NeuroTypical

Fortunately, the county housing my city continues to be deep red. https://www.facebook.com/EPCSheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0cKgviN3WNWXkXKpFBVEqtLQHsFZ7ybjhhgxJ3tH5epKaC8QzCs7qqwCjf2WzMooBl

That’s a losing issue for the dems [sobs in Coloradan] https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/semi-automatic-firearms-colorado-restrictive-gun-law-signed-governor-jared-polis/

Heh. Big difference between what you do for a living, and me sitting behind a keyboard running my mouth in anonymous chat rooms. Another reason why this survey question is sort of dumb.

I'm ok with (more than ok with, I'm enthusiastically in favor of) people reading the history of the brownshirts and leveling comparisons against whomever they wish. When it fits, it's an indication something needs to change. This doesn't fit: lol "secretive": https://www.ice.gov/outreach-programs/citizens-academy This article is a poorly reasoned hit piece, full of inflammatory language, written by people who are not in favor of the law when it comes to laws being enforced against folks they know. Imagine being mad that a government agency is so transparent, they actually put time/effort/budget into teaching whoever wants to learn all about what they do. Imagine refusing to actually attend a class, and then writing a hit piece against it. You wanna know how to turn @Phoenix_person into a fan of ICE? Have him do a ride-along with ICE agents. Similar to this phenomenon: In related news, I've been something of an afficionado of my local law enforcement citizens academies. I've attended 3 - local small town, Colorado Springs, and my county's academies. Pretty interesting things. I found all three of them to be genuine attempts at outreach to the communities served by these agencies. All three were welcoming and receptive of criticisms/complaints/issues/suggestions. I volunteered for a taser demonstration at one, because I honestly didn't know what I thought about police using tasers. I am a fan after having one used on me. I should say, I've attended 4 - but the one put on by my local government was SO BORING I stopped going after the 2nd session. Sitting through a budget appropriations meeting is boring enough. But sitting through a class about how they do budget appropriations? It was like torture. So to answer your question, no, @Phoenix_person, not like that. Drawing analogies between ICE citizens academies and the hitler youth or the brownshirts is sort of the height of nonserious accusation that folks have come to expect from the hysterical manipulative left. If 2025 is supposed to be a rebuilding year, I think figuring out how to be better at making ludicrous analogies isn't going to get you the results you're hoping for.

Recent news stories have offered a pretty clear reminder. https://www.newsweek.com/ice-agents-battle-mom-baby-chaotic-video-worcester-2070027 Oy. Such a tragically, emotion-based, nonserious take, FP. I mean, yes, my Bragg/Pink Floyd comparison was mostly nonserious as well, so if you intended your post to be a reflection of mine, then I can understand and appreciate that. Up until your comparisons about the brownshirts. In one situation, ICE agents (or any law enforcement body, for that matter), scuffling with people intent on hampering the execution of lawful actions. In the other, an informal group of party bodyguard agitators who beat up dissenters at party rallies and beat up shopkeepers and invade/disrupt/bring violence to opposing parties events, eventually form the paramilitary wing of the notzie party under control of Oberster SA-Führer Hitler. No really - this should span political sides and ideologies. We should remember who the brownshirts were, their tactics, their impacts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung

Yeah, I grew up with both the album and the movie. The wiki entry doesn't do it justice. This one does a little better: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Flesh%3F/In_the_Flesh My WWII vet dad (and a lot of his generation) spent quite a bit of time trying to educate us kids about how fascism took hold in Germany and how it could happen again. Teenage me in the early '80's marveled at how Pink Floyd was basically telling the same story to the pot smoking hippies, that my dad and his generation were telling to their children. The movie did an okay (not great, but okay) job of showing how an angry charismatic leader can capitalize on the shared trauma and problems of a postwar society, and rise to power by riling up the youth against imagined enemies in their midst. Anyway, David Hogg surely is doing his best "angry charismatic leader trying to capitalize on the shared trauma and problems" of gun violence in America. And he certainly looks similar to dictator Geldof. If the DNC is kicking him out, I'm ok with that. Everyone needs to remember who the brownshirts were, their tactics, their impacts.

The Colorado Dept of Public Health & Environment just paid me ten bucks to take a survey on health matters. One of the questions: I'm thinking they should have asked what I do during my day. I could have told them I argue religion and politics online, wading through some cesspools of bad human behavior. I dunno though. Maybe I should be paid reparations or something?

In other news, 1979 saw the release of the movie Pink Floyd's The Wall, a musical warning about how a traumatized person could accidentally trigger the rise of fascism in Great Britain. Apparently, the procedural error is that Hogg is a male. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/us/politics/david-hogg-dnc-democrats.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/12/hogg-dnc-leadership-election-vote/ (Both are behind a paywall for me, but according to Wikipdeia, his election was a "violation of DNC rules requiring gender diversity for party officers".

Watching T at the Saudi Investment forum is interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVCvibkzbfk He's introduced and stands there while they play Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA. Representative quote: "I believe it is God's job to sit in judgment, my job to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity, and peace. I will never hesitate to wield American power if it is necessary to defend the United States, or to help defend our allies. [gestures at the Saudi prince] And there will be no mercy for any foe who tries to do us or them harm. He badmouths the Iranians and Houthis, begs the Syrians to get their affairs in order and stop letting evil murderous dictators run their beautiful country, unapologetically claims the US is the greatest nation on earth, talks about all the money we'll make together, and then they play the Village People's YMCA. I've never seen anything like it. The casual off-the-cuff way he gave his speech to Arab leaders, just like what we've come to expect in his executive order signing press conferences.

The event even has a Wiki page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_the_gulls

Huh? You talking about the first time Rome was sacked?

Dr. Miklebergenstein, bone bender?

Well, it's easy to see why it's not getting much US coverage. Consider: Trump's trade war with China is intended to make China blink once millions of Chinese start losing their jobs and the Chinese economy starts suffering. Now there are protests, maybe even some rioting. The left media: We can't really talk about unrest in China, it would mean admitting Trump's having an impact in China, and they're feeling the pressure. Our voters align with street protesters, and they might start wanting China to cave. The right media: We can't really talk about unrest in China, it would mean admitting China might be more willing to suppress it's own population and maybe even kill a bunch of its own citizens, than lose face to Trump. It would look like Trump has blood on his hands.

Dude. https://duckduckgo.com/?t=h_&q=china+protests&ia=web https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/protests-erupt-in-china-after-furious-workers-demand-back-pay-as-trump-s-tariffs-on-imports-jolt-economy/ar-AA1EfKFi https://www.rfa.org/english/china/2025/04/29/china-us-tariff-protests-workers-wages/ https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/china-sees-surge-in-worker-protests-over-unpaid-wages-factory-closures-and-us-tariffs/articleshow/120796368.cms https://nypost.com/2025/05/06/opinion/chinas-enraged-workers-are-fed-up-with-eating-bitterness/