Current Affairs Culture wars & The rise of grifting

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Tell thee what, I really love how random posters like @Viennablue are members for nigh on a decade, post regularly and sensibly, and have never really ventured into the CA. But when they do...
Well!

 

[Viennablue]

Tell thee what, I really love how random posters like @Viennablue are members for nigh on a decade, post regularly and sensibly, and have never really ventured into the CA. But when they do...
Well!

Current affairs divide everyone. Nothing wrong with a spirited debate. Nothing was said on either side (for me) that would cause problems.

Slightly disappointed at their debating skills though, I will say that. Not everyone is in my league.

One thing I was a little disappointed with was that no one was willing put up a controversial genius of their own. Never mind.

They don’t like Musk but they all know he’s a genius. It eats at them inside because they know I’m correct.

 

[Tommy.]

Current affairs divide everyone. Nothing wrong with a spirited debate. Nothing was said on either side (for me) that would cause problems.

Slightly disappointed at their debating skills though, I will say that. Not everyone is in my league.

One thing I was a little disappointed with was that no one was willing put up a controversial genius of their own. Never mind.

They don’t like Musk but they all know he’s a genius. It eats at them inside because they know I’m correct.

Finally someone is willing to list some geniuses they admire!

Those guys are all on a much higher level than Musk or the 2016 trump campaign.

Oppenheimer is controversial. He did show incredible genius with his creation, but it led to a lot of death.

However, it ended WW2 and a ground invasion of Japan would’ve also resulted in a lot of death. There are arguments on either side.

 

[Prevenger17]

One thing I was a little disappointed with was that no one was willing put up a controversial genius of their own.

I literally put a nonce forward. Hardly gets more controversial than that

 

[Viennablue]

I literally put a nonce forward. Hardly gets more controversial than that

I wouldn’t admire anyone who was involved in that sort of thing.

Each to their own though.

Everyone has their limits and I guess this is mine.

I wish you all a pleasant weekend. I will stick to the everton forum from now on.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Current affairs divide everyone. Nothing wrong with a spirited debate. Nothing was said on either side (for me) that would cause problems.

Slightly disappointed at their debating skills though, I will say that. Not everyone is in my league.

One thing I was a little disappointed with was that no one was willing put up a controversial genius of their own. Never mind.

They don’t like Musk but they all know he’s a genius. It eats at them inside because they know I’m correct.

Mr Bean for me.

 

[Prevenger17]

I wouldn’t admire anyone who was involved in that sort of thing.

Where did I say admire? I said he was a genius

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

I wouldn’t admire anyone who was involved in that sort of thing.

Each to their own though.

Everyone has their limits and I guess this is mine.

I wish you all a pleasant weekend. I will stick to the everton forum from now on.

No, please stay!

 

[Bluerover]

A list of great Geniuses according to Viennablue

George Washington (07.160)
1789–1797
John Adams
1797–1801
Thomas Jefferson (24.19.1)
1801–1809
James Madison
1809–1817
James Monroe (29.89)
1817–1825
John Quincy Adams
1825–1829
Andrew Jackson (94.14)
1829–1837
Martin Van Buren (56.517.4)
1837–1841
William Henry Harrison
1841
John Tyler
1841–1845
James Polk
1845–1849
Zachary Taylor
1849–1850
Millard Fillmore
1850–1853
Franklin Pierce
1853–1857
James Buchanan
1857–1861
Abraham Lincoln (2012.14a,b)
1861–1865
Andrew Johnson
1865–1869
Ulysses S. Grant
1869–1877
Rutherford B. Hayes
1877–1881
James Garfield
1881
Chester Arthur
1881–1885
Grover Cleveland
1885–1889
Benjamin Harrison
1889–1893
Grover Cleveland
1893–1897
William McKinley
1897–1901
Theodore Roosevelt
1901–1909
William H. Taft
1909–1913
Woodrow Wilson
1913–1921
Warren Harding
1921–1923
Calvin Coolidge
1923–1929
Herbert Hoover
1929–1933
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1933–1945
Harry S. Truman
1945–1953
Dwight Eisenhower
1953–1961
John F. Kennedy
1961–1963
Lyndon Johnson
1963–1969
Richard Nixon
1969–1974
Gerald Ford
1974–1977
Jimmy Carter
1977–1981
Ronald Reagan
1981–1989
George H. W. Bush
1989–1993
William J. Clinton
1993–2001
George W. Bush
2001–2009
Barack Obama
2009–2017
Donald J. Trump
2017–2021
Joseph R. Biden
2021–present
Elon Musk

Thanks for that Prev. Handy to have the full list for quizzes

 

[Prevenger17]

So what Viennablue actually meant by "genius" was "people he admires". So he admires Musk and Trump. Interesting

 

[Walken]

I literally put a nonce forward. Hardly gets more controversial than that

Depends on the audience

 

[Goat]

I guess theres a fine line between genius and right wing incel.

 

[ChesterBlue]

I think the genius tag is because of his involvement in:

Paypal
Tesla
SpaceX
Twitter/X

And him being the richest/2nd richest man in the world.

Comes across as a bit weird at times, sure. But if you look at his achievements he is a genius.

I guess I would ask why you don’t consider him a genius? And if he’s not, who do you consider a genius?

Elon Musk simps make me feel physically sick, go away.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Mr Bean for me.

Rowan Atkinson is a genius of comedy, for sure. Seems like a very decent human being to boot.

 

[Xizor]

I think you'd have to agree on a definition of genius before you can go bestowing the title on gobshites like Trump or Musk. Is it a level of intelligence? Is it being extremely talented? Is it just people we like or admire?

If there's any spark of it in Trump or Musk, it's in managing their PR. Both have built a brand around themselves in which their adherents just paint random unearned virtues on them. Is that 'genius'? I suppose, in a low, devious way. If you squint, and are primed to give them a pass. Figuring out a way to popular acclaim without having to put any of the work in is I suppose... something. It's a talent, but not a sign of genius in my book.

Creativity may be the watchword of the genius. Scientific discoveries. Pushing artistic boundaries, that sort of thing. Comedy is certainly at the forefront of the modern popular arts in that respect.