Oprah Winfrey - does speech provide clues about presidential run?

[Skybird]

I am concerned about a system where incompetent posers and imposters like Clinton and Trump and Oprah having realistic chances to get elected - now seems to be the norm. Every fool and every idiot seems to have chances to become US president these days.

Thats like an army pulling its generals from a pool of 1st-day-recruits.

[STEED]

The way it looks the local inbreed red neck who mates with vegetables could be in with a good chance.

I have similar view point for what is going on here in the UK.

[MaDef]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I am concerned about a system where incompetent posers and imposters like Clinton and Trump and Oprah having realistic chances to get elected - now seems to be the norm. Every fool and every idiot seems to have chances to become US president these days.

That's been the case from day one of U.S. Independence. We've had farmers, Lawyers, Soldiers, Teachers, Engineers, Writers, Actors, Businessmen, and even a Newspaper man as president. Some of them did exceptional jobs, others not so much. H.L. Mencken said it best, "Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage."

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I am concerned about a system where incompetent posers and imposters like Clinton and Trump and Oprah having realistic chances to get elected - now seems to be the norm. Every fool and every idiot seems to have chances to become US president these days. [...]

^^^ (=3 posts north) @Skybird: You are such an elitist!
But seriously, this is what democracy is about. And here, the last Hinterwaeldler has the same voting power as the history professor.. And then: Look at our german politicians, e.g. Seehofer.
It's all the same. A dictator or king might look more intelligent, but this is probably the impression he tries to make.. it's all about human failure.

Quote from MaDef:
"H.L. Mencken said it best, "Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage." "

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

I'm waiting for Kim Kardashian to announce her bid for POTUS! Big boobs for everyone!


More seriously, a) I would rather take old school political crony, atleast you have some idea what you will get and b) I have no vote, so I have to live with which ever moron you choose next...

I howver hope that next time you won't have to pick between cholera and plague.

[Skybird]

If this scum is what voters bring into power and by that degrading the general common good and the country, then it would be the best service voters yould do for thewir country if they act with self-restrain and do not go voting. Becasue they do a lot of damage. And the common good and the contry do not deserce that.



There are very good reasons why people like Jason Brannon or Hans-Herrmann Hoppe attack the glorification of democracy so bitterly.

Not even mentioning that modern dmeicracy is not democracy in the understabnding of Ancient Greece where demucracy was invented. Our idea of democracy was their understanding of tyranny.

When I see people with an “I Voted!” sticker, my first thought is, “Shame on you!”


Imagine 12 people are serving on a jury in a murder case. The prosecution and defense present evidence and call witnesses. The court asks the jury to reach a verdict. They find the defendant guilty.


Suppose four of the jurors paid no attention during the trial. When asked to deliberate, they were ignorant of the details of the case. They decided more or less at random.


Suppose four of the jurors paid some attention to the evidence. However, they found the defendant guilty not on the basis of the evidence, but on wishful thinking and on bizarre conspiracy theories they happen to believe.


Suppose four of the jurors paid attention to the evidence. However, they found the defendant guilty because he is an atheist, while they are Christians. Like many Americans, the jurors trust atheists no more than they trust rapists.


In the case above, the jurors acted in a vile and despicable way. The defendant is possibly innocent. He does not consent to the outcome of the decision. The decision will be imposed upon him through violence and threats of violence. The decision could harm him, and deprive him of property, liberty, or even life. Jurors have a moral obligation to decide these kinds of cases in a competent and morally reasonable way.


This line of reasoning applies even more strongly to the electorate as a whole. Political decisions are high stakes. Most citizens are innocent. Almost none of us consent to the outcome of the election or to our government.* The outcomes—including all ensuing laws, regulations, taxes, budget expenditures, wars, and so on—are imposed upon us through violence and threats of violence. These decisions can and so harm us, and can and do deprive many of us of property, liberty, and even life. At first glance, we should think that voters, like jurors, have a moral obligation to vote in a competent and morally reasonable way.

However, as I document in The Ethics of Voting, the best available evidence indicates that most voters mean well, but are politically incompetent. Most are like the first eight jurors in the thought experiment above. (Most non-voting citizens are even worse.) If so, I argue, they owe it to the rest of us to abstain. Citizens have no duty to vote, but if they do vote, they must vote well, for what they justifiedly believe will promote good government.


There’s nothing morally wrong with being ignorant about politics, or with forming your political beliefs though an irrational thought processes—so long as you don’t vote. As soon as you step in the voting booth, you acquire a duty to know what you’re doing. It’s fine to be ignorant, misinformed, or irrational about politics, so long as you don’t impose your political preferences upon others using the coercive power of government.


Of course, there’s a difference between jurors and voters. Individual jurors have a lot of power. Individual voters have almost no power. You are more likely to win Powerball than to decide an election. If so, does that excuse individual voters? My individual vote will not hurt anybody, so doesn’t that mean I can just vote however I’d like?


I don’t think so. I’ll illustrate why not with an analogy. Suppose a 100-member firing squad is about to shoot an innocent child. Suppose they are trained to shoot so that each bullet will hit the child at the same time. Suppose each bullet, on its own, would suffice to kill her. Suppose also that you can’t stop the shooters. The child will die regardless of what you do. Now, suppose the shooters offer to let you join in and fire with them. Is it okay for you to take the 101st shot?


Most people, upon reflection, think not. Even though you don’t make a difference, you have a moral duty to keep your hands clean. You have a duty not to join in with the group when the group harms innocent people. Only a monster would take the 101st shot, even though it makes no difference to the outcome.


So it goes with voting. If you are an ignorant, irrational, biased, capricious, or malevolent voter, your vote makes no difference. However, you’re the 101st shooter. We shouldn’t celebrate you for voting. We should hold you in contempt.

http://blog.press.princeton.edu/2012...jason-brennan/


Our modern understanding of wonderful democracy is nothing else but the plebs yelling as loud as everybody can, thinking that makes him precious, competent, important. But plebs is plebs. Our tyranny is an ochlocracy - the tyranny of the masses.

[Platapus]

In the US, almost anyone can grow up to be president. That is just one of the risks we have to accept.

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Platapus

In the US, almost anyone can grow up to be president. That is just one of the risks we have to accept.

Who says a President has to grow up.

[Mr Quatro]

Enough is enough ... I'm sick and tired of the news media wasting my time with silly idea's like this one. Sure she has a billion dollars and a desire to be the POTUS, but it is a complete waste of her time and money.

Not even worth repeating, but I bet that comes back to bite me, uh?

[Platapus]

I think it is a bit premature to get spun up over this. I don't believe she has even filed for candidacy.

[vienna]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

Enough is enough ... I'm sick and tired of the news media wasting my time with silly idea's like this one. Sure she has a billion dollars and a desire to be the POTUS, but it is a complete waste of her time and money.

Not even worth repeating, but I bet that comes back to bite me, uh?

Sounds a bit like an argument that could have been used against Trump in 2016...







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[tiger585]

hallo leute und alles klar bei euch

[vienna]

Originally Posted by u crank

Yea well when Hollywood decides .... let me know.

Oh, I wouldn't really want Hollywood to decide. After all, the last reality TV star they put in the Oval Office has proven to be a huge turkey...

Originally Posted by em2nought

If things are going badly for the GOP it's due to their failure to embrace the President that their supporters overwhelmingly chose and stand behind.

Stand behind no matter what the mainstream media arm of the Democratic Party continue to throw against the wall, a year later, hoping something eventually sticks.

Its fine for the supporters to stand and support him, but the rest of us, the vast majority of Americans who did not vote for him are under no obligation to tolerate his glaring deficiencies and idiocies...

...and to blindly "Stand behind no matter what..." runs in extreme contradiction to not only common sense, but, also, the Constitutionally-given right to speak up and stand against unreasonable, and possibly illegal, actions taken by any administration. If ya'all wanna be lemmings, just follow The Chump-In-Chief as he heads for the cliffs...







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[u crank]

Originally Posted by vienna

Oh, I wouldn't really want Hollywood to decide. After all, the last reality TV star they put in the Oval Office has proven to be a huge turkey...

Everybody gets a turn.

[vienna]

Those who do not learn from their mistakes, are doomed to repeat them...








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