Tedesche

If you skip the introduction and don't watch the Q&A afterwards, the presentation is just under an hour. A very good watch, IMO. Interested in what people think.

Hi, all.

As should be news to no one, polarization and animosity between conservatives and liberals is at one of its all-time highs in America right now. There's even talk of a second civil war looming. Obviously, there are strong passions and convictions on both sides, and people on both sides have claimed that the other is a grave threat to the integrity of the nation itself. I'm familiar with the views and concerns of my own side: we view Donald Trump's (and his allies' and supporters') statements and actions as being an attack on the democratic process that defines our nation, and are worried that the strategies and tactics he and they are employing will make future elections farcical, paving the way for an authoritarian state (a dictatorship). I am less familiar with why conservatives feel Democrats and liberals are a threat to the nation and its integrity in similar fashion. My best guess is that conservatives buy Trump's assertions that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, and thus might have similar fears as liberals do, but I also get the sense conservatives have deeper, older concerns than this, and that Trump was/is viewed as a solution to them.

Can you please try to articulate here what those fears are? And, to any liberals reading this, please refrain from answering in conservatives' stead. I'm interested in their opinions, not your opinions of their opinions.

Four Republican backbencher candidates who failed to qualify for the first 2024 GOP presidential debate this week slammed the Republican National Committee over its rules, with multiple contenders calling them “rigged.”

Easily my favorite quote from Mallory Archer.

Curious what conservatives think about this development.

I just stumbled upon this video and it brought back a lot of childhood memories. The creator's channel features a bunch of other HD remakes of old games too.

Posting this because I think it's an interesting examination of the overlap (or lack thereof) between atheists and general skeptics. It's worth remembering that the term 'atheism' only means a rejection of theistic beliefs; non-theistic beliefs that are nonetheless irrational and unsupported by evidence are not relevant to the term. And yet one can easily see why there is an overlap between these two communities and why many atheists scoff at other atheists who profess belief in things like astrology, ghosts, reincarnation, etc.

I'm definitely one of those who doesn't believe in anything supernatural, but I've certainly met atheists who do. It's worth remembering the two groups aren't synonymous.

This is a series of videos I watched years ago in which an ex-Christian explains in detail his journey away from his faith. What I like about this series is that it illustrates how the deconversion process is gradual rather than revelatory and involves a ton of back-and-forth self-questioning, tribulation, anxiety, and even depression. It is not an easy process--something we would all do well to remember while we're posting about how irrational theistic beliefs are.

Dark version.