Posted by Lennybruce26 on 9/20/2023 11:03:00 AM (view original):
I for one consider Trump and Trump jr and Jim Jordan and Clarence Thomas and his wife and Tommy Tubberville among others to be evil.
Evil does exist and I very strongly apply it to those buckets of scum.


I have stopped calling that party the Republicans.
It is out of my daily lexicon.
I now call it The Maga Party and it’s voters are magas because they vote for candidates from The Maga Party.

I don't think they are evil. Just lying, stupid, narcissistic politicians who care only about themselves.

Posted by wylie715 on 9/20/2023 9:10:00 PM (view original):

Posted by Lennybruce26 on 9/20/2023 11:03:00 AM (view original):
I for one consider Trump and Trump jr and Jim Jordan and Clarence Thomas and his wife and Tommy Tubberville among others to be evil.
Evil does exist and I very strongly apply it to those buckets of scum.


I have stopped calling that party the Republicans.
It is out of my daily lexicon.
I now call it The Maga Party and it’s voters are magas because they vote for candidates from The Maga Party.

I don't think they are evil. Just lying, stupid, narcissistic politicians who care only about themselves.

You could say the same exact thing about anybody that is considered evil like Hitler and Putin and Charles Manson and Ted Bundy and money rapists like Bernie Madoff people and like Fidel Castro.

To some extent outside of Ghandi every person who has ever lived is stupid…lies….thinks about themselves first way too much and is egotistical. Lack of evil is just another way of saying
I’m Ok - You’re Ok. I just need therapy or a little time out somewhere.

When I talk about evil I’m talking about catastrophic harm to people and certain institutions. In the case of Trump if trying to destroy the institutions of democracy and the national heritage isn’t evil WTF is. Fidel Castro is not a genocidal killer but he took away democracy from an entire country and put them into repression and poverty because he is an autocrat.
That is evil.

To say Trump is just a narcissist who cares only about himself but he is not evil is such a whitewashing of what is happening in our lifetime and conspiring to steal the presidency is just a narcissistic white collar crime is mind boggling.
Some people and some crimes ARE evil and we all have to have the guts to realize it or it can’t be stopped.
Murder to mass murder is evil. Murder not manslaughter.
Thomas and his wife collaborating with others to fix Supreme Court cases is so extreme and is so catastrophic that it is evil.
Knowingly stealing peoples entire life savings is more then crime. That is evil.
Degree of harm is part of what differentiates evil from mere crime and the blackness of one’s heart.

Im sorry but you are ok and I’m ok because evil is not involved when it comes to politicians does not cut it for me.

At some point everybody has to call a spade a spade.
It is about degree and consequences that are planned
or known to happen by the person in question.

And I will add that if someone becomes a politician and then their soul becomes defined by narcissism instead of degrees of good and evil and the mostly shades of gray you can’t find or understand goodness and altruism.

For example - I probably agree with Mitt Romney on almost nothing but I think he is a very good man who was a legitimate standard bearer. Same for both Bushes and especially Bush 1 and Lynn Chaney and Adam Kinzinger and all of the Lincoln Project.

Joe Biden couldn’t rub 2 nickles together until his recent book sale - in Delaware of all places.
People like Adam Schiff and Jamie Rasmin care deeply about serving their country just like people who enlist into the armed forces.

There is good and bad and deeply good and evil and lots of places in between.


It is just such a really simplistic thing to say that politicians are nothing more then people who seek personal power and will lie any time for it and are also narcissists without true altruistic intentions.

One final example - let’s take Matt Gaetz - I won’t say he is evil by the way I define it but I think he is basically a bad person because of the extent of his willingness to protect and support the democracy hating autocrat Trump but I also do believe that he is an idealist who thinks he is doing good for the country and wants to help the country ( even though he is actually destroying it) Trump knows he is committing crimes that will destroy democracy and that is his goal - that is evil.

I guess you're right...maybe they are evil. All I know is I don't like 'em.

and I think you are wrong about Gaetz. He is the definition of morally reprehensible

Posted by wylie715 on 9/21/2023 1:58:00 AM (view original):

What is the full meaning of evil?

a. : morally reprehensible : sinful, wicked. an evil impulse. b. : arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct.

I guess you're right...maybe they are evil. All I know is I don't like 'em.

The religious aspect is not in my mindset.
Morally reprehensible with a callous disregard for catastrophic consequences and/or desire to cause that is.
You nailed it.

Posted by wylie715 on 9/21/2023 2:02:00 AM (view original):
and I think you are wrong about Gaetz. He is the definition of morally reprehensible

He might indeed fit my own definition of evil.
I am just saying that I save that term for the worst of the worst.
Jim Jordan covered up years of sexual abuse of a massive number of wrestlers he coached before he became the most despicable member of the House of Representatives.
IMO he at the top of the POS list ( sorry Bob - I used the L word ).

I think that being narcissistic is a separate thing from moral issues. One can be selfish and egotistical without wanting to cause any type of harm. Harm might be caused as a byproduct but not by intention or desire.

This is a good discussion on the nature of evil.

No problem Lenny........used in that manner it's very appropriate.
For the record.........my problem isn't with lists so much as the time spent making them.
I'd rather be listening to the music you list as opposed to seeing your top whatever lists of whatever.
Naming artists for others to learn about is extremely cool IMO.
Ranking musicians is not. It's a waste of good time.
Just my opinion.
And worth just that.

Just like your top 10 list.
It's YOUR list.
Okie dokie.

Why would I care to learn you favor Elvis Costello higher on your NE singer/songwriter list than Marshall Crenshaw?
It's basically meaningless.
I'd go listen to Marshall Crenshaw's "Downtown" CD with a good drink anyday............than read anybody's ranking of ART!!
It's way too subjective.

Posted by laramiebob on 9/21/2023 12:23:00 PM (view original):
No problem Lenny........used in that manner it's very appropriate.
For the record.........my problem isn't with lists so much as the time spent making them.
I'd rather be listening to the music you list as opposed to seeing your top whatever lists of whatever.
Naming artists for others to learn about is extremely cool IMO.
Ranking musicians is not. It's a waste of good time.
Just my opinion.
And worth just that.

Just like your top 10 list.
It's YOUR list.
Okie dokie.

Why would I care to learn you favor Elvis Costello higher on your NE singer/songwriter list than Marshall Crenshaw?
It's basically meaningless.
I'd go listen to Marshall Crenshaw's "Downtown" CD with a good drink anyday............than read anybody's ranking of ART!!
It's way too subjective.

You can have an opinion on how I spend my time making my lists which you read.
That is you being subjective and you can lick my shoes with your worthless idiotic unsolicited worries about what I enjoy doing.

I have a friend who edited a book for Marshall Crenshaw. I have had a lot of friends who are musicians and others and I have never known a solitary soul who would put Marshall Crenshaw ( he is really good ) above Elvis Costello.
Even if I think that would be the definition of lunacy it is your subjective opinion and you are entitled to it.

I was once a DJ and every time I did a set that meant I made a list and judged.
Worry more about yourself instead of judging others and their pursuits.

Im being nice to you.

You can't read. WHERE did I state an opinion that Marshall Crenshaw is "above" E.C.???
I didn't! That's YOU ranking musicians again!

I don't do that!
BTW Macca's Flowers In The Dirt release IS a great McCartney LP and I (of course!) believe that Elvis Costello aided in the creation.

You just want to prattle on with your highly subjective opinions on music (all things really!!)
As IF we all share your taste..............or somehow care about YOUR musical opinions!

I got news for you............I don't care about your artistic opinions!!
Nor whether you have an "innie" or an "outie" though I would be interested in knowing IF you collect naval lint with an "outie"..........

Calling sane folks lunatics won't get you far.
You had a med adjustment lately?
You seem, well............touchy.

Posted by Lennybruce26 on 9/21/2023 11:33:00 AM (view original):
I think that being narcissistic is a separate thing from moral issues. One can be selfish and egotistical without wanting to cause any type of harm. Harm might be caused as a byproduct but not by intention or desire.

This is a good discussion on the nature of evil.

I agree. My mom was narcisssistic. She was definitely NOT evil

Posted by laramiebob on 9/21/2023 2:36:00 PM (view original):
You can't read. WHERE did I state an opinion that Marshall Crenshaw is "above" E.C.???
I didn't! That's YOU ranking musicians again!

I don't do that!
BTW Macca's Flowers In The Dirt release IS a great McCartney LP and I (of course!) believe that Elvis Costello aided in the creation.

You just want to prattle on with your highly subjective opinions on music (all things really!!)
As IF we all share your taste..............or somehow care about YOUR musical opinions!

I got news for you............I don't care about your artistic opinions!!
Nor whether you have an "innie" or an "outie" though I would be interested in knowing IF you collect naval lint with an "outie"..........

Calling sane folks lunatics won't get you far.
You had a med adjustment lately?
You seem, well............touchy.

Bob is right. Nowhere did he say he thought that Crenshaw was"above" Costello. Just that he doesn't care how you rank them. Or, if you rank them. On the other hand he complains about how much time you (or me, for that matter) spend creating these "useless" lists. Bob, why do you care how lenny or I (or anyone else) spends their time? It is our time to spend how we see fit. You seem to spend time complaining on how we spend our time. Aren't there better ways for you to spend your time? Of course it is your time, and you can spend it how you like.

Also, BTW, I'd be willing to bet you could find many people who think Crenshaw is better than Costello. I like both of them a lot, but they are different artists. If anyone thinks one is better than the other, that's their opinion. I, for one, can't say either opinion is wrong. That is why they are opinions.

Neither do I care what you think. You're a lunatic IMO.
And I think your musical taste sucks as well!

You don't KNOW jack musically!
You actually think popularity has some effect on quality.

I don't think how many people LIKE some artist matters in the least MUSICALLY!
That's just marketing and hype.

A lot of people like John Prine a lot. To them he is great. That’s great.
He has never been that enjoyable to me but I respect that other people like him a lot.

He has never done anything for me.
I find his songs boring and I don’t like his voice which I find to be suitable as a boring funeral drone, lethargic without personality and he is repetitive. He sounds like an old worn out s kicker to me.

But that’s ok. Just my sincere opinion about him and I am as entitled to it as much as anyone that likes him.

I will call him just about the greatest funeral dirge singer ever. Or elegy.
And that’s ok.

I will be happy one day to do a list of artists that bore me or did not age well or I have trouble finding any musical redeeming value - maybe baby.
Whiskeytown is another deathly serious bore festival.
IMO.