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RedDeadLeaves
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24 Aug 2018, 11:31 pm

Am I the only one fed up with politics? Yeah I get it, we all have different opinions about what should and shouldn't be and there is no getting around that. The thing I don't like about politics is how it infects EVERYTHING. Every time there's a mass shooting, the left talks about how it could have been stopped with gun, while the humanity and seriousness of the situation is ignored. If I want to watch a video about embryonic development, sure enough there will be pro-lifers talking about the the beauty of life and how abortion is evil while completely ignoring the fact that miscarriages happen all the time. In my own personal life I tried to talk about a toxic friendship I was in, only for the person to say, "See, this is why SJW's are bad!" while ignoring my explanation that it was a personal thing that happened and not a political thing.

It's not that I don't have my own political stance, I do, I just hate how politics has been used to dehumanized serious situations, and how it has turned neutral facts into something that "proves" a certain belief.



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24 Aug 2018, 11:50 pm

Yes, it's really bad. And I don't think it has always been this way -- people have always gotten hot about politics, but the sphere of politics and the sphere of everyday life used to be more separated. As a historical matter, I think the current state of affairs can be traced to the idea that "the personal is political" -- which didn't used to be the case. You can read about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_personal_is_political


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24 Aug 2018, 11:57 pm

RedDeadLeaves wrote:
Every time there's a mass shooting, the left talks about how it could have been stopped with gun, while the humanity and seriousness of the situation is ignored.


"Thoughts and prayers" is the greatest defense we have against school shooters. It's a bulletproof phrase. :mrgreen:

Here's the problem with politics in a nutshell: people consider me being able to marry someone of the same sex up to debate, people thinking attacking me for same sex attraction is just sharing their "opinion" - but on my worth as a human being, and it's labeled "talking politics" anytime anyone in the lgbtq community tries to talk about discrimination.

Things that shouldn't be considered politics - are. This isn't just for lgbtq - this is race, gender, etc. as well.

Here's politics: economy and financial spending, healthcare, immigration, warfare, etc.

Here's what's not politics: regulating what people can and can not do with their own bodies, deciding whether or not people can and should be discriminated against based upon how they were born, what religion they worship, etc.

Today there is too much of the second (believing that discrimination should be open to debate) and not enough of the first. This is also probably because the country is once again divided along Confederate and Union lines.



RedDeadLeaves
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25 Aug 2018, 12:35 am

Spooky_Mulder, the "thoughts and prayers" thing is stupid as well. The reason I was using the left's view towards gun control as an example was because the gun debate tends to over shine and gloss over the whole people dying part. My problem isn't with people having political beliefs because of personal reasons, my problem is when people get so consumed by their own politics that they forget their humanity. Or when certain groups of people are expected to have one political belief or another. Why can't lgbt dating apps be strictly about dating and have nothing to do with political activism? Why is me personally choosing whether or not to shave my legs a feminist issue? Why is being in a toxic friendship proof that that friend's political beliefs were wrong and dangerous?



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25 Aug 2018, 1:20 am

RedDeadLeaves wrote:
Why can't lgbt dating apps be strictly about dating and have nothing to do with political activism? Why is me personally choosing whether or not to shave my legs a feminist issue? Why is being in a toxic friendship proof that that friend's political beliefs were wrong and dangerous?


1. They’re not, like - at all. That’d be weird. Sadly they’re more like tech glory holes.
2. This example also doesn’t make sense, but that could be because I’m a guy.
3. This example could be true - recently discovered that a friend was recruited into being a literal neo Nazi (scary times).
4. It’s typically/always the bigots who try to say things are “political” as a way of shutting it down - for example all of the attacks on ‘Black Panther.’ Politics had nothing to do with it, the joy of finally seeing oneself on the screen does (but that isn’t politics just like Spider-Man isn’t politics). This example shows how broadly and incorrectly some use the term “politics.”

As said it depends on how one views politics. Some wrongly view it as minorities fighting for equal rights as though one can judge and debate how minorities live their lives. When that is going on - of course it’s going to get heated because that sphere shouldn’t be politics. How one is born shouldn’t be open to debate.

Gun safety or gun rights IS speaking politics.

The problem is some use the term as it should be while others define things that aren’t about politics as political in order to freely debate them (such as whether or not a minority deserves to be treated as human).

I should clarify I’m not saying you use the term incorrectly, I don’t know how you do. I’m saying many do and this is why it often leads to tension.



Last edited by Spooky_Mulder on 25 Aug 2018, 1:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

RedDeadLeaves
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25 Aug 2018, 1:39 am

Spooky_Mulder, you do realize that I'm talking about both the right and the left? Poking and finding things that are political in non-political things is something both the right and left do. If you want an example of the left doing this just look up Anita-Sharkesian's "Women vs. Tropes in Video Games" series. Just as the right tries to shut down conversation by yelling "politics!", the left tries to shut down conversation by yelling, "bigot!"



Spooky_Mulder
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25 Aug 2018, 1:43 am

RedDeadLeaves wrote:
the left tries to shut down conversation by yelling, "bigot!"


The video game example you gave is an apt one.

However many minorities find when real bigotry happens, the bigot and those who side with him will deny it and the minority will still unjustly be attacked as being overly emotional. There’s plenty of that going on these years with Trump and his supporters for example. There’s a very obvious reason why the majority of minorities hate him and even why he has less support from minorities than prior Republican presidents.



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25 Aug 2018, 10:42 am

Headliners on Politics as Communally (Politically) Determined in Wiki below:

"Politics (from Greek: πολιτικά, translit. Politiká, meaning "affairs of the cities") is the process of making decisions that apply to members of a group.[1]

It refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance—organized control over a human community, particularly a state.[2]"

In other Words, Politics is the Human Affair of Rules that Humans Communally Decide to Make Societies Work for those who Live in these/those Societies as a Group with Mutual Concerns, Wants, and Complaints for the State of Affairs that is Everyday Life now; Ranging From Basic ScarCity to Abundance. In other Words, too, what it takes to maintain a Basic Survive and Even Thrive in everyday life.

I Believe in Love and Taking Care of the Least Among Us in Terms of Scarcities in Life for I Feel/Sense One With All Of
Nature; yes, I live in Flow, like this. I have all the Abundance for Loving Life with no Real Personal Concerns, Wants,
and Complaints for me as an individual for every now is Bliss for me; but I am Human which means I do have
Copious Amounts of Empathy Sympathy and Compassion for others; for I too have Spent Life in the Depths
of Real Hell on Earth for Years and Years too. Additionally, I spend my life still doing my best to Understand
the Differences of others and Similarities too as that applies to me too; yes, I continue to Strive to increase
my Cognitive Empathy for others every day too; and yes, 'you' Dam Straight that makes me a 'Social Justice
Warrior'; but no one will say that to my Face as I do Leg Press 1020 LBS 52 reps and Will Come a Quarter
of an inch to any object I choose to Strike with my Feet Standing over 6 Feet Tall and 240LBS as
I ain't no Bearded Female Representation of a Lamb on a Cross as only metaphor please; I am
More like the eye of the Tiger and the Heart of the Lion as one package so yes, in other words
I am Just about as Liberal as 'they' get but I refuse to spend money to keep all I need
for the Rest of My Life; and it pisses me off that the Country Mortgages the Freedom that
Remains in the USA to Give Welfare to the Richest Mortgaging that theft on Generations to come even
though I am the last in my Lineage as a Fred Jr. as there will be no third in ways of Daughter too. Moreover,
I am just another Silly Human full of Imperfections in both Arts and Sciences but never the Less I frigging care about
other Folks Feelings; so, with Full understanding that many Folks on the Autism Spectrum have issues with both
Intellectual and Empathic Development; you won't see me using the R Words here now but I will use that Word in
other Arenas where no one's Feelings will likely get Hurt; but you never know as this is a Work of Art/Love in Freedom
of Expression too; for someone I may be talking to may get offended for they Have a Relative who has Intellectual
Development Issues; even though I am using the term in terms of Slow and not relating the Term to any Actual
Functional Disability as this is what Cognitive Empathy does; it preserves Freedom of Expression doing the
Least Emotional and Physical Harm to others as Both Experiences of Harm are due equal consideration
as far as those who do their Best to live under a Political Law of Love; and Yes a Pay Grade of Love; and
Yes a Currency of Love that does its best to Do No Harm to others as a Currency of Money is rather
Cold and Unfeeling and May Be used as a Political Tool to give Riches more to the Richest of
us in Terms of Dollars who continue to Survive; although Money is not the Root of Happiness; Love IS
as Science Shows this is true too; so sure, I am a 'SJW' for Loving Doing the Least Harm to others and even
that makes some folks 'butthurt' today; even those who may Name themselves Christians too; yuck just yuck
is my personal opinion on that; aLong with my Personal Opinion on the Rest of this; anyway I've earned my Stripes
as Social Justice Warrior; been spit on by Onward Christian Soldier 'little boy' Politics in Middle School as well as
an Adult in Metaphor Working for the Military for a Quarter of a Century too called Soft for Love and even accused
of wearing Pink Underwear; hehe. But True I was too busy serving other folks at work to really get the time to fully
become the Warrior literal part of Social Justice Warrior too; yes, the metaphor of the Lamb of Love that and who
turns into the Lion of Love and Returns to the Village and folks say Oh Crap, I hope he ain't mad at me now for
what I did to him before as he dam sure looks like a Handful to Handle in flesh and blood life; off of online per
Faceless Avatar Folks of course, afraid to show their real flesh and blood face in non-verbal weakness or strength
from head to toe, too.

Here is the Bottom Lines; People become more concerned with changes of the Laws and Rules at Hand
when the Governance of the Group is not working for them and they feel like Life has become an
Environment of Scarcity away from Abundance. It's True, when Obama was in Office and Relatives
in my Family Finally Got the Legal Right to get Married for the Civil Rights other folks were already
enjoying related to Marriage; I was Happy About Politics then and it was rather Lost from my overall
View and the News was Just boring to me for I admit I had become rather Apathetic about Politics
as I was satisfied with the direction that Social Justice was Sailing on an Ocean Blue of Love then.

But what I didn't Notice is those Onward Christian Soldier Spitting on me Boys who Hated the
Fact I wasn't afraid to Smile from ear to ear back then in what was obviously more an Abundant
State of Love that they did not enjoy with a Big Daddy who didn't let them express their emotions
Growing up; that yes, Now those Spitting Unhappy Boys had grown all up and were my age too in their
50's then too and they were even more angry now as Smiling Gay Boys and Girls who grew up got to
even get Married too; and on top of that their Blue Collar Jobs where they didn't have to smile did
go away too in so many areas of the Country too. They were Pissed and still are and were/are looking for
A New Big Daddy to solve all their problems of Scarcity still; and True there was another Dude who didn't
Wanna be their Daddy; but he Knew Just the Strings to Pull to make them Dance like Puppets on a String of Fear and Hate.

Politics is the Voice of People living in what they Perceive as Scarcity in all the ways that comes either Reality and
or Illusion of Reality; where they Demand Change in the Rules and Laws at Hand and as Long as we are Human
Natured and Nurtured Different and Same in Change, Politics ain't going away as long as someone is unhappy
about the Rules at Hand and how they see those Rules affecting and effecting them more now as that will be a
Very Objective and Subjective Analysis of how they view life too. Politics is not just a Word, it is an inherent
Part of Human Nature as Religion is too in whatever Bonds Human Beings as a Group of Two or More in
what they Bind together for to get the Work of Survive and Thrive done for each and every day of Reality;
now, yes, every now is Politics for either Satisfaction or Yearning Change. Politics is Good this way;
otherwise, some of us might live our entire Lives in a Perceived Prison of both our doing and
the doing of other too. Yes, Politics is Good this way; not easy but required for all to get
their Peace and Piece of Survive and Thrive. I Embrace the Reality as is as well
As Religion that is almost indecipherable from Politics too as our Acronyms of
Fear/Disgust Become the Next Devil(s) as What we Hope/Love Becomes the Next God and or Angel(s) too;
Could Be Trump; Could be the Next Obama or Bernie; Could be the Next Quarterback of the College or Pro
Team; Could be Old Muhammad and Jesus and Buddha or even a Metaphor of Pocahontas as Hopefully
I don't Piss anyone off by Culturally Attributing that Native Indian Meme and Theme too. Politics and
Religion; and Yes Philosophy too moves our Intellect, Feelings and Senses; not necessarily in that order
and technically Per Science, Rarely so, as Science Shows now the Emotions of Religions and Politics and
Yes Philosophy and By God yes the Emotional Bias even to be Found by Direction of Science Abstracts too;
HeART comes first; yes, Art of Heart and if one fails to Regulate their Emotions and Integrate their Senses
at core they will Fail on the Greatest Religious, Political, Philosophical, and Systemizing Science Endeavor
Ever as most important at Core of Being to Navigate the Ship you are on in Terms of Navigating You, now.

When that Happens, one Truly Masters Oneself as one is able to actually earn Meh; instead of Butthurt now.

My Success comes with close to 10K Miles of Public Dance and 6 Million Words of Free Verse Poetry in 5 Years;
With about a 6 Million Word Journey of Introspection and Exploration of other Minds per Philosophies,
Politics, Religions, and Sciences before that to start That at 50 Years old, almost 8 Years ago. And that
then was after 33 Years of Work; 19 Years of School; and Even Financial Independence at That 47 Years
of age Point too; Falling Down to the Basement Level of 'Soul'/Health having to admit wisely, I did not 'know' s88t still.

There is no 'Real Rule' of Politics or Philosophy or Religion or Science That says anything in life now
Comes Free without Work; Copious Never ending Work from the First Blink to the Last Blink now.

Thing is; Wisdom is; Understanding You Are The Only One You Truly Have to Conquer Now;
And Figuring That Out For You; As That Varies, Depending On Make And Model In Nurture
And Nature of Human Being You Now For ReaL;

So Much More Than JusT A PLAtitude; So Much More F in Work 'It' 'Is';
But OG Yes; 'Food' (Love) Tastes Better When It Costs Human 'Soul' to Eat.


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RedDeadLeaves
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25 Aug 2018, 10:45 am

Spooky_Mulder keep in mind, I'm not trying to shut down arguments by claiming the left is being too "political" or "emotional" I'm just tired of everything being political. If I watch a nature documentary sure enough, there will be political debates in the comments section about ethnically of the animal's social structure. I watched a documentary about the Neanderthals and sure enough, both black and white racist tried to claim superiority based on their relation or lack of relation to Neanderthals. Look up any video about embryonic development and sure enough you will find tons of pro-lifers talking about the evils of abortion. I'm not saying that political debates shouldn't happen, what I'm saying is that there is a time and place for everything, and there are situations where politics is inappropriate.



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25 Aug 2018, 11:12 am

That's always been the nature of youtube since youtube first began. It's why most people don't even go into the comments section. Most people in the comments section are just looking to fight or stir up other people.

RedDeadLeaves wrote:
I'm not saying that political debates shouldn't happen


What I'm saying is that minority rights SHOULDN'T be considered a "political debate." Like, AT ALL.

Politics: economy, financial spending, immigration, gun rights, the environment, war, crime, etc.

NOT politics: whether or not minorities should be treated as human (equality shouldn't be up for debate).

Until the world and country is actually equal - no minority fighting to be considered and treated as a human being should be expected to shut up, wait for a "better/more convenient" time to speak, or to be content. Whether or not someone is treated as a human being SHOULDN'T be considered "politics." It's only/mostly "politics" to non-minorities who believe that how one treats others based on how they were born should be a matter up for debate. Seeing minority rights as "politics up for debate" reflects existentialism about it which shows one's privilege.

The above isn't solely directed at you since I don't know how you define politics, so I don't know if any of this applies or not to you.

I do know however that some people expected black people to stop using football as a way of expressing anger about police corruption against the black community since they didn't think it was the "time or place." Here's the further catch, for these people - there never is a "time or place" because they say this constantly (it's something all minorities pick up on).



Last edited by Spooky_Mulder on 25 Aug 2018, 11:38 am, edited 3 times in total.

SZWell
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25 Aug 2018, 11:29 am

Politics *affects everything. It will always be there in the backdrop


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26 Aug 2018, 3:04 am

The day politics stops being a topic of discussion is the same day a global dictatorship controls what we do and say. The problem isn't that politics is becoming more ubiquitous, it's that becoming an adult shows that it always has been ubiquitous. It's at the centre of everything, it's the controlling factor of our lives and won't just disappear.

I'm no fan of it either, I wish I could go a day without it. Unfortunately, it's the way it is; politics is the glue that holds culture, media, science, business and technology together.



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26 Aug 2018, 7:02 am

RedDeadLeaves wrote:
Why is me personally choosing whether or not to shave my legs a feminist issue?

Well, regardless of your reasons for choosing to shave your legs or not, there is a context of a society that broadly tries to say that women's worth depends largely on their beauty, and that unshaven legs are not beautiful. If you seek to obey that pressure to shave, then you're being shaped by a political force; if you resist it, either actively (deliberately defying expectations) or casually (not really liking shaving or buying razors or whatever), then you're making a political statement. Only total oblivion could be an apolitical act in that context.

RedDeadLeaves wrote:
Poking and finding things that are political in non-political things is something both the right and left do. If you want an example of the left doing this just look up Anita-Sharkesian's "Women vs. Tropes in Video Games" series. Just as the right tries to shut down conversation by yelling "politics!", the left tries to shut down conversation by yelling, "bigot!"

The issue is this assumption that a work of art could ever be apolitical. Art necessarily reflects the creator's views to some extent. When Anita Saarkesian makes a video criticising how women are portrayed in video games, she isn't injecting politics where none previously existed, she's pointing out the politics that people just take for granted - "women are sex objects", "women are helpless", that sort of thing.



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26 Aug 2018, 11:20 am

The_Walrus wrote:
"women are sex objects", "women are helpless", that sort of thing.


I actually agree with the female poster with not understanding why people are so upset about the "manic pixie girl" trope (unless I'm reading her comment wrong due to a lack of context). "Dream ---" is truly a genderless pursuit.

Women and queer dudes have the "Prince Charming" trope which (as a dude that likes both men and women - "manic pixie girl" and "prince charming" serve the same exact purpose - presenting the dream girl and dream guy in some people's eyes). Knowing both serve the same purpose (I easily fall for both), unsure why there's anger over one and not both or over none. So people who like girls and people who like guys have gravitated to these models for a long time and by their own nature.

So, men can truly be (and are) seen as great sex objects as well. Straight women and queer guys sexually depict men in the same ways straight men and queer women sexualize women. This may be difficult to see for heteros, unsure, due to not being drawn to how the same-sex is depicted, but it's depicted in the same ways.



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27 Aug 2018, 2:41 pm

This makes me sometimes wish I lived in the past. I'm seriously believing that if I could live decades ago for a while before today's society, I'd give that a chance. I was born later in the millennial generation, and I also believe most millennials are the ones who ruined society and politics. And I don't agree with the left much and in my experience I am more able to put up with and tolerate the right. I don't care what anyone else thinks about that, I just wish I can express them without being socially shut down.

Existence in this kind of environment is a cruel joke from God.



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28 Aug 2018, 2:58 am

Spooky_Mulder wrote:
The_Walrus wrote:
"women are sex objects", "women are helpless", that sort of thing.


I actually agree with the female poster with not understanding why people are so upset about the "manic pixie girl" trope (unless I'm reading her comment wrong due to a lack of context). "Dream ---" is truly a genderless pursuit.

Women and queer dudes have the "Prince Charming" trope which (as a dude that likes both men and women - "manic pixie girl" and "prince charming" serve the same exact purpose - presenting the dream girl and dream guy in some people's eyes). Knowing both serve the same purpose (I easily fall for both), unsure why there's anger over one and not both or over none. So people who like girls and people who like guys have gravitated to these models for a long time and by their own nature.

So, men can truly be (and are) seen as great sex objects as well. Straight women and queer guys sexually depict men in the same ways straight men and queer women sexualize women. This may be difficult to see for heteros, unsure, due to not being drawn to how the same-sex is depicted, but it's depicted in the same ways.

Interesting "Prince Charming" comparison. Agree, that's probably a fair comparison. I don't think it's quite as pervasive as the m.p.d.g. in works targeted at adults. Not all desirable people fall into these tropes; they must be desirable characters with seemingly no other existence except being desired and cheering the protagonist up. It's definitely an overrated trope.

Have to disagree about the way that men and women are portrayed generally. Men are sometimes used as fanservice, but it's on a whole other level with women. I've seen enough movie posters with the female lead standing in an impractical position to show off their butt and breasts at the same time, while the male lead gets an action pose. Far more advertising showing women as "prizes to be won", too.