Congratulations America - you got the president you deserve

billvon said:
More importantly, it's a statement of the premise that someone needs a bare minimum of knowledge/experience with something before they can know how little they really understand about it.

I used to teach skydiving, and there was an effect we called the "100 jump wonder" effect - someone would get to 100 jumps (triple digits!) and figure he pretty much knew it all. He could do basic RV/VRW, could land well, could spot the plane, so how much more was there to know? They know it all!

The lucky ones made it to 300-500 jumps and then came to the realization "wow, this is really hard to do well." At that point they were usually fine - safer, more likely to grow into someone skilled in their particular discipline.

This is summed up pretty well by this graph:View attachment 6270
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That applies to everything, scuba diving, rock climbing, flying...
It's got nothing to do with any comments I've made however.
 
billvon said:
No, many were just fooled by the misinformation that Trump and right wing media were so good at. They really believed that illegal immigrants were eating people's pets, and that democrats would destroy America. Despite the reality of what's happening with the economy, they believed that the US economy was in tatters.
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People have always preferred a good story to dry facts. I doubt many voters believed the Ohio pet eaters story, what they liked was the way it triggered what they view as an illiberal Left. If you can get people to see an opposition as a humorless and stodgy bunch forever taking offense, and distract them from their actual policy ideas, they will eat out of your hand and let you pick their pockets.
Then point out housing prices (indeed, they are insane), link that to an invading horde and Progressive politics, and you can shift most of the working class rightward for a generation. IIRC another poster here used the term "theater" for US populist politics. Hard for me to think of a better term.
 
As a life long member of the not-right I admire the lunatic right's ability to disrespect the left out of reflex. I have to think about something if I'm going to hate it. You know, like broccoli. But a sweeping generalization of different opinion is well into Morlock territory.
 
wegs said:
I've read a few articles here and there, that suggest that Trump won because ''Democrats didn't show up.'' Are those who ''stayed home,'' to blame at all?
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While it's true, the numbers show over ten million voters from 2020 stayed home (or just checked boxes down-ballot), I would say the blame diffuses across the whole political process, one which makes people tired and disgusted and losing faith that a presidential vote even matters. We are in a post-truth era, and when confidence in facts wanes, cynicism waxes.
 
parmalee said:
I'm well aware that the reasons for obesity are complex and multi-faceted and I'm also aware that there are quite a number of reasons for American inactivity. So I appreciate it and welcome it when people call me out for saying something stupid on these matters. That said, I'm 6'1" and 130 pounds and I'm neither unhealthy nor anorexic. I'm just gaunt or lithe or whatever, and always have been. But do you know how hard it is for someone like me to buy clothes? There are actually a number of weird challenges that really skinny people have to face on a daily basis. Doesn't excuse my bias, of course, I'm just sayin.)

Trump is really fat and is notoriously lazy--he doesn't walk anywhere. I don't think that's a huge factor, but I do think that a lot of Americans do see themselves in him in a weird sort of way.
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You and my son could compare skinny notes. One grandpa on his mother's side had almost exactly those numbers, and struggled with off-the-rack garb. Son got that gene. My side was half Swede/Russian, so true skinny was never an option for me, but I am on the thin side of the spectrum in the US. Will occasionally when visitng my hometown encounter a high school friend and they always want to know why I look much the same as in those days, what's my secret. My two word answer, "I walk." I don't get into other habits, because that can turn preachy real fast, and really a lot is how certain genes interact with food, and overall metabolism. But, generally, American diet is garbage. When I'm in Europe, it's like this peculiar return to normal. Mediterranean places are especially nice, they eat what I eat, and there isn't the obsessing about it. Nobody's talking about physical training or BMI or carbs, they just enjoy life. And walk their asses off.
 
wegs said:
So, suppose someone couldn't decide, they didn't like either candidate, so they refused to vote. I have a few friends who refused to vote for Trump, for a number of reasons, and they also didn't feel that Harris presented a strong enough case as to how an administration under her, would be different from Biden. So they refused to vote but are angry that Trump won. Well, hello? I've read a few articles here and there, that suggest that Trump won because ''Democrats didn't show up.'' Are those who ''stayed home,'' to blame at all?
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That is definitely a big reason for Trump's win and was brought on by a couple things; Biden not stepping down for a second term soon enough, he should've stated long ago he was going to be a one term president. Poor messaging from the Dems, they should have made some promises to the working poor and middle class to bring down the price of eggs, instead they focused too much on Trump.

And, then there's this... https://www.hoover.org/research/are-we-smart-enough-democracy
 
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TheVat said:
You and my son could compare skinny notes. One grandpa on his mother's side had almost exactly those numbers, and struggled with off-the-rack garb. Son got that gene. My side was half Swede/Russian, so true skinny was never an option for me, but I am on the thin side of the spectrum in the US. Will occasionally when visitng my hometown encounter a high school friend and they always want to know why I look much the same as in those days, what's my secret. My two word answer, "I walk." I don't get into other habits, because that can turn preachy real fast, and really a lot is how certain genes interact with food, and overall metabolism. But, generally, American diet is garbage. When I'm in Europe, it's like this peculiar return to normal. Mediterranean places are especially nice, they eat what I eat, and there isn't the obsessing about it. Nobody's talking about physical training or BMI or carbs, they just enjoy life. And walk their asses off.
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Yes, there's a lot in that. European cities were designed for the horse (distances, street width), so public transport and walking (or increasingly cycling) are the best ways to get around them. But another factor is the tradition of actual cooking for family mealtimes. I'm in the UK where obesity is rocketing, though not yet to US levels. I'm sure a lot is to do with fragmentation of family activities and a consequent deprioritising of mealtimes, leading to a collapse into reliance on ready meals. I've yet to meet anyone who relies on ready meals who is not fat.
 
TheVat said:
You and my son could compare skinny notes. One grandpa on his mother's side had almost exactly those numbers, and struggled with off-the-rack garb. Son got that gene. My side was half Swede/Russian, so true skinny was never an option for me, but I am on the thin side of the spectrum in the US. Will occasionally when visitng my hometown encounter a high school friend and they always want to know why I look much the same as in those days, what's my secret. My two word answer, "I walk." I don't get into other habits, because that can turn preachy real fast, and really a lot is how certain genes interact with food, and overall metabolism. But, generally, American diet is garbage. When I'm in Europe, it's like this peculiar return to normal. Mediterranean places are especially nice, they eat what I eat, and there isn't the obsessing about it. Nobody's talking about physical training or BMI or carbs, they just enjoy life. And walk their asses off.
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No one in my extended family is/was skinny, but neither are/were they overweight, but with German/Scottish/Ashkenazi ancestry we tend towards relatively smaller frames. My weight hasn't really changed much since I reached my full height at age 19--except for an extended period during which I had dysentery. I've often wondered if I would put on weight and/or fat if I were to consume a pure garbage diet, all saturated fats and empty calories, but that's not something I'm willing to explore simply to satisfy my curiosity. One interesting advantage to being tall and unusually thin is the ability to ascend anything with great ease--biking uphill, mountain climbing, wall climbing--though having mild marfan syndrome may also be a factor there. My feet are more like talons and I can bend and contort them every which way. I've tried to teach other people my "method" for scaling steep grades with ease, only to be told again and again that most people can't bend their feet quite like that.

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exchemist said:
Yes, there's a lot in that. European cities were designed for the horse (distances, street width), so public transport and walking (or increasingly cycling) are the best ways to get around them. But another factor is the tradition of actual cooking for family mealtimes. I'm in the UK where obesity is rocketing, though not yet to US levels. I'm sure a lot is to do with fragmentation of family activities and a consequent deprioritising of mealtimes, leading to a collapse into reliance on ready meals. I've yet to meet anyone who relies on ready meals who is not fat.
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That's the thing about RFK Jr, on matters pertaining to diet, nutrition and exercise, he's really quite sensible. And his track record as an attorney is admirable--the guy sued Monsanto! Moreover, he does not hesitate in stating that Americans are an extremely unhealthy people, and that American medicine (along with many other factors) is largely to blame. American doctors receive virtually no training or education in nutrition and fitness--in other words, preventative medicine. (Of course, that wouldn't be good for business.) He's also a vocal opponent of ultra-processed foods, the ubiquity of plastics and single-use plastics particularly in the food world, and the prevalence of corn syrup in processed foods. If he could just shut about all that other stuff.
 
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parmalee said:
No one in my extended family is/was skinny, but neither are/were they overweight, but with German/Scottish/Ashkenazi ancestry we tend towards relatively smaller frames. My weight hasn't really changed much since I reached my full height at age 19--except for an extended period during which I had dysentery. I've often wondered if I would put on weight and/or fat if I were to consume a pure garbage diet, all saturated fats and empty calories, but that's not something I'm willing to explore simply to satisfy my curiosity. One interesting advantage to being tall and unusually thin is the ability to ascend anything with great ease--biking uphill, mountain climbing, wall climbing--though having mild marfan syndrome may also be a factor there. My feet are more like talons and I can bend and contort them every which way. I've tried to teach other people my "method" for scaling steep grades with ease, only to be told again and again that most people can't bend their feet quite like that.

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That's the thing about RFK Jr, on matters pertaining to diet, nutrition and exercise, he's really quite sensible. And his track record as an attorney is admirable--the guy sued Monsanto! Moreover, he does not hesitate in stating that Americans are an extremely unhealthy people, and that American medicine (along with many other factors) is largely to blame. American doctors receive virtually no training or education in nutrition and fitness--in other words, preventative medicine. (Of course, that wouldn't be good for business.) He's also a vocal opponent of ultra-processed foods, the ubiquity of plastics and single-use plastics particularly in the food world, and the prevalence of corn syrup in processed foods. If he could just shut about all that other stuff.
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That's interesting. As a matter of fact the UK Minister of Health, Wes Streeting, has set out a strategy of prevention which is intended to address such things as diet and exercise, as well as encouraging more community social projects to help address mental health (social fragmentation affect mental wellbeing as well as diet). So maybe RFK can do some good even if he is a loony.
 
exchemist said:
That's interesting. As a matter of fact the UK Minister of Health, Wes Streeting, has set out a strategy of prevention which is intended to address such things as diet and exercise, as well as encouraging more community social projects to help address mental health (social fragmentation affect mental wellbeing as well as diet). So maybe RFK can do some good even if he is a loony.
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I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic about this. Obviously, he's gonna get a lot of pushback from Big Agriculture, but he might be able to effect some small measure of positive change. Likewise, I think it will be extremely difficult for him to advance any anti-vaccine measures--I mean, pretty much every single doctor and every medical organization in the world oppose this!
 
parmalee said:
Likewise, I think it will be extremely difficult for him to advance any anti-vaccine measures--I mean, pretty much every single doctor and every medical organization in the world oppose this!
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He doesn't need to advance measures, just keep promoting vaccine hesitancy from his new health pulpit. By couching his rhetoric as "I'm not stopping vaccines just promoting personal choice" he can cast a shadow on vaccine use and stop millions from vaccinating. And vaccines, as any real doctor will tell you, only create herd immunity when almost everyone takes them.

Yes, it would be great if he just focused on regenerative and sustainable agriculture and better food and fewer microplastics. (of course Don Trumpeleone won't like that last part, because plastics are made from petrochemicals...)
 
Gawdzilla Sama said:
As a life long member of the not-right I admire the lunatic right's ability to disrespect the left out of reflex. I have to think about something if I'm going to hate it. You know, like broccoli. But a sweeping generalization of different opinion is well into Morlock territory.
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At least he has something approaching teeth.... with RFK Jr advising no longer adding flouride to drinking water, he won't even have those. But I guess it'll be good news for dentists.
 
Finger pointing at Merrick Garland, who after being appointed March 2021 waited 2 years before appointing special counsel. Had he done it immediately after being appointed AG, the GOP may not have embraced Trump so easily and may have backed off knowing he might soon be indicted and the Supreme Court not there to help. It also gave the media plenty of time to normalize Trumps insanity and the GOP to goose step right behind him.
 
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