Red Mosquito

Jesus Christ, Burt.

You dopes probably think the military-industrial complex is a crazy conspiracy theory.

Isn't that just a way of referring to a group of things. What's the theory?

Roughly - It indicates the relationship between military, political and corporate institutions, and how - despite being nominally separate - function as one unit working towards shared interests. Whether they work together as a conspiracy or if the relationship is a function of certain emergent conditions isn't hugely relevant to me (it's actually both).

As a tiny example: here is your current secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.

BurtReynolds wrote:Roughly - It indicates the relationship between military, political and corporate institutions, and how - despite being nominally separate - function as one unit working towards shared interests. Whether they work together as a conspiracy or if the relationship is a function of conditions isn't hugely relevant to me (it's actually a both).

So, you’re the dope?

It also doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that these relationships expand to other institutions like the media, education, security agencies, etc. We're not talking about hidden, esoteric, Alex jones shit here. It's in the open. You've just been conditioned to think it's normal.
Looks like De Blasio is on his way there, too.

"It's a big club, and you ain't in it."

We broke Burt.

What are you talking about? SAY SOMETHING.

BurtReynolds wrote:Roughly - It indicates the relationship between military, political and corporate institutions, and how - despite being nominally separate - function as one unit working towards shared interests. Whether they work together as a conspiracy or if the relationship is a function of conditions isn't hugely relevant to me (it's actually both).

Well, since we're talking about conspiracy theories, "whether they work together as a conspiracy or if the relationship is a function of conditions," is THE question on the table.

It turns out that prestige universities for the rich use their outsized wealth to develop prestige-maintaining associations in an endless bid for reputation.

No one else on earth saw it. But Burt saw it.

B wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote:Roughly - It indicates the relationship between military, political and corporate institutions, and how - despite being nominally separate - function as one unit working towards shared interests. Whether they work together as a conspiracy or if the relationship is a function of conditions isn't hugely relevant to me (it's actually both).

Well, since we're talking about conspiracy theories, "whether they work together as a conspiracy or if the relationship is a function of conditions," is THE question on the table.

No it isn't, though you keep insisting that is what I'm talking about. I'm only looking at what is happening, not whether or not its the result of a consipracy. You guys are the ones jumping to ideas about clandestine conspiracies. I mean, sure, those causes are important to figure out, but what I'm claiming has equal validity regardless of whther it's the result of a planned conspiracy or not.

I suspect the reason that most RMers keep defaulting to assuming I'm talking about conspiracy theories (besides the fact that I joke about it a lot) is because they can only see society as something that must be controlled to exist, and think that if things aren't planned out, then nothing can possibly exist except chaos. You feel the need to be controlled.

I wasn't even part of the conversation. I'm still trying to figure out the meme you posted 4 days ago.

I just jumped in because your example of a conspiracy theory wasn't a conspiracy theory.

BurtReynolds wrote: "It's a big club, and you ain't in it."

Oh my god, get the fuck over it. Can you point to a time in human history when the rich and powerful didn't exploit the poor and use their considerable means to maintain and grow their power and wealth?

McParadigm wrote:It turns out that prestige universities for the rich use their outsized wealth to develop prestige-maintaining associations in an endless bid for reputation.

No one else on earth saw it. But Burt saw it.

You really think that's all it is? Harvard needs Seltzer's "prestige"? What?

B wrote:I wasn't even part of the conversation. I'm still trying to figure out the meme you posted 4 days ago.

I just jumped in because your example of a conspiracy theory wasn't a conspiracy theory.

fair enough.

JuanHamm wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote: "It's a big club, and you ain't in it."

Oh my god, get the fuck over it. Can you point to a time in human history when the rich and powerful didn't exploit the poor and use their considerable means to maintain and grow their power and wealth?

why are you mad at me?

but to answer your question: There isn't a time when that wasn't the case. But how they do it evolves. It's interesting to track that change, isn't it? THAT is what I'm talking about. Once they used brute force, then all sorts of new conditions necessitated a change in the way the rich ruled. Wokeness is a brand new one (albeit one evolved from previous ideologies like Christianity or democracy). It's fascinating to me.

BurtReynolds wrote:

JuanHamm wrote:

BurtReynolds wrote: "It's a big club, and you ain't in it."

Oh my god, get the fuck over it. Can you point to a time in human history when the rich and powerful didn't exploit the poor and use their considerable means to maintain and grow their power and wealth?

why are you mad at me?

I'm not mad, I just don't understand what you gain by a obsessing about this stuff.

It's always been this way and it always will be. You may as well just live your life and ignore it.

spike wrote:We broke Burt.

I’m not one to take victory laps when I see someone struggling with their mental health, but hey, you do you.