Firebrandt

Word rotator and shape-cel. Mayor of Software. Mormon. Drinks evangelical coffee at Chick-fil-a. Not Keynesian.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

The propaganda would not be necessary if the situation was hopeless.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@TrueTTFaith @BenBird53920553 Wireless signals engineering is black magic.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

There’s a common joke in computer manufacturing:

"The more I learn about how chips are made, the more I'm convinced it can't be done."

It might be science, but there is something about it that is also sorcery. There’s an art and an alchemy to it. If anything we do should be impossible, it’s this. See if you can tour a fab sometime. It’ll leave you gobsmacked.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@MichaelShurkin Do you really think America would have developed into an economic and political superpower under British rule?

And if not, then play out the world wars minus America.

Now how do things look?

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@orsonscottcard This is the clearest summary of our awful situation that I’ve ever read.

I really like your books, I had no idea you were also this clear eyed about the world of politics.

I’m worried for my country and very pleased to find myself in respectable company.

[Orson Scott Card @orsonscottcard]

Our current Civil War:

I must point out that in 2016 a President was elected who was immediately rejected by a certain portion of the population and by state and local governments. They brought criminal legal action against Trump and impeached him before he'd even had a chance to do anything, and accused him of being a dictator and the death of democracy — though it was they who rejected a lawful election and threw the Constitution out the window. Sanctuary laws in defiance of federal authority are in every case the equivalent of besieging and firing on Ft. Sumter. 

When Trump won reelection in 2024, the rebels doubled down on their secession from the Union by passing laws against federal officers enforcing federal law within their sanctuary purview, all the time claiming that Trump was oppressing THEM by taking completely proper actions. So by rejecting the results of the election, they are in open rebellion.

And if you say “Trump is no Lincoln” you'd be right. Trump has not arrested and charged with treason the deniers and rejectors of federal authority, including mayors and governors who threaten to prosecute federal officers for enforcing the law. Trump has been far more restrained than Lincoln ever was — though the defiance of the Constitution is no less egregious. Sanctuary laws are exactly the same as secession — a declaration that the federal government has no authority here. They have declared war against the President and openly abused him as has not been done to a President since Lincoln. But the President has not sent federal troops to arrest those publicly guilty of sedition and treason, and take over the defiant government bodies and throw them in jail. They claim to fear Trump's officers — while they are the ones who suppress free speech and try to adjust campaign laws so as to prevent the candidates they oppose from being on the ballot. California doesn't even pretend to be a democracy anymore … but Trump stays his hand.

So, true — he is no Lincoln. He has been infinitely lenient in dealing with people and governments that are in open rebellion against the federal government because the wrong guy made it into the White House.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@Molson_Hart Check out some of the videos on the Promethean Updates youtube channel.

Their analysis of what trump is up to is the most cohesive i’ve found and it’s also a HUGE whitepill.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@BigCatJohnson @JeffBiesinger I agree that the feminization of everything is a huge reason for male suicides. That’s why I agree with Jacob.

I don’t really know what you’re arguing or what you’re upset about. I think you’ve misread something in this thread.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@melonakos @TheAJ801 @LatterDayLarper @SuckMyUnit69 @Mormonger @ThoughtfulSaint I have terrible news for you, John. It was me.

https://t.co/41jkW4uOXq

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

This is a very damaging and incorrect (but unfortunately very common) reading of that passage.

It’s one that vexed me for a long time. I’d encourage you to read chapter 39 closely and slowly, and compare it to the earlier passages where Alma recounts his own story of rebellion and repentance.

The sexual sin isn’t primarily what Alma is concerned about; the primary concern is that Corianton used his position of authority to lead people away from God and into destruction. “When they saw your conduct they would not believe my words.”

He compares this to his own youthful behavior in which he intentionally led people away from God and he classified THAT behavior of his own as spiritually equivalent to murder. He was rebuked by an angel and threatened with destruction. So he was very worried about his son.

But on the sexual part, he simply says “cross yourself in these things” and tells him to counsel with his brothers before making decisions.

Furthermore, there is no big social consequence for Corianton’s sexual sin. He’s sent right back out to preach and to tell everyone his behavior was wrong and then to teach about Jesus again.

So the culture is wrong on this point. It dramatically departs from the scriptural account.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@jpodhoretz “I reject bigotry. My intellectual opponents are subhuman imbeciles.”

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@jpodhoretz “The other side is inbreds but I am not the bigot”

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@BigCatJohnson @JeffBiesinger I take it you disagree with my colloquial vernacular?

I was concerned with substance, but if you would rather debate form and aesthetics, I can do that too.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@joecooprider So we would just… not talk about anything important?

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@Lew541207 His critiques are largely correct and sorely needed, and LDS people can’t say what needs to be said without massive cultural backlash.

So, be annoyed.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

The accusation is “everyone who disagrees with me hates people unjustifiably.” This, in a milieu that sees racism or other -isms as socially disqualifying.

This is a tactic frequently used to end debate by smearing the opponent with vague feelings of “morally bad, socially unacceptable, we don’t have to listen to them.”

It’s childish at best, wicked at worst, and it’s been allowed to run rampant through public discourse for a decade. It’s extremely chilling to all debate and harmful to relationships.

Never gets called out though.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

1. That’s a very domain-specific definition of the word bigotry that is going to cause confusion.

2. I don’t know what you’ve read. But i have seen zero instances of anyone mocking Pono for his personal level of masculinity. I’ve seen people explicitly point out that they have no problem with Pono. So this just plainly doesn’t explain the issue being debated.

3. Calling people “bigots” is the lowest form of debate and is very often used to shut the other side up while signaling moral superiority.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@melonakos @plasmarob Alright. I’m confused.

What do you mean when you say bigotry? I don’t think we have the same definition of this word.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@jmbrim3 What’s different about it? I mean, on the surface it absolutely seems different. But imagine what that looked like when it was happening. When the future wasn’t already written.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@melonakos @plasmarob Unfathomable self-righteousness.

You feel justified in prejudicial judgments against anyone who sees a different issue here, but everyone else is the bigot???

You are a child.

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@UnjabbedDotNet @davepl1968 Yeah

[Firebrandt @Firebrandt76]

@hannahspierMD By framing every damn thing as men’s fault, women have given up all their influence, power, and choice.