As I've mentioned before, I'm an outsider here. But I do keep an eye on some of the odd things I see your politicians do. Your President is a bit of a showman, it's true, but those two fellows who are snapping at his heels are, to my mind, just odd.
Sanders looks and sounds like a proper simpleton. He sounds for all the world like Mugsy from the Warner Bros Bugs Bunny cartoons. And the man seems to lack any hint of a sense of humour. He's forever scowling. I know that's a common trait of "zealots", and he, being an embryonic Communist, is quite that. I think those types of people are a bit chancy to be around, not to mention poor company. To make him the President would seem to me to be a far worse thing than making Donald Trump was, to some minds.
Biden gives quite a few indications of being not quite right, morally. I've seen a few of the Youtubes in which he seems to sidle up to young girls and purposely put his hands on them, and it always looked very suspicious to me. I notice, in those videos, that the children whom he touches all seem to cringe away from him, some even "shrugging" his hands away. Children have a sense of "the wrong thing", and those kiddies all seem to instinctively know that he's touching them in the "wrong" way. Adults may try to rationalise it, but kids generally can't be deceived about things like that.
So, why is it that Biden is presently being discussed as a potential President? It doesn't seem rational to me. If the man actually is what he sometimes seems to be, there would be a paedophile as Chief Executive of the United States of America. And while I believe that the world's societies are heading inevitably towards total collapse, surely that collapse isn't meant to be presaged by an obscenity like that.
reply
share
Keelai (31779)
4 years ago
Trump and Sanders are both populists. Both exploit the desperation of their supporters by using "anger" and pretending to be outsiders. Trump's enemies are migrants and Sanders are the rich. You were kind with your word showman. Instead, I'd call the both of them charlatans. They're both bad for the country. Trump is undermining democracy and Sanders would attack capitalism.
As for Biden, I disagree with you. Maybe it's cultural, but there are cultures and people who engage in more physical contact. They tend to hug, kiss, touch more and outwardly express more emotion. Biden is like this. I notice he does this with people in general and most don't mind it. It's a way of empathizing and connecting with people. I actually liked the way people were responding to Biden during a small meet and greet on the campaign trail. People tend to like him.
As for children, it used to be expected for politicians to kiss babies. Now, American children have been warned that all people are potential sex predators. I understand the precaution, but it's possible to make children or people in general too paranoid. Or they can culturally or personally be less "touchy feely" than Biden. I see an overreaction to what's basically innocent and normal behavior.
Trump has separated very young children from their mothers and basically abused them with lack of beds, soap and toothpaste, no vaccines, and lack of food. Child abuse as government policy should be the real concern.
reply
share
[deleted]
4 years ago
Yes, politicians used to kiss babies, but that practice has ceased in recent years, I think. And I imagine the reason none of them do it any more is that it now has an ambiguous meaning. Our societies are quite rightly vigilant about any behaviour that can be even tenuously linked to paedophilia.
I've no doubt that Biden's minders have made him aware of the public reaction to what he does, and the impression it makes on people, yet he continues to do it. The children in those videos don't display any obvious aversion to the other people in the groups being photographed. But when Biden approaches them, they do.
Their facial expressions harden and their body language clearly says "Stop touching me!" Yet they've been brought along to meet what they've been told beforehand is a Presidential candidate and an "important man". One would expect that they'd be very receptive to him and eager to be seen to be befriended by him, so they could tell their friends. But that's not evident in any of the different videos that I've seen.
reply
share
Keelai (31779)
4 years ago
Politicians still kiss babies including Trump.
The videos I saw were obviously doctored. If parents don't want their kids near a politician, then they shouldn't bring them to a meet and greet. It's normal for kids to become shy around strangers. I have a photo of myself on Santa's lap and I look like I'm about to cry. Meanwhile, I remember being excited to see him while waiting on line.
IMHO, equating a child's shyness to paedophilia is an over reaction.
reply
share
[deleted]
4 years ago
I haven't seen politicians in my country kissing babies for a while. But I admit I don't watch your politicians all that closely.
In what way do you mean, the videos were obviously doctored? Some of the videos are edited to zoom in on the children and Biden, but I don't see any actual modification of the images. Besides, I very much doubt that the kids' facial expressions and body postures could be digitally altered convincingly enough to get past anyone. I think Deep Faking relies on good resolution and steady framing to be successful.
One hopes that all those children are simply shy and wary around Biden. If it's otherwise, and he becomes your President, he would almost certainly try to legitimise his predilection in some way.
reply
share
Keelai (31779)
4 years ago
I meant they are edited in a way to appear more provocative than they actually are. Much ado about nothing.
I just read an interesting article about how Biden's empathy, compassion and humanity come across as more genuine than other politicians. Like I wrote previously, there were people who were pouring their hearts out to him with their personal problems and he was listening intently while trying to comfort them. Some of that means giving a person a hug or putting a hand around their shoulder to comfort them. Trump's cruelty is not match for that and I believe most Americans are tired him. Biden's is basically a decent man and most people know that.
reply
share
[deleted]
4 years ago
It's true that Donald Trump does give an impression of aloofness and a seeming detachment from people. I suppose being raised filthy rich could instil that attitude in most people. Riches, like power, does corrupt. I notice he tries to offset it by extravagant public praise of people whom he supports. But I suppose if a politician doesn't do that, it's noted as a mark against him.
I've watched some of Joe Biden's speeches. Like all Left politicians he plays the part of a "champion of the common people", and he does that as well as any other. Certainly he performs it far better than Sanders, who's the farthest Left of them all, yet comes across as utterly lacking in any human emotion except that tiresome staple of the Socialist, "eternal outrage". It worked for Lenin because the Russian populace was ready for it. But Sanders is speaking to modern Americans, the most comfortable and affluent people in the world. I wonder that anyone listens to him, the silly sod.
One thing that Trump does right is to not try to clothe himself in false humility, and disguise his wealth. All your politicians seem to be dripping with money, yet Trump seems to be the only one who doesn't pretend otherwise. Even Bernie Sanders, that embryonic Communist, has wealth.
Still, I suppose people won't choose a poor man to be their Leader, in any country.
reply
share
Keelai (31779)
4 years ago
Trump is a sociopath and narcissist. Part of his brand is to market himself as a business success and super wealthy person. A lot of it is a lie since he lives off credit and isn't as rich as he'd like people to think.
I wasn't talking about Biden's speeches. He was just talking individually with a few supporters and I closely watched their body language. Biden suffered a lot of lost so he's able to relate to other people who are suffering and vice versa.
"But Sanders is speaking to modern Americans, the most comfortable and affluent people in the world."
There are plenty of Americans who feel they are struggling financially. Health care, housing, college and daycare are unaffordable. The middle-class believe they are losing ground. College grads can't find good paying jobs. Many people are angry. Both Trump and Sanders are populists who brand themselves as fighting for common people against the elites and establishment which is laughable. They both use "eternal outrage" to tap into the anger of struggling people. Neither one has real plans to help anyone but themselves.
reply
share