Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Yes, but look where Germany is today. Reunited. An industrial powerhouse. With the Nazi Party banned. And then let's think of those twelve years. Countries conquered and then liberated. Industrialized genocide. Why, if Hitler hadn't decided to turn on his Russian ally, just imagine what he could have become. Perhaps the 1000 year Reich would have lasted more than a dozen years.
On second thought, don't imagine it. Just. Don't.
On second thought, don't imagine it. Just. Don't.
When you can do nothing what can you do?
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Nah, he was always going to be a crap leader. Théoden had a point about "oft evil will shall evil mar."
There is a lot of bull about how charismatic he was and how Germans were mesmerized by him. If you watch his own propaganda films, he had all the charisma of a demented chihuahua, although that seems unfair to the dogs. He just gave enough people an excuse to be at their worst with impunity. Another, greater portion of people could pretend that things weren't that bad or would get better any moment now, until it became too dangerous to not appear loyal and enthusiastic.
There is a lot of bull about how charismatic he was and how Germans were mesmerized by him. If you watch his own propaganda films, he had all the charisma of a demented chihuahua, although that seems unfair to the dogs. He just gave enough people an excuse to be at their worst with impunity. Another, greater portion of people could pretend that things weren't that bad or would get better any moment now, until it became too dangerous to not appear loyal and enthusiastic.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- narya
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Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
That sounds unsettlingly prescient.Frelga wrote: He just gave enough people an excuse to be at their worst with impunity. Another, greater portion of people could pretend that things weren't that bad or would get better any moment now, until it became too dangerous to not appear loyal and enthusiastic.
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. ~ Albert Camus
- RoseMorninStar
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Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
I agree. However, if you ask people today, many are divided as well. There are some who listen to the discombobulated (and dangerous) blathering of the president and wonder how anyone can take him seriously and wonder about his competence and sanity, others hang on every word.narya wrote:That sounds unsettlingly prescient.Frelga wrote: He just gave enough people an excuse to be at their worst with impunity. Another, greater portion of people could pretend that things weren't that bad or would get better any moment now, until it became too dangerous to not appear loyal and enthusiastic.
I've read that those who read Hitler's speeches had a totally different take-away than those who saw him in person. They didn't think he could possibly win. (ahem) While I do think a large part of the problem is/was as Frelga states, I think some are caught up in something else entirely that I don't see as quite rational. But fear often isn't rational and such demagogues prey on the fear of other, the fear of change, the fear of loss of superiority.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Hitler played on people's fears, and whipped up his audience by shouting. My parents heard this first-hand: although they didn't understand the language, newscasters would have provided an interpretation, and news reels shown in the cinema would have given them a visual look at his speeches. My mom said Churchill was such a reassuring contrast to this, with his calm, measured speech, especially when he reassured people "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Not fears. The path to fascism is to telling mediocre but belligerent people that they are special and deserving just for their eye color, and then give them a few less deserving targets.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- narya
- chocolate bearer
- Posts: 4904
- Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:27 am
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Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Wait - you mean my brown eyes aren't special???
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. ~ Albert Camus
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Everything about you is special as far as I'm concerned.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- elengil
- Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
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Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
And a rovin' a rovin' a rovin' I'll go for a pair of brown eyes...
(Oddly I noticed just this weekend my dad's are gray! Númenor blood!)
(Oddly I noticed just this weekend my dad's are gray! Númenor blood!)
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.
"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
was a 2020 planner.
"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
My history teacher very sarcastically pointed out that Hitler did NOT meet the Aryan ideal. Ironic, eh?
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
I actually started to feel a bit sorry for her until she made her speech. Epic trolling.
NSFW language.
NSFW language.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
So is she still unaware that the whole thing was a hoax?
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
I presume she knows now!
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
A different flavor of Whiskey Tango.
Why American Farmers Are Hacking Their Tractors With Ukrainian Firmware
Maybe they need to import Ukrainian tractors instead. Yuzhmash used to make ballistic missiles, I'm sure they are making great tractors.
Why American Farmers Are Hacking Their Tractors With Ukrainian Firmware
I like how no one even asks why Ukraine has the cracked tractor firmware for sale.Tractor hacking is growing increasingly popular because John Deere and other manufacturers have made it impossible to perform "unauthorized" repair on farm equipment, which farmers see as an attack on their sovereignty and quite possibly an existential threat to their livelihood if their tractor breaks at an inopportune time.
...
Kenney and Kluthe have been pushing for right-to-repair legislation in Nebraska that would invalidate John Deere's license agreement (seven other states are considering similar bills). In the meantime, farmers have started hacking their machines because even simple repairs are made impossible by the embedded software within the tractor. John Deere is one of the staunchest opponents of this legislation.
Maybe they need to import Ukrainian tractors instead. Yuzhmash used to make ballistic missiles, I'm sure they are making great tractors.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Ukrainians crack anything they can get their hands on. This was how my husband acquired expensive engineering software for dirt cheap back when he was in grad school. He knew a guy. He (my husband) went straight after he struck out on his own because he was afraid he'd get himself or a client in trouble.
When you can do nothing what can you do?
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
I'm glad our tractor doesn't have software.
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
I was going to make a quip about red states pushing to regulate a private business instead of letting free market to magically fix the problem. Then I looked it up, and Nebraska splits delegates based on district votes. Good job, Nebraska.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- RoseMorninStar
- Posts: 12942
- Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:07 am
- Location: North Shire
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
A couple of years ago there was a lawsuit brought against printer companies which required people to buy their brand of ink at premium prices. Off market brands or refills would not work in these printers. Consumers won that lawsuit. It was determined (to the best of my recollection) that once the consumer purchased the device in question the company could not force them to purchase more of their product to use something people owned. I am not sure how that might apply to tractors, but Tesla and some vehicle makers also use software to control who can repair their products.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
Re: The Tolkien Translation Game!
Yes, speaking of Tesla.
Tesla remotely disables Autopilot on used Model S after it was sold
Tesla remotely disables Autopilot on used Model S after it was sold
Tesla is the Facebook of cars in that it's very popular, but I am highly suspicious of both and want nothing to do with either.The company now claims that the owner of the car, who purchased it from a third-party dealer — a dealer who bought it at an auction held by Tesla itself — “did not pay” for the features and therefore is not eligible to use them.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot
Waaayyyy to go in reducing consumers' perceived risk in adopting these technologies. Good job!
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude