PILOT SPIN
Spin Zone => Spin Zone => Topic started by: nddons on February 03, 2016, 09:04:11 AM
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I have been friends with a guy since 1978. We were college roommates, fraternity brothers, and I was best man in his wedding. He stood up in my wedding as well. We also fought about politics even back then - we had shouting matches on Reagan vs Carter 35 years ago.
Over time, life and geography has intervened, and at most we email each other a couple times a year. I probably last saw him 10 years ago, and things were awkward, in part because of his rabid political positions. I'm sure he thinks he same of me. We also have little in common any more. He married late in his 30's, he "retired" in his 40's to be a stay at home dad for their son (who is now in college) as his wife has a career at a large bank. He does church trips to Haiti, does other volunteer work, and apparently has done some local "summer-stock" type acting in local plays. He's kind of a "metro" guy living in a wealthy Chicago suburb. Oh, and the final straw is that he's a Packers fan.
So he recently sent me an email on my birthday, and he asked who I was supporting. I in turn asked him if he still supports Sanders. His response is below.
I'm not quite sure how to respond, or if to respond at all. My wife endorses the latter.
Here is is email:
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I am definitely a Bernie supporter and will surely vote for him when the Illinois primary rolls along next month. However, as I said in an earlier message, I will be just as happy to vote for Hillary in the general if she is the nominee. I think her biggest challenge will be to keep Bernie's supporters engaged so that they turn out for her in the general. A Republican in the White House in Jan 2017 would be bad for the country and a disaster for every priority that Bernie and his supporters, like me, hold dear.
Tho I do agree that it has been curious to see an old Jew from Brooklyn become such a rock star with today's young people, I'm not surprised because of his message and his almost singleminded devotion to it (democracy not oligarchy) resonates with people from all walks of life. People of all shapes ages and colors know that our planet is in danger due to fossil fuels and they know that Rs are only interested in protecting their future contributions from the fossil fuel industry. They know that our country's infrastructure is falling apart, they know that investments in such infrastructure protect them and their kids health and safety (thanks Rs for poisoning almost an entire city!), improve the economy and provide good paying jobs and they know that Rs are only interested in protecting the wallets and lowering the tax bills of their fat-cat Super PAC contributors. They know that a higher minimum wage will help vulnerable people who live on the edge of economic catastrophe and they know that Rs just want to maintain control over their cheap sources of labor. They know that never ending war is a prescription for more violence at home and abroad and they know that Rs want to send more kids that look like them off to intervene in places we don't need to be. So, I'm not very impressed with the diversity of the R crowd. Your Rs might look diverse but it's not the superficial diversity I want our country to aspire to. You gotta walk the walk, not just talk the talk or look the part. Progressives like me want progress not protection of the status quo.
Sorry... got carried away a little.
I presume you will be wearing Carolina blue on Sunday? Nancy and I leave Saturday for Punta Cana for a week with several other couples from our single and early married days in Lincoln Park. I've been told the resort will have a big screen on the beach for the Super Bowl. I don't have a dog in this fight so I'll just hope for a good game, better than Peyton Manning's last Super Bowl effort!
Be well.....
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There are no words. I would never engage that person in a discussion of substance, totally no point.
My head hurts now.
'Gimp
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Just give me his coordinates.
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Bad case of EPS (Extreme Partisanship Syndrome). I see it in folks here, too. Like that time that a comment to let Cam Newton have some fun turned into an example of how Progressivism is destroying the fabric of spacetime.
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I'm not quite sure how to respond, or if to respond at all. My wife endorses the latter.
possible responses:
1) "was that email some kind of joke?"
2) "here's your sign"
basically, you can't fix stupid.
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Bad case of EPS (Extreme Partisanship Syndrome). I see it in folks here, too. Like that time that a comment to let Cam Newton have some fun turned into an example of how Progressivism is destroying the fabric of spacetime.
I Googled "Progressivism is destroying spacetime" and it laser focused on this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JACiGIEfvBY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JACiGIEfvBY)
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I can navigate. Really.
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Wow.... Your bride is a very wise lady, particularly if you want to maintain any relationship with the delusional reprobate... ;-)
If the latter no longer matters, I suspect you could shred him in a couple well written paragraphs.
The only confusing part of this guy's make up is his excellent taste in football teams. I had no idea pinko commie delusional freaks could be packer fans...
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Wow.... Your bride is a very wise lady, particularly if you want to maintain any relationship with the delusional reprobate... ;-)
If the latter no longer matters, I suspect you could shred him in a couple well written paragraphs.
The only confusing part of this guy's make up is his excellent taste in football teams. I had no idea pinko commie delusional freaks could be packer fans...
I guess Winston Churchill was correct. He has no brain.
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I Googled "Progressivism is destroying spacetime" and it laser focused on this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JACiGIEfvBY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JACiGIEfvBY)
Nice find. I love Star Trek TNG, so it must be true! :D
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I have a similar friend. Growing up we rode dirt bikes together, went to races, from middle school on until about mid-way through college. We were roomates freshman year in college. Somewhere in there, he went from being kindof moderate and apathetic about politics, to drinking liberal cool-aid hardcore. I could definitely see him writing that letter. Fast forward a few years and we haven't really hung out much. No falling out between us., just different set of friends as he was hanging out with some hipsters. They were okay, I would go to parties with them occasionally but its not really my crowd. Anyway about 2 years ago he sends me a text, haven't seen you in awhile, want to meet for a drink someteime? Sure, I arrange to meet him at a bar after work to get some wings and drink beer.
We avoided talking about politics, but it was kinda lame, not much in common.. he tried to hit on these two girls sitting next to us and failed, we talk about work, he hates his job, does not make much money, long hours, boss is a dick... then asks if I have an extra room at my house for him, because parents want him out and he can't afford his own place. I kinda gave him the .. well dunno.. kinda like living by myself, but i'll let you know. Then the fucker thanks me for the beers, explains he can't pay for it because his paycheck does not come for another week, and leaves!
I have other die hard liberal acquaintances, but I avoid talking about politics at all with any of them like the PLAGUE. You know these people, the ones who post a bunch of liberal crap on social media. I will gladly talk politics and policy with other people but NOT the ones who I know are hardcore left. Because I know it won't be a conversation as they are not open minded people.
I can't say i'm completely open-minded as I think socialism is cancer, and anyone who is a socialist is an idiot. Though I am open to some progessive ideas, i'm somewhere between libertarian and conservative.
Oh and I don't post political stuff on social media. When your facebook could double as Hillary's talking points for tomorrow night's speech, you have gone too far!
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Can't fix stupid.
Just can't be fixed.
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Nice to have you here dell30rb.
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Wow.... Your bride is a very wise lady, particularly if you want to maintain any relationship with the delusional reprobate... ;-)
If the latter no longer matters, I suspect you could shred him in a couple well written paragraphs.
The only confusing part of this guy's make up is his excellent taste in football teams. I had no idea pinko commie delusional freaks could be packer fans...
I thought all Packers fans were pinko commie delusional freaks!
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possible responses:
1) "was that email some kind of joke?"
2) "here's your sign"
basically, you can't fix stupid.
3) "sorry to hear that head wound never healed"
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I guess Winston Churchill was correct. He has no brain.
What were your and his college majors?
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I have a similar friend. Growing up we rode dirt bikes together, went to races, from middle school on until about mid-way through college. We were roomates freshman year in college. Somewhere in there, he went from being kindof moderate and apathetic about politics, to drinking liberal cool-aid hardcore. I could definitely see him writing that letter. Fast forward a few years and we haven't really hung out much. No falling out between us., just different set of friends as he was hanging out with some hipsters. They were okay, I would go to parties with them occasionally but its not really my crowd. Anyway about 2 years ago he sends me a text, haven't seen you in awhile, want to meet for a drink someteime? Sure, I arrange to meet him at a bar after work to get some wings and drink beer.
We avoided talking about politics, but it was kinda lame, not much in common.. he tried to hit on these two girls sitting next to us and failed, we talk about work, he hates his job, does not make much money, long hours, boss is a dick... then asks if I have an extra room at my house for him, because parents want him out and he can't afford his own place. I kinda gave him the .. well dunno.. kinda like living by myself, but i'll let you know. Then the fucker thanks me for the beers, explains he can't pay for it because his paycheck does not come for another week, and leaves!
I have other die hard liberal acquaintances, but I avoid talking about politics at all with any of them like the PLAGUE. You know these people, the ones who post a bunch of liberal crap on social media. I will gladly talk politics and policy with other people but NOT the ones who I know are hardcore left. Because I know it won't be a conversation as they are not open minded people.
I can't say i'm completely open-minded as I think socialism is cancer, and anyone who is a socialist is an idiot. Though I am open to some progessive ideas, i'm somewhere between libertarian and conservative.
Oh and I don't post political stuff on social media. When your facebook could double as Hillary's talking points for tomorrow night's speech, you have gone too far!
Same question. What did you guys major in?
And here's a beer and taxation story:
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this…
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing
The fifth would pay $1
The sixth would pay $3
The seventh would pay $7
The eighth would pay $12
The ninth would pay $18
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59
So, that’s what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.
“Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20″. Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?
The bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.
“I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,”but he got $10!”
“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!”
“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
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Same question. What did you guys major in?
And here's a beer and taxation story:
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this…
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing
The fifth would pay $1
The sixth would pay $3
The seventh would pay $7
The eighth would pay $12
The ninth would pay $18
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59
So, that’s what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.
“Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20″. Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?
The bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.
“I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,”but he got $10!”
“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!”
“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
An oldie, but definitely a goodie.
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I thought all Packers fans were pinko commie delusional freaks!
They are!!
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3) "sorry to hear that head wound never healed"
Excellent!
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What were your and his college majors?
We both double majored. I was accounting and business administration. He was math and computer science. He then worked for some banks before he "retired."
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Obviously he's goading you into an argument. It's grade school trolling. Stan, if you care to remain friends/acquaintances...
"Interesting argument. Have a great trip, maybe we will catch up when you return!"
Otherwise, listen to the other responses.
If he believes that tripe 100%, then good for him.
Sent from my iPad . Squirrel!!
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Same question. What did you guys major in?
And here's a beer and taxation story:
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this…
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing
The fifth would pay $1
The sixth would pay $3
The seventh would pay $7
The eighth would pay $12
The ninth would pay $18
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59
So, that’s what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.
“Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20″. Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?
The bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.
“I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,”but he got $10!”
“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!”
“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
Ha! I used the exact same example, verbatim, when arguing about George Bush's 2001 income tax cuts. That's the one where the 39.6% rate fell to 35%, the 28, 31, and 36% rates each fell by 3%, and a new 10% rate was created and carved out of the lower end of the 15% bracket.
He still complained, in the most blindingly irritating and ignorant manner, that the majority of the tax cuts went to George Bush's wealthy friends and not to the poorer people who "need that money."
Stop laughing. No, I'm totally serious.
And he was a math major.
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As I posted to another thread, most of my old friends and family are quite liberal in thei views.
None are intellectually challenged, and are, in fact, quite smart.
Yet things are polarized to the point that this is how they view Republicans:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7558/15547302949_f78c7f5903.jpg)
(Posted by a liberal family member to Facebook after the last Congressional elections.)
Sad it's come to this.
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We both double majored. I was accounting and business administration. He was math and computer science. He then worked for some banks before he "retired."
So you were trained to deal with the real world and he, abstractions.
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As I posted to another thread, most of my old friends and family are quite liberal in thei views.
None are intellectually challenged, and are, in fact, quite smart.
Yet things are polarized to the point that this is how they view Republicans:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7558/15547302949_f78c7f5903.jpg)
(Posted by a liberal family member to Facebook after the last Congressional elections.)
Sad it's come to this.
False memes like this are the only reason liberals can live with themselves.
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Whose EPA was it that actually poisoned a river :)
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I thought all Packers fans were pinko commie delusional freaks!
Ha... Fair enough.
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Liberalism has morphed into the PROGRESSIVE movement. It is a mental disorder. I do not know how else to explain it.
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Same question. What did you guys major in?
Business Management
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Nice to have you here dell30rb.
Thanks!
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So you were trained to deal with the real world and he, abstractions.
Excellent observation!
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So you were trained to deal with the real world and he, abstractions.
um, there are certainly areas of math that are very real rather than the touchy-feely BS of non-sciences.
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um, there are certainly areas of math that are very real rather than the touchy-feely BS of non-sciences.
(https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/purity.png)
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um, there are certainly areas of math that are very real rather than the touchy-feely BS of non-sciences.
Common Core?
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There are 10 types of people in the world
those that understand binary and those that don't
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0x4C 0x4F 0x4C
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O-1 BirdDog.
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Common Core?
It has been going this way a lot longer than the implementation of Common Core.