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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 15, 2021 2:07:33 GMT
Opinion — ERICKSON: The United States Of ContrarianismBy Erick Erickson • Aug 14, 2021 DailyWire.com • Vibrantly colored red and blue anatomical human brain models facing each other on red and blue backgrounds. PM Images via Getty Images Contrarianism has run amok in the United States. It is a byproduct of moving into postmodernism. Instead of focusing on what is true, we now all focus on our personal truths with no regard to actual truth. If we believe it is true, then by God in heaven it is true! Combine that with our increasing divisions as a society, and many people’s truth is now based on being exactly opposite their opposing tribe. Everyone prides themselves on their individual thought when really their thoughts are not individual but based on tribal consent. No one sees it that way, but it is that way. People gauge what they think is true based on what everyone else in their tribe says is true and decide they too have, independently and uniquely, arrived at the exact same conclusion. Each person, a master of his own destiny, does not even realize he is in a herd. One could reasonably conclude that if buffaloes or lemmings could speak, each one would claim it chose to go in that direction all by itself — the direction in which literally every member of the herd is going. There is, after all, safety in numbers and if everyone else in the herd is headed in a direction, you will probably head that way too. The United States is now fairly evenly divided, and no one trusts institutions. The media has destroyed its own credibility. The bureaucracy can be bullied by special interests. People are too cynical to trust politicians. So, they trust their friends and the communities that they have increasingly built, online or through political interaction, to look and think just like themselves. The result is now a handful of groups that claim independent thought, expert input and political power at different levels, but remarkably stake out positions exactly opposite the other groups. The actual independent thinker tends to be increasingly isolated and, as everyone wants to belong to a community, ![[giveup]](//storage.proboards.com/7182076/images/FSYefibmKqtatIXMgHZg.gif) often must make compromises to fit in. But most people do not want to ride in turbulent seas, so they go along to get along within their tribe. That is an important distinction because there are those, on both sides of the political aisle, who rock the boat. If your tribe is committed to rocking the boat, calm seas are your turbulence. Unfortunately for the country, this has left us largely without good ideas and sound public policy. Each tribe wishes to be contrary to the other tribe. Not too long ago, if one of America’s political tribes staked out position X, the other tribe most assuredly would stake out X plus 1 or Y. In other words, they would call for something more fully than the other side or different from the other side, claiming their different way was a better way. Now, each side has chosen to be an opposite. Instead of pushing Y to challenge X, the opposing tribe pushes minus X, the exact opposite. One side has embraced vaccines, so the other side refuses to get them. When former President Donald Trump was in office, Democrats cast doubt and aspersions on the vaccine and Operation Warp Speed. As soon as President Joe Biden was elected, Trump supporters became the loudest skeptics of the vaccine. As Republicans showed sound science that children are not the spreaders of the coronavirus and should be able to go to school without masks, Democrats rushed to do the exact opposite and insist on masks for children, even outdoors. What one side advocates, the other side must repudiate. There can be no nuance and damn the person who charts a middle or alternate path. This will not last. X plus minus X equals X minus X, which equals zero. Both sides cancel each other out. It is basic math. The side that ultimately wins is going to be the side that charts a different path, not a contrary path. We need some alternatives now. Both sides seem to be out of any ideas except: Whatever one side is for, the other is against. That provides no path forward for any of us.
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Post by Prometheus on Aug 15, 2021 9:58:47 GMT
Gee. I wish I had written something like that.
Oh wait....
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 15, 2021 12:06:15 GMT
Gee. I wish I had written something like that. Oh wait....
What about those of us not all that keen on 'community'?
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Post by ant-mac on Aug 15, 2021 12:16:08 GMT
Gee. I wish I had written something like that. Oh wait....
What about those of us not all that keen on 'community'?
There's nothing wrong with community... as long as they keep it away from me. PS - The census was conducted on the evening of August 10... You can imagine how excited I was to "do my bit".  |
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 15, 2021 12:25:17 GMT
What about those of us not all that keen on 'community'?
There's nothing wrong with community... as long as they keep it away from me. PS - The census was conducted on the evening of August 10... You can imagine how excited I was to "do my bit".
I feel like being a hermit these days is akin to being a 'witch' during the Inquisition or in Puritanical times.
Funny tidbit, the Homeless Guy that I've mentioned several times went to college to get his degree in Law apparently.........he's big on his Principles, depending on the subject matter.......... and he was threatened by the Federal Govt for refusing to answer some of the questions on his Census form. He just kept repeating some line about certain things being NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS!  I thought it was pretty funny |
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Post by ant-mac on Aug 15, 2021 12:39:11 GMT
There's nothing wrong with community... as long as they keep it away from me. PS - The census was conducted on the evening of August 10... You can imagine how excited I was to "do my bit".
I feel like being a hermit these days is akin to being a 'witch' during the Inquisition or in Puritanical times.
Funny tidbit, the Homeless Guy that I've mentioned several times went to college to get his degree in Law apparently.........he's big on his Principles, depending on the subject matter.......... and he was threatened by the Federal Govt for refusing to answer some of the questions on his Census form. He just kept repeating some line about certain things being NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS! I thought it was pretty funny I think I was supposed to place a neat mark inside the small rectangle next to my multiple choice answer... I just flew trough and ticked them. I even got close to the rectangle a few times. On the few occasions were I had to write something, I just wrote it out in a long line... I didn't bother about staying within the lines or within the column for one person. I put it straight back outside on my front gate when I finished... I believe it rained later that night. Oh well, I'm sure they'll figure it out... I'd love to see what their computers make of it.  |
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 15, 2021 12:41:50 GMT
I think I was supposed to place a neat mark inside the small rectangle next to my multiple choice answer... I just flew trough and ticked them. I even got close to the rectangle a few times. On the few occasions were I had to write something, I just wrote it out in a long line... I didn't bother about staying within the lines or within the column for one person. I put it straight back outside on my front gate when I finished... I believe it rained later that night. Oh well, I'm sure they'll figure it out... I'd love to see what their computers make of it.
You, Sir........ are an incorrigible rebel.
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Post by ant-mac on Aug 15, 2021 12:55:36 GMT
I think I was supposed to place a neat mark inside the small rectangle next to my multiple choice answer... I just flew trough and ticked them. I even got close to the rectangle a few times. On the few occasions were I had to write something, I just wrote it out in a long line... I didn't bother about staying within the lines or within the column for one person. I put it straight back outside on my front gate when I finished... I believe it rained later that night. Oh well, I'm sure they'll figure it out... I'd love to see what their computers make of it.
You, Sir........ are an incorrigible rebel.
I've been filling out those fucking things for decades and it's made no difference... I still don't like what they're doing. |
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 15, 2021 13:18:27 GMT
You, Sir........ are an incorrigible rebel.
I've been filling out those fucking things for decades and it's made no difference... I still don't like what they're doing.
and WHAT...... pray tell...... or is it more appropriate 'prey, tell?'.......... are they doing exactly?
I have mentioned before? about the Aussie younger female I first chatted with years back on an original imdb forum. She's in her early 30s now and seems like a perfectly groomed govt dependent at this point. |
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Post by ant-mac on Aug 15, 2021 14:24:35 GMT
I've been filling out those fucking things for decades and it's made no difference... I still don't like what they're doing.
and WHAT...... pray tell...... or is it more appropriate 'prey, tell?'.......... are they doing exactly?
I have mentioned before? about the Aussie younger female I first chatted with years back on an original imdb forum. She's in her early 30s now and seems like a perfectly groomed govt dependent at this point. Generally, the state governments snipe at each other and the federal government botches it every time they try to bring them all together. Specifically, the state governments are sniping at each other over their respective COVID responses and the federal government has botched the vaccine roll out. Personally, despite filling out those fucking things for decades and it's made no difference to me while living in my current location, probably because the state governments are too busy sniping at each other and the federal government is too busy botching it every time they try to bring them all together... |
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 16, 2021 2:37:15 GMT
<abbr class="o-timestamp time" data-timestamp="1629037475000" title="Aug 15, 2021 9:24:35 GMT -5">Aug 15, 2021 9:24:35 GMT -5</abbr> ant-mac said: Generally, the state governments snipe at each other and the federal government botches it every time they try to bring them all together. Specifically, the state governments are sniping at each other over their respective COVID responses and the federal government has botched the vaccine roll out. Personally, despite filling out those fucking things for decades and it's made no difference to me while living in my current location, probably because the state governments are too busy sniping at each other and the federal government is too busy botching it every time they try to bring them all together...
That sounds like the very territorial disputes that often go on between the state and federal types. It's no different here on so many levels.
The finger pointing can be hilarious, too
At least we can agree there's a good deal of botching going on.
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Post by merh on Aug 16, 2021 12:13:22 GMT
No man is a rock.
No man is an island.
Hmm
Someone said It takes a village to raise a child... who was that?
There was someone else got in trouble for suggesting businesses weren't the work of single effort by the owner...
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 16, 2021 13:02:32 GMT
No man is a rock. No man is an island. Hmm Someone said It takes a village to raise a child... who was that? There was someone else got in trouble for suggesting businesses weren't the work of single effort by the owner...
Many people prefer to be isolated from the masses. THAT's one of the major divides in political arguments, imo
I believe that's an olde African saying.
That sorta collectivist nonsense is usually spewed by 'highly educated' types that have never started or run a successful business of their own. All they know is how to pit the masses against select minorities. It's called using Envy.
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Post by merh on Aug 16, 2021 14:04:20 GMT
No man is a rock. No man is an island. Hmm Someone said It takes a village to raise a child... who was that? There was someone else got in trouble for suggesting businesses weren't the work of single effort by the owner...
Many people prefer to be isolated from the masses. THAT's one of the major divides in political arguments, imo
I believe that's an olde African saying.
That sorta collectivist nonsense is usually spewed by 'highly educated' types that have never started or run a successful business of their own. All they know is how to pit the masses against select minorities. It's called using Envy.
I didn't realize Jeff Bezos delivered all those Amazon packages himself on unpaved roads with gas he made himself in a truck he made himself from factories lighted with electricity he made himself... |
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 16, 2021 14:09:51 GMT
I didn't realize Jeff Bezos delivered all those Amazon packages himself on unpaved roads with gas he made himself in a truck he made himself from factories lighted with electricity he made himself...
What's so difficult about realizing that most of us are just replaceable cogs?
About 3 million Americans die every year........are they really all that missed? Does life come crashing to a halt?
Nope.
And the rest of that argument is the same stuff thrown at libertarians about roads and other things that WERE around without large scale Govt. involvement in the past. |
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Post by merh on Aug 16, 2021 14:18:05 GMT
I didn't realize Jeff Bezos delivered all those Amazon packages himself on unpaved roads with gas he made himself in a truck he made himself from factories lighted with electricity he made himself...
What's so difficult about realizing that most of us are just replaceable cogs?
About 3 million Americans die every year........are they really all that missed? Does life come crashing to a halt?
Nope.
And the rest of that argument is the same stuff thrown at libertarians about roads and other things that WERE around without large scale Govt. involvement in the past. Wasn't the highway system Eisenhower 's doing? Weren't taxes pretty high under him? Business benefits from other people. No one person builds a business by himself. Libertarian bears? |
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 16, 2021 14:34:27 GMT
Wasn't the highway system Eisenhower 's doing? Weren't taxes pretty high under him? Business benefits from other people. No one person builds a business by himself. Libertarian bears?
Yes......after WWII and seeing the Autobahn, it became the height of 'National Security' to be able to move troops and equipment from border to border as quickly as possible. THAT could actually use a revisit, imo since so many areas run thru cities which creates traffic jams and totally goes against the idea of interstates moving people NON-STOP. You should know about that better than most, right?
Tough to compare as they were paying for WWII still AND that mythical 90% taxes were never really collected from a large amount of people. You think the Buses, the Kennedys and the Rockefellers and others would have survived if they actually paid that?
It's the ideas and the products that are the issue. PLUS the rare motivation it takes to bring those to fruition. I hang with a guy right now that's all about Sales and creating business........and he just doesn't understand how everyone else doesn't see things like he does. There's a certain degree of fearlessness and risk involved that most people just aren't wired for. Great success requires great risk often enough.
Bears do not roam around in large herds or packs, right? They tolerate one another, but mark out their own territories. Maybe wolves are more your idea there........but even they only get so large a pack becfore it becomes a problem.
If you believe in evolution/nature.......... then while humans are certainly top of the food chain..........behaviorally, we sorta behave more like prey animals than predators. At least that's what 'society' is trying to do. Tame all the beasts. 
And isn't it funny that the battle of the sexes still remains very predatory like? Jordan Peterson has some great thoughts on that subject.
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Post by merh on Aug 16, 2021 22:25:39 GMT
Wasn't the highway system Eisenhower 's doing? Weren't taxes pretty high under him? Business benefits from other people. No one person builds a business by himself. Libertarian bears?
Yes......after WWII and seeing the Autobahn, it became the height of 'National Security' to be able to move troops and equipment from border to border as quickly as possible. THAT could actually use a revisit, imo since so many areas run thru cities which creates traffic jams and totally goes against the idea of interstates moving people NON-STOP. You should know about that better than most, right?
Tough to compare as they were paying for WWII still AND that mythical 90% taxes were never really collected from a large amount of people. You think the Buses, the Kennedys and the Rockefellers and others would have survived if they actually paid that?
It's the ideas and the products that are the issue. PLUS the rare motivation it takes to bring those to fruition. I hang with a guy right now that's all about Sales and creating business........and he just doesn't understand how everyone else doesn't see things like he does. There's a certain degree of fearlessness and risk involved that most people just aren't wired for. Great success requires great risk often enough.
Bears do not roam around in large herds or packs, right? They tolerate one another, but mark out their own territories. Maybe wolves are more your idea there........but even they only get so large a pack becfore it becomes a problem.
If you believe in evolution/nature.......... then while humans are certainly top of the food chain..........behaviorally, we sorta behave more like prey animals than predators. At least that's what 'society' is trying to do. Tame all the beasts.
And isn't it funny that the battle of the sexes still remains very predatory like? Jordan Peterson has some great thoughts on that subject. |
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Post by abbey1227 on Aug 17, 2021 1:50:43 GMT
There's so many funny bits to this piece.........mocking libertarians for their beliefs, when the beliefs of collectivists are just as provably inept?
They didn't get their blown blown utopia of libertarian-ville........but you wanna call it a failure? Meanwhile many places in the US have had decades of Bule control and turned into massive festering problems, but no criticisms?
Tent city? Oh, no! It's not like those aren't well known in some areas of this country, right?
The lesson is simple.......there isn't freedom without responsibility. If you're too much of a pig to properly dispose of your waste, then you're gonna have problems. I'd think most people, libertarian or not, would still support garbage disposal.
And just look what even a failed attempt at defunding the police accomplished.
A truly sustainable libertarian community would be a bit more like a collection of willing and able Amish types that brought actual skills and abilities with them. You can't just show up and expect others to take care of you.......unlike much of the US believes right now.
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Post by merh on Aug 17, 2021 12:24:22 GMT
There's so many funny bits to this piece.........mocking libertarians for their beliefs, when the beliefs of collectivists are just as provably inept?
They didn't get their blown blown utopia of libertarian-ville........but you wanna call it a failure? Meanwhile many places in the US have had decades of Bule control and turned into massive festering problems, but no criticisms?
Tent city? Oh, no! It's not like those aren't well known in some areas of this country, right?
The lesson is simple.......there isn't freedom without responsibility. If you're too much of a pig to properly dispose of your waste, then you're gonna have problems. I'd think most people, libertarian or not, would still support garbage disposal.
And just look what even a failed attempt at defunding the police accomplished.
A truly sustainable libertarian community would be a bit more like a collection of willing and able Amish types that brought actual skills and abilities with them. You can't just show up and expect others to take care of you.......unlike much of the US believes right now.
See? You still think libertarian utopia can exist Who needs police? In a different story it pointed out one gal was leaving food out for the bears so that's part of the boldness because her right to feed the bears was greater than her neighbors' right to not be attacked. One little girl watched in horror as the kitten she was playing with was snatched & eaten by a bear. One person's priorities aren't another's.. If you have a car, you see the sense in paved roads. If you don't have a car, who needs to waste tax dollars on roads? |
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![[giveup]](http://storage.proboards.com/7182076/images/FSYefibmKqtatIXMgHZg.gif)
often must make compromises to fit in. But most people do not want to ride in turbulent seas, so they go along to get along within their tribe. That is an important distinction because there are those, on both sides of the political aisle, who rock the boat. If your tribe is committed to rocking the boat, calm seas are your turbulence.
I thought it was pretty funny
![[cheers]](http://storage.proboards.com/7182076/images/engyBVslEdpmpmdnBwZQ.gif)