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Threats from QAnon conspiracists have forced a butterfly sanctuary in the Rio Grande Valley to close
The National Butterfly Center, along the U.S.-Mexico border in Mission, has been the target of conspiracy theorists since 2019.
A South Texas butterfly sanctuary has closed after it was the target of conspiracy theories that escalated into credible threats.
The National Butterfly Center, along the U.S.-Mexico border in Mission, has long been the target of QAnon conspiracy theories falsely tying the organization to human trafficking.
The center is a 20-year-old nature conservatory for wild butterflies. There are no law enforcement investigations into the organization or its staff for human trafficking.
“They tell these lies in a variety of forms through all of their channels to provoke stochastic terrorism,” said the center’s executive director Marianna Treviño-Wright.
[. . . . ] The harassment escalated in late January when a right-wing congressional candidate from Virginia, Kimberly Lowe, visited the nature conservatory, Treviño-Wright said. Lowe demanded the center give her access to the river “to see all the illegals crossing on the raft.” Treviño-Wright said Lowe tackled her when she asked Lowe to leave the premises.
The center closed last weekend during the We Stand America border security rally. Former state Rep. Aaron Peña had informed Treviño-Wright that the center could be a target during the rally and that she should “be armed at all times or out of town.”
Attendees of the rally, largely composed of staunch Trump supporters, did stop at the conservatory. Ben Bergquam, a contributor for the far-right site Real America’s Voice, posted a minutelong clip on Twitter, repeating false claims about sex trafficking.
[ . . . . ] The false trafficking rumors around the National Butterfly Center echo “Pizzagate,” a 2016 conspiracy theory that claimed a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant was the site of a child abuse ring led by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Pizzagate made headlines when a man fired a gun at the restaurant based on the false information.
QAnon, a far-right political conspiracy and movement, emerged shortly after in 2017 and falsely claimed a child sex trafficking ring conspired against Trump. Once limited to fringe platforms, QAnon conspiracy theorists have flooded mainstream social networks and have been accused of plotting or carrying out violent crimes.
[ . . . . ] “It’s incredibly distressing that the United States has come to the point where a really significant part of the public is just no longer tethered to reality,” said Jeffrey Glassberg, the founder of the North American Butterfly Association, the parent organization of the butterfly center.
There are two problems here.
1. Someone, somewhere, makes up these lies. (and doesn't care who gets hurt)
2. A whole lot of people are so gullible that they will believe the most outlandish lies.
The harder and closer everyone looks at the stolen 2020 election lie, the worse that lie looks as time passes. The people who made up and loudly trumpeted the voting machine lies are now being called to account for their damages.
Having passed 8 BILLION covid vaccine doses given globally, and in the US having 63 % of the population fully vaccinated makes the fringe anti vax movement look worse each day.
How does a country get to where half the population can no longer spot obvious lies? (Democrats drink the blood of babies) Half the population can't tell reality from fantasy. Some subset of those are willing to take violent action based on LIES!
How does this happen? What went wrong?
How to people uncritically accept the most ridiculous lies as truth worth fighting for?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @07:16PM (11 children)
What does a tiny group of deranged lunatics have to do with the 37% of the population that isn't vaccinated?
(Score: 5, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Thursday February 03 2022, @07:35PM (10 children)
The Venn diagram of those two groups is a circle inside a circle.
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @08:30PM
"Librul" is not spelled v e n n.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @09:01PM (3 children)
> The Venn diagram...
Argument wasted on the un-STEM-educated masses.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @09:24PM (2 children)
Venn diagrams are a liberal arts thing, dumbass.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @10:30PM
Really? I was taught Venn diagrams in elementary school, part of set theory taught as part of the "New Math" in the early 1960s -- later I realized this was part of the US national reaction to push math and science after we were surprised by Sputnik.
Wiki says it goes back to John Venn in the 1880s, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venn_diagram [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday February 04 2022, @05:56PM
Anti science nutjobs don't know shit about math, news at 11.
Set theory [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @11:52PM (4 children)
Ah, I see. All horses are animals, so therefore all animals are horses. Thanks, I get it now.
Logical fallacy much?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @02:02AM (3 children)
>> The Venn diagram of those two groups is a circle inside a circle.
> All horses are animals, so therefore all animals are horses. Thanks, I get it now.
Just a quick tip to AC (#1218473): That's not how Venn diagrams work. Back to school for you!
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @02:10AM
Whoosh!
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @05:50AM (1 child)
Dunning-Kroeger, to the MAX! Wow, I did not imagine that a conservative could be this ignorant or stupid. But, I have bought stock in horse-dewormer and mortuaries.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 07 2022, @08:20AM
Horses? Wait, Mules? Holey Moley, Coyotes? Just how far is Rancho Runaway (from Mexico) from the boarder? Is this why he is making a fuss about being spotlighted to the authorities? Human trafficking? Say it ain't so, Runaway! Tell us you are not a criminal! (Although, with his opposition to vaxxing, while being vaxxed, his oppostion to illegal immigration, while trafficking in the same, would not be out of character.)
(Score: 5, Informative) by DannyB on Thursday February 03 2022, @08:05PM (53 children)
One of my favorite AC replies . . .
Okay, who decides these things:
One possible answer [arstechnica.com] is that grifters see easy marks. An Italian satellite controlled the voting machines, oh, and don't forget to buy one of my newest pillows!
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by krishnoid on Thursday February 03 2022, @09:22PM (8 children)
I don't think this is an "accepting the lies as truth" thing anymore. It's that people don't value the truth as much to drive their actions and beliefs as they value ... a good story? Entrenching into "the old ways"? Diversion? Just going along with the flow? A concerted effort to assemble various nonsense into "the flow" to distract people from ... what? Just plain believing what you read in print or video (on the Internet) as truth, because "they" wouldn't allow falsehoods to be broadcast as news?
In that case:
Modern media has provided so many realistic-looking alternatives to "the truth" -- consider current computer graphics in movies -- that "the truth" is just one alternative. The truth is pretty interesting nowadays for people growing up in the pre-CG, pre-high-speed/resolution-imaging/large-storage era, but past that, it's kind of downhill. Now, a large portion of reality is comprised of the fantasy/conspiracy landscape that people choose to engage with, and older types who used to be able to fall back on "the truth" as common ground are flailing until they can understand the lay of that new landscape as a new set of core truths about (psychological, if not natural-world) reality.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @10:34PM (2 children)
> ... a new set of core truths...
I really don't want to live in your world, sorry.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Friday February 04 2022, @12:04AM (1 child)
Yeah, me neither [mcsweeneys.net] (sigh). Grief, mourning, then looking to the future.
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @01:39AM
Turns out he was right about that one.
I read that far without finding anything more substantive than "Trump said something mean to people who said mean things to him" or "someone who supports Trump said something mean".
(Score: 3, Interesting) by khallow on Friday February 04 2022, @12:36AM (4 children)
Most people love a good story. But for some, the story becomes reality and everything gets shoehorned into that. Combine that with a bunch of story tellers, worldwide who compete to see who can tell the tallest tale and still get someone to fall for it.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bmimatt on Friday February 04 2022, @05:00AM (2 children)
That's a culture problem. It would be nice to resolve it, so we can discuss *real shit*, not the comfortable to think of things.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Friday February 04 2022, @02:08PM (1 child)
What culture doesn't have stories? Rather it's a human cognitive problem, probably universal.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 08 2022, @08:47AM
Imagine that, you prime people to believe nonsense because "faith" then you whine about a "human cognitive problem" as you promote the very problems created. If you were on the other side of the coin it wouldn't be so pathetic, but you regularly support the propaganda of capitalism and the oil industry. You're the biggest tool here, at least Runaway has the excuse of being a dumbass boomer that believes every stupid lie Fox sells him. You are much worse, an opportunistic troll pushing a pro-wealthy narrative that allows you to bend with the winds of popular opinion.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 08 2022, @11:55PM
is that you [imdb.com], Marvel?
(Score: 2, Touché) by fustakrakich on Thursday February 03 2022, @10:36PM (1 child)
Don't be so surprised, it's the same phenomenon that makes all religions so successful, lasting thousands of years
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @12:33AM
(Score: 2) by bmimatt on Friday February 04 2022, @04:58AM (37 children)
Fucking reality decides. Those who can't interpret it, better seek professional help.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 04 2022, @02:54PM (36 children)
There must be thousands of versions of this story - do a search and pick your favorite.
Now, kindly stop masturbating the elephant.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @03:41PM (34 children)
The elephant story is a nice distraction that maybe nobody has a complete picture of the larger overall truth.
The reality is that we're talking about simple true/false things here.
Were the voting machines connected to the internet or not? This is a yes/no answer. It's' not a trick question. It is not trying to entrap someone like "do you still beat your wife?". There is no separate trunk, leg, tail, ear, etc to be examined by blind men.
It's about lies. Someone made up the pizzagate story. It did not just magically appear on millions of people's television sets somehow.
Someone made up the lie about the butterfly center being involved in human trafficking. These things do not just appear on TV or on the internet by themselves.
Someone made up the lie about election workers who were just doing their jobs but now have to go into hiding. This did not just magically materialize on people's TVs and internet.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 1, Disagree) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 04 2022, @03:53PM (30 children)
*yawn*
If you take your talking points from Fox, you'll get one answer to each of your questions.
Others who take their talking points from CNN will get different answers.
I'm pretty sure that you don't have all the answers, no matter whose talking points you prefer.
About the human trafficking at the border? Well, human trafficking is at an all time high. Someone says some of that traffic passes through the butterfly research station, how do you know whether it's true or false? I'll say "maybe, it seems likely" and leave it at that.
Meanwhile - have they found a way to make those butterflies tasty?
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @04:58PM (13 children)
You don't just make up a lie that human trafficking passes through a butterfly sanctuary. If it does, then prove that it does. It can't be that difficult to catch them in the act.
But it is easier to justify the lies that you seem to like. You don't seem to have a problem with this.
It has nothing to do with "talking points". I'm talking about outright lies. Plain and simple lies. An untruth that someone made up with intent to deceive and then put it on TV and the internet.
Reminder: I don't watch CNN since 2013.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 04 2022, @05:17PM (12 children)
How do you know it's a lie?
I'll assert that a million people walked across the border in 2021. Now, you find someplace, like the butterfly sanctuary, and prove that no one came through there. And, thank Creepy Joe and his 'Surge the Border' nonsense for the increase in people invading our country while you're at it.
The assertion that the Butterfly People are helping in human trafikking seems credible, if not proven.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @05:28PM (3 children)
I was one of 1000 who participated in the poll [rasmussenreports.com] that was in the news yesterday. They have something like 11-million they're immediately planning on officializing with a D. They plan on inviting in more every year, to drive wages down. I had no idea they plan on 75-million more illegals. The poll is worded so nicely, though.
In unrelated news, did you see in the news that fewer than 2% in Baltimore are reading at their grade level? Can't imagine what's next.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @05:36PM (2 children)
If you want to talk about immigration policy, great. I think we should control our borders. We should know who enters and exits the country.
If this is not happening, then it is because someone isn't putting the resources into making it happen. (Hey congress critters!)
Don't blame (or distract away from) what happened here. Especially that the most unhinged of the loonies made it so bad that they had to close down. Based on lies. Or what happened to election workers merely doing their jobs but now must go in to hiding.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @07:52PM (1 child)
Just sharing some insight, and waiting to see if my post gets down-modded, like just about everything I've posted. Well, before I gave up on the whole thing. Here, one more reason...
Unlike butterflies, illegal alien migration is not seasonal.
Didn't you know that left-winged butterflies can't fly over walls? And that your alleged traffickers have to follow said butterflies in order to find their way back home. You don't want a bunch of lost people eating all the butterflies in order to keep from starving!?!?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @03:37AM
You post lies, trolls, and propaganda, you get down-modded.
Then stop lying!
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @05:31PM (6 children)
People sneaking across the border at a butterfly sanctuary is not the same thing as a butterfly sanctuary engaging in human trafficking.
There is an actual difference. Maybe you fail to see it.
The first is something that happens. Possibly without the knowledge or any assistance from the butterfly sanctuary.
The second would be something that ICE and CBP would do something about. Assuming it were true, rather than a lie that appeared on millions of TVs without any concern that they may cause their loonies to rise up and take some action. Yee haw!
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 04 2022, @05:42PM (5 children)
How do I know the looney liberal left didn't put the butterfly sanctuary right there on the border to make it easier for human trafikkers? How do you know?
Oh, sorry, you read their denial, so that makes them innocent.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @06:08PM (4 children)
You don't ask the question, you prove it. Make an actual direct accusation with evidence. You don't cause other people to attack an innocent party.
If this was real, then ICE and CBP would be interested.
You seem to assume they are guilty until proven innocent.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 04 2022, @06:12PM (3 children)
Said no scientist, ever.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @11:45PM (2 children)
Said every scientist ever. Pulling a theory out of your ass is of no consequence beyond what you can prove.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @12:18AM (1 child)
FFS, scientist have hundreds, thousands, of theories they haven't proved yet. They arrive at proofs by asking questions. FFS, you dumber than any wannabe mechanic, not smart enough to spell 'engineer', and can't even see as high as a scientist's knees.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @12:43AM
Asking the question does seeet fuck all .
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @08:07PM
Mostly by the fact that Runaway is spreading it. That works 99.5% of the time.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @05:07PM (9 children)
Indeed, but do you honestly not see that one possible reason for this is that one of these broadcasting stations is not being entirely straight with us? Do you seriously not see this?
Yes, but the fallacy you have fallen into is believing that everyone's point of view is equally as valid any anyone else's. That is just plain intellectual laziness on your part. There are some who are closer to the truth than others. You have to do the hard work of evaluating what people are telling you. It's called critical thinking. You will get much further if you start practicing this.
As I said, this is intellectual laziness. You have to do some evaluating of the information that is being put in front of you.
(Score: 2, Redundant) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 04 2022, @05:14PM (8 children)
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @05:23PM (7 children)
From what I seem to remember:
1. CNN reports news and basic facts
2. CNN has editorial opinions, talking heads, etc that one may or may not agree with
I don't seem to recall CNN telling outright lies and made up nonsense. I have no particular love for CNN (as I said, I quit watching them in 2013). If you have examples of CNN telling outright lies and conspiracy theories, I would genuinely love to hear about them. Those deserve to be openly pointed out for all to see.
There were two things which caused CNN to lose my trust.
1. In 2012 the total and complete silence to SOPA. (But all media, in all mediums (print, broadcast, etc) was pretending this did not exist.)
2. In 2013 how CNN didn't even pretend that maybe Snowden had something to say about why he had done what he did. Not even a pretense of objectivity. Just the government's side, there is no other point of view to express.
It was item 2 that made me permanently stop watching. I could rationalize item 1, because everyone else was also doing it.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 2, Redundant) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 04 2022, @05:52PM (6 children)
https://dailycaller.com/2018/08/31/cnn-list-bungled-reporting-fake-news/ [dailycaller.com]
https://nypost.com/2020/11/07/how-cbs-and-cnn-went-from-reporting-the-news-to-distorting-it/ [nypost.com]
https://newspunch.com/top-20-cnn-fake-news/ [newspunch.com]
https://newspunch.com/cia-blasts-cnn-false-reporting-trump-russia/ [newspunch.com]
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/left/cnn-bias/ [mediabiasfactcheck.com]
https://dailycaller.com/2017/06/14/for-chris-cillizza-here-are-five-fake-stories-cnn-pushed/ [dailycaller.com]
Maybe their best?
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/513902-cnn-ridiculed-for-fiery-but-mostly-peaceful-caption-with-video-of-burning [thehill.com]
Those all came from one quick search. You can do your own searches for CNN positions on various issues. Gun control, BLM, Antifa, Ukraine, China. Positions range from outright dishonesty, to disingenouus.
More, CNN doesn't report politics, they work hard to influence politics. CNN is a liberal mouthpiece.
There is no defending CNN. There is no accusation that you can make agains Fox, that isn't also true of CNN - just on the opposite side of our partisan world.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @06:05PM (3 children)
Interesting.
I make no defense CNN.
I am not aware of CNN pushing conspiracy theories to rial up people into attacking other innocent parties, or institutions of government.
Or spreading lies that are known lies to cause billions of dollars damage to companies that make voting machines.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 04 2022, @06:14PM (2 children)
You don't remember the 'Russia, Russia, Russia' narrative? You've forgotten that whole identity politics thing shared by MSM and the DNC?
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @06:23PM
I do recall the dumber of the two moron twins talking about how they get their money from Russia.
This is not about CNN vs FOX. Or their respective political leanings.
It is about the masses no longer tethered to reality.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 3, Informative) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @06:31PM
I'll say one last reply on this.
I don't watch either FOX nor CNN.
I do see visible results of stalking and worse that right wing nut jobs do from information they get in their echo chambers, whether broadcast or online.
I do see that Russia seems to think Carl Tuckerson is their best spokesperson lately.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @11:30PM
Daily Caller? Cucker Tarlson? Runaway's too far gone. Could not tell the truth if it was his home address.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday February 08 2022, @06:45AM
:-) Always with the wisecracks!
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @11:28PM (5 children)
Stop lying, Runaway1956! It is time you got banned from SoylentNews.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday February 04 2022, @11:38PM (4 children)
What do you mean "is time?" That fucking nutbar should have been launched into low-earth orbit on the end of an admin's boot sometime in 2019 if not earlier. He's completely frothing insane and has been for ages.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @12:11AM (3 children)
How would you know? Were you in the same asylum together?
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday February 05 2022, @12:27AM (2 children)
Simple observation of his behavior on here is how i know.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @05:17AM (1 child)
Keep observing, Simple.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @05:54AM
Do not, under any circumstances, put together all the personal information about his life, job, location, political views, or medical problems that he lets drop on SN, because you might be accused of Doxxing the Runaway! But, the Red Flag warning, submitted anonymously, to the local law enforcement, for inclusion in the national database, that might be a good thing to do.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @12:50AM (1 child)
The elephant story is 100% bullshit. It doesn't teach human nature - it denies it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 09 2022, @12:02AM
Because the elephants are known to not ever move when examined by blind men, right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 08 2022, @11:58PM
And it's all a good thing, on the long run, as unpleasant as it may be on short term.
A population doesn't develop defense mechanisms if the threats are benign.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Saturday February 05 2022, @04:55AM
An elephant is soft and mushy [twimg.com]
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday February 04 2022, @03:15PM (3 children)
Okay, #3 is a lot harder to "prove" than #1 and #2.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @03:51PM (2 children)
Some common sense makes it extremely unlikely.
Who have the resources to launch secret Jewish space lasers?
In secret, when launch plumes are routinely watched for by all major powers with satellites.
How would you even get such a satellite constructed in secret? And make sure that nobody ever spills the beans?
Is it plausible that anyone has technology to build such a powerful laser that can from orbit start a fire on Earth? If so, then why don't we already have such powerful lasers in widespread use on the ground for all sorts of applications including military?
If someone could launch and orbit such a powerful weapon, why start wild fires in California rather than use it for other military applications?
In any conspiracy with many involved, how do you keep a lid on it? How would the faked moon landings have not had one single involved person come forward after decades?
How would multiple three letter US agencies not recognize this attack upon US soil? And not one of them break the news?
How likely is it that no civilian would have detected these space lasers starting the fires?
I could keep coming up with questions. My point is that the secret Jewish space lasers starting the California wild fires seems quite farfetched. Enough so that it should be disbelieved until there is proof -- rather than believed until disproven.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday February 04 2022, @04:02PM (1 child)
<sarcasm>Hey, I'm not saying it was "Jewish Space Lasers", but it was "Aliens".</sarcasm>
It's super unlikely, but it's much harder to "prove".
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 4, Touché) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @04:55PM
Yeah. Prove that it didn't happen!
No, you don't try to prove a negative. Prove that it DID happen. (Secret Jewish space lasers)
Or prove that the vast election conspiracy DID happen. Mike Lindell says he has the proof! We'll see it eventually! Probably before the heat death of the universe!
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @08:24PM (7 children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1yKPXZt8U4 [youtube.com]
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @08:58PM (6 children)
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Nighttime would find me in Rosa's cantina
Music would play and Felina would whirl
Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina
Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love was deep for this Mexican maiden
I was in love, but in vain I could tell
One night a wild young cowboy came in
Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing
With wicked Felina, the girl that I loved
So in anger I challenged his right for the love of this maiden
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered in less than a heartbeat
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor
Just for a moment I stood there In silence
Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there
I had but one chance and that was to run
Out through the back door of Rosa's I ran
Out where the horses were tied
I caught a good one, it looked like it could run
Up on its back and away I did ride
Just as fast as I could from the West Texas town of El Paso
Out to the badlands of New Mexico
Back in El Paso my life would be worthless
Everything's gone, in life nothing is left
It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden
My love is stronger than my fear of death
I saddled up and away I did go
Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow a bullet may find me
Tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart
And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso
I can see Rosa's Cantina below
My love is strong and it pushes me onward
Down off the hill to Felina I go
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys
Off to my left ride a dozen or more
Shouting and shooting, I can't let them catch me
I have to make it to Rosa's back door
Something is dreadfully wrong, for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side
Though I am trying to stay in the saddle
I'm getting weary, unable to ride
But my love for Felina is strong and I rise where I've fallen
Though I am weary, I can't stop to rest
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest
From out of nowhere Felina has found me
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die for
One little kiss, then Felina good-bye
Writer: Marty Robbins
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @09:04PM (4 children)
Marty's alright, but Judy has a prettier voice.
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @03:31AM (3 children)
Annnnnd, someone(s) wasted mod points on both lyrics. Do they have mod points to burn? Or, could they just possibly have a sock puppet army of mod points??
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @04:05AM (2 children)
It was probably some Marxist who hates music, and hates anyone who enjoys music.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @10:55AM (1 child)
It was someone who is not autistic. Someone who knows what "offtopic" means. Someone who is not a slobbering idiot that randomly inserts wacko politics into things.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @12:15AM
CLUE BAT: The journal entry is a political statement.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @01:07AM
Those butterfly people smugglers must have absolutely awesome opsec to be smuggling people for 20 years without anyone getting caught. Maybe it's the republicans running it, flooding the country with illegals to generate hostility and talking points.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday February 03 2022, @09:12PM
Crowd psychology is not really a big mystery
A couple of good books:
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind [gutenberg.org]
The Mass psychology of Fascism [archive.org] (caution: pdf)
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 5, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday February 03 2022, @11:35PM (10 children)
Reagan started all this. Oh, the tendency (or vulnerability...) has *always* been there, but Reagan's combination of trickle-down economics and pandering to the loonie Christian right -- and, IMO, these are the religious and secular sides of the same coin, and YES, in that order! -- set us on an irreversible slide.
The GOP and its voter base have not been "tethered to reality," save for a few brief flashes of relative lucidity in Bush the Elder's reign, for well over 40 years. This isn't anything new; this is just critical mass.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @11:54PM
'Zumi weighs in on the concept of 'reality'. Buddha wept. Or sweated, or ejaculated, or something.
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 03 2022, @11:57PM (6 children)
You're pretty much always criticizing the right, pointing out specific examples.
How about telling us, in detail, some things that lefties have done, successfully enhancing society?
I can think of a righty that ended slavery. Another who ended the Viet Nam war.
Must I go on?
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @12:09AM
Lincoln wasn't in any way a righty - the Republicans were basically a far left party at that time.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday February 04 2022, @12:36AM (4 children)
Gladly. Thank a liberal/"leftie" for: minimum wage, voting rights, vacation days, desegregation of schools and the workplace, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, and the very idea of universal civil rights at all in any form :)
Thank a liberal/"leftie" you didn't die with a double lungful of coal dust at the age of 8 weighing as much as a healthy 5 year old, or get mangled in a factory machine and thrown out into the street. Thank a liberal/"leftie" you didn't end up burned alive for your religion (or lack thereof). How many more examples do you need?! You sit in the lap of the very people you despise, and spit insults and venom in their collective faces.
Make no mistake, if it weren't for the "lefties" you wouldn't be here spewing this ungrateful bullshit. You'd be fucking dead or worse.
PS: back in the day, the Republicans were the "lefties." I would have been a proud Republican in the 1860s, aside from the minor detail of NOT BEING ALLOWED TO GODDAMN VOTE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A Y CHROMOSOME.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @01:01AM (1 child)
Now find us one "liberal"/leftie who is NOT frothing at the mouth for removal of all of the above except vacation days "because COVID".
When you are all for segregation when it is by "vaccination status" (demonstrably useless now), when you are all for removal of freedoms and rights when it is "to flatten the curve" (a demonstrated lie now) or from "science deniers" or "antivaxxers" or "alt-rights" or whoever else dares disagree - you people are fascists, and to hell with your rebranding.
The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by charon on Friday February 04 2022, @09:21PM
You're making the claim that such people exist, the onus is on you to prove it. If there are so many -- literally ALL liberals -- then it shouldn't be too hard for you to cite someone who wants to abolish minimum wage and civil rights. On the left, mind you; there are plenty on the right who hold those positions.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @01:35AM (1 child)
It has whoooshed right over your head that Marxists today want to re-segregate the schools? That's the party you ally with, not Republicans.
Let's get this straight: Marxists are left. A YUUUUGE segment of not-conservatives today are MARXISTS! Marxists don't give a flying fuck in a windstorm about your rights.
You blather about being liberal - WTF aren't you pushing third parties? Each and every third party candidate in 'Murica today is further left than your Democrat heroes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @02:14AM
ICFI/SEP/IWA-RFC:
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa [wsws.org]: French healthcare, transport and employment agency workers strike over pay and staff shortages; protests by teachers across Iran against wages and conditions; striking South African Clover food workers’ indefinite stoppage against pay and job cuts in eleventh week
Jim Lawrence, American autoworker and longtime Trotskyist, dies at age 83: A life dedicated to the fight for socialism [wsws.org]
US autoworkers support European Ford workers’ fight against concessions: “We are all behind you in the United States” [wsws.org]
US health care workers speak out as COVID-19 continues to fill ICUs and overwhelm hospitals [wsws.org]
As oil giants announce massive profits, BP oil refinery worker in Indiana declares: “We’re ready to strike” [wsws.org]
ISA/Socialist Alternative USA: “Solidarity With Starbucks Workers” Resolutions Introduced in Chicago and Minneapolis City Councils [socialistalternative.org]
CWI: Britain: 10,000 London Underground workers vote to strike [socialistworld.net]
TFFI: What’s Next for French Workers After Thursday’s National Mobilization? [leftvoice.org]
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday February 04 2022, @05:29PM
Well we were just talking about the GOP Southern Strategy yesterday.
I think the slide may have started with Nixon, when they started actively attracting the "negrophobes."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @01:21AM
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @12:46AM
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-mink-denmark-to-cull-15-million-animals-concern-mutated-covid-infections-in-humans/ [cbsnews.com]
https://nypost.com/2020/11/25/zombie-minks-rise-from-grave-in-denmark-after-slaughter/ [nypost.com]
Why do you reptiloid lefties hate us mammals so?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Friday February 04 2022, @02:21AM (2 children)
A question I often ponder: has it always been this bad? Yes, in the sense that the number of people who are just that stupid has been about equal, maybe even greater in the past. Look at the kind of bull people used to believe. There were all kinds of superstitions that used to be taken a lot more seriously. For instance, undead. Today, that notion is fodder for movies that almost everyone takes as just entertainment. As recently as 2 centuries ago, enough people took that bull seriously enough that sometimes they'd actually stake the dead. Bury them with a wooden stake through the heart. The Salem Witch Trials are one of the most infamous examples of idiotic mass hysteria over those sorts of superstitions.
Maybe, however, modern tech has in some ways made things worse. Our communication tech has enabled more lies to spread more and faster than ever before. Now we're wrestling with the question of whether lies ought to be censored, and if so, how. What should Facebook, Twitter, and all of Big Tech do? Police their platforms? Should SoylentNews have to do that? I argue that, no, the operators of a platform should not be burdened by police duties. Perhaps we should fund a public policing force to handle that kind of stuff. However, I'm hesitant to wholly endorse such an idea, for fear that such a force could too easily be warped into another instrument of propaganda instead of fact. Or it might be turned towards revenue. During Prohibition, that's what the anti-alcohol forces were called: revenuers. Well, whatever means we use to keep the traditional police from becoming too corrupt might work for a "Counter Slander and Defamation Force".
One thing that should be on Big Tech, however, is that they should not make things worse. Don't wallow in melodrama by favoring wild, incendiary, and wrong messages over factually accurate ones, for the sake of higher profits, or any other purpose. This too has precedence. Throughout history there've been opportunists egging the idiots on They've positioned themselves to profit off the mess they helped stir, and they often do. It might be by selling charms to ward off evil, or by easily appropriating the property of the victims. Priests most certainly have noticed that attendance goes up when people are scared, and many have not been above stoking fears. You might burn in Hell if you don't come to church every Sunday.
One cartoon that hammered relentlessly on superstitious bull is Scooby Doo. Every single episode was a variation on the same plot: Some criminal tries to scare everyone away, for their own profit in some fashion, by working on those members of the public fool enough to believe in superstitious fears, and they "would've done it too if it hadn't been for you darn kids" finding them out and exposing them. A much older and most similar story is the Sherlock Holmes mystery Hound of the Baskervilles. Some day, I hope we'll have advanced beyond the need for that story. Until that day comes, continued hammering on this point may be the best thing to do.
A topical story today could, like in the Hound of the Baskervilles, have someone attempting to inherit a fortune by scaring all the heirs ahead of the schemer into not getting vaccinated against COVID, tricking them into not wearing masks, and so forth. Or, it could be a means to win a mate. Eliminate rivals for someone's love by scaring those rivals away from vaccines, Wouldn't have to be fatal. A nice bout of long COVID, to sideline a rival for half a year, might do. If the illness doesn't end up rendering them feeble or incapacitated even if only temporarily, that they took that risk might expose them as the idiots they are, leaving no doubt whatsoever, and so they lose out that way. I find it heartening that far right idiots are having such an awful hard time scoring a date, let alone anything more.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @02:56AM
> Well, whatever means we use to keep the traditional police from becoming too corrupt
We don't do anything to prevent that, and they are corrupt.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @03:55AM
The greatest gift of the internet was allowing the smartest among us to connect with one another and share ideas. The greatest injury of the internet was allowing the stupidest among us to connect with one another and share ideas.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Gaaark on Friday February 04 2022, @03:43AM (15 children)
that with the far-right, it comes down to education vs. edumacation and critical thinking (and, i guess, being able to think for themselves).
Saw a video of a woman at a Trump rally saying she'd never get a vaccination. The reporter then asked her if Trump told her she should get a vaccination, would she and her reply was "Of course".
Baaaaaaaa. People with low education can't think for themselves, it seems. Need people to think for them i guess.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 04 2022, @04:24AM
I've seen family try to use that line of thinking to get people to get vaccinated. Better than the ones that just dismissed it out of hand as "fake news" were the ones that said Trump may be saying that but it is a deception to accomplish some other goal. But somehow that doesn't make him a liar at the same time.
(Score: 5, Informative) by DannyB on Friday February 04 2022, @04:52PM (13 children)
In past journal entries, I've brought up, and provided numbers to show that the anti vax movement is all about politics. Pure politics and nothing else. Not science or medicine. Not some genuine concern about the vaccine. Politics is the biggest predictor of getting vaccinated or not. More so than sex, education, race, etc.
One feigned "fear" of the vaccine was that it was rushed into production. But who did that? Trump! With his "warp speed" to get the vax to everyone. How they seem to forget that.
If a minstrel has musical instruments attached to his bicycle, can it be called a minstrel cycle?
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @03:00AM (12 children)
Bullshit.
You repeatedly deny the fact that 50% of unvaccinated are republicans, 30% are democrats, and 20% are neither.
You constantly push the narrative that it is a republican political position, in defiance of the actual statements by anti-vaxxers themselves that it is about freedom and anti-authoritarianism. You and your ilk are the ones trying to promote the anti-vax sentiment by tying it to one of the main political parties instead of letting it stand on its own.
If there was anything close to a serious war going on I would consider you a fifth columnist guilty of "soft sabotage" by trying to undermine the health of society. In reality, I expect you have simply spiralled so far down the rabbit hole that you literally cannot see anything that contradicts your delusions.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday February 05 2022, @05:03AM (7 children)
Further living proof: everything said by a "conservative" is projection, confession, or both. Crawl back in your hole.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @07:49PM (6 children)
As somebody who happily resides outside of this little circle jerk, I can honestly tell you that you all are perfect mirror images of each other, almost as funny as Groucho's mirror gag
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @08:17PM (5 children)
Low quality troll is sad. Poor dumb white boi.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 05 2022, @09:32PM (4 children)
Sad indeed... to watch you bleed like that with canned responses
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 07 2022, @06:27PM (3 children)
Eat any babies recently? Republicans love eating babies, why else do you think they object to abortion? They neeeeed their meeeeeeat!
Gross pedophile Republicans trying to kill anyone not fat and fair skinned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 07 2022, @06:54PM (2 children)
lame
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 08 2022, @08:50AM (1 child)
Perhaps you shouldn't start a stupid troll war if you don't want it to devolve into such stupid commentary.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 09 2022, @07:58AM
Wisdom? On SN???
What will happen next!?!?
Oh wait, the topic was trolling, nevermind that is expected wisdom here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @01:47AM (3 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @03:47AM (2 children)
20% of people aren't independents either. I would bet that most of them are democrats who don't want to admit it.
50 vs 30 + 20 is not far more.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 06 2022, @11:56AM (1 child)
And I would bet that most of them are republicans who don't want to admit it.
30 vs 50 + 20 is a lot less.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 12 2022, @04:10AM
By your own arguments republicans should be proud to say they are anti-vax. The democrats are the ones who are shamed if they admit it.
It will be really funny if Kamel-cop loses the next election because people like you pushed all the anti-authoritarians into Donny's party.