Groceries are expensive and they're too busy talking about culture war
2 months ago by VetOfTheSeas to c/workreform
the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, has raised eyebrows after asking Fox News’ Jesse Watters if he is circumcised during a combative prime-time interview.
Man fuck right off, that wasn't at all a weird question to ask in response to a fucking weird obsession Jesse has with children's "dingilings"
Jesse Watters is the one who brought it up, after all.
El-Sayed (a medical doctor, by the way) only responded in kind, and Watters - having brought it up as some kind of battle mark, some line that should never be crossed - immediately reversed course at brakeneck speed and attempted to dismiss it as if it were nothing, framing El-Sayed as an absurdist for even mentioning the subject that Watters himself raised in feigned outrage, despite El-Sayed’s repeated warnings that Watters would regret addressing the subject
If you ever believed that the manipulation stream media was on the right side of history. Then this whole interview plus the one Welker did with Angie Nixon should tell you that they never were.
These companies act like assholes to Progressives and DSA while throwing cotton candy at Pedophiles and Rapists.
But...it is on the right side...
....and this article agrees with you. Wh....why are you telling them to fuck off........?
On the surface the article comes off as rather neutral in tone but the headline, the line about "raising eyebrows", and really just the existence of this article at all is so standard for "left" leaning news corporations. Mamdani's El-Sayed's response didn't "raise eyebrows" from anyone except the fox viewers who would have already been fired up before the camera even started rolling and all this article is doing is validating them.
It's always the same thing, politicians on the right are allowed to say or do anything they want freely without any scrutiny and those who are left of centre are held under a microscope.
As a (Godwin's Law proving) example: imagine if what Mamdani El-Sayed had said was "I actually think Hitler was a bad person" and then we got articles about that statement raising eyebrows. It wouldn't be false but the only people it'd be referring to would be Nazis and why the fuck would you validate or acknowledge their opinions?
Watters is so grating in his speech, can't watch it, but it's impressive to see someone put up with him for a half hour
Things went off the rails when Watters asked the progressive if he supports gender-affirming surgery for those under 18 years old.
“Sex change for minors. Do you support that?” Watters asked El-Sayed, to which the former public health official said, “I just think the government shouldn't tell you what kind of healthcare you should have.”
“So you think it's okay for a parent to slash his kid’s ding-a-ling off?” Watters asked.
El-Sayed retorted: “Do you really want to have this conversation? Are you circumcised?”
The shocked Fox News host said, “Yeah, but I mean that’s a personal question, doctor.”
Watters then said circumcision is “different than castration,” but El-Sayed argued, “I’m just saying that yes, circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling.”
Watters called El-Sayed’s comment “wacky,” adding, “Abdul, Michigan’s not going for that. That is sick stuff.”
Holy shit what an inane hypocrite. I swear conservatives are going to give me an aneurysm
Jayzuss wept (for his lost foreskin, obvs)
If he had any foreskin it was burnt! (I too lament a lack of foreskin, so whatever)
I find it darkly humorous that ribbed condoms are meant to simulate a foreskin. Yes, our culture removes the foreskin, but they'll sell you a fake one to replace it!
Or maybe it was eaten by Jeffrey Epstein, who could afford a personal chef good enough to never burn a foreskin
he supposed to be the replacement tucker carlson.
A poser of a poser?
Transcript from the article:
“Sex change for minors. Do you support that?” Watters asked El-Sayed, to which the former public health official said, “I just think the government shouldn't tell you what kind of healthcare you should have.”
“So you think it's okay for a parent to slash his kid’s ding-a-ling off?” Watters asked.
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan (Jesse Watters Primetime)
El-Sayed retorted: “Do you really want to have this conversation? Are you circumcised?”
The shocked Fox News host said, “Yeah, but I mean that’s a personal question, doctor.”
Watters then said circumcision is “different than castration,” but El-Sayed argued, “I’m just saying that yes, circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling.”
I think something is lost in converting it to text. Something of the essence of the moment really… You have to see it and hear it.
But, here, we cans ee something important about both Watters and El-Sayed-- Watters fancies myself some newer, better Tucker Carlson, but isn't smart enough to realize that he has Carleson's same weaknesses and is not nearly as clever nor adroit as Carleson-- something El-Sayed is both clever and adroit enough o take advantage of in this moment, and does, both warning Watters of beforehand before baiting a trap and drawing Watters witlessly into it.
Carlson's dad ran Radio Free. He is generationally skilled at what he does.
This was such a bizarre interaction.
El Sayed seems brilliant at responding to these gotcha questions.
bro wake up, a uhh, another 'once in a generation' headline just dropped
You got a link?
As it happens, yes, I do!
Nice thanks
thought the bar was low.
And of course Waters couldn't/wouldn't understand.
Not being an American, I tend to have very little experience of Fox News, and that's how I like it.
But how do they keep replacing one shithouse with another?
Bill O'Reilly gave way to Glen Beck gave way to Fucker Carlson gave to whoever this barely-sentient pile of dog shit is. Is there a training school for ridiculous, puffed up white boys who make that stupid "I'm just asking questions" face that I'd never tire of hitting with a bat?
hes also irl DENNIS, who slashed a fox womans news employee tires to try to get in her pants.
Yeah. That's FOX News. They tell their viewers what to think, and the viewers obey.
They have a very specific propaganda program. It draws people in with fear, outrage and bigotry...
Then it invites them to divest of all other information sources (except maybe approved ones like OANN or WSJ) the way that an abusive spouse gets their partner to disconnect from all other social relationships.
And then it pumps them with MAGA ideology. The culture war stuff.
It's literal mind control, but it's like a reverse hack (trying a common password on multiple accounts), in that it hits a lot of people and sucks in those who bite. Usually white uneducated men.
I was on a 2.5 hour flight recently, and a guy a couple of rows up was watching Fox News. It just jumped from: Trans, Immigrants, Socialism, over and over and over the entire flight. It made me realize how fitting the term 'News Story' really is!
Under penalty of perjury, FOX News lawyers assure the court it is absolutely not a news channel but entertainment. Therefore should not be subject to news media regulations. During the 2020 election recount when they were lying about the integrity of Dominion Voting Systems election machines, the lawyers made it super clear now not news FOX is.
So FOX is not only a propaganda machine, but is deceptive at its core.
but... if it identifies as it, that kinda means we need to let it into the newsroom =(
That's repetition if just 24 hour news channels. CNN is similar they just harp on a different set of issues.
I'm mildly curious how much longer they can keep it up as they slowly become less and less relevant. Few under 40 subscribe to cable television and instead consume social media influencers who are both myriad and cheaper to influence.
They have a very specific propaganda program. It draws people in with fear, outrage and bigotry...
It's the same one that's been around since the 1920's, they've all been cribbing from the same guy for over a hundred years.
The German jurist and political philosopher Carl Schmitt wrote about the inherent vulnerability of democracy in his book The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy in 1923. He basically wrote the playbook that every fascist still utilizes today.
Writing "Every actual democracy rests on the principle that not only are equals equal, but unequals will not be treated equally." Basically, you can tear apart any democracy by framing diversity and minority opinions as existential threats to the political community, by exploiting this you can lay the groundwork for majoritarian tyranny and state-sponsored exclusion.
Love this guy. El-Sayed and Mamdani are really kicking ass! They are exactly what I want for my state (and the whole gd country too, but you know as well as I do that red states are hopeless and too brainwashed to ever do better).
Dr. El-Sayed was born in the US. Just saying. He is very qualified to run for president--- though the bar is so low right now it's a tripping hazard in hell...
They're focusing on the message.
Kamala was doing the right thing by laughing in their faces.
But we have to take it to the next step. Piss them off. Tell them to stop wasting everyone's time about which bathroom to use when people are dying because they're afraid of going to the hospital.
Spot on. Journalism today is a joke. They're owned by billionaires and mostly care about clicks and ad revenue, so they milk every stupid trend rather than go for the topics that really matter.
Politicians get too easily distracted. You don't have to answer every bullshit question or take a position on every stupid trend topic. If a journalist doesn't do his job properly, tell them off, or even address the viewers and their actual real-life struggles directly.
and then the party/msms put a muzzle on thier language, they knew it was hurting the Rs.
No state is red or blue forever.
Thats the correct response.
And when asked about kids getting bottom surgery, buddy asked the host if he was circumcised.
I watched the entire thing.
I can't stress enough how Sayed stayed calm and cool during the whole thing, while the clown on the left there was constantly trying to talk over him (as is the game plan for all those swamp creatures).
I couldn't sit there and be as patient and calm as Sayed, that's for damn sure. It's about time we started taking a no nonsense stand, and I am here for it. :-)
I mean it's their whole effective schtick after all because Americans are not intelligent. Loud and repeated is the truth to so many Americans when they have little to no critical thinking skills. Whoever is the loudest, the fastest, the most obnoxious is the victor of the debate when it comes to the vast majority of the American electorate.
it's sad but it works and it make tons of money promoting this type of discourse instead of actual boring, proper debate and discussion.
I've only watched a part but i laughed at the the part of: "Have you followed then news recently, it's pretty big." It's only big because they misuse their platform to make it big. When you look at the numbers of actual people affected, well let's just say the amount of measles death in certain states is higher.
It's by intention. I noticed that right wingers don't really talk about the economic equality but instead focus on culture wars.
You can literally have TWO right-wing parties entirely in agreement with right-wing policies on those things which have the most impact in the lives of pretty much everybody out there, which play-act politics with culture wars with one of them claiming to be "leftwing" because they're supposedly pro-equality in moral terms (but never, ever, EVER socially or economically)
If you're American (and nowadays, also from most countries in Europe), this description probably sounds very familiar ...
Standard acceptable answer:
"think about this last week. How many times did you personally feel like things were too expensive? How many times did a cis woman you personally know lose to a trans woman in sports?"
How many times did you personally feel like things were too expensive?
Even this is a weak framing.
"How many times did you personally feel like your are being overcharged for groceries, utilities, or rents?" puts the blame where is belongs.
Stuff isn't just "more expensive" by some mystifying method. People who own shit are raising prices on you. And these same people are paying you less for your work.
I assume OP was referring to El-Sayed talking to the Fox audience of drooling masses.
"The Ladyboy Muslim immigrant with the illegal penis is desecrating the American Flag and that's why you can't afford groceries"
"Um... I don't know but I should find out! They could be trying to invade girls bathrooms! I'm going to spend all my money to support this obvious life threatening situation!"
"Lettuce now gives you diarrhea!"
What else is on? "Police called on gay men holding hands!"
Unfortunately there are plenty of idiots with propaganda brain willing to take the traitors at Fox seriously.
Give them someone else to blame and hate, and they'll salute.
It's absolutely the right move to not even play that game. Don't let them use that weapon to distract from the issues.
“How am i supposed to take this seriously” has become my default mood whenever i have to interact with society of late.
GOP rather discuss ethnic ostracizing and its non-existent values than bring up the affordability crisis and inhumane immigration enforcement tactics being plagued on to their own nation and responsibilities.
MAGA is zealously a dictatorship movement
I've seen ads from / in favor of a number of GOP candidates from around the country lately. More and more of them are running with affordability crisis talking points. Hypocrisy, sure, but what's new?
For an uninformed voting populace, being the cause of and the solution to major problems is a viable plan.
Politics are so broken you can just say whatever and it doesn't matter anymore in the US.
You are completely right about being the problem and a pretend solution. The conservatives love to do this with the deficit. Run it up and ignore it completely and then start screaming about it when the other party takes over.
Politics are so broken you can just say whatever and it doesn’t matter anymore in the US.
I mean, it does matter, because it does impact domestic policy.
You've got a large portion of the population that's been innoculated against state regulation of business as a fundamental idea. And that same core group has been agitated to believe they need a massive (heavily privatized) police presence to protect them from poor, gay, brown, non-Christians.
The conservatives love to do this with the deficit. Run it up and ignore it completely and then start screaming about it when the other party takes over.
Unfortunately, it's the fucking liberals who spend all day screaming about the deficit.
Because we also have a large segment of the population sold on this fantasy notion of Household Economics, where one American owing another American $20 hurts the economy. So you just want to spend as little money as possible on everything all the time. And if you're not doing that, you're creating inflation.
It does matter if it gets to the policy level. Most of the time though, it is just lip service to get elected though.
You certainly have a large part of the population that is clueless to important concepts such as regulatory capture. The government is no longer functioning as anything else than a mouthpiece for corporations.
Liberty is for the wealthy and their corporations by extension. Anything else is just propaganda that props up a system where your value is only determined by the wealth you have. This means the majority of people have no value in the current system.
Because they know they’re going to lose and want to say “I could have made things affordable but you guys elected a democrat” when the issue isn’t immediately solved - this will probably happen at every level of government
MAGA thinks they smell blood in the water on the trans issue, so that's their chosen wedge issue for the foreseeable future. I'm the past it was abortion, flag burning, kneeling, gay adoption, gay marriage, gay gayness, etc.
The proper answer to any trans nonsense is: "I am not a doctor, and I won't presume to interfere with the medical decisions between any patient and their doctor, on any subject. I have absolutely no opinions on this subject, and do not consider it an appropriate subject for a political discussion. It is an appalling and indefensible political strategy to use any medical issue as a political talking point, so I'm not interested in your opinion either."
That works for ANY medical issue, including abortion.
Incredibly worded and well said!
El-Sayed is a doctor though :)
Cant talk about things that actually matter, because trump and republicans are directly responsible for that.
So we have to inflame idiots by talking about stupid bullshit that no one cared about until they poured gasoline on it to make it a wedge issue in desperate attempt to salvage votes from the mess they've personally created.
Sorry to reply to my own post..
but everything from the right (even back before the party flip, because it doesnt matter what the label was, they were still the same assholes) is nothing but culture war shit.
Segregation was a culture war. A culture war that they ultimately loss, and while its terrifying ramifications are far from over even today, they did admit defeat on it.. Which is why leaders held secret meetings, of which there are recordings of, to figure out what the next hateful wedge issue would be.. and they came upon abortion.. and even they struggled with deciding on abortion, because literally no one gave a flat fuck about abortion outside the catholics, and they were mocked for caring about abortion.
But they decided Abortion was their best bet for the continuing culture war bullshit, so they went whole hog on it, and within a year ministers and priests and politicians and the whole propaganda machine churned into action and suddenly gave a fuck about abortion and declared it the great evil of our time
and that went on for 50+ years, until they started losing the battle on Abortion.. and just like they did when they lost the battle on segregation, they had to come up with a new cultural wedge issue, because they cant argue on actual politics and records because their politics are as awful as their goddamn records.. And what did they land on? Trans people. Who are the new desegregation, the new abortion. And just like every time previous, they want to inflame hate to trick gullible idiots into voting for them out of fear.
and trans people existing is such a weak fucking wedge issue, that they are trying to go back to segregations racist arguments, with trying to be oOoOoOo big spooky about black people existing, or spreading blatant lies about them eating all the dogs and birds, or that the brown people are here to rape our women and take our jobs, and all the other tired tropey bullshit.
Fear fear fear FEAR FEAR. Thats all it boils down to. Trying to convince sheltered idiots to fear what they havent experienced. to fear who they don't know. to fear everything that is unknown.
Beacuse as long as people are drowning in adrenaline fueled fear, they'll never stop to look around them and realize its all fucking bullshit and admit they've been duped and lied too.
Also, just to be gross.
Like we haven't had co-ed sports going on time immemorial. But tennis mixed doubles is now Haram in Trump's America
They “communicate” exactly the same way narcissists do…
We need to zealously stomp on culture war distractions whenever we see them. Remind people no war but the class war.
It doesn't even make sense within the Republicans own claimed worldview. Shouldn't governing of sports programs be left to those programs, if we believe in small government? But they want to make it federal legislation. Make it make sense.
I’ve always interpreted “small government” as single-party with lots of privatization of government services instead of small government that stays out of people’s lives.
The unfortunate thing is that the high grocery prices are a direct result of a culture war. Namely, the one between the ultra rich and the rest of us.
Thats a class war.
One War, Class War
Both can be true.
I don't support billionaires lifestyles and I think something should be done about it.
Watters in that interview basically acting like a child. If the conversation didn't go his way he would change it while sayed was speaking.
You can see at multiple points sayed "you going to let me talk"
This is the way
I agree with this. They are always trying to drag in all this social minutia when we have a real problem with wealth disparity, our federal goverment being completely hollowed out, and of course healthcare. we have a lot of real problems to fix.
Many people who are benefitting from the status quo would prefer you to not pay too much attention to large scale systemic problems and would rather have you fight some stupid, meaningless side battle. Unfortunately, many of these people own the news outlets that are shaping the public discourse.
Journalism is interested in clicks and ad revenue. We can't rely on them to go for the real problems when their chasing trend topics like a meth addict chasing the next high.
It's fox news, only watched by angry country club boomer golfers
It's on one of the TVs at my gym, and I hate it. While on the elliptical, I have to occasionally look over to that screen and scowl, so people know I'm not a dumbass.
Course, my water bottle has a big "nazi lives don't matter" sticker on it, as well as a "billionaires will burn in hell" sticker, so I'm pretty sure they know already
I have no idea why these people even go on these shows. Fox News high key hates them, and will do anything to fuck them over.
Exposure and name recognition I think. There's a chance, albeit probably very small, that Abdul's rhetoric on Fox might convince someone to vote for him or question their propagandized brain. It's important to maintain some sort of communication and contact with cult members because for them to escape the cult they will often need a lifeline.
To reach the people that only watch Fox News. You HAVE to go on these shows. Otherwise these people only hear what these pundits are saying about you.
There is many people watching fox news who are just brainwashed and El stayed try to depropagandize them.
You, should address this to those "centrist" democrats going there to attack the dsa and progressists
If you don't go in there and tell your story, they will make one up for you. They'll still try to trip you up and mis-frame things you say, but at least you have a chance of reaching some people
I love how this frame captured them both so well. If you look into the candidate's eyes you see frustration. If you look into the Fox drone's eyes, you see a big smiling face on an inflatable clown punching bag that's about to tilt back to the right.
And it works, every time. It brings out MAGAs to vote for the people who will harm them.
It's exactly the point of culture wars to distract people away from the complete total crash in the quality of life for the many due to the bipartisan complete agreement on shoving as much money into the hands of the wealthy no mater what the consequences for the rest.
You see it all around the World - the more the "center" "mainstream" "pragmatic" parties agree on managing their country for the good of a few and screw the rest, the more they loudly and exaggeratedly (with the subtlety of 5 year-olds doing putting on a play) "fight" around things like trans-sexuality which are morally solved by the simple logic of "it's not of my business what others do with their bodies".
You saw this shit first in the US because that country is the one more advanced in the whole thing of the Money Elites owning the Political Elites and thus them Pillaging the Wealth Of the Many (after all, the US has being doing the whole Pillaging Of The Wealth Of The Powerless for literally decades, just mainly abroad in places like the Middle East and South America, so politicians there have a lot of practice and are pretty much a self-select bunch of Psychopaths and Sociopaths, plus the Press there has long morphed in exactly the same direction becoming little more than Propaganda).
They know we'll unite behind cost of living and healthcare. They need to promote division to stay in power. It's all so fucking obvious in hindsight.
Saw this short on it. If anyone has a better source, I'd love to see one without a stupid reaction thrown into the middle. But even with that, it's still worth a watch.
"It is a big deal, have you watched the news lately? It is a big deal"
Lol you are the "news". You're making it a big deal; it's all you talk about.
Excuse me, they did what?
Check out his youtube
I'd rather dig my eyes out with my fingers.
This is such a face palm for me, I have no words
Men? No, Transgender Women? Yes, as long as they meet the hormone requirements.
That's fox, and shit like CNN are talking about celebrities who recently died. One passed away when they were 39 a few days ago and another one today or yesterday. The "news" is so bullshit lol
abdul talks such a big game, but will go full zio just like mamdani, liberals get ready for the award this nov!
yes, just like Zio Mamdani
liberals rly do run straight to the abelist or homophobic insults when confronted with something that pops the lib bubble dont you hehe 😘
This meme works REALLY well because UNLIKE Republicans Democrats DONT think For Themselves! If you say Zoran Mamdani is a ZIONIST then you MUST be 100% Right!
Look guys. Another one aimlessly wandered out of the .ml safety zone.
Don't worry. We're gonna get someone to help you back where you belong.
The .ml crowd doesn't give a flying fuck about socialism.
All they care about now is being 'anti-imperialist', by which they mean being anti-US and anti-EU. The idiots really believe (or pretend to believe) that without the US and the EU, all the world's problems would magically be solved.
I'm not from New York nor the US even so forgive me if I'm not up to date but how is Mandani Zionist? Isn't he the guy the media got worked up about saying he'd arrest Netanyahou if he came to New York?
Yeah, I mostly just want to hear the actual rationality behind the claim given it goes so against everything I've seen about him. I genuinely can't even think of something he's done that could be stretched to paint him as a Zionist
He is not, but he said he believe in, a state with, equal, rights while Zionists believe in an ethnostate. The idea of him being zionist is that someone he did concede to Zionists like Hakim and Jessica S. Tisch. It is candemnabke but not enough to call him, a Zionist and totally discredit him
Okay ml
what does my instance have to with anyting? Okay lib world
Because your instance is very well known for incredibly stupid takes and having the critical thinking skills of an acorn.
You're a shining example of the reputation.
Acct from Lemmy.ml, this tracks.
Also what flavor was the kool-aid that made you so gullible
Im betting it was lead flavored.
You know how much Mamdani fixed by puttin responsible and hard working people in position of power? SHIIIIT, there's even memes of people asking on social media for a hole to be fixed and the next day there's a post of it being fixed... It's become MEME!
Wow, what an incredibly misinformed and uneducated take. I'd like to ask you for a link for your sources, but I don't want to see a picture of your asshole.
Also your kind can't come up with anything original, can you? Make your own meme instead of trying to turn around the ones made to make fun of you
@lemmy.world
A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
Our Goals
go to feed...
@lemmy.world
A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
Our Goals
go to feed...
And then El-Sayed asked Watters if he was circumcised, LMAO
Asking one of the most insecure men on tv about his dick
BOSS MOVE
Edit: sorry, here’s the link
https://www.the-independent.com/...
save