US Elections 2020 (geopolitics, informed debate, no ad hominems)

Biden

14 (66.7%)

Trump

7 (33.3%)

Total Members Voted: 21

Voting closed: November 02, 2020, 06:25:59 pm

[Robert Roaldi]

From time to time, people on this thread and others have expressed opinions about how bad health care is in Canada because it's a one-payer system administered by the government. The arguments follow a pattern and it may interest you to know why people have formed these predictiable opinions. In part, they were instilled into your heads by a deliberate disinformation campaign by the insurance industry. NPR's Planet Money podcast recently aired a show about that, interviewing the actual horse's mouth, as it were, https://www.npr.org/2020/10/19/925354134/frame-canada.

You don't have to listen to this, I know it's difficult to listen to someone tell you how you were duped and why you're wrong, but still I put it out there in case anyone is interested.

[Alan Klein]

You may have lost track, which is completely understandable, but this thread is about the US election. Or I thought it was anyway.

But the video seemed to come from Guardian News. I'm surprised that you consider them a credible source.

Well, Trump has been cast as some anti-Muslim crazy by democrats for his cautiousness about letting Muslims into America.  So the fact the Macron and France are having problems with Muslim immigrants, show Trump was smarter than the democrats, and Macron.  After all, the Muslim who knifed three  French to death had just immigrated to France from a Muslim nation. 

I don't know anything about the politics of the Guardian News.  Are you claiming that the videos in the link provided from five Muslim nations showing Muslims there demonstrating and burning posters of Macron are phoney?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjsCyEx1Soo

[Alan Klein]

From time to time, people on this thread and others have expressed opinions about how bad health care is in Canada because it's a one-payer system administered by the government. The arguments follow a pattern and it may interest you to know why people have formed these predictiable opinions. In part, they were instilled into your heads by a deliberate disinformation campaign by the insurance industry. NPR's Planet Money podcast recently aired a show about that, interviewing the actual horse's mouth, as it were, https://www.npr.org/2020/10/19/925354134/frame-canada.

You don't have to listen to this, I know it's difficult to listen to someone tell you how you were duped and why you're wrong, but still I put it out there in case anyone is interested.

What does this have to do with the US election?

[Alan Goldhammer]

Wow, early voting in Texas has surpassed the entire turnout from 2016.  I've seen similar statistics for some other states.  It's good to see everyone out voting! Only a few more days and this thread is history.

[Craig Lamson]

I'm going to run with the idea that this is all true, and that (Joe) Biden DID meet with the guy from Burisma.   I have it on good authority that, in fact, Biden has already responded to this.  Here's the quote I found:

You can find the quote buried at WAPO somewhere.

So you don't have a problem with Biden?  Just wondering?  Oh wait, you don't my bad.

BTW did any of those Trump interactions have any connection to a Billion Dollars going to Ukraine?  Again, just wondering.

[Peter McLennan]

Language is important: it's how we communicate, particularly when we can't take photographs. Words have meanings. They are not your playthings, to be misused.
Jeremy

Absolutely!  Words have meaning.  Veracity, concision and clarity are hallmarks of good writing and effective communication.

It's interesting, however, that you would point out TechTalk's minor (and debatable) infraction, yet ignore the wider, consistent transgressions of spelling and grammar commonly seen here.

My comments on those transgressions have usually been met with derision and disapproval. We can only assume that, for those offenders, words don't have meaning and spelling is irrelevant.

Too bad. They're the ones who have their resumes tossed in the trashcan.

[Alan Klein]

Wow, early voting in Texas has surpassed the entire turnout from 2016.  I've seen similar statistics for some other states.  It's good to see everyone out voting! Only a few more days and this thread is history.

We'll all need a tranquilizer to come down and detox.  Notice I've removed the MAGA mask from my avatar.  Not because I think he's going to lose.  But because I'm fearful of getting attacked by a Democrat if he wins.

[Peter McLennan]

We'll all need a tranquilizer to come down and detox.  Notice I've removed the MAGA mask from my avatar.  Not because I think he's going to lose.  But because I'm fearful of getting attacked by a Democrat if he wins.

I see a very low probability of that happening.

Your wife, however...

[faberryman]

Well, I have been giving this whole question of whether Muslims are pro-Trump or anti-Trump some further thought. It is kind of like that mosquito bite you just can't stop scratching. Anyway, maybe Alan is right. Maybe Muslims are pro-Trump. I mean Alan reads Arabic and knows what the protest signs say and everything, so really he is in the better position to know whether Muslims are pro-Trump or not. Then I thought, since Muslims are pro-Trump, and Alan is pro-Trump, Alan must be a Muslim. So I apologize if anything I've said has offended your religious sensibilities.

[faberryman]

But the video seemed to come from Guardian News. I'm surprised that you consider them a credible source.

Well, everything they say about Harry and Meghan is true, so they must be a pretty credible source.

[faberryman]

I just went over to my newsfeed to see if I could find something relating to the election that we could discuss. I found a bunch of articles about the election, but came up empty. Seems like you can explain or comment on stuff about six different ways, so that takes care of Monday through Saturday, and then they just do a summary on Sunday. So now you know where the expression "six ways to Sunday" comes from. Seeing that, I really didn't think there was a anything to say. I think I will just turn off my newsfeed until Tuesday, and the subject changes to massive voter fraud. I guess I will be able to get all worked up about that depending on who wins. Anyway, I haven't heard back from my real estate agent about whether I can even get internet at my cabin in the woods, so maybe I'll never have to read anything about this election again, and that would be a big relief. None of this stuff really affects me in my everyday life anyway. I've got a pretty good stash of incandescent light bulbs, so I am not really all that worried about AOC and the Green New Deal.

[TechTalk]

To put it another way, you misused the word. You are not Humpty Dumpty. I forbore from pointing out also that it's is an adverb, not an adjective.

Language is important: it's how we communicate, particularly when we can't take photographs. Words have meanings. They are not your playthings, to be misused. So yes, it's an important topic; not, as you narcissistically suggest, specifically your vocabulary but language in general.

It's also far more interesting than the subject of the thread, but that's a separate point.

Jeremy

Exponentially is certainly an adverb and was applied to the verb "ask" or to be more specific, its present participle verb form "asking". The use of the word "exponentially" was chosen to indicate that the asking should be done in a manner that went beyond your suggestion of "a lot" and to imply that whatever asking is currently being done should be rapidly expanded in both the volume of questions asked and the frequency with which they are asked. I'm not asking for, nor do I require, your approval or understanding of the manner in which I chose to use the word in question, though you're entitled to your opinion of it.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/exponentially

https://www.merriam-webster.com/usage-notes/exponential-figurative-use

I agree that words do have meanings and are not playthings to be misused. For instance, they shouldn't be misused to express an opinion on behalf of another which does not conform to the opinion of the person for whom you presume to speak. But for the most part, I think people should be free to express themselves in whatever way they choose whether it be colorful, obtuse, plainly spoken, poetic, or prosaic and free to use words narrowly defined or more broadly interpreted. Naturally, you are free to disagree with my position.

Since the reply that I posted was in response to an objection to a specific word choice and my usage of it in a sentence, I didn't think it narcissistic to refer to my own use of language in responding as opposed to initiating a discussion of language in general. However, we each have our own perception and perspective and far be it from me to attempt to alter yours. Your forbearance in what you choose for, or refrain from, pointing out is an admirable quality to be emulated.

[faberryman]

Absolutely!  Words have meaning.  Veracity, concision and clarity are hallmarks of good writing and effective communication.

It's interesting, however, that you would point out TechTalk's minor (and debatable) infraction, yet ignore the wider, consistent transgressions of spelling and grammar commonly seen here.

My comments on those transgressions have usually been met with derision and disapproval. We can only assume that, for those offenders, words don't have meaning and spelling is irrelevant.

Too bad. They're the ones who have their resumes tossed in the trashcan.

The thing is, when you don't make that many mistakes, when you do make a mistake, it really stands out like a sore thumb, so people comment on it. If you make a lot of mistakes, everyone gets used to it, and ignores them. I read about that in Psychology Today one time, but I don't have a link. So I make a lot of mistakes on purpose so people stop criticizing me. The other thing is, sometimes the people who correct you don't know what they are talking about. You can get into some pretty big fights on the internet when that happens.

[Paulo Bizarro]

Well, Trump has been cast as some anti-Muslim crazy by democrats for his cautiousness about letting Muslims into America.  So the fact the Macron and France are having problems with Muslim immigrants, show Trump was smarter than the democrats, and Macron.  After all, the Muslim who knifed three  French to death had just immigrated to France from a Muslim nation. 

I don't know anything about the politics of the Guardian News.  Are you claiming that the videos in the link provided from five Muslim nations showing Muslims there demonstrating and burning posters of Macron are phoney?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjsCyEx1Soo

It is amazing how you can relate the problems France is having with how "good" Trump is in handling Muslims... the current attacks in France stem from the cartoons in Charlie Hebdo, which actually originated already several years ago when their office was attacked.

I am sure you have seen the many past demonstrations in Muslim countries burning the USA flag, etc. Just because it is not happening today, it is not thanks to Trump.

[John Camp]

Jeremy says he is going to shut down political discussions here on Tuesday. I think that will help me be a better photographer because then I will have more time to take photographs. Then he said something about leaving one thread open so the addicts don't have to go cold turkey. I am not sure that is such a good idea. Sometimes it is best to go cold turkey.

I didn't see that, I guess because I don't read all the entries in this thread. It would be odd to close the election threads when the most important developments may actually happen after election day.

[TechTalk]

An interesting take from Lindsey Graham on Trump, the state of the Republican Party, and conservatism in under two minutes...

https://www.youtube.com/Lindsey Graham on Trump and Republican Party

[Alan Klein]

Well, I have been giving this whole question of whether Muslims are pro-Trump or anti-Trump some further thought. It is kind of like that mosquito bite you just can't stop scratching. Anyway, maybe Alan is right. Maybe Muslims are pro-Trump. I mean Alan reads Arabic and knows what the protest signs say and everything, so really he is in the better position to know whether Muslims are pro-Trump or not than I am. Then I thought, since Muslims are pro-Trump, and Alan is pro-Trump, Alan must be a Muslim. So I apologize if anything I've said has offended your religious sensibilities.

I was going to say something.  But I want to keep my head.

[Alan Klein]

The thing is, when you don't make that many mistakes, when you do make a mistake, they really stand out, so people comment on them. If you make a lot of mistakes, everyone gets used to it, and ignores them. I read about that in Psychology Today one time, but I don't have a link. So I make a lot of mistakes on purpose so people stop criticizing me. The other thing is, sometimes the people who correct you don't know what they are talking about. You can get into some pretty big fights on the internet when that happens.

I started a fight the other day on another forum.  I was saying something in jest.  However, my laughing emoticon at the end of the sentence to assure people it was a joke came out somehow as an explanation point on one guy's screen.  So he took my post as an insult and responded in kind.  I was away for a few days and didn't know what was going on.  In the meanwhile, everyone joined in the fight and insults flew and the first guy quit the forum.  When I logged back in a few days later and saw the brouhaha, I apologized to him even though I didn't insult and he understood but still decided to leave.   Wars start this way. 

[faberryman]

An interesting take from Lindsey Graham on Trump, the state of the Republican Party, and conservatism in under two minutes...

https://www.youtube.com/Lindsey Graham on Trump and Republican Party

I wonder if anyone saw that and sent him $25. He is coming up a little short on the old campaign trail. Besides, he changes his mind a lot, and doesn't update his videos. If this isn't his latest video, you'll be wasting a lot of valuable time watching it.

[faberryman]

I started a fight the other day on another forum.  I was saying something in jest.  However, my laughing emoticon at the end of the sentence to assure people it was a joke came out somehow as an explanation point on one guy's screen.  So he took my post as an insult and responded in kind.  I was away for a few days and didn't know what was going on.  In the meanwhile, everyone joined in the fight and insults flew and the first guy quit the forum.  When I logged back in a few days later and saw the brouhaha, I apologized to him even though I didn't insult and he understood but still decided to leave.   Wars start this way.

That's why I suggested earlier that Jeremy might want to re-think the whole idea of leaving one political thread open for the addicts. It is obvious that none of us have the necessary self-control to stop posting on our own.