It’s official Joe Biden becomes the 46 President of the United States.

[Renzi]

Hundreds killed with no consequences? FBI stats show very few shootings of unarmed blacks and few of those were prosecuted due to corroborating witnesses. Most black murders, 90%, are committed by other blacks. The narrative that cops are intentionally killing blacks is bogus. As far as what happened Wednesday it was tragic and senseless. But it pales in comparison to the riots and looting that occurred across the country last summer with dozens killed, including some cops, thousands injured including over 1000 cops, and billions in damage. Wednesday was the boiling over of anger after four years of Trump being villified and lied about. Bogus Russian collusion narrative, bogus impeachment, bogus everything. Seriously how often do you see conservatives riot? The whole white supremacist argument is garbage. Antifa has done a lot more damage in recent years. BLM isn't much better. It's just too easy to view yourself as superior and look down on those who don't have your college credentials and make snap judgements about who they are as people. That arrogance is largely responsible for Trump winning in 2016. Doesn't require you to think at all.

You're making a false equivalency. The president literally incited his followers to violence against his political rivals and for them to storm the capital building and that he would be going with them (he didn't, of course), it wasn't just anger boiling over about "Trump being villified and lied about." There is no comparison between that and groups of criminals burning and looting a Target store. Every president has had political enemies and media critics, but this is the first time a president has had such a massive cult following of cry babies who can't handle their leader being criticized.

The common trait MAGA people have is that they love Trump and they hate their mishmash of cartoon enemies (minorities, White Democrats, moderate Republicans, BLM, etc.) more than they love the USA.

 

[QuilmesSlo]

The liberal elite is throwing free speech overboard as fast as it can. Its fringe is demanding reeducation camps. Critical race theory -- a form of abject self-loathing -- has become a tenet of their new religion. They will de-platform and take away guns. Time for European Americans to move on.,

 

[Dougie]

Taking away guns and deplatforming are two different issues. If guns are taken away that would be done by the government.

Deplatforming is being done by companies. Unless Twitter is nationalized by the government then it isn't a free speech issue. The first amendment is that your free speech can't be limited by the government. It doesn't give you inalienable right to practice free speech using the service of a private company. If I start ranting on BA Expats that the owner of baexpats.org is a mad man who needs to be stopped, and the owner kicks me off the forum that's not a free speech issue.

The equivalent of Chinese Twitter could never kick Xi off their platform. The CEO would be executed hours later. I think that it's a positive that private companies have agency to run their business as they see fit. Otherwise we devolve into what expats are often criticizing in Argentina that the government has too heavy a hand when dealing with business.

Jack Dorsey is one of the most brilliant CEOs of his generation. Square will be a trillion dollar company in 5 years. First he took down the Donald, JPM and BOA are next.

 

[artisans]

Unfortunately it's not the time to relax, with 'Joe Biden is coming'...
A scholar of authoritarians discusses the MAGA insurrection and how the end of Trump’s presidency might be the beginning of a phase of extremist violence.

‘He's Going To Be More Unleashed And Unhinged Than Ever’

A scholar of authoritarians discusses the MAGA insurrection and how the end of Trump’s presidency might be the beginning of a phase of extremist violence.

www.huffpost.com

 

[QuilmesSlo]

Taking away guns and deplatforming are two different issues. If guns are taken away that would be done by the government.

Deplatforming is being done by companies. Unless Twitter is nationalized by the government then it isn't a free speech issue. The first amendment is that your free speech can't be limited by the government. It doesn't give you inalienable right to practice free speech using the service of a private company. If I start ranting on BA Expats that the owner of baexpats.org is a mad man who needs to be stopped, and the owner kicks me off the forum that's not a free speech issue.

The equivalent of Chinese Twitter could never kick Xi off their platform. The CEO would be executed hours later. I think that it's a positive that private companies have agency to run their business as they see fit. Otherwise we devolve into what expats are often criticizing in Argentina that the government has too heavy a hand when dealing with business.

Jack Dorsey is one of the most brilliant CEOs of his generation. Square will be a trillion dollar company in 5 years. First he took down the Donald, JPM and BOA are next.

Doug there is a reason I said "free speech" and not the "first amendment." Traditionally, free speech is a VALUE that has been held dear by Americans. Many of the left wing radicals in the US are university professors, who benefit from a system called TENURE. The TENURE system is design to protect their freedom of expression. People used to think it was important to the marketplace of ideas.

I've had a good run on SQ and I am selling it Monday. You'll see those square readers disappear from the American heartland quicker than you think.

 

[Dougie]

Thanks for clarifying - I misunderstood your point.

I get what you're saying, but I believe the companies should police their platforms as they see fit within the law. There has always been restriction of freedom of speech, it's nothing new. Conservatives haven't been huge advocates of free speech over the years as well. Remember the Dixie Chicks being black listed by radio stations, losing endorsement deals for criticizing Bush and the invasion of Iraq?

Their software is going to eat banking market share, a small percentage of people ditching their POS isn't going to move the stock. All the data they are collecting from cash app and the POS makes them an unstoppable force.

I'll buy you some Quilmes with all my SQ profits next year

 

[Ries]

Doug there is a reason I said "free speech" and not the "first amendment." Traditionally, free speech is a VALUE that has been held dear by Americans. Many of the left wing radicals in the US are university professors, who benefit from a system called TENURE. The TENURE system is design to protect their freedom of expression. People used to think it was important to the marketplace of ideas.

I've had a good run on SQ and I am selling it Monday. You'll see those square readers disappear from the American heartland quicker than you think.

I know well over a hundred US college professors, and probably another 2 dozen in Argentina. "Left Wing Radicals" is a joke.
First- less than 30% of US professors still have tenure. Its been phased out over the last 30 years, and most people I know who teach at a college level have zero job security, and are paid by the hour.
Second- the handful of remaining Tenured professors I know are, by nature, "conservative" in the actual definition of the word- they got tenure by not rocking the boat, they are usually bureaucrats and petty dictators at heart. Many, after 20 years or more of teaching, are clock punchers- far from inciting revolution, they are at home avoiding their students.
I have 2 kids who were recently in 5 different US colleges - and the only "radical leftist" any of them had was maybe, one philosophy professor. Out of probably 3 dozen professors.
You are very out of touch with what higher education actually is about in the USA.
I have lectured and visited classes for 40 years now as a guest in many different schools. I routinely hire college students part time. The reality is that most are just trying to get a degree so they can get a better job.

 

[QuilmesSlo]

Thanks for clarifying - I misunderstood your point.

I get what you're saying, but I believe the companies should police their platforms as they see fit within the law. There has always been restriction of freedom of speech, it's nothing new. Conservatives haven't been huge advocates of free speech over the years as well. Remember the Dixie Chicks being black listed by radio stations, losing endorsement deals for criticizing Bush and the invasion of Iraq?

Their software is going to eat banking market share, a small percentage of people ditching their POS isn't going to move the stock. All the data they are collecting from cash app and the POS makes them an unstoppable force.

I'll buy you some Quilmes with all my SQ profits next year

That was a kind reply and offer. I may just have to stay in SQ to finance my own personal freedom.

The duopoly of Apple and Google Play are now removing the Parler App. This undermines the notion of "build your own if you don't like it."

Your dixie chick point is very fair -- I'd forgotten about that.

 

[QuilmesSlo]

I know well over a hundred US college professors, and probably another 2 dozen in Argentina. "Left Wing Radicals" is a joke.
First- less than 30% of US professors still have tenure. Its been phased out over the last 30 years, and most people I know who teach at a college level have zero job security, and are paid by the hour.
Second- the handful of remaining Tenured professors I know are, by nature, "conservative" in the actual definition of the word- they got tenure by not rocking the boat, they are usually bureaucrats and petty dictators at heart. Many, after 20 years or more of teaching, are clock punchers- far from inciting revolution, they are at home avoiding their students.
I have 2 kids who were recently in 5 different US colleges - and the only "radical leftist" any of them had was maybe, one philosophy professor. Out of probably 3 dozen professors.
You are very out of touch with what higher education actually is about in the USA.
I have lectured and visited classes for 40 years now as a guest in many different schools. I routinely hire college students part time. The reality is that most are just trying to get a degree so they can get a better job.

Is this research false in your view: "Third, the D:R registration ratio has increased over time, from roughly 4.5:1 in 1999 (Rothman et al, 2005) to 10:1 among elite liberal arts colleges and social science departments now (Langbert et al, 2016; Langbert, 2018)."

Bill Buckley wrote God and Man at Yale sixty years ago.

 

[jp]

I'm stunned to learn that students of social science follow progressive politics. I would have thought that it would be a hotbed of conservative christianity.

Next you'll tell me that military academies aren't the bastions of liberal free thinking I've always assumed them to be....