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[SalmonGod]

It is unquestionably wrong that the cops who aren't, themselves, abusing their power this way do nothing to stop those who do. In its own way, it is its own abuse of power. I don't think they are the same wrong however. It's absurd to say that arguing that they aren't as blameworthy means arguing that they are blameless. It's not a binary property, and conflating the people who go and beat protestors with the people who know about it and don't do anything is way too simplistic.

This makes sense. The officers who don't use unnecessary force, but who also don't do anything about those who do, can't really be said to be doing anything worse than slacking off at their jobs. Unfortunately, their job is one that is important when done properly, in many places that deficit in vigilance can make a big difference.

Or it could be said that they are selectively enforcing the rules, which is completely different.  The test would be to compare how much slacking off takes place when criminals do vs do not wear badges.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Bev Perdue, Governor of North Carolina, suggests that Congressional elections be suspended. Later backpedals (badly) and tries to claim she was joking. The audio file can be listened to here. It's pretty clear she's not joking.

I am so pissed. This lunatic does not deserve her office and should resign for this alone, if not for her general incompetence as governor. But the one thing I'm not is worried. There will be civil war before there's an American dictatorship.

Spoiler: Also, to be honest, Perdue has murderer's eyes. I'm not even joking, look. I think she might honestly be insane. (click to show/hide)

[Vector]

Sexism in comics.  Seriously, read this one.

Navy culture--"If we can't be sexist, then we can't do a good job of killing the bad guys"

[sluissa]

MSH, seriously, calm down.

A: No, I don't think she has murderous eyes, if those are even a thing. Maybe a bit too much eyeliner, but that hardly has anything to do with her as a politician.

B: She has a point, even if it's stated poorly and in a way that could be taken badly and used against her (as it is being.) No, I don't think elections should be suspended, but way too much of what goes on in congress is simply vote buying and grand standing in order to make themselves more electable for the next season.

My opinion? Add term limits for senators and representatives. Anything would be better than none, but I'd even suggest one term limits. Just my opinion though, and it's admittedly not well thought out. I'm sure there would be complications as a result.

Calling for resignations however... that's a bit extreme. I admit, I don't know much about her other than what was in the article, but asking someone to quit their job suggests they screwed up in a terrible and irreparable way. A simple idea, simple words with no power behind them. That's not something that can't be fixed, can't be taken back. That's something that, at worst, requires an apology and at best requires simple explanation to get her point across in a better way. (As she's trying to do.)

[MetalSlimeHunt]

She's been a horrible governor, suggesting a suspension of elections is the last straw as far as I'm concerned. Even when there was an actual civil war going on elections were not suspended. If that ever happens, the US as a democratic state is done. Period. Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Executive Administration are full of people who are drunk on what power they have already. The second they see a chance to take more and get away with it, I have no doubt they'll take it. That can't be allowed to happen, so I say her comment makes her illegitimate as governor.

The eyes comment was an aside.

[Duke 2.0]

Sexism in comics.  Seriously, read this one.

Spoiler: Just to give the down and dirty (click to show/hide)

 I think a good number of comic book producers have some issues to work out, as this seems the usual stuff for the shameless side of the industry to pull off. I do see the traditional reasoning behind it though. Comic books are not as popular as they once were and are growing weaker due to the web, like most other traditional media industries. They gotta sell more stuff better, so they need to pull off all the traditional stops to sell it.

 This only works with characters that are either not as well known or already had looks as part of their original design. Otherwise you run into fans. And in this case the fans are a million teens and preteens.

 I'm not gonna approach the sexism issue inherent here because that opens up a portal that is the history of desperate to sell comic books, which seems like a dead horse ripe for beating upon.

[Gamerlord]

Doesn't matter if it's sexist or not. If you don't like it, don't buy it. They can do whatever.

[G-Flex]

Having the right to do something doesn't mean you should do it, nor does it mean that you can't be criticized for it, or that criticism wouldn't be warranted.

A person has every right to think that, say, black people are inherently inferior to white people, but I also have the right to find that idea harmful and to speak against it.


The idea that it "doesn't matter" what you do, just because you have the right to do it, is the kind of idea held by people who don't know how to exercise their rights responsibly.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

Sexism in comics.  Seriously, read this one.

Spoiler: Just to give the down and dirty (click to show/hide)

people who see that without reading the full article might think the "show me your penis" bit is an exageration.

Spoiler: it really isn't (click to show/hide)

[sluissa]

She's been a horrible governor...

Examples, please? I don't live in North Carolina and at this point it's absurdly hard to find anything on google other than that one comment she made about suspending elections that everyone's picked up on.

Worst thing I can find is an entry on Wikipedia which says she took money out of an educational lottery fund to help fund the state "day to day business" Which, I don't agree with, but I'm guessing a lot of states are turning to that kind of measure to stay afloat these days. Still, I'll let you have that one as evidence. Still not enough that she should resign, in my book.

I can name at least 3 things right off the top of my head that Rick Scott has done that I've disliked in Florida. (Silly mandatory drug testing for ridiculous numbers of people, headed by the testing company owned by his wife. Promises of a specific number of jobs created, and then when asked about it later, saying "I can't prove how many jobs I actually created." and pushing to make teacher salaries "performance based" as a possible lead in to privatizing the school system.)

I still haven't heard any calls for him to resign yet and despite general hatred from BOTH parties at this point, I still hear. "Well I'm sure the democrat would have been worse." (admittedly an anecdotal claim)

[Bauglir]

Same sexism in comics topic. Actually, I just noticed it's linked in Vector's link, but it's a good read if you're looking for an expanded discussion. It's fairly well-articulated rage, as well, although it might be less effective than Vector's link because of it (I think disappointment might be a more effective tone, but I can't be absolutely sure on that).

Also, if you read that link, I'd like to ask you what the hell happened to Red Hood's legs because I can't figure it out and it's kinda freaking me out. That's pretty tangential, though.

[scriver]

Sexism in comics.  Seriously, read this one.

Hehe, kids are great.
..The comic industry isn't quite as. I hope she can find some other idol that they won't ruin. 80's punk Storm, perhaps?

Anyway, at least we can laugh at the stupidity of the industry. I mean, as far as I know, not many girls read comics. This is where the untapped audience is. But instead, they choose to try to appeal to more guys by pornificating their heroines, in an age where you just have to do a quick internet search to find actual porn. How do they not see how this is going to fail?

Navy culture--"If we can't be sexist, then we can't do a good job of killing the bad guys"

The stupid. If the male pilots are getting stressed up because they worry about what they can and can't say, well yeah, that's obviously bad, but how do they not understand that the solution is to cultivate another gardenatmosphere? Fucking excuses.

A: No, I don't think she has murderous eyes, if those are even a thing. Maybe a bit too much eyeliner, but that hardly has anything to do with her as a politician.

Actually, I think her eyes are creepy as hell too. Devoid. Not as scary as one of the current Swedish ministers, though. I'll try and see if I can find a picture of him, he looks so crazy it makes me uncomfortable through the tv-screen.

Same sexism in comics topic. Actually, I just noticed it's linked in Vector's link, but it's a good read if you're looking for an expanded discussion. It's fairly well-articulated rage, as well, although it might be less effective than Vector's link because of it (I think disappointment might be a more effective tone, but I can't be absolutely sure on that).

Also, if you read that link, I'd like to ask you what the hell happened to Red Hood's legs because I can't figure it out and it's kinda freaking me out. That's pretty tangential, though.

The one of with the kid is more of an argument appealing to our emotions, while Hudson's more of an intellectual, reasoning one. They both work well in different ways.

Also, Red Hood looks like one of those old portrait paintings where the painter would splice together parts from different people (often because the person being portrayed was unhappy with his or her looks). Kinda like the famous picture of King Gustav I Vasa where he was so complex-full about his legs he had the painter paint the legs of a soldier on him instead. Which looks really funny, since Vasa was rather overweight (which was probably emphasized in turn due to beauty concepts of the time) and his fat upper body stuck on a pair of rather fit, muscular legs.
Except this is the other way around.

[Andir]

Having the right to do something doesn't mean you should do it, nor does it mean that you can't be criticized for it, or that criticism wouldn't be warranted.

A person has every right to think that, say, black people are inherently inferior to white people, but I also have the right to find that idea harmful and to speak against it.


The idea that it "doesn't matter" what you do, just because you have the right to do it, is the kind of idea held by people who don't know how to exercise their rights responsibly.

In other words:
You have the Right to get upset about it.
You have the Right to let people know you are upset. (The whole point of this thread.)

But I argue:
You have the Right to make it.
You have the Right to ignore it.
You do not have the Right to unmake it.
You do not have the Right to make it stop.

The way I look at it, I can hate on pop music all I like, but people have their Right to keep pushing it out.  I'm not going to get all worked up and try to keep them from doing what they want.  In that regard, you trail too close to censorship.  Take your own higher moral ground, but don't force someone else to follow your morals ...especially when it comes to free speech.

You're trying to deflect and berate people that don't follow your moral code.  "the kind of idea held by people who don't know"

[Bauglir]

Isn't he just saying that he believes there's an objective "correct" and that, while there is and should be nothing compelling people to agree with it (because that would be self-defeating), there's equally no reason he can't attempt to convince people to agree with his belief, ultimately still leaving the choice with the people he's talking to?

[Andir]

I guess the part that irks me are phrases like: "That kind of thinking"  It likens it to abnormality.

Edit:  I'm not sure why I couldn't think of it earlier.  (Not awake enough?)  ... it's condescending.