The Non Politics Thread

[auroraave]

I have a degree from UCLA and I was born after 1967. I don't hate the school or the teams. But I'll try to keep the disagreement civil.

OH we can and should have disagreements - but they are greatly exacerbated when discussing politics - I thought this thread could be outside that. How did you like Westwood? I like UCLA, partly because I can't stand USC, plus I know so many Bruins and they are rarely a threat in football. It's such an interesting school - you would think they could dominate in recruiting across all sports.

I am sad for wazzu - without being tied to the real PAC-12 they are gonna have an even harder time recruiting. A school that small having a formidable football program for most of the last two decades, against all odds - is something to marvel at. Now... gone. Fucking NCAA.

[ddraig]

I have a degree from UCLA and I was born after 1967. I don't hate the school or the teams. But I'll try to keep the disagreement civil.

You are just a Spring Chicken. I was in my second year of H.S. football. 16 years old. You have no memory of the "great" Tommy Prothro (asshole rhymes with Prothro). And no football team should still wears Baby Blue. I'll give you a pass. Not everyone is perfect, like me!

[gil]

I have a degree from UCLA and I was born after 1967. I don't hate the school or the teams. But I'll try to keep the disagreement civil.

OH we can and should have disagreements - but they are greatly exacerbated when discussing politics - I thought this thread could be outside that. How did you like Westwood? I like UCLA, partly because I can't stand USC, plus I know so many Bruins and they are rarely a threat in football. It's such an interesting school - you would think they could dominate in recruiting across all sports.

I am sad for wazzu - without being tied to the real PAC-12 they are gonna have an even harder time recruiting. A school that small having a formidable football program for most of the last two decades, against all odds - is something to marvel at. Now... gone. Fucking NCAA.

I'm glad you started the thread with that purpose. Why do you think that disagreements are exacerbated when discussing politics? I've got a couple of theories, such as seeing people act differently when it's one-on-one conversation versus stating opinions in "public" or in a group.

I really liked being at UCLA. The academics, the people, the campus. It seemed like a special place, and still does.

Yes, I'm pretty upset what happened to the Pac-12. Isn't it the NCAA just letting "the market" take over? I'm torn because basically I'm a free market advocate, but I also love tradition.

[auroraave]

I have a degree from UCLA and I was born after 1967. I don't hate the school or the teams. But I'll try to keep the disagreement civil.

OH we can and should have disagreements - but they are greatly exacerbated when discussing politics - I thought this thread could be outside that. How did you like Westwood? I like UCLA, partly because I can't stand USC, plus I know so many Bruins and they are rarely a threat in football. It's such an interesting school - you would think they could dominate in recruiting across all sports.

I am sad for wazzu - without being tied to the real PAC-12 they are gonna have an even harder time recruiting. A school that small having a formidable football program for most of the last two decades, against all odds - is something to marvel at. Now... gone. Fucking NCAA.

I'm glad you started the thread with that purpose. Why do you think that disagreements are exacerbated when discussing politics? I've got a couple of theories, such as seeing people act differently when it's one-on-one conversation versus stating opinions in "public" or in a group.

I really liked being at UCLA. The academics, the people, the campus. It seemed like a special place, and still does.

Yes, I'm pretty upset what happened to the Pac-12. Isn't it the NCAA just letting "the market" take over? I'm torn because basically I'm a free market advocate, but I also love tradition.

Why do you think that disagreements are exacerbated when discussing politics?

The number one reason, and there isn't a close second, is the US media has been corrupted beyond repair. Where we have a constitutional "separation of church and state" clause, I think we need a 'separation of media and state" addendum - we cannot have mass media simply being political puppets - it has caused incredible damage - the media manufacturing narratives and 'lesser brained' people accepting them instead of thinking for themselves. If there is a single person left in this country who has not rejected the main stream media JUST after the insane covid coverage - then there is no hope. They got it ALL wrong on every level - and it was intentional. This goes back to Obama who created the whole identity politics concept (as a political strategy of distraction and manipulation) and the media ran with it. The stories I could tell you about the covid coverage - the baseline reality is the mass media were all paid marketing shills for Phizer etal - because they were (and still are) their largest source of income. CNN is literally paid to tell you whatever Phizer want you to hear. It's not an opinion, it's an objective observation - and it's utterly disgusting. I am trying to keep politics out of this - but the reality is the media now consists of two basic ideas they are propagating anymore: fear and outrage. A result of trying to stay relevant, and political influence. I could write a much much longer dissertation with many more examples, but I'll spare you. The media is toxic - they are no better than junk food - and they are making those that consume it sick - literally. You are what you consume - if you consume the toxic 'trump outrage' or 'covid fear mongering" they are selling you - that is what you will be full of - you cannot avoid it if you are consuming this. I don't consume it so I am not outraged at trump nor was I ever in fer of covid - I listened to scientists, read published papers and drew my own conclusions. People watching CNN, Phizer's publicity arm, were running around pushing the 'if you don't get vaxed you are MURDERING' people which, of course, was never true, and Phizer KNEW at an early stage that the 'vax' NEVER prevented infection or transmission - they knew - and never told the public - that is why they tried to hide all the research papers for 75 years - until a judge called bullshit and had them published - and guess what - no one in the MSM revealed the massive sham we were just put through.

The second thing is people associating with a party and accepting their ideology blindly - rather than being objective and honest - "whatever the party says is what I agree with" no matter how absurd it is - that is just such a fucked up way to go through life. These associations the media are trying to sell you: Oh, you're a dem? I guess you like murdering babies! Oh, you're a Rep? I guess you basically support hitler and hate gays. WTF? It's all part of the identity politics sham combined with sensationalism the media desperately needs to stay relevant. I know tons of people on both sides, I've yet to meet one that falls into the categories the media is selling you. None. as an independent I am skeptical of everything, I question everything, so it baffles me how 'one party' is able to satisfy anyone's identity. Makes zero sense to me.

I like UCLA and Westwood, was just there yesterday - been to quite a few games there - I see the NCAA as nothing more than a consumable product, the product I am interested in are PAC-12 games, rivalries, winning the conference. All of that is gone. The NCAA is doing the one thing that I fear the most - consolidation. Nothing improves when everything is consolidated into one. It's never good for prices, it's never good for the consumer. NIL money, transfer portal, consolidation, all destroying what was my favorite sport by a mile - college football. I don't care much about the championship games, I'll watch but won't go out of my way to. What I care about is beating USC, Oregon, and the challenges of playing an always underrated Utah. Stripping all the good stuff out of college football... isn't that called the NFL?







.

[douche]

The second thing is people associating with a party and accepting their ideology blindly - rather than being objective and honest - "whatever the party says is what I agree with" no matter how absurd it is - that is just such a fucked up way to go through life.

100%. I've never understood how people can just turn a blind eye to what is happening, regardless of political party. And I think what it boils down to is the human need to be 'right'. As a result, they refuse to see what is in front of their eyes that may refute their stance. The 'blind faith', as you mentioned. Mind-boggling. This is why it's so difficult to discuss politics or religion. Most peoples' ideas regarding these topics are based on personal beliefs. Empirical evidence and facts be damned.

It reminds me of the Dunning-Kruger effect... The basic premise is that, 'if you don't know something, you also don't have the ability to recognize that you don't know it'.

[ddraig]

I found myself ignoring most of UW's football games this year. Michigan, USC, UCLA, and Oregon were the ones where I paid attention. That was it. Was very disinterested in the others. Extremely disappointed in the PAC-12 media for horrible scheduling and not promoting the Conference better.

[auroraave]

The second thing is people associating with a party and accepting their ideology blindly - rather than being objective and honest - "whatever the party says is what I agree with" no matter how absurd it is - that is just such a fucked up way to go through life.

100%. I've never understood how people can just turn a blind eye to what is happening, regardless of political party. And I think what it boils down to is the human need to be 'right'. As a result, they refuse to see what is in front of their eyes that may refute their stance. The 'blind faith', as you mentioned. Mind-boggling. This is why it's so difficult to discuss politics or religion. Most peoples' ideas regarding these topics are based on personal beliefs. Empirical evidence and facts be damned.

It reminds me of the Dunning-Kruger effect... The basic premise is that, 'if you don't know something, you also don't have the ability to recognize that you don't know it'.

Accurate. I think what has been a major casualty of the woke movement and the identity politics narratives the media has been shoving down everyone's throats - not only are they intentionally creating separation between everyone, they lie and distort on such a massive scale as to cause reality confusion - people will do or say anything to be 'right' in line with their party - not understanding they are mistaking 'being right' for being accurate or correct. For non-independent thinkers, being right is toeing the company line, agreeing with the party messaging no matter what, never questioning it or using logic. Blindly agreeing to the party message (being right) is not the same as being accurate or correct - which is 100% what the media has done to the consumer - by creating this mass confusion. People are not analyzing the message for understanding - they are just screaming and regurgitating it without thinking it through. The damage to society is far deeper than people realize - like I said above, the the legacy media is poisoning the consumer - confusing them - not educating them or providing accuracy and correctness. The problem is people don't even realize the difference between right and accurate - because the media has completely blurred the lines.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

It isn't just the media, it is also 30+ years of a broken public school system combined with a declining culture that has bred a nation of lesser intellects that think they are something special.

[gil]

So much for a non politics thread ...

The irony I see is that I could take a post about how terrible the woke leftist democrat braindead blindly-media-following sheep liberals are, substitute a few words here and there (keeping about 90% of the words), and I would have a post closely resembling how leftists criticize the right. You (this is addressed to both right and left) aren't that different in your stereotyping and thinking that you are logical and follow empirical evidence while "the other side" are the ones who are brainwashed by media.

[Seattle or Bust]

So much for a non politics thread ...

The irony I see is that I could take a post about how terrible the woke leftist democrat braindead blindly-media-following sheep liberals are, substitute a few words here and there (keeping about 90% of the words), and I would have a post closely resembling how leftists criticize the right. You (this is addressed to both right and left) aren't that different in your stereotyping and thinking that you are logical and follow empirical evidence while "the other side" are the ones who are brainwashed by media.

Gil, if you haven't learned by now...

Right-wing members of this forum are never wrong.

Liberals are all rabid feminazi's who are brainwashed by mainstream media and educational institutions.

Irony is definitely not lost here and their ability to look intrinsically at their viewpoints and assess them stands alongside the the abilities of the world's greatest thinkers.

You won't convince anyone here otherwise.