How America Lost Its Mind

[_subgenius]

It's fun to watch subby flounder around. So badly he cannot even mount a defense of his stupidity.

[_Themis]

It's fun to watch subby flounder around. So badly he cannot even mount a defense of his stupidity.

LOL Subby sees himself as the big bad dog.

[_Maksutov]

LOL Subby sees himself as the big bad dog.

The guy does have a very rich fantasy life.

[_Res Ipsa]

And what Doc proposes is to try and creates millions of Subbies.

Screw that.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

And what Doc proposes is to try and creates millions of Subbies.

Screw that.

No. I propose we enlist their unwitting help by manipulating them.

Silly. You still don't get it.

- Doc

[_Res Ipsa]

No, I get it. Get back to me when any of the memes you’ve dropped manipulate Subby into voting for a democrat.

[_canpakes]

You just did it again. Same bad argument.

There's no actual archetype represented in this meme. Rather, a caricature imagined by someone who cannot present an honest argument.

Irony is having a field day.

yes, irony sure is...you saying otherwise does not magically make it so.
See there is no exaggeration here about the characterization. It might be inaccurate in detail, it might not be - but its dimension is not absurd. So while I appreciate your feeble attempt to understand the definition of caricature, ironically, it does not apply to the meme...or the point.

See an archetype represents a pattern...and the pattern represented by Doc's meme is neither exaggerated nor absurd....a caricature would be more akin to this contradictory characteristic being exaggerated, say, via a SNL skit where Lena spent the day being hypocritical in all the thing she did, especially the mundane....but you get it, don't want to admit it, but you get it.

Ooops. Still a Fail.

Unless, of course, you want to acknowledge that the pattern (your new excuse) is dishonesty and caricature on the part of the person who creates the meme, or puts it forward as true for the target.

But, you've fallen prey to this before (like with your Sanger memes). At least this time you're trying to be creative as you dig your hole deeper. ; )

[_honorentheos]

I still maintain the view I held in December when this thread was discussing the topic:
viewtopic.php?f=5&p=1021408#p1021316

Expecting the public to magically transform into solid critical thinkers isn't going to save anything. That's not a realistic solution to any kind of problem. Alternatively, may I suggest a push to increase civics education in public schooling? Inculcating democratic values seems more realistic than trying to get people to be better critical thinkers.

Since the most tribalistic, politically backwards subset of our population is also the oldest, the best ray of hope I can offer is that maybe they'll die off before they do too much more damage. I wouldn't hold my breath on that either, though.

I certainly won't disagree with the need for getting both civics and critical thinking back into the formal education system. But I do think we need to be aware that the forces that are straining democracy pull in multiple directions and not just from one side. Trumps behavior deserves intense scrutiny and his cabinet choices real critique. But there is a line one crosses when one engages in non-critical assessment of the reporting that seems to support one's biases that is away from democratic values and the type of responsible citizenship we espouse in contrast to the values we oppose. We shouldn't confuse lateral position away from that of the worst elements of Trump's supporters and his own potential downside with vertical positioning towards something better.

We need to be focused, clear where our opposition is located, to what we are opposed. More importantly, we need to be clear in our own minds what it is we are FOR, and why it matters. The world may be post-factual, but the facts have a way of reasserting themselves. I think our loyalty has to be there, and in that loyalty a real discipline towards our own commitments against bias, against emotional outrage, against demonizing of the other where there is real, thoughtful disagreement only.

I'd go so far as to argue that to be overwhelmed with fear should lead to some introspection. The law-and-order candidate came to power in part by inculcating and taking advantage of fear. As Edward R. Murrow, in speaking against another tyrannical threat to our democracy reminded us, "We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men -- not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular." It was a different kind of fear he opposed, that of silence in face of injustice. But the fear motive not just silence is where we ought to look to root out the stumbling block to democracy. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves."

I'd encourage anyone to go back and reread or listen to Murrow's See It Now report that is quoted above as the times feel like they have some similarity -
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/murrowmccarthy.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtCGlqA2rrk

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

No, I get it. Get back to me when any of the memes you’ve dropped manipulate Subby into voting for a democrat.

Again. You don't get it. The intent is to energize our own base, disenfranchise their electorate, and to enlist people who don't give a crap to do it for us. For example, say the Russians had been pro-Hillary it would've been nonstop Trumpalooza and hookers 24/7. I don't think he would've survived it.

- Doc