this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2024
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The post Xitter web has spawned soo many “esoteric” right wing freaks, but there’s no appropriate sneer-space for them. I’m talking redscare-ish, reality challenged “culture critics” who write about everything but understand nothing. I’m talking about reply-guys who make the same 6 tweets about the same 3 subjects. They’re inescapable at this point, yet I don’t see them mocked (as much as they should be)

Like, there was one dude a while back who insisted that women couldn’t be surgeons because they didn’t believe in the moon or in stars? I think each and every one of these guys is uniquely fucked up and if I can’t escape them, I would love to sneer at them.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (4 children)

A bit of an aside, but how did everyone decide to use the exact phrase "decisive victory" when congratulating president elect Trump? It keeps jumping out to me and I find it kind of weird. It has almost a militaristic tone.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Also it isn't? 50.2% to 48.1% of votes is not decisive in any sensible meaning of the word?

If you account for the turnout (around 60%) it means 30% voted for Trump and 28.9% for Harris, so "none of those" won decisively with 40%!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Losing every swing state and failing to even win the consolation trophy of the popular vote after even Hillary fucking Clinton managed that much is something I'd call getting your ass handed to you. The US election system is terrible, but it's the game they were playing and Trump won hands down.

Also, not that it's the point but I have to note that technically most election victories are decisive, in the sense that they resolve the winner with little to no ambiguity (which is usually the case, even when the margin is narrow). In that sense, the only way Trump's victory is not decisive is if you contest the legitimacy of the whole election.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Also, not that it’s the point but I have to note that technically most election victories are decisive, in the sense that they resolve the winner with little to no ambiguity (which is usually the case, even when the margin is narrow). In that sense, the only way Trump’s victory is not decisive is if you contest the legitimacy of the whole election.

This is such pedantry that you might as well say "the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines decisive as..."

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Yea I know, had to get that digression out of my system, especially since you said "in any sensible meaning of the word" and all. Sorry, I didn't mean to nuh-uh you on semantics, just point out something that tickled my pedantry sense.

Edit: I also brought it up because IMO "decisive" is a bit of an odd choice to describe election victory, unless referring to some grander context where the election marks a major historical turning point in national or international politics in favor of the winning side.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

I see calling like Raegan's margin in 1984 "decisive"

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

considering trump has spent the last four years pretending he won the previous election I actually do wonder if part of the subtext is "we acknowledge you won for real realsies and we cannot talk shit about you as a fake president"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

Could be they are sharing a bit of a media bubble. In 2016 there was a bit of a (pre election) "he will win in a landslide" thing due to Scottbert.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago (2 children)

IMO, coordinated media strategy. you can send all the people you want to congratulate you a prebaked message or tweet or whatever, saves them the trouble of writing something themselves. That or copy paste

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I think that particular talking point also serves an exculpatory purpose: "If it was only a razor-thin victory I might understand being angry with me, but see it's a decisive victory. He has the mandate ~~of heaven~~ of the people (this is a Trumpian victory! not a Democrat failure!) ! It would be wrong not to congratulate him!"

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

after this decisive victory, I guess I have no choice but to take this mask off, what a shame...

that+ losing the popular vote in 2016 must have really hurt that ego of his.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago

LLM Use cases:

  1. Crime
  2. Laziness
  3. Congratulating Donald Trump for anything ever
[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

@sailor_sega_saturn

Maybe it's one of those cliches like “bus plunge”

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

That they are posting this on substack, and how important that platform has become in the blogosphere is already a bit of a sign.