Recent posts

#1

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by DGuller - Today at 06:04:22 PM

What about the freedom to run your business as you see fit? Why should a therapy company be forced to employ a hateful antisemite? One with views that suggest she could even be a danger to any Jewish patients?

You can't respect all the freedoms at the same time.  We chose to value the freedom to run your business as you see fit more than to value the freedom of speech, for whatever reason, but that doesn't make it a good thing when freedom of speech gets trampled by the freedom to run the business as you see fit. 

The freedom to run your business as you see fit is not universal either, it gets trumped in some circumstances as well.  At some point we decided that "No Irish Need Apply" was no longer legal, maybe sometime in the future we'll decide that employers enforcing censorship on their employees isn't compatible with society we want to have as well.

#2

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by OttoVonBismarck - Today at 05:51:25 PM

My view is the same as it was before:  I find the saying "freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences of speech" to be monumentally Orwellian.  IMO, someone saying that and meaning it either has authoritarian mindset, or hasn't thought through the meaning of what that says to the end.

Lack of prohibitive consequences is exactly what freedom is.  It is true that First Amendment only protects you from prohibitive consequences dished out by the government, but that doesn't mean that prohibitive consequences dished out by other entities holding power over you are something we should want more of.  When people aren't free to say what they think, regardless of how that is accomplished, society suffers.

What about the freedom to run your business as you see fit? Why should a therapy company be forced to employ a hateful antisemite? One with views that suggest she could even be a danger to any Jewish patients?

#3

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Admiral Yi - Today at 05:46:36 PM

My view is the same as it was before:  I find the saying "freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences of speech" to be monumentally Orwellian.  IMO, someone saying that and meaning it either has authoritarian mindset, or hasn't thought through the meaning of what that says to the end.

Lack of prohibitive consequences is exactly what freedom is.  It is true that First Amendment only protects you from prohibitive consequences dished out by the government, but that doesn't mean that prohibitive consequences dished out by other entities holding power over you are something we should want more of.  When people aren't free to say what they think, regardless of how that is accomplished, society suffers.

And I think the other side of the coin is the freedom to contract.  Like all thoughts it's possible I haven't thought it through, but I don't think supporting the freedom to contract is authoritarian.  Compelling me to continue to buy from a company who's employee I object to is authoritarian.

#4

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by Admiral Yi - Today at 05:42:05 PM

I was in a bar t'other week and they had Miami Inter and Monterrey on.  I get the feeling Messi is not going to light the league on fire by himself.  Or any of the aging stars MLS hires.

#5

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by DGuller - Today at 05:41:41 PM

My view is the same as it was before:  I find the saying "freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences of speech" to be monumentally Orwellian.  IMO, someone saying that and meaning it either has authoritarian mindset, or hasn't thought through the meaning of what that says to the end.

Lack of prohibitive consequences is exactly what freedom is.  It is true that First Amendment only protects you from prohibitive consequences dished out by the government, but that doesn't mean that prohibitive consequences dished out by other entities holding power over you are something we should want more of.  When people aren't free to say what they think, regardless of how that is accomplished, society suffers.

#6

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by FunkMonk - Today at 05:38:24 PM

Liverpool cannot be low enough on the table for me to be satisfied with it.

Tamas, I'm chatting with a Chelsea fan on a discord server and he seems to think this Chelsea team will mature and be contenders for the league title in two years. I'm curious if you think similarly.

#7

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by FunkMonk - Today at 05:36:07 PM

Pool and Arsenal bottled it at home. I'm afraid it's 4 in a row for City, and possibly a repeat treble     

#8

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Admiral Yi - Today at 05:33:21 PM

I am very much trying to not get into rules and what is "required" about social media.

I just think as a society we should act with more grace and humility when stupid people say stupid things.

You opened that door counselor when you said people should not be fired.  One of two things follow from that: either we the general public have a duty to continue to buy their goods or services, or the employer has an obligation to eat the loss.

#9

Off the Record / Re: The Bitcoin Thread

Last post by viper37 - Today at 05:23:40 PM

Except these are not shares they may never get back to their former value.

No, they are not.

But some shares never get their value back.  I could invest in Lion Electric Vehicles right now at 1,07US$ a share.  It suffered an 87% loss over the last 3 months.  I'm quite positive the company will bounce back. 

But a stock so low could mean two things:
1) The company is going to be bought by a rival and suffer a rationalization and the stock will get lower before it jumps back taking many years to recoup my investment
2) The company will get off the stock market and privatize itself with the help of semi private equity funds in Québec and I will never recoup my investment in the shares.

 

Now, back the crypto.  I'm positive the Solana coins will still remain active for a few years and will regain at least what I paid for it + the transaction fees. 
Then I'll sell it, take my money and stick with the index funds in my non tax free savings account.

The bitcoin ETFs are there to stay.  There's enthusiasm for this kind of stuff.  I still have no idea what Bitcoin is suppose to provide that regular money can not (it's not even anonymous, nor safe), but I believe it will regain a lot of value and the ETFs will rise.  It's a risky financial product because the underlying asset is essentially based on wind.  But the payoff can be great and Bitcoin will be the last to fall, imho.

#10

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Admiral Yi - Today at 05:18:58 PM

It was a theoretical of one extreme.
In this case it's a nobody who mentioned a silly conspiracy theory. Maybe once.?. No sign of her being utterly devoted to it. She even claims she misspoke.

Which one is it, a theoretical or an actual case?

I don't know what you mean by "silly" conspiracy theory.  I think they're all silly in that they ignore evidence.  Do you mean harmless?  As in, no possible harm could come from people thinking the Hamas kidnapping was a false flag operation?

If you treat this chick exactly as you would a Holocaust denier who says it maybe once? Showing no signs of being "utterly devoted" to it, then I've got no beef with you.  I suspect your response to that would be different.

Maybe I missed part of the story here. They "cancelled" somebody before getting doxed?

Engaging in shitty behaviour then acting shocked when it's done to you would indeed be beautiful but I'm not seeing that?

I don't know what you're talking about with cancelled before getting doxed.  Theoretical or specific case?