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The [AMERICAN POLITICAL] Mainstream

ArturickArturick Registered User regular
edited November 2010 in Debate and/or Discourse
Debating politics requires actually knowing something about politics. This does not imply a "comprehensive" knowledge of political theory, just a basic understanding of what "liberals" and "conservatives" are in a broad sense.

Whatever side is taken in these debates, both parties claim to represent the "mainstream." These assertions are always patently false, because the American mainstream doesn't actually know enough about politics to have a debate.

I wish to codify the actual beliefs of the American mainstream and/or "moderates"...

-I should pay less in taxes.

-I should receive more benefits.

-I should be paid a lot for whatever I do.

-The profit motive is evil.

-The rich should pay more in taxes.

-I will never consider myself rich. Even if I buy a yacht.

-"The rich" are composed of old money brats like Paris Hilton and Wall Street Bankers.

-Wall Street Bankers are Jews.

-Jews make their money dishonestly.

-People who make their money dishonestly should be loaded into an oven.

-Anyone who disagrees with me is a Nazi.

-Black people on welfare are "abusing the system."

-White people on welfare have "fallen on hard times."

-My unemployment check is not welfare. I applied to NASA. It's not my fault they rejected me.

-The poor are a bunch of drunks who need to get a job.

-We need to do more for the poor, in case something happens to my job.

-Costly occupations and awkward rules of engagement needlessly kill US Soldiers.

-Carpet bombings followed by an invasion of hunter-killer robots programmed to exterminate sentient life are an appropriate response to any country that even thinks about sponsoring terrorism.

-The government should pay for my health care.

-The government should not have access to my medical records.

-The police should stop more crime.

-The police should be less intrusive.

-The government consists of a President, a Vice-President, a Governor, and some other people.

-All politics is local.

-The 49 states I don't live in are full of whackjobs.

-The Federal government should run everything.

-Global warming must be stopped.

-My air conditioner must run 24 hours a day from April to October.

-Automobile manufacturers are hiding cars that run on dirt.

-Hybrids are for pussies.

-"Congress shall pass no law regarding the establishment of a religion" is somehow relevant when discussing a mayor putting a wreath in his office window.

-Stores that say "Happy Holidays" are commies.

-Republicans are on the verge of instituting a theocracy.

-If the President doesn't invoke God every 13 seconds, he's a commie.

-My children should not be exposed to anything sexual until they're 23.

-I want more porn. For free. Now.

-I can't keep track of these cryptic "ratings," so the government should monitor what my kids can see.

-I am opposed to censorship.

-Gay men are abominations in the eyes of God and man.

-Lesbians are awesome.

-Democrats and Republicans have no meaningful disagreement on what is "best" for the country, they just don't do it because of "politics."

-Democrats care about "the people." Republicans care about Wall Street Bankers (i.e. Jews).

-We need to get the career politicians out of Washington!

-Any viable political candidate must always seem slick, polished, and composed.

-We need to get the money out of politics.

-I vote based on TV commercials.

-I watch 87 hours of television every week.

-Hollywood is destroying the moral fabric of our country. Probably because Hollywood is full of rich Jews.

If you feel comfortable holding most or all of the above views, especially the contradictory ones, you can proudly call yourself a member of the American mainstream.

Arturick on

Posts

  • kildykildy Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I think you're more complaining about the number of stupid things said by politicians or people assigning themselves to the mainstream, not what the mainstream actually believes.

    Probably because we're diverse enough that we don't have an easily definable mainstream. About the only thing on there that I think is our laughable national consciousness is the whole idea that we're not rich, even when we're pretty loaded. We define "rich" not in dollar value per person, but in "have I ever wanted something and not had the cash on hand to buy it immediately"

    I want a benz SLK. I can't afford it. Thus I'm obviously poor.

    kildy on
  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    kildy wrote: »
    I think you're more complaining about the number of stupid things said by politicians or people assigning themselves to the mainstream, not what the mainstream actually believes.

    Probably because we're diverse enough that we don't have an easily definable mainstream. About the only thing on there that I think is our laughable national consciousness is the whole idea that we're not rich, even when we're pretty loaded. We define "rich" not in dollar value per person, but in "have I ever wanted something and not had the cash on hand to buy it immediately"

    I want a benz SLK. I can't afford it. Thus I'm obviously poor.

    More to the point, that so many other people so easily have so much more and better things than I do, I am obviously not rich, therefore I hate the rich.

    Tox on
    Twitter! | Dilige, et quod vis fac
  • ArturickArturick Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    kildy wrote: »
    I think you're more complaining about the number of stupid things said by politicians or people assigning themselves to the mainstream, not what the mainstream actually believes.

    I contest that you are too intelligent to be part of the mainstream, and I suspect optimism fuels your disbelief about them.
    Probably because we're diverse enough that we don't have an easily definable mainstream. About the only thing on there that I think is our laughable national consciousness is the whole idea that we're not rich, even when we're pretty loaded. We define "rich" not in dollar value per person, but in "have I ever wanted something and not had the cash on hand to buy it immediately"

    I want a benz SLK. I can't afford it. Thus I'm obviously poor.

    Glenn Beck said something to the effect of, "In the rest of the world, poor means you don't have food, or shelter, or clothes. In America, poor means you don't have a second car. Nobody in any party is saying we shouldn't help the POOR."

    I've encountered many a young, well-off American with internationalist Marxist fantasies, and I generally find myself thinking, "I hope you meet one of your third world ideological brethren and he stabs you for that coat."

    Arturick on
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Did you... did you just cite Glenn Beck? And yeah, there are plenty of poor in this country by that definition. And if you had access to quality health care, a lot more!

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • ArturickArturick Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Did you... did you just cite Glenn Beck? And yeah, there are plenty of poor in this country by that definition. And if you had access to quality health care, a lot more!

    If I had access to quality health care, there would be a lot more poor people?

    Arturick on
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    You don't stab for coats. Stabbing, by definition, puts holes in things. Coats with holes in them are less good than coats without holes.

    You bludgeon for coats.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • Dr SnofeldDr Snofeld Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Arturick wrote: »
    Did you... did you just cite Glenn Beck? And yeah, there are plenty of poor in this country by that definition. And if you had access to quality health care, a lot more!

    If I had access to quality health care, there would be a lot more poor people?

    Because fewer would die.

    Dr Snofeld on
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  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Arturick wrote: »
    Did you... did you just cite Glenn Beck? And yeah, there are plenty of poor in this country by that definition. And if you had access to quality health care, a lot more!

    If I had access to quality health care, there would be a lot more poor people?

    Sorry, add.

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • MplsOsirisMplsOsiris Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Arturick wrote: »
    kildy wrote: »
    I think you're more complaining about the number of stupid things said by politicians or people assigning themselves to the mainstream, not what the mainstream actually believes.

    I contest that you are too intelligent to be part of the mainstream, and I suspect optimism fuels your disbelief about them.
    Probably because we're diverse enough that we don't have an easily definable mainstream. About the only thing on there that I think is our laughable national consciousness is the whole idea that we're not rich, even when we're pretty loaded. We define "rich" not in dollar value per person, but in "have I ever wanted something and not had the cash on hand to buy it immediately"

    I want a benz SLK. I can't afford it. Thus I'm obviously poor.

    Glenn Beck said something to the effect of, "In the rest of the world, poor means you don't have food, or shelter, or clothes. In America, poor means you don't have a second car. Nobody in any party is saying we shouldn't help the POOR."

    I've encountered many a young, well-off American with internationalist Marxist fantasies, and I generally find myself thinking, "I hope you meet one of your third world ideological brethren and he stabs you for that coat."

    After living with a number of former guerrillas all over Central America, and having witnessed them interact with idealist Americans a number of times, I disagree with the above. They will likely school the American (K-12 with after school activities) on just how difficult a revolution is, give them a brief description of the crazy shit that goes down when you openly take arms against a government, and tutor them in the logistical nightmare that is marxist/communist community surrounded by capitalism. The American typically walks away from the meeting confused and disheartened, but after a few days goes back into "that would never happen to me" mode.

    Poverty is the same everywhere, an inability to be a fully functional member of society due to a lack of resources.

    MplsOsiris on
    A while back I hated where my life was and where my life was going. Now I'm happily engaged, in the best shape I've been in since high school, have a bunch of wild stories and most importantly I enjoy my life! You can check out what I'm up to next at http://coolbyintent.com/blog
  • Muse Among MenMuse Among Men Suburban Bunny Princess? Its time for a new shtick Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Huh, Glenn Beck really made sense there. Welp.

    Also, I don't think that many people watch that much television anymore.

    Muse Among Men on
  • TimeSynchTimeSynch Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    I say we use all our tax dollars to fund Skynet. Problem solved. Everyone wins.

    TimeSynch on
  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Arturick wrote: »
    I wish to codify the actual beliefs of the American mainstream and/or "moderates"...

    Should be interesting. Let me know when you start.

    moniker on
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