Post election prediction

[Shaggy Hiker]

Trump has stated that he's considering shipping US citizens off to foreign prisons. At what point do you not just get on the cattle car?

[TysonLPrice]

Trump has stated that he's considering shipping US citizens off to foreign prisons. At what point do you not just get on the cattle car?

I'm not ready to moove in that direction yet. Ill steer clear of it for now. But just to milk the puns I'll say I won't be corralled one way or the other. If you have a beef with that then I'll steak my reputation you miss the point.

[FunkyDexter]

It's such inhumane position to take. The lack of consideration of the peoples lives this effects is disgraceful. They've already admitted it was wrong, what's the point.

The point is intimidation. If anyone can be renditioned without legal cause and with no hope of redress, who the hell is going to criticise Trump?

Our home office has already issued a travel advisory for the USA. In particular - don't go there if you're LGBTQ. I never thought I'd see that in my lifetime.

Democrat voters call for violence

GOP voters spent the last 8 years doing that... and following through.

[FunkyDexter]

I'm not ready to moove in that direction yet. Ill steer clear of it for now. But just to milk the puns I'll say I won't be corralled one way or the other. If you have a beef with that then I'll steak my reputation you miss the point.

I hope the weather's good over there because it's Friesian here. I had to put on a Jersey.

(It's actually a lovely day but a bit of dishonesty was worth it for the pun)

[Shaggy Hiker]

I hope the weather's good over there because it's Friesian here.

You're sounding a little horse, there.

[FunkyDexter]

Yeah, and it triggers the arthritis in my leg. Oooh my "po' knee".

[wes4dbt]

The point is intimidation. If anyone can be renditioned without legal cause and with no hope of redress, who the hell is going to criticise Trump?

They definitely have the attitude that they should be able to do what ever they want, if they call it "For the good of our country". That excuse and "In the name of God" has been the two leading justifications for inhumane acts for thousands of years. Though their actual reasons are usually quite different.

[Niya]

Democrat voters call for violence

Oh their hatred runs deeper than simple wanton violence:-
Warning: The rhetoric on display in this image, although anti-right in nature, is extremely hateful and may be intolerably offensive to some. Proceed at your own risk.
https://www.vbforums.com/images/ieimages/2025/04/2.jpeg

I wonder where we heard this kind of rhetoric before. Hmmm......

[wes4dbt]

Oh their hatred runs deeper than simple wanton violence:-

How do you know it was posted by a Democrat? How do you even know it was posted by a human?

It's not representative of Democrats or Republicans. Did you think it was? Or you think people don't know there is a lunatic fringe or mental illness. Maybe you don't think people know that there is hate speech on social media.

If not, then why did you post it.

[Niya]

It's not representative of Democrats or Republicans.

Are you being serious? This is a serious question. Who else on God's green Earth would even think to post something like that?

Also, if I were inclined to waste countless hours I could sit here all day and flood this thread with an endless array of pictures, posts, and videos of progressives and Democrats saying equally despicable things and many of them you will not doubt who they are because they will explicit tell you that they are liberals or Democrats. This kind of thing is extremely common on the left.

Naturally, I expect that you want to counter by saying "well Republicans and right-wingers do it too". Well, let me preempt this by telling you that I will not disagree with that, but I will instead point out that progressives sell themselves on the idea of them being people of tolerance, compassion, and champions of the downtrodden. If you're going to sell yourself as a saint, you will do yourself no favors by reciting rhetoric that evokes images of the barbarity committed by that famous moustached villain.

[wes4dbt]

Are you being serious? This is a serious question. Who else on God's green Earth would even think to post something like that?

That's easy. Anyone who wants to play to people like you. Or someone out of touch with reality.

This kind of thing is extremely common on the left.

You really don't have much first hand knowledge the American people do you? I've lived here over 71yrs and never heard anyone make such a statement. It's not a representative statement.

Naturally, I expect that you want to counter by saying "well Republicans and right-wingers do it too".

Wrong again. I just stated in my late post it's not representative of Democrats or Republicans.

In your case I'll put it terms of database programming. Garbage In = Garbage Out.

[TysonLPrice]

Oh their hatred runs deeper than simple wanton violence:-
Warning: The rhetoric on display in this image, although anti-right in nature, is extremely hateful and may be intolerably offensive to some. Proceed at your own risk.
https://www.vbforums.com/images/ieimages/2025/04/2.jpeg

I wonder where we heard this kind of rhetoric before. Hmmm......

I forget...did I ever welcome you back from your ban

[Peter Porter]

Removed

[Niya]

I've lived here over 71yrs and never heard anyone make such a statement.

Oh wow. I wish I had known this before, I wouldn't have bothered wasting my time arguing with you. We're way too far apart in age for us to ever be able to understand each other.

I'm not trying to be insulting so please don't take it that way. It's just that generational gaps that like this come with a communication barrier that is insurmountable. For example, there is no set of words I could ever choose to make my father's generation understand what my generation sees in rap music. Likewise, no set of words could ever make me understand how Gen Z could be so comfortable posting every mundane thing they do in their life on social media or why they love mumble rappers like NBA Youngboy. This is the natural progression of things.

I honestly thought we might have been closer in age. I've have tremendous respect for the elderly and the trials and tribulations they have survived and many of the things that they have seen. However, the truth is I live in a world that is incomprehensible to my father just as Gen Z lives in a world that is incomprehensible to me. I would never waste my time arguing with the elderly in the real world, so I shouldn't be doing it here. I should really be having these discussions with someone closer to my age.

Anyways, the elderly should be held in high regard regardless of whether anything they say makes a lick of sense to the younger generation. I apologize for this.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Oh wow. I wish I had known this before, I wouldn't have bothered wasting my time arguing with you. We're way too far apart in age for us to ever be able to understand each other.

I'm between the two of you in age, and I HAVE seen rhetoric like that on both sides...and regarding far less important things than politics, race, or religion, though it certainly exists for polarizing subjects as well. I would prefer that it not exist and that people not get so heated over these things, but they do. Also, when it comes to rhetoric, we do it quite casually.

One example was the Gabbie Giffords shooting. The Republicans had put out an add using a crosshairs on Democrats. They pulled that immediately following the shooting, but as it turns out, the shooting wasn't political. It was just a guy shooting up a place with a bunch of people, and she just happened to be there. The new American pastime, apparently. What it showed was that we use that rhetoric and symbiology casually, and seem shocked when somebody takes it literally, though in this case, it turned out they hadn't taken anything literally and may never have seen the ad.

A second example would be the Iranian, "death to America". It is my understanding that the phrase, "death to ...." is a casual curse of no great significance in that culture. It would kind of like me saying, "I hate beets." In fact, I don't HATE beets. I certainly don't spend any time stewing over the evil that beets bring to the world, I just choose to eat other things if I have any choice.

Most people have views that overlap enough that even someone who is fairly solidly right will have common cause on some issues with someone who is solidly left. We are making it increasingly hard to find that overlap, but that's largely because it's highly profitable to define an enemy and demonize them. People are making loads of money on the message, "THEY are out to get you." It has never been easier to do so than it is today.

Still, we should not forget that there are people who really do believe. That potential for violence really IS there. Right now, it's almost entirely on the right in the US, but it hasn't always been that way. A century ago, it was almost entirely on the left for some groups (politics and economic based), what would become the right for other groups (race based)...or the anarchistic center (politics based).

[wes4dbt]

Still, we should not forget that there are people who really do believe. That potential for violence really IS there. Right now, it's almost entirely on the right in the US, but it hasn't always been that way. A century ago, it was almost entirely on the left for some groups (politics and economic based), what would become the right for other groups (race based)...or the anarchistic center (politics based).

That's all true. The point I'm making is, though it exists it is not representative of the beliefs of the vast majority of Dems or Reps. Unfortunately, the fringe elements get a disproportionate amount of exposure in the media. Add that to the fact that the faceless, nameless and lack of accountability nature of social media provides a safe platform for people that like to spread views that wouldn't be acceptable in normal conversations, they tend to be prolific posters.

If you consider "X". Around 10% of the users provide 90+ % of the post. Less than 1/3 of the people here us X and the majority of their users are under 35. That creates an easy platform for a small group of people (small in the sense that there is 340million people here) to have a much larger presence.

[wes4dbt]

Oh wow. I wish I had known this before, I wouldn't have bothered wasting my time arguing with you. We're way too far apart in age for us to ever be able to understand each other.

I'm not trying to be insulting so please don't take it that way. It's just that generational gaps that like this come with a communication barrier that is insurmountable. For example, there is no set of words I could ever choose to make my father's generation understand what my generation sees in rap music. Likewise, no set of words could ever make me understand how Gen Z could be so comfortable posting every mundane thing they do in their life on social media or why they love mumble rappers like NBA Youngboy. This is the natural progression of things.

I honestly thought we might have been closer in age. I've have tremendous respect for the elderly and the trials and tribulations they have survived and many of the things that they have seen. However, the truth is I live in a world that is incomprehensible to my father just as Gen Z lives in a world that is incomprehensible to me. I would never waste my time arguing with the elderly in the real world, so I shouldn't be doing it here. I should really be having these discussions with someone closer to my age.

Anyways, the elderly should be held in high regard regardless of whether anything they say makes a lick of sense to the younger generation. I apologize for this.

That's funny.

[wes4dbt]

His followers clapped so hard when he made these promises,

“They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.”

“That is a war that’s dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president,”

But now here we are and reality has to be faced. So, he is back to one of his more go to excuses in recent days,

“Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that,”

And now Rubio has to say,

"We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not," Rubio told reporters upon departure. "Because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on."

I guess he was just being sarcastic when he made similar promises about the war in Gaza, lowering the cost of living, ..........

[dilettante]

So just how did the military-industrial complex drive useful idiots so far left?

Hmm...

What Trump REALLY Destroyed | The Dark Truth Behind USAID

[wes4dbt]

I just find this very funny. https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news...182203954.html

Her excuse for all that cash seems odd. I guess she doesn't use credit cards. Or maybe her credit is bad.

[wes4dbt]

No one else though that the head of Homeland Security getting robbed was funny. Maybe my parents were right. I am special.

[sapator]

I got a funnier.
And I hope it's a hoax:

Britain to approve £50m Sun-dimming experiments in bid to prevent runaway climate change
https://www.gbnews.com/science/scien...climate-change
https://x.com/Cyberspec1/status/1915...646385/photo/1

Also, what sunlight? I was there over and over and I only saw the sun once... It was Tuesday.

[Shaggy Hiker]

No one else though that the head of Homeland Security getting robbed was funny. Maybe my parents were right. I am special.

Anybody carrying that much cash makes me curious rather than amused.

In fact, it makes me even more curious: I almost never carry cash anymore for day to day living (I generally carry a bit hiking, because you never know what situation you find yourself in...bears charge, but they'd rather take cash). My father tends to carry cash, yet uses a credit card for most things.

Do people on here use cash much?

[Shaggy Hiker]

I got a funnier.
And I hope it's a hoax:

Britain to approve £50m Sun-dimming experiments in bid to prevent runaway climate change
https://www.gbnews.com/science/scien...climate-change
https://x.com/Cyberspec1/status/1915...646385/photo/1

Also, what sunlight? I was there over and over and I only saw the sun once... It was Tuesday.

Good dig there in the end.

I suspect it is not a hoax. That isn't enough money to do anything serious. I think we have probably blown more than that on cloud seeding. It's a pretty modest sum, especially if it is for a grant spread over some number of years. Therefore, I think it sounds like somebody doing some atmospheric research, but not on a scale that will do anything except possibly answer whatever local question they are asking.

Though to get back to your quip about sunny England, I went to Seattle around Christmas time for several years, and it was always clear an sunny. If you know anything about Seattle in the winter, you know that it has a reputation for near constant rain. Still, those first few trips it was always spectacular weather. I was thinking people were exaggerating. Since that time....it has reverted to the norm. I think it was false advertising.

[wes4dbt]

Do people on here use cash much?

Hardly ever. Credit cards are just so convenient. Plus you get the cash back perk.

[Niya]

I'm between the two of you in age, and I HAVE seen rhetoric like that on both sides...and regarding far less important things than politics, race, or religion, though it certainly exists for polarizing subjects as well.

Heh. My own father cannot grasp the concept of microtransactions and virtual economies. No matter how I explain to him, he dismisses it as a trivial thing, never truly understanding that there are billions of dollars behind it and it is a very real thing that near infinite earning potential if one learns how to harness it. He is stuck in the past where money is a physical thing used to obtain tangible objects and services. He simply cannot conceptualize anything beyond this.

In any case, the point is that arguing with old people is a waste of time. As we humans age, time slows down for us. It eventually stops and we find ourselves in a world we cannot fully comprehend and this is where effective communication breaks down between old and young people. At a wide enough age difference, we stop speaking the same language. There is no combination of words I could ever choose that would make my father understand how and why virtual economies work and why they are an important part of the modern world.

I never demanded anyone believe the things I believe but I've been arguing for years with some of you on these forums, most particularly west4dbt, FunkyDexter and Tyson and there was never a single time any of them ever understood anything I was saying. I kept trying to find ways to explain and it only made things worse. It lead to more conflicts, bans and deepening hatred and contempt toward me. It never occurred to me until wes mentioned his age that our inability to understand each other might be because of a massive age gap.

It was never a battle that needed to be fought. I would have never bothered had I suspected this. Old folks can teach us young folks a lot of things but there are some things that should just be left alone.

[sapator]

That is not entirely true as I say I stand to my roots and what old people thought about patriotism. But yes on the other hand I think stubbornness kicks in. You either become and axs or a saint
Also Funky is not that old.

For the weather. Sometimes you get lucky , the August I was in UK with the exception of mass hail storms I got a pretty 30ish if I recall weather and I remember the news talking of a "lucky" weather. Or it was sun experiments gone bad

[wes4dbt]

That isn't enough money to do anything serious.

I was thinking that seem like a very small amount for anything significant.

Though to get back to your quip about sunny England, I went to Seattle around Christmas time for several years, and it was always clear an sunny. If you know anything about Seattle in the winter, you know that it has a reputation for near constant rain. Still, those first few trips it was always spectacular weather. I was thinking people were exaggerating. Since that time....it has reverted to the norm. I think it was false advertising.

I took a boat tour while in Seattle and the guide was talking about the amount of rain they get being exaggerated and that it was actually less than other cities, she name several. The reason was it's usually just a mist or drizzle because of offshore islands getting most of it.

If your interested. https://www.currentresults.com/Weath...on-by-city.php

[dilettante]

[Niya]

That is not entirely true as I say I stand to my roots and what old people thought about patriotism.

Also Funky is not that old.

I am talking about communication, not beliefs. Also, at a fundamental level the problem isn't about age itself. It's really about how we frame the world relative to others. Age is just one dimension and the only dimension that is guaranteed to produce such distortions.

Take for example when I was Covid was fake. Shaggy thought I meant that I didn't believe the virus existed when I actually meant that the scaremongering behind it was unnecessary. However, when I heard similar phrasing from others, no one had to explain to me.

The problem was that me and Shaggy were operating with different mental models so when I said "Covid was fake", it meant something completely different to him than to me. Age differences only compound communication problems like this and excessively so.

[sapator]

No worries. I said fakevid, that probably confused all ages.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Heh. My own father cannot grasp the concept of microtransactions and virtual economies. No matter how I explain to him, he dismisses it as a trivial thing, never truly understanding that there are billions of dollars behind it and it is a very real thing that near infinite earning potential if one learns how to harness it. He is stuck in the past where money is a physical thing used to obtain tangible objects and services. He simply cannot conceptualize anything beyond this.

In any case, the point is that arguing with old people is a waste of time. As we humans age, time slows down for us. It eventually stops and we find ourselves in a world we cannot fully comprehend and this is where effective communication breaks down between old and young people. At a wide enough age difference, we stop speaking the same language. There is no combination of words I could ever choose that would make my father understand how and why virtual economies work and why they are an important part of the modern world.

I never demanded anyone believe the things I believe but I've been arguing for years with some of you on these forums, most particularly west4dbt, FunkyDexter and Tyson and there was never a single time any of them ever understood anything I was saying. I kept trying to find ways to explain and it only made things worse. It lead to more conflicts, bans and deepening hatred and contempt toward me. It never occurred to me until wes mentioned his age that our inability to understand each other might be because of a massive age gap.

It was never a battle that needed to be fought. I would have never bothered had I suspected this. Old folks can teach us young folks a lot of things but there are some things that should just be left alone.

My father is turning 90 this fall, and he's still one of the smartest people I know. I do think there are people who get left behind by technology that has moved on, but not everybody.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I took a boat tour while in Seattle and the guide was talking about the amount of rain they get being exaggerated and that it was actually less than other cities, she name several. The reason was it's usually just a mist or drizzle because of offshore islands getting most of it.

That's true. If you measure by inches of rain (or centimeters, if you will, but it's the US, so we won't...even though we should), it's not THAT much. If you want to get a view of a massive volcano looming over the city, it doesn't matter that the clouds are only spitting on you.

[Shaggy Hiker]

The problem was that me and Shaggy were operating with different mental models so when I said "Covid was fake", it meant something completely different to him than to me. Age differences only compound communication problems like this and excessively so.

Yeah, when you said "COVID was fake" you didn't mean "COVID was fake", you meant that the hype around COVID was overblown. I don't think you can blame it on mental models when you use one set of words but mean a very different set of words. That's more a Humpty Dumpty kind of thing, and that's old.

[FunkyDexter]

And I hope it's a hoax:

I wouldn't give much credence to anything you read on GB News. Despite the name they're not actually a News channel and don't have a press licence. They even lost their licence to broadcast on our airwaves and have been reduced to streaming only. Their entire business model is to misrepresent anything they can to create as much outrage as possible and drive engagement. Sometime their stories are exaggerated, sometimes they're just made up.

None the less, the story sounded interesting so I had a google for it. It only seems to be being reported by the right wing press which is a bit suss but there's probably something to it as some of the publications are at least credible.

From what I can gather they're financing research into putting particles in the air that would reflect some sunlight. It does sound far fetched but not entirely insane - in theory it could work. The important thing, though, is that it's not something they're actually undertaking, it's something they're researching to see if it would be effective and what possible side effects could be. I don't have a problem with that. Research is usually valuable even if it would probably go nowhere in the end.

[TysonLPrice]

I never demanded anyone believe the things I believe but I've been arguing for years with some of you on these forums, most particularly west4dbt, FunkyDexter and Tyson and there was never a single time any of them ever understood anything I was saying. I kept trying to find ways to explain and it only made things worse. It lead to more conflicts, bans and deepening hatred and contempt toward me. It never occurred to me until wes mentioned his age that our inability to understand each other might be because of a massive age gap.

Here is another possibility, our ages give us the experience to recognize your BS...

[FunkyDexter]

there was never a single time any of them ever understood anything I was saying

We understood it just fine. We disagreed with it.