Popular Post VILLAMARV Posted June 21, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted June 21, 2018 I'm glad everyone is upset about this. I honestly despair that there is not the same level of outrage about the thousands of Muslim kids rounded up over the last 18 years and thrown into places like abu ghraib. Or the Pakistani children shot dead by drones through the Obama regime. Or indeed the fate of some children seperated from their families in the US and UK and all around the world. It's not a pleasant topic at all, but I find it incredible that people can walk around genuinely outraged about something just because it was deemed newsworthy and just ignore the actions of our own governments. It's hypocracy of the highest order to me. I'm not attacking anyone here btw or suggesting to anyone reading that they share the views here but at the moment I'm talking to people and Zappa's words are ringing in my ears constantly. The veil is being lifted. Trump is the symptom right? So basically everyone fooling themselves that we don't already live in some sort of Right-Wing dystopia is getting a shock. How awful that the desires of corporate entities shape our laws, how awful that the rule of law is being and has been usurped and that our language is being bastardised. Where the new name of the game as far as the media go is confusion and misinformation, where things like Hillsborough and Grenfell are used as propaganda tools instead of the instigators of progressive change they should be. The great national Brexit debate is a great example of everyone arguing about money (We'll be worse/better off) as if the outcome where we have the most money is the optimal choice. It's nonsensical. We have a chance to improve things every single moment of every single day. Unfortunately while people are busy assuming some sort of superiority over other people it will just never happen, whether that be Brexiteers or Remainers, Tory or Labour, Dems and Reps, Christians and Muslims etc etc etc. Where an MP can go to church every week, claim to be a good christian and then practice greed, malice, envy etc when in actual office. Where Churches lock their doors to the homeless at night. Meanwhile in other news, while this totally self made-self solved problem of immigration on the US border is rattling along, the UK just approved the use of hoods by the police in the UK. Meaning that right now someone could be being arrested and having a bag put over their heads. By a Prime Minister who we know to be married to a man who makes equipment for the police and runs detention centres. But Trump right? And the Royal wedding/baby. And 'think of the children'. I despair I really do. I had a friend here yesterday and when talking of Grenfell I said it was awful how people still haven't been re-housed and his reply was "Well some of them have refused housing!". After deciding not to ask him to leave I disseminated that statement for him instead. He's not a bad person he just listens to too much LBC right now for some reason. The de-humanisation, the us and them, is disgusting. After pointing out what he would think if it was him who had not been re-housed in a year he kind of got the point. And that's the key, empathy for our fellow humans. It's always baffled me how people can be so selective with it though. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 ^^ Stop the world, I want to get off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post A'Villan Posted June 21, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted June 21, 2018 (edited) Reading through this thread and the Israel/Palestine thread only affirms for me how fortunate I am to live in Melbourne, Australia. Largely due to the fact that I have avoided the dogmatic thinking that accompanies patriotic or religious belief systems. I find people who have served in the army are particularly prone to patriotic schools of thought and the justification of the actions that their country pursue is recited and defended rigourously. I'd rather invest my thoughts and actions to causes that enhance the welfare of my environment. Our current leader is still a tit in that his primary concern is his political career moves are of more concern than the policy to ensure the betterment of life for everyday Australians. He's still guilty of widening the gap between the rich and poor and in Trump's own words to Turnbull, "You're worse than me." That was in regard to immigration policy, something which Turnbull has advised and influenced Trump on, also managing to offload over 1200 refugees to the U.S in the process. But the turmoil and injustice to Palestinians is a reality that I can empathise with at best without ever experiencing the like. Same with the welfare situation in the U.S and the culture of violence that ensues. We just don't experience poverty to that degree. Worldwide there's a serious lack of benevolence in leaders of today. It's rarely about the most fundamental aspect of leadership and that is to ensure the well-being of the people you're in charge of. I often hear the term psychopath dropped when discussing the shortcomings in leadership, but I don't think brain structure is the real issue at heart. Afterall, many 'regular' people have ruined the lives of others and believe it or not there are psychopaths who have lived lives free of any serious malcontent and grown in to loving and lovable adults. People with a disposition to Schizophrenia and Psychosis are actually also prone to being creative genius when their environment allows for it. They come up with some of our most reality shattering concepts of what constitutes life and have a temperament that might lack socially but makes up for it in originality of thought and idea. Yet there is still huge stigma attached. The issue for me is more along the lines of the quote, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." What I'm getting at here is we have duped ourselves in to a world of put downs and negative dogma. We act like our best or most comprehensive understanding of life is down to an absolute science whereby things are just naturally chaotic, and that we are this inconsequential little blob of matter in a universe so vast and strange. It's all down to a science. The reality, in my mind, is that we are the very fabric that makes up the universe and therefore we are not separate from or a stranger to it. The sun could not evoke light without eyes to perceive it, you see, so we are not so separate from our external reality. The issue with the current common belief system is that it does not really encourage awareness beyond the idea that you are an entity with an ego who should act in a way that is built on the conclusions of limited thinking and one that binds you to the mind that you are alone in your bid for survival in all this. Donald Trump said, "I'm the biggest, I'm the best." Malcolm Turnball when discussing a banking scandal, "It was a bad political move on my behalf." Absolutely no focus on addressing the people who suffered as a consequence. We see in the Israel/Palestine thread, the belief of Jews as to being a superior race. See, when you identify as being separate from the world you live in, you try and gain one up on it, instead of working with it. Both Einstein and Tesla regarded intuition highly, which by nature involves having an awareness of your world in a way where you're connected. Often put down as unscientific. Yet two of the greatest scientific minds regard it. I do not believe the current culture of legitimising corruption that we see so readily worldwide is an innate quality, or of possessing more dominant characteristics than a more benevolent, fair and just counterpart. It can be disheartening and depressing to see, but the mindset that these conflicts and poor standards of behaviour are something out of the grasp of our understanding or influence is the exact kind of thinking that facilitates a world of financial and conflict engineering whereby a few profit from war, oppression, the labour and confusion of the many and we neglect the environment in the process, and when I say environment, I don't mean exclusive to trees and animals, I mean all encompassing. Edited June 21, 2018 by A'Villan 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAuthority Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 2 minutes ago, choffer said: Wonder if he'll frame that one to put on his wall? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted June 21, 2018 Moderator Share Posted June 21, 2018 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 It's a awful pity they don't show as much concern for the 10-20 million official second class members of society in the US aka undocumented/illegal immigrants. But, why would they? Those same people help juice corporate profits and raise the standard of living for the rest of America, plenty of who have been burnishing their ethics and morals as loudly as possible... "Ohhh, won't someone think of the children". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 (edited) All is well in the world again, Melania is here. Quote MELANIA TRUMPI'M HERE TO HELP... Surprise Visit to Child Detention Center Melania Trump Makes Surprise Trip to Texas Border Detention Center Melania Trump unexpectedly showed up to a border facility to get a firsthand look at what's going on ... and offer a lending hand in reuniting children with their parents. The First Lady arrived at a child detention center Thursday in Texas and started her visit by recognizing the medical staff, social workers and other employees for their "heroic work" in caring for kids separated from their families. Melania said, "I want to thank you for your hard work, your compassion and your kindness you're giving them in these difficult times." She added, her goal is to learn more about the situation and help out in any way she can. Her trip comes the day after President Trump signed an executive order to keep families at the border together. He told reporters Thursday, Melania went to the border because she's been bothered by what's going on there. According to the Washington Post ... Border Patrol agents have been instructed to stop sending parents with children to federal courthouses for prosecution. The White House hasn't confirmed. President Trump had said Wednesday his "zero tolerance" policy would continue. http://www.tmz.com/2018/06/21/melania-trump-surprise-visit-texas-child-border-detention-center/ Edit: And apparently this was the jacket she was wearing Surely this too good to be true Edited June 21, 2018 by sne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 Location of the proposed detention center for undocumented children in Houston: 419 Emancipation Avenue, Houston, Texas 77003. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAuthority Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 35 minutes ago, choffer said: Location of the proposed detention center for undocumented children in Houston: 419 Emancipation Avenue, Houston, Texas 77003. I want to wake up now thanks. Hello? Please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 41 minutes ago, choffer said: Location of the proposed detention center for undocumented children in Houston: 419 Emancipation Avenue, Houston, Texas 77003. That's just round the corner from Irony Close, is it? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 Remember that bit in 1984 where they reduce the chocolate ration from 30 grams to 20 grams? But Winston has to go back and rewrite history so that it looks like it used to be 10 grams? And then everyone celebrates in the streets to thank Big Brother because they've increased the chocolate ration? Yeah 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
il_serpente Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 You have to wonder whose job it was to tell Melania, "That's not a good wardrobe choice for today, or possibly ever." Although previous administrations may not have included wardrobe review in the job description, there's surely got to be someone whose duties include trying to prevent the first family from doing utterly stupid things. I can't decide if the Trump admin is so amateur that they didn't account for the need (would sure explain a lot) or if it was a deliberate act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAuthority Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 Trump has now contradicted her office and said it was a message to the press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted June 21, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted June 21, 2018 If it was intentional, it's probably not to be as crass as it immediately seems. It'll be to divert attention and play into the idea that nobody actually cares about these kids and that it's actually about being anti Trump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straggler Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Well that didn't take long.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VILLAMARV Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Anyone else read that as if that guy wants to protect 'the funds'? What a weirdly worded statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VILLAMARV Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Abby Martin and Jimmy Dore kind of break things down well here I think. The more people get stuck into a partisan stance of attacking one side or the other, whichever side of the fence you may be, we run the real risk of not understanding the reality of how we got here. And we have to be honest with ourselves about it. Surely we all agree deep down that when the two candidates the US had to chose from at the last election were the two on the ballot, that the problems run much, much deeper than which one got picked? "Where is the moral compass from these people?" - "We can't let them [dems] basically say we need to go back to 'humane' mass deportation.....We need no deportations and full rights, Reagan granted amnesty to undocumented immigrants, this is not a crazy thing.....We've just shifted the conversation so far to the right that this is somehow humane" Abby Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Press Sec's dad making . . . err . . . some kind of point here I'm sure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted June 23, 2018 Moderator Share Posted June 23, 2018 Talking of SfH-S she and her family got refused service in The Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia The review battle on Yelp of the establishment in question is mildly amusing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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