2024 Election Discussion General

[Jodistrict]

9 minutes ago, Nemra said:

🥴

Who would want to trust a government with emotionally repressed and less available guys?

Trump is the only politician who clearly stated that he doesn't want anymore wars.  

[Raze]

57 minutes ago, Jodistrict said:

Did the manosphere help Trump get elected? 

Michael Sartain claimed YouTube employees told him that they got orders to start punishing manosphere content in the algorithm because of fears it brings minority men to the right. 

[Nemra]

23 minutes ago, Jodistrict said:

Trump is the only politician who clearly stated that he doesn't want anymore wars.  

A clock that doesn't work shows the correct time twice a day, and the arrows could be manually rotated at any moment by Trump.

Edited November 11 by Nemra

[zazen]

1 hour ago, What Am I said:

Sam Harris gave his analysis. He seems to fall heavily on the side I was talking about before, where he sees it as an opportunity for the left to self-reflect on where their own mistakes may have occurred. In my opinion, that's a wise method for regrouping.

@Joshe grabbing your attention on this one. Sam makes my case way better than I was able. What he's saying is what I was trying to convey. It's so interesting though, because in the second half he goes on to make all your points, lol.

 

Great share. It’s the tone deafness of the elites to emphasise marginal progressive politics whilst brushing aside the economic and political discontent of the many. All the while mocking them as culturally regressive and deeming the masculine essence that half of humanity carry as toxic and needing of reigning in.

They want to speech police, me too and cancel culture the masculine spirit into an effeminate obedience to a progressive utopia where pregnant men are as real as gravity, where they demand we address things in woke terminology like ‘chest feeding’ and ‘birthing person’. This is an insidious form of totalitarianism creeping in which many feel uneasy by and against which many believe (maybe wrongly) that Trump would the cure to. Especially with Vivek who wrote a book on it. They think a vote for Trump is a vote to de-wokify and stop us going down a slippery slope. The danger is in getting on the new slippery slope of facism.

Chris hedges has said that it’s not that the Democrats are the lesser evil but that they are the more effective evil. Probably because they have the institutional control and backing to influence the nation. Which is why the right has built around alt media.

 

[Husseinisdoingfine]

Donald Trump's granddaughter, Kai Trump.

 

[Raze]

1 hour ago, What Am I said:

Sam Harris gave his analysis. He seems to fall heavily on the side I was talking about before, where he sees it as an opportunity for the left to self-reflect on where their own mistakes may have occurred. In my opinion, that's a wise method for regrouping.

@Joshe grabbing your attention on this one. Sam makes my case way better than I was able. What he's saying is what I was trying to convey. It's so interesting though, because in the second half he goes on to make all your points, lol.

 

Lol, the campaign was literally exactly what Harris and co wanted. Neoliberalism, religious devotion to Israel, little to no wokeness in campaigning, focused almost entirely on criticizing Trump, and they had a BILLION dollars to do it and got completely demolished, and somehow he and others are acting like it is everyone else’s fault and vindicates them. 

Edited November 11 by Raze

[What Am I]

7 minutes ago, zazen said:

Great share. It’s the tone deafness of the elites to emphasise marginal progressive politics whilst brushing aside the economic and political discontent of the many. All the while mocking them as culturally regressive and deeming the masculine essence that half of humanity carry as toxic and needing of reigning in.

They want to speech police, me too and cancel culture the masculine spirit into an effeminate obedience to a progressive utopia where pregnant men are as real as gravity, where they demand we address things in woke terminology like ‘chest feeding’ and ‘birthing person’. This is an insidious form of totalitarianism creeping in which many feel uneasy by and against which many believe (maybe wrongly) that Trump would the cure to. Especially with Vivek who wrote a book on it. They think a vote for Trump is a vote to de-wokify and stop us going down a slippery slope. The danger is in getting on the new slippery slope of facism.

Chris hedges has said that it’s not that the Democrats are the lesser evil but that they are the more effective evil. Probably because they have the institutional control and backing to influence the nation. Which is why the right has built around alt media.

Right, I'm of this opinion as well. I just don't bring it up too often because I know it's not as obvious to many of the other forum members. There's a hidden rot in the institutions that's terrifyingly effective, and it remains difficult to notice due to its own powerful abilities of obscuration. So it's like you mentioned—similar to Trump in its danger but actually good at being covert. And with sophisticated plans that I simply don't agree with.

[Joshe]

1 hour ago, What Am I said:

@Joshe grabbing your attention on this one. Sam makes my case way better than I was able. What he's saying is what I was trying to convey. It's so interesting though, because in the second half he goes on to make all your points, lol.

Thanks, definitely will check it out and let you know my thoughts. He's a solid thinker. I usually agree with him. 

I'm all for EVERYONE doing introspection, learning, and growing, but most people don't do this, which is why the idea seems odd to me. Think about it. When team Trump lost in 2020, did anyone tell them they should reflect on their failures? LOL. It makes sense for the politicians to do a post-mortem for strategy, but still, as far as I remember, "reflect on what caused you to lose" was never a theme in 2020. 

It's almost an acknowledgment that the left is the side that is capable of taking the high road. Which I'm not so sure about. 

[zazen]

There’s a valid fixation on the hypothetical threat of Trump-Hitlerism which hasn’t fully manifest yet, whilst overlooking a real present threat that already exists - the establishment and its co opted ideological supporters of wokism / leftism / progressivism.

Unlike traditional authoritarianism, where power has a face and a name, inverted totalitarianism is diffuse, operating through institutions, bureaucracies, and corporate interests. It’s a system without a clear singular dictator, making it difficult to target or resist because it’s everywhere and nowhere at once.

The irony is that people worry about a potential authoritarian figure (Trump or others) who might seize direct control, while they live within a system that already exerts control in a quieter, more insidious way. This is a power structure that doesn’t rely on overt repression but instead on relentless distraction, disempowerment, and a slow erosion of public power through bureaucracy, corporatism, and media narratives. It gives the illusion of democratic choice and debate while keeping real levers of power out of reach.

For many, this manifests as a vague disillusionment, a feeling of helplessness as they navigate a society where their votes, voices, and values seem to have little impact. They may not easily identify what’s causing this alienation because it lacks a clear villain. But this faceless machine saps the very spirit of democracy while hiding behind it. It often even stokes fears of hypothetical threats, diverting attention away from its own systemic abuses.

Modern totalitarianism is invisible. The left believes that because they dress their actions in the language of inclusion and progress, they're immune to becoming the thing they claim to fight. We've seen this before: 20th century regimes draped in red flags also promised liberation and equality, but delivered the opposite. That was the conclusion, to insisting on inclusion for the greater good.

People fixate on hypothetical authoritarianism because it’s easy to identify, emotionally compelling, and, paradoxically, less frightening than facing the reality of an established system that has quietly, almost invisibly, restricted their freedom and influence. To recognize the machine for what it is would mean reckoning with an existential threat far more deeply embedded than a single leader or party could ever be.

The Democrats may not be facist, but they’re the more effective evil - Chris hedges : https://x.com/chrislynnhedges/status/1856032705198346742?s=46&t=DuLUbFRQFGpB8oo7PwRglQ

Edited November 11 by zazen

[PurpleTree]

20 minutes ago, Husseinisdoingfine said:

Donald Trump's granddaughter, Kai Trump.

 

Never seen her before. She seems cooler than most of the rest of the bunch like his sons and stuff. Obviously she loves her grandpa and all. 

[Joshe]

24 minutes ago, zazen said:

Chris hedges has said that it’s not that the Democrats are the lesser evil but that they are the more effective evil. Probably because they have the institutional control and backing to influence the nation. Which is why the right has built around alt media.

 

7 minutes ago, What Am I said:

So it's like you mentioned—similar to Trump in its danger but actually good at being covert. And with sophisticated plans that I simply don't agree with.

I have a buddy who thinks just like this. He thinks the Dems are so much more sneaky in their deception and at least Trump doesn't hide his deception. 

😂

If you want to stamp out that sneaky covert corruption, you don't do it by making things even more corrupt. You vote in integrous leaders and wait for things to evolve. You don't go in the opposite fucking direction. If everyone were to vote for the most honest and integrous politicians, that would solve our problems. If everyone votes for the most dishonest and least integrous, that's called going backwards. Duh!

[zazen]

@Joshe Yeah it’s hard to pin down whether theirs intent behind all this. Sam Harris refers to it as a social contagion. Its just come out of no where and taken many people by surprise - most people I speak to in Europe and US aren’t for it, but most people don’t speak out against it especially in work settings where their companies virtue signal these causes - out of fear of getting penalised / cancelled. This is the form of inverted totalitarianism Chris Hedges has spoken on before.

[PurpleTree]

I wonder if after Trump his kids and grandkids are going to try and run for office too, like the Bushes, Kennedys etc.

 

Edited November 11 by PurpleTree
Now seen it‘s already been posted ^

[Joshe]

17 minutes ago, zazen said:

People fixate on hypothetical authoritarianism because it’s easy to identify, emotionally compelling, and, paradoxically, less frightening than facing the reality of an established system that has quietly, almost invisibly, restricted their freedom and influence. To recognize the machine for what it is would mean reckoning with an existential threat far more deeply embedded than a single leader or party could ever be.

You're right, it is easy to identify. These are facts: 

• Trump cherry-picks specific phrases that Hitler used
• He joked about being a dictator 
• He largely ran on retribution and fear-mongering that we're being invaded by 'vermin" who are "poisoning the blood of our country"
• He's said he wants to rewrite parts of the constitution
• He uses violent rhetoric that paints pictures of his opponents being shot in the face by 9 rifles and on several other occasions eluded to his political opponents being murdered
• He says CNN, NBC, ABC, and any outlet that doesn't carry water for him should not be allowed to operate

I'll just stop there. If you hear all that and think the word "authoritarian" doesn't apply, no one should listen to you because you're being dishonest. 

Edited November 11 by Joshe

[What Am I]

16 minutes ago, Joshe said:

I have a buddy who thinks just like this. He thinks the Dems are so much more sneaky in their deception and at least Trump doesn't hide his deception. 

😂

If you want to stamp out that sneaky covert corruption, you don't do it by making things even more corrupt. You vote in integrous leaders and wait for things to evolve. You don't go in the opposite fucking direction. If everyone were to vote for the most honest and integrous politicians, that would solve our problems. If everyone votes for the most dishonest and least integrous, that's called going backwards. Duh!

Sure, but if you remember, my suspicions get atypical in nature. I'm not necessarily talking about the left or the right, but rather whatever structure of power it is that has long passed on spiritual knowledge to their descendants via secret societies and mystery schools, while also choosing to keep it from the general populace. I guess by normal standards, that belief would make me crazy.

But when you think about it, it's actually quite strange that spirituality exists and billions of people are somehow unaware. I'm personally more prone to consider that a bizarre scenario, and yet there it is.

Edited November 11 by What Am I

[What Am I]

29 minutes ago, Joshe said:

It's almost an acknowledgment that the left is the side that is capable of taking the high road. Which I'm not so sure about. 

You make a good point here. It could be an intuitive understanding of the left's more advanced maturity that allows the expectation to fall on them. Though I'm not talking about the far left. They get pretty wacky and immature in their own way.

Edited November 11 by What Am I

[Joshe]

1 hour ago, What Am I said:

Sure, but if you remember, my suspicions get atypical in nature. I'm not necessarily talking about the left or the right, but rather whatever structure of power it is that has long passed on spiritual knowledge to their descendants via secret societies and mystery schools, while also choosing to keep it from the general populace. I guess by normal standards, that belief would make me crazy.

But when you think about it, it's actually quite strange that spirituality exists and billions of people are somehow unaware. I'm personally more prone to consider that a bizarre scenario, and yet there it is.

Yeah, I tried making sense of your thinking but I couldn't and probably can't without knowing what all you're using.

As far as spirituality intentionally being "hidden" or kept from the populace, this idea seems absurd on the face of it. Is evolution itself not enough to explain the reason the populace doesn't care much for spirituality or higher consciousness? It makes perfect sense to me. 

Also, are you talking esoterics, entities, beings, forces of good and evil, etc.? Because the Buddha did pass on spiritual knowledge and it's well-known. Not hidden at all. From where I'm sitting, spiritual knowledge can mostly only be attained by going inward. There's not much knowledge "out there" that can assist you. 

These questions might help me understand your theory. Imagine the secret schools and the secret knowledge you're talking about gets exposed tomorrow. What do you see happening? What knowledge do you think would be uncovered? And how would the populace respond to that knowledge? 

It seems like you think that if everyone found out about some magic, they're going to take it seriously. I don't think people would really care. LOL. I mean, spirituality is already profound, and they don't care. Why don't they care? Because why do work like that when you can get ego strokes and fuck and eat and gain status, etc. They don't want high consciousness because it gets in the way of what they really want, which is to feed the beast. 

Edited November 11 by Joshe

[PurpleTree]

3 minutes ago, Joshe said:

Yeah, I tried making sense of your thinking but I couldn't and probably can't without knowing what all you're using.

As far as spirituality intentionally being "hidden" or kept from the populace, this idea seems absurd on the face of it. Is evolution itself not enough to explain the reason the populace doesn't care much for spirituality or higher consciousness? It makes perfect sense to me. 

Also, are you talking esoterics, entities, beings, forces of good and evil, etc.? Because the Buddha did pass on spiritual knowledge and it's well-known. Not hidden at all. From where I'm sitting, spiritual knowledge can mostly only be attained by going inward. There's not much knowledge "out there" that can assist you. 

These questions might help me understand your theory. Imagine the secret schools and the secret knowledge you're talking about gets exposed tomorrow. What do you see happening? What knowledge do you think would be uncovered? And how would the populace respond to that knowledge? 

It seems like you think that if everyone found out about some magic, they're going to take it seriously. I don't think people would really care. LOL. I mean, spirituality is already profound, and they don't care. Why don't they care? Because why do work like that when you can get ego strokes and fuck and eat and gain status, etc. They don't want high consciousness because it gets in the way of what they actually want, which is to feed the beast. 

Or maybe there isn’t free will and then all of those stories would seemingly collapse.

[PurpleTree]

How long until Trump and Elon clash?

I mean they both profit a lot from each other so maybe they can make it work for a while. But seemingly at some point their egos will have to clash.

[What Am I]

20 minutes ago, Joshe said:

Yeah, I tried making sense of your thinking but I couldn't and probably can't without knowing what all you're using.

As far as spirituality intentionally being "hidden" or kept from the populace, this idea seems absurd on the face of it. Is evolution itself not enough to explain the reason the populace doesn't care much for spirituality or higher consciousness? It makes perfect sense to me. 

Also, are you talking esoterics, entities, beings, forces of good and evil, etc.? Because the Buddha did pass on spiritual knowledge and it's well-known. Not hidden at all. From where I'm sitting, spiritual knowledge can mostly only be attained by going inward. There's not much knowledge "out there" that can assist you. 

These questions might help me understand your theory. Imagine the secret schools and the secret knowledge you're talking about gets exposed tomorrow. What do you see happening? What knowledge do you think would be uncovered? And how would the populace respond to that knowledge? 

It seems like you think that if everyone found out about some magic, they're going to take it seriously. I don't think people would really care. LOL. I mean, spirituality is already profound, and they don't care. Why don't they care? Because why do work like that when you can get ego strokes and fuck and eat and gain status, etc. They don't want high consciousness because it gets in the way of what they really want, which is to feed the beast. 

Man, there's a lot I can say about it, but I don't really think this forum is the right place. The answers involve straight up conspiracy theories that are epic in scope and would seem incredibly far out to the average member. I don't think anything good would come from explaining it. Leo has worked hard to maintain an environment free of this kind of stuff, and I don't mind respecting that and leaving it at the door.

I only brought it up again to justify that other comment I made about the institutions being potentially even more dangerous than Trump. If your mind isn't prone to the type of paranoia which breeds conspiracy theories, then you'll probably be mentally healthier for it. Maybe just pretend I didn't mention it, lol. I'll be more careful in the future about crossing that line.

If anyone is really curious to know, the concepts are easy enough to find and have been recorded throughout history. The idea of a shadowy, illuminated ultra-elite which spans time is not an original creation of my own.