575100+ entries in 0.36s
mircea_popescu: undata> hell
to most of
the people alive,
that's
the rational position
to
take >> quite.
mircea_popescu: there's a few jurisdictions scattered around counting a few hundred million souls
that are
trying an experiment on
the
topic currently
mircea_popescu: well, it's settled law
to
this day pretty much everywhere.
decimation: wasn't
this pretty much settled law everywhere in europe before 1800?
mircea_popescu: societies where husbands own
the wife are always in a dire shortage of men
mircea_popescu: it makes
the "abortion is moral" debate what it belongs being : a moot question.
decimation: well,
that doesn't settle
the issue of whether abortion is moral, but it certainly extinguishes "but it's a woman's right!" argument
mircea_popescu: <decimation> undata: abortion is a complex issue
that ends up being used as a wedge on both sides << abortion is only "complex" because it is undefined.
the actualy issue is, who owns
the woman. if
the husband owns
the wife "abortion" is no problem. if
the wife owns
the husband, idem. nonsensical "middle of
the road" dualities
that can't stand, where
the wife is really a husband all by herself, except not really are ne
mircea_popescu: predicted doom can always be satisfactorily claimed
to have come
true, which is why it's been a favourite sport all along
mircea_popescu: <decimation>
there's a point
to
this (the idea
that
the losing party claims 'philosophic victory'). but
there's a long
tradition of 'old republicans' predicting doom which more-or-less came
true << same for
the left.
ben_vulpes: i'm sure it was a good
time for all involved. joints, flasks, conversation
that all agreed on important
topics...
mats_cd03: b-but
think of
the instagram and snapchat pics
decimation: well,
the aging hippies who run usg like
to see a few protest-arrests on a resume
undata: now
the cops,
they sound like
they actually demonstrated something
ben_vulpes: and yet plain wrappers stopping
traffic on burnside for no discernible reason; idling in SWAT gear on grand
ben_vulpes: lulziest part of
the whole action in
this area
ben_vulpes: undata: did you hear about
the part where
the "protesters" briefly endeavored
to get up on
the highway and were chivvied similarly politely back onto
the surface roads by
the 5-0?
undata: interesting, I wonder what
that group will evolve into
undata: video isn't
terribly convincing
decimation: in retrospect
the seeds of of ruin were already sown - but
that
time existed
decimation: 'american capitalism' did exist, in
the sense
that a little over 100 years ago, people used gold coins (or receipts for
the same) and private bank notes
undata: if
they had
to compete,
they'd lose
undata: hell
to most of
the people alive,
that's
the rational position
to
take
undata: forget
trying
to get people excited about free markets
today
undata: my grandfather (who I admire) was largely ignored in
the 70s
decimation: agreed.
There was a
time when
this wasn't
the case, but
those guys are nearly all dead now
undata: even
the "right" is way
too socialist
to advocate "american capitalism", if
there ever was such a
thing
decimation: perhaps it is dying (or dead) - but
to me
that means
the idea of 'america' as anything more
than a pile of spoils
to be divided is dead
undata: he was involved with
the "american party" back in
the day
undata: the "paleo-conservative"
thing seems
to be on
the way out with my grandfather's generation
decimation: undata: abortion is a complex issue
that ends up being used as a wedge on both sides
decimation: there's a point
to
this (the idea
that
the losing party claims 'philosophic victory'). but
there's a long
tradition of 'old republicans' predicting doom which more-or-less came
true
undata: whether
that's an opportunity for something better
to come along is questionable imo, and goes back
to
the "can't
think" problem
undata: though
the marketing is getting less effective, it seems
undata: yep,
things like "o no abortion" on
the "right" are just marketing
mircea_popescu: and for
that matter : in
the 70s ? dude
totally
the voter agreed "philosophically" with
the progressives.
mircea_popescu: so you know, either
the redheaded or
the brunette is busy squealing, while
the other's sitting in a corner
thinking of jesus and sin.
mircea_popescu: the losers are "principled" and
the winners are distributing largesse out of
the public goods.
mircea_popescu: this, incidentally, underpins all winner-loser scenarios on
the broader
timescale in all politcal systems
to date.
undata: the ideology of both parties is selling
the US out
to whoever has paid
them
mircea_popescu: "Tom Reagan: I am awake.
Tad: Your eyes are shut.
Tom Reagan: Who you gonna believe?"
decimation: well, one can ask humans what
they
think, but does
that reveal anything?
decimation: Possibly. I get
the feeling
that republicans
tend
to be more ideological
though
mircea_popescu: if obama comes
to power and gives a bunch of
tax money
to a bunch of cronies,
the democratic activists will see justice being done, and
the republicans corruption.
decimation: Yeah
that's a good point. It goes back
to
the position of
the french nobility ca. 1789
mircea_popescu: the one (or
the other) sees
true love.
the other (or
the one) sees just sheer stupidity on his part and
the nefariousness of
that one (or
the other) witch.
mircea_popescu: looky at a simile :
two hot 17 yos : a redhead with perky
tits, a brunette with butt
to die for.
mircea_popescu: so it's one of
those, "maybe, depends where you aim
to
take it"
mircea_popescu: see, it's a summary, for sure, and it has what
to stand on, but it's not necessarily
the case
that its footing will support any ulterior conclusion.
decimation: pretty much "the peasants realize
they are being fucked and are pissed, but can do nothing"
decimation: heh well he didn't have much in
that direction
mircea_popescu: well... you know
that saying
that, "given an artefact and a situation,
the artefact will either work or it won't" ?
undata: what kind of animal is
that
mircea_popescu: there is nothing besides
the fact of one's own existence.
undata: mircea_popescu: seems like a person who has been broken merely by realizing
the fact of his own existence
decimation: gentleman appears as a noble act of charity, compassion, etc,
to
the coarse and cynical peasant reveals itself as a purchase of political power, with his
tax dollars if not his physical safety.
Therefore a vision of
the gallows arises in his hindbrain."
mircea_popescu: and besides, very deeply human
thing, someone on his knees in a church or behind a
tree or somehting, "please, i can't
take
this"
mircea_popescu: that figure is always
the same figure, not like psychology is now going
to fucking progress or something.
undata: mircea_popescu: wow... "god"
the imaginary aggregate of democratic demands
decimation: yeah,
that's
their exact problem, if
they were
to
take any document-able action it would be counted as
treason and usg would slam down
mircea_popescu: yea, wat
then ? god'll
think you'r somewhere between offensively stupid and hysterically funny.
undata: you know, in an orderly fashion, mostly obedient
to cops, etc
undata: reminds me of
the idiots
that marched in downtown portland in response
to ferguson
undata: also demonstrates
the pervasive belief
that
talk = action
decimation: so,
the head guy is a lawyer who assisted with
the ron paul campaign
decimation: yeah reading what some of
them
think it's obvious
they spout nonsense
mircea_popescu: to be unidirectional it has
to manifest some subset of properties of invisibility, somehow.
mircea_popescu: in
the simplest form : "don't call us, we'll call you"
decimation: the whole idea of democracy is
that
the
true power is obfuscated
undata: but I've always wanted
to be in an environment where people would fight each other for
the best idea
decimation: well, Mr. Yarvin is quick
to point out
that it only
took 1000 british civil servants
to rule all of said india
undata: I am
too young
to know whether
this was always
the case
mircea_popescu: decimation everything everywhere is ruled by
the ruthless.
that's why
the simple were promised
the kingdom of heaven
undata: nobody will fight with you in a US
tech company
mircea_popescu: basically, it'll build a great 1700s india,
this niceness.
mircea_popescu: well, it's difficult
to circumscribe it, seeing how it's a word with no definition enacted by usage of a
tribe
that's not particularly
thinking-inclined. but i would say "niceness" mostly denotes a sort of bovine passivity.
undata: portland
tech startups are filled with such pussies; people are astoundingly offendable
decimation: the us is ruled by
the ruthless;
they just never show
their face
to
the public and never appear on camera
undata: this "niceness"
thing strikes me as a euphemism for obedient, if not
to an explicit master
then
to
the ubiquitous American religion of going with
the flow