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It's been one heck of a week:
Against the backdrop of record-setting numbers of COVID-19 deaths and infections in the US and around the world, there was turmoil in Washington, DC. As court cases surrounding the presidential election were filed and dismissed, a close race in Georgia was coming down to the wire and with it control of the US Senate. While the US Congress was completing the Electoral College tally and certification, a mob formed outside — and eventually broke into — the US Capitol. This resulted in a 4-hour lock-down. Eventually, the intrusion was repelled, and the Electoral College count was completed: Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was confirmed as the 46th president of the United States of America.
Conspiracy theories have flourished. Propaganda has streamed forth across multiple platforms. Tempers have flared.
And SoylentNews has been there for you. And have you ever spoken up! Two of the most-commented stories in the site's nearly seven-year history were posted in just the past week!
Insomuch as the activities in the US Capitol were far from the US' most shining moments, neither were things all unicorns and rainbows on SoylentNews. Tempers flared. People were attacked and called names. I even accidentally deleted a story and the 17 comments attached to it! [NB: Problem addressed: the delete button no longer appears by default for our editors.]
IRC (Internet Relay Chat):
Even our IRC service was not free from controversy. We had a spate of nick (nickname) impersonations. Going forward, IRC users are free to use whatever nick they like with the following caveats:
- Prefix / suffix of a nick is fine for practical purposes (e.g. ${nick}_laptop)
- Impersonation or misrepresentation will not be tolerated
- The use of another user's website nick or derivative thereof on IRC will be subject to sanctions up to and including perma ban.
Further, we understand conversations can easily ramble from subject to subject, but there are separate channels for different topics. (Use the /list comand to see what is available.) As #soylent is the default landing channel, we want to keep the discussions there civil. Name calling and personal attacks are grounds for a timeout. I have had discussions with deucalion (the site's CEO and also IRC-maintainer) about these activities.
NOTE: we are NOT going to sit there watching every discussion, poised to take action. But, if such activity is seen by staff on IRC, they are free to take such actions as they deem necessary.
Aspirations:
As I approach posting my 10,000th story(!) to SoylentNews, I think back to when it all started. How a group of people got together. They shared freely of their expertise, of their free time, and of their hard-earned funds. They tried to create a place free from corporate overlords where people could engage in discussions that focused primarily on technology, but with a dabbling in other areas and current events.
SoylentNews provides a forum for discussion. It also provides tools so the community can express themselves in the comments and moderate those comments, as well.
This got me to thinking. What are our aspirations today? What are our guiding principles? I will list some of my guiding principles, and I encourage the community to share what guides them in the comments.
- "Explanations exist; they have existed for all time; there is always a well-known solution to every human problem—neat, plausible, and wrong." --H. L. Mencken (cite)
- "People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -- Isaac Asimov (cite)
- "If you speak when angry, you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret." -- Groucho Marx (cite)
- "Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don't say it mean."
- "Don't get furious, get curious" -- Miley Cyrus (cite)
- "Humiliation is when someone points out my shortcomings. Humility is when I confess them myself."
- "I need not participate in every fight I am invited to."
- The most difficult behaviors to observe in another person are the ones I dislike in my own.
- "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him." -- John, Lord Morley (cite)
How about you? What sayings guide your aspirations?
Thank You!
Lastly, I thank all of you for supporting me as Editor-in-Chief. I have no formal background in writing or management. I've made mistakes, but I've tried to own up to them as they happened. I strive to be fair, impartial, and open-minded. Under the watchful gaze of the community, I have grown. It is my hope that I may continue to earn your respect and continue in service for many years to come.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday January 11 2021, @06:27PM
Thank you for doing what is no doubt a thankless job.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 11 2021, @06:45PM (8 children)
There's one mistake Biden shouldn't make, but probably will.
That mistake is to assume that America wants or needs a return to business as usual.
Over the past 4 years, I've said that Trump is an effect, not a cause. In the recent weeks it has become apparent that Trump is a cause, but that doesn't mean he is no longer an effect. He is now an effect *and* a cause; but Biden must not forget that the effect is a result of the primary cause.
What is that cause? It's a cause that stems from failures not only of the Democrats, but of the Republicans which is why the Democrats lost to somebody who was not like a traditional Republican.
The cause can be summed up as "corrupt elitist rule". We've had a few decades of that, and it needs to stop. Biden can acknowledge that failure without directly naming it by leaving some things in place. He can leave Trump's renegotiated NAFTA agreement in place, to the extent that it's not flawed in serious ways as opposed to attempting to return to the previous NAFTA regime. He can shore up our relationships with European allies and re-distance us from strongmen in the Phillipines and North Korea without running in to the arms of China. He can actively work to bring manufacturing back to our shores instead of allowing multinationals to venue shop to the lowest bidder. This is how they lost Michigan in 2016.
For decades the elites have been shoving globalization in the face of the working class, selling comparative advantage amongst nation states as economic dogma in the classroom. It's a more sophisticated version of trickle-down, and it's a proven failure. The Democrats who were supposed to defend the working class, in the end became as much about business as the GOP, if not more. This is how the Democrats lost the working class.
You can blame Trump for hollowing out the Rust Belt jobs, and standing idly by while corporations pushed opiates in to communities with declining job opportunities. That all falls squarely on the shoulders of the elites, who seek to run US policy out of places like Davos and Kyoto--and that's not a half-baked conspiracy theory. Those meetings are where policies were being formulated, and then world leaders were going home to carry it out. It was all right out in the open, not in some shadowy mythical smoke-filled room full of baby carcasses. The regular working man had zero input.
A turning point in all this was the "battle in Seattle", where socially conservative union members joined forces with a motley crew of socially liberal far-left demonstrators. It's no coincidence that the Trump insurrection also has a colorful cast of characters, to the point where susceptible conspiracy folks can't believe it's not Antifa. It's not, of course; but in a roundabout way it's two side of the same coin. It's the elites vs. the people. There's a populism of the right to which Trump appeals, and a populism of the left to which Bernie appeals. About the only thing they have in common is that they both hate the Jews. They just do it in a different style; but I digress.
If Biden really wants to get the country back on track, he needs to stop taking orders from globalist round-tables, and wealthy donors. He needs to LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE and take what they say and hammer it out in to policies that are a bit more reasonable and will work well enough for everybody. He needs to shock a few people, just not to the extent or in the manner that Trump did.
I'm sorry; but I don't have a lot of optimism that it'll happen. I think it's more likely he's going to screw this up. He probably thinks we want to return to business as usual after these 4 years; but that's the cause of these 4 years. And that, good people, makes January 6 our version of the Beer Hall Putsh, not Kristalnacht as former governor of California Schwarzenegger opined.
Our concern for the next 10 years isn't Trump. He's an old man. Our concern is some military vet who was in that crowd, sitting in prison the next few years and writing a book. That would be history rhyming, and most of us don't want to go there.
Biden and Harris can prevent that, but it can't be business as usual. It needs to be a policy formula that listens to the people, and an economic policy that prevents inflation from getting out of control. When I hear talk of $2k/mo UBI, I shudder... Anybody who took ECON 101 knows what that can do, and anybody who too history 101 knows that hyperinflation contributed to the destabilization of Germany.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 11 2021, @06:55PM (2 children)
I'm torn between moderating "offtopic" and "interesting". The post is truly insightful, but isn't this the wrong place for it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 11 2021, @07:44PM
What other place is left to post things anonymously?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 11 2021, @09:01PM
I'm the GP AC and I didn't read TFS. I just saw this as invitation to post about the events of last week, and ran with it. Long time user too, but didn't feel like dealing with shit from the content of the post, never mind if this was the right article to post it on. Soylent might not have ever opened up a blanket forum for the election conflict, so like I said, I took this as an invitation and ran with it.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Monday January 11 2021, @09:55PM (1 child)
Yep: be afraid of the sane, intelligent Trump. He will destroy America.
Beer Hall Putsch is definitely more appropriate than Kristalnacht.
And same old same old will, I agree, be the choice leading to badness. REAL change needs to happen.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 13 2021, @03:00PM
Real change will never happen so long as people continue to accept establishment picks.
As of the 21st, the DNC will control the house, the senate, and the presidency. They will have the power to pass absolutely any law and achieve anything, short of a constitutional amendment, that they could ever dream up. They even have the power to nullify the filibuster. And you know what's going to happen over the next 2 years? Not much. We'll probably start a new war, corporations will be granted more power than ever, and wealth inequality will continue to skyrocket. And then in 2 years the DNC will somehow convince voters that if they vote establishment, everything will change. Which it won't. It never does.
The main reason there is an establishment effort to purge the republican party right now has nothing to do with Trump and everything to do with the fact that the establishment has lost control of the party. You're obviously never going to see another Jeb, Romney, or McCain as the GOP pick. And that's freaking the establishment out. It's time for people who vote democrat to do the exact same thing. If you want to ever see REAL change, we all need to get rid of the establishment in DC. Hell, run Oprah Winfrey or Howard Schultz. I'd vote for either of them. Ultimately if the choice in 2024 is between an establishment democrat and a monkey's ass, I'm voting for a monkey's ass.
(Score: 1) by hemocyanin on Tuesday January 12 2021, @04:52AM (2 children)
LOL -- these are democrats. We'll be lucky if Amazon doesn't become a new Federal agency and we don't find ourselves in a new war in the middle east before next Christmas. Like lottery level lucky.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @08:18AM (1 child)
So if you're wrong what do we win? Lottery level prizes? Or just some mobile posts?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @08:56AM
Hemo is a looser. He used to be a liberal, but then he lost him mind, and has become paranoidal.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by crafoo on Monday January 11 2021, @07:33PM (3 children)
It's best to not get emotional over things that you have no control over. Especially when it's clear we are all being cynically used as pawns. Get fit. Eat right. Get good sleep. Work toward leading the best and most productive life you can.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Gaaark on Monday January 11 2021, @09:59PM (1 child)
and pay no attention until they come for you?
I won't say "Baaaaa"; you shouldn't either.
Pay attention, vote, peacefully revolutionize if you have to, but do NOT go quietly into that good night. You DO have control until you opt out.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Thursday January 14 2021, @05:05AM
Take what action you need to protect your future. That's the "lead the most productive life" part of what I said. I have a second passport and I'm a pretty good sailor. I think I'll be fine.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @01:24AM
You were plenty emotional while defending the insurrectionists, now you have a message of calm and order? Interesting, so you wish to disavow your earlier comments and agree that Trump should see prison for inciting insurrection after he was given so many recounts and court hearings? I won't hold my breath, I'll just be happy if you don't make our domestic terrorist problem any worse.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 11 2021, @08:38PM (3 children)
ROBERT A. HEINLEIN, Via various books
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday January 11 2021, @10:01PM
"Men rarely (if ever) manage to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child"
Like! I'd say ALL gods, but that's just me...
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @02:15AM (1 child)
Heinlein is overrated, and his ideals are frequently butting into sociopath territory.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 12 2021, @06:37PM
Wow, downmods are just ridiculous these days. Guess this is the future of discourse on SN.
(Score: 1) by lcall on Tuesday January 12 2021, @07:47PM
Things might seem distressing now, but it can be OK. Some thoughts:
1) Honesty, the US Constitution, and the rule of law seem much more important than other policies, even ones we care about deeply (per some of my Church's scriptures, such as D&C98). Let's pray for our country/ies.
2) Jesus Christ said "love your enemies", & more ( https://churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/5.3-10,44 [churchofjesuschrist.org] ).
(And: "By their fruits ye shall know them": Matt 7:11-21;
and see D&C52: https://churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/52.14-19#11 [churchofjesuschrist.org] .)
This means treating others with respect, for starters, and the way you would want (or they would want) to be treated.
3) Please, let's all practice and seek honesty, wisdom & kindness, and get
info and news from reliable, trustworthy sources. (Many. ksl.com? reuters.com?)
(Refs avail. incl news, D&C52 above, D&C98, a Church Handbook ch38.8.45, etc.)
4) Trust is earned by (trustworthy, good, uplifting) behavior over time, not just words.
5) We all can learn, help & encourage each other, grow & be better if we keep trying.
I deeply believe, with some reasons, that the US Constitution will continue to be in place in the long run, in spite of difficulties.
My site: http://lukecall.net [lukecall.net] - Tech,thots,peace.(Updated 2021-01-10. Cmts/sugg welcome. https later.