Here’s what “not even people” sounds like
[ by Charles Cameron — Eric Trump & voices in the uncanny valley ]
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First, here’s Eric Trump saying the Democrats are “not even people”:
Now, for an exact comparison, here’s what “not even people” sound like, when they speak those same words:
Listen to the gaps, Eric, the lapses of emphasis.
Artificial human voices will no doubt improve: at this point they’re easily discernible. They sound uncanny.
Dems don’t sound like that.
June 8th, 2017 at 11:32 pm
Could we also get the part where Hillary called us Baskets of Deplorables? Or maybe when Obama said we cling to God and Guns? This blog has been getting a little partisan since November…can we go back to being a little more objective?
June 9th, 2017 at 5:08 am
Hey Scott:
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I’m not in the basket of deplorables myself, not being a Tea Partygoer, but if I had such a basket of my own, I’d put anyone in it that thought of other people in such terms myself, if you see what I mean.
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I can only post about those things that strike me, though, and these days they seem largely to have to do with those ouroboric “shot myself in the foot” moments — and if I see self-reference in an Intel ad, I note it, right alongside a self-reference I note in Trump. Not because it’s political, but because it’s orouboric.
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I always feel honored that I’ve been allowed and even encouraged to post on this blog, which by and large leans to the right of me, and I to the left of it. And I recognize that I post a lot, and that there days, sadly, Zen himself and others who might balance out my somewhat liberal-leaning tendencies have less time than they once did to post..
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All in all, I sympathize with your sense that something has shifted, and will try to find guest posters to balance things out..
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June 9th, 2017 at 5:00 pm
Charles, let me stress, I value a lot of what you say. I think you are an awesome human being as well. I just wanted to note that there is more to life than the presidency of the United States. And as far as guest authors, you might consider Andrew Chestnut, who has written a lot about the cult of Santa Muerte. I will not, amusingly, that his political view and mine don’t coincide either!
June 9th, 2017 at 7:25 pm
Thanks, Scott — and indeed, “there is more to life than the presidency of the United States”! — POTUS just seems to be swarming ny news feeds these days. Inviting Andrew Chestnut to guest post is a great idea. I’m off to dialysis shortly, but will contact him over the weekend.
June 10th, 2017 at 5:50 pm
Eric Trump made those comments in response to Kathy Griffen and her severed head picture. There was also debate that day on Twitter about how Trump’s 11 year old son Baron was now “in play” to be attacked. Those two things were actually very bad. Indefensible IMHO, but projecting them onto all Democrats was an overreaction.
A question that comes to mind is what’s the role, if any, of collective punishment?
Or is it a valid response to feel victimized in our modern anything-goes political climate when all sides attack relentlessly and remorselessly? Is everything now “in play”?
June 10th, 2017 at 6:45 pm
Indefinsible indeed, Grurray. But my concern is not with projection onto all Demas a s an overreaction, but to “dehumanizing” (animal branding) as a rhetorical strategy.
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And on behalf of play, may I apologize for the very notion that Trump’s 11 year old might now be “in play” — repulsive.