Our Parasitic Generation

[AUFAN78 4,060]

"Be assured young friend, that there is a great deal of ruin in a nation."
— Adam Smith

https://amgreatness.com/2022/12/11/our-parasitic-generation/

[icanthearyou 4,468]

"Intellectualism" for useful idiots.  The message of Trump lives on.  You have to be close to brain dead to appreciate such drivel.

[CoffeeTiger 5,523]

11 minutes ago, icanthearyou said:

"Intellectualism" for useful idiots.  The message of Trump lives on.  You have to be close to brain dead to appreciate such drivel.

 

I do give VDH credit for actually writing Conservative articles with big words, flowery language, and historical references. I legitimately appreciated it in comparison to  most commentary I read on FoxNews or even National Review where all you get is short, simple articles, written for a 5th grade reading level, and have no real substance to them. Written for their audience I guess...

 

 

That said, this article at it's core is just a longwinded whine session about why this author hates his home state of California and blames it all on liberals and wants to paint his dislike of his home state as what's wrong with "America" as a whole. A lot of typical boomer "back in my day" complaining. He also says a whole lot of things and makes a lot of accusations without any statistics, facts, references, or data, which is typical VDH. 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by CoffeeTiger

[AUFAN78 4,060]

9 minutes ago, icanthearyou said:

"Intellectualism" for useful idiots.  The message of Trump lives on.  You have to be close to brain dead to appreciate such drivel.

By all means take a few minutes and show us precisely the errors in the commentary. Or actually espouse true drivel per usual. I'll wait. 

[AUFAN78 4,060]

5 minutes ago, CoffeeTiger said:

 

I do give VDH credit for actually writing Conservative articles with big words, flowery language, and historical references. I legitimately appreciated it in comparison to  most commentary I read on FoxNews or even National Review where all you get is short, simple articles, written for a 5th grade reading level, and have no real substance to them. Written for their audience I guess...

 

 

That said, this article at it's core is just a longwinded whine session about why this author hates his home state of California and blames it all on liberals and wants to paint his dislike of his home state as what's wrong with "America" as a whole. A lot of typical boomer "back in my day" complaining. He also says a whole lot of things and makes a lot of accusations without any statistics, facts, references, or data, which is typical VDH. 

 

I think it sadly apparent some read and interpret at a 5th grade level. The author surely wasn't wrong on academic standards. 

[CoffeeTiger 5,523]

45 minutes ago, AUFAN78 said:

By all means take a few minutes and show us precisely the errors in the commentary. Or actually espouse true drivel per usual. I'll wait. 

Why would he? All you'll do in response is slap a "facepalm" reaction on it and then post a one line response with a joke or insult or something. You rarely ever want to have an actual discussion about anything. 

[AUFAN78 4,060]

2 minutes ago, CoffeeTiger said:

Why would he? All you'll do in response is slap a "facepalm" reaction on it and then post a one line response with a joke or insult or something. You rarely ever want to have an actual discussion about anything. 

Do you have a mirror handy? Perhaps consult your or itch's initial response? That was a discussion? So I'm guilty of what you guys/gals just did? Turnabout fair play ring a bell?

Again and by all means break it down, let's discuss. But if I'm honest, I don't hold out hope of said convo.

[CoffeeTiger 5,523]

1 hour ago, AUFAN78 said:

Do you have a mirror handy? Perhaps consult your or itch's initial response? That was a discussion? So I'm guilty of what you guys/gals just did? Turnabout fair play ring a bell?

I was speaking more generally and historically how you respond to posts on the political forum. a quick one sentence jab is how you mostly communicate on here. You never even offer any commentary on  the things you post. You just throw up a link and maybe a one sentence quote like in this topic. 

But I'll repeat my assertion that the article was based not on facts or statistics but on standard culture war greviances that it's hard to argue against, because they hold no basis in reality anyway. 

Quote

Are we sure that there is all that much ruin left in the United States?

We are $31 trillion in collective debt. The new normal is $1.5 trillion budget deficits. The military is politicized and short of recruits. We trade lethal terrorists for woke celebrity athletes as if to confirm our enemies’ cynical stereotypes. 

The national debt is nothing new. It's just Democrats are in charge now, so Conservatives become fiscal hounds until the Republicans take over again and it goes back in the drawer. 

The military is short on recruits because of economic and societal conditions, not because of politics or wokness, like Republican politicians claim. 

https://www.armytimes.com/news/2022/09/15/test-scores-drop-disqualification-rates-rise-at-army-recruiting-shops/

There is no substantial change in numbers of people becoming interested in joining the military...problem is that potential recruits are more out of shape, testing lower, and hooked on drugs more than they used to be. The military is typically (not always) dependent on lower class, conservative individuals right out of high school with no real career plans. That group is becoming harder to recruit and so of course they are going to look to more under represented demographics and try to become more accepting of other classes of people

-----

That "lethal terrorist" was going to be released in 7 years when he finished his 25 year sentence anyway. The politicization of the military is a myth and is not the reason for a shortage of recruits. 

 

Quote

Our FBI is corrupt and discredited, collaborating with Silicon Valley contractors to suppress free speech and warp elections.

IE: "Conservatives are victimized by the FBI and media" no proof of that

Quote

 

We practice segregation and racial discrimination and claim we do not because the right and good people support it and, anyway, the victims deserve it.

IE: "White Conservatives are being victimized by racial equality" No proof of that.

Quote

The country has seen defeat before but never abject, deliberate humiliation as in Kabul, when we fled and abandoned to the terrorist Taliban a $1 billion embassy, a huge, remodeled air base, thousands of friends, and tens of billions of dollars in military hardware—and hard-earned deterrence.

I'd say the much bigger humiliation is the trillions of dollars, thousands of lives, and decades that our military and leadership wasted in such an obviously fruitless endeavor. That's what is humiliating....not the eventual withdrawal. 

 

Quote

 

We are witnessing the breakdown of basic norms essential for civilized life, from affordable food and fuel to available key antibiotics and baby formula.

Short term shortages of basic goods have always been a thing. inflation and gas prices are starting to recede and are nothing even close to some of the economic issues the US has faced in decades past...this isn't anything new. The vast majority of the US population are having no issues procuring baby formula or anti-biotics. 

Quote

 

Old Cairo seems safer than an after-hours subway ride or stroll at dusk in many major American cities. Medieval London’s roadways were likely cleaner than Market Street in San Francisco.

Violent Crime in our cities was VASTLY higher in the early and mid 1900's when we were far from a progressive/liberal society.... Crime is a problem, but pretending like it's a new, liberal problem that America has never seen before is...again...completely contrary to reality. 

Quote

Speech was freer in 1920s America than it is now.

Maybe If you were a white straight man in the 1920s......but that's what modern Conservatives long for after all...going back to a time where white men ruled above all other demographics and controlled all the land, all the money, all the politics, and all the power. That's what people like Victor David Hanson really want to go back to. Their reality and worldview is only seen through one viewpoint and one set of experiences for one demographic and they don't care about anyone else.  

Edited December 12, 2022 by CoffeeTiger

[icanthearyou 4,468]

Love seeing common ignorance proclaiming to be scholarship.  Just another Milton Friedman. 

Indoctrination into the belief in an ideology is not education.  It is learning to the ignorant.  It is learning to be ignorant.

[icanthearyou 4,468]

Painting the FBI as a subversive, criminal organization controlled by the Democratic Party. 

Utter stupidity.  Only an abject moron would propose such a notion.

[CoffeeTiger 5,523]

23 minutes ago, icanthearyou said:

Painting the FBI as a subversive, criminal organization controlled by the Democratic Party. 

Utter stupidity.  Only an abject moron would propose such a notion.

It's a mainstream branch off of the 'Deep State' conspiracy that says the entire Federal government is ran and operated by ideological liberals that do everything possible to sabotage and work against Conservative politicians and citizens. 

There's no truth to it, but it doesn't stop Conservatives from repeatedly using it as an excuse for why their politicians and policies are so insane and never work. 

[icanthearyou 4,468]

8 minutes ago, CoffeeTiger said:

It's a mainstream branch off of the 'Deep State' conspiracy that says the entire Federal government is ran and operated by ideological liberals that do everything possible to sabotage and work against Conservative politicians and citizens. 

There's no truth to it, but it doesn't stop Conservatives from repeatedly using it as an excuse for why their politicians and policies are so insane and never work. 

Yes, that is correct.  Sadly, that is how you get people to storm the capitol, defecate in the corners and urinate in the trash cans.

But remember,,, It's the Democrats who are trying to destroy America.

Embrace the anger and ignorance.  Embrace it's galactic scale.  The folks who glom on to this garbage,,, what a bunch of corrupt dolts.

[AUFAN78 4,060]

2 hours ago, CoffeeTiger said:

I was speaking more generally and historically how you respond to posts on the political forum. a quick one sentence jab is how you mostly communicate on here. You never even offer any commentary on  the things you post. You just throw up a link and maybe a one sentence quote like in this topic. 

I do respond in kind. And frankly a speech restating the obvious is needless unless you are on an ego trip.

But I'll repeate my assertion that the article was based not on facts or statistics but on standard culture war greviances that it's hard to argue against, because they hold no basis in reality anyway. 

That is simply your opinion. Plenty of facts in the OP and stats available should you choose to research. I'm quite certain VDH chose not to write a book, but rather offer his sentiment.

The national debt is nothing new. It's just Democrats are in charge now, so Conservatives become fiscal hounds until the Republicans take over again and it goes back in the drawer. 

I did not view this in political terms, merely facts. And certainly nothing to be proud of.

The military is short on recruits because of economic and societal conditions, not because of politics or wokness, like Republican politicians claim. 

The military is politicized. Here is an example: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/07/us-military-politicization-mark-milley/619472/

Many more stories like this if you desire to research.

https://www.armytimes.com/news/2022/09/15/test-scores-drop-disqualification-rates-rise-at-army-recruiting-shops/

There is no substantial change in numbers of people becoming interested in joining the military...problem is that potential recruits are more out of shape, testing lower, and hooked on drugs more than they used to be. The military is typically (not always) dependent on lower class, conservative individuals right out of high school with no real career plans. That group is becoming harder to recruit and so of course they are going to look to more under represented demographics and try to become more accepting of other classes of people

And we should seek to understand these mental and physical limitations. Brings us back to educational norms or trends of late. VDH touched on this point and it is factual.

-----

That "lethal terrorist" was going to be released in 7 years when he finished his 25 year sentence anyway. The politicization of the military is a myth and is not the reason for a shortage of recruits. 

It was a bad look and handled poorly in the opinion of many. Again, the military is politicized and you can find countless stories detailing that fact if you choose.

IE: "Conservatives are victimized by the FBI and media" no proof of that Your opinion. Sadly.

IE: "White Conservatives are being victimized by racial equality" No proof of that. I don't think that is what VDH stated, but rather your words. Regardless, CRT is real and has been addressed multiple times on this forum with plenty of examples given.

I'd say the much bigger humiliation is the trillions of dollars, thousands of lives, and decades that our military and leadership wasted in such an obviously fruitless endeavor. I'll not argue that point.

That's what is humiliating....not the eventual withdrawal. It was an embarrassment. Simply no getting around the blunder from a military logistical perspective.

Short term shortages of basic goods have always been a thing. inflation and gas prices are starting to recede and are nothing even close to some of the economic issues the US has faced in decades past...this isn't anything new. The vast majority of the US population are having no issues procuring baby formula or anti-biotics. 

Just one article. Many more available.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/12/health/drug-shortages-explainer/index.html

Violent Crime in our cities was VASTLY higher in the early and mid 1900's when we were far from a progressive/liberal society.... Crime is a problem, but pretending like it's a new, liberal problem that America has never seen before is...again...completely contrary to reality.

Smash and grab theft is at an all time high. Stores and shops closing due to unsustainable losses.  VDH nails this:

Weaponized activist district attorneys and virtue-signaling mayors also signal to criminals that property crimes don’t warrant arrest, much less conviction, much less incarceration. 

But whatever the cause, a once famously lawful America has become a veritable land of thieves. The criminal is all but exempt. And the middle class and poor suffer as a result from poor services, higher prices, reduced hours, and fewer stores. 

Maybe If you were a white straight man in the 1920s......but that's what modern Conservatives long for after all...going back to a time where white men ruled above all other demographics and controlled all the land, all the money, all the politics, and all the power. That's what people like Victor David Hanson really want to go back to. Their reality and worldview is only seen through one viewpoint and one set of experiences for one demographic and they don't care about anyone else.  

What a sad bunch of BS. I'm embarrassed for you.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by AUFAN78

[CoffeeTiger 5,523]

That is simply your opinion. Plenty of facts in the OP and stats available should you choose to research. I'm quite certain VDH chose not to write a book, but rather offer his sentiment.

Thats what I said in my very first reply. The article is just a bunch of VDH's opinions and usual Republican culture war soundbites with nothing to back them up. It's on VDH to back up his stances. If all he offers is his opinion on things, then I don't feel a need to provide a fully researched thesis in response...especially on here

The military is politicized. Here is an example: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/07/us-military-politicization-mark-milley/619472/

Many more stories like this if you desire to research.

It was a bad look and handled poorly in the opinion of many. Again, the military is politicized and you can find countless stories detailing that fact if you choose.

If you read the article you linked, you'll notice it blames Conservative politicians just as much for politicization of the military as anyone and focuses the brunt of the accusation on one sentence Milly said in a congressional hearing. It makes no connection at all to politicized military being a result of lower recruiting as VDH claims in his article. Yes, I can go find a million articles of Republicans and Conservatives accusing our military of being woke, soft, liberal, losers. that doesn't mean the military actually IS any of those things. If anything, the US military is typically more Conservative than the American electorate at large.

And we should seek to understand these mental and physical limitations. Brings us back to educational norms or trends of late. VDH touched on this point and it is factual.

True. Education and child nutrition is a problem facing the country. One neither Republicans nor Democrats have made much progress on solving.

Your opinion. Sadly.

As was VDH's claim that the FBI is discredited and against Conservativism.

Just one article. Many more available.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/12/health/drug-shortages-explainer/index.html

Third paragraph in that article says that experts agree that drug shortages happen regularly in the US even when demand isn't high and the current situation is not unusual, but is receiving more media attention than usual.

Smash and grab theft is at an all time high. Stores and shops closing due to unsustainable losses.  VDH nails this:

You're right, that large theft is a big problem in some cities and needs addressing I agree. I would still prefer people stealing from grocery stores over the historically high murder rates in the early/mid 1900's.

What a sad bunch of BS. I'm embarrassed for you.

Then reality is what you consider to be embarrassing. The fact is that VDH says people had more freedom of speech in the 1920s. The fact is that that was only possibly true for white men in the era...not anyone else, who have many MORE freedoms today. You may call it BS, but that doesn't make me wrong.

 

Hope all that writing didn't give you carpal tunnel
 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by CoffeeTiger

[icanthearyou 4,468]

The OP is typical waste of time opinion, written for a specific, moronic, cult mentality.  It's even bad by propaganda standards. 

This is a prime example of what ignorance truly looks like.  Hard to understand this level of dumb.

Gee whiz,,, Marjorie Taylor Greene could have written the same garbage.  Again, VDH is the moron's intellectual.

[autigeremt 6,970]

🤡show 

[AURex 2,129]

My degree from Auburn was in Philosophy (social and political philosophy) with a minor in Economics. I was a card-carrying Libertarian at the time. I know the philosophy and tenets of the right in depth, scholarly, politically and economically.

Fortunately, over years of further scholarship and a whole lot of reality checking, I realized just how disconnected the right wing philosophy and politics is from real world society and real world problems.

The article linked to in the OP is a complete pile of steaming dung. I lived in California, off and on, for 8 years, and as a hugely populated state AND one of the greatest economies in the world, it has some serious problems, from homelessness to drought to socio-political issues.

Throwing a bunch of mostly fake (some true) criticisms out there with template right wing jingoistic tripe, with zero practical, meaningful ideas for actually addressing issues, is disingenuous and deceitful to say the least, and abhorrently villainous in intent.

I have never read this author before and hope to avoid ever seeing another word from him in the future.

 

[AUFAN78 4,060]

1 hour ago, CoffeeTiger said:

Thats what I said in my very first reply. The article is just a bunch of VDH's opinions and usual Republican culture war soundbites with nothing to back them up. It's on VDH to back up his stances. If all he offers is his opinion on things, then I don't feel a need to provide a fully researched thesis in response...especially on here

No need for a thesis, but a bit of research would have backed up his opinions and saved you from the incorrect talking points.  

 

1 hour ago, CoffeeTiger said:

If you read the article you linked, you'll notice it blames Conservative politicians just as much for politicization of the military as anyone and focuses the brunt of the accusation on one sentence Milly said in a congressional hearing. It makes no connection at all to politicized military being a result of lower recruiting as VDH claims in his article. Yes, I can go find a million articles of Republicans and Conservatives accusing our military of being woke, soft, liberal, losers. that doesn't mean the military actually IS any of those things. If anything, the US military is typically more Conservative than the American electorate at large.

At this point I think you are reading what you want to see and not the actual content. Not to mention just making sh** up. 

 

1 hour ago, CoffeeTiger said:

True. Education and child nutrition is a problem facing the country. One neither Republicans nor Democrats have made much progress on solving.

Glad we agree. 

1 hour ago, CoffeeTiger said:

As was VDH's claim that the FBI is discredited and against Conservativism.

I can't read the mans mind, but I'd imagine he wasn't talking the FBI as a whole, but rather a group that has been exposed as corrupt. And yes I know they've not been charged in DC courts. Shocker. 

1 hour ago, CoffeeTiger said:

Third paragraph in that article says that experts agree that drug shortages happen regularly in the US even when demand isn't high and the current situation is not unusual, but is receiving more media attention than usual.

Calling attention to a problem is a problem? Instead shouldn't we be focused on correction?

 

1 hour ago, CoffeeTiger said:

You're right, that large theft is a big problem in some cities and needs addressing I agree. I would still prefer people stealing from grocery stores over the historically high murder rates in the early/mid 1900's.

So you, VDH and I agree. Nice! To the second part, I'd prefer no obfuscation, but rather common sense reform.

 

1 hour ago, CoffeeTiger said:

Then reality is what you consider to be embarrassing. The fact is that VDH says people had more freedom of speech in the 1920s. The fact is that that was only possibly true for white men in the era...not anyone else, who have many MORE freedoms today. You may call it BS, but that doesn't make me wrong.

But that was simply your reality. I didn't find it accurate. The 1920's comment was odd and frankly don't get his point, but I tend to focus on the present. I'm no fan of current media censorship.  

1 hour ago, CoffeeTiger said:

Hope all that writing didn't give you carpal tunnel

Well thanks. Had it not been for my foot sidelining me to a recliner, I wouldn't have wasted my time. IIWII

[PUB78 1,393]

11 hours ago, AURex said:

My degree from Auburn was in Philosophy (social and political philosophy) with a minor in Economics. I was a card-carrying Libertarian at the time. I know the philosophy and tenets of the right in depth, scholarly, politically and economically.

Fortunately, over years of further scholarship and a whole lot of reality checking, I realized just how disconnected the right wing philosophy and politics is from real world society and real world problems.

The article linked to in the OP is a complete pile of steaming dung. I lived in California, off and on, for 8 years, and as a hugely populated state AND one of the greatest economies in the world, it has some serious problems, from homelessness to drought to socio-political issues.

Throwing a bunch of mostly fake (some true) criticisms out there with template right wing jingoistic tripe, with zero practical, meaningful ideas for actually addressing issues, is disingenuous and deceitful to say the least, and abhorrently villainous in intent.

I have never read this author before and hope to avoid ever seeing another word from him in the future.

 

You think the left wing philosophy and politics is in touch with real world problems and solutions?

[icanthearyou 4,468]

3 hours ago, PUB78 said:

You think the left wing philosophy and politics is in touch with real world problems and solutions?

Look at history.

However, to believe that either "philosophy" will always be correct would be ignorant. 

 

[homersapien 11,812]

22 hours ago, AURex said:

I have never read this author before and hope to avoid ever seeing another word from him in the future.

 

That was representative. 

Typical right winger who views every issue through the lens of his political partisanship. (Thus the lack of supporting academic references for his arguments.) 

No problem is caused by objective (non-political) reasons associated with history, economics, culture or circumstances. 

Appeals to like-minded people.

Edited December 14, 2022 by homersapien

[AUFAN78 4,060]

1 hour ago, homersapien said:

That was representative. 

Typical right winger who views every issue through the lens of his political partisanship. (Thus the lack of supporting academic references for his arguments.) 

No problem is caused by objective (non-political) reasons associated with history, economics, culture or circumstances. 

Appeals to like-minded people.

Damn. Like a 3 1/2 inch slug fired for the first time. Hold a bit firmer next time. 

[AURex 2,129]

On 12/13/2022 at 9:10 AM, PUB78 said:

You think the left wing philosophy and politics is in touch with real world problems and solutions?

Not everyone is an extremist just because they disagree with the politics of the right.

 

[AUFAN78 4,060]

37 minutes ago, AURex said:

Not everyone is an extremist just because they disagree with the politics of the right.

 

Nor is anyone an extremist because they disagree with politics of the left. And for the record, 41% identify with neither parties politics. I'd say that is a good thing. 

[Didba 5,324]

58 minutes ago, AURex said:

Not everyone is an extremist just because they disagree with the politics of the right.

 

It's true. Some of us just want equal rights for all citizens, healthcare/tuition reform, and legalized marijuana.  That doesn't make us extremists.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Didba