Random Rant Thread

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This x 100

I can't help but think liberal arts education is complete dogshit, producing the people who are "smart" yet completely lack the basic analytical skills and even logic. I'm extremely happy that I was primarily science-educated, and then moved to liberal artsy stuff afterwards.

If everyone had been as dumb as these liberal arts smarty pants in the media, we would be still hand-washing all of our clothes, I'm telling you. Those people don't even understand what causation means.

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The big problem today is that many journalists/pundits/authors/"influencers" basically talk/write/argue exactly like this anti-vaxxer.

All they care about is the *image* of them knowing what they are talking about, when in fact they are completely talking out of their asses while just vomiting words that they simply picked off the internet. And usually there is no Ms. Actual Scientist next to them to correct all the nonsense.

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This is purely anecdotal, so keep your Careless Argument Detector up, but many of the people who were infected with the original/alpha variant a while ago, like me, have been reinfected with Delta left and right. And many of them do seem to have gotten really sick too, with some being hospitalized even.

The immunity through infection may be very variant-specific, at least more so than the vaccines. If that's the case the infection-based immunity is very hi-risk lo-return crap with this virus.

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The way these people lie through their teeth when it comes to imperial wars is astounding.

Of course, the Taliban have been easy on the American troops lately precisely because Trump cut a deal with them. There have been few American casualties because the US agreed to fucking leave. What do you think would've happened if the US reneged on that promise?

Imagine such a basic, important fact being omitted in an argument on any other issue.

This kind of lies, one after another, being accepted as compelling arguments for staying there for another 20 years and beyond. I'm not surprised because this is what I fought against all these years, but nonetheless it's still breathtaking if you think about it.

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I really didn't mean to rant on Afghanistan here precisely because it's too close to home for me, but seriously I feel like screaming every two hours or so.

Like, what the fuck? "Any request for US military airstrikes"???!!!!

These reporters are completely crazy. Completely unaware that they live in a fucking bizarro world totally disconnected from the real one.

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Again, this is what I had to fight against, folks.

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I'm not against giving "booster shots" to the extremely vulnerable like the immunocompromised and nursing home residents, but giving them to EVERYONE NOW? That's just irrational, panic-driven naked selfishness.

It's just the same as fucking hoarding when much of the world is losing health workers left and right due to the scarcity of the vaccines.

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It's not Biden but those media blowhards that ought to be absolutely embarrassed about the whole fiasco in Afghanistan. It's those fools that kept that endless war and occupation going for 20 fucking years.

And they spew woulda coulda shoulda pseudo-arguments everywhere while fully knowing that those "better scenarios" were plainly impossible given the situation.

Seriously, do you really understand how much we've spent on Afghanistan over these 20 years? Fucking megatons, and the result is that the current Afghan army is somehow significantly WEAKER than it used to be back in 2002.

And to be honest, the worst kind are those who say that it's okay to leave and then propose all kinds of stupid crap that would undoubtedly provoke the Taliban.

You either go ALL FUCKING IN to stay there literally FOREVER, or get the fuck out now. There should be no fucking middle ground, but the media blob pretend there is. Shameless ghouls.

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"We assumed right-wing populism would act as a firewall against fascism..."

"We" as in Paul Mason. Alone.

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This man seems very, very misguided on MANY issues.

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It's kind of amazing that people still say, "I have NO IDEA how and where I got infected! I wash my hands regularly, wear masks indoors, do my best to social-distance, and have not partied since Feb. 2020!" ... while eating out quite a few times.

In nine cases out of ten those restaurants are where, and inhaling aerosols swarming with the viruses is how. Your local health officers can't prove that since you weren't involved in any official "cluster," but they know how and where. They've worked on this shit for more than a year now. They know. You did something risky, even if you ate out alone.

No, we shouldn't close those restaurants unless we are ready to compensate for the enormous loss. I HAVE eaten out many times, especially since I've gotten vaccinated. But I know there IS still some risk there, and if I ever get infected again, I would reasonably bet that I got it at a restaurant.

I just can't deny that it's tiresome to hear so many people STILL go "Moi? How?" Like it's still March 2020.

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Athletes tend to be extremely superstitious to begin with. More than 90% of nutrition theories espoused by famous athletes are voodoo nonsense. The professional sports world was a hotbed of anti-vaxx even before the pandemic.

Anti-vaxx athletes’ stance shows myths cut across boundaries of privilege
Stereotypical Covid sceptics are a kind of fringe lunatic but elite sportspeople are reared to keep total control of their bodies
www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/aug/23/anti-vaxx-athletes-stance-show-myths-cut-across-boundaries-privilege-covid

Their source of information tends to be a Joe Rogan Experience of their choice too. Hell, in many cases, it's THE Joe Logan Experience, which is extremely, extremely popular among athletes. Note Tsitsipas's argument, if you can even call that an "argument," is exactly the same as Rogan's.

They are almost surprisingly uninformed or down right misinformed on many issues. Or to be more precise, the scope of their information/knowledge is extremely, extremely narrow. And you'd understand why that's the case if you knew their life style, and what kind of non-athlete parasites inhabit that world. Djokovic is really a tragic case for example. He's a very _smart_ guy, but I can guarantee you that he will be a complete intellectual mess after retirement.

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Much of the anti-vaxx in the US is pure tribalism. A clear majority of the right-wing/MAGA Americans refusing to get vaccinated now used to have no issues at all with vaccines before this pandemic.

America is just a broken country, so sadly you must expect this kind of destructive nonsense in virtually everything. Anti-vaxx has become a huge issue in the US, but that's simply a testament to the severity of the social dysfunction in the country.

Now, does Switzerland, for example, have any unfortunate, stupid excuse like that? Disconcertingly low vaccination rates even though the supply seems to have been more or less stable unlike in Australia, Japan, etc.

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Fucking LOL

The whole Covid-skeptic thing is just an utter, utter embarrassment.

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Wheelchair rugby is real fun to watch.

Thing is, this sport doesn't look like anything else. It's actually not at all like rugby. Not like American football either even though you can pass the ball forward. Very, very tactical. And its being played in wheelchairs is essential - in menacing Mad Max wheelchairs, that is.

I enjoy watching wheelchair basketball and goalball too, but this seems to be the ultimate para sport that you should look forward to watching in the Paralympics.

I've become such a fan of Cedric Nankin, of France, a fucking amazing defensive player.