BobDylan

You nailed it, V. A few years ago, I got into it with a MAGA fellow senior citizen, at the local senior center, when he wore his red hat there, and I simply remarked to him that even tho he had the right to wear it there, same as some of the other guys who wear their NRA hats, and other right wing political apparel, that I found his hat to be deeply offensive, even tho I am white. Because, as I said to him, to me it feels the same as if he were wearing a confederate flag shirt, around black people. That the MAGA slogan was simply code for Make America White Again. He of course, exploded and started sputtering and shouting that he wears it "because I love Jesus and The Constitution", etc.. I told him he was full of 💩 and that those things had nothing to do with the MAGA slogan, even if he were sincere about those beliefs on his part, which I said I doubted was true. The staff immediately told us to separate and not talk to each other anymore, but after that, he went over to his MAGA buddy there, who watched me talking to another staffer, who was trying to calm me down, and the buddy then shouted to me, in front of everybody there, including the staff, that "I see you there talking about us, maybe I should go outside and kick your ass!" I then turned to the staff member and said to her, and everybody else there, " You all just heard him threaten me with assault, is anybody going to do anything about it? I think he should be banned from here for at least a week for that". Needless to say, since he was part of the majority where I live, in a red state and a red suburb, the center director did nothing to him, but did lecture me on how I need to keep my political opinions to myself there, since it was well known that she was a THE LYIN' KING supporter. All such favoritistic bull💩. I was told that they have the right to wear whatever they want and I can't comment, so I started wearing my Bernie shirts and they, him and his Trumper friends, wore their right wing stuff.

If Maxwell is pardoned, all hell should break loose, and if I were her, I would flee the country, because she would likely then be in danger of being whacked by either someone doing it for THE LYIN' KING or on behalf of the victims. And the latter would be justified, in my mind... I've had enough of seeing the guilty being able to just be pardoned and skate away with little or no consequences. Doesn't mean I will do it myself to them, but I'm not going to condemn it when it happens..

I mostly already knew this, but it sure explains a lot about why the corporate media here is such 💩 coverage of politics and government. I learned long ago, that if you want accurate and honest coverage of our politics and govt., you need to seek out foreign media, like The Guardian in the UK or Al-Jazeera English, etc...

I totally agree with you, V.. That goes with how many right wing men these days are hiding their politics in the dating game, except for maybe when they attend THE LYIN' KING rallies looking for women to date. And we all know how much they love attention, as well as trolling their opponents and being hurtful to those same groups, just to indulge their own ego and inflict some grief or suffering on people. Except that they overestimate how much upset they will cause a liberal woman with their trolling, in most cases.

Right up there with the bull💩 lie that Trickle Down economics actually works for the lower classes..

I agree scary, as I too hate ghosting, but in the case of someone who is obviously conservative or a Trumper, and thus incompatible, then it's obvious in that case, that the person either didn't read your profile, or if they did, they just want to engage or match with you to send you trolling messages. So in either case, an exception is justified as far as ghosting them, because you have already set an appropriate boundary, which has been ignored, and nothing good will come from it, as you say, by engaging with them..

Even if this change could realistically happen, I have zero trust that the Dems would fight for it...

I have heard the same sort of thing from women on dating sites, who have very clearly stated their being very liberal and their desire to reject any men who are conservatives or Trumpers, and yet there are always men who will either message them on the other sites or match with them on Bumble, all so they can send trolling messages to those women. If these people are truly secure in their political beliefs, you don't have the need to seek out and troll others who have done nothing but put themselves out on a dating site, while being open and honest about who they are politically. I have never felt the need to troll people I encounter on dating sites, because I'm secure in who I am, and don't need to engage or connect with the politically incompatible, to insult or lecture them on how wrong they are, etc.. I guess having some class in how you conduct yourself, is more common among the left than the right, not surprisingly...

Very creepy and scary at the same time. I hope I'm dead before this becomes completely normalized...

The Dem pols in DC can be as mealy-mouthed, and weak as they like regarding the crimes of THE LYIN' KING and his cronies, but I'm not going to be any less disgusted, outraged and angry about it. If only we had leaders with as much guts and integrity as those they claim to represent and claim as their supporters... talking about the Dems. And yet people continue to ask me or wonder why so many people on the left and the middle, hate and don't respect the Dem Party and their excuse for pols in DC? The problem with the party is not messaging, it's the lack of character and courage of the leaders and pols in DC, as well as their policies..

My prediction is, never.. We Americans never prosecute or punish our military for war crimes,, not since the Vietnam War, and even then, Nixon pardoned the one who did get prosecuted and convicted, William Calley...

Let me try a guess. Because he was white and not easy to demoninze or paint as a foreign terrorist, even tho he was a drug distributor, same as the Venezualan boats are supposed to be?

The woman in ? that I felt had played me, was not from a dating site, but from a speed dating event held in late Oct., after which we traded emails, where she said she would be having a surgery Nov. 3rd, and "would not be talking to or dating any guys before the surgery or during her recovery" from the surgery. The email she finally sent me on Mon., saying she had met another guy from a dating app and had been on two dates with him, since the time of her surgery, tells me I was lied to and misled by her, as far as what to expect from her going forward from the dating event, as she had said she would message me after her recovery was over and that we might then go out for coffee then. I rest my case... This is far from the first time, that a woman has lied to me or misled me on what to expect, or when we might get together, after they had moved and settled in from the move, had a surgery, gone on a trip, etc.. So it sucks every time, and I wish people would just keep their word and play the game straight and honestly, as I always have. I get sick of these kiss off emails and messages from women, after they've already eliminated me from the running, and gone forward with other guys behind my back, instead of keeping me informed in a timely manner, of when my standing or status with them has changed, since that is how I've always played it in the dating game. People love to talk about how important honesty is in the dating process, but in my experience, that is mostly one-way, something they expect from others, but are unwilling to give on their end.. The woman was ready to date at this time, she just didn't want to date me, obviously, and that I was way down on her list of men from the speed dating event and the dating app, in other words, I was a back up or leftover, that she would only go ahead with meeting, if all the other more desired prospects fell thru for her. I get that until someone is exclusive with you in an established relationship, who else they are connecting with or seeing is none of your business, but when they have already given you expectations, like she did, and your status with them has changed, to where they no longer intend to meet or see you again, then I feel they owe it to you to communicate that in a timely manner, not a month after they have changed their mind about where you stand with them. That is simply selfish, cowardly, and dishonest, if you ask me..

You said it, brother! And the idea of group scream therapy really appeals to me right now, lol.... Maybe we, you and me, need to start a subforum or subgroup on here for that? And props to you for using the term pig🍆>🐱er, as that's one that my late wife introduced me to, never heard it from anyone, except her, and now you...

You nailed it, man. To the pols and business folks, it's just that, simply business, as the mobsters used to say, nothing personal, and nothing is more important , valuable or sacred , to them, than simple business. And with the help of the corporate media, the public does, most of them, see it as a conspiracy theory, instead of the honest reality of how things work. [additional comments moved to more appropriate thread]

I honestly think that most of us here, including me, agree with you, scary.... I will not date anyone that voted for THE LYIN' KING, no matter when they did it or for whatever reasons, because I obviously wouldn't be compatible or have enough shared values with them. As for friendships with anyone who ever voted for THE LYIN' KING or supported him, I've only had a couple of those, and they didn't last very long, after THE LYIN' KING was in power either time, because the amount of conflict between us over it was simply too great.. Like you, I'm just not interested in engaging with them, at least not until after they have at least woken up from the con, admitted they were wrong about THE LYIN' KING, left MAGA, and apologized for their sins, so to speak. Then and only then, are they and I ready to talk respectfully and engage with any trust towards them.. It's like anyone who's been a member of the Klan or any other white supremacist or Nazi group in modern times, I will not accept them until they have left the group and repented for their involvement in said group...

I respect your view, but still disagree. I'm not interested in being involved in anyone's deprogramming, just not patient and tolerant enough to do it. Call me insensitive, if you like, for that stance.. Also, since V3 is the admin. and only person here that would be doing the moderation of the site, I wonder if he is willing and wanting to do all that extra work, that would undoubtedly come with letting right wingers in here. But it's his site, so in the end, it's really all up to him...

Funny how we never see any pols connecting the dots like this, not even Bernie Sanders, much less the corporate media.. As Gen. Smedley Butler said long ago, " War is a racket "

Call me cynical, but after seeing the whole Iraq War debacle, based on a lie about them making or having a nuclear weapon, I see the common denominator between the two countries, oil, which both administrations wanted to gain control of and profit from. So yes, besides this, I also agree that THE LYIN' KING is doing his anti Venezuala campaign to be seen as a wartime prez, rally his base and maybe others around him, and stay out of prison. But for the people around him, who are also evil grifters, the motivation is obviously regime change in Venezuala and getting control of their oil.. That country is also no military threat whatsover, and no match for the US, so also a helpless target.. As for THE LYIN' KING being able to stop the next elections with a war against Venezuala, that is one thing that I think even our SC would not support, and our people would also not stand for it, so it would be civil war for sure if that happens, no elections, for whatever reason he uses.. The title of this post is also ironic, considering that for some time now, there's been a popular alternative rock band, called The War On Drugs.....

Exactly. If the default leaders of our side, the opposition to THE LYIN' KING, are not willing to fight and challenge the election results, there's really not much we can do about it. I saw how this whole thing began, with the 2000 election, and Gore not willing to fight that stolen election, and knew right then, that it would eventually lead to another election being stolen from our side.. And after this one, there will be more from the Repubs... I have zero doubt that Musk electronically manipulated the presidential election results of every swing state last time..

No worries, Michele, a lot of us, including me, have struggled with navigating the site and setting up our profiles. So your comment being placed in this thread is just fine. What matters is that you're here, and we're getting to hear from you and to begin getting to know who you are.. Tom [moved here from other thread] Sheesh, I'm feeling so sad, cynical and hopeless today, but then again, it's also at least partly because I just found out that a woman I met at a speed dating event in Oct., and had traded a few messages with, has been misleading me on where I stood with her and whether she was going to go ahead as planned with meeting me for coffee after she recovered from a surgery she had soon after the dating event. Guess you just can't trust anybody to keep their word these days, in the dating game, until after you've been chosen against the rest of the field and are in an established relationship. It's not that I cared so much about whether things worked out with her or not, but about having misread someone again, for the umpteenth time, about what I might expect from them going forward in the dating process. I get to where it's so hard to trust my judgement about people in that game.... Even with added experience and age, it still sucks to get and feel played, no matter how many times it's happened before to you. Why can't most people play life with integrity, honesty, and fairness, be it pols, business people, or even singles in the dating game? I know that I'm over generalizing from my experience, but sometimes, like now, I feel like Diogenes, in search of one honest man (or woman). Maybe I should change my username to Charlie Brown, someone else I have often felt was my alter ego? Another underappreciated bald character... Carry on, my friends... Tom aka Bob....

No worries, mac. Don't mind at all the replay, and I agreed with your point, plus, I think the rest of the class would enjoy hearing your experience.. And like you, I usually have my physical type that I'm attracted to, same as most folks.. As a widower, I feel your pain about losing your longtime partner, and it sucks to lose so many people to death in such a short time. I lost both my parents and my late wife, all in less than a ten year span. It felt like death was just stalking me, and all I wanted was to go several years without anybody close to me dying.... I have to respectfully disagree with you about marriage and monogamy, since I really enjoyed both of those with my late wife. As for libido, the dating mating game, etc., I have not chosen to give up, but I totally get why so many others my age, and maybe whatever your age is, do. I respect them as well, as they're doing themselves and the rest of the world, a favor, rather than trying to be or do something that isn't really them or what they want. Only going to cause grief for all involved and concerned. But I'm really glad you're here, on the site and in the forum, as I really enjoy your posts and comments, as you're really bright, funny, insightful, and brutally honest with us, esp. about yourself...

Right on, scary! A woman after my own heart. I feel exactly the same about wishy washyness. As the congressman said, "It's time to choose a 🍆>🐱ing side!".... And I take dating too seriously, or at least long term relationships, that I won't date someone I don't respect, or who doesn't respect me, as well.. Also, feel free to say more on this topic, glad I brought up something you were passionate about... BTW, I used to message or show interest in women's profiles that listed Moderate as their political affiliation or label, but I stopped doing that, once I saw that the vast majority of them were just using that as a cover for actually being a Trumper or conservative. I too hate dishonesty in dating profiles, dating behavior, and the dating game in general. But obviously most people feel differently, since dishonesty is so rampant in the dating game these days. Still I remain an idealist on that point, probably because my father was a career judge, so honesty is my top value, when it comes to character...

Well said, V., and I'm also way too old to be doing flings, lol, and I didn't even do them when I was a young man. Guess I was just too shy or uptight then. But since these women are paying $35 a ticket for this event, I would like to think that about all of them are after more than a fling, since they were all age 55-70, and were more likely looking for something real and long term, if possible. But I could well be wrong, since the way it turned out, I think that looks, same as on the dating sites, was the main factor for most of them, same as with the men, in who they chose to match with after the event ended. I like to think I was pretty open-minded and not overly focused on looks, in who I chose to match with, since I selected to match with 13 of the 21 women who attended, but ended up with only one mutual match. But I heard, from another guy who was there, as well as the organizer. that it's pretty common for men at those events to only end up with one or two mutual matches, and sometimes no mutual matches. So it could have been worse, but it still felt like a real gut punch, to be honest, tho not that much different than my rejection rate on the dating sites, of how many replies I got out of the first messages I sent to women, about a 10-15% response rate.. I also think that compatibility on religion, or lack of it, is also becoming almost as important as politics these days in dating, at least for relationships that are supposed to be long term and not superficial or casual. etc.. And I think the same honesty and openness should apply with that, in both profiles and early messaging or sharing with a prospective partner..

Part Two: Personally, I have always been honest, open, and straight up about my politics in dating profiles, even tho I know it cuts down the interest and number of women that will reply to my first messages to them, etc., but I care enough about compatibility, that I'm already pretty selective in who I approach on dating sites, within the limits of what they share in their profiles. With how polarized America is, and with how much politics is currently affecting the lives of most people here, I just don't get why so many people feel like it either doesn't matter, for compatibility or that they can ignore it. Unless they are either just after something that is casual and mostly just physical, or they are so privileged, selfish, or uncaring about the less privileged people who are getting hurt by our current politics. No matter which of these, someone like that is a hard pass for me, since my values include really caring about less privileged people, even tho the current politics aren't really affecting or hurting me much at all, not yet. So I'm really curious what the rest of the members feel about and have experienced regarding this issue. What says the tribe?