Posted in: Auschwitz survivors warn of rising antisemitism at 80th anniversary of camp's liberation See in context
We see in the modern world today a great increase in antisemitism, and it was antisemitism that led to the Holocaust," said Marian Turski, 98, who was sent to Auschwitz in 1944 and survived the westward 'death march' to Buchenwald in 1945. "Let's not be afraid to convince ourselves that we can solve problems between neighbors.
The words of Rabbi Yosef Tzvi ben Porat are pertinent here:
אם כן הדברים מפורש, הוא לא שנא את היהודים בגלל שיש להם פאות, הוא לא שנא אותם בגלל שהם גזע עליון, בגלל שהם קומוניסטים. והוא כותב בצורה ברורה, היהודים הרסו את הדת ואת האמונה, הם יפיצו בגרמניה את האפיקורסות באלוקים, כי הוא כותב, אני מרגיש צו אלוקים לחסל את היהודים, כי הם כופרים בו, את זה הוא כותב כאן. אז הם מבינים עכשיו לעם, הם לא מבינים איזה בית ספר, כי מי שכותב תוכניות הלימודים, אתם שמאלנים, הם לא יכתבו שאיתו להרוג את היהודים בגלל שהם עמוד השמאל העולמי, ועמוד המרקסיזם קומוניזם לניניזם, אבל את זה הוא כותב, הרסו את כל הערכים,
So everything is clearly written [in Mein Kampf]. [Hitler] didn’t hate the Jews because they had “Peos” (sidelocks). He didn't hate them for observing Mitzvoth (commandments). [But] because they are communists. And he writes it clearly: “The Jews destroyed religion and faith.” “They spread in Germany the heresy in G-d [i.e. atheism].” That’s how he writes. “I feel like the messenger of G-d to exterminate the Jews.” Because they don’t believe in him. He writes this right here [in Mein Kampf]. Now you understand why they don’t teach it in schools? Because who writes the curriculum? Those same leftists. Of course they will not write that Hitler wanted to kill the Jews because they are the forefathers of the Left and the forefathers of Marxism, Communism, Leninism. But that’s what he writes. They destroyed all the values.
— https://youtu.be/hGmy338c8vY
If we look at the world today, the swing to the right is a response to globalist efforts to destroy the national identities of people. And, as I noted in a previous post, left wing Jewish organizations have played a major role in that. To cite myself citing still others:
I note that the article speaks of “rising antisemitism in the wake of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.” Now is it really because of “Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza” that “antisemitism” is on the rise? I note that all the way back in 2010 the Jewish academic Barbara Lerner-Spectre, director of Paideia, gave her assessment of why antisemitism was on the rise in Europe:
I think there is a resurgence of antisemitism because at this point in time Europe has not yet learned how to be multicultural. And I think we are going to be part of the throes of that transformation, which must take place. Europe is not going to be the monolithic societies they once were in the last century. Jews are going to be at the center of that. It’s a huge transformation for Europe to make. They are now going into a multicultural mode and Jews will be resented because of our leading role. But without that leading role and without that transformation, Europe will not survive.
Lerner-Spectre thus correlates the European rise in antisemitism with the work of Jewish groups within Europe to promote multiculturalism and the cultural transformation that such work has caused. It would thus seem to be too narrow to focus on the war in Gaza to account for the rise of antisemitism in Europe.
…
My point is that the “outbreak of anti-semitism” is not really an “outbreak” attributable to the Israel-Gaza war, but that, as Lerner-Spectre notes, “a resurgence of antisemitism” has occurred due to Jewish groups promoting multiculturalism in Europe which has resulted in undesired large-scale cultural changes. Thus while the Israel-Gaza war may have exacerbated the issue, it is not the main reason why antisemitism has been on the rise in Europe.
I would like to reinforce this point with comments made in a 2018 interview with the orthodox Jewish Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, head of the Shilo Institute (Machon Shilo), who addressed the question of “Why is Anti-Semitism on the Rise?” after the Pittsburgh shooting in America:
Q: Many have noted the rise in anti-Semitism over the last few years. How are we to understand this development?
A: As with almost any historical development, there are usually a number of causes for any particular development or process that we see unfolding before our eyes.
And yet one can and one should point out specific causes for such developments. Here I wish to discuss one particular aspect of this issue. And that is the belief on the part of many white people of European descent both in North America and in Europe as well as in other countries such as Australia. The belief of people of European stock that their nations, their countries and their cultures, their civilizations are essentially on the chopping block. That their way of life, their values, the societal norms and systems to which they are used and to which they under which they wish to live and that they wish to hand down to their children and grandchildren, they believe and I would agree with them.
…
The reason so many people of this background feel this way is of course a direct result of the mass and entirely irresponsible immigration policies of many countries, particularly European countries, as we know particularly from 2015 onwards. Europe has been inundated with third world immigrants but in fact this process has been going on for many decades.
…
In European particular this has accelerated and become a truly enormous crisis for those who wish to see European nations remain exactly what they are, European nations, that is to say the homelands and the societies for European peoples who wish to remain European, who identify as European, who wish to maintain their cultural heritage, etc. They feel threatened and again I reiterate they are correct to feel so. They are absolutely 100% correct in my view.
I think it is a massive crime on the part, I would say even a treasonous act on the part of many politicians in the West for allowing and facilitating such uncontrolled and massive immigration of third world immigrants into these countries. It is also a massive historical act of folly. As a result of this apprehension many people of European background are looking for those who are responsible, wish to blame, find the people they can blame and attack for what has been going on over in some cases for decades and other cases more particularly over the last few years and it is true unfortunately and I think this needs to be frankly admitted by Jews all over the world that there are, without doubt, Jews involved in those movements and those organizations very often NGOs, etc. who promote this phenomenon of third world immigration into the Western countries and the conclusion of these Europeans and Americans is that the Jews are behind this policy that this is some kind of Jewish conspiracy to water down white American or white European societies or to inflict irreparable damage on these societies.
— https://japantoday.com/category/world/macron-urges-france-to-rise-up-against-'unbearable-resurgence-of-antisemitism'-before-paris-march
So if the desire is to stem the rise of “antisemiticism,” the answer is quite clear. Stop promoting left-wing agendas in other nations. But this will not happen because those on the left will continue to fight for what they deem correct. Others will of course perceive their actions as a threat to their national identity and work in opposition. It is what it is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam
"Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents," said Musk, who himself laid a wreath at Auschwitz a year ago.
Of course Mr. Musk, but some people continually repeat past mistakes and create the situation anew. It’s like the criminal who, when incarcerated, thinks, “Here is how I will do better next time.”
-5 ( +3 / -8 )
Posted in: Kurds living in Kawaguchi repeatedly find themselves in the news See in context
LVToday 01:00 pm JST
When Japanese people are loud or drunk In public, no one suggests there is something inherently wrong with them or that they shouldn’t be in Japan.
I think one would be hard pressed to find a household where a sibling was disowned and put out on the street for bad behavior. On the other hand, someone who is not family would be removed swiftly. The one who is not family should be on their best behavior, recognizing they are in someone else's house.
Japanese people are capable of, and do some of the same things I’ve read in this article.
Sure. It is their home. If Kurds or anyone wants to tear down the house, let them do that in... oh wait. Well, maybe they can be moved to the Jewish Autonomous Oblast that the Jewish people don't use.
Asking why Kurds can’t “behave” themselves when not all Japanese people behave themselves is strange to me. Is the message supposed to be “Japanese people can do anything they want in Japan”?
Obviously not. But there is more leniency because Japan is their home while the Kurds' home is elsewhere, even if ethereal. I mean, if your sibling goes in the refrigerator, grabs the orange juice, and drops the carton accidentally, you may say, "Why weren't you more careful?" and expect the sibling to clean up their own mess. But if it was a house guest that did the same thing, you might say "Why were you going through the refrigerator?" The spilled orange juice would be secondary.
0 ( +5 / -5 )
Posted in: Trump’s Palestinian refugee idea falls flat with Jordan and confounds a Senate ally See in context
Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel
This is where the Donald loses points bigly in my book. A real America first, non-interventionist, would treat Israel the same as any other nation. It should be held to the same standards. But it never is.
It is strange to me that while Trump seeks those who would corrupt the system from within, illegal immigrants, those who would undermine his agenda, he has yet, as far as I know, to bar those holding dual citizenship from political office. I find this a more important issue than politicians moving into companies that the formally regulated and vice-versa which has been addressed already by the Donald. Politicians with divided loyalties can never put America first and make America great again.
Israeli’s desire is to reframe the discussion and talk about October 7th as if history started then. No. This problem was going on decades before October 7th. But let us put the blame where it belongs—at the feet of the British who double-dealed and created this situation. And why the double dealing? Because of the fetishization of a people whose kingdom was toppled 2,600 years ago. A people who were given the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in Russia to call a homeland to address their diasporic status. A people who chose instead to work to displace the native population that was now living in their former homeland for the last 2,000 years. It is simply not an intellectually defensible position to support. The Donald should not continue this undue fetishization in America with unwavering support of Israel.
8 ( +9 / -1 )
Posted in: 'Japan First' mindset key for Ishiba in dealing with Trump: president's ex-adviser See in context
Taking a "Japan First" mindset is vital for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to build meaningful ties with Donald Trump, according to a former policy adviser to the U.S. president.
Of course and may it always be so. Japanese politicians should work for the Japanese people and for the welfare of the Japan. American politicians should work for the American people for the welfare of the America.
I understand, however, that some do not share this view and instead believe that the politicians of various nation should not work for the people of those nations, but rather for transnational, global entities. While the heart of such people is perhaps in the right place, to see a world unified by our common humanity, their desire to sacrifice the culture of individual nations to achieve this goal is ultimately their Achilles heel. For all the talk of diversity, these people want a world where everything is culturally homogeneous. A true globalism will only come when nations learn to love their own uniqueness while respecting the uniqueness of others. A unity with plurality. The attempt by globalists to make all nations uniform is doomed to failure from the start.
And for all those who worry about "America first," "America first" does not mean "America only." It means that America must concern itself first with its own issues, which are numerous, before helping others. I understand through, some prefer, for example, spending American tax payer's money to fight to protect the national borders of Ukraine all while ignoring the national borders of America, but this is completely backward. But John Lennon sings well, "Imagine there are no borders," so some want to feel good and watch the nation fall apart. Or is that actually the plan of some?
2 ( +5 / -3 )
Posted in: U.S. Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, leaving app's fate to Trump See in context
I don't even care about China stealing my data. They can take all my data from me. Like, if anything, I'll go to China myself and give them my data.
I don't even care about master taking my freedom. Master can take all my freedom from me. Like, if anything, I'll go to master myself and give them my freedom.
Asprec's soul is worth $80,000 a year. I get it.
-3 ( +1 / -4 )
Posted in: Some U.S. lawmakers want more Christianity in the classroom. Trump could embolden their plans See in context
Concerned Citizen Today 02:14 pm JST
@Jimizo
You can find the nice stuff in there as well as justifications for genocide, slavery, racism, land theft, the mistreatment of women, child abuse etc.
Christians follow Christ's teachings....hence the name CHISTians. Please quote chapter and verse of His teachings, or any New Testament writer that justifies genocide, slavery, racism, land theft, the mistreatment of women, child abuse etc.
“the law is holy”
— Paul, Romans 7:12
It therefore follows that, at least to Paul, the Mosaic law was divinely ordained. So if the Mosaic law supports any of those things, then is necessarily follows that they are understood to be divinely sanctioned. Now I could go though to show how such things are indeed viewed as divinely sanctioned in the Mosaic law, but I won’t. The reason is, as can be seen from this page (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/how-could-god-command-genocide-in-the-old-testament-2/), any such demonstrations will be explained away as perfectly just given that God is the standard for justice, making such things just by definition; a tautological position. The unreasonableness is easily seen when one notes the same tautological position in other religious traditions just to be told, “Well yeah, in those cases it was unjust because that was not the real God sanctioning those acts.” And so there is no real objective way to evaluate the justness or unjustness of the Mosaic legislation, or anything else biblical, in the Christian worldview. The Christian is always right by definition. That is why I find the topic to be a waste of time frankly.
And Christians are Christians because they believe Jesus is the Christ, Christ deriving from the Greek translation of the word Messiah, a Jewish concept. Christianity is predicated on Jewish religion, a variant form of Israelite religion of the people of Judah. So first prove that Jewish religion is true, as compared to the other surviving strand of Israelite religion, Samaritan religion. The proclamation “Jesus is the Messiah” is only significant to those who have first accepted a Jewish worldview. I do not share that worldview nor do many others whose children are in the public school system. I attribute no sanctity to Jerusalem. I have no reason to contort the failed religio-political propaganda of the Davidic monarchy in the bible into "prophecies" of a universal savior for mankind.
1 ( +4 / -3 )
Posted in: Some U.S. lawmakers want more Christianity in the classroom. Trump could embolden their plans See in context
Concerned Citizen Today 01:13 pm JST
[The Bible] commands loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, forgiving those who harm us, generosity to our own hurt, actively seeking to help and love our neighbors, putting the needs of others above our own, etc. etc.
I realise that many Christians don't live up to that. But it is a great standard to strive for.
Indeed, a great standard to strive for. After all, the Buddha said,
Even if low-down bandits were to sever you limb from limb with a two-handed saw, anyone who had a malevolent thought on that account would not be following my instructions. This is often depicted as one of the torments of hell. If that happens, you should train like this: ‘Our minds will not degenerate. We will blurt out no bad words. We will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate. We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that person. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of love to everyone in the world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.’ That’s how you should train.
https://suttacentral.net/mn21/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none¬es=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin
Forgive them father, they know not what they do!
-1 ( +1 / -2 )
Posted in: Some U.S. lawmakers want more Christianity in the classroom. Trump could embolden their plans See in context
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world
John 18:36Hey Christians, did you hear? Jesus' kingdom is not a secular one. No need to make America, or anywhere else, "a Christian nation." Besides, the Founding Fathers were Deists, Washington swearing on a Masonic Bible. Hiram Abiff is Hiram abinu (our father), the architect a Tyrian king, Solomon's temple a pagan sanctuary. Christianity belongs in school as much as evolution belongs in chruch, it doesn't. Teach lessons from the good book at home and church. And if you are so worried about a secular education in public school, homeschool. That is what my southern Baptist sister and her husband did.
2 ( +5 / -3 )
Posted in: We're a quarter way into the 21st century. What inventions or technological developments did you think we would have by now, but which have not eventuated? See in context
Mr Kipling Today 08:35 am JST
Not really an invention but the fact that religion is still important to many in 2025 is astonishing.
I wouldn't call myself "religious," but I don't have a problem with religion as a feature of human culture. It is the narrow mindedness and violence that sometimes accompanies, but not necessarily a component of, religious beliefs that I find worrisome. But as far as religious belief goes, it's not going away anytime soon. You may want to look into the cognitive science of religion to understand, at least from a naturalistic perspective, why this is the case.
As for the question posed, I would have thought we would be further along in space travel by now, at least having lunar colonies. The show For All Mankind nicely imagines where we could have been if the will had really been there.
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: 'Not paying any dating expenses at all' listed as domestic violence by Japanese gov't agency See in context
The Japanese Government:
We need to increase the birth rate to reverse population decline.
Also the Japanese Government:
We need to have every romantic interaction between the sexes contractually agreed upon to ensure that neither party will become legally liable.
Way to take away the spontaneous nature out of romantic relations Japan. Thanks. So much for the home grown Japanese population.
This world is the divine comedy. Truly. No need to wait for the afterlife.
-1 ( +2 / -3 )
Posted in: Work-life balance isn't working for women in U.S. Why? See in context
kohakuebisu Today 09:25 am JST
My reading of history in modern Anglo countries is that they've created more opportunities for women, but have also economically developed in a way that has reduced male wages and increased the cost of living, especially real estate, to the point where not working and being a housewife/stay at home mother or even a part timer is no longer a choice for many married women. As a simplification, we've gone from unfulfilled housewives to mothers being forced to work full time to pay for the house their mothers and fathers could buy with their fathers' salary alone. In this situation, its hard to say that society is offering more "choices" to women.
GBR48 Today 10:22 am JST
That is a good point by kohakuebisu. Essentially women have won the necessity to be wage slaves, previously the preserve of men.
Well if Aaron Russo is to be believed, it is all according to plan:
[Nicholas Rockefeller] was at the house one night and he asked me what I thought Women’s liberation was about. I had conventional thinking so I said women having the right to work and having equal pay with men.
He started to laugh and said there are two reasons: 1) We funded this movement to get more women into the workforce and now we can tax them and stimulate the economy. 2) We can control them in the offices, schools, and in life. We can break up the family structure and the government becomes the family structure.
Paraphrased quote, but the actual statement is found here (from 0:57): https://youtu.be/f1I6vZ3OCk0
With the intentional destruction of the family structure, it is understandable why birthrates are down. Considering the root causes is the first step toward a solution.
1 ( +1 / -0 )
Posted in: Woman arrested for helping male acquaintance commit suicide in Tottori Prefecture See in context
Speed Today 04:22 pm JST
If she helped him hang himself, then why did she scream for help while he was hanging?
Perhaps she needed more help? But the more serious and obvious answer is that she wanted to hide her own involvement.
1 ( +1 / -0 )
Posted in: Woman arrested for helping male acquaintance commit suicide in Tottori Prefecture See in context
stormcrow Today 08:38 am JST
How could anyone encourage a physically healthy person to take their own life?
It is an interesting question. Perhaps I can answer by beginning with another. How can an entire field, psychology, together with the full support of governments, actively encourage physically healthy people to remove functional body parts and take body altering drugs while simultaneously calling it “care”? Perhaps it is because the people involved perceive what they are doing as being compassionate, irrespective of how someone else might perceive it.
The man who committed suicide obviously had reasons that made sense to him to do so. Sugimoto likely perceived herself as acting compassionate in assisting him. I agree with you that he should have sought other help and not taken his life and that Sugimoto should not have aided in his suicide. Yet at the same time I recognize that suicide does not carry the same stigma in Japanese culture as it does in the West and so that our take on the situation may not be the most culturally sensitive. This may be why Sugimoto “helped” the man just as psychology and governments have “helped” many people. It comes down to perspective.
3 ( +5 / -2 )
Posted in: South Korea star Jung Woo-sung apologises after baby scandal See in context
HopeSpringsEternal,
I find it interesting that you frame this “battle of sexes” in relation to “equality.” Just to make my own position clear, “equality” is about treating everyone the same regardless of their inherent characteristics, while “equity” is about giving certain groups social advantages based on perceived disadvantages in order to “level the playing field.” The distinction is rather important and should always be kept in mind.
Now according to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) ( hhttps://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2023.pdf ), Japan ranks 125th and South Korea ranks 105th out of 146 countries. The media consistently cites these rankings as proof that Japan and South Korea are abysmal when it comes to the equality of women relative to men.
However, it is critical to ask in what areas “equality” is being measured in this index. The GGGI thankfully tell us: “The Global Gender Gap Index was first introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006 to benchmark progress towards gender parity and compare countries’ gender gaps across four dimensions: economic opportunities, education, health and political leadership.” The GGGI also helpfully tells us, “The level of progress toward gender parity (the parity score) for each indicator is calculated as the ratio of the value of each indicator for women to the value for men. A parity score of 1 indicates full parity. The gender gap is the distance from full parity.”
Therefore the index is already biased seeing that its “four dimensions” are solely based on measuring gender parity with a lens on women's status and opportunities which do not cover many other dimensions that could be included for a fairer picture on “equality” such as
educational attainment (e.g. under-performance and underachievement of males),
health issues (e.g. health disparities that disproportionately affect men such as higher rates of suicide, substance abuse, and violent deaths),
mental health (e.g. social stigma around vulnerability or emotional expression),
workplace inequality and unemployment (e.g. over-representation in low-paying, dangerous, or temporary jobs as well as workplace injury),
family and parental rights (e.g. disadvantages to men related to parental leave or child custody laws),
legal systems and family law (e.g. the legal necessity to pay child support even in cases where men are conclusively provable not to be the biological father),
incarceration and criminal justice (e.g. disparities in sentencing, over-representation of men in the criminal justice system),
And so on.
Thus if one wishes to seriously consider “equality,” it must be discussed in equal terms—the discussion must necessarily encompass both women and men’s issues. But I for one know that these discussions, while speaking of “equality,” are actually about “equity,” that is, how can women be given advantages to “level the playing field” in certain specific areas, while not seeking 1. to promote “parity” across the board or 2. address the disparities males also have in society. So yes, it all does get on my nerves because I would rather see more equal discussions about equality going on. It should not be a battle of the sexes, women vs. men, it should be women and men working together as equal partners for better societies.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: South Korea star Jung Woo-sung apologises after baby scandal See in context
From the article:
a country where births outside marriage are still seen as taboo
Yes, “still” seen because it has retained something of its (sexist?) traditional culture that seeks to ensure that men only have children within the confines of marriage. And so it is in this context he is shamed for acting against this societal standard.
One lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Party voiced support for accepting different family structures in South Korean society.
"The reality is that everyone is unique," said lawmaker Lee So-young, who added that her parents divorced when she was young.
"A society that respects these differences would surely be a better society, wouldn't it?"
The two adults who decided to marry, now having a child or several children, should understand the situation into which they placed themselves, recognize their responsibilities beyond themselves, and only resort to divorce as a last resort. There will of course times be times when divorce happens and members of society should understand the need for this due to extenuating circumstances, e.g. spousal abuse. But to use this to open the door to non-traditional family structures because “everyone is unique” and needs to “respects differences” is to lay the axe at the tree truck of society which is the family. Jung Woo-sung is unique. He apparently likes to throw his seed around at will. Why can’t society respect his uniqueness? (I say apparently because it could be that Moon Ga-bi sought to trap Jung Woo-sung into marriage with the child. Such things happen when only women have the right to decide to be parents).
South Korea has been battling the world's lowest birth rates and plummeting marriage rates.
Experts say a contributing factor could be the country's narrow legal definition of what a family entails.
Perhaps another contributing factor could be the dissemination of feminist thinking into the culture which actively strives against traditional gender norms, most extremely evidenced by the 4B movement which is now seemingly pushing its way into Western countries, but who knows? Anyone have a chart comparing birthrates within the country to the promotion of feminist thought within the country?
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: New Japanese body weight scale also lets you play one of the best video games of all time See in context
My first thought when I see something like this is, "Is there a way to add additional games?" I would rather play a game from the Samurai Showdown/Spirits series.
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: Republicans complete power takeover with House majority; Thune named Senate leader See in context
Phraseology from the article, to repeated in others over and over:
radical agenda of mass deportations
This "radical agenda of mass deportations" is only necessitated by Biden's "radical agenda of mass importations"--a point we will never hear from the media. What we will hear when mass deportations begin is only dramatic human stories which will naturally occur, but no reflection at all on the fact that the individuals being deported have only themselves to blame for building their lives on the sand of illegal immigration or that those who allowed them to enter illegally created the sad situation in the first place. It will be like the "kids in cages" thing which was laid at Trump's feet, but was actually started by Obama:
Michelle Obama assailed President Donald Trump on Monday for ripping migrant children from their parents and throwing them into cages, picking up on a frequent and distorted point made widely by Democrats.
She’s right that Trump’s now-suspended policy at the U.S.-Mexico border separated thousands of children from their families in ways that had not been done before. But what she did not say is that the very same “cages” were built and used in her husband’s administration, for the same purpose of holding migrant kids temporarily.
-- AP FACT CHECK: Michelle Obama and the kids in ‘cages’ ( https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-democratic-national-convention-ap-fact-check-immigration-politics-2663c84832a13cdd7a8233becfc7a5f3 )
Mark my words. It will be all one-sided tear jerkers intended to appeal to reader's hearts rather than their mind from the media.
-2 ( +0 / -2 )
Posted in: What should journalists do when the facts don’t matter? See in context
From the original article:
Horse-race coverage is back in full force, and the threat Trump poses to democracy is now an afterthought.
—James Risen ( https://theintercept.com/2024/08/28/trump-campaign-election-media-coverage-journalists/ )
Risen is kidding right? All the media did was say how Trump was a threat to democracy.
From the article:
The New York Times published a detailed enumeration of Trump’s proposed policies and explained with precision how they violated basic constitutional and democratic norms of governance.
This does not appear to be an accurate description of the article in question. The article, located at https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/06/16/us/politics/trump-policy-list-2025.html, almost matter-of-factly enumerates Trump’s proposed policies without offering commentary as to why those policies are unconstitutional or undemocratic. For example, the article states,
His allies have developed a legal rationale to erase the Justice Department’s independence from the president.
So the article states there is a legal rationale. The article does not say whether this legal rationale is valid or invalid under the constitution.
Another example,
While it’s generally illegal to use the military for domestic law enforcement, the Insurrection Act creates an exception. The Trump team would invoke it to use soldiers as immigration agents.
So the article states there is an exception which Trump would invoke. It does not say that Trump will use the military contrary to the constitution.
Another example,
Several of his closest advisers are now vetting lawyers seen as more likely to embrace aggressive legal theories about the scope of his power.
So the article mentions “aggressive legal theories,” but says nothing as to the validity or invalidity of those theories.
This is why it is important to check sources rather than rely on other’s characterization of them. I find the inaccurate description of the article particularly amusing given the subject of the article.
3 ( +4 / -1 )
Posted in: Trump asks Mike Waltz to be national security adviser; Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel See in context
TaiwanIsNotChina Today 07:08 am JST
There are certain words I refuse to use. There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria.
Now is that Samaria and Judea the Roman provinces? Is that Samaria and Judea the Greek provinces? Is that Samaria and Judea the Persian provinces? Is that Samaria and Judea the Babylonian provinces? Here’s a news flash. The northern kingdom of Israel was defeated by Assyria more than 2,700 years ago and the southern kingdom of Judah was defeated by the Babylonians more than 2,500 years ago. And here I thought the Chinese were odd for making territorial claims based on ancient history.
But I like this. As someone with Italian ancestry, I hereby declare in the interest of my own ethnicity that there is no Spain or Germany or England or Greece or Iran or Iraq or Syria or Egypt… There is just the Roman Empire. And that being the case, I am of course happy to have the provinces of Samaria and Judea as a part of it.
2 ( +4 / -2 )
Posted in: Pocket Controller Retro See in context
Sorry, but the only market for which these "200 built-in games" provide nostalgia to is the Chinese market who grew up with these games. My Raspberry PI with Recalbox gives me all the retro gaming I could ever need.
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Posted in: With Trump's win, some women wonder: Will U.S. ever see a female president? See in context
Jimizo Nov. 8 11:59 pm JST
There were certainly some voters who did not vote for these candidates simply on the basis on that they were female just as there were certainly some voters who did vote for these candidates simply on the basis that they were female. But the question is whether each of these two camps, each displaying sexual discrimination in their choices as you intimate, were sufficiently large enough to ultimately affect the aggregate of voters. I would say no
No based on what?
Let’s see:
Clinton: Based on the information here ( https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2018/08/09/an-examination-of-the-2016-electorate-based-on-validated-voters/ ), of those validated voters who voted for Clinton, 41% were men and 54% were women. Conversely, of those validated voters who voted for Trump, 52% were men and 39% were women. Now according to here ( https://www.statisticstimes.com/demographics/country/us-sex-ratio.php ), the sex ratio estimate for the US population in 2016 was 50.17% men (165,136,242/329,179,427) and 49.83% women (164,043,185/329,179,427). While these figures are for all males and females in the US population in 2016, assuming that those age 18+ were essentially the same percentages, what this means is that, all things being equal, men were more disposed to vote for Trump +1.83 percentage points higher than their representation in the population and women were more disposed to vote for Clinton +4.17 percentage points higher than their representation in the population. Women therefore were more disproportionate in their voting for Clinton than men were in their voting for Trump. Even so, Clinton lost the election. Therefore, even if one wishes to completely attribute the disproportionate +1.83 of men and the disproportionate +4.17 of women to gender preference, it had no effect on the outcome of the election.
Biden: Based on the information here ( https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/06/30/behind-bidens-2020-victory/ ), of those validated voters who voted for Biden, 48% were men and 55% were women. Conversely, of those validated voters who voted for Trump, 50% were men and 44% were women. Now according to here ( https://www.statisticstimes.com/demographics/country/us-sex-ratio.php ), the sex ratio estimate for the US population in 2016 was 50.29% men (170,710,103/339,436,158) and 49.71% women (168,726,055/339,436,158). While these figures are for all males and females in the US population in 2020, assuming that those age 18+ were essentially the same percentages, what this means is that, all things being equal, men were less disposed to vote for Trump -0.29 percentage points lower than their representation in the population and women were more disposed to vote for Biden +5.29 percentage points higher than their representation in the population. Women therefore were more disproportionate in their voting for Biden than men were in their voting for Trump. Biden won the election. One may wish to view Trump’s loss here as due to a disproportionate loss of male voters and a disproportionate over representation of women voters for Biden, but since both Trump and Biden are men, these figures give no evidence for gender preference. Perhaps you can understand now why I intentionally left out Biden since, not being a woman seeking to be president, he is not relevant to the discussion at hand which is about whether voters are adverse to having a woman become president.
Harris: Based on the information in the present article, 53% of those who voted for Harris were women and 46% of those who voted for Trump were women. Therefore, the remaining 47% of Harris voters and 54% of Trump voters were men. Now according to here ( https://www.statisticstimes.com/demographics/country/us-sex-ratio.php ), the sex ratio estimate for the US population in 2016 was 50.24% men and 49.76% women. While these figures are for all males and females in the US population in 2024, assuming that those age 18+ were essentially the same percentages, what this means is that, all things being equal, men were more disposed to vote for Trump +3.76 percentage points higher than their representation in the population and women were more disposed to vote for Harris +3.24 percentage points higher than their representation in the population. Men therefore were more disproportionate in their voting for Trump by +0.52 percentage points than women were in their voting for Harris. If one wishes to completely attribute the disproportionate +3.76 of men and the disproportionate +3.24 of women to gender preference, I guess that is one interpretation. But it seems to me that even if this were the case, the close percentage points make it a wash and is therefore not significant to Harris’ loss.
So while it is true that men were disproportionate (-0.29) in voting against Trump when Biden was the opposition as opposed to when Clinton and Harris were the opposition, +1.83 and +3.76, I also note that women were more disproportionate in their voting for Biden (+5.29) than they were when the choice was Clinton (+4.17) or Harris (+3.24). It therefore seems that there was something other than gender preference at play in the 2020 election.
Jimizo Nov. 8 10:31 pm JST
I’m not saying that’s the main reason why they lost…
And neither am I. And so I said,
jeffy Nov. 8 10:53 pm JST
There were certainly some voters who did not vote for these candidates simply on the basis on that they were female just as there were certainly some voters who did vote for these candidates simply on the basis that they were female. But the question is whether each of these two camps, each displaying sexual discrimination in their choices as you intimate, were sufficiently large enough to ultimately affect the aggregate of voters. I would say no.
And I say no because gender preference is evidently not a significant factor affecting the outcomes of the elections discussed. Ya feel me?
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Posted in: With Trump's win, some women wonder: Will U.S. ever see a female president? See in context
Jimizo Today 10:31 pm JST
So while it is true that some may have found Hilary Clinton or Kamala Harris to be worthy of the mantle of first female president, these two ultimately did not win their respective elections and were therefore evidently deemed unworthy. Sexual discrimination is not a factor here
Not necessarily. There may have been some who didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton or Harris because they were women.
There were certainly some voters who did not vote for these candidates simply on the basis on that they were female just as there were certainly some voters who did vote for these candidates simply on the basis that they were female. But the question is whether each of these two camps, each displaying sexual discrimination in their choices as you intimate, were sufficiently large enough to ultimately affect the aggregate of voters. I would say no. Therefore in line with my claim that “Sexual discrimination is not a factor here” with respect to the loss of these two candidates in their respective elections, I still maintain that sexual discrimination was not what led to their defeats.
Were Clinton and Harris great candidates? No.
Yes. And this is why I maintain they ultimately lost, not sexual discrimination. This is my position.
…
I’m not saying that’s the main reason why they lost but I don’t know how you rule it out as a factor.
Basically, I think you want to.
I do not “want” to. In light of the consideration expressed above as well as the support for female candidates from those who opposed these two candidates on the right evidences for me no a priori rejection of the idea of a female president from the majority of voters on the right. This is why I rule it out as significant to the loss of these two candidates.
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Posted in: With Trump's win, some women wonder: Will U.S. ever see a female president? See in context
From the title of the article:
Will U.S. ever see a female president?
Sure, if the voters find her to have the best platform for the country vis-a-vis her rival. Where’s the problem in that? Others have expressed in the comments that they would have no problem with Tulsi Gabbard or Nikki Haley. It therefore appears that the question is not about sex, but political orientation. So while it is true that some may have found Hilary Clinton or Kamala Harris to be worthy of the mantle of first female president, these two ultimately did not win their respective elections and were therefore evidently deemed unworthy. Sexual discrimination is not a factor here. So the “some women” asking the question of the title would do better to focus on finding a better female candidate who can present a platform that the voters will find to be the most compelling if their aim is to see a female president. It would be my hope, however, that the parties would focus on finding the best candidates for their parties regardless of their sex.
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Posted in: Iranians ridicule Biden, Trump at U.S. hostage crisis rally See in context
From ChatGPT:
Iran's historical pursuit of democracy has been significantly hindered by foreign intervention, particularly by Western powers. The 1953 coup is a pivotal event that exemplifies this interference, leading to long-lasting consequences for Iran's political landscape. The current tensions with the U.S. and Israel are part of a broader narrative of historical grievances and ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
The 1953 Coup?
The most significant example of foreign interference in Iran's democratic aspirations occurred in 1953 when the CIA, in collaboration with British intelligence, orchestrated a coup to overthrow the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Mossadegh had nationalized the Iranian oil industry and sought to reduce foreign influence in Iran. The coup reinstated the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled autocratically, leading to widespread discontent.
And why the objection to these moves by Mossadegh?
The West objected to Mossadegh's nationalization of the Iranian oil industry and his reduction of foreign influence due to a combination of economic interests, geopolitical strategy, fear of communism, and a desire to maintain control over a region that was vital to their strategic and economic objectives.
So as an American, I am of course unhappy that my country, which presents itself as a force for promoting democracy in the world, at times actively works against other nation’s pursuit of democracy for its own self interests. So while I can in no way agree with their “death to America” chants, their anger is not at all uncomprehensible. My own ancestors fought in the revolutionary war to establish the form of government that the American people desired. Let other people chose as they wish and, should they seek to tangle with America, then we can engage in some unsavory business. But as it stands, it is as Savio says,
For sure we cannot blame Iran for not liking America.
Ninety percent of the world, and I am being generous here, has the same opinion.
If we as Americans actually support the right of peoples to their own self determination, then we need to acknowledge it when other peoples democratically chose a government that may not act in line with our own objectives. It is just the same as with freedom of speech where, although I may disagree with someone 180 degrees, I fully acknowledge their fundamental right to speak. Until America can be what it says, it will of course bred animosity around the world. Show me the sermon, don't just say it. And America these days is far from a healthy example of democracy for others to emulate.
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Posted in: U.S. government tries to rein in an out-of-control subscription economy See in context
Subscription is just part of the non-ownership that those above what for everyone. No thanks. There is a reason why before you got an "owner's manual," but now you get a "user's manual."
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Posted in: Who do you think would be better for Japan as the next U.S. president? See in context
Ricky Kaminski13 Today 10:23 pm JST
an establishment that has lost its way and has flipped on its poles
Exactly.
Wasn’t a fan at the start
I am still not a fan, but he does seem to be the only one on the table speaking something recognizably American. While I will not be going so far as to wear the MAGA cap, I certainly will not be a "white guys for Harris."
As it relates to Japan, I agree with those who say that whether Trump or Harris, the relationship between America and Japan will remain the same due to Japan's strategic importance for America. So it is the issues of my home country that are most pressing in my mind.
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Posted in: Drifting off -- U.S. late night talk shows no longer must-see TV See in context
Nota bene: In my previous comment, “what I remember from those years is an emphasis on diversity and tolerance” should read “what I remember from those years is an emphasis on equality and tolerance.”
TaiwanIsNotChina Today 03:56 am JST
What is wrong with equity and acceptance?
With equality, members of society are treated equally.
With equity, some members of society are given special treatment to address perceived disadvantages.
With tolerance, members of society are permissive of others whom they might find disagreeable.
With acceptance, members of society embrace everyone else even at the expense of their own view.
With equality and tolerance I am a student in a classroom who acknowledges that other students have have a right to be in the class and ask their questions even if I personally find their questions wearisome. In the end, my own grade is not affected as I am only responsible for my own work.
With equity and acceptance I am a student in a classroom who is forced to work in group projects with other students who do not put the same effort into the assignment and look to me to do the work. In the end, my own grade will be affected should I express my displeasure and not cooperate.
Hopefully this clarifies why I find a problem with the new goal of equity and acceptance and prefer the 90s goal of equality and tolerance.
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Posted in: Drifting off -- U.S. late night talk shows no longer must-see TV See in context
fluffy_canyons
Oct. 27 12:03 pm JST
Fat [sic!] left means like, a normal person from the 1990s in 2024.
As a normal person who lived in the 90s and is a native of the most liberal state in America, California, and as someone who viewed themselves on the left for many years, what I remember from those years is an emphasis on diversity and tolerance. This is not what the left is about today with it's ideas of equity and acceptance. The fact of the matter is that the left has shifted so far left that it no longer is American in it's orientation. When I hear Elon Musk or Tulsi Gabbard talk about how the left shifted to where they no longer find themselves welcome on the left, I completely understand. I have not changed. I am the same as I was all those years ago. It is the politics that has changed. The further the left goes, the more people will magically find themselves on the right like me and many others.
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Posted in: Immigrants help power America's economy. Will the election value or imperil them? See in context
From the article:
But the Bakers' business couldn't survive without an agricultural guest worker program that brings in Mexican immigrants for about nine months a year to help harvest crops in fields…
These migrant guest workers are in the country legally. Where's the problem?
Nowhere are the stakes higher than in Nevada, where 19% of residents are foreign-born and around 9% of the total workforce doesn't have U.S. legal status.
I see what you did there. Might I suggest that those 9% return to their home countries and sign up for an agricultural guest worker program like the Mexican immigrants above did so that they do can be in the country legally without worry?
ZaphodToday 10:14 am JST
The media insist on confusing "immigrant" with "illegal immigrant".
Yes.
AttilathehungryToday 01:53 pm JST
As usual, legal and illegal are conflated.
Yes.
collegepark30349Today 10:44 am JST
This is where the US wants to have its cake and eat it too. They want the low prices and low wages immigrants bring, but don't want the immigrants - legal or otherwise.
No. America wants to have the cake (low prices) as well as the frosting (legal migration).
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Posted in: Japan election puts couples' right to choose surname in spotlight See in context
Addendum:
From the article:
Plaintiff Ueda, who has not registered her marriage to avoid having to choose a single surname, said her family has faced many difficulties subsequently, among them her husband's lack of parental rights for their 5-year-old son.
"I worry that my child could face disadvantages as he grows older," Ueda told Kyodo News.
So does Ueda’s desire for legal change stem from these many difficulties?
I was a junior high school student in the early 1990s, when optional separate surnames for married couples became a hot topic and momentum for legal reform was building. I sympathized with the idea that only women have to change their surnames when they get married, and began to think, "I don't want to change my surname either." I believed that the law would have changed by the time I became an adult, but more than 30 years have passed. I became a party to this when I got married in 2013.
In 2015, on the day of the Supreme Court's ruling on the first lawsuit, I was on a business trip to Africa and saw the news of the constitutional ruling online. I was so shocked that I suffered from ringing in my ears and dizziness that continued for about six months.
"I can't wait any longer, I have to take action," I thought, and in the second lawsuit, I took charge of the secretariat for the Association for Supporting the Separate Surname Lawsuit. However, the second lawsuit also failed to be found unconstitutional, so I stepped up with the desire to "change history this time." I will fight, carrying the hopes of the many people both at home and abroad who are in trouble because they cannot choose their own surname.
—https://www.call4.jp/info.php?type=items&id=I0000131
From the article:
I just want to live under my name because it's my name. That's all there is to it.
Indeed. That is all there is to it—since junior high school. Why then even bring up a 5-year-old son and a common law husband?
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Posted in: Anger, chaos and confusion in U.S. take hold as federal workers face mass layoffs
Posted in: Musk's tactics frustrate some White House senior officials
Posted in: Vance attack on Europe overshadows Ukraine talks at security conference
They really don't. They really do that’s why his approval is over 50% nice try.
Posted in: Musk's tactics frustrate some White House senior officials