[s]YouTube stuff[/s] cancelled

Post by **Okeefenokee** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:37 pm

C-Mag wrote:
Okeefenokee wrote:
It's gonna be really hard not getting myself flunked in this mandatory america haters class I have to take.
What's the class, America in the 20th C

Okeefenokee wrote:
Democracy, Slavery, and Empire: The Tragicomedy of American Politics

Post by **C-Mag** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 11:15 pm

Okeefenokee wrote:
C-Mag wrote:
Okeefenokee wrote:
It's gonna be really hard not getting myself flunked in this mandatory america haters class I have to take.
What's the class, America in the 20th C

Okeefenokee wrote:
Democracy, Slavery, and Empire: The Tragicomedy of American Politics

OH FUCK!
I'm starting a Go Fund me for your Legal Defense right now.

Post by **Okeefenokee** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 11:40 pm

C-Mag wrote:
Okeefenokee wrote:
C-Mag wrote:
What's the class, America in the 20th C

Okeefenokee wrote:
OH FUCK!
I'm starting a Go Fund me for your Legal Defense right now.

This course is a survey of American Political Thought that explores ideas and practices that have been essential to the unfolding of American democracy. However, rather than tracking the historicdebates that have accompanied and often illuminated the development of the institutions of the U.S. Federal Government, this course will conceive of democracy as a way of life and examine its development as an ideal, set of practices, and an experience. Accordingly, this course is organized around three parallel objectives. First, we will examine the founding documents, publicspeeches, novels, and private reflections from a wide array of leading and not so leading American political thinkers in order to illuminate the grand achievements and tragic failures of American democracy. Second, we will consider the relationship between American democracy and the politics of American Slavery and American Empire by engaging a number of thinkers who theorize the histories and ongoing effects of this relationship. And, finally we shall explore tragedy and comedy as forms of democratic judgment, forms this course argues, will sharpen our abilities to think critically, unflinchingly, and constructively about the past, present, and future of democracy in America.

Which get us back to first day of class. Prof asks the students what kind of government they think America has. Cue one lefty after another saying America is supposed to be a democracy, but only rich white mean are allowed to hold office.

He asks if anyone disagrees, and yours truly raises his hand. I said, despite what everyone else has said, America was never meant to be a democracy, but a republic. The founders made that very clear.

My dilemma now is to keep my mouth shut and get an A, or push back against this bullshit.

He laid out a few fallacies on the first day.

1. Single rule is called monarchy when it is benevolent, and tyranny when it is not.

2. Group rule is called aristocracy when it is benevolent, and oligarchy when it is not.

3. Democracy is when, "ordinary people shape the forces that govern their lives."

A. There is no such thing as single rule. There are no monarchies absent of aristocracies just as there are no tyrannies absent of oligarchies.

B. Where are your terms for good and bad democracies?

Lynch mobs were democratic.

Russian pogroms were democratic.

The execution of Socrates was democratic.

This whole class is shaping up to be one giant shit show.

Post by **C-Mag** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:13 am

IMO, the thing is to not attempt to go after him to correct bullshit, but don't shrink from any challenges either.

Post by **Alexander PhiAlipson** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:29 am

Treat it like a recon mission. You're only there to observe, NOT to engage the enemy. Feign interest, if you feel you must, but don't become interesting yourself. Laugh along with the rest of the class when the professor attempts humor. Be polite. Keep you hand down, keep your head down, but keep you GPA up. Get out alive. Report back to your wife, report back to us, otherwise, keep your mouth shut.
We believe in you, soldier!

Post by **Martin Hash** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 4:21 am

I was politely asked to leave a class like that but I wouldn't go because it was required to graduate; in engineering, for chrissakes. However, I never said another word, and got out with a "C," which at the time was an unacceptable grade in engineering but nobody said anything about it. I noticed a few years later when I needed a transcript to pursue a Masters, all of the required bullshit courses weren't included in my GPA (3.87 out of 4.0).

Post by **SuburbanFarmer** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:20 am

Yeah, it will be difficult, but try not to engage. Just memorize his nonsense, regurgitate it in a paper, take the grade, and get your degree.

Keep your goal in sight, and don't get dragged into pointless debates.

Post by **Speaker to Animals** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:32 am

C-Mag wrote:
Speaker to Animals wrote:
C-Mag wrote:
For me I tend to be focused on end goals or important issues, so I consider this type language jockeying as frivolous and a waste of time. Considering those doing it to be rather foolish................ I may have been the fool.
Worth the short read:
https://www.amazon.com/Abuse-Language-P ... 089870362X

Thanks

I've noticed that much of the Hatred of Trump stems from his use of language, which blasts all SOP for modern politicians language to dust. Trump opponents are almost solely focused on Trumps words and not his actions. During the 8 years of the previous POTUS, they hailed Obama flawless, without scandal, one of our greatest ever.................... why, because of language, certainly not actions.

This guy gets it: