World is Falling Apart Thread (Locked forever)

[Sarge]

For the rest of you, this echo chamber has been nauseating. If you need any reference on what I mean by how attitudes on homophobia (racism, misogyny, xenophobia, etc) are being normalized and accepted, not denounced, look no further than your former member's, brunoafh, post. Not one person who has reveled in Trump's win has come forth to address that post and let it be known you're not accepting of bigotry. If you're homophobic, chances are there's room for other fear/hatred in your heart. Better start finding some moral courage and your voices and start calling out the very bullshit you claim doesn't exist. Because it's been blowing up all over in very painful ways for people. I won't diminish the pain that you all might have been feeling, but you also need to be able to be multipartial and listen in return.

Please, don't paint with a broad brush. It's not helpful at all. Especially when the assumption is made when a person doesn't immediately step up to the plate and denounce an individual who was quickly banned that they are racist/sexist/xenophobic/homophobic.

I personally don't like to get involved in active back-and-forths between members when it's nasty stuff. Especially when you guys take care of yourselves just fine.

[Tanooki]

We do not know truly what he will do.

This is actually what worries me the most about it, that he is such an unknown. I'm not partial to gambling, and he's a roll of the dice. Maybe we'll all be fine, maybe we won't, it's all chance as far as we know. I tend to not like chance, it screws with my anxiety.

Can't argue it, I don't gamble either, ever...don't have the capital floating in the least bit to risk it in Vegas(etc.) All I can look to personal failings aside is his voting record, donation record, and his friends, and they're democrats but he does buck their stuff when it comes to threatening the dollar. He's a true wildcard so I just don't see a reason to put him into a box and say this and that as at this rate it's unfair as he's a total unknown. He could end up being a transformational figure to the GOP like Reagan was, or he could be someone who does a bit of good, but is so damned messed up and corrupt he'll go down like an Andrew Johnson or nearly Nixon. Anything is possible.

[Sarge]

Pertaining to Social Security: I'm assuming most of us are under 40 here. If there isn't anything done about it, some sort of reform, it's not going to exist when we retire. I know I haven't been planning on it.

If there was anything Gore was right about with Social Security back in 2000, it's the idea of putting it in a "lockbox". The system got where it was because the proceeds from it were put into the general fund, where our duly-elected representatives proceeded to spend it.

[Blu]

For the rest of you, this echo chamber has been nauseating. If you need any reference on what I mean by how attitudes on homophobia (racism, misogyny, xenophobia, etc) are being normalized and accepted, not denounced, look no further than your former member's, brunoafh, post. Not one person who has reveled in Trump's win has come forth to address that post and let it be known you're not accepting of bigotry. If you're homophobic, chances are there's room for other fear/hatred in your heart. Better start finding some moral courage and your voices and start calling out the very bullshit you claim doesn't exist. Because it's been blowing up all over in very painful ways for people. I won't diminish the pain that you all might have been feeling, but you also need to be able to be multipartial and listen in return.

Please, don't paint with a broad brush. It's not helpful at all. Especially when the assumption is made when a person doesn't immediately step up to the plate and denounce an individual who was quickly banned that they are racist/sexist/xenophobic/homophobic.

I personally don't like to get involved in active back-and-forths between members when it's nasty stuff. Especially when you guys take care of yourselves just fine.

What I'm experiencing here is deflection, Sarge. You posted in that thread rather vaguely after brunoafh was banned, which is completely different than coming out and refusing to accept such behavior from forum members. Maybe your intention was to cut through the tension. I experienced that differently.

It's not a stretch of the imagination for me to think that when one person is so free flowing about throwing epithets and slurs around, that they may carry additional beliefs that are targeting and oppressive of others. So no, in this instance it's not painting with a broad brush, when it's immediately followed by silence by others. I see this play out in various ways everyday in the work I do with students. Passive silence when there could be more active interventions by those around us.

Yes, he was banned and it was handled. What immediately followed was silence from people who share similar perspectives, at least in the candidate that they supported. See where I'm coming from? I'm trying really hard to not be condescending at all in my post. I'm genuinely trying to get you to understand what this likely felt for MrPopo and I.

And Tanooki: must be nice to be able to sit where you are and watch it all play out over the next couple of months. Others aren't so fortunate. Several of my students' tuition just went up 13% overnight because of the peso's devaluation. What on earth did she and her peers do to merit that? I'm watching a lot of others come to terms with how their life will be different, with even me not being impacted personally. So no, it's not fear mongering, but thanks for diminishing their sentiments with rationalizations. I guess I expected that, though.

[ElkinFencer10]

If there was anything Gore was right about with Social Security back in 2000, it's the idea of putting it in a "lockbox". The system got where it was because the proceeds from it were put into the general fund, where our duly-elected representatives proceeded to spend it.

There's plenty of blame to go around for spending SS money, but a LOT of those funds were used to pay for the Iraq War. You know, that decade long military occupation based entirely on lies.

[foxhound1022]

The only thing I know is that like or hate the outcome, the American public is divided.

We need to realize that and make strong efforts to unite ourselves, even if you believe the government will not. Remember, the people are our nation, not some figurehead.

[Tanooki]

Conveniently nothing. Obama's policies and those of the congress he had 2 years going into it (and the gridlock since) has caused this household untold misery. His policies made it so my wife not only lost a job, but then could not get another full time one either once she tried looking again after a health issue. Their policies caused me to have no savings and to go 3 years with no raises, nothing, and since then I wouldn't even call it cost of living either.

Tuition problems unless you're speaking of a state run institution shouldnt' be a government issue, it's a school issue. Perhaps they need to be using their funding better and endowments from alumni instead of gouging the hell out of students. I don't agree on subsidized or free tuition, but I do believe something should be done to regulate the hell out of how these school handle their funding so they don't yearly raise the hell out of prices robbing people of their money making untold debt to pay off for decades.

You're welcome and I will continue to diminish stupid fear tactics on people who want to argue the end of the world before someone has even taken power. I felt the same 8 years ago when Obama got in despite his promises. I waited and wanted to see if the crazy would roll out before being pissed by it, sadly it did. I see no reason to stir the fear pot and rile people up over something that can't be determined as this rate. I guess I kind of expected you to be that way along with a few others in this thread so no surprise.

This country needs to like in the 90s with Clinton and before learn to work together in government again. We can not do with having someone ram through anything they like by normal channels or by kingly executive fiat writing order after order ramming home stuff. It causes a huge wedge and sets people off, if it didn't, Clinton would be in that meeting with Obama right now.

[Blu]

Yep, fear mongering, that's what people are doing.

They're not actually living in fear.

You know, living through things like this: https://twitter.com/i/moments/796417517157830656

Maybe they're all lying though. Maybe they just want the attention. Maybe it was just a joke that the other people did to get a ruse. I hear all the excuses, deflections, and resistance of accepting responsibility.

Tanooki, I really am sorry that Obama's presidency didn't bring with it what you had hoped for, and that your household did suffer from it. But who was drafting those bills that came into law? I think in this circumstance, your anger is misdirected. Because it could've been local, regional, or national legislatures that didn't take your best interest into mind. It certainly isn't President Obama's fault. The man had his hands tied from the moment he assumed office. The fact that he accomplished 45% of his goals is no small feat, and proves he was willing to cooperate.

[Tanooki]

There are trolls on both sides, nice compilation of assholes, and no surprise at all that exists. I see in particular a lot of fucking stupid rotten kids and young adults acting like turds. Sadly, when Obama got hid pre-office Day1 similar shitty behavior and comments rolled out as well just different subject matter yet still as hate filled, smug and rotten. Both sides have their awful trolls, or as Hill put it, deplorables, but in both cases they're not the the majority by a margin thankfully. Once the gloating and douchebaggery wears off now, and again after him being put into office a good bit should chill out other than the assholes who were always assholes and continue to be so. And as you said a good bit are just being being jerks making really uncool awful jokes for attention.

Who drafted the bills you ask...Pelosi and Reid, if not Obama himself once he was in. W can kiss my ass for his part of it with the DNC controlled congress too. Obama though with his ACA did me in as I work in the health insurance industry and the costs involved in eating that turd caused a choice to be made, pink slips or hiring/pay freezes until they could get over the hump and thankfully they chose not the pink slipping so no, it's not misdirected. It was during his incredible run of 45% of his ideals that did the damage, then the other 6 years of gridlock did nothing to improve it. Both sides are complicit, but his early years antics got the ball rolling as did the earlier ones under W's last 2 years.

[Jrecee]

I have heard from a friend with cancer who believes this will be the last president she gets to vote for because when Trump and the Republicans inevitably follow through on their plans to cut back Medicaid and Obamacare, she will lose her healthcare and die.

etc.

Believes. Thinks. Is worried.

We were all wrong. So I don't know why everyone is so determined that the outcome they never thought could happen is going to turn out to be exactly like they worried it would be if it ever happened even though it could never happen.

If you get up and decide it's a terrible day it probably will be. That to me is the very way of thinking that got us into this situation in the first place. The republicans spent the last 8 years saying every election would result in the end of the world and it never came. And now the same exact thing is happening on the other side. I personally hope that this defeat will galvanize the left into getting their shit together, accepting that they're not invincible, realizing that the voting public does not perceive them as the sole owner of the moral high ground, and coming back in 4 years (and 2) better and stronger... or we can spend the next 4 years watching msnbc telling us that every single thing Trump does is the worst thing he can possibly do, and that the democratic party was and always is flawless.