From his description, his experience was very "on rails" too, but just including cases where the "rails" very conspicuously were making it so he couldn't see what was going on around him.
But this doesn't really answer my question. I'm not saying his experience matches that of a citizen or even that it was accurate. I have no idea I wasn't there. In fact, it was kind of the exact opposite and that it being "on rails" and only being able to see what they wanted him to see, probably is not at all what citizens live. Kind of the point that they were trying to hide how citizens live.
Which leads me back to my question again. . .you claim we have it all wrong, and my good friend's experience kind of confirms (as much as he was allowed to) how secretive and weird they are. . .so where is your claim coming from and what is it based on?
Could you go into detail? I'm interested in hearing your take on this and what it comes from. For reference, I have a good friend (with a stupid amount of money) who loves to travel. Having kind of exhausted all of the typical places, and wanting to do something different, he decides to go to North Korea.
His stories are that it was absolutely as bizarre as he was expecting and how he had zero freedom and everything was perfectly controlled so he could only see what they would allow him to see, including being moved around in vans that didn't have windows when they were going outside of the city where he was staying.
I assume when the purchase happened there was an agreement that said something like this might happen. If not, then people can sue Sony for the stealing. If so, then trying to argue that this means piracy isn't stealing is sophomoric at best.
I don't get why my fellow pirates try so hard to justify what they're doing. We want something and we don't want to pay the price for it because it's either too expensive or too difficult, so we go the cheaper, easier route. And because these are large corporations trying to fuck everyone out of every last dime, we don't feel guilt about it.
Embrace the reality instead of using twisted logic to try and convince yourself that it's something else.
If the claim was that they were the same in the support of capitalism, the economic system primarily responsible for making us the juggernaut that we are, then I would have not said anything. But when it comes to social, environmental, and how to use (if at all) that generated wealth to support the less fortunate among us, they differ drastically.
Dems had multiple opportunities in the nearly 50 years Roe was active where they had control of both chambers of congress and the presidency, in which they could have easily enshrined abortion rights into law. Likewise for abolishing the filibuster. Why haven’t they?
Maybe should have. But what are you trying to prove here? They could have also teamed up with Republicans to outlaw abortion, but they didn't. They've done plenty to show their support for pro-choice, especially at the state level. If they were "the same" here, then abortion would easily be illegal everywhere.
You said the entire diagram was “dishonest cherry picking,” yet
No I didn't. I demonstrated why it was BS cherry picking by pointing out a glaring and important omission.
Why should anyone bother responding to you if you’re going to ignore everything they say and just repeat the same points over and over again after they’ve been rebutted?
You are mad at me for not moving with the goal posts. This went from 'they are both the same and democrats just pay lip service to the environment!" to "well, I don't think they've done enough!" I can agree with the latter, but they are still doing things. They are still showing some effort. They are still moving in the right direction. Republicans are still denying everything.
So all the points in the middle of the diagram just aren’t important? The fact that both parties only serve capital doesn’t matter to you? Both parties rubber stamping endless defense budget increases while healthcare crumbles is insignificant? Both parties providing full, unconditional support and funding to a genocidal apartheid state doesn’t matter because the bloo team did a single bill promising to reduce carbon emissions by a little bit (then completely negated it by opening up more oil drilling)?
LOL. You're basically just outright admitting how weak your position by the fact that you feel the need to put words in my mouth. The argument is that they are the same. I've already made clear I understand that in some ways they are the same. I'll even add in some ways I strongly disagree with the way they are the same. So the fact that they are the same on some issues doesn't change the fact that they are not the same. This isn't difficult position to understand.
and don’t fucking go on about “but the environment” again unless you have something new to say that hasn’t already been rebutted
I said environment, you pretend that it was just climate change. I pointed out that they passed a bill with a large focus on climate change. You just whine it doesn't count. I cited an article that you just blatantly ignored. lol, my man, you've rebutted nothing.
Things which Democrats do little to nothing about. Remind me how are abortion rights going, again?
In blue states where they have significant control, perfectly fine. At the federal level where Republicans packed the court so they could take away the rights of individuals, and in Republican controlled states, not so much. Democrats can't really do much when Republicans block appointments to the SCOTUS because "it's an election year", then turn around and contradict themselves and appoint a SCOTUS during an election year. And, again, they can't do much when they have a slim majority, and things can be blocked by a filibuster or a handful of democrats dissenting from the party.
which you refuse to do aside from going on about climate change
And, again, this venn diagram you've probably been (smugly) pulling out and tapping every time someone challenges on the BS is now outdates, considering democrats just passed a significant climate bill (even if it isn't enough). No longer can one claim they are doing nothing at the federal level but paying lip service.
So “doing nothing” and “doing a tiny bit of something then immediately negating it with something worse” are totally different things that we need to respect, got it.
This is generally how our government works, we do things incrementally. It's kind of designed that way, for better or for worse. In this case worse. But yes, moving in the right direction is much better and different than moving in the wrong direction, even if it is only incremental.
“This isn’t a very complex point and you only make yourself look foolish by failing to grasp it.
So, if it isn't complex, why obfuscate the point that they are only the same on a subset of things and ignore all the important ways they are different? Seems rather dishonest to me.
Then how about actually addressing the fucking points?
I've never said nor suggested that there was nothing they agree on. While I could quibble about most of "they are the same" points in the middle, and strongly disagree with others, it's really besides the point. There are things on which they are drastically different.
then explain to the class how it’s sophomoric and oversimplified.
I literally did, or debunked it as cherry-picked garbage, and you accused me of being a smuglord for doing so. Am I supposed to address every little point on it? Or can I just demonstrate how it is cherry-picked garbage?
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 2005 levels aka too little too late.
I tend to agree. But all we can do is move forward at this point. But that doesn't change the fact that with republicans we would do nothing, if not just make policy to make it even worse.
You say that like it’s a high bar.
No, I did not. You just need to be dismissive of it because it negates your worldview.
At least the Republicans are up front about how awful they are and don’t pretend to help by pissing on us as they throw more fuel on the fire.
Ah, so we agree both sides are not the same. Good on you for coming around. Although, in a kind of weird way. But, this kind of further proves a belief of mine that "muh both sides" is just an attempt to excuse bad behavior by Republicans so people can justify still voting for them.. . and maybe I can add now "despite openly being against their interests."
They are trying to demonstrate that Democrats don't care about the environment, which is why they pointed to new oil drilling and then go on to say "not to mention" about the war. Maybe you are right, and they didn't mean to link it to the Dems, but it pretty clearly did.
Lol at the smuglord image after posting a sophomoric oversimplified venn diagram while tapping it. You win biggest projection of the day.
But no it doesn't actually address it, it mentions climate change, which is one aspect, and still not correct.
But that being said, just last year the Dems passed the inflation reduction act which was the most significant bill in us history to address climate change.
But whatever I'm sure is the republicans would have done the same thing.
Most humans have more ideological similarities than they do differences, so of course that is going to be true, especially when you're pulling from a group of people who come from extremely similar cultures.
But that doesn't change the fact that there are obvious differences between the two parties on issues that are impactful and important.
Lol yeah I kind of second guessed it based on how stupid people can be and that there would be some people dumb enough to think republicans are equivalent to the Nazis.
If you want to make a good argument as to why they are all the same, while there are clear and important distinctions between the two major us parties, I'd love to hear it.
But if you are going to make stupid arguments like "they are all the same because they agree on this one thing!" Or "they are all the same like rectangles are all the same!" Then you are going to get called out for it, and pouring on the sarcasm in place of an argument doesn't make your initial point any less stupid.
You know two things can be "right wing" and still not the same, right? Both Nazis and Republicans are right wing...but you're smart enough to realize they aren't the same, correct?
No worries.
From his description, his experience was very "on rails" too, but just including cases where the "rails" very conspicuously were making it so he couldn't see what was going on around him.
But this doesn't really answer my question. I'm not saying his experience matches that of a citizen or even that it was accurate. I have no idea I wasn't there. In fact, it was kind of the exact opposite and that it being "on rails" and only being able to see what they wanted him to see, probably is not at all what citizens live. Kind of the point that they were trying to hide how citizens live.
Which leads me back to my question again. . .you claim we have it all wrong, and my good friend's experience kind of confirms (as much as he was allowed to) how secretive and weird they are. . .so where is your claim coming from and what is it based on?