"... I was raised in this worldview. Millions of Americans were. It's a white identity faith and it teaches followers that America is God's chosen nation and that it is endangered by satanic conspiracies between the Devil, minorities, and American traitors.

The split in religion happened in the Civil Rights Era, when Jerry Falwell and Southern preachers embraced Confederate Christianity that held white supremacy as God's will. It was in response to MLK's protests and it made the faith explicitly racist.

In the 1980's Falwell and other Neo-Confederate preachers joined with Ronald Reagan, who believed in apocalypticism instead of Christianity. This led to an America where the Satanic Panic and supernatural conspiracies were treated as reality.

Since then, Cult of the Shining City members have been taught that America, as God's chosen nation and champion, can only be harmed by Satan and people manipulated by Satan, including minorities and liberal traitors. They believe this, wholeheartedly.

When politicians talks about evil liberals, they're referencing the idea that liberals are in league with Satan in the New World Order conspiracy. They truly believe people like Obama and the Clintons are satanically evil and have to be stopped lest Satan will prevail.

The Deep State is just the New World Order with a new paint job. They're framing America as if it is the battleground for war between God and Satan, and believe they have to destroy Democrats and liberals to prepare for the End Times.

The Cult of the Shining City worships power and wealth as symbol's of both white supremacy and God's favor. Trump is their messiah and he talks to them through his surface-level religious utterances and phrases like "enemy of the people."

Trump standing in front of a burnt church among a riot with a bible was a message that he is their warrior and that they are entering a Holy War.

It's hinting at an End Times battle, and it'll doubtlessly escalate tensions and possibly lead to violence."

"Looting by a few is a distraction from the peaceful protests of millions. It's dumb."

If you are using the looting to disregard or minimize the legitimacy of the protests then you were looking for an excuse to do that the whole time.

#lipserviceallies

"One could alternatively say:"

I suppose one could say that if the President had even bothered to speak to the church leaders when he stopped by for his photo op.

"Well, he made no statement, Judy. And he didn't come to pray. He didn't come to offer his condolences to the grieving families that are struggling with the weight of loss in this country.

He didn't offer hope or consolation to the nation in search of it. And he said nothing to the officials there about the fire. It was a " there was no conversation whatsoever. It was just simply a symbolic gesture on his part.

And I have to say that even " we are upset about the fire as well, but that is not our primary focus. Our primary focus is the reason behind " the fundamental reasons behind the protests in our country right now."

- Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde

"Once again you are ignoring one of the main reasons for people staying at home was to flatten the curve in such a way that hospitals and healthcare workers (as well as morgues) were not overwhelmed with covid patients in such a way that non-covid patients were denied care because the system could not accomadate them."

GT, he just doesn't care.

"Screw the college degree requirement that creates institutional racism and police not from the areas the enforce the law in."

I'm not saying I disagree with this point but can you explain how the education requirement is related to institutional racism? I've never heard anybody make that argument before.

"I felt that the black umbrella was a nod to Hong Kong protestors, but likely too intellectual of reference for a looter."

I suppose there is a greater than zero chance that the umbrella was a nod to Hong Kong protesters but not much greater than zero when taken in context.

Was it also cops that looted Target?
#7 | POSTED BY TOR
Hard to say. You got a video of who started that it?
9 | POSTED BY DONNERBOY

It doesn't even matter who started the looting at Target. What matters is that we have evidence of a Minneapolis police officer acting as an agent provocateur. The umbrella and the professional grade gas mask is evidence as it makes him identifiable from a distance on a rainless day. If you are a protester about to incite some looting you are generally not going to be so conspicuously dressed.

"BREAKING: Former MPD Officer Derek Chauvin Has Been Taken Into Custody In George Floyd's Death"

That's good news but you know he's going to be acquitted, if they can manage to indict him at all, then he'll sue the city and the police department and get reinstated with back pay and compensatory damages.

"... as a cop by his girlfriend."

He was identified by a cop by his girlfriend. Probably ex girlfriend now.

" You know you've lost this argument and you're being a passive-aggressive little bitch."

You lost the argument the minute the woman admitted she was 100% at fault and the guy had done nothing wrong. Yet here we are.

"I cannot understand why deplorables insist he was in the wrong when he was so obviously in the right."

Because in their worldview a black man has no business telling a white woman anything.

A lot of heteronormative bullying and gatekeeping on this thread. And not from the usual suspects. Sad.

"The Arizona Department of Health Services made a new argument Friday to justify denying the public access to information about coronavirus cases inside nursing homes: Naming facilities with outbreaks would hurt business."

That judgment is clearly outside their purview and mandate.

"I think he is going to lose that bet"

Given the intractability of his supporters I think the odds are still in his favor.

"I keep asking people this and no one will answer. A friend is out of work in California. He is worried about paying his mortgage and is ready to join the nazis protesting the lock downs. I asked him how many lives he was willing to sacrifice in order to get his job back. He's mad at me now, because I had the gall to speak about reality."

My brother is pissed at me for the same reason. He's recently back to work as a residential electrician and is frustrated that clients are putting off his visits to do estimates or to bring crews in to get the work done. He's more worried about the guys that might kill themselves due to being unable to pay their bills than he is those who die from the virus or those who die because hospitals are overrun because we opened too soon. He's on Long Island where they've been hard hit and his sister in law is an infectious disease expert so there really is no excuse for him thinking like that but his friends are a bunch of tough guy morons so he's got to keep up appearances I suppose. His Facebook feed is a goldmine lately.

"You made that up because it annoys you that a non-scientist lay person is pointing out that absurdity of all the DR ignoramuses who believe that faster than light travel beyond the quantum level is possible. Maybe you can get some ammo to respond by watching Star Wars or The Terminator one more time."

Get off your high horse. That's not what I said and it's not what I believe. Physics has demonstrated that FTL travel runs into real obstacles that have not been addressed beyond the theoretical. My point, related to your first comment, is that you are no better qualified to defend Einstein than anybody here is to criticize him and your subsequent posts demonstrate that. Why I brought up Zatoichi is because he used to get more annoyed by people here who share his point of view ---- up the science than by those who disagreed with him.

"So the body count really doesn't matter because the victims were old and going to die anyway."

"Proving once again, nothing pisses off Republicans more than when a Democrat acts like them."

Madbomber gets newsworthy flags for statements like that.

"If you are going to argue against Einstein and Newton, please have at least one doctorate in Physics."

Maybe that should apply to those defending them as well.

Zatoichi is rolling over in his grave because of this thread.

Both for the speculative conjecture and the botched and incorrect defense of known science.

"So your tactic is to discount and ignore all things that don't fall into your paradigm."

Welcome to the Retort. That's almost a prerequisite for posting here.

The thing I don't get is how or why making an issue about how the virus got here is more important than what we do now that it is here.

IMO, focusing on a possible bioterror attack from China just takes time away from being able to inform people about what is happening right now and how we deal with it. I mean, sure, if they think this was an intentional move by China, investigate the ---- out of that secretly and when this is all over they can explain to us what they know and how they plan to respond, but to be using up air time over that now only confuses the issue we're presently facing and gets in the way of efficiently handling the crisis.

"I would write to him and tell him I found it unacceptable to not provide a M4A who want it option."

But that's not really true, is it? I mean, if you're not willing to withhold your vote then it is acceptable to you by definition, right?

"I think most Democrats will hold his feet to the fire if he tries to renege on that promise. I know I will."

Can you describe for me what that would look like? Sincere question.

Tony, I think you're really superimposing your hopes onto the Biden campaign. IMO doing status quo media interviews isn't quite making the contrast between Biden and Trump as forcefully as we might hope or need. I think he needs to be engaging with the scientists and experts on CV and a number of other important topics in a public way to show people what a president is supposed to look like. But I'm also afraid that he just doesn't quite have the energy to do that consistently and convincingly, which is why his campaign advisers have him generally limited to four minute interviews being lobbed softball questions in front of friendly media. But maybe you're right and simply being not Trump is enough