https://amgreatness.com/2023/08/07/the-remaking-of-america/

posted by QuakerOats

https://amgreatness.com/2023/08/07/the-remaking-of-america/

I think you suffer from the false uniqueness effect - meaning you always believe that whatever present day you are in is unique in history, is an unfaced crossroads and will do more than any other time to form the future.  

Have another drink.

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

I think you suffer from the false uniqueness effect - meaning you always believe that whatever present day you are in is unique in history, is an unfaced crossroads and will do more than any other time to form the future.  

For all the shit dude says, that's the thing I can at least understand the most, though. Been a media thing for a long while to act like anything happening is this amazing never-before-seen event. Goes for sports and news and is probably part of the foundation for the 24/7 coverage of everything via networks, web sites and so forth. Say something is something we've never seen before and is either awesome or a total threat and watch the sheep gobble it up because their lives feel a lot less mundane if they're witnessing history on a daily basis!

posted by Heretic

watch the sheep gobble it up because their lives feel a lot less mundane if they're witnessing history on a daily basis!

I hadn't really thought of it that way, but makes a lot of sense.

The last 15-20 years has definitely been an obsession with apocalypse/disaster.  You see it in a lot of movies.  Hell, even spawned a new, awful music genre (emo).  Of course the 24/7 news cycle was going to exploit all that.

posted by gut

I hadn't really thought of it that way, but makes a lot of sense.

The last 15-20 years has definitely been an obsession with apocalypse/disaster.  You see it in a lot of movies.  Hell, even spawned a new, awful music genre (emo).  Of course the 24/7 news cycle was going to exploit all that.

I feel like this stuff ramped up in the 90s and has taken off since.  “We are experiencing an unprecedented crossroads.  If ——- doesn’t happen, the country/society/civilization will be lost forever.”  

It’s actually pretty egocentric to think the entire scope of history somehow hinges on the actions of people right now - and by-the-way when I happen to be alive.

posted by gut

I hadn't really thought of it that way, but makes a lot of sense.

The last 15-20 years has definitely been an obsession with apocalypse/disaster.  You see it in a lot of movies.  Hell, even spawned a new, awful music genre (emo).  Of course the 24/7 news cycle was going to exploit all that.

Come to think about it, it was about 20 years ago my mother tried to turn me onto that amazingly awful Left Behind series -- the religious fiction series written by "I can count to potato" people who were in the apocalypse cult branch of Christianity where the plot was that the rapture happened and what happened to all the people who didn't immediately go to heaven. I remember my main takeaway (other than how much this shit sucked) was: "Wait...people out there actually are hoping the world ends because Jebus?!?" and then I kind of opened my eyes a bit and realized that, yes, people do get off on the concept that it all comes to an end during their life.

posted by gut

I hadn't really thought of it that way, but makes a lot of sense.

The last 15-20 years has definitely been an obsession with apocalypse/disaster.  You see it in a lot of movies.  Hell, even spawned a new, awful music genre (emo).  Of course the 24/7 news cycle was going to exploit all that.

Everyday is a disaster that can only be solved if biden declares a climate emergency, don't ya know.

posted by QuakerOats

Everyday is a disaster that can only be solved if biden declares a climate emergency, don't ya know.

The sad part is, there was a ~17 year "pause" in the warming trend until an unusually strong el nino in 2015-2016 resumed a slight upward trend.  But then it's been another "pause" since that's made the entire last 25 years virtually flat.  

This is another el nino year that might lift the trend again, but so far it's not looking that way (despite all the hand-wringing over "record" heat waves while ignoring much of the rest of the summer has been cooler than normal).  But we're only like 6 months into a 18 month(?) el nino.  And maybe likely that the warmer waters will lead to a warmer and wetter winter.

Again, the "existential crisis" exists only in models that are neither validated nor show any predictive power. 95% of the weather events the media loves to attribute to climate change have no detectable change in actual empirical data.  I think the only thing the IPCC cited was an increase in precipitation (but not flooding), which follows from warmer air able to collect and carry more moisture, but once you understand you're talking the difference of like 88 vs. 90 degrees how much impact can there really be?

https://www.foxnews.com/media/major-san-fran-retailer-condemns-city-state-leaders-full-page-ad-abject-disregard-civilized-conduct

Starting to eat their own; pretty epic slam.  Had to happen sooner or later. 

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/doom-loop-walking-tour-san-fran-sells-out

There's a new entertainment option for people morbidly fascinated with San Francisco's relentless decline: a "Downtown Doom Loop Walking Tour." 

It's as if we're in the twilight zone.

Oh shit! The republicans have infiltrated the religion of peace.

https://x.com/wajahatali/status/1692615857602482212?s=46&t=6w2XbPMrNrOkLnwSSn4TOQ

posted by iclfan2

Oh shit! The republicans have infiltrated the religion of peace.

https://x.com/wajahatali/status/1692615857602482212?s=46&t=6w2XbPMrNrOkLnwSSn4TOQ

The problem is the Religion of Peace hates gays.  They also hate Christians.  Religious right doesn’t like gay influence, but believes the Christian God has specially selected their causes.  

A tough dilemma.  

WSJ article today saying most student loan borrowers who already had too much debt used the 4-yr pause on payments to add MORE non-educational loan debts.

In other words, given a reprieve/break, financially irresponsible people doubled-down on bad financial decisions.  Shocking, I know.

Not surprised. My best friend growing up stayed employed during the entire pause. Made ZERO payments. He was crushed when Biden's forgiveness got shot down. 

posted by Automatik

Not surprised. My best friend growing up stayed employed during the entire pause. Made ZERO payments. He was crushed when Biden's forgiveness got shot down. 

Nothing in particular against your friend, but I often wonder how people with that mindset get through life. 

I'm really starting to believe that some people have an addiction to disappointment, anxiety and feeling bad in general. 

Oh he’s doing fine, he’s just a jackass. His loans aren’t insurmountable. At age 40, he just prefers to spend his money on guns, ammo, body armor, etc. 

That’s the first I’ve heard of that “addiction.”

posted by Automatik

Oh he’s doing fine, he’s just a jackass. His loans aren’t insurmountable. At age 40, he just prefers to spend his money on guns, ammo, body armor, etc. 

I just went on the 20 year income based payment plan the day I got out of college.

I figured I was paying them back, at the lowest monthly cost possible to help my "monthly cash flow" be better, etc.

I know I could have helped myself by paying them off in 10, but I had young kids at the time.

I did find out that they have a program, if you are on the income based (your income doesn't matter, they make the payments a percent of your income even if your income is good/high). Once you hit 20 years...the loans are forgiven no matter how much you still owe.

I technically owed very little at that point so it wasn't a huge help (was going to be paid off in like 18-24 months at that point anyway). 

I didn't even know that was a thing until one month my payment got sent back and the loans fell off my credit report. 

I called and someone explained it to me.

But yup, paid from 2002 when I graduated until last year, the lowest amount they would let me based on my income, and then they just disappeared.

I'm sure you had to be "current" to qualify for that, but still, kind of nice.

My loans were from my masters. I paid $0 for undergrad. Technically $0 for my masters as well but I had 2 kids at the time and was dumb enough to take student loans to live on.

Soooooooo.....covid "resurgence" really just the Dem 2020 campaign strategy in disguise?

posted by gut

Soooooooo.....covid "resurgence" really just the Dem 2020 campaign strategy in disguise?

Hope they try to push masks again. 

posted by iclfan2

Hope they try to push masks again. 

I'm thinking back to campaigning from the basement, and mail-in "votes".

X, Infowars, etc. continuing to rot brains. 

I have a “friend” predicting a COVID lockdown THEN climate change related lockdown. 

2nd one of course is right before the next rigged election. 

posted by Automatik

Oh he’s doing fine, he’s just a jackass. His loans aren’t insurmountable. At age 40, he just prefers to spend his money on guns, ammo, body armor, etc. 

That’s the first I’ve heard of that “addiction.”

Stop and think about people being addicted to eating tampons and making out with their cars and then being an anxiety addict is relatively tame!

Addiction to depression is also a thing.

Lol. “ JUST IN - Paper straws deemed "eco-friendly" contain potentially toxic chemicals which could pose a risk to people, wildlife and the environment, a study has found — Sky News”

https://x.com/disclosetv/status/1695001479768080881?s=46&t=6w2XbPMrNrOkLnwSSn4TOQ

posted by Automatik

X, Infowars, etc. continuing to rot brains. 

I have a “friend” predicting a COVID lockdown THEN climate change related lockdown. 

2nd one of course is right before the next rigged election. 

Oh believe me, the leftists want nothing more than biden to declare a 'climate emergency'.  And the way things are going, it won't be surprising when it happens.