A Few Bad App llll llll llll llll es

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Thursday June 11, 2020 · 2:59 AM PDT

2020/06/11 · 02:59

On February 19th 2020 a domestic terrorist killed 13 people in Hanau, Germany — nine of them in two different shisha bars for obviously racist reasons. Quite ‘naturally’ it turned out to be an “Einzelfall” — i.e. a singular case or a ‘lone wolf’ with not obvious connection to Nazi or other rightwing ideology.

The picture here was taken at one of the demonstrations that followed the incident — and it sums up quite nicely the fact that there sure are really a whole lot of singular cases.

The last couple of days, I was reminded of that photo.

It’s just a few bad app llll llll llll llll llll llll llll es out there...

Maybe someone might use that in one of your protests here — or even figure out, whether there is a Unicode sign or a font that contains those fiver-groups.

It's 'Conspiracy Myth' not '-theory'.

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Saturday May 23, 2020 · 11:45 PM PDT

2020/05/23 · 23:45

Cory Doctorow had an interview in German ZEIT Online on conspiracies in times of the coronavirus crises (no English version that I know of, try some online translation if interested).

Since I’m obviously too dumb to figure out how to reach him directly, I have to resort to give you guys a heads-up.

There’s a nice tendency in German online media to talk about Conspiracy Myths and no longer of -theories, which is long overdue in my mind.

It’s Conspiracy Myth not -theory!

A theory is subject to logic and falsification.

Both of which is manifestly not the case with all the assorted gunk of chem trails, lizard overlords, birtherism, anti-vaxxers — and any of Donald Trumps hissy fits when reacting to inconvenient truths

Don’t elevate nonsense by using the wrong language!

Now I realize that “Verschwörungsmythen” rolls off the tongue in German a bit more easily that conspiracy myths in English. But I’d venture to ask you to give it a try.

At the very least — call it anything but ‘-theory’.

They are conspiracy myths.

Democracy at the Tipping Point

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Tuesday February 07, 2017 · 12:46 PM PST

2017/02/07 · 12:46

Nothing more than a heads up to a commentary at DER SPIEGEL (...don’t panic — it’s in English):

Democracy at the Tipping Point

Ultimately, indifference is deadly. The apathy. The feeling of impotence. And the idle silence that follows. People, including journalists, start thinking they can't do anything anyway. That proved to be the case in Turkey and Hungary and it has long been the situation in Russia and China as well. Will it also happen in the United States?

…

Meanwhile, some media continue day-dreaming and thus become even more obsessive about labeling any person warning against the threat as hysterical.

...

What, after all, should we be waiting for?

For Trump to show that he means business? He's already doing that. For him to start his first war?

For the U.S. to fade away, for its people to put up with Trump and to allow a process to start that will ultimately become irreversible?

[...] Donald Trump despises and threatens liberal democracy, he despises and threatens the world order and he is the most powerful man on the planet. The emergency is already upon us.

It seemed absurd just months ago that America would be facing a re-enactment of Germany some 80 years ago.

The narcissist in power. The propagandist having his ear. The secretary of education that puts faith above science. And so on…

Somewhere near the beaches of Normandie, thousands of American soldiers must weep in their graves...

Putin's 'Moonshot Project' named Trump...

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Saturday October 22, 2016 · 2:52 AM PDT

2016/10/22 · 02:52

"...so what if we'd did this in America, too?!"

You think that ‘disruptive thinking’ is exclusive to Silicon Valley nerds and entrepreneurs?!

That ‘moonshot projects’ are the exclusive arena of guys like Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin or Mark Zuckerberg?!

Think again.

What if Vladimir Putin had decided that his efforts to disrupt Georgia, the Ukraine and Hungary, to destabilize the EU and ultimately get back his old Warsaw Pact allies (lackeys) under the reign of Russia again, had been successful so far and it was time for the next step?

What if Putin had decided that it was time for his own moonshot project?

To go big and aim for the ‘unthinkable’ and ‘impossible’ — and to try to destabilize the United States of America itself so that it couldn’t and wouldn’t interfere with his plans in Europe?

And Donald Trump was the vessel for going about and implement the plan?

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Friday October 07, 2016 · 11:57 PM PDT

2016/10/07 · 23:57

The slow-mo implosion of Donald Trump seems to have switched into real-time mode.

A reason to celebrate for democrats … or is it?

What if (and that’s a big IF) Donald Trump really should decide or be pushed to resign as the Republican nominee — and the RNC selected Mike Pence or Ted Cruz as the nominee?

Would that be any reason to celebrate? Would that even be possible?

If you’d argue with “early voting already has begun”, would that rule out a concerted effort of Republicans to unite behind one write-in candidate? Them trying to revoke all the Hillary-Endorsements of Republicans and conservative Newspapers in the last few weeks? The media eager to feed a last-minute surge of hope among conservatives. Conservative voters taking a deep breath and polls showing them eager to vote for anybody but Trump and Clinton? Hillary suddenly painted to be on a losing-streak?

I wonder, whether that might be an implosion too early.

Jews deported from Minneapolis?

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Friday March 28, 2014 · 8:34 AM PDT

2014/03/28 · 08:34

No - and apologies for the flashy headline.

But a heart 'thank you!' to the folks in Minneapolis who shamed a Nazi-themed party by re-enacting the deportation of jews before the restaurant.

Protest at Gasthof restaurant over Nazi-themed party

A small group of people staged a silent protest Wednesday for the victims of the Holocaust outside Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit, a German restaurant in northeast Minneapolis that recently hosted a Nazi-themed party.
Some of the protesters carried sacks. Some carried suitcases. All wore a triangle or yellow Star of David, symbols that Germans forced Jews and other targeted groups to wear in occupied countries.

I found a quote of the less than lame 'explanation' from the organizer of the party only in the German article, which brought my attention to it

Protest in Minneapolis: Mit Judensternen gegen die Nazi-Party

Der Veranstalter des makabren Events, Scott Steben, sagte einem Stadtmagazin, mit der Party hätten sie nicht das Dritte Reich verherrlichen wollen. Sie sei eine Übung für Schauspieler gewesen, die historische Rollen spielen. Er selbst habe ein paar Mal einen deutschen Soldaten dargestellt.
--

The organizer of the macabre event, Scott Steben, told a local magazine that the party was not meant to glorify the Third Reich. Instead it had been an exercise for actors, who play historic roles. He himself would have portrayed a German soldier several times.

Why is it, that those folks just can't own up to their crap?!

Again - thank you to the folks in front of the restaurant for that creative and impressive answer of civility.

Most underrated Biden quote: "…where we promote the private sector, not the privileged sector"

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Sunday September 09, 2012 · 11:16 AM PDT

2012/09/09 · 11:16

Towards the end of his brilliant speech, Joe Biden just buried the conservative talking-points of how only they understood, and stood for, the private sector:

…A future, where we promote the private sector not the privileged sector"

And boom - the 'private sector' was reclaimed as the place for ordinary and responsible citizens to find their opportunities, pursue their dreams, co-operate with others, move to, or stay in, the middle-class with others celebrate their success with others. The 'private sector' is now again squarely part of the "we're in this together" society, which was so masterfully laid out during the convention

Purged are the ugly notions of greed, recklessness, enforcing your success at the expense of others, of "slamming the door shut behind you" - dumped into the bracket of the 'privileged sector' - a much better label than the "1%-ers", and something that will give a headache to some middle- to lower-income conservatives who now will feel a little misplaced and alienated, when they ask themselves whether they feel part of the 'privileged' ones.

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Saturday September 01, 2012 · 6:29 AM PDT

2012/09/01 · 06:29

Just imagine, that Joe Biden would take the stage in Charlotte, talking to an empty chair, and mocking the hell out of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. I know full well, that won't happen, but it sure would be a memorable moment - especially if a more talented writer took on to the task.

-------- Imaginery transcript from DNC in Charlotte --------------

BIDEN: Thank you. Thank you very much. Save a little for Barack.

(Applause)

[ Joe Biden looks at the empty chair ]

BIDEN: Mitt, what were you thinking?!

(Laughter)

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Sunday June 08, 2008 · 9:27 AM PDT

2008/06/08 · 09:27

"Reason becomes unreason, abundance torment"
Goethe, Faust, Part I, Scene 4

It is only reasonable to look for a new approach when the old one was failing. And looking for new approaches the Clinton campaign did. It is only welcome when a politician shows an abundance of principle and resolve. And Hillary showed a wealth of toughness and spine, indeed.

Which they took then to the Faustian level, only to end up as a hotbed of unreason and as the torment of the Democratic primary season.

They were taken over and eaten up by the same "the ends justify the means"-mentality that has brought to you the Paul Weyrichs, Ralph Reids, Rush Limbaughs, Bill O'Reillys, Tom DeLays, Karl Roves, George W. Bushs und - ultimately - Dick Cheneys.

Which is why praising her efforts and making a legend of her candidacy in the end is a disservice to your nation. It lends credibility to, and makes a role-model of, a tactic that has so badly undermined political and public life. This is why I dare ask those of you, who still admire the toughness and defiance of her and her campaign, for some self-reflections below the fold... (and forgiveness for my harsh introductory words right on the spot)

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Sunday February 24, 2008 · 4:46 AM PST

2008/02/24 · 04:46

Frank Rich's column in the NYT may well have been a deadly blow to the Clinton campaign. Because here it is, out in the open:

Hillary Clinton's campaign proves the point of her opponent: Experience is nothing without judgement. Experience is worth nothing, when it stems from an era that's coming to an end.

She claimed she was ready on day one. But her campaign proves, that she was not ready for a primary challenge, she saw coming for over a year. She claims, that actions talks louder than words. But her campaign did not take the right actions and can offer no solutions to her.

They got it wrong. And they did it themselves.

More below the fold...

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Saturday February 23, 2008 · 1:24 AM PST

2008/02/23 · 01:24

Negative campaigning needs to accomplish two things:

The negative must to stick with the candidate
The voter must have a positive feeling after not buying into/breaking with the candidate

The second point is basically the reason, why the first point is so important: If the negative doesn't stick with the personality of the candidate, but spills out to the voters - well, it's not a good idea to insult the people, you want to actually reach.

That's why going negative on Dean or even Kerry did work. And why going negative on Obama just might not. Even if (or should I say "when") Republicans will join the fray in earnest.

More below the fold...

RandomGuyFromGermany

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Friday February 22, 2008 · 9:08 AM PST

2008/02/22 · 09:08

Now that the "plagiarism" thing has officially been booed off stage, and the "just words" meme just won't stick, we'll probably see the "lack of experience" meme be beaten to death over the course of the next months.

Just to spare that poor line such a prolonged and cruel fate, let's just finish it off swiftly and gracefully:

Experience doesn't matter. It's the judgment that makes good or bad decisions.

Experience without Judgement is failure bound to happen.

Donald Rumsfeld was an experienced Secretary of Defense. That didn't keep him from totally bungling his mission. Alberto Gonzales was an experienced attorny (ok, just let's assume for the moment). That didn't keep him from failing the American people. Hillary Clinton is an experienced politician. That didn't keep her from making bad decisions. [...complete this list in the comments].

So if someone yells "EXPERIENCE!" just counter with "Judgement?!"

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A Few Bad App llll llll llll llll es

It's 'Conspiracy Myth' not '-theory'.

Democracy at the Tipping Point

Putin's 'Moonshot Project' named Trump...

An Implosion Too Early?!

Jews deported from Minneapolis?

Most underrated Biden quote: "…where we promote the private sector, not the privileged sector"

Joe Biden talks to empty chair in Charlotte (Transcript)

Vernunft wird Unsinn, Wohlstand Plage (Goethe)

Your Campaign is in Trouble When You're Making the Point of Your Opponent

Why Negative won't work this time.

Which is Better - Experience or Judgement?