War Room Lounge v139: Trump has an IQ of at least 140 because he went to Wharton

[Trotsky]

I read a name recently that I hadn't thought of in a long time: Lizzie Velasquez.

She's the woman famously referred to as "the ugliest woman in the world" in 2006 on YouTube after her high school senior pictures got picked up and went viral as a laughing stock about how ugly she was. I was something like 16 when I first saw her pictures and even then I was really appalled at how low people on the internet were. This wasn't someone who sought out attention. It was just someone whose photos got picked up by someone else and then got circulated to infinity by internet bottom dwellers.

What can be done to discourage that kind of inhumanity on the internet by persons acting in anonymity? The internet is probably less cruel and slightly less pathetic than it was even a decade ago, but it's still pretty bad.

 

[The Diplomat]

Could be. I also think there was great offense taken at black people doing better and feeling better in this country and threatening the hierarchy, possibly even becoming generally suitable for marriage with their daughters. In other words, cutting to the chase, the gene pool. The deep racism. The stuff that individuals aren't really in conscious control of on any short timescale. Maybe that's giving us a pass, but it's only human.

I can say that I've talked to some old racist dudes who have an issue with that, but just about everyone in my generation, regardless of political siding, either don't care or don't put that issue high on the list of grievances. Most have accepted and are cool with it, because they grew up in the 90s and 2000s high schools where everyone just hung out and smoked weed together. Even the "christian republicans" I know may hide it, but never talk about race. It was something everyone was just slowly getting past because the younger era didn't care as much. Clearly it's still a big deal because humans make it so, but I felt like we hit a peak, and then shit hit the fan for one reason or another.

 

[Trotsky]

Might be so, but it seems like they already are. Nobody wants an echo chamber, this forum is actually more 2 sided than almost any other place I've been to. But nobody wants blatant racism either. In a perfect world, perpetual dubs and constant shame should work, but yeah, sponsors and what not.

So you recognize two truths, that the forum is more balanced than most and that racists are relatively unencumbered.

Does that mean that you believe that, if racism and race-based arguments were abolished, one side would be without a voice?

 

[tonni]

I'd hope that isn't true. This place doesn't seem too racist, but maybe I don't look in enough threads, and the only conservatives I actually like (@Sketch, @HereticBD , etc.) aren't racist pieces of shit, just a bit trollish...


then again, they're canadian, so that might explain something. Their conservative is like our moderate.

I think you're wrong about Canadians, but in any case the reason there doesn't seem to be that many racists here is exactly because of decent moderation.

 

[The Diplomat]

So you recognize two truths, that the forum is more balanced than most and that racists are relatively unencumbered.

Does that mean that you believe that, if racism and race-based arguments were abolished, one side would be without a voice?

Race based arguments (or discussion) shouldn't be abolished, as that's a natural conversation that happens in our complex society. Out right racism should be shamed and dubbed. Again? Banned, sure. But they'll just come back.

 

[The Diplomat]

I think you're wrong about Canadians, but in any case the reason there doesn't seem to be that many racists here is exactly because of decent moderation.

Who is a Belgian to speak ill of our Canadian brethren?

 

[The Diplomat]

I read a name recently that I hadn't thought of in a long time: Lizzie Velasquez.

She's the woman famously referred to as "the ugliest woman in the world" in 2006 on YouTube after her high school senior pictures got picked up and went viral as a laughing stock about how ugly she was. I was something like 16 when I first saw her pictures and even then I was really appalled at how low people on the internet were. This wasn't someone who sought out attention. It was just someone whose photos got picked up by someone else and then got circulated to infinity by internet bottom dwellers.

What can be done to discourage that kind of inhumanity on the internet by persons acting in anonymity? The internet is probably less cruel and slightly less pathetic than it was even a decade ago, but it's still pretty bad.

The internet and social media as a whole have ruined us for eternity. All for convenience sake.

 

[AnGrYcRoW]

Might be so, but it seems like they already are. Nobody wants an echo chamber, this forum is actually more 2 sided than almost any other place I've been to. But nobody wants blatant racism either. In a perfect world, perpetual dubs and constant shame should work, but yeah, sponsors and what not.

Nobody wants an echo chamber but you have to draw a line somewhere.

 

[AnGrYcRoW]

I think you're wrong about Canadians, but in any case the reason there doesn't seem to be that many racists here is exactly because of decent moderation.

Wrong how out of curiosity

 

[The Diplomat]

Nobody wants an echo chamber but you have to draw a line somewhere.

Agreed. Outright racism should be dubbed/banned/etc., but we all know they'll just come back, only to reveal themselves thousands of posts down the line

It seems like a decent system right now. I mean, I'm not particularly opposed to reporting/ignoring blatant racist posters in these regards. My main issue with that was open conversation, but those kind of posters add nothing to conversation.

 

[tonni]

Wrong how out of curiosity

A lot of the white identity politics come out of Canada.

 

[weed]

wait is Kanye running forreal?

this late in the game?

Trump winning is a lock now.

 

[Trotsky]

I can say that I've talked to some old racist dudes who have an issue with that, but just about everyone in my generation, regardless of political siding, either don't care or don't put that issue high on the list of grievances. Most have accepted and are cool with it, because they grew up in the 90s and 2000s high schools where everyone just hung out and smoked weed together. Even the "christian republicans" I know may hide it, but never talk about race. It was something everyone was just slowly getting past because the younger era didn't care as much. Clearly it's still a big deal because humans make it so, but I felt like we hit a peak, and then shit hit the fan for one reason or another.

I think your concept of your generation is a little misplaced. You may well have hung out with black people and smoked weed with them in the 1990s, 2000s, etc., but the majority of white guys your age did not, as the country is still very segregated geographically and institutionally. Hispanic and Asian Americans are spread out a little more evenly, but there is still very little overlap between white Americans and black Americans in terms of where they live and what K-12 schools they attend. Even setting aside rural and suburban communities that are >90% white, even urban communities are very segregated in terms of neighborhoods and school districts.

With that said, I think open and overt racism (by white people/against nonwhite people) is mostly just in rural communities now. But it's definitely there.

Race based arguments (or discussion) shouldn't be abolished, as that's a natural conversation that happens in our complex society. Out right racism should be shamed. Banned, sure. But they'll just come back.

Okay, that's all and good. But you didn't answer my question. Do you think that, if race based arguments were abolished (whether through the marketplace of ideas or through authority) along with outright racism, the forum would no longer be so balanced?

The internet and social media as a whole have ruined us for eternity. All for convenience sake.

I don't think so, especially with social media, which I think has had an overall positive affect on the norms of younger generations. But anonymous internet mediums are still fucking toxic. But it may well be that internet anonymity is something that isn't long for this world.

 

[The Diplomat]

I think your concept of your generation is a little misplaced. You may well have hung out with black people and smoked weed with them in the 1990s, 2000s, etc., but the majority of white guys your age did not, as the country is still very segregated geographically and institutionally. Hispanic and Asian Americans are spread out a little more evenly, but there is still very little overlap between white Americans and black Americans in terms of where they live and what K-12 schools they attend. Even setting aside rural and suburban communities that are >90% white, even urban communities are very segregated in terms of neighborhoods and school districts.

With that said, I think open and overt racism (by white people/against nonwhite people) is mostly just in rural communities now. But it's definitely there.

Why is the country still segregated geographically and institutionally? Seems like something that would have been dealt with in the last 50 years.

Okay, that's all and good. But you didn't answer my question. Do you think that, if race based arguments were abolished (whether through the marketplace of ideas or through authority) along with outright racism, the forum would no longer be so balanced?

The forum would be as balanced as ever without out right racism. You keep throwing in the race based arguments, which are still practiced by scholars and professors to this day. Race based arguments can encompass everything from systemic racism to crime database numbers which circle back to systemic racism - and thus can, sometimes, produce positive results with the right people.

I don't think so, especially with social media, which I think has had an overall positive affect on the norms of younger generations. But anonymous internet mediums are still fucking toxic. But it may well be that internet anonymity is something that isn't long for this world.

Social media is a fucking plague.

 

[The Diplomat]

wait is Kanye running forreal?

this late in the game?

Trump winning is a lock now.

Kanye stealing that hobbit and gay fish vote. Biden got this.

 

[tonni]

So you can run over people if you “feel threatened”, are you allowed to shoot a motorist in the face if you’re marching and feel threatened by them?

 

[The Diplomat]

So you can run over people if you “feel threatened”, are you allowed to shoot a motorist in the face if you’re marching and feel threatened by them?

Depends on the situation?

 

[Prokofievian]

@Prokofievian after nosediving to an 1180 puzzle rating a few weeks ago, I'm up to ~1630.

That tends to happen.

 

[Fawlty]

That tends to happen.

The puzzles have gotten more interesting and like you said, one move tends to be the only way to win or even keep an advantage. Since the puzzles have leveled up, only a few have been the most straightforward tactics from the start, and most require at least a somewhat clever move to set up the easy (or hard) combination.

 

[Prokofievian]

A lot of the white identity politics come out of Canada.

*Toronto