The question I have asked myself for years is a simple one: "If I wasn't related to you, would we be friends? Would we spend any time together at all?" If the answer is no, act accordingly.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 5 July 2020 13:37 (three years ago) link
There's something here in the role of individualism vs communality, which is a by-product of our Western societies rather than any particular personal failings. We're prone to focusing on the character or morals of a particular person in and of themselves and our relationship to them more so than in terms of community, something that seems somewhat Protestant - a focus on the moral rather than the pragmatic.
This isn't to say walking away in any given scenario is the wrong thing to do! But in many cases this isn't always possible (although admittedly less so in atomized situations), we don't always have the ability to do this, and pragmatism comes first, even if not by choice.
― anvil, Monday, 6 July 2020 00:54 (three years ago) link
yeah, a friend used to be into a conspiracy podcast and I enjoyed listening to it for the way out ones which sounded like a dramatisation of a Philip K Dick story, these new ones are just boring and racist.
― Anti-Cop Ponceortium
very otm!
― Frobisher, Wednesday, 12 August 2020 16:09 (three years ago) link
disagree, racism is fundamental to the nature of conspiracy theories, even the "way out" ones. i've seen francis e. dec's rants.
― Kate (rushomancy), Wednesday, 12 August 2020 16:34 (three years ago) link
I dunno, the folks over at the Portuguese UFO sightseeing group on FB I'm on seem to be pretty kumayaba in their hopes of alien intelligence helping us all ascend to higher states of being.
― Daniel_Rf, Wednesday, 12 August 2020 18:20 (three years ago) link
that feels less conspiracy theory and more gonzo paranormal stanning
― imago, Wednesday, 12 August 2020 18:22 (three years ago) link
yeah simply saying "there are ufos" isn't a conspiracy per se. a conspiracy theory, to me, consists of a to-the-believer obvious truth that would be universally known and acknowledged if not for the malicious intervention of Them. (note that some conspiracy theories do turn out to be true!)
― Kate (rushomancy), Wednesday, 12 August 2020 19:17 (three years ago) link
conspiracy theory today is almost always based on a protocols of zion model regardless of who the conspirators are claimed to be so it's always racist as well as a drain on actual resistance to the status quo
the new agey crystal side of this stuff is far from immune from this
― Your original display name will be displayed in brackets (Left), Wednesday, 12 August 2020 23:05 (three years ago) link
the conspiracy theories I enjoyed hearing about were either some sort of aliens, "we are in a collective dream" or ancient Egyptian mystical things, basically not fitting the definition as you're giving it at all, Kate. all the same it was clearly labelled as a conspiracy theory podcast. Even some of the stuff which would fit the description blamed everything on George W Bush, this was not long after 9/11 and they had ridiculous ideas about him being some sort of genius, that always seemed more ludicrous than the alien stuff. I did hear some antisemitic stuff on there from time to time, but they would be embarrassed and try to move on from it, very much unlike now.
― Anti-Cop Ponceortium (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 12 August 2020 23:49 (three years ago) link
i saw someone on twitter say they thought conspiracy theories were basically a subconscious transference of a wound inflicted by the ancestors/culture/inheritance of the believers, or the believers themselves. they linked to an article comparing alien abduction narratives to disappearances of native americans. i think there's probably some truth to that idea. e.g. 5g conspiracy theorists transferring the negative social effects of the internet. i'm thinking of an acquaintance who is a 5g conspiracy theorist and also an airbnb host as his primary source of income.
― Give me a Chad Smith-type feel (map), Thursday, 13 August 2020 00:16 (three years ago) link
heh I like that
― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Thursday, 13 August 2020 00:21 (three years ago) link
Left and Kate otm. The Venn between 'crystal New Age hippies' and 'racist conspiracy quacksalvers' is quite large. I lived in Mt. Shasta and worked at the organic grocery store in town, and let me tell you some stories about that experience....
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Thursday, 13 August 2020 01:22 (three years ago) link
Table I have family in Mt. Shasta and this is (some of) them...! Not racist maybe but chem-trailers/Loose-changers How long ago did you live there? I wonder if you ran into my cousin at that store.
― singular wolf erotica producer (Hadrian VIII), Thursday, 13 August 2020 02:17 (three years ago) link
Hadrian, I lived in the area from September 2015- August 2016, first in Weed and then in McCloud. Worked at ye olde Berryvale from December 2015 til a few days before I left.
I actually really love a lot of people whom I worked with and in that area generally, but the wingnut factor was really high.
There were Trump supporters in 2016 who also believed in magic fairies that lived in dew coming and blessing their blankets at night. They'd explain all this and then literally yell at people speaking Spanish in the store cafe. It was shocking and insane.
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Thursday, 13 August 2020 14:53 (three years ago) link
Also the reactions when Prince died on one of my shifts was 'who?'
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Thursday, 13 August 2020 14:54 (three years ago) link
my 40 year-old cousin took us to a crystal shop that sold chai. He talked to me and my daughter for a while about the Lemurians or whatever that live inside the mountain, then on the walk back to my aunt's house he threatened a passing stranger that he would break his kneecap with a "socket wrench." Cool place.
― singular wolf erotica producer (Hadrian VIII), Thursday, 13 August 2020 15:05 (three years ago) link
It was while living in that area that we started living with a loaded shotgun next to the bed, so yeah, I get the vibe.
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Thursday, 13 August 2020 15:08 (three years ago) link
when Prince died on one of my shifts
― kinder, Thursday, 13 August 2020 16:22 (three years ago) link
Lol yeah, I read that after posting it and realized it was a bit off.
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Thursday, 13 August 2020 16:30 (three years ago) link
I enjoyed going up there occasionally to escape Redding's heat, but I couldn't have lived there without biting my lips off.
― Scampos Runamuck (WmC), Thursday, 13 August 2020 16:31 (three years ago) link
I also lived in Los Molinos and Chico for a spell..I'd take the Shasta area over that bullshit anytime.
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Thursday, 13 August 2020 16:34 (three years ago) link
Like at least the Shasta area is pretty.
lol, yes
― Scampos Runamuck (WmC), Thursday, 13 August 2020 17:08 (three years ago) link
_when Prince died on one of my shifts_Sorry but this made me lol... sounds like bagging groceries is what did for poor old Prince
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Thursday, 13 August 2020 18:35 (three years ago) link
lol
― vitreous humorist (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 13 August 2020 19:15 (three years ago) link
Lol breastcrawl
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Thursday, 13 August 2020 19:35 (three years ago) link
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 13 August 2020 19:49 (three years ago) link
I'm mad that that is funny
― shout-out to his family (DJP), Thursday, 13 August 2020 20:11 (three years ago) link
hahaha
― unpaid intern at the darvo institute (Simon H.), Thursday, 13 August 2020 20:11 (three years ago) link
irl lol at Dan's infuriation
― Steppin' RZA (sic), Thursday, 13 August 2020 20:16 (three years ago) link
https://shop.totallyvinyl.com/img/uploads/images/prince/PRINCE_PAISLEY_PARK_SHAPED_PICTURE_DISC_and_DISPLAY_1.jpg
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Friday, 14 August 2020 09:16 (three years ago) link
The Onion never misses. pic.twitter.com/87P4rtdpqe— sadvil 😎 (@sadvil) August 14, 2020
― Anti-Cop Ponceortium (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 15 August 2020 08:54 (three years ago) link
A friend of mine posted something innocuous like 'Great Michelle Obama speech' on FB last night and one of his friends, whom I don't know, replied 'Don't you mean Michael Obama?' Turns out there's some conspiracy theory that Michelle was born male, is a beard for gay Barack, and something to do with Joan Rivers' death. Is this some QAnon shit, because these people are too stupid to live.
― Orson Well Yeah (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:20 (three years ago) link
yes and yes
― Anti-Cop Ponceortium (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:25 (three years ago) link
Jealous that it took so long for this heinous shit to reach your ears, Dan. It's been around for ages (your description is missing a 'Muslim' or two, though).
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 18 August 2020 15:27 (three years ago) link
Trump is popular with black voters because although they hate him they hate crime more. He is also going to legalize marijuana
― anvil, Friday, 25 September 2020 04:15 (three years ago) link
lauren southern dated the biggest loser on the planet pic.twitter.com/SeGs5lMWLM— raandy (@randygdub) October 16, 2020
― Donald Trump Also Sucks, Of Course (milo z), Friday, 16 October 2020 23:17 (three years ago) link
sounds like bullshit, potatoes are from North America
― mh, Saturday, 17 October 2020 00:47 (three years ago) link
Pedantic alert: potatoes from which contemporary potatoes derive are from southern chile iirc
― here comes the hotstamper (jim in vancouver), Saturday, 17 October 2020 04:35 (three years ago) link
correct, I meant to type “the americas” and had a brain failure
― mh, Saturday, 17 October 2020 15:17 (three years ago) link
My French FIL has now reached the point where he still doesn't like Trump BUT you gotta admit that he made the right call regarding the pandemic, which is all a ploy by big Pharma to get us all inoculated with fake antibodies that are simultaneously useless and a health hazard. It's literally a cult and my wife has almost completely stopped communicating with him, which is depressing as fuck.
― pomenitul, Sunday, 18 October 2020 14:28 (three years ago) link
but trump was all over the experimental drugs in hospital. was that not big pharma?
― koogs, Sunday, 18 October 2020 14:48 (three years ago) link
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AntiqueFatalFluke-size_restricted.gif
― pomenitul, Sunday, 18 October 2020 14:51 (three years ago) link
But there’s almost quarter of a million Americans dead???
― seumas milm (gyac), Sunday, 18 October 2020 15:03 (three years ago) link
someone hasn’t heard of crisis actors
― Welcome to Nonrock (breastcrawl), Sunday, 18 October 2020 15:05 (three years ago) link
He hasn't gone that far – yet. For now it's more like 'people die of stuff all the time, you see, there's nothing unusual about this'.
― pomenitul, Sunday, 18 October 2020 15:08 (three years ago) link
flu kills a lot of people too, etc
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 18 October 2020 17:05 (three years ago) link
and yet the police are never happy when I make that argument about all the people I killed...
― Piven After Midnight (The Yellow Kid), Sunday, 18 October 2020 18:08 (three years ago) link
What drives me up the wall too is that he spoke of Trump's 'attitude saine' ('healthy/sane attitude') towards covid, which sounds like pure trolling yet isn't – he buys into this shit hook, line and sinker. And the whole 'sheeple' thing ('vous [my wife and I] n'êtes que des moutons') makes it even dumber and more predictable. All of this coming from a man who is otherwise intelligent and educated and who has been unwavering in his commitment to the left since his youth. Bah (aka baaaa, amirite?).
― pomenitul, Sunday, 18 October 2020 18:18 (three years ago) link
And the whole 'sheeple' thing ('vous [my wife and I] n'êtes que des moutons') makes it even dumber and more predictable. All of this coming from a man who is otherwise intelligent and educated and who has been unwavering in his commitment to the left since his youth.
If I can take a crack at this, I think of it as something along the lines of 'Covid policy has lead to increased inequality and wealth concentration, its a real thing but is it as dangerous as we originally thought? Tons of people die anyway just looking at raw figures doesnt tell whole story. People's willingness to go along and accept the above including expanded police powers to enforce that they might not give up is fairly docile'
I think you can construct something like the above without going anywhere near right wing territory (one for the left wing worm thread?)
― anvil, Tuesday, 20 October 2020 18:11 (three years ago) link