GameBanshee Forums

Have no fear, the UN is here!

The UN is going to make your [url="http://www.reason.com/hitandrun/2005/10/un_stops_the_on.shtml#011436"]culture safe.[/url]

Aegis: “I'm not quite sure, but this particular statement leads me to believe you don't think that the tough questions should be asked, or that, if they aren't answered, we shouldn't draw certain conclusions?”

Well, what I’m saying is certainly not that tough questions should not be asked, but ...

Interesting! There is a very definite concordance of opinion on Moore (at least here in SYM):

Silur: “I don't like the man, but by being one of the few disconcordant voices in the US media I still view him as critical for the survival of the US democracy.”

Sojourner: “I think the negative reaction ...

Well, the movie is out, so I thought I would provide a nice little thread where people can discuss the de/merits of “Fahrenheit 911.”

I did a little searching of SYM to see if I could find any threads dedicated to Michael Moore, but came up with only this one, which discusses his earlier film ...

My favorite t-shirt

Reagan was before my time, so I know only little of his policies. Frankly, I have learned more about him in the past few days, I think, than I had previously known. My general ignorance would have kept me from this thread, but some of the comments made here have rather irritated me. I think free ...

Originally posted by RandomThug
I still say Kerry by a small margain.

I agree.

Anyone who will keep their politics (mostly) to themselves. Of the people shown here, I would say: Bloodstalker or Xandax.

I change my desktop rather frequently, but Samizdata.net (which I have made my fun side o' the month) always has a nice collection. Right now, I using the one attached.

Originally posted by VonDondu
…I haven't read Instapundit or many of the other "conservative" bloggers out there, so I'm sure that I haven't presented an entirely "balanced" point of view. I should be ashamed of myself.

Indeed. ;) Well, I guess I’m about the closest this site has to a ...

Originally posted by fable
Nazis and radio. Burundi and radio. Millions of people (save you) can be convinced that one thing is its opposite, and act upon that, with hatred or anything else, based on the marketing of misinformation or carefully massaged information, with a nice, heavy dose of ...

Originally posted by fable
As for the rest, I would disagree with many other specific points about Hidden Persuaders that you've stated, based entirely upon your personal beliefs (and sarcasm, your friend!) rather than any studies you've done versus Packard's, and considerable misunderstanding of ...

These posts certified 99% sarcasm-free; 1% sarcasm brought to you by Gruntboy

First item, a passage of your own which you have repeated:

Originally posted by fable
With respect, this is also the argument that has been repeated for ages by everybody who has willingly marched to the insane tune ...

Ugh. This is getting ridiculous. I’ve been taking these notes down in Word as I read, and with nine type-written (10-point) pages, I’m only to page 70 of a 260 page book. I am going to read through the rest of the book tonight (it’s due back at the library soon), and if anything new or interesting ...

I understand that Packard is seeing a new (at that time) phenomenon. I understand that it would be difficult for him to see long-term success or failure. But what anyone reading him should also understand is: he hasn’t made a case proving that we are being manipulated into buying things we wouldn’t ...

On p41 we have a really weird discussion about the Szondi test. First, we are told that to determine what “type” of person the market researchers are dealing with, they show a test case a series of portraits. Unbeknownst to the observer, each of the people pictured “suffers severely from one of ...

Pages 19 through 21. The push to consume ever more. “Another aspect of people’s behavior that troubled marketers is that they are too easily satisfied with what they already have. Most of the marketers’ factories have ever-larger warehouses full of goods to move.”

Before moving on, let me point out ...

So, yes, I read the book. Here are my thoughts.

Two overarching problems: 1) the book is old, and it’s research (where sound) is out of date. You can say that the same stuff is going on today, but only made more efficacious by better technology and techniques (and no doubt you will), but this book ...

Sorry for the bump, but I changed my mind

I lied. I read the book. I’ll post specifically on it in a bit, but first …

Originally posted by fable
Actually, for tone and content, you've done a spin-around, above. What you wrote earlier was…
So of course, I responded in both tone and content to ...

Originally posted by fable
...Typically, none of the presidential candidates are discussing this, and the media of course avoids all discussion of a topic that could force Americans to actually think for a change, instead of make snap decisions.

@fable: Ralph Nader has the repeal of the Patriot ...