General News Thread

[RoydGolden]

Saying that a fondness for pedantic arguments doesn't equate to taking joy in irritating others requires proof that any human being on the planet has ever not been irritated by pointless pedantry.

Not so sure about that. I think there's definitely some people who genuinely enjoy both making and receiving pedantic, definitional arguments. I imagine quite a few of such people probably go into mathematics which is essentially pedantry distilled into its purest logical form, form for the sake of itself unfettered to any material consequence whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this as a critique of pure mathematics. For those who follow it, the stark abstractness of that fair discipline is precisely from whence springs its beauty.

But aside from pure path, I see what you mean that it can be annoying to argue with somebody who seems to see debate as a logic or word game, rather then a real issue with real consequences to people's lives and wellbeing.

- - - Updated - - -

Saying Trump isn't a white supremacist is a fair position if you've lived in a cupboard for decades and never heard of Donald Trump.

See, I have to say this is exactly the kind of rhetoric that only serves to shut down argument. Plenty of well-informed, intelligent people who are in no sense mindless groveling Trump supporters would nonetheless contest the guy is a "white supremacist" as they define it. For instance, the Slate Star Codex article I linked to you before.

Regardless of what you think of Scott Alexander (and I disagree with him on a number of issues), he is indisputably an intelligent man who does his research.

[Skull]

"The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-nam, has been killed in an attack in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38971655

Was he assassinated? Who knows...

"The vice-president of Venezuela has accused the US of "imperialist aggression" after it slapped sanctions on him for allegedly trafficking drugs."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-38976858

I dunno. Kinda feels like the US is burning it's bridges at the moment.

[Megas]

I mean, the US kinda is burning some bridges right now.

Though I don't really think we got along that well with Venezuela before Trump either.

[Tobias]

Speaking of things burning, breaking news is Russia just conducted a test of a cruise missile, likely an ICBM capable of carrying an advanced nuclear payload.

[Megas]

Speaking of things burning, breaking news is Russia just conducted a test of a cruise missile, likely an ICBM capable of carrying an advanced nuclear payload.

You would normally think this would result in sanctions.

You know, like the ones that we placed on Iran for a similar offense?

[SeiKeo]

I mean, the US kinda is burning some bridges right now.

Though I don't really think we got along that well with Venezuela before Trump either.

Venezuela is a failed state ruled by a pseudo-fascist dictator, I don't feel bad much about calling them out for their known drug trafficking.

[Tobias]

You would normally think this would result in sanctions.

You know, like the ones that we placed on Iran for a similar offense?

I think the new normal is that we actually wouldn't expect this to result in sanctions.

[Mattias]

I think the new normal is that we actually wouldn't expect this to result in sanctions.

At least not when Russia does it. When Iran or China does, probably extra hard sanctions.

[mAc Chaos]

Also random aside @Rodyle, when you said I'm a "muslim vet," I'm not sure what you meant. I'm not a vet lol

I have no idea how you got that idea but maybe somehow something we talked about got twisted or something.

Unless you meant like, "veteran Trump supporter," then okay.

[Megas]

Speaking of Russia

http://www.npr.org/2017/02/13/515020...in-afghanistan

[Five_X]

Afghanistan's a big place.

[Tobias]

Breaking news, several high level members of trump's team were in daily contact with Russian intelligence assets during the campaign, per CNN.

[Mcjon01]

Disgusting fake news, did you even see the crowds at the inauguration? They were huge, terrible, 3,000,000 illegal voters and that's a fact. Democrats just can't get over the fact that they lost and how much worse the heroin epidemic is in our nation, Jake.

[Megas]

To add a link to go with Tobias' story https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/u...rump.html?_r=0

Here's CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/14/politi...ign/index.html

[Spinach]

But aside from pure path, I see what you mean that it can be annoying to argue with somebody who seems to see debate as a logic or word game, rather then a real issue with real consequences to people's lives and wellbeing.

On the other side nobody's life is hanging on the balance while waiting for the BL politics debate squad to tip the scales and save them.

[Mcjon01]

On the other side nobody's life is hanging on the balance while waiting for the BL politics debate squad to tip the scales and save them.

My roommate is actually a serial killer that cuts off a body part every time Rodyle gets temped.

[Rafflesiac]

That's what, like a finger or two?

[Spinach]

My roommate is actually a serial killer that cuts off a body part every time Rodyle gets temped.

The future is grim huh

[Megas]

My roommate is actually a serial killer that cuts off a body part every time Rodyle gets temped.

That's just called a haircut dood.

[SeiKeo]

To add a link to go with Tobias' story https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/u...rump.html?_r=0

Here's CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/14/politi...ign/index.html

What here is new other than anonymous unverified leaks, because I don't see it outside of a quick skim?

e: nyt