Joe Biden's Son Blames "Russian Agents" For Ashley Madison Profile

[Justinr]

Oh dear, it seems that I am now a card carrying communist conspiracy theorist. Is there no end to my wickedness?

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

In hindsight the Cuba Crisis might not be all it was portrayed as for there is intriguing reason to believe that the US knew very well that  Russian Missiles didn't actually work.

Must have been designed by the same people who later designed digital auto-exposure systems 

[AlterEgo]

but even those need to find a base whose interests align with the new party or the party won't last long.

search for a base (as opposite to serving the special interests) is since long replaced by scare tactics and dirt searching (look, those Dems are selling us to commies... look, those GOPs are out to take you off welfare... look, this dude slept with ... and this with ... and this used an N-word 50 years ago...)

[AlterEgo]

Must have been designed by the same people who later designed digital auto-exposure systems 

everything manual & spot metered !!!

[Justinr]

Must have been designed by the same people who later designed digital auto-exposure systems 

There is, I suppose, that possibility.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

search for a base (as opposite to serving the special interests)...

Special interests are a legitimate part of the interests I was talking about. Special interests are mostly used as a derogatory term, as opposed to the lofty "common" interests. The thing is, other than national defense against an attack by a foreign enemy and the elementary survival of a society, there aren't too many other common interests. Any attempt of one part of society to impose its system of interests, believes and values as "common," right, having a higher moral value, etc., as is the case with the current PC attacks, inevitably and ultimately leads to totalitarianism.

[AlterEgo]

The things is, other than national defense against an attack by a foreign enemy and the elementary survival of a society, there aren't too many other common interests.

that's debatable... taxes are for example, but you can't put into " the elementary survival of a society " category

[Telecaster]

You may think so, Dave, but you need to think again. Suppose you'd been born in China during the reign of Mao, or born in Germany during the reign of Hitler. There are plenty of other examples if you slide on back in history.

IMO you're conflating politics and government. Two different things. Less destructive versions of the latter are indeed better than more destructive versions. The former, though, is IMO inevitably a cesspool. A "good" form of government is one, also IMO, that can—more often than not—withstand the inherently corrosive nature of politics without giving in to authoritarian or anarchic temptations. Human nature being what it is, these temptations are constant and so "good" government is often a matter of good luck.

I don't think in political terms, where one's chosen party is Good and its members Smart while the others and their members are varying degrees of Bad & Stupid.    I vote but I do not participate.

-Dave-

[RSL]

A "good" form of government is one, also IMO, that can—more often than not—withstand the inherently corrosive nature of politics without giving in to authoritarian or anarchic temptations. Human nature being what it is, these temptations are constant and so "good" government is often a matter of good luck.

What you just described is, by definition, effective politics.

[Telecaster]

Special interests are a legitimate part of the interests I was talking about. Special interests are mostly used as a derogatory term, as opposed to the lofty "common" interests. The things is, other than national defense against an attack by a foreign enemy and the elementary survival of a society, there aren't too many other common interests. Any attempt of one part of society to impose its system of interests, believes and values as "common," right, having a higher moral value, etc., as is the case with the current PC attacks, inevitably and ultimately leads to totalitarianism.

I pretty much agree with this. The Left & Right are mirror images of each other. Each seeks to amplify what it values and suppress (or eliminate) what it doesn't. Each venerates dogma and disparages curiosity. Each is intolerant of unwelcome information. Each has a strong proselytic impulse. Each is prone to conspiracy theorizing. Each embraces "lying your way to the Truth." Each has a narrative in which it eventually triumphs in finality over the other.

-Dave-

[Telecaster]

What you just described is, by definition, effective politics.

Effective government. In theory politics could be a much more grown up affair than it is. In practice we're likely stuck with the best we can do given who & what we are. IMO this doesn't mean it deserves any regard or that we deserve any regard for creating it. One can accept without embracing…in fact I've found this to be a good & effective approach to all manner of things. Kills utopian/dystopian impulses dead.

-Dave-

[RSL]

Dave, I think you need to look up the definition of "politics."

[Colorado David]

Dave, I think you need to look up the definition of "politics."

It helps to understand the root of the word politics.  Poly is a greek word meaning many and tick is a blood-sucking arachnid.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

A good one, Dave

[Justinr]

No. Can't be done: different target population.

And even if it could and there had been, what's your point, other than bolstering mine?

Jeremy

So Maggie's attempts at bribing the population by flogging them the family silver on the cheap was not an attempt to write Labour off the political map?

Where did she end her days BTW?

[Justinr]

they worked, but there were few of them...

you might want to read this book = http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4110/vol3.pdf

this is the real story of what we had and what we did not have - NASA translated it because of who that person was (vol 1, 2, 4 are also available)... read it

Yes sir!

On the other hand you could kindly condense its contents and give us a synopsis if you have a point to make.

[Rob C]

Where did she end her days BTW?

With dementia; so that makes your day? Your humanity kills me.

Rob C

[Justinr]

With dementia; so that makes your day? Your humanity kills me.

Rob C

Not just my humanity but that of the party (and family) which professed to adore her yet left her abandoned, alone, in a hotel room.

I think perhaps you should consider again where you direct such a superficial barb.

[Manoli]

Not just my humanity but that of the party (and family) which professed to adore her yet left her abandoned, alone, in a hotel room.

Does this qualify as spin or propaganda ?

She ended her days, as you so quaintly put it, as a guest of her long time patrons the Barclay brothers in the Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly, where there was enough staff on a 24 hour basis to care for her and respond in case of emergency.
Chester Square, SW1 with it's 4 floors was no longer suitable for a woman in the later stages of ill-health.

Can't exactly say that she moved from a slum to an Earl's Court bedsit.

[Justinr]

Does this qualify as spin or propaganda ?

She ended her days, as you so quaintly put it, as a guest of her long time patrons the Barclay brothers in the Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly, where there was enough staff on a 24 hour basis to care for her and respond in case of emergency.
Chester Square, SW1 with it's 4 floors was no longer suitable for a woman in the later stages of ill-health.

Can't exactly say that she moved from a slum to an Earl's Court bedsit.

Spin.