Play Nice Society, Religion & Politics Thread

[Mister B]

Was watching a doco of the case being brought in Georgia over the attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election. The thing that stood out or me was the blatant targeting of people based off little to no evidence from the republicans in the media that led to them becoming victims of sustained abuse and harassment. Tapped phone calls with Trump clearly trying to coerce people into faking votes. Two republicans being caught on camera handing over forged votes to be counted. Footage of a republican (in front of police mind you) first trying to threaten then bribe a woman whose reputation they had already falsely destroyed into confessing to election fraud when she clearly stated that she had done nothing of the sort.

It's the sort of shit that if you walked into an Australian court, a jury would return a guilty verdict within minutes. Yet this prick got voted in as the countries leader!!! That's not even going into the allegations with a fair whack of evidence that he is a sexual abuser and likely a pedo. Crazy, crazy stuff.

The laugh for me though is the amount of Americans cheering on the promise of putting tariffs on foreign imports, thinking that it means that the foreign country will pay more, when in fact it just means they will have to pay more for the products they are importing to cover the cost. Our media bemoans our education system, but **** me, the American do nothing to prevent the accusations they are one of the dumbest peoples in the world.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Well, I had a good feeling about Harris leading up to this US election.

Quite similar to the good feeling I had about the Swans leading up to the grand final, now that I think about it.

 

[.Shotties.]

Terrifying how many AFL players I've seen liking pro-Trump stuff on Instagram.

I get it. They're a younger, dumber demographic. It's all a joke to them. Trump's funny. He's a boss, a badass, a meme bro. Backed by the Elon Musks, Andrew Tates and Joe Rogans of the world.

As you say this, AFL players ranking foods came up as a suggested video for me. (My fault for trying to heal by watching highlights of better times) and in it, Charlie Comben doesn't like a brand of mayonnaise because it's got seed oils in it. Seed oils being an obsession of that right-wing masculinity influencer sphere.

.

This is why I was 100% in favour of the AFL coming down on the GWS players for their mockery of sexual violence against women. If young men aren't going to have morality and accountability reinforced to them by their employer, then where are they gonna get it from?

Yup. People dismiss rape culture, but we're witnessing a prime example of it. The leader of the free world has had multiple witness accounts of him abusing underage women, has boasted about how he used owning the Miss Teen USA brand to walk in on (again, underage) girls in their changing room during pagents, and openly groping unconsenting women, which was then dismissed as "Locker room talk".

Over time, it's the accepting and waving on the objectification of women, or claiming that punishing someone for mocking a rape victim is "woke gone mad" or something equally as stupid that has lead to shit like this.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

MSN

Is this actually Australia anymore?

 

[Ticky009]

Pro-Palestinian protesters are winning zero friends with their Happy smiley faces after causing the Myer Xmas window cancellation.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Terrifying how many AFL players I've seen liking pro-Trump stuff on Instagram.

I get it. They're a younger, dumber demographic. It's all a joke to them. Trump's funny. He's a boss, a badass, a meme bro. Backed by the Elon Musks, Andrew Tates and Joe Rogans of the world.

That's what makes it terrifying. 47% of 18-29 year old American men just voted for Trump.

A generation of American men being raised and/or converted to thinking flagrant racism, misogyny, hatred, violence, corruption and bigotry is all just a "hahaha trump don't give no ****s" piss-take.

And it seems like it's not exclusive to American men.

This is why I was 100% in favour of the AFL coming down on the GWS players for their mockery of sexual violence against women. If young men aren't going to have morality and accountability reinforced to them by their employer, then where are they gonna get it from? Twitter, now owned by a bigoted Trump supporter? Facebook, notorious for the worst content monitoring on the internet? Spotify, where the number one & two most-listened to podcasts are by two outspoken, bigoted Trump supporters?

Just awful, awful examples and bad influences surrounding young boys & men from all sides. Such a massive issue.

Im not surprised at all people are bog tired of having to live in a world where any word/action you say or do feels like you have cracked a egg shell.

The border control along with his policies regarding gender identification among children are wildly popular and for good reason.

It doesnt help that Trump is always completely taken out of context by their media and misquoted over there repeatedly, the overreaction has been mindboggling there is a 70% chance he will not see out his full term anyways.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Pro-Palestinian protesters are winning zero friends with their Happy smiley faces after causing the Myer Xmas window cancellation.

This is the madness that i am referring to is this still Australia or is it becoming the middle east.

 

[caesar88]

Im not surprised at all people are bog tired of having to live in a world where any word/action you say or do feels like you have cracked a egg shell.

The border control along with his policies regarding gender identification among children are wildly popular and for good reason.

It doesnt help that Trump is always completely taken out of context by their media and misquoted over there repeatedly, the overreaction has been mindboggling there is a 70% chance he will not see out his full term anyways.

With all due respect, this is such a bad take on so many fronts.

 

[Bloods86]

Im not surprised at all people are bog tired of having to live in a world where any word/action you say or do feels like you have cracked a egg shell.

The border control along with his policies regarding gender identification among children are wildly popular and for good reason.

It doesnt help that Trump is always completely taken out of context by their media and misquoted over there repeatedly, the overreaction has been mindboggling there is a 70% chance he will not see out his full term anyways.

I think this in itself is an overreaction.

People can still say plenty, and there will sometimes be an over-correction, but it's a good thing that people don't get away with as much as they used to. And that's really the sticking point, some people just want to say whatever they want without considering other people. And they now get upset if someone speaks back to them.

The culture war around children and gender identity is a conservative beat up. Unfortunately lots of people fall for it and it's made into a much bigger thing than it is.

Trump is not simply misunderstood, otherwise his actions would be far better than these supposed misquotes and clips.

He fraudulently tried to overturn an election, whipped up his supporters on baseless claims, used ensuing violence on Jan 6 not as a moment to calm things down or learn a lesson, but to continue calling lawmakers to just give him the Presidency back.

And let's not forget, this was an attempt to cancel out the voices of 80 odd million Americans who voted for Biden, and an attempt to override their freedom of speech and to be heard at the ballot box. This is leaving aside his incredibly pro-corporate agenda, at the expense of average Americans, sabotaging of agencies that assist them, and installing religious zealot, pro-corporate stooges to the judiciary.

Trump has an authoritarian bent, is no friend to the lower/middle class, and he/his party will continue to sabotage government and stigmatise/scapegoat minorities to distract people while elites run off with all the money. His cabinet nominations this time around look like a sequel to "Idiocracy".

 

[bedford]

Pro-Palestinian protesters are winning zero friends with their Happy smiley faces after causing the Myer Xmas window cancellation.

Thankfully these scum have now cancelled and hopefully the kids can enjoy the windows and they are special for kids

 

[.Shotties.]

Im not surprised at all people are bog tired of having to live in a world where any word/action you say or do feels like you have cracked a egg shell.

I am straight, white, middle-class dude. I have almost never felt like I had to be careful about what I say. I realise that a lot of my opinions don't really match the intellectual heights of laughing at rape victims, but I often wonder what people feel the need to say that they can't anymore.

It doesnt help that Trump is always completely taken out of context by their media and misquoted over there repeatedly

The full context of Trump's quotes rarely helps him out.

 

[Bloods86]

I am straight, white, middle-class dude. I have almost never felt like I had to be careful about what I say. I realise that a lot of my opinions don't really match the intellectual heights of laughing at rape victims, but I often wonder what people feel the need to say that they can't anymore.

For the most part it's not even that people get silenced. It's usually just instead of someone saying something derogatory or ignorant about someone else who is different and either eliciting laughter, agreement or no response at all like it used to, they might actually just have someone exercise their own freedom of speech and association to respond to them.

 

[Nool Carpenna]

How anybody can reconcile whinging about kids missing out on a Xmas whatever when 10,000 children have been slaughtered in Gaza.... and that's without giving consideration to the fact that those poor kids might just be the lucky ones that aren't enduring the ongoing atrocities of starvation, homelessness, no water or power.

 

[Ticky009]

How anybody can reconcile whinging about kids missing out on a Xmas whatever when 10,000 children have been slaughtered in Gaza.... and that's without giving consideration to the fact that those poor kids might just be the lucky ones that aren't enduring the ongoing atrocities of starvation, homelessness, no water or power.

Your missing the point Nool. When you protest at every single event at the drop of a hat the impact becomes nothing but noise in the background and a general inconvenience. Also, picking on kids wins no one friends. Ever. No matter what you're protesting.

 

[.Shotties.]

Your missing the point Nool. When you protest at every single event at the drop of a hat

What's going on in Gaza isn't the drop of a hat.

 

[Ticky009]

What's going on in Gaza isn't the drop of a hat.

Talking about the protesters and how they're not making any impact now because they are protesting everything. They've reduced their protest to background noise because of it.

You seem to think I'm unsympathetic to the issue. I'm not. But protesting at a Xmas window opening and every single small incremental event reduces the impact of the protest. Like, oh it must be Tuesday again.

 

[.Shotties.]

Talking about the protesters and how they're not making any impact now because they are protesting everything. They've reduced their protest to background noise because of it.

"The" protestors? Which protestors are you talking about then?

 

[McGowan3]

Your missing the point Nool. When you protest at every single event at the drop of a hat the impact becomes nothing but noise in the background and a general inconvenience. Also, picking on kids wins no one friends. Ever. No matter what you're protesting.

Not one kid in Melbourne will be denied seeing the Myer windows.!5000 kids in Gaza have been murdered and it continues without barely a mention in our main stream press. Diabolical situation. Some of the people protesting have lost family members in Gaza and Lebanon. Embarrassing that you talk of 'picking on kids and general inconvenience.' Talk about a first world problem!

 

[bedford]

It has nothing to do with the kids and the Myer window , this is Australia and let our kids enjoy it , why deny them .
Anyhow both sides over there are shit .
Let us live our lives , maybe these professional protesters should get of centrelink
LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE TO ENJOY XMAS , THEY DON'T NEED TO KNOW AT THAT AGE.
Selfish pricks

 

[.Shotties.]

It has nothing to do with the kids and the Myer window , this is Australia and let our kids enjoy it , why deny them .

Because protest is supposed to be uncomfortable, Bedford. There are kids over there with sniper rounds being found in their skulls. They're being taken to be identified in plastic shopping bags because thats all that remains of them. Both sides, lol. There are definitely shit actors on the Palestinian side, but over 70% of the dead are women and children and children make up the largest group of dead.

 

[caesar88]

Protest needs to be noisy or it is easy to silence. In this day and age where the media focus and public's attention is so fleeting and fast-moving, protest needs to be a constant, overwhelming, and yes, inconvenient, barrage of reminders of what is happening and who is complicit in it.

It's worth noting that, at least, Australia backed a UN vote to recognise Palestinian sovereignty, going against our "allies" the US & Israel in the process.

Unfortunately Australia does not have the power to end this conflict. Only one country has the power to end this conflict peacefully, and that is the country whose congresspeople and senators are owned by the Israel lobby. But it's still important that we be on the right side of history.

 

[Mister B]

Protest needs to be noisy or it is easy to silence. In this day and age where the media focus and public's attention is so fleeting and fast-moving, protest needs to be a constant, overwhelming, and yes, inconvenient, barrage of reminders of what is happening and who is complicit in it.

It's worth noting that, at least, Australia backed a UN vote to recognise Palestinian sovereignty, going against our "allies" the US & Israel in the process.

Unfortunately Australia does not have the power to end this conflict. Only one country has the power to end this conflict peacefully, and that is the country whose congresspeople and senators are owned by the Israel lobby. But it's still important that we be on the right side of history.

This is the thing for me. I hate what is happening in the middle east, I hate what is happening in Ukraine and I especially hate what it is doing to a generation of kids who are maimed, displaced etc. Why? Because continued trauma from this will only lead to more hatred of the other on both sides, which will continue to fuel the decades / centuries old wars meaning we will never truly see peace in our lifetimes.

What can the Australian government do? The reality is, they can't do shit. We like to think of ourselves as playing with the big boys but really we are just a small dinghy in the ocean in diplomatic terms. No amount of protesting over here is going to sway those with true power to make change.

One thing to clarify too is that the ****wits doing the worst of this stuff are merely a splinter of the wider protest. Professional trouble makers that attach themselves to any protest to push their own agendas. It's why you see Extinction rebellion protestors at Palestine rallies and Palestine protestors and indigenous rallies etc. These are the people screaming in the faces of little kids that they should be thinking of murdered children not Christmas.

 

[bedford]

This is the thing for me. I hate what is happening in the middle east, I hate what is happening in the Ukraine and I especially hate what it is doing to a generation of kids who are maimed, displaced etc. Why? Because continued trauma from this will only lead to more hatred of the other on both sides, which will continue to fuel the decades / centuries old wars meaning we will never truly see peace in our lifetimes.

What can the Australian government do? The reality is, they can't do shit. We like to think of ourselves as playing with the big boys but really we are just a small dinghy in the ocean in diplomatic terms. No amount of protesting over here is going to sway those with true power to make change.

One thing to clarify too is that the ****wits doing the worst of this stuff are merely a splinter of the wider protest. Professional trouble makers that attach themselves to any protest to push their own agendas. It's why you see Extinction rebellion protestors at Palestine rallies and Palestine protestors and indigenous rallies etc. These are the people screaming in the faces of little kids that they should be thinking of murdered children not Christmas.

Spot on , how does disrupting little kids joy at xmas stop the wars , no one overseas would give a rats tossbag about these ferals

 

[Nool Carpenna]

Your missing the point Nool. When you protest at every single event at the drop of a hat the impact becomes nothing but noise in the background and a general inconvenience. Also, picking on kids wins no one friends. Ever. No matter what you're protesting.

So I've been doing a bit of research because I really don't like people that represent themselves as being knowledgeably superior and speaking like they are some sort of authority on a matter when there is no basis to do so.

As I suspected, that research suggests your opinion is not based on anything factual, merely your own personal feelings.

You've stated the obvious as indisputable evidence to support your case without any knowledge or consideration as to why these tactics are being employed, or what role they play in the overall strategy of protest organisers.

You clearly have no knowledge of the plans or goals of the campaign. No insights into what progress is being made behind the scenes with pollies, bureaucrats and other community leaders. Nor do you even acknowledge that this type of thing may be happening.

You've positioned yourself as a champion of the children, through your all-powerful keyboard, escalating the inconvenience for Vic kids while dismissing the rights of others to champion for the children of Gaza in whatever way they see fit.

You've postured your own values as a benchmark for others. Because you're not motivated to take action to get the tragedy into the spotlight, others should put aside there own personal losses and/or the continuing threat to others, put aside the anger and frustrations about the inaction of leaders around the world, put aside their empathy to fellow human beings facing government-sanctioned torture... kick back, take a Ticky pill, and don't rock the boat.

Maybe you could offer some statistics to support your opinions.... oh, wait... most of those don't look too good either.

Now I know you have said nothing of this type outright, but when you base your case on generalisations, those generalisations don't just work for you.

Pro-Palestinian protesters are winning zero friends with their Happy smiley faces after causing the Myer Xmas window cancellation.

In my opinion, this post frames protesters as baddies... portraying it as a simple black and white issue and escalating the "us against them" narrative. And it might just be me, but there does seem to be a tinge of sarcasm and resentment with your reference to "Happy smiley faces", and then, to bolster the evil imagery, an untrue statement about the cancellation of that life-supporting Myer Xmas window.

I'm not inclined to bother myself with this type of post but then, as one would expect, a couple of the more nimble minds around the place are emboldened and jump aboard your platform adding their two-bobs worth with their usual levels of logic and rationale.

How anybody can reconcile whinging about kids missing out on a Xmas whatever when 10,000 children have been slaughtered in Gaza.... and that's without giving consideration to the fact that those poor kids might just be the lucky ones that aren't enduring the ongoing atrocities of starvation, homelessness, no water or power.

My post was aimed at people, in general, whinging and you've gone on the offensive (not triggered at all about being implicated as one of those whingers ) with an unqualified assessment of the effectiveness of the protest movement and continuing to do so when called out by others.

I really don't care what you think of me, but I would ask that you refrain from disparaging me next time you feel inclined to engage. As a moderator, it really isn't a good example.

 

[McGowan3]

This is the thing for me. I hate what is happening in the middle east, I hate what is happening in Ukraine and I especially hate what it is doing to a generation of kids who are maimed, displaced etc. Why? Because continued trauma from this will only lead to more hatred of the other on both sides, which will continue to fuel the decades / centuries old wars meaning we will never truly see peace in our lifetimes.

What can the Australian government do? The reality is, they can't do shit. We like to think of ourselves as playing with the big boys but really we are just a small dinghy in the ocean in diplomatic terms. No amount of protesting over here is going to sway those with true power to make change.

One thing to clarify too is that the ****wits doing the worst of this stuff are merely a splinter of the wider protest. Professional trouble makers that attach themselves to any protest to push their own agendas. It's why you see Extinction rebellion protestors at Palestine rallies and Palestine protestors and indigenous rallies etc. These are the people screaming in the faces of little kids that they should be thinking of murdered children not Christmas.

Have been to a number of the rallies. The organisers and the police have an excellent relationship that has ensured the protesters get their point across without any violence. Have not heard one instance of anti semitism, in fact there have been a number of supportive Jewish speakers and attendees. One isolated incident and one Hamas or Hezbollah flag out of many thousands of people are highlighted by a media intimidated by the israeli lobby.