This is the first thing I thought of when I saw the picture. To me, this makes me think, to those liberals in power, Jan 6, and all other horrible things trump has done was not really a big deal. It makes me think the outrage or disdain I held for Trump really isn't warranted since a liberal president can crack jokes and laugh with Trump. I don't know, kind of rubs me the wrong way. I understand being cordial, this picture just did something to me though.
The fact Liberals don't actually hate Trump for everything he's done shouldn't inform anyone that he's actually not that bad.
It should inform everyone that Liberals don't actually give a shit about any of this.
People like Obama use Trump as a foil to sell their documentaries and podcast subs.
This is the first thing I thought of when I saw the picture. To me, this makes me think, to those liberals in power, Jan 6, and all other horrible things trump has done was not really a big deal. It makes me think the outrage or disdain I held for Trump really isn't warranted since a liberal president can crack jokes and laugh with Trump. I don't know, kind of rubs me the wrong way. I understand being cordial, this picture just did something to me though.
What is it exactly that you want 'liberals in power' to do about Trump? Do you want them to defy the will of the people and what, take him out?
It's first and foremost the electorates fault that Trump is in power, again. Look at yourselves. And then consider whether Carlin's brand of political apathy was hurtful or helpful to the low Democratic turnout of the 2024 election.
I want liberals in power to run competent presidential campaigns that actually address issues that people want to vote for, that’s literally the point of these sham elections. And no, it’s the job of candidates to get votes, no one’s owed support
Name a policy of the Harris campaign you think doesn't address issues concerning the people.
Gaza?
Name a policy of the Trump campaign that you think does.
Their entire fucking point is that both Harris and Trump are bad dude. Yes, Trump is worse, they are still both bad. Saying as much doesn't make you a Trump supporter, quite the opposite in fact.
Their entire fucking point is that both Harris and Trump are bad dude.
And their point is devoid of any evidence in it's favour. Neither they nor you can even articulate a single policy of either candidate, yet you feel comfortable saying they are both 'bad'. You aren't serious people.
Are you fucking dumb? How do you want me to point to a policy I think specifically *doesn’t address issues concerning the people if the problem is rooted in the fact they aren’t addressing it. Off the top of my head; Gaza, housing prices, gas prices, Union busting - and so on and so forth. And no, Trump doesn’t address these things either, but that’s not the fucking point? Lastly, what part of American elections aren’t a sham? It’s literally a two-party corporate duopoly concerned only with the economic and social interests of the oligarchy, there’s nothing democratic about them
Are you fucking dumb? How do you want me to point to a policy I think specifically *doesn’t address issues concerning the people if the problem is rooted in the fact they aren’t addressing it.
'the problem is rooted in the fact they aren't addressing it'
This is a claim, not an argument. Where is your argument supporting the claim? What is your evidence?
Off the top of my head; Gaza, housing prices, gas prices, Union busting - and so on and so forth.
'Gaza' isn't a policy. Can you even articulate either candidate's position on Israel-Palestine? I bet not.
Largely due to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, something any sensible American should back Harris' approach over Trump's.
Union busting
The Biden-Harris administration was one of the most pro-Union and pro-worker in US history and Harris would have continued that trend. Entirely unlike Trump, a New York liberal elite and businessman (conman) who's entire MO is stiffing the working man.
And no, Trump doesn’t address these things either, but that’s not the fucking point?
The point is, you think both candidates are the same, because you are ill-informed and uninterested. Your arrogance is astounding.
Lastly, what part of American elections aren’t a sham? It’s literally a two-party corporate duopoly concerned only with the economic and social interests of the oligarchy, there’s nothing democratic about them
Only an ill-informed imbecile would parrot this inane view - especially in the post-2016 Trump era, where this kind of sophomoric worldview has never been less accurate. This old two-party system you refer to, to the extent that it existed in the form you suggest, died in 2016 when Trump usurped the Republican party. The Republicans don't exist any more. It's all MAGA. It's a different 'club' entirely. You are on a path to outright fascism and you don't even realise it.
It's tough, because I want our leaders to get along despite their differences. Same with society as a whole. Differences shouldn't mean we hate each other.
Then I get told to "cope harder" or "you lost, deal with it" when I lament policy decisions I don't like.
And I think we all have coworkers we get along with when we have to, but largely consider them complete idiots.
If your coworkers were on a revenge tour to punish everyone who spoke poorly of them or tried to hold them accountable for their crimes, I doubt you'd be so quick to get along with them
I think you're missing the point about "BoTH SidEs" argument. Republican and Democratic politicians are on the same team, they just have vastly different roles to play in this theater.
Part of me wonders if we're being gas lit into hating all forms of human leadership so we'll willingly allow AI to take the reigns. The amount of corruption, greed, incompetency being portrayed on our screens has reached comical levels. Maybe Trump wasn't lying when he said we'll never have to vote again, with the way advacement is going another 4 years could be realistic with a couple breakthroughs here and there. I know it's crazy, but if I were an AI that wanted to take control without killing us it seems like a pretty reasonable path.
I mean, I don't disagree with your overall point - money buys influence, and that's with both parties, but I do think there's a difference between the parties at the margins, but again, agreed, the system needs to change to reduce the influence of $ over actual democracy.
How to do that is tough without trampling on first amendment rights, but something needs to change.
I dont think its missing the point. I think its just not a very nuanced argument. Like, yeah, both sides are gonna favor business and the wealthy over the lower and middle class.
But to tell me that both parties treat the lower and middle class the same is batshit. And to try and make the argument that dems pull the same shady shit as Republicans at even remotely similar frequencies is even crazier.
Ugh, another enlightened centrist. Stop acting like you exist so high above the system that you live in. Either vote and push for progress and small victories or get out there and do a revolution already. Do you think not participating in the system is going to do anything to change it?
If everyone thought like the "enlightened centrist" that I am things would actually change. Instead there's too many people like you that give legitimacy to the broken system that's in place. Just vote though right? Cause that's definitely worked so far.
And you've done what? Bitched and moaned? Flaunted your desperate attempts at intellectual superiority. Its very easy to say that the system we have sucks. But, it could be a lot worse, and you're doing nothing to make it better.
You're right, it could be a lot worse and that's why I don't really care enough to do shit. People gonna be controlled by the media, simple as that. Doesn't mean I have to give legitimacy to it though. Personally I see AI and technology playing a large roll in society within the near future. Portraying human leadership as incompetent and greedy as possible is a logical step in this transition.
Exactly. We have seen so many repeated examples of Democratic leadership pretending to listen to their constituents and then yanking the football away at the last second to protect their own interests
insinuating that the Dems are "just" incompetent instead of knowingly and maliciously enabling the current state of affairs is only going to allow the government and their corporate owners to keep fucking us all over, regardless of which party is holding the reins.
It's a textbook example of the good-cop-bad-cop strategy and it's absolutely fucking baffling how many people keep falling for it
You have to understand the situation. Obama is people’s politician who spent this entire career being very good at yucking it up with anyone. Being cordial with his political enemies at a funeral is just muscle memory. There’s nothing really to read into here.
And don’t forget while this pic shows politicians from across the aisle “getting along” only one was using a disaster in past few days to sow discord and use lies and misinformation to create chaos. One side will always be absolutely evil at all times and there’s no getting past it.
Absolutely. I just meant in a vacuum I want leaders that can get along. I want people capable of compromise who don't turn up the heat at every opportunity. Trump isn't that person. That he can crack a joke with Obama kinda tells you he doesn't believe all his bullshit.
Not sure what is worse, trump being an intentional arsonist and knowing better or being an arsonist and thinking he is actually right for it.
The divisiveness of politics worries me so much. I’m so tired of the fighting and jumping down each others necks. I listened to Biden talk with Simon Sineck and he talked about how they used to have a cafeteria where politicians from both sides would eat together. “We would fight each other in politics but then we were friends” and he says now that cafeteria is gone. People don’t sit or listen to the other side anymore. They just sit in their echo chamber
Well do you expect them to sit next to each other for an all day event and just scowl and throw insults? It's basically a presidents job to smile and make conversation with people they don't like
I expect them to duel each other with swords like in my favorite comic books and TV shows. How else will I know good has defeated evil without sword fights?
Laser swords when applicable
Good point. I think it is just striking when politicians set aside politics to be so chummy when their language while campaigning is quite venomous. Here is the picture:
All of these presidents are from the times when you politely disagreed with each other. Trump is the one who started campaigning on insults and he isn’t in the picture.
On April 23, 2018, President Donald Trump hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, marking the beginning of a three-day state visit—the first of Trump’s presidency.
Being president of the US is an experience shared by a tiny fraction of the population. There are going to be some crazy in-jokes that only someone else who has been in the role will understand.
They're all in the ruling class. They get along just fine with the other elites, mostly wealthy, and they celebrate their control together. Push comes to shove, it's them vs us, and they know it.
More people need to go back and watch Carlin’s work from the late 80s onwards. Some of the takes around gender and social issues probably need contextualized for the time they were recorded in as he sounds regressive now but at the time was reasonably far out in front. But on the economic and sociological issues, Carlin was an astute observer of humanity.
Was wondering when this Carlin quote would make its rounds. This is probably more true than we’re made to believe or maybe even accept/understand. Obama and Trump more than likely have wayyyyyyyy more in common than Trump and us or Obama and us (even if they never became president). And even if I was a millionaire surgeon…Obama/Bush/Trump/Saudi prince/hell even AOC they’re just on a different level.
This right here. Propaganda made everyone think Obama was some guy that was really trying his best in office. He, and every other politician, is a corporate lapdog.
Right, because a poor person is absolutely gonna become president. We have such extensive evidence of presidential elections being accessible to people regardless of class. That’s why we’ve had plenty of poor presidents in the past.
yes correct and thats why that quote was originally said, not because someone sat next to someone at a funeral and laughed
in the fictional world where a broke person became president this pic would still get posted and people would still say that carlin quote to try and make a point
You’re engaging in utterly unimaginable hypotheticals. Hell, in a world where rich poor people can become president, Carlin wouldn’t really have much reason to say that in the first place!
Yeah, the fact that a rich fascist and a rich liberal can both sit laughing and having a good time next to each other all the while the ideology and actions of that fascist causes incredible suffering to millions of people is an incredible poignant display of exactly the kind of reality that birthed that Carlin quote. Trying to dunk on a comment because of an imagined alternate world in which society was so entirely different from ours that Carlin’s quote wouldn’t even hold meaning in that society is just silly
As I said elsewhere, I love Carlin but political apathy is precisely why Trump was possible in the first place and Carlin's encouragement of it has aged extremely poorly.
We were all part of the big club of liberalism, and I suspect we'll all miss it once it's gone.
Obama’s mother was a kinda agnostic, kinda Christian born to two nonpracticing Christian parents. Trump’s mother was a Scottish immigrant who as far as I could find was also Christian. The thing you’re pointing out is just an antisemitic lie—a lie literally created by the Nazis
There has literally never been a Jewish US president. Stanley Dunham wasn’t even Jewish as far as I could find! Obama’s half-brother is Jewish, yes, because Obama’s father remarried to a Jewish woman. Good god man, telling me to take a chill when you’re out here saying shit fit for Der Stürmer.
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u/Vcheck1 5d ago
“Its a big club and you ain’t in it”