Stephen Hawking Calls Trump A 'Demagogue' Who Appeals 'To The Lowest Common Denominator' (go.com) 751
An anonymous reader writes: British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking told ITV's morning show that Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican Party candidate for U.S. president, "is a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator." He said, "Gone are the days we could stand on our own against the world. We need to be part of a larger group of nations, both for our security and our trade." ABC News writes, "Stephen Hawking understands the workings of the universe -- but says he cannot fathom the popularity of Donald Trump. He went on to say that British voters should keep the United Kingdom in the European Union in a June 23 referendum, saying the EU provides essential support for British scientific research as well as its economy and security.
So? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:So? (Score:4, Insightful)
No but perhaps he has a brain
Re: So? (Score:5, Interesting)
The more people like him insult the people that support politicians like Trump, the more effort they'll put into making sure their candidate gets elected.
Re: So? (Score:4, Insightful)
Exactly. Trump supporters don't think he'll be a good president, they feel he'll be a good president. It's like trying to argue with a religious zealot. They're not listening to facts or arguments, they hear what they want and just blame ' liberal pc feminists' when he says something stupid.
Re: So? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: So? (Score:4, Insightful)
Hillary is a known warhawk and the example of Rich White Washington Corruption. She changes her opinion based on poll numbers and is frighteningly anti-2nd amendment. (Add 40 years of examples here)
Bern is a socialist who's going to give FREE EVERYTHING! from a country 20 trillion in debt. Both support RacistLivesMatter and other SJW bullshit.
The "other lizards" are dangerously bad. Trump at least is America First and knows enough about business deals to stop with the shitty stuff (NAFTA, TPP, Iran, Cuba, etc).
With Trump, you are playing Russian Roulette with one bullet in the chamber... with Democrats, you are playing with 6 rounds in the chamber and the Democrat gets the gun first.
Re: So? (Score:5, Insightful)
So the solution is, of course, to keep our borders open and actually refuse to deport people that came here illegally? You're seriously arguing that because so many people are here illegally, we shouldn't do anything for fear that they'll burn our cities to the ground? And people wonder why Trump's message is resonating? Because I'd imagine a lot of workers in blue-collar jobs that have been eliminated or depressed because of the glut of easily available illegal labor are thinking we have a pretty shitty policy, and they see no end of it from anyone else.
I mean, consider how much whining we hear on Slashdot about H1B workers. That's the white-collar equivalent. We never cared before, because it's awesome to have cheap lawn care and housekeeping, right? But as soon as low-paid foreign workers start threatening OUR jobs through some shady deals, we're all up in arms. Why, it's outrageous that foreign workers are replacing qualified native IT folks! Welcome to the club, tech industry.
Oddly enough, Trump is the only front-runner clearly and vehemently opposed to the current H1B abuse that's going on right now. Hillary has previously flip-flopped on the issue (2007 was for more H1B visas, then later said outsourcing was a concern), and hasn't mentioned it at all recently, at least that I can tell. Bernie, bizarrely, agrees with Trump on this issue, but doesn't have a real shot at the nomination, which is a shame, as that would make a much more interesting race, IMO.
Re: So? (Score:5, Insightful)
You're seriously arguing that because so many people are here illegally, we shouldn't do anything for fear that they'll burn our cities to the ground?
Well, I'm even more extreme than that. I have this crazy idea that we're all citizens of Earth, and all policies that suggest which patch of dirt you're allowed to stand on, and for how long, are fundamentally evil and racist. However, I'm not going to bother arguing that with you. I'm aware that it's a minority view, and not very practical in today's world. Nevertheless; Many of the people you're talking about deporting so easily, are working people with families living in homes. So what's going to happen? They're just going to leave because you said so? And then, when they get back 'home', they're going to build a wall? Let me know how that works out, should Trump the insane get in. Except, of course, you'll not have to let anyone know, because we'll be watching the violence, carnage, bloodshed and misery unfold from across the world. And that's just one - ok, two - policies. What about the other ones? What about his crazy 'university'? His rampant anti-intellectualism? His hatred of women? Reproductive rights? It's madness, and it's sad, and it's frightening.
borders = filters (Score:5, Insightful)
You're seriously arguing that because so many people are here illegally, we shouldn't do anything for fear that they'll burn our cities to the ground?
Well, I'm even more extreme than that. I have this crazy idea that we're all citizens of Earth, and all policies that suggest which patch of dirt you're allowed to stand on, and for how long, are fundamentally evil and racist.
As a first generation Canadian I'm okay with letting most people into my country, but I still want a border/filter to keep out the folks from (say) ISIL/Daesh. Letting in most people is fine; letting in all people is not.
If anyone can move anywhere at anytime, one risks the tragedy of the commons where people arrive, shit all over things, and then move on and not care about the results. Having some barrier to entry, and some "skin in the game" helps to ensure that anyone in a given area has some vested interest in keep that area/community in decent shape.
A crazy, dangerous, chauvinistic, and common idea (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, I'm even more extreme than that. I have this crazy idea that we're all citizens of Earth, and all policies that suggest which patch of dirt you're allowed to stand on, and for how long, are fundamentally evil and racist.
I have yet to see anyone who floats this thought acknowledge that some cultures are in fact better than others. If you let the wrong person in- and they're far more common in shitty cultures- they will degrade and destroy everything we've built with our nicer, more secure, more productive cultures.
I'd go further, in fact, and state that people who float these 'borderless' ideas are the ultimate chauvinists, as they imagine that people only naturally think the same way some left-leaning westerner does.
Either that, or you actually seek to undermine and destroy western civilization, and you make compassionate-sounding arguments in order to advance that cause. It's the same way that 'peace activists' are often not against war, per se, but they're simply on the other side, and are hiding their true motives for the sake of expedience.
Re: So? (Score:5, Insightful)
The US have a recent example of what happens when too many foreigners invade a country. Go ask an Apache, Comanche or Sioux indian about what happens then.
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I have this crazy idea that we're all citizens of Earth, and all policies that suggest which patch of dirt you're allowed to stand on, and for how long, are fundamentally evil and racist.
I bet if I let my dog shit on your lawn every day you'd change your tune in a big fucking hurry.
Re: A crazy, dangerous, chauvinistic, and common i (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: So? (Score:5, Informative)
Oddly enough, Trump is the only front-runner clearly and vehemently opposed to the current H1B abuse that's going on right now.
Trump flip flops on every issue out there except for his believe that he is THE BEST.
Here is is flip flopping on H1B
http://uk.businessinsider.com/... [businessinsider.com]
If you think you can believe anything this man says - or count on him to do ANYTHING he says that he's going to do, then you deserve the snake oil you're buying.
As far as Bernie, he's not quite out of the game yet but the more people say things like "doesn't have a real shot' the worse it gets for him. He's an underdog but he's not out of the race.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Sanders a hyper-socialist? That's funny, in almost all other countries they would call him moderate-right wing. It just shows that the US political landscape has drifted so far to the right that fascism is the norm now.
Re: So? (Score:4, Insightful)
I can't believe the Trump hysteria. You sound crazy when you blather like that. Even if Trump wins the election he wont operate in a vacuum. There is Congress and the Supreme Court that act as a check on the Executive Branch of the US government. He can prattle on about deporting 11 million illegal aliens all he wants but it'll never happen. It's the same if Hillary gets elected. She can foam at the mouth all she wants about guns but she's not going to be able to take them away. The founding fathers knew what they were doing and we'll survive whichever of the two idiots gets elected.
Re: So? (Score:5, Informative)
Most foreign slashdoters, and even most local, have no clue how the U.S. government works. Most of them think of the President as a king or dictator. His word is law. That isn't the way it is. Outside the scope of his office the president has no more power than a normal citizen of the United States. Granted the power inside his office is vast but it is limited.
When it comes to shaping public policy the president can only really issue decrees called executive orders. Inside the executive branch, the presidents branch, those orders have a lot of weight. But outside they are usually not worth the paper they are printed on. Like the latest executive order stating that transgenders can use any bathroom in they want to in any public school. There are lots of schools setting this order aside. Other than punitive funding actions there is little the president can do to enforce this order. Even those actions can be over ruled by congress that really holds the purse strings.
Also any order that the president gives to the public can be cancelled by the Judiciary or the Legislative branches.
Trump may come in on a wave of fear and flag waving but his power will be limited by his office. I predict that once he is in office he will accomplish little to nothing because the other branches will reign him in. I predict that trump will be a one time president who's term in office will be little more than a foot note on history.
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Wasn't it President Franklin D. Roosevelt who with an executive order confiscated the property and put into concentration camps a bunch of natural American Citizens?
Get people riled up and the Judiciary and the Legislature will go right along with the President. And I must say, from the outside your Judiciary has done a really shitty job of defending your Bill of Rights, some of which is so simple a 5 year old can understand it.
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No, I'm pretty sure every credible source has the death toll at around 6 million jews, of which 1.5 million were children.
Stop getting your news and figures from batshit insane right-wing blogs.
Re: So? (Score:4, Insightful)
Everybody who has a pet cause behaves that way. For example, if I defend GMO technology, people come out of the woodwork (usually left leaning) with irrational and baseless shit ranging from "it causes cancer" to assume irrelevant gibberish about Monsanto. The more I call them out on their stupidity, the more steadfast in their stupidity that they become.
Re: So? (Score:2)
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Anti-science sentiment saturating the political world is a totally valid concern, though. Even in the context of the socialist left, this reflex-action denigration of everything scientific would not have happened as recently as the Roosevelt administration. Today's Democrats, assuming they had a Congressional majority, would never have allowed Hoover Dam to be built today.
Re: So? (Score:4, Insightful)
So is the pretentious psuedo-science sentiment where you're expected to swallow anything just because some "authority" blessed it. This article is that very same kind of nonsense. That kind of mentality is no less religious.
The appeal of Trump is pretty obvious if you can get over your narcissism for one brief moment.
Re: (Score:3)
The appeal of Trump is pretty obvious if you can get over your narcissism for one brief moment.
It's pretty obvious that he's telling stupid people who deliberately reject as much information as possible because it might confuse their feelings exactly what they want to hear in order to get them on board, yes. Virtually everything he says is a lie, and that's a fact.
Re: So? (Score:5, Interesting)
My parents are pretty right wing but it was refreshing to hear them during the primaries say how horrid Trump was. Unfortunately, now that he's the nominee he's somehow turned into the only one who can save this country and I'm "brainwashed" (my father's exact words) for seeing Trump as dangerous. When I brought up stuff like him retweeting stuff from neonazi's, my father doubled down on insisting that this was all lies concocted by the media.
The really dangerous thing about Trump is how vague he is - even moreso than your run of the mill politician. Trump supporters pick what they like from Trump's conflicting statements, ignore the rest, and insist that their vision if Trump is who would be President if he was elected. In truth, though, nobody knows just what Trump would be like in the Oval Office. I don't even think Trump knows. The best case scenario is bad, though, and I shudder to think of the worst case scenario.
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That's like saying teachers should never give out bad grades, because they will only convince Trump supporters they should apply to MIT.
Re: So? (Score:5, Insightful)
Then they are morons. This if the freaking President of the United States needs to be somewhat competent and not a freaking Joe Six pack! I assume most sane intelligent people or semi intelligent people realize oh gee we need some smarter than me who has the integrity and prestige who is high caliber to handle the job and make correct executions of decisions on difficult choices.
Trump talks shit out of his ass and almost everything he says is WRONG. He is a coward who mocks disabled reporters and can not handle a female reporter. Jesus! How can he handle a confrontation with Russia or China? Cry it is unfair? Insult their wives?\
Americans like to look at politics like football. Vote for the team and hate the opposite party. Well, this is not freaking football and I do not care if Trump supports 100% of my beliefs or not. He is not qualified and is the most unpresidential candidate in history who is outright dangerous with his positions of ending free trade, putting up walls, regulating markets, and insulting leaders.
Yes my post is going to be modded WAY DOWN, and hopefully WAY UP too. But, this is very important and yes read what Hawkings said? Hawkings addressed trade (which will cause a worse recession than 2008 in which Walmart could go out of business with a trade war), security, and other issues. Yes, he has a brain and I wish people would use their's
Re: So? (Score:5, Insightful)
This is absolutely true.
Progressive:
Why are people voting for Trump? They must be uneducated, racist, idiots!
Yep, that's going to have them voting progressive!
Not to mention that modern politics completely ignores huge swaths of the population. When they voice their concerns, they are simply dismissed. It is why Bernie Sanders and Trump are even in the running.
Dare to question free trade as you have lost your job!
Modern politician: That's just free trade. A natural good thing.
Dare to worry about immigration (jobs, services, community).
Modern politician: You must be a racist!
People aren't voting for Trump because they are amazed at his policies. They're voting for Trump because he's the only one (aside from Bernie) actually speaking about issues people want addressed instead of dismissing their concerns.
If progressives/liberals actually began addressing the concerns of people. In the stereotyped Trump supporter case, poor white people, they might get somewhere. Instead probably the only message poor white people hear from the left is... you have white privilege.
Re: So? (Score:5, Insightful)
the only message poor white people hear from the left is... you have white privilege.
I grew up as a poor white kid. The only privilege I had was what I worked for.
Sure, now tell me I had privilege but I just didn't know it ... you're right (about not knowing it). I saw no evidence of it in any part of my life.
Re: (Score:3)
I grew up as a poor white kid. The only privilege I had was what I worked for.
In the same way that an oil company not having to pay taxes is getting a subsidy, you not having to get harassed for being black on top of everything else you had to deal with is a privilege. That doesn't mean you were a privileged individual. It means, all else equal, you are more privileged than a person of color. Like you, I grew up very poor, with the added disadvantage of doing it in a place that was literally the most expensive place in the country to live (and it is again, right now: Santa Cruz, CA)
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Privilege, of any kind, is the absence of problems that other groups face, and so almost by definition is not something a person who has it is usually aware of.
The rich white kids who didn't have to deal with the same problems you had to deal with as a poor white kid most likely weren't aware of their economic privilege over you.
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The more people like him insult the people that support politicians like Trump,
I wish they'd put half as much effort into getting rid of Hillary, that's the absolute best way to make sure Trump never gets elected.
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Trump is not a politician. He's a billionaire who's managed to fleece his business partners through bankruptcies and will not be the saviour of the middle class, the lower class, nor the white "nationalists" that people want him to be. He's going to be just as bad as any other billionaire with political power. But, hey, the US has got to collapse in upon itself at some point, why not now?
Re: He should get ready for President Trump. (Score:2)
You are an idiot and so is Trump. He is a liar and that is reason enough not to elect him. You want more reason not to elect him? How about that he consistently changes his position in almost everything he talks about. Is he building a wall or not? Is he for gun control or not? It just depends on who is asking him and what day it is. It should be required that an equivalence test be passed before voting too prevent you morons from making America any worse than it already is. What a joke.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Might as well have some fun..
While I wouldn't entirely discount the possibility, it's obviously too early to call. Unless you're an arrogant twat. Of course if Trump loses, I expect him to not like himself any more because Trump likes winners and doesn't like losers. But, he's enough of a megalomaniac to twist "almost won" as some sort of success, just like his countless bankruptcies and f
Re: (Score:3)
Many leftists think
I don't know about leftists, but Trump isn't a conservative.
Re:He should get ready for President Trump. (Score:5, Insightful)
You're right. He's a Nationalist. America FIRST.
And considering that what passes for normal in today's Republican party as evidenced by the last 8 years, given inviting foreign leders in to disrespect a sitting president - which was for all intents and purposes swearing alliegience and fealty to a foreign country over America, and their purposely shutting down the Government. He is certainly more of an American than they are.
Which by the way, should the Republican party survive, they will hopefully learn not to make the zealotry of fundamentalists a party principle. Those people demand the right to deny others their rights, cannot compromise, and even totalitarian governments have to compromise at times.
Anyhow, nationalism isn't that good an outlook either. That tends to lead to a lot of dead people.
Re: (Score:3)
He describes things as they are
Well, not quite. He describes things as they aren't, but everyone believes him anyway. Fun time to be alive. You know, unless you live in the US.
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No but perhaps he has a brain
So does my pet gecko.
So does Trump
So do his supporters.
I arranged them in IQ order.
That's not really fair. Trump is not a dumb guy. What he has done is remarkable. He has managed to tap into the pseudo conservative hatred brewed by right wing media bloviators, that has been honed to a white hot irrational pitch, and told different groups what they want to hear. Which is some times different and opposite things. They don't care any more, because they aren't thinking rationally any more.
One of the most amazing things th
Re:So? (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't understand why Hawking's opinions about anything outside of physics is given publicity. Although one of the most brilliant minds of our time, in his field, he's not a politician nor a businessman.
One could say something similar about Trump.
Except for the "brilliant mind" part of course.
Trump is a businessman/reality TV star who won a Presidential primary on the basis of ignorant ideas, insults, and conspiracy theories.
Why can't someone who's achieved celebrity through a combination of brilliance and science communication then speak up in response?
Re:So? (Score:5, Insightful)
Appeals to the lowest common denominator - isn't that how you win elections? It's like a self-selecting process, we're literally begging for candidates who appeal to the masses.
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Why can't someone who's achieved celebrity through a combination of brilliance and science communication then speak up in response?
Because Trump supporters don't handle that kind of stuff very well.
Re:So? (Score:5, Insightful)
You could probably have done those things.
Well, I could have made his billions for sure. I would have taken his inheritance, and put it into an index fund.
Re:So? (Score:5, Informative)
Because step one of that plan was "take his inheritance", and GP wasn't born into such an inheritance like Trump was.
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Re: (Score:3)
Apparently you can't even keep track of who said what in this conversation, as you're addressing the person whom the person I responded to was responding to, not me, so I'm not surprised this went over your head, but that person was saying that anyone who started with what Trump started with and did the least creative thing imaginable with it, sticking it in an index fund that merely tracks the overall market, would have made at least what Trump made from that. So Trump failed to outperform what a trained m
Re:So? (Score:5, Insightful)
> One could say something similar about Trump.
Well, one of them is the Republican nominee now.
Though as I mentioned in the very next line he got to be the nominee by relying on his authority as a businessman and a media personality. There's no reason to consider Trump a credible candidate while not consider Hawking qualified to comment on it.
> Except for the "brilliant mind" part of course.
He made billions and defeated the entire Republican establishment. But, I'm sure he's a dummy. You could probably have done those things. I guess you're just not almost 70 yet, you'll probably have the world in your hand by then, right?
I'm sure he's pretty good in his domain of real estate, but it also helps to start out with a ton of money, family connections, and a bit of luck too. His biggest legitimate success seems to be in personal branding. Don't assume business is a strict meritocracy.
There's also a lot of speculation that his net worth is a lot less than he lets on, possibly on the order of $250 million or so. That's the most popular theory for why he won't release his tax returns.
Re: (Score:3)
Business wise he's not the greatest. Good, but not great. He inherited a a sizeable real estate portfolio and you'd have to be a moron to fail to make massive amounts of money from where he started. Having money does not mean you're a financial or business genius. He has made plenty of huge mistakes. Bankruptcies, which he says weren't personal bankruptcies which is a strange rebuttal which shows he is more concerned about his personal wealth than the failure of his business and those who invested in h
Re:Your hypocrisy is off the charts! (Score:4, Interesting)
I find it hilarious how hypocritical you are.
You condemn President Trump for supposedly using "insults", yet we see your comment riddled with insults and attacks directed at President Trump!
If I called Trump an orange buffoon that would be insulting him.
Saying his success come from "ignorant ideas, insults, and conspiracy theories" is just harsh criticism.
I may be wrong in my criticism, but I don't think it's properly classified as an insult.
You ridicule President Trump for allegedly having "ignorant ideas", yet we see so much intolerance, anger, wrath and dislike displayed by you!
Again not hypocrisy. Intolerance, anger, wrath and dislike are often motives for spreading ignorant ideas, but you can have those qualities without being ignorant.
And I only really agree with "dislike", I don't think intolerance, anger, or wrath really motivate me with Trump.
You rail on about "conspiracy theories", yet you're the one projecting this weird notion of President Trump seeing success because of "ignorant ideas, insults, and conspiracy theories", rather than just admitting that he's successful because he has widespread public support!
It would be very comical, were it not for the fact that you're serious!
I was positing the reason for his public support... and you don't seem to understand what a conspiracy theory is.
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Reform Party. Tea Party. Occupy Wherever. Trump supporters. There's a lot in common there. A lot of disaffected voters with no solid political stances who get easily worked up by anyone who comes along and says the're different from everyone in Washington. Ask them why they support their party/candidate and they'll start talking a long time and get red in the face and angry at certain points, but not with any nuance. Mostly they'll say their guy is not like other guys, or it's about time we did somethin
Re:So? (Score:5, Insightful)
If in the future Stephen Hawking has his science proven wrong is he then considered ignorant? Isaac Newton was proven wrong, he was ignorant. Did anyone prove Trump wrong? Or is it just opinion that doesn't have scientific merit?
If you think Newton was ignorant you have a bad definition of ignorant.
Ignorance is defined by your beliefs in relation to your society, both Hawking and Newton are far from ignorant by that definition.
Trump makes factually incorrect statements at a ridiculous rate. That is a verifiable fact [politifact.com].
I think a scientist would be well justified in calling his ideas and statements ignorant.
Re:So? (Score:5, Insightful)
Isaac Newton was proven wrong, he was ignorant. Did anyone prove Trump wrong? Or is it just opinion that doesn't have scientific merit?
If you think Newton was ignorant you have a bad definition of ignorant.
Also, well, there's the well-known discussion about the relativity of wrong [tufts.edu] by Asimov.
If you (or GP) hasn't read it, it's worth it -- but basically, it would be more accurate to say that Newton's theory was "incomplete" given what he knew and had observed at the time. Nobody else in his era had better data, so he couldn't be called "ignorant" and really not even "wrong" in some sense. (That's why we still teach his physics to students -- it's really not absolutely "wrong," just an approximate understanding that's incomplete in special circumstances that most people don't encounter every day.)
Trump, on the other hand, utters known factual errors on a daily basis... and actually doesn't seem to care. When someone calls him on it, his reaction is usually either to deny he's wrong (with no evidence) or to act like a bully and insult the person who called him out. Either way, he epitomizes ignorance.
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I don't think you get how science works. Let me guess: you're a Trump supporter, right?
Re: So? (Score:5)
That doesn't make his work wrong. Newton created a model that successfully described the universe given the data that was available. That is the best science can ever do.
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That is what Einstein did with relativity: he created a model that explained known data, but also predicted effects such as gravitational lensing and Mercury's perihelion wobble before the technology existed to allow those effects to be observed. It i
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And a terrific alchemist.
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Isn't Hawking from England? President Trump is going to have his ass deported. It's going to be spectacular.
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President of America (Score:2)
Ladies and gentlemen, the President of America [youtube.com]
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Hawking and his admirers think he walks on water.
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Hawking and his admirers think he walks on water.
Most of them know he is confind to a wheelchair you insensitive clod.
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And I might say the same thing about pontifications on foreign policy coming from a real-estate developer.
Re:So? (Score:5, Interesting)
This election is all about a couple of guys trying to kick out the political establishment. If Trump or Sanders got elected, a lot of folks living on Capitol Hill would be selling their houses. But Sanders doesn't have a chance, given Hillary's super delegates. Here's a tip for an inspiring journalist: After Hillary wins, take a look at where the super delegates and their families and friends are working. Plush government jobs.
If you don't like the Democratic [sic] Party and their rules on choosing a presidential candidate . . . well tough shit for you. It's their Party, and they can cry if they want to. The Democrats are like the kid on the block who has a real leather football and says, "It's my ball, and we play by my rules!"
Go ahead . . . vote for Hillary . . . you have no other choice.
On the Republican side of the bench . . . their Establishment is not so concerned that Trump is batshit crazy, but because he would toss out a bunch of Capitol Hill folks, as well. Yes, Trump will say it, and yes you are fired.
For all the shit they take here . . . I see the Millennials as a voice that will "just say no" to the politics as it is today.
Re:So? (Score:5, Interesting)
Total fucking clickbait publicity. I expect it will be blasted all over Facebook as more echo chamber noise for people opposed to Trump.
People *crave* the values reinforcement of having their own little constellation of important voices (usually celebrities) telling them that their choices are the right ones. The stand-up comedians who issue zingers, the out of context historical quotes from revered figures, the out-of-their-field intellectuals, the shamanic Native American, etc.
The stand-up comedians are the ones I don't get -- somebody whose idea of funny is a stream of profanity and sexual innuedno is someone whose ideas on politics matters?
The thing I can't quite figure out is if these people are just so suggestible that they'll let these "opinion leaders" tell them what to believe or if they just have so little confidence in their own decisions they need all the reinforcement they can get. Maybe both. Or maybe it's just herd mentality and they just don't want to somehow be out of the "in" crowd.
Re:So? (Score:5, Insightful)
Especially since he explicitly says he cannot fathom why Trump is popular. He has no working theory for something he knows is true. Fine, but he just said he's not qualified to have an informative opinion, so that should be that.
The long and the short of it is that Trump is that guy who's always angry. He loves to "fire" people. There are lots of Americans who are angry and who want to "fire" the bums currently in office.
There's probably no reason to think more deeply about Trump supporters.
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Trump is really no different from the rest of the politicians when it comes to skill sets that geeks and boffins see no value in. He comes from an entire party that certain pretentious types want to write off for various reasons. Unfortunately, you can't really do that in an actual democracy. You can't just be content to preach to the choir and stay in your little echo chamber,
Although both parties tend to forget that each represents an extreme, each actually represents a minority, and that no one has won b
Logic? (Score:3, Interesting)
Statement
Statement
Statement
Conclusion?
Look, say whatever you want about any politician or any issue. But you don't make an argument like this...
Saying "gone are the days when you can operate as a singular nation" needs to be explained. First, you'd have to say that anyone is actually suggesting such a thing. Second, whether people are doing that or not doesn't mean that is or is not a good or reasonable idea.
Meh.
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I think his point was that is exactly what Trump is saying. Trump's fuck 'em all attitude is well documented.
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It would have to be substantiated. The Overton Window has been shifted quite a lot in the last couple generations and what is and is not considered acceptable is very much a subjective quality at this point.
Re:Logic? (Score:5, Interesting)
Saying "gone are the days when you can operate as a singular nation" needs to be explained. First, you'd have to say that anyone is actually suggesting such a thing. Second, whether people are doing that or not doesn't mean that is or is not a good or reasonable idea.
I think that you have misunderstood what Mr. Hawking was referring to with that comment. It seems that the interview was wide-ranging, and covered both Mr. Trump's candidacy and the (concurrent) referendum in the United Kingdom on whether to remain in the European Union. The statement that you quoted referred to Mr. Hawking's belief that the United Kingdom is better off within the European Union than it is without it.
His dismissal of Mr. Trump as a demagogue is given without any support, though demagogue has about the same meaning as populist if not the same connotation. His position that the UK is not an island entire of itself is supported by his experience, as a scientist, that it's very difficult to do research without cooperation between nations. He also points out that British security and economic performance is enhanced by cooperation with Europe. I think that it's well understood that modern human endeavours work best when we work with each other, even though he is only able to speak with authority about scientific research.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, there are several countries in Europe that are not in the EU. They don't appear to suffer for it.
Where's the news? (Score:2)
Appealing to the emotions and prejudices? (Score:3, Insightful)
The definition of a demagogue is a leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.
I'm no fan of Trump, but doesn't that describe the political strategy of EVERY politician seeking/maintaining office?
Re:Appealing to the emotions and prejudices? (Score:5, Insightful)
Better definition: a demagogue proposes premises he knows are false to people he knows are fools.
Re:Appealing to the emotions and prejudices? (Score:5, Funny)
Better definition: a demagogue proposes premises he knows are false to people he knows are fools.
Still fits most politicians, they all promise more than they could possibly deliver. If Jesus Christ himself ran for office and said he'll feed five thousand with two fish and five loaves of bread, they'd promise to feed ten thousand with one fish and five buns.
Non-diverse... (Score:2, Insightful)
Where does Stephen Hawking live? Where does he get his news? Do you trust a British Knight to be up-to-date with US politics? If so, why?
How much time do you suppose he invests in looking into the dissenting opinions?
How many people do you think he has around him that might debate the pros and cons of Trump's statements vs. Sanders or Clinton?
Personally, I think this is true for most celebrities that have a legion of personal assistants and entourages surrounding them. I don't think ti's deliberate isolatio
Re: Non-diverse... (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, as a non American i can confidently say that The Daily Show was probably the only source of news in the USA that even comes close to the amount we get out here in the world about the US.
Your domestic news services are truly terrible. It should give you pause that the best news source for you is on a comedy channel.
I recently spent a month in DC and the absolute shit that passes for news channels there boggles the mind. Now if you'll excuse me I want to get back to Kardashian Nazi UFO Junk Hunters Secr
Shut up, Stephen (Score:2, Flamebait)
Quick question: would we take seriously pronouncements on physics, black holes, and the nature of reality coming from, say, Kissinger? No, that would be idiotic. The man probably knows everything about the subtle interplay of diplomacy, but nothing about physics. The very idea of him commenting on particle physics is ludicrous.
Yet, at the same time, we don't immediately start laughing when someone like Stephen Hawking - who knows everything about physics, black holes, and the nature of reality but likely
Re: (Score:3)
Smart people say and do stupid things all the time. Should we assume those stupid things are not stupid or something? Or should we just acknowledge that some people are not the smartest at everything and that they can be wrong on some things.
The Final Solution to the Trump Question (Score:2)
Why not just give everyone voting rights in every election everywhere in the world? That would save them the expense, beyond the means of most, of having to move not to mention brave the opposition of racist nationalist xenophobes everywhere. I mean, it's not like people who are migrating to the US to obtain US citizenship to engage in racial/ethnic bloc voting are going to help drive society in the direction of a racial/ethnic blind society, so the US has already given up on that goal. And think of the ben
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
You think people migrate to the US so they can become part of a voting bloc? You really think that's the reason they come here?
You're a fucking idiot. And that's not a charge I make lightly. Actually, it IS a charge I make lightly, but in your case it really applies.
So? (Score:2)
Stephen Hawking is no more of a scientist than Sarah Palin.
(hahahaha)
Hawking is no brain surgeon (Score:5, Funny)
Stephen Hawking is a loser. He's stupid and says stupid things, not like Trump, who is smart, has a good brain and a lot of words.
https://www.salon.com/2016/04/... [salon.com]
Re: (Score:2)
The kicker is that at the very end of that video, Trump challenges the questioner to give him a "physics question", which, he assures us, he can "handle".
actually no (Score:5, Insightful)
I think Trump is actually saying what he genuinely feels (warts and all), which If true then by the dictionary definition of demagogue he CAN'T be one.
from the political-science dept... (Score:2)
I'm pretty sure it's this [youtube.com] political science department.
Randy Newman - Political Science
lyrics [azlyrics.com]
This classic song has never been timelier...
The Wall (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, I also can't figure out why preventing illegal immigration to save literally billions per year [fairus.org] is a good idea.
And that's just for California.
Who'd've thought that people don't want political correctness, extra crime, migrant welfare, and a change of culture?
real concerns of most voters (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
The working class white people have been trained to fear the phrase, "I am from the government and I am
Vote for Trump! (Score:5, Interesting)
Half of voters are below average intelligence (Score:3)
Surely, a man as smart as Hawking knows this.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Worry about your own country (Score:5, Interesting)
Perhaps that is exactly WHY people want to vote for him, voters are beyond tired of the status-quo, politics-as-usual, cookie-cutter politicians, and party hard-liners. They are looking for someone to shake up things.
Is it risky? Perhaps. But without risk, there can be no real gain, either.
I think Trump is a mess. But we will be offered only two choices come November, so look at the other choice. Yeesh. The bigger problem is that we desperately need to reform the election process and bring in IRV http://fairvote.org/ [fairvote.org] but we live in the here-and-now.
Just about everyone I know, including myself, want better choices.... but that time is over now. And even if it seems reckless to vote for Trump, remember that 1) it is only the President (Congress has just as much power) 2) it is only for 4 years 3) we have a set of checks-and-balances.
As for Hawking? I have a great deal of respect for him as a scientist and physicist.... but he should stick to what he knows. America is not his country and his field is not politics, economics, sociology, or management.
Re:Trump appeals to all denominators (Score:4, Informative)
I don't know if my mind is blown but it's certainly confused. Your first question is unclear, do you mean is there anything that he has said that I believe, or do you mean will I believe anything he says regardless of how bat shit crazy it is? And what do you mean by believe? Do I believe he said it? Do I believe he thinks it's true? If it's not an opinion do I think the things he says are objectively true? If it's an opinion do I agree with it? And your final sentence I can't parse at all.
"I like her lies better than his!" (Score:5, Interesting)
So i should vote for the guy who i disagree with but know he's lying?
So you should vote for the woman you agree with even though you know SHE is lying?
That is better why again?
In the end you are voting for a woman who fundamentally is the ultimate tie-in to every status quo between government and business insider dealing that has existed for decades. Or you vote for the person who is part of none of that existing government/business wheel of fortune.
Or you can vote for the woman the press have an inherent interest in covering for and let her continue with behind-doers deals with business and governments all over the globe. Or you can vote for the person who the press will spend four yours putting every action under a microscope.
Think about what RESULTS you want, and vote for that. Not for what the person says they will or will not do.
Option G (Score:2)
All of the above.
Trump polling: Up five points.
Re: (Score:3)
He forgot the most important part: Trump will make fun of Hawking's disability. He thinks disabled people are hilarious.
Trump Strikes Back! (Score:2)
Retorts with devastating Tweet that Hawking is a no-walking no-talking wheelchair loser who's never made one dime in real-estate. Pulls down trousers and says he's got Hawking's black hole "right here".
Polls surge. News at 11.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Because God is a free market pro business republican to these people. Ask any southern white Christian? It is taught at the pulpit and all the religious figures endorse him because he has an R next to his name.
It is amazing how group psychology and group identity impacts brains sadly.