RationalWiki talk:What is going on in the world?
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:Compelling the disinterested and apathetic to vote isn't necessarily a good idea. For one thing, it could compel them to vote ''against'' you. Really Obama, way to give the small-government Republicans something to rile up against. It's not like mandatory voting is something that's ever gonna see the light of day in the US anyway. [[Special:Contributions/141.134.75.236|141.134.75.236]] ([[User talk:141.134.75.236|talk]]) 00:11, 14 April 2015 (UTC) | :Compelling the disinterested and apathetic to vote isn't necessarily a good idea. For one thing, it could compel them to vote ''against'' you. Really Obama, way to give the small-government Republicans something to rile up against. It's not like mandatory voting is something that's ever gonna see the light of day in the US anyway. [[Special:Contributions/141.134.75.236|141.134.75.236]] ([[User talk:141.134.75.236|talk]]) 00:11, 14 April 2015 (UTC) | ||
::Not when so many politicians have a vested interest in discouraging the Masses from voting so they can focus laser-like on pandering to the single-issue loons. --[[User:Gulik|Gulik]] ([[User talk:Gulik|talk]]) 05:22, 14 April 2015 (UTC) | ::Not when so many politicians have a vested interest in discouraging the Masses from voting so they can focus laser-like on pandering to the single-issue loons. --[[User:Gulik|Gulik]] ([[User talk:Gulik|talk]]) 05:22, 14 April 2015 (UTC) | ||
| + | :::People who only bother to vote when they're forced to are probably more likely to be swayed by single-issue rhetoric than the average voter is. {{User:Weaseloid/sig|}} 06:09, 14 April 2015 (UTC) | ||
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The rabbi kidnap-torture-divorce story
The link should maybe mention that the rabbis and their associates are hitmen and are not working pro bono. Narky Sawtooth
(Floof!~) 00:58, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
- The WIGO entry already says "kidnapping and torturing". How on earth would you get "pro bono" from reading that? ΨΣΔξΣΓΩΙÐ
Methinks it is a Weasel 01:11, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
- That article is going on two years old. Why now? Whoover (talk) 19:07, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
- Usually because whoever posted it didn't notice that. Wéáśéĺóíď
Methinks it is a Weasel 20:30, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
- Usually because whoever posted it didn't notice that. Wéáśéĺóíď
- I'm a bit late on saying this, but: I meant "pro bono" in a "their mind" way. They're paid hitmen and weren't doing it solely from any delusions of heroism and justice. Narky Sawtooth
(Floof!~) 10:51, 12 March 2015 (UTC)
- That article is going on two years old. Why now? Whoover (talk) 19:07, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
- Hitman Rabbi would make a great prime-time show.--Madman (talk) 19:19, 10 March 2015 (UTC)The Madman
That measles "skeptic"
Best Schadenfrued of March, hands down. And good on the doctor who got the money. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 15:26, 13 March 2015 (UTC)
Evolution Marketplace's downfall
I hate, hate to bask in schadenfreude considering some people are broke, but come the fuck on. Do Bitcoiners really think that the fifth wave of darknet drug dealers will be more reliable than the last one? |₹Λ¥$€₦₦
I reject your reality. 16:18, 18 March 2015 (UTC)
- They all find various ways to frame these things: "I like when trust networks can fail because it trains people how the real free market works" or "They didn't implement X security protocol that will resolve these issues" or "Cost of doing business". Some of course, get fed up and abandon the market, but they don't continue to hang out on bitcoin forums promising that it's the currency of the future. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 16:27, 18 March 2015 (UTC)
Incoherent hate speech
- Written with red paint, the vandals scrawled "Muslims get out" on a school wall. They also painted a swastika on the wall. The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center was tagged with a similar message and the same red paint.
One one level, this is amazingly stupid.
On another level, this confirms my belief that a major cause of "racist" incidents is the age-old adolescent desire to be very, very naughty. There's grounds to doubt how much actual hate goes into these "hate crimes", and how much is a simple desire to troll. In which case the shrieking, priggish reactions of officialdom, and the furious blogging and propagation through social media the incident may generate, including this WIGO, are part of the problem. - Smerdis of Tlön, If you burn with an inner fire, you are already damned. 01:56, 19 March 2015 (UTC)
- Question for you: those Okie frat boys: hate speech/vile racism, or just "boys being boys"? Peace. AgingHippie (talk) 01:59, 19 March 2015 (UTC)
- That's a different matter entirely, but that incident also struck me as being tempered by a large helping of "you can't handle the truth." There are things everybody knows that you still aren't allowed to say. - Smerdis of Tlön, If you burn with an inner fire, you are already damned. 02:33, 19 March 2015 (UTC)
- This isn't the first time & won't be the last that non-Muslim minorities have been the target of ignorant Islamophobic attacks. That doesn't mean it's "not racist" or "not hateful", and neither does the "desire to troll" aspect. Wèàšèìòìď
Methinks it is a Weasel 18:48, 19 March 2015 (UTC)
- I'm not saying that it's not racist or hateful. Just that I doubt the level of ideological commitment behind it. Rather, that sort of thing is a proven way to get Very Serious People saying Very Serious Stuff. Those reactions invite copycats. - Smerdis of Tlön, If you burn with an inner fire, you are already damned. 00:50, 20 March 2015 (UTC)
- This isn't the first time & won't be the last that non-Muslim minorities have been the target of ignorant Islamophobic attacks. That doesn't mean it's "not racist" or "not hateful", and neither does the "desire to troll" aspect. Wèàšèìòìď
- That's a different matter entirely, but that incident also struck me as being tempered by a large helping of "you can't handle the truth." There are things everybody knows that you still aren't allowed to say. - Smerdis of Tlön, If you burn with an inner fire, you are already damned. 02:33, 19 March 2015 (UTC)
The FEMA thing
I'm not comfortable with the poor people exposed to hurricane and flooding risk in my state lacking tools to prepare for evacuations just because a slim majority of us elected assholes for office. There's a lot of completely innocent people put in harm's way to correct some idiot policies that amount to being wrong. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 15:14, 23 March 2015 (UTC)
- There's still a bit of time before hurricane season starts, so I'm looking forward to hearing about the organizing you'll be doing to get those thousands and thousands of people onto the lawn of the (I'm guessing Florida?) state capitol to hold your shitty leaders accountable for their actions. Peace. AgingHippie (talk) 15:24, 23 March 2015 (UTC)
- North Carolina, and we already repeatedly protested some serious shit that went down in the wake of that republican majority, and hundreds of people have been arrested for their trouble. And Hurricane preparation has to be done months to years in advance. Maintaining evacuation routes, having coordinators, building/maintaining shelters, stocking emergency supplies, and having a few emergency crews on standby are all things you can't do when you get your 48 hour hurricane watch.
- And the idiot governor we've got is going to stand on some policy of "good, let's cut big goverment and deny climate change", and the people who lose out are going to be the already economically dis-empowered people on the east side of the state, the next time a disaster does strike. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 15:32, 23 March 2015 (UTC)
- On the positive side, I can tell you with strong certainty who will be the first ones against the wall when the revolution finally comes. In the meanwhile, stay dry. Peace. AgingHippie (talk) 17:22, 23 March 2015 (UTC)
- Frankly, Rick Scott shouldn't even be governor of Florida. He barely won and should have lost. As a Floridian, I welcome this ultimatum for Scott. Florida is one of the states that can least afford to ignore the effects of climate change. We deserve better. If there's a way to force states to realize reality, I'm all for it. I'd argue that this is no different than the way a national drinking age was established in the US. Hopefully our governors are smart enough to realize the danger their idiocy puts the state in even if they don't recognize their own idiocy.
- On the positive side, I can tell you with strong certainty who will be the first ones against the wall when the revolution finally comes. In the meanwhile, stay dry. Peace. AgingHippie (talk) 17:22, 23 March 2015 (UTC)
Miss Universe (Japan)
OK, so an anachronistic beauty contest has no problems with skin colour but there are a couple of nutters on Twitter who do. And this is a news story. This is a classic case of a tabloid inventing scandal where, quite frankly, there is none. I'd put it in Clogs. Doxys Midnight Runner (talk) 16:15, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
- Put it wherever you'd like. --Miekal 16:25, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
- ...as the Miss Universe contestant said to the Miss Universe judge. Queexchthonic murmurings 16:28, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
- The word "but" is misplaced in the wigo page item. Work it out. Oh, and "the half black" thing? Just fuck off back to the past and take your time machine with you, you ain't ready for 2015. London Grump (talk) 18:03, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
- ...as the Miss Universe contestant said to the Miss Universe judge. Queexchthonic murmurings 16:28, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
This story was alread WIGOed and then hidden over on Clogosphere. ₩€₳$€£ΘĪÐ
Methinks it is a Weasel 18:54, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
Cameron third term
He's actually running for a second term this May, his "third term" would be in 2020 if he ran for it, but he's saying he's not. The reason it's a news story is that it'd lead to an odd position at some point during the end of his term where he'd have to step down and have someone replace him before his term was properly up, which is a fairly unusual thing in the UK. The way it's written on the page makes it seem like he's not going to run for this election, which he is. X Stickman (talk) 23:41, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
- Thanks, I didn't get that! --Sophophobe (talk) 17:39, 25 March 2015 (UTC)
- 'Salright, the only reason I knew it is because I've got a new car that doesn't have an MP3 player built in, so rather than listening to my own collection, I've had Radio 4 on whenever I'm out. Now I'm all knowledgeable. X Stickman (talk) 15:05, 28 March 2015 (UTC)
Intolerant Jackass Act
I changed the WIGO to a Daily Kos article to conform to the rules, but I think the Slate blog is more comprehensive, and has more interesting analysis. MaillardFillmore (talk) 00:54, 25 March 2015 (UTC)
- Given that "sodomy" is sort of a catchall expression for "things we're too scared to say that God doesn't hate", I'd stock up on bullets :D .
Ted Cruz does not break the law, unlike Al Sharpton who has not paid his taxes
Ted Cruz complies with federal law even if he doesn't like it. He may try to shut down the government over that law, but he personally abides by the law. Al Sharpton, on the other hand, wants more taxes to redistribute the wealth, but won't pay his own taxes. ConservapediaEditor (talk) 19:43, 25 March 2015 (UTC)
- I am absolutely glad Ted Cruz complies with federal law, being a large believer in law and order. As for Al Sharpton, I a) don't care what his opinion on taxes is, as he's a private citizen and not a public official, and b) believe that he should be prosecuted if he's engaging in tax evasion. And to my non-surprise, action is being taken against him for it.. I am glad to see law and order prevailing for both Sharpton and Cruz. --Castaigne (talk) 20:44, 25 March 2015 (UTC)
–––Everyone knows that Al not-so-Sharpton is the standard by which American morality is measured by. I sure am glad Al Sharpton is a congre- oh. Besides, Ted Cruz seems to have a hard time understanding what federal law is. Gotta repeal that there common core legislation. Mayo2017 (talk) 02:20, 26 March 2015 (UTC)
stopping bills becoming coins
I don't think this is a bad thing. Here in blighty there are too many coins weighing down and rattling in my pockets making my wallet look empty. AMassiveGay (talk) 13:14, 28 March 2015 (UTC)
- Preferring paper over metal is not a bad thing. Creating bills preventing "Washington elites" from ordering the production of dollar coins because you have an irrational fear of anything "European" is a bad thing. Frederick♠♣♥♦ 00:34, 29 March 2015 (UTC)
- Meh, I'd be annoyed if I had to muck about with paper for quantities as low as £2. Looking forward to the groovy new quid, too. Queexchthonic murmurings 15:06, 30 March 2015 (UTC)
- I'd like to think of it as the "Yes, we still hate blind people" act. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 15:13, 30 March 2015 (UTC)
- I don't know, here in the continent 5€ bills get dirty and worn fast enough due to the constant changing of hands, I only can imagine how worse it would be with 1€ and 2€ bills. I personally think metal is better for small denomination currency, but of course each one has his preferences.46.24.106.218 (talk) 13:50, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- coins were an issue in Australia. I normally carried 20 dollars or so in bills in my wallet. Suddenly I had to carry maybe 15 coins for small purchases or use $5 bills for everything and collect a lot of change. coin Purses for men was a small trend that went nowhere. Hamster (talk) 14:46, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
So... any thoughts on Trevor Noah replacing Jon Stewart? I think he's good, but I would have preferred Samantha Bee or Aasif Mandvi to take the helm. Then, Jon Stewart is absolutely a tough act to follow, considering his accomplishments. Dwbaker994 (talk) 19:14, 30 March 2015 (UTC)— Unsigned, by: Dwbaker994 / talk / contribs The world is not enough.
- Sign your posts with four tildes, please ~~~~. And... I'm gonna be terrible and say that Stewart is a mediocre actor, but a great writer. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 16:43, 30 March 2015 (UTC)
- What's terrible about that? Comedians don't need to be good actors or good writers, so you basically just gave him a compliment. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 19:29, 30 March 2015 (UTC)
- I don't understand how he got the gig. He's only been on The Daily Show since December 2014!?! I would've thought one of the longer running contributes would get the gig. Haven't watched The Daily Show in a while so I never even heard of this guy before today. Saw a clip of him today and he seems OK. 37.228.253.121 (talk) 21:14, 30 March 2015 (UTC)
- Honestly, I originally expected John Oliver to get the job, but he went his own way with Last Week Tonight. ℕoir LeSable (talk) 03:53, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- I don't understand how he got the gig. He's only been on The Daily Show since December 2014!?! I would've thought one of the longer running contributes would get the gig. Haven't watched The Daily Show in a while so I never even heard of this guy before today. Saw a clip of him today and he seems OK. 37.228.253.121 (talk) 21:14, 30 March 2015 (UTC)
Aaaaaaaaaand people already want him fired.
It's another sign that we live in the digital age and ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you post on social media can haunt you in the future. People have dug up old tweets of his with sexist, racist, and anti-atheist jokes, and there are calls for him to not get the job because he is such a "giant dope".
Reddit isn't up in arms about this yet, although there are grumblings in /r/Atheism and one of his tweets hit frontpage on /r/FatPeopleHate. Tumblr's #Trevor_Noah tag is ostensibly split between "This witch-hunt is stupid and/or highlights double standards and/or is unfair," and "Fuck that prick, Jessica Williams should've gotten it."
Personally, I still stand behind the guy. Nobody's perfect, after all. ℕoir LeSable (talk) 03:53, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- I for one cannot wait to see the Tweets, Facebook updates and blog posts from both the left and the right when a black guy looses his job in a racism scandal. Peace. AgingHippie (talk) 04:13, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- Honestly, I have no qualms against the guy, but if I had to pick between him and Jessica Williams, then yeah I'd go with the latter. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 04:49, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- I too was rooting for Williams, but I assume that the people in charge know what they're doing. And historically, all he has to do is be better than Kilbourn. Yeah, the witch-hunt is stupid. People who treat jokes about race or
gendersex like cartoons of Muhammad need a session in the cucking stool. - Smerdis of Tlön, LOAD "*", 8, 1. 14:11, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- I too was rooting for Williams, but I assume that the people in charge know what they're doing. And historically, all he has to do is be better than Kilbourn. Yeah, the witch-hunt is stupid. People who treat jokes about race or
Westminster paedophile ring
I'm wondering if we're gonna need a page on this soon. It's getting popular in British newspapers, and evidence suggests a major coverup going as far as Prime Minister Thatcher being notified of it (and the documents mysteriously disappearing). The benefits include: an on-mission list of corrupt politicians, and the chance to be real snarky at any MP real big on "family" values. The problems faced are false leads (there was that case a few years back where the police had a man accuse the wrong ex-politician) and newspapers milking stories considerably (take note of the Enoch Powell stuff - more focus is given to "he might have been a Satanist" than "he might have been a child rapist") as part of a Moral Panic.-- Forerunner (talk) 20:35, 30 March 2015 (UTC)
- This seems like one of those things that you could only make a reasonable article about after the dust has settled, and the establishment shifted its narrative from 'nothing to see here' to 'they were always a bit iffy and anyway none of them are still around'. Given how long the scandal's been brewing, that could be years away. Queexchthonic murmurings 09:51, 31 March 2015 (UTC)
- How about an article that focuses on the timely order of the revelations, actions and official statements resp. the lack thereof? So as to have some sort of protocol, which could later allow to check any narrative that may be told. In general I agree that this story is significant enough, plus it fits the purposes of RW (authoritarianism/monitoring the media). --Sophophobe (talk) 21:29, 31 March 2015 (UTC)
- If nothing else, a background providing historical complaints, etc. Also, what we already know of when the newest revelations and papers were uncovered. AyzmoCheers 21:44, 31 March 2015 (UTC)
- A timeline, then, with minimal analysis for now? AFAIR, Gamergate is the only timeline article RW currently has, and has got a lot of natter back and forth about brevity, missionality and so forth, but I'd certianly find it handy to have a ready reference for the ins and outs, with references. Queexchthonic murmurings 12:10, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- anything written would need to be fully sourced and made clear of fact vs allegation Hamster (talk) 14:41, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- And all references to government pages should be made through archive.org or the like. Wouldn't be the first time an official statement gets tampered with when a contradiction shows up. --Sophophobe (talk) 16:53, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- anything written would need to be fully sourced and made clear of fact vs allegation Hamster (talk) 14:41, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- A timeline, then, with minimal analysis for now? AFAIR, Gamergate is the only timeline article RW currently has, and has got a lot of natter back and forth about brevity, missionality and so forth, but I'd certianly find it handy to have a ready reference for the ins and outs, with references. Queexchthonic murmurings 12:10, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
- If nothing else, a background providing historical complaints, etc. Also, what we already know of when the newest revelations and papers were uncovered. AyzmoCheers 21:44, 31 March 2015 (UTC)
- How about an article that focuses on the timely order of the revelations, actions and official statements resp. the lack thereof? So as to have some sort of protocol, which could later allow to check any narrative that may be told. In general I agree that this story is significant enough, plus it fits the purposes of RW (authoritarianism/monitoring the media). --Sophophobe (talk) 21:29, 31 March 2015 (UTC)
Snowden video
"The uploader has not made this video available in your country." So where can I see it? Or preferably, read it? Bicyclewheel
10:00, 6 April 2015 (UTC)
- Here's a collection of news stories that Google decided were about the video. Hopefully one of them will help. -Soviet Hologram God (talk) 14:16, 6 April 2015 (UTC)
- Oddly, that link doesn't show any results for me. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 08:40, 7 April 2015 (UTC)
- Basically Snowden said "nobody cares that the NSA knows your secrets, but people do care that the NSA have copies of your dick pics." Bicyclewheel
08:58, 7 April 2015 (UTC)
- You know what we're going to get out of this? Some sort of "Public Encroachment on Nude Image by Survelience Act" that specifically addresses John Oliver's rather clever take-down of the concept, while not doing anything about stuff that matters. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 14:46, 9 April 2015 (UTC)
- Basically Snowden said "nobody cares that the NSA knows your secrets, but people do care that the NSA have copies of your dick pics." Bicyclewheel
- Oddly, that link doesn't show any results for me. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 08:40, 7 April 2015 (UTC)
Tennessee Bill Allows Counselors to Reject LGBT Students
For the people wondering why this entry is getting voted down, check the date. The story is from 2013; it's over two years old. --OverworldTheme (talk) 14:07, 9 April 2015 (UTC)
Hillary for President
OK - I'll bite...what is it that is "truly bizarre" about this?? --Aloysius the Gaul (talk) 23:32, 12 April 2015 (UTC)
- Absolutely nothing. It's like a freak circus advertising their two-eyed, one-nosed man. Sir ℱ℧ℤℤϒℂᗩℑᑭƠℑᗩℑƠ (talk/stalk) 23:38, 12 April 2015 (UTC)
- Two eyes?!? Only one nose? O_O 141.134.75.236 (talk) 00:27, 14 April 2015 (UTC)
Compulsory balloting
Is the shit. First, how's this insignificant? How are "only" 8 senate seats out of 246 studied (3%) insignificant? How is reducing the share of extremists and increasing the share of moderates (who vote at lower rates) insignificant? How is 95% turnout versus 50% turnout insignificant in terms of political engagement? Second, there's no really justified reason not to compel balloting. FüzzyCätPötätö (talk/stalk) 23:51, 13 April 2015 (UTC)
- Compelling the disinterested and apathetic to vote isn't necessarily a good idea. For one thing, it could compel them to vote against you. Really Obama, way to give the small-government Republicans something to rile up against. It's not like mandatory voting is something that's ever gonna see the light of day in the US anyway. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 00:11, 14 April 2015 (UTC)
- Not when so many politicians have a vested interest in discouraging the Masses from voting so they can focus laser-like on pandering to the single-issue loons. --Gulik (talk) 05:22, 14 April 2015 (UTC)
- People who only bother to vote when they're forced to are probably more likely to be swayed by single-issue rhetoric than the average voter is. Weaseloid
Methinks it is a Weasel 06:09, 14 April 2015 (UTC)
- People who only bother to vote when they're forced to are probably more likely to be swayed by single-issue rhetoric than the average voter is. Weaseloid
- Not when so many politicians have a vested interest in discouraging the Masses from voting so they can focus laser-like on pandering to the single-issue loons. --Gulik (talk) 05:22, 14 April 2015 (UTC)