Archive for November, 2023

The Seven Faces You will Encounter in Debate, online and off and how to deal with them.

Posted: November 18, 2023 by datechguy in oddities

It’s my experience over a long life that you will find seven different types of people when you debate a subject of some importance that you have a strong opinion on. Here are my suggestions on how to deal with such people:

  1. The ignorant

One must remember when dealing with the ignorant that ignorance about a subject is not the same as stupidity. In fact it worth remembering that just about everybody is ignorant about more things then they are knowledgeable or even informed about.

The way to deal with ignorance is to provide information. How they react to that attempt will give a clue if you’re dealing with the willfully ignorant (who want to avoid a moral or difficult subject to avoid having to make a choice) or the uninformed. One must remember that being informed doesn’t automatically mean they will come to your point of view

  1. The stupid

There are some people who are simply not able to grasp certain things. When dealing with the stupid no amount of information or argument will have an effect so unless you wish to provide evidence on an argument within a social media timeline one is better off not wasting the short valuable time you have on earth getting worked up over an argument with them.

  1. The indifferent

There are people who simply don’t care about the things you do. Maybe their priorities are different than yours, maybe they have personal issue that override anything you might care about or maybe they just want to be left alone.

In this case one should remember that freedom of speech also means the freedom to not listen to your speech. It doesn’t matter what the issue is, if people don’t want to listen to you respect that choice. If the issue is their own imminent life & death (and I mean life or death NOW not in a month or a year or 30 years) you might press a little harder but odds are that won’t be the case online so if people want their space give them the freedom to have it.

  1. The different perspective

These tend to be the most interesting while at the same time being the most frustrating people to deal with in a debate. They are people who will look at the same facts as you and come to a completely different conclusion from them. Except in the case of mathematics one must remember that this is totally legitimate. Perhaps they have more or different information than you. Perhaps they have a different background or family history or give more weight to one part of the fact trail than another. Or perhaps they just look at things differently because by definition they are different than you as everyone else in the whole world is.

These are the people that I find most enjoyable to deal with because you can learn from their perspective and they keep you honest because as I like to say, if your argument is worth anything it should be able to stand up to critique. I find these folks are rare and while fun online are even more fun in person over a good lunch.

Stockpile such people as they are a great treasure.

  1. The mercenary

These are the anthesis of those who I just mentioned. They tend to have an agenda that is usually paid, in fact said agenda might be their primary source of income. No amount of information or argument makes a difference here and the best move is to simply disengage.

Occasionally if it’s an issue of sufficient importance you might take the trouble to expose the financial motive if possible but be wary as you don’t know if this is the only way this person feed their family and who are you to take the food out of the plate of this person’s kids?

Oh, one more thing about a mercenary. Depending on the issues you might find one who is on your side. That doesn’t make them any less of a mercenary so be wary in terms of trust because by definition they are only a higher paycheck away from betraying you.

  1. The Fanatic

The fanatic carries a religious or religious like belief in what their worldview. Usually based in Marxism or some kind of sexual or gender ideology or occasionally in actual religion. No amount of facts is likely to change them and you will beat your head against the wall doing so.

Furthermore such people are the most dangerous, particularly online as they are the type who will give you actual bodily harm in the service of said fanaticism and belief it as righteous. Beware of them and when possible disengage and block them.

But do pray for them, because there is one irony about them. If they are in such a bubble and manage to escape it by either the pressure of reality or the grace of God they often become the bravest warriors to stand with in a time of danger.

  1. The Malicious, dishonest and/or dishonorable

There are some folks who are just evil. Who life for the sake of lying, who hate for the sake of hating or take joy in the discomfort of others. Such people just want to wind you up for their own amusement.

Avoid them like they were the plague because they are.

One quick closing thought, remember that you do not always know who online is real and who is not. Act accordingly.

First Amendment 101 in North Andover

Posted: November 17, 2023 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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Apparently there was a big fuss about North Andover flying the Palestinian Flag.

When I first heard about it my first thought was “oh brother here is the woke Democrat left in action.”

Then I actually read the story and it changed the picture for me.

Apparently the town (like Fitchburg) allows various flags to be flown if petitioned to do so. Earlier this month the flag of Israel was flown.

A group of Palestinian supporters petitioned to have their flag flown under the same rules. There was a rather contentions meeting over it and a lot of people were angry but in the end the request was lawful and the flag is flying now.

As a very public supporter of Israel actions in Gaza to destroy Hamas let’s cut to the chase.

This was not only the right decision but the smart decision.

It was the right decision because:

  • 1st Amendment rights are supposed to be allowed equally without playing favorites
  • the proper answer to speech someone opposes is more speech
  • the proper procedures and rules were followed
  • It is right because one should always support lawful methods of public expression
  • It is right because it supports the rule of law applied equally
  • The flag in question was not one of a recognized terrorist group.
  • It’s an important lesson in citizenship and civics, particularly for the young and new arrivals
  • It is just

And it is smart because

  • You should always support peaceful forms of expression of ideas
  • You can’t demand enforcement of laws against violent expression when you don’t apply them for peaceful one
  • People who are able to vent peacefully are less likely to cross a line later
  • You can’t expect people to respect your rights if you don’t respect theirs
  • If you don’t defend those rights when in power you won’t have them when you’re not
  • if you’re opinion is worth anything it should be able to stand up to the other guys opinion being expressed
  • the right thing is always the smart thing

I can certainly understand why some would object, frankly my own 1st instinct was against it but either you’re for the rule of law or you are not and this is lawful application of the 1st Amendment.

Now if the city wants to change their rules on flags (consistent with our constitution of course) that’s up to them but the law need to be respected and enforced and the rights of citizens under that law MUST be respected.

Otherwise what’s the point of being American?

Update: A lot of people who generally agree with me disagree on this one but let me make one important point:

The Biden admin and the FBI not withstanding there actually isn’t a “I think those guys are a******s” exception to either the 1st amendment or the principle of equal application of the law.

I’m am proud to be on the FBI’s Anti Government Antiauthority Violent Extremist List

Posted: November 16, 2023 by Jon Fournier in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , ,

The political left suffers from a great many delusions.  First among them is the belief that any individual that disagrees with their warped and twisted worldview is a heretic.  They believe that anyone who dares to disagree with their worldview must be completely and utterly silenced.  Most disgracefully, they believe that any form of communication that contradicts their worldview is violence.  Progressives, and all other leftists, suffer from a massive case of projectionism.  They are especially adept at accusing their opponents of crimes they commit with impunity.

The Biden Regime so utterly embodies all of these leftist delusions.  That is painfully obvious from the radical executive orders issued, especially those issued to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.  

The newly announced Anti Government Antiauthority Violent Extremist List exemplifies all of the leftist delusions I previously listed.

In a statement to Newsweek, the FBI said: “The threat posed by domestic violent extremists is persistent, evolving, and deadly. The FBI’s goal is to detect and stop terrorist attacks, and our focus is on potential criminal violations, violence and threats of violence. Anti-government or anti-authority violent extremism is one category of domestic terrorism, as well as one of the FBI’s top threat priorities.” The FBI further said, “We are committed to protecting the safety and constitutional rights of all Americans and will never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity, including a person’s political beliefs or affiliations.”

Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and the rest of the radical leftist dictators would be jealous of the way this executive order criminalized Biden’s political opposition.  How many times did Tea Party rallies turn into mass riots? Zero.  How about MAGA rallies where tens of thousands of Trump supporters gathered?  One, and that was the small riot that took place on January 6th. 

From the president down, the Biden administration has presented Trump and MAGA as an existential threat to American democracy and talked up the risk of domestic terrorism and violence associated with the 2024 election campaign.

“Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are a threat to the very soul of this country,” President Biden tweeted last September, the first time that he explicitly singled out the former president. “MAGA Republicans aim to question not only the legitimacy of past elections but elections being held now and into the future,” Biden said.

For Attorney General Merrick Garland: “Attacks by domestic terrorists are attacks on all of us collectively, aimed at rending the fabric of our democratic society and driving us apart.”

January 6th was the one time a small number of MAGA supporters engaged in a minor riot.  The riot was egged on by leftist infiltrators.   It is absolutely astounding how the Biden Regime, along with the liberal media, completely ignore the pandemic of actual violence committed by BLM, ANTIFA, and the rest of the leftist thugs.  That is the epitome of projection.

The threats listed in that paragraph are all clearly associated with America’s right and in particular with Trump’s MAGA supporters. Right after January 6, the FBI co-authored a restricted report (“Domestic Violent Extremists Emboldened in Aftermath of Capitol Breach, Elevated Domestic Terrorism Threat of Violence Likely Amid Political Transitions and Beyond”) in which it shifted the definition of AGAAVE (“anti-government, anti-authority violent extremism”) from “furtherance of ideological agendas” to “furtherance of political and/or social agendas.” For the first time, such groups could be so labeled because of their politics.

the FBI went further in October 2022 when it created a new subcategory—”AGAAVE-Other”—of those who were a threat but do not fit into its anarchist, militia or Sovereign Citizen groups. Introduced without any announcement, and reported here for the first time, the new classification is officially defined as “domestic violent extremists who cite anti-government or anti-authority motivations for violence or criminal activity not otherwise defined, such as individuals motivated by a desire to commit violence against those with a real or perceived association with a specific political party or faction of a specific political party.”

As you can see from this article, one House subcommittee is standing up to the fascism from the Biden Regime: Is the FBI turning Trump supporters into terrorist targets? (nypost.com)

The House Weaponization of the Federal Government Subcommittee warns that  “the FBI appears to be complicit in artificially supporting the Administration’s political narrative” that domestic violent extremism is “the ‘greatest threat’ facing the United States.”

FBI whistleblower Steve Friend complained of current FBI leadership: “There is this belief that half the country are domestic terrorists and we can’t have a conversation with them. There is a fundamental belief that unless you are voicing what we agree . . . you are the enemy.”

This article contains more damning details: If You Oppose Tyranny, You’re on the FBI’s AGAAVE List – American Thinker

As if locking up J6 protesters for their political beliefs and repeatedly arresting President Trump for opposing the Deep State had not been big enough clues, America’s KGB goon squad revealed last month that it has a whole new domestic terrorism category specifically created to target MAGA voters: Anti-Government, Anti-Authority, Violent Extremists.  (Fist bump to any reader who sees “AGAAVE” and immediately thinks that it must be Tequila Tuesday somewhere.)

It’s always disconcerting to find more proof that the FBI is every bit the dangerous, psychopathic, anti-American organization that it appears.  Whenever I refer to it as the “Fascist Bureau of Intimidation,” a little voice in my head asks, “Is that entirely fair?”  Then I see how it’s AGAAVE’d half the population onto a terrorist watchlist, and I realize that I’m not being critical enough.  This agency is Soviet Russia’s Cheka secret police through and through.  

My Facebook newsfeed is full antigovernment and antiauthority posts. They are posts the Biden Regime considers violence because they contradict progressive orthodoxy. Because of this I know I must be on the AGAAVE list, and I am damn proud of it.

Three interesting Hospital Videos from the Israel Hamas War

Posted: November 16, 2023 by datechguy in Israel, Israel vs Hamas
Tags:

I want to hit you with a pair of videos that I think speaks volumes.

You have seen Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus on networks around the world giving update on Gaza and challenging the Hamas narrative of the MSM everywhere. Today he was in Gaza going through a hospital in a single shot without cuts here:

The combined with the video from CNN the day before really makes the point about hospitals that israel has been making for a long time.

Having CNN seeing the stuff really make it hard for them to push the narrative that’s why this video is so big:

Both of these are big and make the point but there is one video that wasn’t produced by either the MSM or Israel that I think is the most significant:

Now take a good luck at the video of the panic and note the oddity. Which I think of panic in a hospital, expect to see doctors, and patients, and sick people and families running around but that’s not what we see, instead we see a bunch of apparently healthy looking military age men scared to death that Israel is about to attack.

Of the three videos, this of is, in my opinion the most telling of all. It shows who is actually getting the fuel and the supplies and it shows who the international community is actually in such a hurry to protect.

Of course our friends in Hamas might think the other two are more important as they signify what is in store for those hiding in other hospitals further south.

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