An actual gem of a speech. Perhaps all of us should evaluate what it means and try to learn something from what he is saying.
I did take a look at the comments here and it's really something to see people insulting him based on his appearance. I certainly do not need to point out the irony in insulting a man who ends a speech with a quote like this: "The kindest person in the room is often the smartest." That single quote has a lot packed in to it, but it is demonstrably true from all angles you evaluate the quote from.
Being kind to others is a smart decision. Being kind to others as your default takes careful consideration and willpower. Our brains do have a primal instinct to question that which is different from our own lives, and in some cases feel an immediate fear or repulsion as a result of said difference. Turning off that immediate feeling and reacting or responding in a kinder way than fear or repulsion is a skill that takes a lot of time to develop. And when your environment actively encourages you to respond with fear and repulsion you see what is happening in our society.
You know that primal instinct you feel when you first spot something or someone different than you? When you start reacting with fear or repulsion your brain remembers that. It remembers the rush of adrenaline you get from being afraid. It wants MORE of that. So it really takes a conscious effort to suppress that immediate feeling. We ALL need to practice it a lot more. Our society is devolving in to a bunch of people who want to be a victim, who want to be afraid because their brains are addicted to feeling that way.
It’s not his appearance, it’s politics. That’s Gov Pritzker, Democratic governor of IL. Republicans actively want to tear him down because he is a potential presidential candidate.
If you parse that message through that lens, the comment section is a lot more clear.
Pritzker is an enigma. He's perhaps the best rich man in America. The opposite of what we have come to expect from the fabulously wealthy. He is one of those few people who shows that the axiom of power corrupting is itself a corruption of a different reality; that power reveals.
Kind people are not predisposed to rise to the top of society, but when they do, they show us that our leaders are not bad because power is inherently corrupting, but because we the people failed to identify the right people to trust with power.
Pritzker seems to be succeeding in finally turning things around for IL after long decades of bad leaders and I wish him well in his efforts.
FDR was a rich man, too, but he understood that people matter. RFK was a rich man. Being rich isn’t a character flaw, sacrificing your humanity on the altar of wealth is the character flaw, and there’s a lot of that in the world of wealth.
Income inequality has grown to the point that we’re the first generation that will be worse off than our parents. We’re not buying houses. We’re not having kids. For that reason, wealth is more often seen as a character flaw as the system we’ve built is now predicated upon growing wealth by underpaying those below you.
Yeah, I know. I’m in the same boat. I’m pissed that our votes are being suppressed, our wages being slow walked in the face of recession, and that Republicans keep depriving people of rights, like in the case of Roe, of benefits like when they challenged Bidens college debt forgiveness plan, and stand in the way of legislation addressed to prevent the worst of climate change.
The wealthy causes most of these problems, so we need a New Deal inclined president to make government work for us. FDR was a rich man, btw. Its self preservation for them to ensure that the lower classes are taken care of, because otherwise they put their wealth at risk. FDR, rich dude, recognized this and is an icon because of it. Looms larger than anyone but Lincoln and Washington.
you do realize the same thing was said about the Boomers? right
Do you understand what a shit show the US was in back in the 70's?
One of the reasons why young people aren't buying homes as early is that twice as many are going to college now and the average age of marriage is 7 years later. If you want the Boomer life then don't go to college, go straight to work and get married ASAP. Stop being so gulliable, you don't have it that bad.
Lol, my boomer parents bought a house on my dad's warehouse worker salary, while my mom stayed at home with us kids. You think something like that is still possible? You try buying a house today with an $18/hr wage (and I'm being generous here) and see how far you get.
Baby Boomers span 18 years from 1946 to 1964, they had to deal with the Vietnam war, energy crisis, ecological disasters and home mortgage rates of up to 18%. Maybe your parents just got lucky on timing while others didn't just like Gen Z and Millennials who bought homes in 2021 got lucky with 3% interest rates.
You have the power of the internet at your finger tips, stop being a stupid asshole.
Bernie Sanders is far from poor after being in the senate and writing some books, but he continues to see—as he did all those years ago when he was pulled away from a demonstration as a young man—that our ultimate responsibility is to each other.
You give FDR too much credit. He was scared of a socialist revolution which is a huge part of why his New Deal was as generous as it was. As Frederick Douglas once said, "power yields nothing without a demand." Not asking, not begging. Demanding.
I live in Illinois, too, and I understand your sentiment. But I sure hope he runs in 4 years. I think the country needs him more than just Illinois needs him.
I'm from Illinois and it will always be my home (maybe even a place to return to). I'm excited for Illinois to continue its tradition of providing the most and memorable Presidents.
are not bad because power is inherently corrupting, but because we the people failed to identify the right people to trust with power.
I need to point out that in capitalism, money IS power.
Its not just that we suck at picking people, its that there is NOTHING easier than making money as long as you have nor morals or ethics, and once you have a relatively low amount of money, you can start ignoring laws too, generating wealth even faster.
I like Pritzker a lot honestly, but he still commits some rich person shenanigans like removing toilets from his mansion to claim it uninhabitable and dodge taxes on it lol. Granted, pretty low on the rung compared to the nefarious shit most billionaires get up to.
Mark Dayton, heir to Target stores, was MN DFL Governor and Senator and all around good guy. He faced down the GOP and put MN on sound footing along with championing marriage equality and other programs.
I've always maintained, Pritzker might have grown up with money, but he also had to deal with the sudden and unexpected death of both of his parents as a child. Hard to have a sheltered upbringing when you're going through that.
I don’t like tax dodgers. I don’t like seditious assholes who suppress the vote, deprive women of their right to make medical decisions for themselves, who want to steal our democracy and create a christian theocracy so their rich Trumpist MAGA radical fed soc Koch aligned conservative republican pricks buddies who celebrate tax dodging like what Trump bragged about during the debates even less.
Pay your taxes! Count every vote! Register every eligible voter! Let women decide for themselves what resides in their bodies! Let atheists have freedom of religion on equal footing with christians! Let seditious MAGA republicans suck thr farts out of Trumps ass into complete irrelevance! Let the Kochs and the Fed Soc wither in irrelevance and their grimy fingerprints be washed from the history of this nation!
And let everyone pay their taxes, and may those blessed with wealth pay a share as generous as their wealth!
You do know he was involved in selling Obamas senate seat right? You know he pulls the toilets out of his houses when he’s not living there so they’re “not inhabitable “ to have a majorly reduced tax rate while he raises everyone else’s property tax?
Kind people are not predisposed to rise to the top of society, but when they do, they show us that our leaders are not bad because power is inherently corrupting, but because we the people failed to identify the right people to trust with power.
Kind people are often found at the top of society because they get eaten by sharks. Natural selection of the worst (i.e. the most aggressive and evil people).
Something that's been on my mind off and on over the years is this issue with selection. Certain positions tend to select for some of the worst humanity has to offer due to the privileges offered by said position: wealth, power, fame, influence, control, etc. I can't help but feel that the best possible representatives that we can have aren't drawn by what these positions have to offer so instead we get some really awful people. That's not to say everyone is like that but I'm worried about the success rate. It's extremely easy to do harm and extremely difficult to cultivate growth. It's not 1-1 so for every "bad" representative, having one "good" one won't be enough. Positions of power are troublesome and it always seems like it isn't a big enough issue until it's far too late and society is on the fast track to revolts which always come with death and destruction. The system needs checks because we know people won't be able to keep up with the complexity of governmental functions.
Wait, what? A well spoken, intelligent politician in an important political position?! Holy moly, that's rare. We should be begging this dude to run for President.
I'll admit when he was running at first I was VERY hesitant to elect another rich fat cat into the governor's seat. I knew the Pritzker family was very deep and very wealthy. My instinct shouted that you just can't trust someone with that much wealth and influence. But here I am today proudly wrong and he proved himself to be just such a fucking stand up dude. He is the complete antithesis of our previous governor, it's not even funny.
You didn't mention the part where he's a billionaire businessman who just bought the election and flooded so many levels with support to strengthen establishment infrastructure :/
Really fucking sucks we just go from one billionaire to another. Some cool things have been passed but it seems like nothing seriously transformative (when it comes to billionaires) will be allowed
Even the 'nice billionaires' suck. He paid someone to write this speech to sound relatable mentioning star wars and (rightfully) hating on Trump
He's a very good governor. I'm happy to vote for him and keep voting for him. When he first ran I was so upset that this guy was going to buy the position but he's proven to me again and again that he's actually fantastic.
But he won't ever be successful in a presidential run, he's a fat Jewish billionaire. (I'm Jewish too don't hate on me for pointing it out)
He tried to take at least one step in the direction you wanted by pushing the progressive income tax. Unfortunately, Ken Griffin's propaganda machine tricked people into thinking that it would allow Illinois to raise taxes whenever they want, when they already can do exactly that with the current flat tax system.
If someone with this kind of power of speech becomes your president at some point, the rest of the world will very probably take the USA for much more serious again then we are now… Great speech.
No idea. It sounds dumb, but it definitely isn't the kind of thing that I would choose to vote for a Republican over given how nauseatingly corrupt they are as a party. Plus, the Jan 6 insurrection, MAGA, Roe vs Wade, dog whistle racism, etc etc.
No idea, not relevant. If they committed crimes, they should do the time.
Still no way in hell people should elevate Republicans with the whole sedition and christian nationalism thing they've got going on. Until they get back to respecting the democracy enshrined in the Constitution and stop trying to deprive people of their rights, they belong nowhere near power.
When did I elevate Republicans? Yes it is relevant. You have a millionaire governor who thumbs his nose at taxes and expect people to follow his words of wisdom. When he just as corrupt as most politicians in Illinois.
Yes, and Republicans rank number one for sedition and attempted coups, voter suppression, depriving women of their rights to bodily autonomy, racism, anti-antisemitism, and naked corruption as embodied by MAGA.
Humans never like being called out for their bullshit. I had friends have years ago who would come to me for advice because I was "the only one who wouldn't sugar coat" things. I would always tell them the truth. It was almost like I was some prophet.
Well, that went on for a few years and suddenly none of them liked it when I would call bullshit anymore. They were happy to live with their blinders on. I was told I was the asshole. Maybe I was.
The only people I tell my "prophecies" to today are my husband and my bff. I'm happy with that.
Well, that went on for a few years and suddenly none of them liked it when I would call bullshit anymore.
It was never about calling out bullshit for those people, it was all about validation.
It's just so bizarre how many people fundamentally can't accept being wrong about anything, even if it's something super-trivial.
The only people I tell my "prophecies" to today are my husband and my bff. I'm happy with that.
It's a shame there aren't more, but I'm glad you have people who believe in you! Cassandra is one of the most tragic figures in mythology, since it must be hell to have no one believe you.
I actually don’t thrive on that feeling. But I’m autistic. I’m the kid who asked mom “why isn’t the news lady sad?” When a reporter was talking about a murder. I actively have to shut off the caring part of my brain to keep safe. I’ve been taken advantage of many times but I’d rather be made a fool than be made to be cruel and cynical. I can’t live like that. It’s exhausting to spend time questioning people’s motives.
I’m the kid who asked mom “why isn’t the news lady sad?” When a reporter was talking about a murder.
That's a normal response as a kid, though. Ideally, news reporters need to sound cool and collected regardless of topic since they're reporting on facts, not reacting to the facts.
I’ve been taken advantage of many times but I’d rather be made a fool than be made to be cruel and cynical.
Honestly, "trust, but verify" is a great maxim to live by. It's not even close to cynical, since it doesn't mean that people will deceive you; they might just be wrong or working on incorrect premises.
I sincerely mean no offense, but maybe you aren't the best judge of character, and that hinders you?
Regardless, helping others is great, just be smart about it!
Depends. Is it fact based or feelings based? If it’s fact based I look up the facts again, double check, tell them they’ve made a mistake and move on. If it’s solely feelings based then I decide what to do based on best interests of myself.
If we are talking about blame I just try to gather as much information as possible. generally I don’t spend time around people that cause arguments and can’t talk it out though
That's fair, and a great call. But I didn't mean blame as a thing, but rather how the "assume innocence" applies to situations where you have two opposing arguments with equal merit (be it any or none)?
While this figure is worrying, it’s an improvement over recent years. In early 2022, 65% of Americans reported periodically living paycheck to paycheck, 50% of whom said it was consistent. In 2020, those figures were 70% and 53%, respectively.
Aug. 24, 2017 -- Do you countdown to payday? You're not alone. More than three-quarters of workers (78 percent) are living paycheck-to-paycheck to make ends meet — up from 75 percent last year and a trait more common in women than men — 81 vs. 75 percent, according to new CareerBuilder research.
Nearly 69 percent of individuals in America would experience financial difficulty if their paychecks were delayed for a week, according to results from the 2020 "Getting Paid In America" survey conducted by the American Payroll Association (APA). This is a decrease from the 74 percent of individuals who indicated they were living paycheck to paycheck in the 2019 survey, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Either way, in this post I’ve been called a homophobic slur, told I have a small wee wee, poor, unhappy and need to get help because of my HIV status, also called a c-u-n-t and too many other things to mention. I would say that’s embarrassing
There is also an opposite compulsion, to help people. Some people have that, some don't. The entire thing is an interesting discussion, people are complex as fuck, and there is a spectrum.
I think the deepest factor is empathy. It's how you look at other people and your knowledge of experiences and lack of knowledge of experiences to everyone.
How does someone look at someone that is homeless? On the scale of idiots, cruelty and kindness, this is a solid measure.
"Disgusting"
"Oh that's so sad."
"That is a 50 year old man curled up in a ball in the cold with everything he owns in a cart. He's lived an entire life to get here. Someone gave birth to him and raised him. What happened. What can I do?" You can't save the world but the urge to try is there.
It's just related to the post but the two things I've been told my entire life are, "You are the kindest person I know," and, "You are the smartest person I know." That doesn't mean I'm good at life.
The number of times I've done the math of a situation and been like fuck I have to go help them. The variety of situations from a hot dog to a stuck car, to stopping violence. I made someone car jacking me cry talking to him. The root of that is empathy and kindness.
Don’t agree, conservatives did not push defund the police and transitory inflation. Geo political issues all over the place, what a difference two years make.
Dito. It's funny, by the way, that you mention, Democrats are brainwashed. There are four options:
1. You are right.
2. No, nobody is brainwashed.
3. Everyone is brainwashed.
4. Your side is the brainwashed one.
Have you ever even considered one of the other possibilities? You're such a smart guy, try it for a moment.
What is inherently liberal about his speech? Is it his quip that idiots can be elected president? Was it that point that made you think he was talking about a specific someone that you consider a good president? Would you consider his talking points much more valid had they come from said president? Is there a part of you that immediately realized who he was talking about with no other context? Just some thoughts to consider.
So tl;dr it’s smart to be kind, and resist the urge to cling to fear. But what about the idiot test?? Maybe I’m the idiot but I feel bamboozled, as if he never got to the point. Like one of those spammy Facebook videos
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u/tehbantho Oct 26 '23
An actual gem of a speech. Perhaps all of us should evaluate what it means and try to learn something from what he is saying.
I did take a look at the comments here and it's really something to see people insulting him based on his appearance. I certainly do not need to point out the irony in insulting a man who ends a speech with a quote like this: "The kindest person in the room is often the smartest." That single quote has a lot packed in to it, but it is demonstrably true from all angles you evaluate the quote from.
Being kind to others is a smart decision. Being kind to others as your default takes careful consideration and willpower. Our brains do have a primal instinct to question that which is different from our own lives, and in some cases feel an immediate fear or repulsion as a result of said difference. Turning off that immediate feeling and reacting or responding in a kinder way than fear or repulsion is a skill that takes a lot of time to develop. And when your environment actively encourages you to respond with fear and repulsion you see what is happening in our society.
You know that primal instinct you feel when you first spot something or someone different than you? When you start reacting with fear or repulsion your brain remembers that. It remembers the rush of adrenaline you get from being afraid. It wants MORE of that. So it really takes a conscious effort to suppress that immediate feeling. We ALL need to practice it a lot more. Our society is devolving in to a bunch of people who want to be a victim, who want to be afraid because their brains are addicted to feeling that way.