I’ve been working on this video for months and, unfortunately, in the past week, events in the U.S. have proved just why it’s so important to tell these stories. Every day, it’s becoming more dangerous to be a queer person in this world despite the fact that our modern culture is fundamentally shaped by the queer trailblazers in the past. -Polyphonic

Oops this turned into a semi rant. But I am legitimately open to discussion here, and am curious to get your thoughts on a few points Bob. That is, IF you're willing to actually think about them beyond the level of repeating talking points.

I find it interesting how divergent the two overall "sides" are in this country, in terms of where they focus. None of the issues brought up in this video are really on the radar of most progressives, beyond being aware some on the right are talking about them. And I'm guessing a lot of the concerns progressives discuss rarely come up in your chosen media landscape. A lot of the issues in the video are largely off of my radar, and I have to wonder how you feel they should be addressed - like, actual proposed solutions rather than just complaining about / worrying about them.

We only dedicate one day to remember our fallen soldiers

How many should there be? Arguably we have more than one already: there's Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and it seems that Sept 11th is often used for the purpose as well.

I'd argue we should spend more time acknowledging and understanding the principals behind WHY our soldiers died in the various conflicts which caused them to fall in the first place. Let's make sure our citizenry appreciates what we collectively rejected in the Revolutionary war. Why it was important that we kept the country together rather than allowing the south to split off in the mid-1800s. Why we chose to honor our diplomatic agreements and support our allies in WW1. Why we fought against the countries and governments we did in WW2. What our goals were in Korea and Vietnam, and what lessons we learned from those conflicts and from the Cold War in general. Commemorating and remembering those we've lost absolutely matters, but if we're ONLY doing that while forgetting why they fought OR ignoring what we learned then we're doing them an equal or greater disservice. Remember that America was built on the idea of forming "a more perfect union" - not a perfect one, a MORE perfect one - a work in progress. We're striving towards an ideal, not assuming we're already there. Learning from our past successes, failures, and our struggles around both outcomes is vital. If our self-analysis is no deeper than hero worship we'll never make real progress towards that theoretical perfect union.

The only mask that's gonna save us is duct tape on their mouths

Yeah, sound medical advice and evidence-based science is terrifying. Better to shut up those whose words we dislike, because we're reactionary authoritarian babymen. I truly do not understand being more afraid of reasonable safety measures than of a virus which has been shown to cause serious harm in the short and long terms. The only reason this "masks = liberal / maskless = conservative" crap came about is because politics has devolved to the level of team sports in the US, and one party has chosen "the opposite of whatever our political opponents say" as their entire governing philosophy. (And yes, ONE party - research and understand the GOP's 2020 platform if you want to argue the point.) This video even seems to reach a reasonable conclusion at the end, while coming up just short of that final logical leap to "maybe I should question what the public faces of MY side have been claiming in this Us vs Them madness." Seriously - keep going friend, you're almost there! George Washington was 100% right in wanting to avoid political parties being a force in the US, and it makes me immensely sad that his fears came true.

Big oil runs the world / the only wars to get fought are with the countries who have natural resources they want

Solid point here, no sarcasm. The US military has long been a tool of our profit-driven form of "free market" imperialism. A really great way to combat this, specifically with an eye to ending Big Oil's goddamn death grip on our foreign policy goals, would be an aggressive implementation of renewable energy projects. Remember the space race? America can be an absolute beast at clever engineering solutions when we dedicate ourselves to it. Fuck the petrostates, we have the available land and resources to absolutely kick ass in the realms of solar and wind power, and be leaders in the the post-hydrocarbon reality. We can certainly agree on that, right Bob? Left / Right nonsense fully aside, I think any reasonable American can agree on at least two points: let's stop sending heaps of cash to buy oil off of the Saudis (etc), and Fuck Cancer.

But if a white man acts too white he's white trash / he's a racist he's a bigot he's a monster

What the fuck is this horseshit? What does "acting too white" even fucking look like? Watching NASCAR on a sailboat while listening to polka? Typically when I see racism from white people it's in the form of denying that brown-hued people deal with any additional difficulties in life due to their skin tone, or denying that there have been structural obstacles for them through history, or lamenting that their white children are being burdened with a broader lens on culture or with (gasp! shock!) an accurate accounting of actual US history, including the ugly bits that we shouldn't be proud of (but MUST learn from). I'm progressive / lefty as fuck and there is no aspect of "white culture" or "acting white" which upsets me in the slightest. UNLESS one counts "denying racism exists / has ever existed" as a fundamental value of being white. Which... why would anyone want to claim that nonsense? If you want to listen to classic country music in a rusty pickup truck while driving to an evangelical church, then discuss hockey over Buds after 18 holes with the rest of your tractor pull team, then absolutely go nuts my fellow caucusoid! Just recognize and understand that your life experiences may not be the same as those of others. Further, if we care about trying to avoid unnecessary, avoidable unfairness in life (recognizing that life will never truly be fair, for anyone), then it might be reasonable for some governmental / legal / structural recognition in furtherance of that notion. There is absolutely room for legitimate policy disagreement here without being accused of racism. It's denial of others' reality which tends to garner the label of racist (sexist etc) - steer clear of denying the lived experiences of other people, allow for the possibility they may have encountered difficulties you haven't / won't, and we've room for further discussion.

Edit / final point: I voted the video back up to 0 from the -1 where I found it. Because while I disagree with a lot of the positions taken by the performer, they may have reached them through no fault of their own and with no true malice. Misinformation / disinformation is a devious shit of a motherfucker, and the rot it causes can run deep. It is painful to abandon deeply-held beliefs, on a fundamental level. If nothing else, the video gives us room to discuss some specific viewpoints held by people who think of themselves as good, but which can lead to harm.

Taking that video at face value (as I don't have the time or expertise to evaluate it factually) that's so extraordinarily interesting tat it deserves an instant *promote.

In particular, it gives better explanations of of America's disgraceful treatment of Cuba, and the the environmentally terrible practice of fracking than I've ever seen, let alone from a single source.

Not only that, it's also demonstrated the value of a few practices I've personally seen in Russia (and read about elsewhere), such as the move from globalisation to self-sufficiency, and the value of control of boundaries/borders, regardless of the short-term and local impact.

What it doesn't go into is the American push to control the cultural narrative globally, particularly in the western hemisphere, but that's more a consequence of their supremacy in other areas, and doesn't depend on geography. i.e. while I ramble about further aspects, the video stayed expertly on topic. Bravo.

To be fair... he's invested most of his life to politics, probably under the assumption that he'd be able to make life better for those he represents. Then his choice of party took a hard right turn and developed a culture of "toe the line or you're out", and he chose the former, possibly with the best of intentions, or possibly just by default.

I don't know about Rep. Collins in particular, but I can imagine there are many stories like this. None of this excuses the damage they've done, including the fact that everyone who follows makes it harder for others to dissent, but I do hopethat this is the case, and that more and more of them see the impact of their decisions and speak out for what's actually right.

Don't need to add the "sarcasm" check though. You, no, WE better mean every word of it.

I had a raging LMAO moment reading what BS that Hungary's Viktor Orban's said at Dallas' CPAC yesterday: "A Christian politician cannot be racist."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62431415

Right.... it's exactly racists, far-right fanatics like these people that organized religions of any significant size should be eliminated in the eye of a decent person, reglious or not.

Even though the current Pope Francis (very progessive for a Catholic) recently came up here in Canada for a “penitential pilgrimage” to say "sorries" to the natives that were forced into boarding schools for decades that tried to erase their history, culture, language, ripping children away from their parents by force and caused thousands upon thousands of unrecorded deaths, his actions & tangible response for reparation & restoration amounted to very little. He didn't have the courage to call it a genocide in public, but caught saying so in a hot mic in his plane ride back to Italy... NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

I'm no different from everyone on earth. If I'm a Creator, then everyone has the same right to be a Creator.

See, although I'm a Christian - which I define as agreeing and following Jesus' vision and work. All those non-scientific Old Testament, New Testament resurrection, Heaven & Hell, post-death promises stuff I leave it as Faith. I don't classify a baptised church-goer as Christian.... CIt's stupid taking in the Bible in strict literal sense. So many contradictions, the truth is the Bible was oral history passed down to generations of ancient writers, made inconsistent by translations and interpretations and other cultural & historical factors. A sensible person that can think criticially need to understand the backgrounds and intent. Don't be lazy and don't buy wholly into words coming out of pastors' mouths. You have people with lots of personal, ulterior motives to call themselves Christians. I don't buy any of those crap... nor care for any association with those people. Again, gotta pass the smell test.

Ever consider they are reacting to how they’ve seen police act in their communities, they see police as aggressive bad guys because they act that way? No, you jump to the racist, black people can’t raise their children trope.

“ We are practically a different species at this point.” “ No practically about it. And it was always that way.”
“ There's a N' problem”. “ And no one can say out loud because it's considered racist.”
“ "human"”. “Human (laughing crying emoji)”
“ It’s not the culture man, if it were culture there would be some difference in how they turn out in different parts of the world. From the uk to the USA to Australia to Africa it’s always the same story”
“ There’s a “I have too many kids and I don’t raise them” problem in the USA.”
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I don't claim to know. But for every Clarence Thomas, Walter Williams, or Thomas Sowell, there are 20,000 George Floyds or Austin Simons.”
“ If you think this is bad you should see how they talk to females.”

Or to you, “no raciest statements “…
…but you don’t think saying “I'm baffeled as to why people insist these creatures can live on equal terms with humans.” When you’re talking about black people is racist, just “iffy”.

I don’t blind myself to racism, you drape yourself in it and deny it exists.

Oh Bob. Another cry for help? More “I’m rubber, you’re glue”? Really, friend. It’s ok to seek psychiatric support. I know it’s terrifying your reality is crumbling and you’re realizing you supported a fascist traitor to America, and that everything you believed for 6 years is nonsense at best…but there’s help.

You are 100% insane and intentionally ignorant.
The court has been majority conservative since the 70’s, it’s now 6-3 conservative and you claim to believe it’s still liberal, just one conservative decision came out. So delusional bob.

Yeah, no one had any issues with the 100% liberal decisions from the liberal Supreme Court…like Citizens United.
Just. So. Ignorant. And. Dumb. Bob.

The right has regressed hard fought freedoms and rights by 50 years. The free world is aghast at what the symbol of freedom and liberty became over such a short 5 year stretch thanks to our core being decimated by magats.

Your ignorance knows no bounds, comrade. No American is so clueless that they think the court JUST became conservative.

Children aren’t in wombs, you brainless slug.

And wow, you are so bat shit crazy you actually go after comedians doing a comedy show for telling jokes. I know they don’t do that in con comedy, but REAL comedy has jokes, not just vitriolic hateful verbal assaults against common enemies. You might try it some time.

So, no college makes a person uneducated and dumb….no high school must make them moronic, like your dear old dad, grandpa, and from your grammar, math, science, and history skills, you too despite your claim, and let’s not forget Boebert. No intelligent thought between the four of you. Didn’t think we wouldn’t remember how proud you are of your ignorant uneducated ancestors, the long family history of people that didn’t finish high school? Considering your abilities, and how easy you are duped into believing nonsensical lies with no facts or logic to them, I wouldn’t be surprised to find you didn’t graduate 8th grade. Wait…is your real name “Hershel”?

No intelligent thought. Hasn’t been an intelligent thought from you since you signed up here, Bob. Just regurgitation of blatantly false propaganda and infantile preschooler insults and whining. Lots of your lies being debunked which you answer by simply telling more lies hoping people didn’t notice you were just thoroughly debunked with corroborated facts and called out as the moronic liar you are for the 972nd time.

PS- way to try posting your discarded idiotic fact free propaganda in comments. Lucky you comments don’t get discarded for negative votes or you would have only about a dozen left from your unpopular and largely unwanted time here….silly little troll.

I suppose you agree that mean man shot Rudy in the back with his invisible gun, right? Almost tackled him, but Rudy is so strong he maintained his balance. Never a true word from Republicans, every syllable you utter is false. If you guys got your wish, a culture like 70’s Saudi Arabia where only white men have power and everyone else is subservient, it wouldn’t make you happy because you would all be begging on the streets with no hands or tongue, because they cut off your hands for stealing and your tongues for lying in that culture.

Odd, then why is he still revered by the left today? His message and inappropriateness hasn’t changed because he’s dead.

🤦‍♂️

Regan would be cancelled by the catatonic right, he’s not racist or vindictive or anti America enough for the Trumpist crowd and their cancel culture.

I considered writing it that way, but there are a few cultures where knowledge and discernment are important and I didn’t want to insult them by inclusion.

Not the same at all. Confederate flag bearers are wanting to return to a racist culture where one group has total control over all other groups. Anti Zionists do deny Israel’s right to exist, but (at least in my case) not one bit based on the race or religion of those who live there (now), but based 100% on how those illegal aliens took a country by force from its occupants, with our unbridled support, committed a genocide that continues today, and claims to be the victim every time a few rocks get thrown and they “have to” retaliate by destroying a few inhabited city blocks in the mass prison ghetto they have made of Palestine.

The multiple parallels to the Nazis treatment of Jews is insane.

it was rough in a comedy sense. he might as well have made a "my wife is always nagging" joke. even if you hate trans people, it wasn't a clever joke. and honestly, comedians using "woke culture" and trans people as jumping off points is so fucking boring. they've rarely added anything to the conversation are rarely funny. it's unfortunate that a lot of my favourite comedians are still doing those kinds of bits.

Growing up I lived with an amish family for 2 summers. As a city kid it was one of the first times I experience culture shock. They have their own way. Time and time again they have demonstrated they are willing to die in order to keep doing things their way.

“The unborn” are a convenient group of people to advocate for. They never make demands of you; they are morally uncomplicated, unlike the incarcerated, addicted, or the chronically poor; they don’t resent your condescension or complain that you are not politically correct; unlike widows, they don’t ask you to question patriarchy; unlike orphans, they don’t need money, education, or childcare; unlike aliens, they don’t bring all that racial, cultural, and religious baggage that you dislike; they allow you to feel good about yourself without any work at creating or maintaining relationships; and when they are born, you can forget about them, because they cease to be unborn. It’s almost as if, by being born, they have died to you. You can love the unborn and advocate for them without substantially challenging your own wealth, power, or privilege, without re-imagining social structures, apologizing, or making reparations to anyone. They are, in short, the perfect people to love if you want to claim you love Jesus but actually dislike people who breathe.

Prisoners? Immigrants? The sick? The poor? Widows? Orphans? All the groups that are specifically mentioned in the Bible? They all get thrown under the bus for the unborn."

- Pastor Dave Barnhart at Saint Junia United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama

Definition of sanctimonious
1: hypocritically pious or devout

other considerations;
https://www.vasectomy.com/article/vasectomy/procedure/no-needle-vasectomy or even https://www.parsemus.org/humanhealth/vasalgel/

https://youtu.be/25JyC5Whhvc

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/05/ben-franklin-american-instructor-textbook-abortion-recipe.html

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-americans-really-think-about-abortion/

remember the cute "my body my choice" covid 19 zinger?

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7047e1.htm#:~:text=Pregnant%20women%20are%20at%20increased,1%E2%80%933)

folks like yourself weren't against late, late term abortions. i.e. grandma/pa

also a DYK https://dirtysexyhistory.com/2016/07/28/ancient-birth-control-silphium-and-the-origin-of-the-heart-shape/

Holy shit sticks! We're all numb to the nazi Germany comparison being thrown around during arguments.

But the fact is, a description of the social and cultural state at the time of the rise of the nazi movement by a man WHO WAS THERE and fought against it....is identical to what's happening with maga/fox. Trump literally IS a new age, American, Hitler, and Bob and his ilk, the modern brownshirts.

Neo nazis are just niche bigoted haters, but the maga crowd are the literal successors of the historical nazis with the power to actually destroy our society.

In Hong Kong (where I was born), a majority of seniors are reluctant to vaccinate even amid its deadliest 5th wave of Covid (blame anti-government sentiment, doctors ruling against vaccinating seniors & sensational media fear-mongering of rare vaccine side-effects over logical thinking, facts & mathematical probability) brought me to think that many of them have a death wish anyway. It's kind of a cultural thing.