Joshe

Trump just appointed some Fox News host to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, which is a high-ranking official in the U.S. government who oversees the Department of Defense (DoD), which includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force. They're installing loyalists in EVERYWHERE! Reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that the Trump transition team is considering a draft executive order to create a "warrior board" tasked with reviewing and recommending the removal of senior military officers deemed unfit for leadership. This move is seen as an attempt to purge "woke generals" and could lead to a restructuring of military leadership to align more closely with Trump's policies. The people will know their error much sooner than I previously thought.

Warren Buffett pulled a lot out. In the first six months of 2024, Buffett sold approximately $97 billion worth of stock By August 2024, Berkshire had sold $75.5 billion worth of stock on a net basis in the second quarter alone

Whatchu talkin' bout Willis? Keryo ain't got time for that! Hope all is well Keryo! Interesting stuff.

I was mostly joking but Americans do care about height. I don't think it's significant at all but you know it'd be a line of attack and who knows how it could sway this populace. Height doesn't matter to me but it matters in the game of winning over a low-conscious audience. There's a reason why most all CEOs are over 6ft and why tall guys get all the fuzz. I'm not saying a short guy couldn't work. I'm just saying, it would be a line of attack. When Jon Stewart and Tucker Carlson got in a spat, Tuckers line of attack was that he was 5'7 and this is the shallow stuff the right uses to make Dems look weak. Mini Mike Liddle Mike Little Rocket Man Little George Stephanopoulos Jon Stewart could work, but he will receive a nickname that mocks his height. This is the shit strategist have to consider now.

Makes a lot of sense. I never thought of Covid being a big contributor but it tracks really well. This occurred to me as well and I think it leads to some good insights. What do you think about this? I think people are hungry for meaning but they can't find it and so they take that frustration out on something "out there". Most don't know this is largely why they're dissatisfied. Purpose is so important, which is why Leo harps on life purpose. Most Americans are basically like spoiled children who have had it too easy and don't know how good they got it. Think about it. If you live somewhere where freedom isn't a given, there's something serious to fight for and to protect and be on guard for, which gives you a sense of purpose and meaning. In America, people twiddle their thumbs in boredom, secretly wishing a catastrophic event would occur just so they can feel connected to their survival. I've noticed this in many of them and in my younger self. They literally fantasize about the end of the world and zombie apocalypse scenarios because it would provide opportunity to fight for something meaningful. Once survival is secured, meaning becomes a need. Also, I've wondered to what degree this phenomenon contributes to Trump support. I think for many, It's not so much they want change from the government as it is that Trump might trigger something that could lead them into finding purpose via something catastrophic. I don't think they're consciously aware of it though. They claim they want a chaos agent to shake up the government but what I suspect is going on is they want the prospect of disaster. It sounds crazy, but I believe there's some truth to this. They just want something to change, so they can feel something, anything, besides the same ole purposeless existence. Edit: This doesn't apply to everyone, but I think it's somewhat common. Also, Americans are very poorly educated on history, which contributes to them taking democracy for granted and thus less cautious of someone like Trump.

That might actually be a really good idea. Jon Stewart maybe. Although he'll be attacked because he's 5'7.

😂 Yeah, I started noticing negative emotions the last couple of days. I'm getting exhausted myself. Probably should take a break.

If truth is the guide, there's no need for ideology, right or left. Everyone just adhere to the truth. But of course, that's only possible if everyone is willing to give up their cherished beliefs.

How do you think Covid contributed? Simply from having free time to engage with conspiracies and falsehood/propaganda? Exactly. I don't care who ushers in the new enlightenment or about ideology. I just want people to operate on solid reason and truth and to have the ability to abandon their ideas in light that they are flawed. It is what it is though. No sense in wishing we were more evolved than what we are. I still haven't fully accepted it. It almost seems irresponsible to not push back in some way. It's just so odd how there was such a split in consciousness. I can make sense of it intellectually, but I've found no explanation that makes living in an insane asylum any easier.

@Consept It's interesting. I knew this degree of ignorance existed since I was young and I always struggled with accepting that the vast majority reject reality to serve one's positions grounded in self-service and blind emotion. It's always been there but now has found a suitable host for expression. If humanity makes it out of this mess, these people will be case studies for future generations. When studying evolution of human consciousness, they'll be featured in the chapter titled "The Nature of Ignorance" and in books about historical detriments to humanity, they will be featured in the chapter right after Hitler, and we will be the ones to assist in articulating what happened on the front lines. When they read this message, they will wholly misunderstand it. They'll think it's a smug self-righteous insult because they can do nothing but project what such words would mean if they came from their own mouths. On a long enough timeline, so long as their ignorance doesn't destroy humanity, our side wins. (by 'our side', they'll think I mean the left) I sometimes wonder if I'm talking to bots or 17 year olds. Again, they'll think this is an insult because they think they know everything (like a 17 year old). They'll think that's an insult as well.

haha, that doesn't appear likely. I bet he'll add a 14th key. The Key of Propaganda. 😂 He's really doubled down. Something about him seems off to me. I'm not sure but I wonder if he's getting dementia.

Gloating in the misfortune of others is the opposite of virtue. Virtue is things like patience, kindness, good work ethic, integrity, compassion, understanding, intelligence, etc. Anyone who enjoys kicking people while they're down needs to have a long look at themselves.

You say he’s not a villain. Others say he is. Someone is very wrong. Who do you think it is? Here’s a quick heuristic for you to easily find the answer. How flawed have you noticed your own thinking throughout your life? Have you noticed you were wrong about many things? Have you been called wise, intelligent, and a good thinker by many? Would you say that you have high integrity? Now, realize this: how many intelligent, wise, and integrous people have you seen for Trump? My all-time favorite video from Leo is the one on self-bias. It’s like 3 hours long. Have you sat through it and wished you could see your selfishness and tried like hell to identify how you deceive yourself? If you do, you might find your position on Trump exists for reasons other than being founded on good sense-making. Are you ready to see what aspect of yourself you’re blindly serving?

Maybe I read you wrong but it seems like you enjoy rubbing it in the face of Trump-haters that he won. Is that not the case? How much is it that you get off on rubbing it in vs you just wanting them to pay more attention to aspects of their thinking you think are flawed? 50-50?

Biden sucks at public speaking but he's at home when doing politics off camera. I used to have a demented grandpa who could still do what he always did but when he got tired and stressed, he couldn't do those things well. I think Biden is like that. If you ever see him when he's not in the camera spotlight, he's clearly much less stifled. I doubt he just sat around and did nothing. I think he could meet up with his Democrat pals and sign papers just fine.

It's a breath of fresh air to see this attitude. What greater good is there than to care more about the peace and enlightenment of the whole? There is none. It's the ultimate life purpose. I care more that the world find peace than I find it. I'd give my life in service to that cause. This "it's all an illusion" talk can be transcended. Why do you think we're here? What will you do when you reach that high peak? Come back and chop wood carry water? Ah yes... you will finally be at peace at last. You will have fulfilled your curiosity and you will know how to remain calm. YOU will be nice and cozy chopping your wood. Peaceful people sit in ignorant bliss while the world withers. For the strong, the state of reality serves as fuel. The problem is it takes much development to care more about reality than oneself. Weakness pervades. Most so-called spiritual people care more about their own comfort than anything else and they'll use any story they can to preserve their cushiony homeostasis. The work begins by solving the problems of recruitment/mobilization, securing capital, and coordination. It can be done but there would need to be a leader to hold it all together. Where's @Leo Gura?

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A simple teenager understands why a villain would want to be leader of the free world. You have to be mentally handicapped to not get this, and if you are, I'm sorry, I mean no offense. I think you've got much work to do my friend. Why would a villain want to be leader of the free world? Can you think of any reasons? My guess is you'll now want to pivot to "he's not a villain" and scrap your whole "it doesn't make sense for him to put so much energy into it unless he really cared about things" argument.

We already know Trump won, and there are many factors as to why. Everything is connected. So yes, the rhetoric you're talking about did have an impact, but not as much as you think. Also, you created this thread not to shine a light on said rhetoric, but to jab a stick in the sides of the people you hate. You aren't trying to get people to see anything. You're just getting off on attacking people who you think are in emotional distress. You think it's the perfect time to kick them... when they're down... and you get off on it. "ha ha"

And to think, it picked up on all that just from a single paragraph.

Specifically this. Wise up bucko!

haha... yeah, I was just entertaining myself. Here's what the AI thinks of you: I have it analyze my own thoughts all the time. I like how you can make it focus on specific points. I had it focus on maturity in my last post. It didn't want to do that at first. It tries hard to stay neutral and not offend. Another member plugged one of my posts into it the other day and it responded that I'm likely biased against white men, which is funny, because I'm a white man. 😂 If we're being honest though, most of us here couldn't compete with an AI intellectually. Yeah, we can often make connections better than the AI but as far as analyzing those connections, AI can save us a lot of time there and show us things we might have missed, as well as help us better articulate a jumbled mess of intuitions. Some people think it will lead to cognitive decline but if you use it right, it can improve cognition.

@mr_engineer Consept was basically saying "Your ideas aren’t worth engaging directly, so here’s a robot’s take on them.” I see it as a kind gesture he had hoped would, but I'm sure did not expect, lead you to self-reflection. He wasn't trying to take you down. Maturity in discussion involves openness to feedback, a willingness to examine one’s biases, and the ability to separate one’s ideas from one’s identity.

Underground bunker time. Time to sharpen the sword. Get healthy and fit, get your shit in order, and be prepared for what might come. In the meantime, intelligent people need to be banding together to mitigate this disaster. Let me ask you this: If you had a crystal ball and could see what was going to happen and your prediction is correct, what action would you take? The biggest issue would be coordination. There are plenty of people who would devote their lives to saving the world, but how do you get them to coordinate? You need capital. You'd need to sell the idea to a wealthy person who also wants to save the world and have them bankroll the operation. From there, you'd need a very intelligent and fearless leader and a large team or teams of devoted, intelligent operatives. Ideally, the team would be made of tech people, data people, ideas people, and fit people. There would be no room for cowards or idiots. From there, you could get to work on many fronts.

I challenge this widespread belief. Have you personally been charmed by Trump or have you just seen how others could be and discerned from that he's charming because lots of people say it? If he weren't crusading on people's dreams, not many would find him pleasant or attractive. "Charming" wouldn't make the top 10 adjective list of how people perceive him if you go back and run a poll before he became president. I have a hard time believing people thought he was charming then and even now. I bet if you could go back in time and ask 100 women if that Trump guy who plays on Celebrity Apprentice is charming, they'd answer with a look of disgust. And if you'd ask the guys, they'd be like "wtf are you talkin' about?" Charming: pleasant or attractive. (of a person or manner) polite, friendly, and likable. Maybe they're talking about when he brings his grandchildren up on stage or something.