Evard's Small Tentacle
*eyeroll*
All this factionalism perceived is largely a function of people choosing to live in virtual worlds and mistaking those engagements to be reality and truth which is patently false. Go talk to your neighbors.
That’s your faultNah. My neighbors don't play D&D.
No, I edited that stuff out because on reflection I thought it was inappropriate. That said, for reasons I may go into in a DM, I feel a need to distance myself from this paragraph:@Beoric, if you want to retroactively edit those posts back and say whatever the hell you want, go right the fuck ahead. This one is my fault.
That is, I need to state my disagreement to what I think it is saying. Because it is kind of vague. Is this a reference to a single incident, or a generalization suggesting all allegations of sexual misconduct are false? My impression is the latter, but I don't actually want to know the answer, because I don't want to be drawn into the argument. However I do want to draw attention to the problem with this sort of statement, because it is anathema to civil discourse.My politics, obviously, do not meet with the approval of the catgirl squad. This also describes about 97% of the civilised world and a significantly higher percentage of the uncivilised one. Imagine being found guilty of an unforgiveable sin invented in some murky, disreputable university department all of six years ago, and rolled out for general consumption some time around last year. It is hilarious, at least until the catgirl commissars produce guns and shoot you in the back of the head for disrespecting their laughable made-up bullshit. No, actually, it is still hilarious after that.
That's perfectly fine.No, I edited that stuff out because on reflection I thought it was inappropriate.
Talking about a shitty thing that you say happened to you is one thing. Linking it to the "catgirl squad" or "catgirl commissars" is another, since in context (I assume despite the results of google searches that it has nothing to do with anime or furries) it looks like a reference to the MeToo movement, feminism or some other common target of misogynist hatred. Really not sure how that is a reference to cancel culture (which is of course the sole purview of the social justice movement - hey, anyone remember the Moral Majority?). But that is where you take shitty-thing-that-happened and turn it into a vague, intentionally controversial political statement.It is a general observation on the state of society and online discourse, but in the interest of clarity - sorry, Bryce! - apparently a bunch of absolute winners on social media are trying to cancel me for trrraanssssphobia, which is what I was referring to, being a reactionary, which is something I take personal pride in, and being a big old chud, which I'll take as a compliment. Sad!
Not on my blog surely. That was on Bryce's blog I think.I watched the mob pile onto @Melan over at Age of Dusk and I've got to say, given that the West sat on our hands and did nothing while the Red Army rolled over Hungary like a pack of bloodthirsty barbarians, it's fair that the average Hungarian should bear some strong animus towards communism and sure, why not, socialism in general. That he then doubled down and prodded the mob with inflammatory statements probably wasn't the wisest surrender of higher ground that I've witnessed.
embarrassing (for me)Not on my blog surely. That was on Bryce's blog I think.
Apparently the mere act of reviewing Zak or Venger is enough to get one branded anathema these days but the low-level shitposting serves to do my audience selection for me. I've thought about putting some sort of disclaimer on the About Prince page but I figured the selection-at-the-door is a net positive. I'm fairly pleased with my comments section actually, you get lots of insightful commentary, some gentle ribbing and the time when one of my friends impersonated Kevin Crawford and caused Venger to write a sulky article entitled 'Stars Without Civility' and the real Kevin Crawford had to come forth from seclusion and issue a disclaimer. Disruptive behavior is handled via trial by insult, and there you go.embarrassing (for me)
You even have Kent (somewhat) under control!I've thought about putting some sort of disclaimer on the About Prince page but I figured the selection-at-the-door is a net positive.
In each man's comment's section there are always two Kents, eternally at War. A Kent of Goodness, whose insight and razor wit brings mirth and helps one hone one's craft and a Kent of Evil, who heaps drunken scorn on all of one's efforts.You even have Kent (somewhat) under control!
Henry Kuttner wrote a short story about that, except it was an alien not a superhero.Honestly, someone make a Netflix series with a new superhero called Moderation Man doing moderately good with his catch phrase "Knock it off you two!" Violently forcing consensus and cooperation everywhere he goes.
Unfortunately that whole prediction was tainted by the whole 'one drop' rule. Many of those 'brown' people are the children of European/Caucasian couplings with non-Caucasians. Also, people underestimate the power of the culture.When I was a lad in school, the future prognosticators in social studies warned us that right around 2020 the US would switch from majority European/Caucasian to a plurality. So the power base is shifted and the privileged culture of the previous 250 years is loosing it grip on the reins. That's bound to be tumultuous.
But the Baby Boomers largely found religion in the 80's and 90's and became conservatives. There's a reason that OK Boomer was a popular insult among Millenials.Add to that the liberal Baby Boomers bolstered by their Millennial children who come down hard on the side of "tear it all down" (they really hated their parent's rules) and used to chant on the college campuses "The times they are a changin'!", and even worse "Hey hey! Ho ho! Western Civ has got to go!". Those two bulge demographics carry a lot of weight.
Those are the definition of a liberal democracy. Unfortunately, a lot people in the West, on both sides of the spectrum, are starting to reject it for illiberal democracy or something worse.Honestly though, I worry for civilization-as-I've-known-it. I am biased in favor of Western Culture and Judaeo-Christian Morales. While it's easy to dig up many, many, many examples of its unfairness and abuses of power (Westerners are still humans after all), but I think its the best mankind has seen to date. In its defense I offer to the court:
It's not perfect, but it's the most evolved civilization I think the world has ever seen. Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
- democracy -- western civ
- freedom of religion --- western civ
- freedom of speech --- western civ
- separation of church and state --- western civ
- civil rights --- western civ
this.Those are the definition of a liberal democracy. Unfortunately, a lot people in the West, on both sides of the spectrum, are starting to reject it for illiberal democracy or something worse.
The whole western world is standing in mute horror watching the US systematically dismantle each and every one of these things, giving the go-ahead to some truly unpleasant people in less fortunate nations everywhere.
- democracy -- western civ
- freedom of religion --- western civ
- freedom of speech --- western civ
- separation of church and state --- western civ
- civil rights --- western civ