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[Kagus]

I kinda hate meme culture right now. It's become a way for average people to put forward ideas and beliefs then take no responsibility for it. "What, it's just a meme." "If it's just a meme, why are you rubbing your hands together like a fucking supervillain while you cackle at them?" "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh *disappears*"

Hasn't this pretty much been the essence of 4chan for... Years?

[sluissa]

more or less harmless background racism

There is no such thing.

Example: That racist grandpa that you love but is still embarrassing to be in public with? He's never going to change. But you still do things with him because he's not REALLY hurting anyone. Just the occasional slur that comes out of his mouth. Suddenly you get aggressive with him trying to convince him to stop being the way he is. Being around him is no longer fun for either of you. Instead of hanging out with the grandkids, he goes off and joins a group who doesn't hate him. They love him, they invite him in, they nurture his opinions. Maybe he still doesn't actually physically HURT anyone. But this is how this sort of thing happens. (Edit starts) Maybe he's still not any worse, but he's now supporting a group who does have worse people in it, giving it legitimacy. Letting them harm people.

EDIT: Minor clarification.

[Loud Whispers]

Hasn't this pretty much been the essence of 4chan for... Years?

It's been the essence of all comedy since time immemorial

Say something and if the reception was bad 'aha just joking'

[Dunamisdeos]

Hasn't this pretty much been the essence of 4chan for... Years?

It's been the essence of all comedy since time immemorial

Say something and if the reception was bad 'aha just joking'

[Kagus]

Example: That racist grandpa that you love but is still embarrassing to be in public with? He's never going to change. But you still do things with him because he's not REALLY hurting anyone. Just the occasional slur that comes out of his mouth.

Hey, I've got one o' those! Actually doesn't slur that much in public though, and technically a grand-uncle, but hey.

On social media though, he's a nightmare... Posts links and comments on every right-wing cockamamie story and goes rabble-rousing around every topic. My dad actually confronted him a bit about some of the things he was sharing, which included several bold-faced lies and complete fabrications...

His response? "I know they're fake, but I like sharing them anyways. It's the thought that matters."

[nenjin]

I feel like previously it all had way less of a politic bent to it. Which made it easy to ignore. We've gone from Picard screen cap memes with some text to Green Fogs dressed in Nazi regalia standing on the corpse of HC. Put another way, I didn't feel the need to look at the people presenting me memes like they're from another planet until the last few years, based on the stuff they seem consumed with. Doge doesn't raise eyebrows. Some of the shit now though....if the line was blurry before it's seemingly invisible now.

[hector13]

Man, I honestly feel like our culture is reverting to an earlier, more racist period of history, with how commonplace and shameless it is. I just don't understand it.

*ahem*

Make America Great Again; remove *insert racial slur of your choice ‘cause I’m not that much of an edgelord*

[WealthyRadish]

His response? "I know they're fake, but I like sharing them anyways. It's the thought that matters."

This feeling seems to have been a very common theme over the last few years, particularly when people explain their support for Trump despite the laundry lists of things that would ordinarily cause objections. I think many of Trump's supporters are genuinely misunderstood (*chorus of tiny violins*) and it goes without saying that a big part of what Trump's been tapping into is a general mistrust in mainstream politics and media (which isn't necessarily unjustified). I don't think this immunity from the truth is something that is at all particular to Trump's personal qualities, but really could've been exploited by anyone who had recognized it. That some greasy cheesepuff stumbled upon this post-truth vortex just by being a habitual liar is actually somewhat fortunate, as things could've been much worse if anyone else with some competence had really realized the extent of that opportunity.

[Doomblade187]

Apparently, veterans have not been recieving their GI bill benefits, for months, due to a change intended to help them. Fuck this system.

[nenjin]

Makin' It Great.

[Kagus]

Apparently, veterans have not been recieving their GI bill benefits, for months, due to a change intended to help them. Fuck this system.

So, standard VA procedure then?

Also yay Veterans Day!


Oh yeah, fun thing about Grand-Uncle Racist? He's not even American. One of those Norwegian wackjobs who joins groups like 'Stop the Islamification of Norway' and genuinely believes that immigrants want to rename the capital city from Oslo to "New Mecca" (yes, this was a real rumor. Also that they wanted to change the flag because it's got a cross on it). Very happy about having a nice conservative lady run the government and clean up shop after those damn dirty socialists in the Labour party.

[misko27]

On a more traditionally political note: It's seen as increasingly likely that Democratic Senate candidate Sinema will prevail in Arizona. Still a lot of votes to count, but her lead has only widened, and the opposing candidate would need to win 57% of the remaining votes, which are from areas they're currently losing.

[Gentlefish]

Sounds like they're calling it now, yeah. That's great news, we didn't lose as many seats as we thought.

[Karnewarrior]

Example: That racist grandpa that you love but is still embarrassing to be in public with? He's never going to change. But you still do things with him because he's not REALLY hurting anyone. Just the occasional slur that comes out of his mouth.

Hey, I've got one o' those! Actually doesn't slur that much in public though, and technically a grand-uncle, but hey.

On social media though, he's a nightmare... Posts links and comments on every right-wing cockamamie story and goes rabble-rousing around every topic. My dad actually confronted him a bit about some of the things he was sharing, which included several bold-faced lies and complete fabrications...

His response? "I know they're fake, but I like sharing them anyways. It's the thought that matters."

My dad tends to complain about that, but personally my experience has been that some people just distrust everyone not dispensing a certain type of story. I spent a good two hours on discord having to beat into Sprin and BFEL's heads that the Scientific Method wasn't liberally biased.

It's becoming impossible for the opposing sides to argue because increasingly there are no mutually agreed upon neutral and unbiased arbitrates. With nobody universally trusted to distinguish fact from fiction, fiction is becoming some people's reality. If someone doesn't believe in the scientists studying the matter, how can the two of you possibly have a debate that will turn up more than just another rage-filled shouting match at a brick wall?

[SalmonGod]

Also casual racism is arguably the worst.  Remember: evil isn't enabled and carried out by villainous people.  It's enabled by those for whom caring is too much of an inconvenience, and enacted by people who are just going with the flow.  Both types who will be horribly offended if you ever call them racist.  That demographic vastly outnumbers those with actively racist motive, and racists wouldn't be able to operate without their implicit consent and structural cooperation.