The Moral Arc

[Aeson]

The pro-life movement, even the *******s, are trying to become the majority. The focus is not enforcing a minority held position.

Of course, protecting minorities is an important part of law in any society. It would have been right for the pre1860s supreme court to protect the lives of blacks even though it was the minority position. Of course, it was (And is) most important that the view that black lives should be protected become the majority view and not a minority view.

I do wish that a vocal minority in the pro-life movement would realize that.

JM

That's ignoring a lot of points. It doesn't really matter if they become the majority or not, so long as virtually all of society doesn't agree, it's not like the murder issue. So long as there are rational arguments to be made for other positions, it's not like the murder issue. So long as it's forcing a woman to carry a child in her womb, it's not like the murder issue.

[Elok]

If you don't believe in achieving your ends through violence then you're not left with many options other than to protest (which I don't believe is productive unless the right takes it seriously enough to respond with violence) or hug your teddies in a safe space.

To be honest I'm not sure what Trump's political weak spot is. He's playing such a bizarre game, by rules he makes up as he goes along . . . how does one lose at Calvinball?

[Aeson]

"You must have this thing grow in your belly for 9 months while it grows larger and larger, until it bursts out your private parts causing horrible pain, and you'll have to care for it or find someone who will, for 18 years" vs "put down the gun" ... they are extraordinarily different levels of being "put upon".

[Kidlicious]

Because assault is so much acceptable than public defecation

Like there was any chance that they didn't go there to get assaulted.

[loinburger]

To be honest I'm not sure what Trump's political weak spot is. He's playing such a bizarre game, by rules he makes up as he goes along . . . how does one lose at Calvinball?

The campaign showed that he has rabid followers who he's not willing to reign in, so I believe that his weak spot is that some of his rabid followers may assault peaceful protesters and that the rest of the nation reacts with moral outrage - either Trump has to defend a morally outrageous act or else he has to disavow his more rabid followers, either of which could be problematic. That's two big "if's" though - 1 that his followers will assault peaceful protesters, and 2 that the nation reacts with moral outrage instead of Kidiciousing the assault under a rug. FWIW I don't think his rabid followers are bold/stupid/evil enough to assault people outside of their safe spaces at Trump rallies, meaning that the peaceful protests will be ignored/mocked like almost all peaceful protests are.

[loinburger]

Like there was any chance that they didn't go there to get assaulted.

If you kick somebody then it's still assault even if they're wearing a "kick me" sign on their back

[Kidlicious]

If you kick somebody then it's still assault even if they're wearing a "kick me" sign on their back

Yeah but who is worse?

[Kidlicious]

The campaign showed that he has rabid followers who he's not willing to reign in, so I believe that his weak spot is that some of his rabid followers may assault peaceful protesters and that the rest of the nation reacts with moral outrage - either Trump has to defend a morally outrageous act or else he has to disavow his more rabid followers, either of which could be problematic. That's two big "if's" though - 1 that his followers will assault peaceful protesters, and 2 that the nation reacts with moral outrage instead of Kidiciousing the assault under a rug. FWIW I don't think his rabid followers are bold/stupid/evil enough to assault people outside of their safe spaces at Trump rallies, meaning that the peaceful protests will be ignored/mocked like almost all peaceful protests are.

BLM protestors were already trampled because they chained themselves to a barricade to prevent people from attending the inauguration.

[loinburger]

Yeah but who is worse?

It's pitiful that you're even asking this question

[Elok]

The thing is, Trump has previously shown a masterful talent at provocation; I think it's more likely that he'll deliberately provoke disturbance, crush the resultant riot (nobody likes rioters), and play law and order. Will it get everybody on his side? No. But I don't think he expects that. If a smallish minority is vehemently angry and keeps getting provoked into violence, disturbance, and general obnoxiousness, he'll have enough plausible deniability to hold onto power and grab for more while the bulk of America (not his ardent followers, not his most rabid foes, just the confused and worried mass in the middle) sits hemming and hawing. He can't be not despised, but as long as the other side can be made to act despicably we'll have the choice between two devils and stick to the devil we know.

I don't know what the answer to that is.

[loinburger]

I don't think it's likely that we'll see riots as a result of anything Trump does - people will riot when unarmed civilians are shot by local police, but I don't think they'll riot when Trump cuts taxes for the wealthy or appoints a bigot to the Supreme Court or anything else that he's likely to do

[Kidlicious]

The thing is, Trump has previously shown a masterful talent at provocation; I think it's more likely that he'll deliberately provoke disturbance, crush the resultant riot (nobody likes rioters), and play law and order. Will it get everybody on his side? No. But I don't think he expects that. If a smallish minority is vehemently angry and keeps getting provoked into violence, disturbance, and general obnoxiousness, he'll have enough plausible deniability to hold onto power and grab for more while the bulk of America (not his ardent followers, not his most rabid foes, just the confused and worried mass in the middle) sits hemming and hawing. He can't be not despised, but as long as the other side can be made to act despicably we'll have the choice between two devils and stick to the devil we know.

I don't know what the answer to that is.

This is victim blaming.

[Elok]

Seriously? This man is really ****ing good at generating discord. He's as good at trolling as he is bad at actual statesmanship. And all you need for a riot is for a sufficiently large and angry protest to get out of hand. IIRC there was limited rioting in the week immediately following the election (in Portland, of all places).

[Kidlicious]

It's pitiful that you're even asking this question

We aren't just talking about wearing a sign that says kick me and then trying to make people think the person who kicked you is a racist, misogynist, islamophobe, homophobe, Nazi. That's horrible enough. We're also talking about people who are trying to prevent half of America from having a voice in govt.

[Kidlicious]

Seriously? This man is really ****ing good at generating discord. He's as good at trolling as he is bad at actual statesmanship. And all you need for a riot is for a sufficiently large and angry protest to get out of hand. IIRC there was limited rioting in the week immediately following the election (in Portland, of all places).

I'm half serious. You do realize that they would probably be protesting anyway though, don't you?