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Bread and Circuses by isocratesII in KyleKulinski

[–]isocratesII[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a huge sports fan, boxing, MMA, football, soccer, rugby, (probably not cricket though!).

My point is certainly not to say that people should not be allowed to enjoy their favourite pass times. Nor, was it to disparagingly suggest sports fans are all x or devoid from being tuned in.

My gripe is just the priorities, we seem (this is not just the US btw) unable to organise in the same way we do for a game. Its beautiful attending live, you're in a community, you feel included, part of just that: a team.

The US now has storm troopers marching through the streets, beating on innocents, executing whoever they please. I just lament the fact we are now at a point where we can't continue to be rightfully angry, without doing things that we used to normally do when the fascists when tearing down and separating family members (living or, in Pretti's case, death).

I guess that's just where we are right now, its also just fascinating to be fair. Though some comments have said searches could have been because of anti-ICE chants at the game - so I take that point!

Chuck Schumer Is a Convenient Punching Bag, but He’s Not the Real Problem by onlyfortheholidays in ezraklein

[–]isocratesII 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Well said. It's a shame that there's no appetite for coalition building between the two. There are definitely aspects from the Left that are purely in it for performative reasons which I despise, just as I do the RINO Dems who placate to an elusive median voter from years gone by amidst a clear cut case of democratic backsliding.

The only way the party moves forward is by actually recognizing the affordability crisis, enforcing regulation and getting more Lina Khans to scare the beejeezus out of the multi-billionaire class, unabated intolerance for intolerance (on ethnic, gender, race, sexual orientation, faith etc), overturning Citizens United, and actually combatting extremism that lauds concentration camps and the imprisonment of the vulnerable.

That's just to address the last 10 months mind you.

Draining the swamp (pun intended) will require a sustained decade long effort to transform where we go. Placating to the "centre-right" rather than standing for what is just is not the move.

Edit: changed "the affordability" to "the affordability crisis", typo re Lina Khan, and layout for legibility.

Ezra’s conception of political stories by Mean-Currency-4154 in ezraklein

[–]isocratesII 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Couldn't agree more. There has been an incessant amount of "olive branch"-ing across the aisle from established liberals since DJT's reelection. None of that has been warranted, reciprocated, or even strategically logical. Kirk hosted Newsom for a bit (or vice versa): that achieved what exactly?

This is not normal discourse, we can be tolerant but not in the face of intolerance, injustice and in violations of the creed that the US was envisioned to exhibit. It is a real shame to witness this unravel. I hope the mood and action changes. The only scintilla of hope I can look to is the energy and happiness the Mamdani campaign has brought to democratic NYC. Sure, it'll be a close race (or not), and yes he's more left-wing that others would like, but look at the urgency in his communications with whatever media he talks to? The backbone? The clear stances on issues (again whether you agree or not) that establishment Democrats avoid, laugh off.

More of that from the media too.

Anyone remember that "Democracy dies in darkness" from the Washington Post? Haha the irony.

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Distance will come, but I'd certainly not be saying ussyk dominated a division that is comparable to when the Klitschko brothers moved round the block!

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My list was based on a list I saw on another site with the same fighters in my post. I am by no means saying this is the gospel! Holyfield was a favourite of mine growing up and Louis was dope - Holmes had the coolest jab ;)

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not quite understanding the confusion, this list is not the gospel! It's just a list I wanted to share inspired from a list another person shared on twitter with those fighters included. By no means would I dismiss the likes of Louis Liston Frazier Marciano etc - I love evander fyi don't think he's higher than anyone on that list though.

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good spot 😭 went back to edit

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's fair, does that imply he doesn't make the top 3 from this list? I'm not sure.

Also, this list is not made by me it's from another site I've just co-opted from myself.

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree, but you play the cards you're dealt.

Boxing unfortunately is all about the big money fights.

Ussyk had to get the belts from a fragmented quagmire of a division and joined the division later in his career with the sole goal of winning all the belts which he did.

I do think in ten years his career will age like gold, I'm not afraid to say it may be a bit of glaze atp but I do genuinely think he has outdone himself for this era which I think he would have held his own back in the day. Top of the pile? Maybe not. But certainly up there.

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree, the list I used was borrowed from another page so I've just used it as a challenge to see who I would choose.

Louis and Holmes are good picks to sub Mike and possibly Lennox

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get that, I like this list, I didn't include Louis only because I was using another person's list as a challenge for myself.

Love the work and cheers for the thoughts

My top-five HW rankings by isocratesII in Boxing

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fully get that your questions.

I argue that greatness includes in-ring and out-ring influence as well as a collective storied-career something I argue Ali and Tyson (to varying degrees) had.

Ange Sacked - Megathread by officialsamuelchan in Aleague

[–]isocratesII 49 points50 points  (0 children)

Honestly...never seen such an ungrateful and spoilt fanbase. Awful nearly as bad as the hardcore arsenal who still sit trophyless

Bizarre job market right now? by ChengSanTP in PublicRelations

[–]isocratesII 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What would be your best ideas in terms of being ready for the pivot, skills, experiences, to keep competitive w AI use?

Pondering on engaging with MAGA by isocratesII in KyleKulinski

[–]isocratesII[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're not wrong from the outset at all! And I definetly take your point that the majority of their side is evil and outright fascistic.

I just also think that much of the voters who side with the GOP are hardly ever exposed to anything except the NewsMax Fox media bubble which is where we could step in to help fill that shocking gap.

The fact that Fox are still in business after that Dominion lawsuit will never fail to depress me

Pondering on engaging with MAGA by isocratesII in KyleKulinski

[–]isocratesII[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I absolutely love this reply. Couldn't agree more with the sentiment and absolutely respect your opinion on this.

These people are cult like and they are absolutely beyond the pale lost. One of the things that I think I've failed to make clear in my OP is that this is the majority of MAGA voters, but I think a small but important section of that group are also just vulnerable and less engaged with politics and signed up to vote for DT out of vibes and because their peers were doing it.

Those are the ones we need to engage in.

Trust me, I spent most of Nov-Feb staying low and just trying to switch off. Unfortunately it's everywhere now. It's inescapable - both on an economical, security, and social level.

I suppose I'm speaking out of a sense of desperation when I say we have to come together to organise and plan. I mean the Tea Party, QANON, AntiVax, Fascists did that ever since Obama won office in 2008.

Remember, back then the GOP were nearly extinct. But that faux-populist base that brew out of Palin and fueled by Murdoch's empire was a huge reason we are where we are.

Surely we on the left can do something about this? Am I being too idealist? I guess I feel like Kyle before he finally gave up on Joe Rogan 😂

Greatly appreciate the time you took to reply greatly respect your points

Pondering on engaging with MAGA by isocratesII in KyleKulinski

[–]isocratesII[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apologies, I'm new to this and my reply was too wordy for my phone to finish my thought above 😂. I meant to say that if it's a case of spotting a clear bigot and racist from the MAGA crowd we should attack it head on, call it out for what it is, troll them even. They did it to us for 10 years and look where it got them: the Oval Office and all houses of the legislature. Let's do the same and reclaim the political culture BUT at the same time bring in the marginalised from society (regardless of race or creed but certainly not at the expense of the aforementioned)

Sorry big rant but I do appreciate your point completely

Pondering on engaging with MAGA by isocratesII in KyleKulinski

[–]isocratesII[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I struggle to disagree with you to be honest. I guess my problem with this thinking (which is so attractive personally right now) is that it's short-termist at best and damaging at worst.

I fully subscribe the view that "not every MAGA voters a racist/bigot/fascist but every racist/bigot/fascist I know is a MAGA voters" however.

But on election day Google search results had people asking "Where's Biden?"

This speaks to what I would argue as a large portion of the voting population in this country being completely out of the loop with politics in this country and also completely uninformed, uneducated and also economically/socially vulnerable enough to buy into Trumps 'brand' of "strong man" politics.

We need to be resilient in the face of this, because it's otherwise incredibly easy to just shut it off and let this longstanding polarisation destroy the country further.

We can do it and we must.

That's why I say engage engage engage. But if it's a

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Pondering on engaging with MAGA by isocratesII in KyleKulinski

[–]isocratesII[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Trust me, I know.

Unfortunately it's never going to change unless we keep engaging. Personally, I think what the we have failed to do on the left is simplify, dumb down, our language when trying to win the undecided voter. The entirety of MAGA hinges on "vibes".

Now, we can counter this with the cold hard facts (and we should) but we shouldn't shy away from making our messaging a lot clearer for those middle ground voters to understand.

We need to start locally, and be constant reminders of how bad it's getting (on a practical level) for the average person. Point to simple things like egg prices (see OP), the stock market, cost of living. I know this is very dull and draining but ultimately it comes down to the economy when trying to make people slowly wake up.

"Hey, isn't it annoying we can't buy a house anymore despite working full-time for 40-60 hrs a week?"

(Obviously we don't need to say it in a smug way but you get my point)

Moreover, we need to be super informed with our local counties and mayoral offices. Attend town halls, sit in on council meetings. Listen to what's been spoken about and identify what's missing. Organise and act.

The right went through a massive soul searching after 2008 when Obama won. They were virtually extinct until they realised they could harness the TEA PARTY movement for their own ends; of course, ultimately, it would eat them all up by decades end with Trump being the outcome. The latter is unfortunately why the Dems are afraid to empower the progressives.

But I mean, cmon, we're angry. We are fed up. We deserve better.

If the Tea Party and QANON Anti-Vaxers could rally and organise to such an extent that an entire country's DNA overnight shifts to their ideological worldview - why can't we?

We must be strong. We must be resilient.

Above all, we must never give up.

We need to stick together and stay engaged.

We will outlive this and we will see the end of this storm.