview, even if he is close to the center. It's plain to see. I also dislike labels but if the shoe fits...

 

[Yehudim]

I know like 2 have for sure.

According to anonymous sources?

 

[Sara]

That's rich coming from you of all people.

The evidence is inconclusive at best.

Yeah I’m not in a visible position of authority, like it or not you have to be held in a higher regard.

 

[Sara]

According to anonymous sources?

I mean not so anonymous

 

[Yehudim]

I mean not so anonymous

Unless you show me a signed statement along with video of a woman admitting to sex with a mod or admin, verified by at least 3 independent sources, and legally notarized, I'm not buying it.

 

[Sara]

Unless you show me a signed statement along with video of a woman admitting to sex with a mod or admin, verified by at least 3 independent sources, and legally notarized, I'm not buying it.

Well that seems excessive.

 

[Yehudim]

Well that seems excessive.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

 

[Islam Imamate]

My only problem is that it doesn't really exist, you're center-right or center-left. A guy like Bald1 certainly leans to the right in his worldview, even if he is close to the center. It's plain to see. I also dislike labels but if the shoe fits...

The thing is people like that feel that admitting that you lean one way or the other means you are admitting to "bias" or that it makes you a "partisan"

But that's not really true. A sober minded, well informed person is generally going to have some set of values and policy preferences that generally has them leaning one way or the other. You can do that without necessarily being partisan or biased.

As for labels, they have their limitations but they can be a useful shorthand to communicate one's general values. Some people believe that they appear more credible by resisting such labels but I don't really see it that way.

Yeah I’m not I’m a visible position of authority, like it or not you have to be held in a higher regard.

Uh, what does that have to do with this conversation? I can't call out other posters for silly ideas because I'm in "a visible position of authority"? Also lmao at describing a mod of a dying karate forum in such terms.