Jump to content

BevoAbyss

Full Members
  • Posts

    711
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by BevoAbyss

  1. Sorry dude, you’re 100% incorrect. I am sure some theists say that to pretend their creationist fables have merit in the 21st century universe unveiled by NASA and the world’s scientists. The Big Bang is based on the best available empirical evidence gathered from the world’s most powerful telescopes across 100 years. (I am confident we will eventually discover what existed prior to … or caused … the Big Bang. And it won’t be an invisible Sky Daddy.) If by “some might argue," you mean scientists and astrophysicists … well they are incorrect … as most scientists/astrophysicists are utterly weak-ass philosophers who would benefit mightily from some basic courses in existentialist philosophy (esp, Sartre’s irrefutable ontology), philosophy of science, logic, etc. But, alas, secular philosophy has marginalized itself into irrelevance. Hence the dominance of religion. As for God: Humans created God (or any Creator) with absolute zero empirical evidence. Pure invention in a pre-scientific era.
  2. Exactly. That’s why the first line in the First Amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion …" That means … and can only mean … freedom from religion precedes freedom of religion. Regarding the Bill of Rights … freedom from religion has primacy and is the ultimate starting point … for any freedom in America, including religious freedom. Of course, all those Bible-thumping constitutionalist “originalists” will conveniently ignore this original line to justify building their theocracy.
  3. The Bible is a bunch of myths and fables … written in a tribal, pre-scientific era … for people to colonize and conquer others … to get meaning and purpose for their tribe and self … and feel good about it … and pretend they will live as a spirit-ghost for eternity. There has never been any evidence for Genesis 1:1. Never. And never will be. Humans created God in their own image.
  4. With all due respect, the supposed “nuance" does not explain away the stats in those tables. That data is not same random snapshot of idiocy in America. Richard Hostadter wrote about anti-intellectualism in the 1960s. Carl Sagan warned us of anti-science, pseudoscience, and rising stupidity in the 1990s. Since then, there have many books documenting various aspects of the growth of overall idiocy in America. Pseudoscience, anti-intellectualism, and overall idiocy in America has been an interest of mine going back to 1990s. I’ve read the top row of books and Hofstadter. I found the others (and many more) in 5 minutes in Amazon. Now these people are one election away from installing an idiot world dictatorship — led by a orange fascist lunatic, convicted felon, serial liar, misogynous, reality-TV star. So much for "nuance."
  5. I'm surprised that anyone here is surprised at the levels of idiocy in America, MAGA, and GQP. — These two tables are from 2016 and 2018. I’ll say it again …. our traditional secular public school/education systems are utterly overwhelmed …. by conspiracy, paranormal, anti-science idiocy spewing from TV, Hollywood, Sunday School, and throughout social media. The idiocy is no longer fringe dudes. The idiocy is now mainstream America.
  6. Spot on. It’s pretty much the same way the Christians/Capitalists treated Native Americans. — Say one thing to their face, then lie, insult, intimidate, and dehumanize … right to their face … then cynically agree to treaties … brazenly ignore/break the treaties with zero ethical concerns … all while perpetuating a puritanical genocide/ethnic cleansing program and seizing an entire continent. A bloodbath of terror and thievery, with near zero remorse. Colonize, conquer, cleanse, and convert those left alive to their Bible BS, while ruling them with an iron fist. And that’s the MAGA-GQP 2025 plan for America. — Colonize the government, police, military, education … conquer with violence any liberal or secular resistance … cleanse from society the brown people, abortion seekers, LGBTQIA, atheists, secular educators, leftists, and uncooperative journalists, celebs, scientists, and academics, etc. … convert those who agree to go along. Voila! A fascist theocracy. All celebrated by Christian America and Fox/OAN to be a Free Christian America … as ordained in the Bible … and expressed in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and First Amendment. And none of it is remotely true. Yet, it will be hardly contested as more than a mere policy issue by the media, Hollywood studios, university leaders, or corporate media. After all, the Capitalists need readers/viewers, filmgoers, tuition dollars, and customers/profits. And don't forget the tax breaks!
  7. The coming fascist theocracy has been a growing threat for decades … once the Christian Puritan Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, and Creationists began taking over the GOP with Reagan. Presidents Bush 1 and 2 contributed mightily with Supreme Court justices (Thomas, Roberts, Alito), denying facts, blatant lying, war crimes, along with W’s “faith-based” policies. Trump only made it obvious. Now the fascist theocracy is 100% crystal clear. Yet, it is treated in almost all the news media, especially the prestige media, as if is a mere legit policy difference with “Republicans” and Democrats. The US news media should be blaring in giant headlines: "A TRUMP VICTORY MEANS A VIOLENT FASCIST THEOCRACY" Yet, nothing like that is happening … or will ever happen … even as the trains are jam packed and rolling toward the Rio Grande. The media have played their role in normalizing fascism and theocracy — out of historical ignorance, American exceptionalism, for fear of pissing off Christian America and losing readers/viewers. Truth be damned and no matter the insanity, Christian America will never be seriously challenged by the media or any institution. And that will be the ultimate demise of democracy. Count on it.
  8. The idiots and evangelicals, for starters. There’s lots more. I guarantee you could go to a Trump-MAGA-GQP rally (or poll Trump voters) and find zillions who believe much on the following graphic.
  9. Trump, and his endless incoherent idiotic ramblings, are the perfect embodiment of the cognitive free fall afflicting 45-55% of American society. — For various reasons, the public education systems have not been successful with 150-170 million Americans. … Any success with these folks have been completely overrun by evangelicalism/creationism … social media … sports/celebrity worship … conspiracy theory spewing from Q, TV shows, and Hollywood films, etc. — And these narcissistic idiots think they’re smarter and more special than everyone else … and get very very angry when they learn otherwise. Hence their hatred for liberated women, LGBTQIA, immigrants, and many other groups. It’s been building for decades. I do not see how democracy survives this overall idiocy. This is the fertile breeding ground for fascism and theocracy.
  10. … your city is full of fascist and misogynous Christians who want to control the travel for American women, which is a great selling point for theocracy — which 45% of America wants and is building. Hell, seeing young women stopped, harassed, and arrested by police might be a boon for low budget Christian tourism to shit cities like Amarillo.
  11. That’s because the bullies are Christians and Christianity/religion get a free pass in America — from the Dems, media, academia, etc.
  12. I was also there that day. I just had a burger/chocolate shake at Mad Dog’s, followed by coffee at Les Amis — where two Leftist chicks were telling me about going to see Jackson. So I wandered over to see the action. Since I am claustrophobic and cannot stand being crammed in crowds of any kind, I decided to sit down on the steps on northwest edge (if I recall) of the Tower. Hardly anyone near me. I am sitting there, chilling out and thumbing through a book, when I glance to my right and here comes Jesse, striding toward me with 2-3 dudes. I don’t think it was more guys than that. We made eye contact, he nods his heads toward me in a friendly gesture and strode past. Of course, I nodded back. (Jackson and team can probably tell by my late new wave fashion sense I am obviously not some frat boy fascist.) I recall instantly picking up a vibe. Jackson was tall and had charisma and swagger. A very real swagger, likely earned from hard-won successes facing down racism …. not the bogus swagger posing that many politicians, CEOs, football coaches, and faux Alpha dogs try to have. I stood on outside edge of crowd to see/hear Jackson speak, and he exuded real charisma and confidence, unlike 99.9% of politicians back then or today. No wonder, Jackson soon had Brisket, the Leftist chicks, and the liberal crowd passionately and spontaneously cheering in mass. With the ineffable swagger/charisma delivering a liberal message, there was a rock concert energy pulsing through the speech and overall scene. TLDR: Brisket's Jesse Jackson moment was not just mass crowd behavior … it was also contingent on the speaker and the message.
  13. There’s no mystery as to why MAGA-GQP are bowing to Putin and Russia. After the collapse of the USSR … Putin/KGB and Russia switched from Team Marx to Team God … Team Commie to Team Christian … Team Proletariat to Team Billionaire-Oligarch … Team Internationalist to Team Nationalist. MAGA-GQP will always roll with Team God, Christian, Billionaire, Nationalist
  14. This is 100% correct. Turning on each other is a feature (not a bug) of fascist/totalitarian rule — be it Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China, or others. — Hitler had rivals killed, Nazis turned against each other, many were killed or executed, often after show trials. Hitler Youth ratted out parents and neighbors. … MAGA-GQP will have a rival killing, show trials, and something like "Trump Youth” or “Patriot Youth” or “Pure Ameriican Youth” … all only a matter of time. — The Commies turned on Trotsky, and many others. Every time there was a new Great Leader, there was a struggle for power, marginalizations of various insiders, some sent to Gulags, etc. — China had similar processes under communism, violent struggles for power or to be next to Great Leader (Mao), the intellectuals who supported the revolution were sent to work (and die) on collective farms, there was the Cultural Revolution and killing of millions to illustrate total power, etc. MAGA-GQP Christian Fascist America will have some variations on all this.
  15. Why on earth would I want to have a “real, healthy relationship” with a “Republican” or GQP-MAGA Bible-thumping Christian fascist? A patriotic, flag-waving, gun lover, Fox News watcher who: — wants to impose a violent theocracy on women — wants to marginalize LGBTQIA into the shadows — wants immigrants rounded up and tossed over the Rio Grande — who does not give one shit about the ongoing environmental destruction — who thinks Trump won the election. — does not care if school kids (or anyone else) are mowed down by deranged shooters — who cares more about tax breaks than human rights or healthy ecosystems — who believes a mythic creator of the universe has a special plan of eternal destiny for them and their “good people” on a tiny rock orbiting a flaming ball of hydrogen in a universe of 2 trillion galaxies. The hate, idiocy, and narcissism is endless. This does not mean I agree with Dems on everything, but I agree with R-GQP-MAGA on nothing. I have a made conscious effort — across 3 decades — to exclude Republicans, conservatives, frat boys, libertarians, MAGA-GQP … and any fucking aggys from my social network. My O&G brother is the only Republican/MAGA I speak with … and we agree to stay off politics. And my social life is a lot smoother and more pleasant for it.
  16. Damn right. Let me add. 1. Anyone who voted for Reagan (GOP union with Falwell, Evangelicals, explicit calls for ending abortion), Bush 1 (Thomas), Bush 2 (Roberts, Alito) has enabled the rise and legalization of this violent Christian theocracy. Been building for decades, long before Trump showed up. 2. The violence toward women has only begun. It is another layer of the “ultraviolence” (from A Clockwork Orange) in their gun policies, anti-vaxx stance, Jan 6 insurrection, and so on. Random violence and random death is the goal. The more random, unjust, illogical, and insane the coercion and violence, the easier for MAGA-GQP to terrify women and install the theocracy. All the Surly conservatives who loved Reagan and the Bushes. You helped enable this terror against women. Just f*cking own it.
  17. As I mentioned upthread, Daniel Bonevac was a hard-core conservative when I was at UT in late 1980s-early 1990s. He has done the natural evolution into a full-blown fascist and apparent patriarchal puritan theocrat. After all, he is a long-time supporter of Trump. That Bonevac and the other professor are suing so they can penalize young women seeking to exercise their human rights to reproductive care says it all about the “pro-life” cults. The goal of overturning Roe v Wade has absolutely nothing to do with the “pro-life” pseudoscience and propaganda. The goal of MAGA-GQP-Evangelicals and theocrats like Bonevac is to impose pain, punishment, humiliation, coercion, and violence against women. The MAGA-GQP-Evangelical goal is to literally dominate women and their sexual lives — with law, criminalization, and eventual violence. End of story. Fuck Bonevac and the other professor. It is insane that tenured profs at UT are ready forThe Handmaid’s Tale.
  18. What continually blows me away … about entrepreneurs and so-called “independents." Is they blindly believe the MAGA-GQP (formerly Republican) propaganda: to 100% cheerlead for unbridled capitalism and corporations …. which is a smoke screen so they can impose their “law and order” violent fascist theocracy. Always has been… decades in development. At least since Nixon and Reagan-Falwell. 98% of conservatives on this site are still blinded by the propaganda. MAGA-GQP keep Corporate America and business people largely on their team … and looking the other way …. with tax breaks and favorable policies, while raking in the huge donations to fund, build, and impose their fascist regime. — So they all bring up the same old “economic” issues: the “debt" … "my taxes” … immigrants "taking jobs” … or their favorite scary boogeyman: “socialism." — And there are the independents who complain about the status quo … when what they mostly want are lower taxes and less regulations. Meanwhile, we are millions of light years from socialism …. or the status quo … when MAGA-GQP is poised to overthrow democracy and install their 10 Commandment Reign of Terror. To not see that … to not see democracy itself is stake is … well … absolute willful denial.
  19. Here is my voting philosophy: I don’t give a shit about my taxes going up 10% … or getting a tax break … or whatever personal benefit. — When women are running for their lives to get reproductive care or face murder charges for abortion... — When brown people are being herded on trains for the Rio Grande… — When gun-loving racist psychopaths are shooting immigrants at the border, at schools, at Walmarts, etc... — When educators are threatened/fired/marginalized by Christians ready to impose 10 Commandment idiot world Bible school on the secular education systems across America… — When science, scientists, and doctors are under attack by the same idiot world MAGA-GQP. — When environmental regulations are being rolled back wholesale so corporations and polluters can destroy ecosystems and usher in an extinction event. — When MAGA-GQP is a violent hateful cult with a 100% fascist-theocratic blueprint called Project 2025. Any one of those above will have me voting for an old Biden … every fucking time.
  20. These are the stakes in November: The continuation of imperfect American democracy with a moderate Democrat president …. vs …. A violent fascist Christian theocracy, led by a malignant narcissist perpetually lying conman felon wannabe dictator …. ready to impose a cult-backed regime of terror upon women, immigrants, people of color, educators, doctors, scientists, non-believers, and a growing list of others. If zillions of Surly posters can’t see that, then y'all are fucking blind… and … I can only conclude … willfully so.
  21. It’s no mystery why MAGA-GQP are best buddies with Putin and Russia. After the collapse of communism, Putin and Russia switched from Team Marx to Team God, Team Commie to Team Christian, Team Internationalist to Team Nationalist. GQP and Republicans will always … and I mean always …. roll with Team God, Christian, Nationalist … especially when it is White Nationalist.
  22. When I was at UT in the late 80s-early 90s, Bonevac was a hard-core conservative and very outspoken on campus. Now I can see he has fully evolved into a fascist, patriarch, enabler of MAGA’s Christian theocracy … and now actively seeking to penalize young women at UT exercising their reproductive rights in seeking an abortion. Fuck that malicious asshole. Friends, we must realize MAGA-fascists-theocrats are in high levels of power at UT, orchestrated the SEC move, are making inroads across the campus. And UT was gone fully Aggy in its love for the SEC SEC SEC Confederate Conference. With campus events being broadcast on the SEC network. Lighting up the Tower with “SEC.” In effect, UT is doing a campus-wide celebration for joining the 21st century confederacy! Symbolically and politically, this is way bigger than “football." What a fucking disgrace. Makes me sick to see this. Fuck anyone who engineered or loves this shit. https://texassports.com/news/2024/5/29/ut-and-texas-athletics-to-host-all-day-sec-celebration-on-june-30.aspx
  23. So you’ve been a Christian fascist and theocrat since college. My great uncle (and thousands of American GIs) kicked the ass of tough guy fascists like you up the coast of Italy to Rome. Your great uncle or granddad might have, too. Your band of idiot world tough guys might well win in November. Enjoy licking the CR tears. I fear for women, people of color, LGBTQIA, educators, doctors, scientists, and many others in your Christian fascist hellscape. But just remember Trump/Buchanan are no different and no better than Mussolini …. and you are no different and no better than any of Mussolini’s bootlicking fascists … and … sooner or later … your gang will eventually meet the same fate as those in Italy. History is quite fond of repeating itself.
  24. Wow. Peyton takes out Daria 7-5, 6-2 Third round: plays winner of Azarenlka v. Andreeva. That’s a winnable match for Peyton. An NCAA Champ Longhorn in Round 3 of Roland Garros is damn cool! Hook’em Peyton.
  25. I'm not clutching any pearls … I think you need to look to June Cleaver for that, Beav. I first quoted DeNiro'a own words to the heckler: “I don’t know what to do with you.” — By DeNiro’s own admission, he did not know what to say. All that’s left is “gangster” and "fuck you.” — Like I also said, that’s a low bar for political counter arguments. Better than nothing, it seems. I guess that supposed “NY" tough talk impresses peeps and grandpas living in the Texas burbs. — For the last 25+ years, my career has me smack in the middle of the urban downtown section of a massive multi-ethnic city (not in Texas) and someone saying “You’re a Gangster” is very much a compliment, as remarked by the poster above. Hell, I have had millennials call me “OG" (Original Gangsta) as a compliment during intellectual discussions.We laugh about it! In the big city, “gangster” ain't a giant take down, even though DeNiro meant it that way. — And, yes, those two movies do glorify gangsters, even though the producers/directors will say the films don’t. As taught in any film school, there are multilevel or multilayered readings of films. That’s why people love films for various reasons. Up your film game dude. — I’m out on this discussion. Apparently, we can’t criticize or analyze a beloved film icon’s statement using his own words. As for Trump-MAGA-GQP, we’re dealing with a Christian fascist theocratic takeover of democratic secular society. That’s a fact. “Gangster” and “fuck you” ain’t gonna cut it. If that’s calling out “Republican Bullshit,” then we are indeed screwed!
×
×
  • Create New...