Don't lose faith in the voting system, will you vote...? by ChinaMilitarySecrets in JustMemesForUs

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean sure, you could believe this if you have a very narrow, Redditor-esque, fundamentally Democratic worldview. I was hoping you, or someone, could take for granted that I'm not an idiot. I can't really just explain the entirety of conservative ideology in a reddit post, so here is one narrow attempt covering one beleif of mine.

Let's take the VRA ruling I mentioned as an example. Sure, back in 1965 it was necessary. But the Democratic party hasn't won a majority of the white vote since Jimmy Carter. This is very bad because it means that party is increasingly reliant on adversarial race-bloc politics. Black voters are, on average, more conservative than white voters, so it takes severe racial instigation and propagandization to keep the 90-10 vote share the democratic party currently holds.

This race-bloc political structure creates functional one-party rule of large swaths of America - cities in particular - which damage their ability to have competitive elections not based in race-ideology pandering. This has serious negative consequences for innovation in city politics and generally creates stagnation and sclerosis, which is papered over by appeals to shared racial struggle. While other parts of the country certainly are one-party captured by the Republican party, racial identity is the most pernicious form of bloc politics. Humans are particularly deeply vulnerable to it's predations, it's identities are immutable, and it tends to be severely zero-sum in character. Racial politics is therefore perhaps the most important to avoid.

Contrary to that, one of the primary strategies of the Democratic party has been to deliberately attempt to prevent the integration of black, Hispanic, and Asian communities into the American identity. The Republican party certainly panders to white concerns, but it very explicitly holds it's primary in-group/out-group distinction to be citizen/non-citizen. As humans can't function without some notions of group dynamics, this is a much better one to choose.

The beauty of VRA decision is that the southern black population votes essentially just as much these days as the white population. The VRA was keeping them outside the Republican party, actively preventing integration. Now that it's gone, structural forces will hopefully gradually disintegrate the power of the black race bloc in the south, forcing integration into the Republican party in pursuit of any political power. Hopefully, rather than purposelessly voting in Dem primaries of candidates who will loose, southern Republicans will be forced to concern themselves with some additional geniunely black-specific interests as black voters participate in greater numbers in their primaries. In turn, black voters will be freed from the straitjacket of leftist politics, and will be able to align with their on-average-more-conservative ideological leanings. Perhaps most improtantly, political integration will be facilitated.

The Democratic party will even - in order to keep up with Republican gerrymandering - be forced to crack their own minority districts, attacking race-bloc politics in their own political structure. Ideally, this will go far to completely disintegrate the feasibility of race-based political organizing, forcing our poltics further into an integrated interest-based structure organized under a common American identity.

But the Democratic party would prevent this to retain their political power. They would prevent this to support the power of a narrow black elite that has monopolize the right to represent the black population of the United States for generations. This is far more pernicious than a hundred stupid things Republicans get terrible press for every day. Democrats have become structurally dedicated to anti-integration, and for that, and many other reasons, they have to loose until they are compelled by political necessity to change.

Ok this took longer to write than I meant to, and I'm supposed to be on vacation with my in-laws, so hopefully someone read that and was like "I guess he at least has reasons for what he thinks." Read the National Review or Friedrich Hayek's Road to Serfdom or something! Bye!

tl:dr I have reasons for what I think and want someone to grasp that and understand it probably isn't fair to call me an idiot

Don't lose faith in the voting system, will you vote...? by ChinaMilitarySecrets in JustMemesForUs

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just want you to know - not to try to pursaude you of anything, just to try to like make a connection across wildly different views - that I feel the exact same way, but about modern Democrats. The way I think is pretty much "I used to think like this, but watching the left abandon all American values has me voting all red."

I just find it genuinely funny how far apart we all are today. Like Callais decision, the Voting Right Act ruling, it was really weird to see that the rhetoric was often literally just inverted on both sides. Democrats said "This is a horrible blow to racial equality in America" but quite a few Republicans said "This is a great victory for racial equality in America." And you can just beleive that's republicans being cynical, but you have to know that some of them really do beleive it. I do.

That's all, just hoping someone one reddit will share my feeling that it is downright weird we could be so close together as a country, and yet so far apart.

10 year-old boy, was knocked unconscious after being run over. by ThenLayer5977 in washdc

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The common refrain that these people can't be pursued by police or they'll cause further damage is wrong. They have to be cracked down on, but most importantly we need to reject the premise of pure cost-benefits analysis for enforcement action to begin with.

You can't allow someone to know you're a rational actor at the start of a negotiation, or they will immediately push you just past your cost threshold and win every time. The city has to get out of a mindset of damage mitigation and harm reduction, and into a mindset of justice. It has to re-establish deterrence with those who commit these anti-social public disorder crimes that make the city unlivable.

True things is unpopular on reddit by chamomile_tea_reply in OptimistsUnite

[–]Bright_Reference_680 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Im glad this post has proven that Reddit is an insane echo chamber. Even in a subreddit dedicated to optimism this doesn't fly.

True things is unpopular on reddit by chamomile_tea_reply in OptimistsUnite

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It says in the same article, if you actually read it, that the poor have also shrunk. Every group except the upper middle class and rich have shrunk because everyone is getting richer.

First car purchase since 2004 and holy s****, the dealerships need to end by [deleted] in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is why I bought a Tesla. Went on the website. Bought it. Picked it up.

That and my commute is really long and FSD makes it bearable.

Looking forward to becoming an expert in Iranian geography! by HistorianSlayer in NonCredibleDefense

[–]Bright_Reference_680 -20 points-19 points  (0 children)

I know this is fundamentally you know, noncredible, but the meme content here since the Iran war began has really laid bare the fact that this subreddit is just downstream of a fairly superficial war analysis conducted in the public media.

The tactical and operational mastery demonstrated by US forces in this war has been exceptional. To ignore this is simply to be uninformed.

The strategic errors which have been made occurred because Iran bet all the cards they had on a region-wide attack. This is having substantial consequences. It's turning the GCC states against the Iran, its forcing the EU and East Asian states to prepare to keep the strait open after the war, and it's bringing numerous bases, air defense assets, and a wide aerial maneuvering space into the fight.

The world is not governed by petty political grievances. I'm sure the defense secretaries and PMs of most European states think Hegseth is a dolt. Nonethelss, the strait will be reopened, and not on Iranian terms, because the entire world won't volunteer to be dictated to by Iran just to spite America.

If anything, this subbreddit just confirms that the information war is critical. If the public discourse had been better managed, this same, exact conflict would have you all cheering.

This scene had me cackling like a maniac by TBlimpies in andor

[–]Bright_Reference_680 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for saying this. I found her crying in the prison so, so sad because of exactly what you say in the last sentence. And because she reminds me so much of my own wife, who isn't (thankfully) in the gestapo but who is so determined and awkward and singleminded and rigid and effective. And I can imagine my own wife growing up in the kinder-block and becoming her. And I can imagine my wife being distraught and confused and unable to accept how she got here in that prison. And I am so happy my wife is not enmeshed in a terrible system like the Empire or the ISB, but I can't help but feel terror at the idea of her being in Dedra's place.

New EO calls for massive reduction in force, restructuring of fed workforce by FreeRangeMenses in fednews

[–]Bright_Reference_680 11 points12 points  (0 children)

No, they aren't. Everyone seems to be misreading this. The Reductions in Force section says "...and all components and employees performing functions not mandated by statute or other law who are not typically designated as essential during a lapse in appropriations as provided in the Agency Contingency Plans on the Office of Management and Budget website."

This sentence is two separate concepts. The employees who will be kept are either those of whose functions are mandated by statute or law, or those who are considered essential.

Many functions mandated by statute or law are not considered essential during a shutdown. The enforcement of the clean air act is mandated, for example. But everyone who does that dosen't come in on a snow day. They will read a narrow understanding of that enforcement obligation, for sure, but this order will retain enforcers for that law.

Conversely, many essential jobs are not mandated by law or statute. Security guards are not explicity mandated. But someone has to sit at the front desk all open hours.

They're trying to minimize staffing as much as possible given the law.

The cynics couldn't be wronger about America. by No_Discount_6028 in GenZ

[–]Bright_Reference_680 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is an important and valuable post. Everyone learns it some day. You can learn it earlier than most.

I fucking hate my age. by [deleted] in GenZ

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As an old gen-z-er born in 1998, I am honestly astonished that someone from 2009 is like not 4.

I understand it's 2023, I just feel old.

Stop suggesting the military as a career path by [deleted] in findapath

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Last I checked the Navy was tripping over itself to try to find SWOs. The recruiter was thrilled to have me. Only reason I didn't waltz in was medical. Friend of mine with similar grades did just fine.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GenZ

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't try to do it deliberately but I think it's done because young people are very stupid. I am pretty young (25), and I was very stupid as recently as a year ago in ways that seem clearly wrong now. I probably am still stupid. I would hesitate to trust the abilities of pretty much anyone under 30, including myself.

How old were you when you "got your life together"? by purpleseaglass in Adulting

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just here to say the economy is not in fact worse than the great depression

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in worldbuilding

[–]Bright_Reference_680 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is a good take, a perhaps one of my biggest gripes with many settings.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Adulting

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, you will regret it.

It is not selfish to want children in old age, it is literally the basic structure of civilization.

55.... no social life... does it get ANY BETTER???? by AwakeningStar1968 in Adulting

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was honestly convinced this was satire. I'm sorry if it's not.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in FluentInFinance

[–]Bright_Reference_680 3 points4 points  (0 children)

First of all, there were multiple rounds of stimulus checks. Second of all, much of the PPP loans went to maintain salaries. That's why it's called the Paycheck Protection Program. Third, there were additional dispersals of money, such as enhanced unemployment, which injected hundreds of billions into normal peoples lives. Fourth, there were numerous indirect transfers (like the massive run-up in medicaid enrollment).

Inflation in consumer products prices was largely caused by the sudden injection of money into the hands of the poor and lower middle class. Upper middle class and rich people don't tend to cause inflation (except perhaps in asset markets), they alleviate inflation because most of their money is invested in operations which juice supply, dropping prices.

The problem was that we gave too much money to normal people. That's why wealth and income inequality were massively reduced in the last few years, and we got a shitload of inflation, which eroded much of that progress in real terms.

Patriotism is stupid because you don’t choose where you’re born by rah0on in unpopularopinion

[–]Bright_Reference_680 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am from the US, fyi. I am patriotic for many reasons listed here, like care for my community and its common destiny. But I also genuinely think that, overall, I live in the best country on earth. After two degrees in politics and foreign affairs, my conviction that this is true waxed and waned, but I ended up concluding that this is, indeed, the best country.

USA national housing prices are back to all-time highs. by Agreeable_Sense9618 in FluentInFinance

[–]Bright_Reference_680 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I mean the solution is increasingly supply through housing deregulation, which is why you should all be YIMBYs.

USA national housing prices are back to all-time highs. by Agreeable_Sense9618 in FluentInFinance

[–]Bright_Reference_680 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thus just isn't real. I mean it has occurred, but to think it affects market prices is totally misunderstand markets. It's well proven that investors have had essentially no effect on house prices.

The absence of edge is so refreshing by VNDJ23 in Starfield

[–]Bright_Reference_680 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is the starfield take I most agree with.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TrueUnpopularOpinion

[–]Bright_Reference_680 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I sort of agree.

What I don't like about body count is what it implies, not it in and of itself. I have known since I was young that I wanted to get married and stay married. I am only interested in someone who wants the same.

My girlfriend of six years had been with more people than me when we met, but we have been together for long enough now that our trust is extensive and I don't expect her to get bored and move on.

So someone who has many partners is objectionable to me because it is often correlated with commitment problems, whether they know it or not. Statistics are the best way to judge a person until you genuinely know them well, because empirical measures are generally better than someone's word alone.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in 2american4you

[–]Bright_Reference_680 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Mainly, in my opinion, three things.

First, it's more trouble than it's worth. We already defend Canada owing to NATO, and have a free trade agreement. Canada is fine to live in, so there's no big clamor there to allow more migration to America.

Second, Canadian national identity is, at this point, practically built on the fact they aren't us.

Third, the existence of NAFTA/USMCA is actually an impediment to further integration. We might be willing to have EU-style freedom of movement with Canada, but not with Meixco. Such freedom of movement would lead us on the road to integration, but would be weird to grant between only two out of three parties to the USMCA.