Britney Spears is an Idiot: SHOCKER!

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nick s otm; it's a circular argument so it doesn't rest on a fulcrum

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:49 (twenty years ago) link

I don't think people who are espouse right wing views are necessarily stupid at all - my own feelings are that they are more akin to inhuman perverts

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:49 (twenty years ago) link

Britney Spears is FARToo Stupid! That's a new one: fartoo. She's a fartoo great singer also!

Ha!

.. and yeah - this is kind of out of hand - the point was, what does Britney Spears know about politics and why was she on Crossfire?

dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:50 (twenty years ago) link

that's still a cop out, unless you want to dispense with democracy and establish a dicatatorship of the Micro-Class of the Enlightened

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:52 (twenty years ago) link

Britney Spears may quite possibly have more insight than me, you, or anyone else who hasn't come into contact with the range of individuals and situations she has, and why would any opinion of hers not be at least partly the result of the accumulation of her own experience?

dave q, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:53 (twenty years ago) link

x-post really, but the point is general

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:54 (twenty years ago) link

Not that she doesn't have the right to speak .. just that who cares what she has to say?

"....accumulation of her own experience? "

..She's a 22 year old pop star? It's possible that she's far more intelligent than I give her credit for - but she has yet to convince me of it.

dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:56 (twenty years ago) link

I wish you fucking liberals would fuck off and die.

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:57 (twenty years ago) link

Didn't those democracy inventin Greeks run things kinda like that, Mark?

Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:59 (twenty years ago) link

'just who cares what she has to say'? But that's a Bush-like attitude then! Really, does her opinion not interest you at ALL, even on a vague-distracted-curiosity level? Man, how interesting does somebody have to be to get your attention? ('They' obv. substitute 'rich' for 'interesting'!)

dave q, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:01 (twenty years ago) link

great platform dadrock!! blimey i wonder who's been running on the "anti-liberal" ticket recently?

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:03 (twenty years ago) link

''It's possible that she's far more intelligent than I give her credit for - but she has yet to convince me of it.''

why should she convince you or anybody?

keith- go outside, have a smoke and listen to some whitehouse on yr walkman.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:04 (twenty years ago) link

I don't agree with Britney because I don't think you should trust anybody just because; democracy demands constant attention from the electorate, surely? The price of freedom and all that.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:09 (twenty years ago) link

If you don't trust anybody then you don't vote for anybody and anybody gets in anyway.

Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:15 (twenty years ago) link

thing is nick, if you take that position, then you probably have to dispense with representative democracy as it's currently structured: voting every so many years is designed to let the electorate opt out of constant responsibility and vigilance

since we're on-line it's not very surprising that lots of us share a kind of vague ideal of the running "electronic town-hall" referendum as a better model — where "being informed" arises from this kind of argument and is (supposedly) not corrupted by mediation

but on-line contains its own built-in minority, and i think its "informed" is very class-bound

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:16 (twenty years ago) link

But this is where the problem lies. Civilisation depends on trust = 99% of people believing 'just because'. In extremis, if you despitely need surgery you're not going to be on the operating table demanding the guy's med school transcripts before going under, right? Blind faith plays quite an important role in life but ppl just disagree on where to put it, depending on where they're at I suppose

dave q, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:17 (twenty years ago) link

x-post w/ mark s and dave q

I trust some people and I voted and who I voted for got in, at the last local elections and at the last general election too. I'm just saying nobody should be trusted just because, especially if that just because is predicated on them already being in power; ie. bowing to the status quo because it's easier. Britney's in a position of influence over a lot of people, particularly young people; the statement accredited to her above doesn't strike me as encouraging anything but revererence without engagement, which is one side of apathy.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:19 (twenty years ago) link

What's the roll of opinion polls then, mark? Surely they function as a kind of in-progress stop-check for government, an example of constant critique and vigilance, even if it's only half-hearted?

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:20 (twenty years ago) link

Healthy skepticism.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:22 (twenty years ago) link

If Britney or Justin were revealed to be Republicans it would neither surprise nor bother me. But this stinks of the micro-Enlightenment refrain of "we know better than you subscribe to what we believe else you're an idiot" which is no better than Clear Channel de-playlisting the Dixie Chicks.

Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:22 (twenty years ago) link

*automatic* refusal of all trust is i think pretty hobbesian: ie next step = the war of all against all

it doesn't much surprise me that this is a bottom-line position across a wide range of political stances, as the war of all against all is an underlying position in free market capitalism, and as the dominant social structure this carries across into and shapes many of its so-called opponents (from individualist anarchism to revenant stalinism)

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:24 (twenty years ago) link

you should reserve that scepticism for the system as a whole, nick!! you can't have it both ways: either a dud result (from yr point of view) CAN be corrected next election (= system as a whole OK) or it CAN'T (you needa new system)

and if you're serious about your doubts — which your argument about *constant* vigilance suggests — then you should be exploring the potential good and bad of other systems and how to get to them

i asked a q. on ile ages ago about whether written constitutions were inherently imperialist, and hardly anyone answered: i should have put it on a britney thread!! who knew!!

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:33 (twenty years ago) link

"exploring" is a bit weak: you should be out there ORGANISING!!

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:34 (twenty years ago) link

But this stinks of the micro-Enlightenment refrain of "we know better than you subscribe to what we believe else you're an idiot"

That is so untrue. No one has said that everyone has to subscribe to what we belive. We're arguing just the opposite - form your own opinion. Even if it's exactly the same as the President's. But make it YOUR opinion - don't just adopt his.

dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:43 (twenty years ago) link

"exploring" is a bit weak: you should be out there ORGANISING!!

If I had the time, brain, and committment, mark s.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:46 (twenty years ago) link

great platform dadrock!! blimey i wonder who's been running on the "anti-liberal" ticket recently?

Mark - Britain is run by liberals like Blair and Brown, that's the problem. That kind of liberal is bad enough but the ones who tie themselves in PC knots over someone calling Britney an idiot are equally as reprehensible, if more laughable.

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:13 (twenty years ago) link

More laughable than someone tying themselves in useless knots over whether Derek Bailey has "progressed," no doubt.

Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:17 (twenty years ago) link

Who is in "knots" Marcello? My God, get a friggin' life

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:28 (twenty years ago) link

It's all good fun Marcello, why else would we all do it?

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:30 (twenty years ago) link

To get, or retain, a life, perhaps?

Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:33 (twenty years ago) link

Me and Derek are like that

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:34 (twenty years ago) link

That is so untrue. No one has said that everyone has to subscribe to what we belive. We're arguing just the opposite - form your own opinion. Even if it's exactly the same as the President's. But make it YOUR opinion - don't just adopt his.

Years of observing people using this line as code for "I will never respect you as long as you disagree with me" to thread.

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:34 (twenty years ago) link

"exploitation of quasi-radical stances to provide us with an excuse for sneering at people thereby excusing ourselves from ever having to engage with the actual discussion of politics" = political correctness

which is why i was having a go at it on this thread, daddio my honey

you can call britney whatever names you like: just don't hide behind big political claims when you do, if you want us to take your POLITICS seriously

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:50 (twenty years ago) link

Mark OTM.

Marcello, clearly you are a better judge of what constitutes a successful instigation than I am. *bows*

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:00 (twenty years ago) link

yeah surely the fact is if it was iggy pop that said this he'd have become radical in his mad old age, rather than being a ditzy bimbo etc etc. ie this is very little to do with politics and alot to do with pop.

also there are traces of liberal snobbery here. not to the extent some are alleging though.

this thread annoys me like the hmv book section

Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:01 (twenty years ago) link

No, Iggy Pop's always been a Republican (see his interview in Morley's Ask, if you can find a copy: "I am a CONSERVATIVE!").

Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:09 (twenty years ago) link

(also "rock the vote" = "trust the system"!!)

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:11 (twenty years ago) link

I didn't know that but the point stands I guess, I must look for a copy of Ask, enjoying Words and Music no end.

Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:12 (twenty years ago) link

Surely "Rock The Vote" = "Try Using The System Before You Complain About It, You Lazy, Spoiled and Ungrateful Slugs"? Or is that just me?

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:14 (twenty years ago) link

I'd like to know where you got that notion Dan.

Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:19 (twenty years ago) link

that's just you dan: as everyone knows iggy has always loved and respected his audiences!!

mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:20 (twenty years ago) link

Not only is Britney stupid but she's ugly too - how d'ya like them apples.

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:38 (twenty years ago) link

I'd like to know where you got that notion Dan.

I think the word I'm looking for here is "projection".

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:41 (twenty years ago) link

Is Dadaismus Calum with a Wire hat on?

Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:44 (twenty years ago) link

you can call britney whatever names you like: just don't hide behind big political claims when you do, if you want us to take your POLITICS seriously

Mark, why would I or Britney or anyone care if you took our politics seriously or not? Given that you are the world's champion at jumping to conclusions, I mean.

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:49 (twenty years ago) link

my joke flew by like a stealth bomber in the night

Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:52 (twenty years ago) link

It is Calum, isn't it? Where did I put those Spice Girls pictures?

Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:54 (twenty years ago) link

Ronan, I got it right after I hit "Submit". Today is Dan Is Slow Day.

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:54 (twenty years ago) link

"Rock The Vote" = "Try Using The System Before You Complain About It, You Lazy, Spoiled and Ungrateful Slugs"

The general degree of faith in the American electoral system continues to shock and amaze me

J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:55 (twenty years ago) link

I hope I don't detect any snobbishness and elitism towards Calum there Marcello - granted that envy is pretty unlikely

Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:57 (twenty years ago) link


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