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PaperclipPerfector  5d ago (text post)   2513 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for January 10, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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What sort of history do Trump and Bush Jr have?

Trump did put a stop to the Bush dynasty by not only beating Jeb, but humiliating him so hard there is no possibility of a comeback. After Trump has his moment, Cruz can come back. DeSantis can come back. Even Little Marco can come back. Jeb is done and will never be president, ever. Jeb is the supposed big guy in the prison yard that Trump made his bitch upon arriving to send a message.

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A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


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