Russia doesn’t have nearly as much influence over global markets as the US.

Edit: But Putin has had a much longer political career and has probably set things into motion that we won’t ever be able to confirm his involvement in. So you might be right.

With Republicans in general, I think. It seems to be their best attempt at misdirection, and I think it works to keep their target audience from paying attention to their least savory activities.

They spent decades training the leopard, so they thought they had tamed it.

I’m not, really. I just don’t think we have the luxury of taking the amount of time that we would need to educate people thoroughly enough to counteract the algorithm.

Probably what we need is a limitation on free speech where blatant misinformation is involved. In the same way that shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theatre is harmful, so is repeating false claims to stir political discord.

Ten-year-olds understand quite a lot of things. They don’t always think before they act, but they would absolutely understand this object lesson.

It’s water. It’s not harmful. Getting splashed with water is most ten-year-olds’ idea of a good time in most scenarios.

Is this the most constructive way to go about teaching a kid how to behave properly? No.

Is this going to scar the average kid for life? Also no.

If you’re old enough to draw your full Social Security payment, you’re too old to hold public office.

Sorry, Bernie. You’re one of the good ones, but you’ll have to make sacrifices for the common good.

Yup. I’m 45 and I can’t believe that people older than my parents are still running the country.

Debate, education and engagement take time.

The algorithm is instantaneously ready with the next easily digestible bit of content to send you further down the rabbit hole into radicalization.

I worry that we need a more instantaneous cure in our current information environment.

You give him too much credit. He doesn’t know any of this. But the right-wing think tanks that have been waiting for this moment do, and he’s easily manipulated into following their agenda.

Farther right than Fox. Yes, it’s possible.

There are definitely elements of Christianity that mimic Greco-Roman (and other, older) mystery religions. Down to celebrating their deity’s birth at the same time and commemorating his death and rebirth by having followers share bread and wine.

My favorite theory of the origin of Christianity is that it was a Jewish attempt to mimic the mystery religions that were popular at the beginning of the Common Era.

My childhood bestie’s dad was one of the only bald men in our church. He pulled out this story every time anyone in our youth group mentioned it.

Because back in the day none of that shit would fly especially around people who fought in the war, but it does now.

I think that we’d be better off if the dads, uncles, and grandpas who came back and refused to talk about their war experiences had made it clearer to the next generation exactly how horrible it was. It didn’t fly with them because they saw what it brought. It flies with younger people because we were sheltered from the true horrors of the war.

I think a trip to the Holocaust Museum should be required for all high school seniors. If it isn’t closed by the clown show currently running the country, at least.

Isn’t the manosphere pretty transphobic? I would assume they have pretty much divorced all Matrix concepts from the Wachowskis by now.

I’ll find a duck.

Your candidacy would put the Church in quite a predicament, for sure. They could either embrace a trans woman as a leader (confirming that there’s nothing wrong with trans people) or reject her for being a woman (therefore admitting that one can, in fact, change their gender).

Of course, this is a false dichotomy, but a good PR team could spin it as a human rights win either way.

My family was super meat-centric for all holidays except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Any meal where it’s physically possible to barbecue, we would. And a family barbecue meant hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, pork steaks, and beef steaks – one of each per person, plus a couple of extras. Sides were German-style slaw and potato salad. Buns were not included, but my grandma would always put a stack of white bread on the table (she was the only person who ever ate it).

When I started dating my husband and took him to a family holiday, he was shocked by the fact that my whole family was eating hamburgers and hot dogs with flatware instead of on buns. And he was actually sad at the lack of side dishes.

When I went to one of his family barbecues, I was sad that there was just one hamburger per person (already on a soggy bun) and a ton of weird casseroles.

Trump definitely won’t attack Russia. Vladimir Putin is his bestie.

I think Putin is uncomfortable with a NATO country in that strategic position, so he has manipulated Trump into thinking that it would be a good “real estate deal” for the US to take it over.

Thanks. I’ve been on my own for a long time now. I’m glad that I’m still far enough from retirement that my accounts should have plenty of time to bounce back before I need to rely on them.

I really feel for the retirees who voted against this who are finding that their finances are not as stable as they should have been.

My mom retired last year. She also voted for Trump. She made her bed …