Contrarian's Corner -> Comedy (or not) with ideology

[Greghead]

40 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

 The Germans were enlightened people and a few far-right (SS) and far-left groups (Communists) were doing street fighting.

At the time the average German was laughing at these 2 fanatical groups, however, one of this group finally grabbed power due to economic hardship. Do I have to tell you the remainder of the story and what happened when a leader emerged on top of this drug addiction, which I called populism, nationalism, communism, fascism, they are all rotten in my opinion.

Only 1 target in my view -> getting people in groups to lose their rational thinking. Proud Boys and Antifa go to jail, Trump and Al Sharpton get richer. You remain with your idealism, Trump with the money. 😃

I understand what it is you're saying and you have summed the build up to those outcomes up pretty well, and we should always be on the lookout for similar situations building around us that's for sure. But it might be too easy to become distracted when looking for these, overlooking greater potential threats. As, it's just that I've noticed that 'educated' types in searching the horizon, don't always notice what is immediately in front of them, the existing real threats, distracted (in this instance) by those threats that appear to be emerging but maybe are only benign in reality. Being too far on one side or the other is itself being blinkered anyhow. I like to think of myself as being a rationalist but then still get things wrong quit a bit. And maybe it's that rationality will lose out to emotionality in the end. And I'm not sure we will be left with as much as our idealism in the end. But in some ways we don't have long to find out, that's at least in we will be able to continue to discuss what these are. 

[Greghead]

On 8/4/2022 at 1:50 AM, Nationalist said:

Not all people inside the Capital building were what you call "far-right".

Not every teacher is actively producing activists.

Here's a thought. Why not just identify and dispense with people from both camps and be done with it?

KKK/BLM - Actively marginalize and dispense with.

Proud Boys/ANTIFA - Actively marginalize and dispense with.

Those on welfare - Actively marginalize and dispense with.

It's called fascism and it does not allow diversity. Only the state matters. 

[Greghead]

The point I'm making really is that if the extreme right can be seen as a monster, then the extreme left is a smaller monster. The Right, however, a great big monster. The Left a mega-monster. And the situation gets worse as I am being clinical when I say this and am leaving politics out of the analysis.  

And, there's no need to reply to this as I need to be moving along. The time being spent in a moderation queue (that shouldn't be long) and an inability to edit my posts while waiting has now become my cue to leave. 

 

[Contrarian]

August 13th 

a) The right and law enforcement: 

The GOP Suddenly Wants to Defund Law Enforcement After Feds Raid Mar-a-Lago

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/mar-a-lago-raid-gop-response-defund-fbi-1394486/

b) The left and conversations: 

Yale Law refuses to condemn students who threatened to fight conservative debater at free speech event: Says staff are having a 'serious conversation' with them about 'expectations' when dealing with people 'inconsistent with our values'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10625581/Yale-Law-DEFENDS-students-shouted-Ill-fight-b-tch-conservative-debater.html

@Gregheadthe que will go away. 

Edited August 13, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

An exchange with @Zeitgeist reminded me of a documentary I also have saved. Steve Bannon is considered a "hero" to many on the right. 

The team behind "The Choice 2016" and "Divided States of America" tells the inside story of Trump adviser Stephen Bannon and his war with Washington, with White House rivals and with Islam. FRONTLINE explores Bannon's personal crusade to dramatically transform America, and his role in the power struggles and policy clashes within the Trump administration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPkUrVj0VPc

 

Edited August 14, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

Documentary: The 50 Years War Israel And The Arabs

Begins with the 1947 U.N. decision to partition Palestine and charts the ensuing half-century of enmity, warfare, mediation and negotiations. Includes interviews and news clips of heads of state and other military and intelligence leaders. Episodes on the first disc cover Israel's struggle for statehood, including the victories against Arab armies in 1948 and 1967, and the history of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. 

The concluding program looks at the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the Camp David peace accord in 1978, the start of the Palestinian "Intifada" uprising in 1987, the Oslo agreement in 1993, and the current attempts to consolidate a shaky reconciliation. Featured in this documentary are Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yitzhak Shamir of Israel; King Hussein of Jordan; Yasir Arafat from the Palestine Authority; Hafez al-Assad of Syria; Jafaar Numeiry of Sudan; and American Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Jimmy Carter.

Edited August 16, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

A quote for the ideologues fanatics which are moving the right and left to lands without reason in my opinion. 

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."   - Abraham Lincoln

[Contrarian]

1. India - The Far Left and recruitment.

Rather than mobilizing discontents with the Indian state by projecting its weaknesses and ensuring inclusion and welfare, the Maoists have a privileged armed struggle, invited state repression, and sought to use this to recruit adherents. Such a strategy has led to some of India’s poorest people, the tribals in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in particular, being caught up in endless violence.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/tackling-the-maoists-the-hindu-editorial-on-left-wing-extremism/article36724675.ece?homepage=true

2. Germany - The Far Right and confusion.

Should they support the authoritarian Russian leader or far-right nationalists fighting on the Ukrainian side?

https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-far-right-split-by-russia-ukraine-war/a-61283065

Edited August 18, 2022 by Contrarian

[OftenWrong]

On 8/17/2022 at 7:45 AM, Contrarian said:

A quote for the ideologues fanatics which are moving the right and left to lands without reason in my opinion. 

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."   - Abraham Lincoln

It’s a bible quote but still good. Carry on!

[Contrarian]

Man knows his Bible. This is correct, I did some digging and the quote by Lincoln is in the Bible. Lincoln is lucky he does not get sued.

Now, this reminded me of another documentary I have saved up. 

The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross, Part 1 and 2

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Contrarian

[OftenWrong]

15 hours ago, Contrarian said:

Man knows his Bible. This is correct, I did some digging and the quote by Lincoln is in the Bible. Lincoln is lucky he does not get sued.

Yes, I have read many books. 

So I guess it didn’t come up at the top of your google search, and you didn’t get the reference? No problem. I still like your thread.

Sorry for being a contrar. 

[OftenWrong]

So I guess that quote’s not good now?

Being from Jesus, I mean...

 

[Contrarian]

16 minutes ago, OftenWrong said:

 

Being from Jesus, I mean...

 

Is good, he probably borrowed it from someone else. There was reason way before the Abrahamic religions took over. 

If Jesus keeps you going, good for you, whatever works. 

In my opinion real men of faith, you rarely see them, they are content with themselves and mind their own business. There are some other ones that find something which works for them and immediately they find this instinct to preach because if it works for you, it has to work for everyone?! 😃

Edited August 20, 2022 by Contrarian

[OftenWrong]

39 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

Is good, he probably borrowed it from someone else. There was reason way before the Abrahamic religions took over. 

If Jesus keeps you going, good for you, whatever works. 

In my opinion real men of faith, you rarely see them, they are content with themselves and mind their own business. There are some other ones that find something which works for them and immediately they find this instinct to preach because if it works for you, it has to work for everyone?! 😃

Is this the comedy part now?

[Contrarian]

3 minutes ago, OftenWrong said:

Is this the comedy part now?

The trailer before the movie. 

[OftenWrong]

3 hours ago, Contrarian said:

The trailer before the movie. 

Looking forward to it. Assuming you are done with your christian proselytizing, that is. 

[Contrarian]

Documentary - Saturday, August 20 

Frontline - In the Age of AI

FRONTLINE investigates the promise and perils of artificial intelligence, from fears about work and privacy to rivalry between the U.S. and China. The documentary traces a new industrial revolution that will reshape and disrupt our lives, our jobs and our world, and allow the emergence of the surveillance society.
 

 

[Contrarian]

Documentary - Week of August 22nd

Spies, informants and new enemies - Today’s intelligence agencies | DW Documentary

Intelligence agencies are influencing governments and spying on countries with no regard for the law. And they are able to remain nearly invisible, in the process. Are they the new superpowers?

The last time intelligence agencies commanded as much power as they do today was during the Cold War.

Technological innovations mean that more sophisticated warfare is now a reality.

It is not just about Russia and the USA anymore.

We may be entering a new era of unrest.

Edited August 24, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

Abortion rights debate:

Observations and Question

I like to read comments on different social media accounts when there is a major case. 

I am noticing the usual in my view: right wing MEN trying to hide their real intent which is that desire to control what is better for the woman. 

but here comes the surprise: progressive MEN from the left are catching up. I have read what I consider calls for insurrection at the Supreme Court. I think in this case is a tactic to get women pretending to be the heroes.

We even had a gentleman here in Canada kicking a pro-life woman advocate:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4513068/man-roundhouse-kicks-pro-life-advocate-anti-abortion-protest-toronto/

So the question is, why is it that MEN again are sabotaging these movements?

Edited August 24, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

a) LEFT Wing Irrationality: Canadian MP removed an opponent campaign flyer. Report from Jan 25.

Calgary's lone Liberal MP says he has paid a fine after a doorbell camera captured him removing an opponent's campaign flyer and replacing it with one of his own on the eve of the last federal election.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-george-chahal-liberal-flyer-fine-1.6326618

b) RIGHT Wing Irrationality: Hindu nationalistic groups and foreign trolls. Report from April 7.

The history professor at Carleton University in Ottawa said he received thousands of hateful emails the past five years, along with abusive voicemails on his office phone. He said he has also been accosted in person by groups picketing his academic lectures because they disagree with his politics.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/academics-harassed-criticism-india-politics-1.6402486

Edited August 27, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

Documentary: Afghanistan, Inside the Taliban's Emirate, FRANCE 24 English

The Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan, something they did faster than anyone anticipated. Since August 2021, they have had to make a rapid transition to running the day-to-day business of a struggling state. From Kabul to the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar and the mountainous Wardak province, our team have witnessed the grim reality of Taliban rule. FRANCE 24's senior reporters Catherine Norris Trent and Roméo Langlois bring us this exclusive full-length documentary.
 

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

Motivational Speech: Admiral McRaven "Make Your Bed" Motivational Words Of Wisdom.

University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address Speech By Admiral McRaven Leaves The Audience Speechless With Great Words Of Wisdom.

(Clip Of The Best Parts Of The Speech With Compilation Video).

Edited August 28, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

Documentary:  Israel's Other Religious War, The Ultra Orthodox Versus the IDF, Vice News

Ultra-Orthodox adherents of Judaism have long been exempt from military service in Israel, but lately this exception has sparked outrage from the secular majority.

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

“Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.”
*François-Marie Arouet known by his nom de plume Voltaire was a French Enlightenment writer. 

Edited September 1, 2022 by Contrarian

[Contrarian]

A collection of Stoic quotes powerfully narrated by voice-over artist Chris Lines. 
*Stoicism is a school of philosophy that hails from ancient Greece and Rome in the early parts of the 3rd century, BC.

This video contains wisdom from the three most notable stoic thinkers: Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus.

The trio lived during the times of ancient Rome and became avid scholars of philosophy, with stoicism being their primary focus and guide for life.

Thousands of years later their teachings remain intact and still ring true, applicable to the challenges we face today.

Marcus Aurelius had the burden of managing the largest empire the world had ever seen as the emperor of Rome. He would go on to have a prosperous rule for 20 years and went down in history as one of the great rulers.

Seneca who was a successful financial clerk and writer found himself exiled for adultery. He was later hired to tutor a young boy called Nero who would become a tyrannical emperor of Rome. Nero later had Seneca execute himself for allegedly conspiring against him. A claim that was most likely untrue.

Epictetus who was born a slave asked his master for permission to study. He was granted this right and went on to teach philosophy in Rome.

Each of these men faced great challenges in their lives and were able to navigate them through the philosophy of stoicism.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Contrarian