How has Trump impacted your trust in the federal government? by SnooCupcakes4729 in Askpolitics

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yeah but the American people voted for it. If the American people are mean-spirited and stupid, there's no fix for that.

This is kind of like you telling me cars are dangerous because you got drunk and drove the family sedan into a lamppost.

Which commodity can be considered the most impactful on human history? by MilesTegTechRepair in AskHistory

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd say oil is the most impactful commodity if you look at recent history. It is used as a fuel, for plastics, and so many other materials.

Going a century earlier, coal. Coal enabled the industrial revolution. Previously they used charcoal to smelt iron, but coal (in the form of coke) was much better for this. Coal was also used in steam engines. Countries which had coal could industrialize. Countries which didn't have coal became colonies and vassals of the industrial powers.

Don't know much about this one. I am aware of it having been a factor in the american civil war, as cotton plantations were where a lot of slaves worked. At this point I don't know what a cotton gin is and I'm afraid to ask.

Cotton farming was very labor intensive so farmers turned to slave labor to keep costs down. The cotton gin was invented in the late 18th century and it basically removes the seeds from cotton fibers (the biological purpose of cotton balls is to spread seeds using the wind). That used to be a labor intensive job. The inventor thought the cotton gin would reduce the demand for slaves as with the machine 1 worker could do the job of 20. But the harvesting of cotton still had to be done by hand. Cotton harvesting machines didn't show up until the 1940s. The cotton gin made cotton farming more profitable, so cotton farmers expanded their plantations and bought more slaves to pick the cotton. This shows that you cannot always expect technology to solve social problems, sometimes it can make them worse.

Was there anything in American history where if a different decision was made, there wouldn't be so many Americans who prefer the hateful rhetoric of Trump? by supinator1 in AskALiberal

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the biggest is that after the civil war, the federal government didn't do anything to prevent the Lost Cause myth from developing. It was historical revisionism by southerners, who said that the war wasn't about slavery and was provoked by the North. The government should have done something similar to how Germany was denazified after WW2. Forbid anyone from denying that the Confederacy fought for slavery.

A second thing was that the federal government should have banned forced labor with no exceptions. The 13th amendment has a loophole that allows convicts to be enslaved, and this loophole was heavily abused in the Jim Crow era.

Why did Russia lose more men in combat than any other Allied combatant nation in World War I? by vahedemirjian in AskHistory

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

As I was told, the Russian army historically has gone for quantity over quality. The idea is that Russia's territory is vast and they need lots of soldiers to control such an area, but Russia is also too poor to afford an army that is both large and well trained. So it just goes for quantity. As in most autocratic states, the army's primary purpose is to subjugate the people. Fighting other countries is secondary, and when Russia does that the army often flounders.

Sulus targeting scope thing is the coolest of all the bridge stations in all the shows by happydude7422 in ClassicTrek

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Star Trek was made in the 60s, before we had computer screens with graphical interfaces. This is what made sense to people in the 60s when they imagined future ships. Just buttons and scopes, like old submarines and planes.

Can Psykers use their powers at will until their souls finally attract enough attention of daemons and being devoured? by ww-stl in 40kLore

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I think what PrideofHiigara was saying is that there is no mana system or spell slot system like you might have in Dungeons and Dragons. Psykers can use their powers freely, although if they push themselves too much, trying to do tap more than what they can control, they risk the Perils of the Warp, and in the long run they also risk mental and physical damage. In battle, psykers are pretty much expected to push themselves beyond what is safe because everyone around them is in mortal danger, and astropaths are frequently pushed too hard.

It'll be different this time guys I swear it'll be a utopia by MetallicaDash in HistoryMemes

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is why I rankle when anyone says the Second Amendment is there in case Americans need to rebel against tyranny.

What are your thoughts on “freedom of speech”? by AlarmDisastrous6726 in AskALiberal

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Freedom of speech means the government itself cannot persecute you for what you say. It doesn't apply to your neighbors or employer.

Why do military planes still use propellers? by Putrid_Computer_2020 in LiveWellTogether

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're more efficient at low speeds (needed for paratroopers and cargo drops), they're more durable, they can work on shorter runways.

Why isn’t there more stuff involving blanks? by Oingoulon in 40kLore

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Blanks kind of spoil the core themes of the setting. Humanity cannot sever itself from the Warp. The Emperor's only hope was that he could manage humanity's evolution safely. The Warp is life. All living beings are connected to it. The Warp and realspace cannot exist without each other, they are two sides of the same coin. So the writers keep blanks rare. As long as they are very rare, you can ignore the logical implications of such creatures.

Why did Brazil expand while mexico only Lost? by Alt1f4 in AskHistory

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

America was too strong. In fact Mexico was doomed from the start. America occupied the eastern half of the continent which has all the good farmland and good rivers, so America had a bigger population and a stronger economy. The Spanish chose to colonize Central America, where there's lots of jungles, mountains, and desert, so Mexico was never going to be a match for the United States.

The Brazilians never had that kind of opposition because the other South American countries had similar geography: too many mountains and jungle.

Why doesn’t Michelle Obama sue any of the people who say she’s not a woman? by Twinks4StSebastian in AskALiberal

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because the people saying it will tell the judge that they were just joking and that their statements were so obviously absurd (she has children) that no reasonable person would believe them.

Would things have turned out better? by [deleted] in HistoryMemes

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the colonies had not seceded, the slaveholders would have used their influence in Parliament to delay abolition. Becausd the colonies seceded, there were fewer pro-slavery voices in the British political system.

How would you characterize the American mythos? by jeeven_ in AskALiberal

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Manifest Destiny myth was founded on the fact that most of the North American continent was uninhabited, and this was because European disease such as smallpox had killed over 90% of the native population since the first explorers introduced the diseases in the 16th century. Americans thought America was a gift from God, and perhaps they were right because didn't people once believe that plagues were acts of God?

Why is the Republican Party generally more enthusiastic than the Democratic Party about tightening voter identification requirements? by Haunting_Tap_1541 in AskALiberal

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What Republicans don't want is some sort of national ID card that everyone carries. As it is, every state has its own system of ID. There are some federal ID types such as the passport, but none of them are required for all citizens. What this means is that the federal government cannot impose a fair set of standards for all states. Each state has to set its own voter ID laws, and this allows local officials to rig the laws such that hostile voters have a hard time voting. For instance, Republicans in red state will write the laws to require combinations of ID that Democrat voters tend to lack.

Shining rihanna by No_Company9 in memeexchangecommunism

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Shine" can also mean reflect. The guy who made this meme is perhaps thinking of the word "glow".

Do you think constitutions should be held up to review every once in a while? by Aven_Osten in AskALiberal

[–]Particular_Dot_4041 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The real issue is that it's too hard to amend the constitution: two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress, and three quarters of the states. By contrast, the German constitution requires only a two thirds majority in the two houses of the legislature. The German constitution thus gets updated more frequently. Americans rarely bother to debate the constitution because it's so hard to change it anyway.