Nah. You've said it here three times that I've noticed.  Probably other times that I never saw. 
It was reported by another member and discussed officially - so there's zero question as to whether it happened. 

Lie all you want, I don't give a [BLEEP].

Proof?

Sure - I'll dig it up for you when I have time tomorrow.

---

Genuinely curious about your definition of freedom. What does that look like to you? What does that mean?

Doesn't really matter.

It's the same as it was under Reagan, and Bush, and Clinton, and Obama, and Trump, and Biden. 

It hasn't changed - and that's my point.

Not trying to be a jerk at all - but a semantical debate about the definition of the word isn't going to change that.

It absolutely matters. If your definition of freedom is that I'm free to do whatever the government tells me to do, then you are right... our freedoms haven't changed. If freedom means that we should be able to govern ourselves at the smallest local level, then, yes, our freedoms have absolutely has changed. This country hasn't stayed the same under Reagan, and Bush, and Clinton, and Obama, and Trump, and Biden. It's changed drastically.

The federal government's authority has changed drastically. Our economy has changed drastically. Our patriotism has changed drastically. Our ability to provide for ourselves has changed drastically. Our ability to speak our mind in public has changed drastically. All of this changes our freedoms. Some of these changes are hidden and some are overt. Some are self-imposed and some are enforced. Some people like the changes and some don't. It's clear that you aren't feeling these changes, but other people see them and feel repressed. You said yourself earlier in this thread, "progressive thought is winning." Winning what? The power of the federal government. That is going to create lifestyle changes that impact certain peoples' freedoms. 

Like I said, I can point out many of these changes, but if your response is that "it's the law and it's how it should be," then we are essentially having a semantics discussion about freedom.

---

And that's just one half of the discussion. The other half are the changes that are taking place behind the scenes. Our political capital is the single most important part of a free society, and, without a doubt, that is also being stripped from us.

---

Proof?

Sure - I'll dig it up for you when I have time tomorrow.

Sure, go ahead and dig it up.. I don't remember saying it because if I did, it was out of character. And frankly, we all can say [BLEEP] out of anger, so I just don't give a [BLEEP] if I did say it in the first place.. But something I do mean, whatever you do dig up, you can shove it square up your [BLEEP]..

---

Sure - I'll dig it up for you when I have time tomorrow.

Sure, go ahead and dig it up.. I don't remember saying it because if I did, it was out of character. And frankly, we all can say [BLEEP] out of anger, so I just don't give a [BLEEP] if I did say it in the first place.. But something I do mean, whatever you do dig up, you can shove it square up your [BLEEP]..

The one that was reported was concerning an experiment to learn about a parasite - the experiments are 100% fatal to the animals used in testing - You suggested using Democrats instead of dogs. Even some members of this board. 

https://www.duvalpride.com/showthread.ph...pid1416758

This is just one example indicative of your utter lack of character. 

Anyway - you do you. I'll go back to not giving a [BLEEP] about your blather. 

---

ON TOPIC:

Jack Smith is using Drumpf's tweets as evidence and has fined Musk for not complying with the order for records:

https://twitter.com/ReallyAmerican1/stat...05824?s=20

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https://twitter.com/ReallyAmerican1/stat...05824?s=20

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Doesn't really matter.

It's the same as it was under Reagan, and Bush, and Clinton, and Obama, and Trump, and Biden. 

It hasn't changed - and that's my point.

Not trying to be a jerk at all - but a semantical debate about the definition of the word isn't going to change that.

It absolutely matters. If your definition of freedom is that I'm free to do whatever the government tells me to do, then you are right... our freedoms haven't changed. If freedom means that we should be able to govern ourselves at the smallest local level, then, yes, our freedoms have absolutely has changed. This country hasn't stayed the same under Reagan, and Bush, and Clinton, and Obama, and Trump, and Biden. It's changed drastically.

The federal government's authority has changed drastically. Our economy has changed drastically. Our patriotism has changed drastically. Our ability to provide for ourselves has changed drastically. Our ability to speak our mind in public has changed drastically. All of this changes our freedoms. Some of these changes are hidden and some are overt. Some are self-imposed and some are enforced. Some people like the changes and some don't. It's clear that you aren't feeling these changes, but other people see them and feel repressed. You said yourself earlier in this thread, "progressive thought is winning." Winning what? The power of the federal government. That is going to create lifestyle changes that impact certain peoples' freedoms. 
It means every new generation has fewer people stuck in the rut of voting based on religious belief or the "values" intrinsically tied to them. How is that making anyone less free? 

Like I said, I can point out many of these changes, but if your response is that "it's the law and it's how it should be," then we are essentially having a semantics discussion about freedom.

---

And that's just one half of the discussion. The other half are the changes that are taking place behind the scenes. Our political capital is the single most important part of a free society, and, without a doubt, that is also being stripped from us.

My definition is the one from Merriam Webster. 

And it did not change from one administration to the next. 

We were free then, and we are free now. 

Clearly not free from you complaining about being stripped of some imaginary freedom you can't seem to actually pinpoint for me, but we're free.

---

Sure, go ahead and dig it up.. I don't remember saying it because if I did, it was out of character. And frankly, we all can say [BLEEP] out of anger, so I just don't give a [BLEEP] if I did say it in the first place.. But something I do mean, whatever you do dig up, you can shove it square up your [BLEEP]..

The one that was reported was concerning an experiment to learn about a parasite - the experiments are 100% fatal to the animals used in testing - You suggested using Democrats instead of dogs. Even some members of this board. 

https://www.duvalpride.com/showthread.ph...pid1416758

This is just one example indicative of your utter lack of character. 

Anyway - you do you. I'll go back to not giving a [BLEEP] about your blather. 

---

ON TOPIC:

Jack Smith is using Drumpf's tweets as evidence and has fined Musk for not complying with the order for records:

https://twitter.com/ReallyAmerican1/stat...05824?s=20

---

https://twitter.com/ReallyAmerican1/stat...05824?s=20

Trust the science!!

Funny part is, you had to go back to 2021 to find that little nugget lololol

Well done, Fife..

---

It absolutely matters. If your definition of freedom is that I'm free to do whatever the government tells me to do, then you are right... our freedoms haven't changed. If freedom means that we should be able to govern ourselves at the smallest local level, then, yes, our freedoms have absolutely has changed. This country hasn't stayed the same under Reagan, and Bush, and Clinton, and Obama, and Trump, and Biden. It's changed drastically.

The federal government's authority has changed drastically. Our economy has changed drastically. Our patriotism has changed drastically. Our ability to provide for ourselves has changed drastically. Our ability to speak our mind in public has changed drastically. All of this changes our freedoms. Some of these changes are hidden and some are overt. Some are self-imposed and some are enforced. Some people like the changes and some don't. It's clear that you aren't feeling these changes, but other people see them and feel repressed. You said yourself earlier in this thread, "progressive thought is winning." Winning what? The power of the federal government. That is going to create lifestyle changes that impact certain peoples' freedoms. 
It means every new generation has fewer people stuck in the rut of voting based on religious belief or the "values" intrinsically tied to them. How is that making anyone less free? 

Like I said, I can point out many of these changes, but if your response is that "it's the law and it's how it should be," then we are essentially having a semantics discussion about freedom.

---

And that's just one half of the discussion. The other half are the changes that are taking place behind the scenes. Our political capital is the single most important part of a free society, and, without a doubt, that is also being stripped from us.

My definition is the one from Merriam Webster. 

And it did not change from one administration to the next. 

We were free then, and we are free now. 

Clearly not free from you complaining about being stripped of some imaginary freedom you can't seem to actually pinpoint for me, but we're free.

I haven't even started pinpointing them yet. Seems a bit presumptuous. So let's look at Merriam-Webster

1. The condition of not being in prison or captivity.
   
2. The condition of being free of restraints, especially the ability to act without control or interference by another or by circumstance.
   
3. The condition of not being controlled by another nation or political power; political independence.
   
4. The condition of not being subject to a despotic or oppressive power; civil liberty.
   
5. The condition of not being constrained or restricted in a specific aspect of life by a government or other power.
   
6. The condition of not being a slave.
   

There are 6 definitions. Which one are you using? The idea behind the liberties laid out in our constitution was 5. I imagine you are using 4. Can we agree to 5 for the purposes of this discussion?

---

Sorry, just realized I used google definitions. Here's MW:

: the quality or state of being free: such as

a
: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b
: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : INDEPENDENCE
c
: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous
freedom from care
d
: unrestricted use
gave him the freedom of their home
e
: EASE, FACILITY
spoke the language with freedom
f
: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken
answered with freedom
g
: improper familiarity
h
: boldness of conception or execution

2
a
: a political right
b
: FRANCHISE, PRIVILEGE

So, let's say we are talking about A?

---

Sorry, just realized I used google definitions. Here's MW:

: the quality or state of being free: such as

a
: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b
: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : INDEPENDENCE
c
: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous
freedom from care
d
: unrestricted use
gave him the freedom of their home
e
: EASE, FACILITY
spoke the language with freedom
f
: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken
answered with freedom
g
: improper familiarity
h
: boldness of conception or execution

2
a
: a political right
b
: FRANCHISE, PRIVILEGE

So, let's say we are talking about A?

They all apply

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So, I am still curious about what freedoms I have lost recently. I haven't noticed any.

---

Yeah... I'm getting there. It's going to take a minute. I have to lay out my thoughts. Plus, I want to make sure we're operating on the same definition first.

---

Yeah... I'm getting there. It's going to take a minute. I have to lay out my thoughts. Plus, I want to make sure we're operating on the same definition first.

Can you not write a book about it?  Or maybe lead with the executive summary, and then write the book?

---

Lol. This is why we can't have nice things.

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So, I am still curious about what freedoms I have lost recently.  I haven't noticed any.

L2L Cliff's Notes on the freedoms he's lost:

• forced to use a unisex bathroom 
  
• cruelly subjected to LGBTQ and feminist narratives in TV/film 
  
• some BS about inflation and taxes (which ebb and flow from one administration to the next with little long term impact and plenty of mitigating intervention) 
  
• Some garbage about free speech being taken akin to trying to defend the Alex Jones's of the world. 
  
• A boatload of conspiracy theory and psycho-babble about how they are coming for you but you're too blind to see it (right wingers have been telling me this for 20 years BTW - if they are coming for me, they are slow alpha foxtrot) `
  

There, I saved you 13 paragraphs of reading.

L2L, I am trying to be light hearted here, just so you're aware. 
No venom intended in this particular jest. 

---

This thread needs some levity, so I'll attempt to summarize what Lucky2Last is about to say in movie clip form.  NYC, mikesez and Marty are the English.  Lucky2Last is William Wallace and the rest of us are in the crowd of gathered Scottish warriors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Ym9zokSZo

---

This thread needs some levity, so I'll attempt to summarize what Lucky2Last is about to say in movie clip form.  NYC, mikesez and Marty are the English.  Lucky2Last is William Wallace and the rest of us are in the crowd of gathered Scottish warriors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Ym9zokSZo

L2L's wife is alive and well AFAIK.
Why he quests like this and why you follow him remains mysterious.

---

My fellow southpaw Mark Brunell will probably always be my favorite Jaguar.

This thread needs some levity, so I'll attempt to summarize what Lucky2Last is about to say in movie clip form.  NYC, mikesez and Marty are the English.  Lucky2Last is William Wallace and the rest of us are in the crowd of gathered Scottish warriors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Ym9zokSZo

L2L's wife is alive and well AFAIK.
Why he quests like this and why you follow him remains mysterious.

Are we sure this isn't a JaguarsWoman alt?

---

L2L's wife is alive and well AFAIK.
Why he quests like this and why you follow him remains mysterious.

Are we sure this isn't a JaguarsWoman alt?

L2L has met me in person, so, yes.

Did some big city democrat or RINO rape and murder your wife?  Because they didn't rape and murder his.

---

My fellow southpaw Mark Brunell will probably always be my favorite Jaguar.

Are we sure this isn't a JaguarsWoman alt?

L2L has met me in person, so, yes.

Did some big city democrat or RINO rape and murder your wife?  Because they didn't rape and murder his.

We’ll I’m glad we settled that.

---

Are we sure this isn't a JaguarsWoman alt?

L2L has met me in person, so, yes.

Did some big city democrat or RINO rape and murder your wife?  Because they didn't rape and murder his.

Yeah, I met you in person, and you admitted that the size and scope of the federal government was increasing and there was a power transfer to the corporate sector, but you had "hope" that it would make something better. I don't share your naivety. 

I am on this crusade because you guys are asleep at the wheel. You're not a Scottish army that knows you're in a fight. You're a bunch of lemmings that a following a narrative right to the edge of a cliff while chanting, "We have free agency!" I really shouldn't have to waste my time to lay out how we are losing our freedoms because it's obvious. The most frustrating part is that I know, even as I'm typing it, you are probably not going to acknowledge the truth of what follows, not because it's untrue, but because you want to believe that it's going to form something better. Just like our conversation we had that night. I hope you're right. Until then, let me oblige Marty and make this short. 

I asked to define freedom so I could we could have a common frame of reference as I move forward. Grasping the essence of freedom as the 'absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action' is pivotal because it lays the foundation for assessing the subtle and overt ways in which our autonomy and agency are continually challenged in the modern era. It's going to seem like I am focusing on corporations, but the truth is that they have become inseparable from our federal government. I'll start there.

Federal Power and Regulatory Capture: The divide between corporate interests and state policy is rapidly blurring. Corporations, in many instances, are not just influencing but drafting the very policies intended to oversee them. When corporate interests define state policy, the American democratic framework is at risk. A 2014 Princeton study provided a bleak picture: policies favored by economic elites stand a solid chance of becoming law, while those representing the interests of the middle and lower classes? Almost none. The core finding was that when the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy. Think about that for a second. This essentially suggests that if a policy is favored by the wealthy or by well-organized interest groups, you are likely going to get your way. Us? Near Zero. Your freedom of choice is an illusion.

Globalization of American Corporations: To make the above point worse, we need to look at how corporate values have changed. NAFTA opened the door to a global marketplace, and corporations walked through it. Brands like Apple, once viewed as American icons, have outsourced jobs for a global bottom line. The Economic Policy Institute's findings are damning: from 2001 to 2011, the U.S lost or displaced 3.4 million jobs to China. This isn't merely about lost jobs; it's about stagnating American advancement and a system that increasingly disenfranchises its own people. Furthermore, businesses are no longer bound to American values, but global ones. When you consider the capture of the American political system by global corporations who are writing their own policies, how can you not question how this affects American choice and opportunity? While you might say it's their right to do so, you can't also then argue that it's not limiting American growth.

Erosion of Political Capital: The lifeblood of a democracy is the vote of its people. However, the loud echo of big money is overshadowing this heartbeat. Take a look at the figures: campaign costs in 2020 exceeded $14 billion, a number the Center for Responsive Politics unearthed. This isn't a party issue; it's a challenge to the very bedrock of our democratic system. If your voice, your vote, is stifled by a surge of corporate cash, where does that leave the average American? Constraint comes alive in the dwindling power of individual votes. Political decisions increasingly veer toward the tunes of corporate songbirds. It's not just policy capture; it's a capture of democratic ethos. When the common American's voice is pushed to the background, what we're left with is a constrained choice, a puppetry democracy.

Corporate Censorship: On the surface, it appears as a free speech issue. But the crux runs much deeper. Big tech platforms aren't just corporate entities; they're interwoven with government mechanisms. I could give example after example of this collusion, but this is already long enough. If you can't google it, I will provide evidence at your behest. This ability to shape narratives has profound implications. It's not about silencing a single opinion but curbing discourse and dictating the broader narrative. When voices advocating for systemic change or critiquing the overwhelming power of federal government and corporates are suppressed, we're not just dealing with the loss of freedom of speech. We're witnessing an erosion of our democratic agency. It's not just about muzzling voices; it's coercing narratives, ensuring that certain stories, certain truths, don't see the light of day. And when the line between corporation and state starts to blur, this coercion is amplified, eroding the very essence of free discourse. That's not freedom.

Suppression of American wealth generation: Owning a home is more than a piece of the American Dream; it's a ticket to economic stability and a crucial vehicle for wealth transfer across generations. But, with big firms making their mark on the housing market, homeownership rates have suffered, as highlighted by the U.S Census Bureau: from nearly 70% in the early 2000s to around 65% in 2020. It's gotten even worse these last couple years, but it's hard to delineate true homeownership from investors. Nearly 1 in 5 are bought by investors. It's not just about owning a property; it's about the economic foundation of future generations. That's just one example. I could say the same thing about several other industries: restaurants, banking, small business, etc. When corporations monopolize the housing market or when jobs are shipped overseas or run under by the power of big business and federal government, they indirectly necessitate certain economic choices. Suddenly, we're choosing not out of aspiration but out of need, navigating a landscape rigged against us. That reduced generational freedom. 

Skewed and Biased News Consumption: In today's digital age, the interplay between businesses and news coverage has reached an unprecedented scale. Large corporations, especially those in the tech sector, have gained significant control over the dissemination of news, largely due to the monopolistic grasp of platforms like Facebook, Google, and Twitter on the flow of information. Furthermore, as traditional news outlets face financial hardships, they're increasingly reliant on ad revenue from these tech giants, making them susceptible to self-censorship or skewed coverage to appease platform guidelines and advertiser preferences. Additionally, media conglomerates with various business interests can exert influence over editorial decisions, either subtly or overtly, leading to potential conflicts of interest. Not to mention the role the WEF and the WFA play in crafting the rules platforms need to follow to earn their dollars. These platforms utilize algorithms to curate and prioritize content, and these algorithms often favor sensationalism, engagement, or advertiser-friendly content over impartial and in-depth journalism. In essence, the commercial imperatives of businesses, combined with centralized technological control, have introduced biases and filters that impact the integrity and diversity of news available to the public. How does that not create constraints on the American public? How does the working man have time to stay abreast of this? If his news is biased, he's certainly constrained.

Speaking of the World Economic Forum (WEF), its advocacy for stakeholder capitalism is emblematic of this government/corporate merger. On paper, stakeholder capitalism sounds utopian: businesses should benefit all stakeholders, not just shareholders. But in practice? There's a gaping void. These stakeholders aren't elected representatives; they're elites or appointed by elites to execute their vision. The notion of a corporate global governance, one that operates without the checks and balances of elected representatives, is a far cry from our democratic ideals. 

So, what's different since 1996? What freedoms have we lost? How can you not see it? Why do I have to waste my time explain this? The gears of necessity, coercion, and constraint have been turning, gradually eroding the bedrock of American freedom. It's not just about rights on paper; it's about the lived experience of freedom in its truest sense. It's about the deconstruction of what's quintessentially American. The intertwined might of corporations and governments, the muzzling of dissent (not by peons like me or you, but those who actually ability contest the establishment), combined with the fading dream of homeownership, the barriers to entry for small businesses, and the inability to craft laws that favor the people... they all create a weight felt by many people in this country. I'm glad you don't feel it. It doesn't mean it's not there. It's not about left or right, but about safeguarding foundational American opportunity. That's freedom. 

PS Marty. [BLEEP] you. Read my book, [BLEEP].

---

William Wallace was a little more to the point. Whatever.

---