Voting Day in the United States

[little bongo]

Mahagonny's (roughly speaking) "Trump may be a horrible human being, but his actual policies were pretty middle-of-the-road Republican" isn't an unheard of argument. I think there's some truth to it, although my take (and perhaps history's) is a bit different. This is a pretty even-handed account of Trump's day-to-day in-your-face bigotry coupled with his actual (often indeed pretty racist) policies, with the section "Housing" being particularly informative:

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/01/trump-black-americans-policies-433744

Trump was, for four years, a really Useful Idiot. He was useful to McConnell, until he decidedly wasn't, going from Useful to Useless Idiot. And he was useful to Putin, who didn't need to invade anyone to create chaos in the U.S. as long as Trump was President. For a day or two, he was even useful to Schumer and Pelosi as they forged the infrastructure bill. The key was basically say many, many nice things about Trump, and let him believe he came up with the great idea (Dems probably should have tried that more often).

And finally, with regard to banning, leaving, and comparisons to WritingProf, well, WritingProf got a kick out of taking the piss, until he didn't. If that's what's happening with you, Mahagonny, then vaya con Dios.

[nebo113]

I do not usually do this, have never actually done it on these fora or their predecessors, but my vote would be to resuspend, long-term, mahagonny, whose behavior is increasingly, ahem, problematic and who monopolizes every thread he is on with his often delusional conspiracy thinking and assorted bilge.   He needs to get his mental health under control...

+1

M.

+1      I feel something like the way writing prof did when he announced he was leaving. I have placed myself smack dab in the middle of the social activist and progressive culture of today that nauseates me, and more vividly expressed. And I could be using my time better. Well, maybe it's the steroids talking. But not entirely.
In addition, it's occurred to me that some of you here have the same views as some of my colleagues who are good friends. And this experience might run the risk of influencing me to look upon them differently, and not in a way I would want. And in those real life relationships we are more cautious, and that's a good thing. I have mixed feelings about what the pseudonymous online chat culture offers. Always have. And, rhetorically, I am typically outmatched here, having much less education than most of you. That doesn't help.
Well there's always this...https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hwqn9

Que sera sera!

Oh Dear Sir Mahogg....  Please, I beg of you on bended knee, with hand to heart, do not even considering abandoning this thread.  We need your deep insights on wokeness; your brilliant rhetoric on the weaknesses of democrats; your perceptiveness on the role of whiteness in academic.  Without you, we will be bereft, forlorn, saddened, alone in a liberal morass of wokeness and support for crime and all those other evils you, as under educated as you wrongfully claim to be, articulate so beautifully and incisively.  I plead with you:  consume hands full of steroids if need be, but, as tears stream down my cheeks as I gaze into the abyss of The Fora without you.....Oh, I cannot go on......

[Wahoo Redux]

This is an online discussion board.  Just like society at large and our schools, many of the opinions expressed will appear extreme or just plain irrational.   One need not read a poster if one does not appreciate hu's commentary.  I generally skim or ignore a couple of posters.  Sometimes I engage them, even if I shouldn't. 

Just a thought.

[nebo113]

This is an online discussion board.  Just like society at large and our schools, many of the opinions expressed will appear extreme or just plain irrational.   One need not read a poster if one does not appreciate hu's commentary.  I generally skim or ignore a couple of posters.  Sometimes I engage them, even if I shouldn't. 

Just a thought.

I ignore Mahogg but occasionally I can't resist temptation.

[Sun_Worshiper]

What if the Mahagonny character is a piece of performance art? If that is the case, then let me be the first to tip my hat to the artist.

[lightning]

What if the Mahagonny character is a piece of performance art? If that is the case, then let me be the first to tip my hat to the artist.

That's plausible, since he is in the fine arts area (I think). However, if it is performance art, I have to disagree with you on your complimentary reception, because Mahagonny is not very good at performance art, due to his unoriginality of ideas, poorly thought-out & un-developed concepts, superficiality of conviction, roughness in craft, untutored technique, un-compelling rhetoric, and slipshod execution.

[secundem_artem]

How about we all stop piling on to the poor non-binary dude.  If they annoy you, move on and don't engage.  Honestly, this place is getting to look like a junior high where all the cool kids gang up on the kid with the funny accent or generic brand jeans.

Personally, I rarely agree with Mahag and to a lesser extent Marshie.  But they keep the place honest.  And if I'm honest, I don't see things the way Wahoo does either. If this entire fora sounded like the discussion over on the positionality and diversity statements thread - one of the woker threads on these here fora, I'd just leave.

Meaningful discussions are really hard to have online - anybody remember teaching via Zoom? 

Read what you want to read, ignore what you want to ignore, say your piece and good luck and god bless to us all.

Artem out.

[mamselle]

I'm starting to wonder--given the dogfight erupting in the House--if the Democratic not only won control of the Senate, but, indirectly, of the Congress as well.

Seems like the GOP won just enough rope to tie themselves up in knots.

M.

[apl68]

I'm relieved that the elections seem overall to have gone as well as they did.  And that a particularly awful and misguided voter initiative in our state was strongly defeated.  I've also seen statistics that indicate that controversial voter ID laws and the like have not affected voter turnout--which should put to rest incipient conspiracy theories regarding elections stolen by voter suppression.

[Wahoo Redux]

And if I'm honest, I don't see things the way Wahoo does either.

This is a discussion forum.  And I have an open mind and listen to rational commentary.

What do you disagree with?

[lightning]

How about we all stop piling on to the poor non-binary dude.  If they annoy you, move on and don't engage.  Honestly, this place is getting to look like a junior high where all the cool kids gang up on the kid with the funny accent or generic brand jeans.

Personally, I rarely agree with Mahag and to a lesser extent Marshie.  But they keep the place honest.  And if I'm honest, I don't see things the way Wahoo does either. If this entire fora sounded like the discussion over on the positionality and diversity statements thread - one of the woker threads on these here fora, I'd just leave.

Meaningful discussions are really hard to have online - anybody remember teaching via Zoom? 

Read what you want to read, ignore what you want to ignore, say your piece and good luck and god bless to us all.

Artem out.

All good advice, but it needs to be directed more at the troll than to me or the others here.

I have been practicing what you preach, but there does come a point where you can't ignore the BS spewing forth because ignoring it and moving on might ruin the community. At that point we MUST engage & speak up, for the sake of the community as a whole. People have left the community because of Mahagonny. I'm thinking of leaving it, as I type.

And no, Mahagonny is not the kid with the funny accent and/or generic jeans, there are no "cool kids" beating up on him.

Mahagonny is the drunk that hangs out at the end of the bar every night, who comes over and sits down next to you and starts drunkenly spewing and ranting all sorts of grievances, conspiracies, non-sequiturs, and random semi-unpleasant stuff, with occasional intermingled pleasantries. Everyone knows him. Sometimes you just play along in a humorous and self-entertaining way, but most of the time he just makes you want to leave the bar early, because you can't simply ignore him or move to another seat.

Using the bar analogy, it's time for me to leave the bar.

It's been nice hanging out with all of you. I learned a lot, among the many other things that the fora has given me.

You win Mahaog. Finally, you beat me. Enjoy your very temporary feeling of agency, as you wipe away the tears and fears caused by what you feel is the "liberal" dominance of your pathetic life and career, with no red wave or red tsunami coming to save your fragile identity.

Dr. Lightning out, at 746 posts.




PS

B.L.M.

[ciao_yall]

I'm starting to wonder--given the dogfight erupting in the House--if the Democratic not only won control of the Senate, but, indirectly, of the Congress as well.

Seems like the GOP won just enough rope to tie themselves up in knots.

M.

Good point. Will McCarthy find it easier to get things passed with cooperation from moderate D's than the MAGAs?

[Ruralguy]

It depends.  Biden has found some moderate Republicans to be reliable on some issues, but not others, at least in the Senate.

[Anselm]

Maybe this what stopped the Red Wave:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7vjx8/almost-twice-as-many-republicans-died-from-covid-before-the-midterms-than-democrats

[secundem_artem]

Biden's biggest problems will be: (1) to convince Manchin that he's actually a Democrat; (2)  to convince Sinema to stop chasing butterflies and actually figure out what she hope to accomplish in the Senate - other than wobbling back and forth on whose position she supports on any given day.