Crazy Progressives watch thread

[Dr Exiled]

David Cay Johnston is good author to read for a deeper dive. His books Perfectly Legal, Free Lunch, and The Fine Print are pretty eye-opening.

https://www.amazon.com/David-Cay-Johnst ... scns_share

[Gunnar]

I used to listen to O'Rieley. There were plenty of times I did not see eye to eye with him but he seem to actually have thoughts to keep a person a bit interested. Hannity strikes me as having a head of wood , I have no inclination to listen. Carlson seems to me to be either fake or otherwise off, not watchable. So that's my excuse for not catching your reference.

The fact that you don’t watch TC makes me appreciate you as a human being.

- Doc

It is amazing to me that Carlson is still so popular despite the fact that in his successful defense used by Fox News' own lawyers in the slander lawsuit against him, they literally argued that no reasonable person would take anything he claimed seriously, thus, in effect, insulting the intelligence of his most faithful fans.

Now comes the claim that you can't expect to literally believe the words that come out of Carlson's mouth. And that assertion is not coming from Carlson's critics. It's being made by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York and by Fox News's own lawyers in defending Carlson against accusations of slander. It worked, by the way.

Just read U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil's opinion, leaning heavily on the arguments of Fox's lawyers: The "'general tenor' of the show should then inform a viewer that [Carlson] is not 'stating actual facts' about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.' "

Even more amazing to me is that that line of defense actually worked and was taken seriously! Isn't claiming something defamatory about someone that is admittedly questionable and even demonstrably not factual the very definition of "slander?"

[Some Schmo]

It is amazing to me that Carlson is still so popular despite the fact that in his successful defense used by Fox News' own lawyers in the slander lawsuit against him, they literally argued that no reasonable person would take anything he claimed seriously, thus, in effect, insulting the intelligence of his most faithful fans.

Which is yet another reason it is so tempting to believe the Trump/Fox News base are dumb as posts. They don't want to be called stupid or looked down upon, yet they do nothing to persuade people against it.

[huckelberry]

It is amazing to me that Carlson is still so popular despite the fact that in his successful defense used by Fox News' own lawyers in the slander lawsuit against him, they literally argued that no reasonable person would take anything he claimed seriously, thus, in effect, insulting the intelligence of his most faithful fans.

I suppose if a person is a Carlson fan then they could see the defense as a clever ruse and like him all the more. Some people seem to enjoy the possibility of being loose with fact in the service of successful attack.

[Gunnar]

I suppose if a person is a Carlson fan then they could see the defense as a clever ruse and like him all the more. Some people seem to enjoy the possibility of being loose with fact in the service of successful attack.

Sadly, you may very well be right about that.

[Gunnar]

It is amazing to me that Carlson is still so popular despite the fact that in his successful defense used by Fox News' own lawyers in the slander lawsuit against him, they literally argued that no reasonable person would take anything he claimed seriously, thus, in effect, insulting the intelligence of his most faithful fans.

Which is yet another reason it is so tempting to believe the Trump/Fox News base are dumb as posts. They don't want to be called stupid or looked down upon, yet they do nothing to persuade people against it.

Heart breakingly sad, as well as maddening, isn't it?

[Morley]

Some people seem to enjoy the possibility of being loose with fact in the service of successful attack.

No defense of Carlson (I think he's a moist, worm infested turd), but unfortunately, I think most of us succumb to this temptation at times. All too often, we're all too willing to sacrifice truth for pride.
.

[Gunnar]

Some people seem to enjoy the possibility of being loose with fact in the service of successful attack.

No defense of Carlson (I think he's a moist, worm infested turd), but unfortunately, I think most of us succumb to this temptation at times. All too often, we're all too willing to sacrifice truth for pride.
.

Thanks for the reminder that it behooves us all to be on guard against this failing in ourselves.

[Morley]

No defense of Carlson (I think he's a moist, worm infested turd), but unfortunately, I think most of us succumb to this temptation at times. All too often, we're all too willing to sacrifice truth for pride.
.

Thanks for the reminder that it behooves us all to be on guard against this failing in ourselves.

It's mostly a reminder to me, about me.

[huckelberry]

Honorentheos, I think your description on progressive and conservative is reasonable and clear. It think it is good point to note that a society needs both. You mention the danger of some progressives who loose sense of the value of some conservative principals and think and speak as if tearing everything down to start anew is more than a dangerous fantasy. On the first page here Some Schmo opined that group could be 15 percent of democratic voters.I thought that perhaps a bit high.(I hope)

I got the impression that you view the danger as larger and more pressing. I am wondering a bit what you are seeing. A while back online a Jordan Peterson became a focal point. He was able to be a lightning rod for some pretty rabid progressive types. He provided some good proof that crazy progressives exist. He also suggested that the crazies had taken over the campuses. I could not help but think he exaggerated. Yes some administrator at
Evergreen sanctioned a professor for allowing students to hear a Peterson presentation. That was a truly egregious act. Evergreen has long been a very liberal andn extreme place but that action was awful in any context.

Even though you complained about no examples of crazy progressives you did not provide any examples either, perhaps suggesting they were too obvious and numerous to mention.

Defund the police is a clear example. There are a few actual communists. There are I have heard anarchists I have heard but I am not much clear on what they think that is these days.