How do we heal?

submitted by useless_aether from files.catbox.moe

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[–]Tom_Bombadil 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

Eric Andre is hilarious!

[–]magnora7 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

The Eric Andre show is like if The Late Late Show was directed by Salvador Dali haha

[–]Tom_Bombadil 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yep! Stephen Colbert even loves Andre's work.

[–]magnora7 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (15 children)

Good meme, haha.

I am super miffed that the subreddit /r/EnlightenedCentrism became so popular, where they essentially mock anyone who isn't party-pure.

What irritates me too is that many see centrism as just the halfway point of the left-right axis and forget about the authoritarian/anti-authoritarian axis. I'm the center of the whole political graph, not just the halfway point between the two main modern political parties.

I imagine the confusion between those two ways of defining "centrism" have killed a lot of debates that might've otherwise been useful. But both the left and right have really come to see the others side as "the enemy" more than ever, and thus centrism is "half enemy" regardless of which "side" someone is on. So centrism ends up being the easy scapegoat for both sides to hate on, and the divide gets wider as America becomes more conquered.

If Americans could just unite against the hyper-wealthy that obviously have undue amounts of control we could fix things, instead of infighting over silly things constant as our corporate-owned news media constantly goads us to do.

More and more people are seeing this... I hope...

[–]useless_aether[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

i think the main reason they do this is to maintain the dialectical cycle. there can only be two polar choices (thesis/antithesis, left or right) or they will loose control over this all-important, all-powerful tool of social engineering. when we realize that in reality we have unlimited choices, not just the two they force on us, we will have the initiative. we will be the ones who act and they will be the ones forced to react. they, ofc, are aware of this and are doing everything they can to prevent this, as you described.

[–]magnora7 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Wise words, I agree completely

[–]magnora7 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I gotta say again that I really like this comment, it keeps coming back to me.

The idea that "If you're not X then you must be Y" with no 3rd or 4th alternative presented is such a powerful method of control over the way people think. It's like a false dichotomy.

When people get emotionally charged in ideological conversations, they are quick to pidgeonhole the "opposition" as being the opposite type they are, out of the 2-type system.

So many people are arguing past each other, like ships in the night, not realizing they see the other as a strawman because their mind is unable to see alternate ways to approach the problem, because they're trapped in this "false dichotomy" media and educational system.

[–]useless_aether[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

yes, we are all the product of the system and the system conditioned us to think this way. to protect itself from us.

its like we are a diluted version of a trauma based mind controlled mk-ultra victim

i think, the hegelian dialectic is just an upgrade of the (roman) imperial divide et impera tactic. its rooted in it.

and while they are dividing us, they themselves are incredibly united. and while they are in reality truly united, they portray themselves as divided. to appear weak in our eyes and to make the impression that division is the normal way of things. thoughtful deception.

i predict that the 'commie left' and the 'fascist right' is destined to unite and rule together in the planned nwo, because once they have absolute power there is no need for janus-facedness and political theater. we can see this happening already around the world (china, eu)

[–]Alduin 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (10 children)

If Americans could just unite against the hyper-wealthy

No faster way to unite a country than to find a boogie man. Whether that's a racial group or an economic class.

That said, the wealthy are the last people I want to leave. Every prosperous country has enormously wealthy people at the top. Every dirt poor wasteland shithole punishes the rich. Socialism is nothing less than an economic attack.

[–]magnora7 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

he wealthy are the last people I want to leave

So you see no problem with the fact billionaires are richer than ever in history, and the US's middle class is dying out by the actions of these same billionaires? https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/18/rich-people-own-much-money-half-world-report-says/y6az3Wtasd5TIf9Q6k3I4K/story.html

[–]Alduin 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (8 children)

I see no problem that some are richer than ever. In fact that's a good thing. It's only bad if you think there's a finite amount of wealth to go around, which effectively there isn't.

A dying middle class would be a problem but I haven't seen really compelling evidence for that to be a concern. Most of the evidence I have seen revolves around a changing definition of "middle class".

[–]magnora7 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

which effectively there isn't.

Well actually there is. The pie gets slightly bigger every year, but it's clear money is going from the middle class and in to the hands of billionaires.

The middle class has been dying out for 30 years now, it's clear both through the statistical evidence and in everyday observation.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

So you're all for exploitation via rigged systems.

Do you support rigged corporate exploitation of community resources?

Do you support rigged taxation systems without representation?

Do you support rigged judicial systems?

Do you support the prison industrial complex?

Do you support slavery only in jails?

Do you support debt slavery?

Do you support slavery?

Do you support war?

That's where the rich get their wealth and how they keep/hoard it.

Take a lesson: /s/Socialism/comments/br8/dr_richard_d_wolff_socialism_in_america_20180822/

[–]Alduin 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

So you're all for exploitation via rigged systems.

No.

Do you support rigged corporate exploitation of community resources?

Probably not but you need to be more specific.

Do you support rigged taxation systems without representation?

No. Taxes are theft.

Do you support rigged judicial systems?

Of course not.

Do you support the prison industrial complex?

No. Contributes to rigged judicial system and creates corrupted incentives.

Do you support slavery only in jails?

I don't know enough about prison work programs to weigh in on this.

Do you support debt slavery?

Not in the literal sense and only figuratively if the debt was bargained willingly. Borrowing 22 Trillion dollars against our children and grandchildren's future is immoral, for example.

Do you support slavery?

No.

Do you support war?

Sometimes. Not any in the last 150 years though.

That's where the rich get their wealth and how they keep/hoard it.

In some cases maybe, but in general no.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Right. Because the rich are smarter with better bloodlines and pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and don't benefit by the plunders of war.

[–]Alduin 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Holy strawman Batman! I never said anything remotely like that stuff.

Look, whatever you think of the "fairness" of the capitalist system, we should not be trying to enforce equality of outcome. That's where dictatorships and poverty come from.

There are way more socialist impoverished dictatorships than capitalist ones. I can't even think of any capitalist ones.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Sarcasm, yes I think I've heard of that...

I never said anything about equality of outcome, but I'm all for equality of opportunity. And if it means stomping on a few privileged heads to stop stomping on millions of non-privileged heads - I'm all for it.

If you really think dictatorships are about equality of outcome then you're sorely mistaken. You don't need dictatorships for poverty. You just need any government and unfairness and they go hand in hand.

[–]Alduin 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Life is not fair and never will be. Yet not all countries are poverty stricken dictatorships. It takes more than unfairness, it takes a "revolution" of people demanding government make everything fair.

Income inequality is healthy for an economy right up to the point where the lower class become too jealous for having not advanced as quickly. Then it turns ugly. The thing is, they're far better off with the inequality. It's far better to be poor in a rich country than poor in a poor country.