Dispatches from the State Ministry of Truth

Started by Jacob, September 22, 2014, 10:05:27 AM

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Savonarola

#285
Quote from: celedhring on September 29, 2014, 07:07:01 AM
Quote from: The Larch on September 29, 2014, 06:14:47 AM
I must say that after reading the whole thread and Mono's pettiness and apparent glee at having a bunch of kids with extremely bleak life prospects who are actually willing to stand up for what they believe manhandled by riot police, while spewing against them as he has never ever done before in this forums, coupled with his incredibly and mind bogingly myopic perspective of life has turned him into an extremely unsavoury character for me. I don't care if it's a schtick or not, it's fucking disgusting.

An insight into Chinese "gente de orden" (I have never known how to say that in English).

Ordinary people, maybe?  "Salt of the earth" more figuratively.

Or is it more akin to "Orderly people."  I don't think we have a good equivalent for that in English; maybe "Rank and file"?
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

The Larch

First they came for the students, and I did not speak out...

celedhring

Quote from: Savonarola on September 29, 2014, 07:31:42 AM
Quote from: celedhring on September 29, 2014, 07:07:01 AM
Quote from: The Larch on September 29, 2014, 06:14:47 AM
I must say that after reading the whole thread and Mono's pettiness and apparent glee at having a bunch of kids with extremely bleak life prospects who are actually willing to stand up for what they believe manhandled by riot police, while spewing against them as he has never ever done before in this forums, coupled with his incredibly and mind bogingly myopic perspective of life has turned him into an extremely unsavoury character for me. I don't care if it's a schtick or not, it's fucking disgusting.

An insight into Chinese "gente de orden" (I have never known how to say that in English).

Ordinary people, maybe?  "Salt of the earth" more figuratively.

Or is it more akin to "Orderly people."  I don't think we have a good equivalent for that in English; maybe "Rank and file"?

It's pretty much the kind of character described in the Mann book Syt linked.

The Larch

Quote from: Savonarola on September 29, 2014, 07:31:42 AM
Quote from: celedhring on September 29, 2014, 07:07:01 AM
Quote from: The Larch on September 29, 2014, 06:14:47 AM
I must say that after reading the whole thread and Mono's pettiness and apparent glee at having a bunch of kids with extremely bleak life prospects who are actually willing to stand up for what they believe manhandled by riot police, while spewing against them as he has never ever done before in this forums, coupled with his incredibly and mind bogingly myopic perspective of life has turned him into an extremely unsavoury character for me. I don't care if it's a schtick or not, it's fucking disgusting.

An insight into Chinese "gente de orden" (I have never known how to say that in English).

Ordinary people, maybe?  "Salt of the earth" more figuratively.

Or is it more akin to "Orderly people."  I don't think we have a good equivalent for that in English; maybe "Rank and file"?

It's more about people who would be big fans of a law & order and/or silent majority political appeal.

Monoriu

Quote from: Martinus on September 29, 2014, 07:25:22 AM
Quote from: The Larch on September 29, 2014, 07:22:48 AM
Quote from: Tamas on September 29, 2014, 06:50:06 AM
On the other hand if he is caught commenting pro-protest stuff with his IP, he can kiss his career good bye

There's no need for him to be pro-protest, he can discuss it without stoopiing down to gloat about it. But apparently he can't keep himself from insulting kids with tons more spine than him.

Yeah. Unless the situation is so bad down there that he can't make a neutral comment without condemning the protests in every other sentence, or he will get scooped by the Chicom gestapo.

As I have said many times before, I am not influenced by the possibility of censorship.  There is none in HK.

Monoriu

Quote from: The Larch on September 29, 2014, 06:14:47 AM
I must say that after reading the whole thread and Mono's pettiness and apparent glee at having a bunch of kids with extremely bleak life prospects who are actually willing to stand up for what they believe manhandled by riot police, while spewing against them as he has never ever done before in this forums, coupled with his incredibly and mind bogingly myopic perspective of life has turned him into an extremely unsavoury character for me. I don't care if it's a schtick or not, it's fucking disgusting.

and you are the one who cannot accept the possibility that many people in HK are against the rioters?  Not everybody who tries to overturn a regime in the name of democracy is a good guy.

Savonarola

Quote from: celedhring on September 29, 2014, 07:38:36 AM
Quote from: Savonarola on September 29, 2014, 07:31:42 AM
Quote from: celedhring on September 29, 2014, 07:07:01 AM
An insight into Chinese "gente de orden" (I have never known how to say that in English).

Ordinary people, maybe?  "Salt of the earth" more figuratively.

Or is it more akin to "Orderly people."  I don't think we have a good equivalent for that in English; maybe "Rank and file"?

It's pretty much the kind of character described in the Mann book Syt linked.

Ah, I don't think we have a good equivalent of that in English; which means we'll have to steal the German word.  :shifty: :bowler:
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

Syt

Untertan just means "subject" (of a ruler). Spießbürger might be closer; Leo translator offers philistines, squares, or Babbitt(?).
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould

Proud owner of 42 Zoupa Points.

Savonarola

Quote from: The Larch on September 29, 2014, 07:39:49 AM
It's more about people who would be big fans of a law & order and/or silent majority political appeal.

Ah, okay, "Tory," then.  The concept has no equivalent in American English.   :P ;)
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

The Larch

Quote from: Monoriu on September 29, 2014, 07:45:35 AM
Quote from: The Larch on September 29, 2014, 06:14:47 AM
I must say that after reading the whole thread and Mono's pettiness and apparent glee at having a bunch of kids with extremely bleak life prospects who are actually willing to stand up for what they believe manhandled by riot police, while spewing against them as he has never ever done before in this forums, coupled with his incredibly and mind bogingly myopic perspective of life has turned him into an extremely unsavoury character for me. I don't care if it's a schtick or not, it's fucking disgusting.

and you are the one who cannot accept the possibility that many people in HK are against the rioters?  Not everybody who tries to overturn a regime in the name of democracy is a good guy.

Of course I can accept that possibility, I can read your posts and I could listen to arguments, and we already know about your sheepiness in these issues. What I don't find commendable is the gloating and insulting you do. You have never been actively mean against anything in these forums, except now a bunch of kids who are, in your own words, "wanting to rob you". It shows that your views and personality are incredibly and disgunstingly selfish and petty. We know that you have no ideals besides your Scrooge McDuck style love for money, but such a brazen display of cheerleading is IMO incredibly disgusting to read. It's the more emotion you've showed in years, and it's to celebrate the crushing of an idealistic movement. You deserve your chains, you seem to enjoy them so much.

Eddie Teach

QuoteDer Untertan is the best known novel of German author Heinrich Mann.

This was really confusing at first because I read it as Thomas.
To sleep, perchance to dream. But in that sleep of death, what dreams may come?

Savonarola

#296
Quote from: Syt on September 29, 2014, 07:50:31 AM
Untertan just means "subject" (of a ruler). Spießbürger might be closer; Leo translator offers philistines, squares, or Babbitt(?).

I've never heard "Babbitt" used outside the novel; but that might be the closest equivalent.  "Booboisie" (H. L. Mencken's term) might also be a good substitute.

Edit:  Though "Babbitt and "Booboisie" would both imply vulgar taste and rampant consumerism.
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

Ed Anger

Quote from: The Larch on September 29, 2014, 06:14:47 AM
I must say that after reading the whole thread and Mono's pettiness and apparent glee at having a bunch of kids with extremely bleak life prospects who are actually willing to stand up for what they believe manhandled by riot police, while spewing against them as he has never ever done before in this forums, coupled with his incredibly and mind bogingly myopic perspective of life has turned him into an extremely unsavoury character for me. I don't care if it's a schtick or not, it's fucking disgusting.

Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

celedhring

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on September 29, 2014, 07:58:28 AM
QuoteDer Untertan is the best known novel of German author Heinrich Mann.

This was really confusing at first because I read it as Thomas.

They were brothers, actually.

mongers

#299
Quote from: Tamas on September 29, 2014, 06:50:06 AM
On the other hand if he is caught commenting pro-protest stuff with his IP, he can kiss his career good bye

Yes, I think this fear in motivating Mono to post as he has in this thread. He must be one of only a few thousands civil servants in that government building/complex, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that as part of a crackdown/monitoring that they'll be threatened, explicitly or implicitly.

Granted his comments build upon his persona here, but the sudden ratcheting up of the 'judgementalism' calling these peaceful demonstrators, "rioters" "fucks" "savages" seems to much out of character, for it not to be influenced by fears/worries real or imagined or even actual external direction. 

I think we should let things be and give Mono a pass on this, maybe just so long as he doesn't keep resurrecting the thread every few hours.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"