Anyone start an RNC discussion thread yet?

[CathyA]

Yes, we should encourage people not to be violent. A good starting point might be to blame the actor rather than blame the tool.

But there have become so many actors with the tools!

[jp1]

Is speaking approvingly, even proudly, about Western Civilization just dog-whistle racism now?

That's the thing about dog whistles. They contain enough plausible deniability that someone can come here and either with a straight face or feigning a straight face deny the racism and all I can do is be baffled at how it was missed because it's entirely possible that the straight face is legitimate.

For me, the part that turned it into dog whistle was the point that western civilization and christianity were called out to be noted as specifically better than everything else.

[Ultralight]

For me, the part that turned it into dog whistle was the point that western civilization and christianity were called out to be noted as specifically better than everything else.

How dare you question these two things!?

[LDAHL]

From opinions often come actions.

I consider actions to be a more reliable and simpler benchmark for practical purposes. For instance, I think it easier to treat something as a crime based on the act committed rather than the motivation. Murder is murder, and labeling it as a "hate crime" doesn't add or detract anything from it's impact. Punishing people for "wrong thinking", as with certain university speech codes for instance, strikes me as a shortcut to tyranny (even if it's a well-intentioned, sensitive tyranny).

[LDAHL]

For me, the part that turned it into dog whistle was the point that western civilization and christianity were called out to be noted as specifically better than everything else.

Would you be equally troubled by someone claiming that Danish society is superior for any number of reasons to American society? Or would that be dog-whistling Danish chauvinism?

[jp1]

Would you be equally troubled by someone claiming that Danish society is superior for any number of reasons to American society? Or would that be dog-whistling Danish chauvinism?

If Danish society had long been and was still currently the dominant society in the world, yes.

[LDAHL]

If Danish society had long been and was still currently the dominant society in the world, yes.

So you would view geopolitical dominance as a disqualifier for a society or culture claiming superiority without signaling crypto-racism? Similar claims by a Zulu or Japanese would be acceptable?

[Ultralight]

After night one of the RNC I heard a pundit call the GOP "the party of lost causes."

In many ways, this seems like a near perfect descriptor, does it not?

[LDAHL]

After night one of the RNC I heard a pundit call the GOP "the party of lost causes."

In many ways, this seems like a near perfect descriptor, does it not?

I prefer the more upbeat "party of squandered opportunities".

[Ultralight]

I prefer the more upbeat "party of squandered opportunities".

That is certainly more upbeat. haha

Do you really feel like the GOP squandered opportunities? Which ones?
Part of my feels like the GOP did not have many...