Musk doesn't think he is the king, he is the King, nay he is the Emperor and the puppet master, Trump is his marionette.
Trump is a fool and a tool, played and used, by those wealthier and more powerful, be it Musk,Thiel, Putin, Un. Orban, Erdogan, Netanyahoo, When Xi starts to flatter him, the door to China will swing wide open.
Tump's big stick has been his money and the law, he has used the civil law to bully others, now his arsenal of sticks is the fasces and he will use the police and military power of the state to subdue and subjugate those that would not have him reign over them.
Exactly Daniel. IMO, the whole idea of fair, has it's origin in childhood, where one child gets more than the other. Attempts at fairness result in chaos,,, To be fair Charlemagne willed his empire to his sons, equally, the result was a millenia of wars, as the descedants of his sons fought each other to rebuilt the empire. This led to the rule of primogeniture where the eldest son inherited the land and the titles, this too led to wars as the younger, disenfranchised sons and their heirs tried to reclaim the lost land and title.
There is nothing fair in nature. The top speed of a cheetah is 35 mph, the top speed of an antelope is 32 mph. The predator has the advantage, always.
Humans try to make competition fair, but there are always loopholes in their rules.
Michael Phelps at 6'4" has more gold medals than anyone at a. Not because he is a more powerful or better swimmer, but because he is taller and has longer reach.
He is the tallest of swimmers, and is allowed to compete against Australian Brad Cooper, standing at 1.60 meters (5 ft 3 in) tall;. Not fair. Brad has to basically take 2 strokes to every one of Michael's, to cover the same distance.
This lack of equity and fairness permeates the athletic world, the business world, and life in general.
Actually, most of my life was dedicated to the pursit of justice. Our system isn't perfect. As my ol' pappy used to say, when he caught someone lying on the stand, sometimes justice takes a kick in the ass.
I don't believe in predestination.... People are able to overcome obstacles.
IMHO both Trump and Musk have overcompensated for personality deficits. But they eventually will have to fear each other.
Presybyterians like Carnegie and Rockefeller certainly believe in pre destination. I would wager that most of the Robber Barons in the Gilded age, believe in predestination.
A Musk vs Trump conflict is inevitable, there can only be one King..
But first Trump needs to get rid of the Constitution., or make it an irrelevant document, and the help of SCOTUS they are doing just that.
They are using our freedoms, to destroy our democracy.
People don't appreciate what they have, until it was they had.
Rockefeller was a Baptist, came from a line of preachers who opposed Presbyterian control. Supported Baptist theological seminaries.
There's no evidence about Carnegie. He established a hierarchy in his mills. One of them was in my home town. Hired Welsh people as managers, who mostly were Diciples of Christ, who do believe in a form of predestination, but accept the beatitudes (the least will be first) and practiced the social gospel.
IMHO both consider themsemselves superior, and Trump ran on about genetics that sounds like eugenics. By rights, should turn off most of his financial supporters.
Daniel, you said "IMHO both (Musk and Trump) consider themsemselves superior, and Trump ran on about genetics that sounds like eugenics. By rights, should turn off most of his financial supporters.
I am going to go out on a limb here. Western (Christian) culture is supremacist, and arrogant, it has no collective memory and as Thom Harmann said, no sooner than the last of a generation dies off than the cycle repeats itself, war and all. Which is about 80 years. The Eugenic movement, which Inspired Hitler, died out as a popular movement or idea, well over 80 years ago, it has survived in the form of racism., and the belief that non whites are inferior.
In general though eugenics has passed into history, except that it survives in the form of racism, and the notion of the elect,which apparently Trump and Musk, as well as the billionaires that own the economy and our politicians subscribe to.
The thing with the privileged, "the elect", the billionaires, the financial supporters of Trump and Putin,and dictators in general, is that they believe that their finances bestow on them the power,to escape the consequences of the behavior that they would impose on others.
I need only look at the examples of Frtiz Thyssen. Porsche, Messerschmidt,Bayer and IG Farben for proof. Bayer made Zylon B and now it makes aspirin. ( I know it is a hugeinternatinal chemical and dye
corporations )
Did Musks ancestors migrate fromCanada to South Africa?
What you are calling fairness is a biologically involved survival mechanism.
You see it in elephants as well.
A culture of tribal sharing, ensures the survival of the tribe, and the survival of the individual. If I share with you today, when I am hungry tomorrow you will reciprocate. Not out of altruism, but out of knowledge that tomorrow I might need the same consideration.
Here is the cynic again: Quoting from the article"
"Bonaire oligarch, Rupert Murdoch, programs his very own television news network to promote the interests of the billionaire class with such effectiveness that average working people are repeating billionaire-helpful memes like “cut regulations,” “shrink government,” and “cut taxes”— policies that will cause more working people and their children to get sick and/or die; will transfer more money and power from we, the people, to a few oligarchs; and will lower working-class wages over time."
What does that say about the audience, hmmm. Rupert is acting rationally, looking out for his own self interests. His audience (MAGAts) are irrational, nay stupid and devoid of critical thinking skills. I read that the average IQ of America is 98. I believe it, and they don't like being called out for what they are, deplorable, ignorant, stupid.
If you don''t call them out, you reinforce their irrational behavior and stupidity, if you do call them out they get upset. The mind of a believer, a cult member, can not be changed by exposure to facts, by kindness and consideration..
If one is concerned about a reactionary digging in their heels, they have already dug in their heels, that is why they are a reactionary.
My sister read all of Taylor Caldwell and was a Facebook addict, consequentially she was adamantly anti socialist, especially health care, but when diagnosed with lung cancer she had no problem having Medicaid pay her bills
Statistics is a funny thing. IQ tests were set up so that the mid-point of the bell curve was 100. How fast they fall off from that point depends on the test, which is why an IQ number of 130 on one scoring system may equal 140 on another, but the percentage away from the mean will be the same. (It is important for people to understand statistics, which few do, much to the advantage of politicians and advertisers.) Anyway, I would agree that the average voter almost anywhere has an average IQ of around 100. Maybe slightly higher as less intelligent people may be less likely to vote, and some countries (Japan, S. Korea) have so educated their populations that their averages are higher. All of this says a lot about how democracy works. Or doesn't.
The professor who taught statistics, required us to read and tested us on "How to Lie with Statistics". So you are "preaching" to the choir CR Weil. Yet quoting things like the IQ of the average American is 98, is actually appropriate for conversation and understanding, one could discuss the median and mean but that only introduces confusing concepts.
Considering the results of the last election, where 90 million people didn't vote, and of those that did, 48.7% voted for Trump, I don't feel there is any exaggeration in saying that the IQ of the Average American is less than 98.
But maybe it isn't a matter of IQ, but a matter of perceptivity, curiosity. attention span, recall and critical thinking. but that begs the question are not those a function of the Intelligence Quotient?
Oh I agree, IQ tests are very good are measuring one thing: scores on IQ tests. While they are pretty good at showing reasoning they certainly don't do anything for emotional intelligence, honesty, compassion, or just plain sense. A lot of people with high IQs have been suckered by scammers, which is where experience and logic matter. I don't know what the answer is except to have a well-educated population. Arthur Clarke rightly said that any modern civilization that didn't do that for its people was committing suicide. Sadly it is obvious that the last election showed that our American population is not very well educated, especially regarding scammers.
Of course all testing must be substantiated clinically. Some graduates of prestigious universities can't pass professional certification requirements, and some can't even pass a driver's exam or the AFQT.
Absolutely Gloria, in fact if they perceive you are of high intelligence during an interview they will not hire you, if they discover that later on they will make your life miserable or fire you.
My wife introduced me to a concept. The population is made up of
A,B,C, D,E F people the E,F people are on the left side of the curve, the A and B people are on the right side of the Curve in the middle are the C's andD;s,
The C's and D;s are the most numerous,they look down on and ridicule the E's and F;s, even paternialistically. They fears the A's and B;s and bully them into submission
For what it's worth, I think about the current political/social/economic/cultural/religious/legal/etc. situation, about which Thom Hartmann and many others so eloquently write, framed in a basic dichotomy found in the natural world, that of predator and prey. We have a predator class that plunders all else, human, animal, vegetable, mineral, energy, information, you name it.
Well this Musk/Trump shitshow didn't exactly end the way they thought they had written the script. All that "free" speech Musk thought he could buy came up short when it was translated into a vote.
In your face you psychopath and spoiled-brat man/boy! Thanks for looking ineffective, stupid, and mean before you even step into the jobs you are not qualified for.
The House of Representatives can strangle some of Project 2025. Republicans just got a taste of that along with very bad press about hurting children with cancer in order to give tax-cuts to oligarchs. Breaks your heart to hear the parents that worked and hoped for that legislation.
Herding cats---you can see it on C-Span and read about it in the excellent Hartmann Report.
We see this all around us . Billionaires running the show and determining that the balance of the population have no say in our politics, policies.
The fact that Elon Musk thinks he’s the King is a problem . He’s an unelected Nazi bully that needs to go . Period.
Musk doesn't think he is the king, he is the King, nay he is the Emperor and the puppet master, Trump is his marionette.
Trump is a fool and a tool, played and used, by those wealthier and more powerful, be it Musk,Thiel, Putin, Un. Orban, Erdogan, Netanyahoo, When Xi starts to flatter him, the door to China will swing wide open.
Tump's big stick has been his money and the law, he has used the civil law to bully others, now his arsenal of sticks is the fasces and he will use the police and military power of the state to subdue and subjugate those that would not have him reign over them.
I am sad and want to know how to educate 1/2 of our country who doesn't want to be educated on the truth ?
Tis a forlorn task Brenda. As fruitless as trying to convert a Muslim to Catholicism. Judaism or Hindu.
Assuming that life is fair?
Exactly Daniel. IMO, the whole idea of fair, has it's origin in childhood, where one child gets more than the other. Attempts at fairness result in chaos,,, To be fair Charlemagne willed his empire to his sons, equally, the result was a millenia of wars, as the descedants of his sons fought each other to rebuilt the empire. This led to the rule of primogeniture where the eldest son inherited the land and the titles, this too led to wars as the younger, disenfranchised sons and their heirs tried to reclaim the lost land and title.
There is nothing fair in nature. The top speed of a cheetah is 35 mph, the top speed of an antelope is 32 mph. The predator has the advantage, always.
Humans try to make competition fair, but there are always loopholes in their rules.
Michael Phelps at 6'4" has more gold medals than anyone at a. Not because he is a more powerful or better swimmer, but because he is taller and has longer reach.
He is the tallest of swimmers, and is allowed to compete against Australian Brad Cooper, standing at 1.60 meters (5 ft 3 in) tall;. Not fair. Brad has to basically take 2 strokes to every one of Michael's, to cover the same distance.
This lack of equity and fairness permeates the athletic world, the business world, and life in general.
Actually, most of my life was dedicated to the pursit of justice. Our system isn't perfect. As my ol' pappy used to say, when he caught someone lying on the stand, sometimes justice takes a kick in the ass.
I don't believe in predestination.... People are able to overcome obstacles.
IMHO both Trump and Musk have overcompensated for personality deficits. But they eventually will have to fear each other.
I just hope they don't take us down.
Presybyterians like Carnegie and Rockefeller certainly believe in pre destination. I would wager that most of the Robber Barons in the Gilded age, believe in predestination.
A Musk vs Trump conflict is inevitable, there can only be one King..
But first Trump needs to get rid of the Constitution., or make it an irrelevant document, and the help of SCOTUS they are doing just that.
They are using our freedoms, to destroy our democracy.
People don't appreciate what they have, until it was they had.
Presbyterians gave it up about 1800.
Rockefeller was a Baptist, came from a line of preachers who opposed Presbyterian control. Supported Baptist theological seminaries.
There's no evidence about Carnegie. He established a hierarchy in his mills. One of them was in my home town. Hired Welsh people as managers, who mostly were Diciples of Christ, who do believe in a form of predestination, but accept the beatitudes (the least will be first) and practiced the social gospel.
I don't think that Trump ever gives religion a thought, although his mother was outwardly an active Presbyterian. On his maternal side Musk stems from Pennsylvania "Dutch" quasi Amish/ Menonites who relcated to Canada. https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/2024/elon-musk-says-hes-a-cultural-christian--why-some-leading-thinkers-are-embracing-christianity/
IMHO both consider themsemselves superior, and Trump ran on about genetics that sounds like eugenics. By rights, should turn off most of his financial supporters.
Daniel, you said "IMHO both (Musk and Trump) consider themsemselves superior, and Trump ran on about genetics that sounds like eugenics. By rights, should turn off most of his financial supporters.
I am going to go out on a limb here. Western (Christian) culture is supremacist, and arrogant, it has no collective memory and as Thom Harmann said, no sooner than the last of a generation dies off than the cycle repeats itself, war and all. Which is about 80 years. The Eugenic movement, which Inspired Hitler, died out as a popular movement or idea, well over 80 years ago, it has survived in the form of racism., and the belief that non whites are inferior.
In general though eugenics has passed into history, except that it survives in the form of racism, and the notion of the elect,which apparently Trump and Musk, as well as the billionaires that own the economy and our politicians subscribe to.
The thing with the privileged, "the elect", the billionaires, the financial supporters of Trump and Putin,and dictators in general, is that they believe that their finances bestow on them the power,to escape the consequences of the behavior that they would impose on others.
I need only look at the examples of Frtiz Thyssen. Porsche, Messerschmidt,Bayer and IG Farben for proof. Bayer made Zylon B and now it makes aspirin. ( I know it is a hugeinternatinal chemical and dye
corporations )
Did Musks ancestors migrate fromCanada to South Africa?
Mammals have an innate sense of fairness. Have you seen this video of primates studied for this sense?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KSryJXDpZo
What you are calling fairness is a biologically involved survival mechanism.
You see it in elephants as well.
A culture of tribal sharing, ensures the survival of the tribe, and the survival of the individual. If I share with you today, when I am hungry tomorrow you will reciprocate. Not out of altruism, but out of knowledge that tomorrow I might need the same consideration.
I will never understand how SCOTUS defined money as free speech allowing for those with more money to have more "free" speech.
Here is the cynic again: Quoting from the article"
"Bonaire oligarch, Rupert Murdoch, programs his very own television news network to promote the interests of the billionaire class with such effectiveness that average working people are repeating billionaire-helpful memes like “cut regulations,” “shrink government,” and “cut taxes”— policies that will cause more working people and their children to get sick and/or die; will transfer more money and power from we, the people, to a few oligarchs; and will lower working-class wages over time."
What does that say about the audience, hmmm. Rupert is acting rationally, looking out for his own self interests. His audience (MAGAts) are irrational, nay stupid and devoid of critical thinking skills. I read that the average IQ of America is 98. I believe it, and they don't like being called out for what they are, deplorable, ignorant, stupid.
If you don''t call them out, you reinforce their irrational behavior and stupidity, if you do call them out they get upset. The mind of a believer, a cult member, can not be changed by exposure to facts, by kindness and consideration..
If one is concerned about a reactionary digging in their heels, they have already dug in their heels, that is why they are a reactionary.
My sister read all of Taylor Caldwell and was a Facebook addict, consequentially she was adamantly anti socialist, especially health care, but when diagnosed with lung cancer she had no problem having Medicaid pay her bills
Statistics is a funny thing. IQ tests were set up so that the mid-point of the bell curve was 100. How fast they fall off from that point depends on the test, which is why an IQ number of 130 on one scoring system may equal 140 on another, but the percentage away from the mean will be the same. (It is important for people to understand statistics, which few do, much to the advantage of politicians and advertisers.) Anyway, I would agree that the average voter almost anywhere has an average IQ of around 100. Maybe slightly higher as less intelligent people may be less likely to vote, and some countries (Japan, S. Korea) have so educated their populations that their averages are higher. All of this says a lot about how democracy works. Or doesn't.
The professor who taught statistics, required us to read and tested us on "How to Lie with Statistics". So you are "preaching" to the choir CR Weil. Yet quoting things like the IQ of the average American is 98, is actually appropriate for conversation and understanding, one could discuss the median and mean but that only introduces confusing concepts.
Considering the results of the last election, where 90 million people didn't vote, and of those that did, 48.7% voted for Trump, I don't feel there is any exaggeration in saying that the IQ of the Average American is less than 98.
But maybe it isn't a matter of IQ, but a matter of perceptivity, curiosity. attention span, recall and critical thinking. but that begs the question are not those a function of the Intelligence Quotient?
Oh I agree, IQ tests are very good are measuring one thing: scores on IQ tests. While they are pretty good at showing reasoning they certainly don't do anything for emotional intelligence, honesty, compassion, or just plain sense. A lot of people with high IQs have been suckered by scammers, which is where experience and logic matter. I don't know what the answer is except to have a well-educated population. Arthur Clarke rightly said that any modern civilization that didn't do that for its people was committing suicide. Sadly it is obvious that the last election showed that our American population is not very well educated, especially regarding scammers.
That's why the MMPI is so important.
Of course all testing must be substantiated clinically. Some graduates of prestigious universities can't pass professional certification requirements, and some can't even pass a driver's exam or the AFQT.
Employers are more interested in the adaptability score than general intelligence.
Absolutely Gloria, in fact if they perceive you are of high intelligence during an interview they will not hire you, if they discover that later on they will make your life miserable or fire you.
My wife introduced me to a concept. The population is made up of
A,B,C, D,E F people the E,F people are on the left side of the curve, the A and B people are on the right side of the Curve in the middle are the C's andD;s,
The C's and D;s are the most numerous,they look down on and ridicule the E's and F;s, even paternialistically. They fears the A's and B;s and bully them into submission
So she didn’t have any gratitude whatsoever?
For what it's worth, I think about the current political/social/economic/cultural/religious/legal/etc. situation, about which Thom Hartmann and many others so eloquently write, framed in a basic dichotomy found in the natural world, that of predator and prey. We have a predator class that plunders all else, human, animal, vegetable, mineral, energy, information, you name it.
So shall we prepare for the next Great Depression? We had one after the roaring 1920s so will that come again?
I wish "The War on Voting" had been in the Sunday series six months before the election. It's a good tool for preparing for the next election.
Well this Musk/Trump shitshow didn't exactly end the way they thought they had written the script. All that "free" speech Musk thought he could buy came up short when it was translated into a vote.
In your face you psychopath and spoiled-brat man/boy! Thanks for looking ineffective, stupid, and mean before you even step into the jobs you are not qualified for.
The House of Representatives can strangle some of Project 2025. Republicans just got a taste of that along with very bad press about hurting children with cancer in order to give tax-cuts to oligarchs. Breaks your heart to hear the parents that worked and hoped for that legislation.
Herding cats---you can see it on C-Span and read about it in the excellent Hartmann Report.
Thank, you Captain my Captain you are absolutely right!
No mention of all the tragic unnecessary wars because of warmonger money.