Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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moonshadow
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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crfriend wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 3:23 pm These are "conservatives" in name only; the sort of person who engages in activities like this is more accurately termed a "reactionary". This ugliness got its start in the neo-con movement in the 1970s, initially in opposition to the general public's distaste for the bloody mess that was going on in Vietnam. Also known as "hawks", they set out to rebuild the world in their image, and eventually succeeded in the 1980s which resulted in a massive worldwide lurch to the hard right during the Reagan/Thatcher years -- and continues to cause trouble today.
Yeah, I see what you're saying. "neo-con" is probably more fitting, and more gentle than what I'd call them... authoritarian fascist. [0]

Once the two opposing factions are finished, nobody is going to be free anymore.

I used to consider myself a bit of a conservative. And at my core, I still hold more than a few old timey "conservative" values, some of the mentioned on Jim's insult page. Now I don't know what to call myself other than to say... you guess it... "I am what I am..."


[0] Defined as:
a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

Watch this bit of irony:

Note the strike through
a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

I've now described left wing extremist. They're two sides of the same coin.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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moonshadow wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 4:10 pmThey're two sides of the same coin.
Aka, "Two horns on the same bull."

Sorry about the heckling you got in Vermont. New Englanders don't usually behave that way, but we are getting meaner and less tolerant over time thanks to the political culture that we're all awash in.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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photoguy207 wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 2:28 pm Saw this on CNN.com today

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/27/business ... index.html
" But Carnell understands Target’s decision regarding his line.

“I don’t know what, other than pulling it, could be done to help protect the retail employees,” he said. “Their safety absolutely has to be the top priority.”
"

Sounds like Carnell is one of the good ones. A truly unselfish person. Someone who placed the needs of others ahead of their own.

As for what Target was forced to do... All I can say is "so much for free market capitalism"... There's a market for the items, people are willing to buy it, there was no "business reason" to pull the items from store shelves, other than the actions of terrorist.

What a shame. When voting with your wallet fails... call in a bomb threat. TERRORIST!

And I'm sorry... no.. I'M NOT SORRY, if you feel the need to call in a bomb threat or sending threatening messages to creators or innocent employees because you are ideologically opposed to what is basically a harmless cultural issue... YOU ARE A TERRORIST!

Lord we're turning into the middle east.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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crfriend wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 4:17 pm Sorry about the heckling you got in Vermont. New Englanders don't usually behave that way, but we are getting meaner and less tolerant over time thanks to the political culture that we're all awash in.
Meh... no worries. I didn't lose any sleep over the matter.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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More from the article:

The backlash against Carnell and Abprallen has largely centered around a design that says “Satan respects pronouns.” Online, an anti-LGBTQ campaign urged a boycott of Target, showing images of the phrase on an Abprallen T-shirt. On TikTok, a video circulated showing an employee being asked if she supports “satanic Pride propaganda.” Carnell has been called a Satanist in the right-wing press.

I will say this....

*whispers*... psst... Christ respects pronouns too... shhhh don't tell anybody... 8) :lol:

Seriously though, glorifying Satan isn't a good strategy for winning over rural America. They'd be better to focus on the notion of Christian love.

Tongue in cheek "Satanic" novelty items may be okay for certain niche stores and markets, even in the U.S., but probably not for a national retailer,, save for maybe Spencer's, or some other fringe retail outlet where that kind of thing is almost expected.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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Use caution here, this is heavily edited:
moonshadow wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 4:35 pm[...] “Satan respects pronouns.” [...] Christ respects pronouns too.
What was that I was saying earlier about two horns on the same bull?

Quite a while ago (back in the 1980s) I worked with a guy who at the time was a born-again Christian, and I as the local atheist almost immediately got branded as a Satanist. I put up with it for a while and eventually tired of it, and since we both worked with computers -- which are powerfully logical -- I assailed his notion by quite respectfully pointing up that only Christians can be Satanists because outside that mythology Satan does not exist. "Therefore, since I am non-Christian, by definition I cannot be a Satanist. Can we please drop this line of accusation?" Others were present when I confronted him on the matter, and it never devolved into a shouting-match. He was forced to yield, without a voice ever even being raised. He has since thrown off the "born again" mantle and is now a delightful chap who I see every few years when the lot of us get together.

But, how sick is this place if we fear being imprisoned because of a gust of wind? Given that, I'm tempted to write the place off and place it into the category of the Irans and Saudi Arabias of the planet. It's a ruddy shame I have to live here.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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moonshadow wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 4:35 pm Seriously though, glorifying Satan isn't a good strategy for winning over rural America. They'd be better to focus on the notion of Christian love.

Tongue in cheek "Satanic" novelty items may be okay for certain niche stores and markets, even in the U.S., but probably not for a national retailer,, save for maybe Spencer's, or some other fringe retail outlet where that kind of thing is almost expected.
Glorifying Satan? Come on. It's just a phrase.

I'm guessing Target estimated that annoying the Christian Taliban to be worth the costs. You have to admit, you can't buy this kind of advertising.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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rode_kater wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 2:10 pm Glorifying Satan? Come on. It's just a phrase.
Hey, I'm not saying this whole thing isn't ridiculous... it is. I'm just saying that the way to win over rural American's hearts isn't to print "Satan" on the merchandise, unless it's something condemning Satan. And it's not really helping matters for those of us who have to live in these Taliban strongholds. Frankly it plays right into the American Taliban's hand.
I'm guessing Target estimated that annoying the Christian Taliban to be worth the costs.
Apparently not, seeing as how they pulled the items. And one must exercise caution when annoying a dominant religious sect, religious fanatics can be VERY dangerous.

Anyway, American culture is very ironic in countless ways. On the one hand, we fancy ourselves "A Christian Nation", yet on the other hand we are in no way shape or form "Christ like". If heaven exist (and I don't think it does), there is no way in hell (pardon the pun) that heaven is a capitalist society.

For the bible clearly states, you can NOT serve two masters.

Now I'm not "anti-capitalist", frankly I don't really care about "isms", but I'm just saying, the irony is flat out comical if you every just sat back and watched what these people preach vs how they actually live. The actual popular Christian description of "heaven" has more in common with true communism rather than capitalism, but don't tell them that. Not if you want to get out of Tennessee alive. :mrgreen:

I'm sure if God exist, they're getting a kick out of watching us. :lol:
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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To be honest, I can’t blame Target one bit for their actions which I don’t at all see as cowardly, rather, a preemptive measure to protect their employees from potential physical harm. The lunatic fringe out there, emboldened by homophobic, right wing politicians drafting anti-LGBTQ bills with assembly line rapidity feel they can go in a store to harass, perhaps even assault employees because they don’t like seeing Pride material displayed. Taking into account the scores of stories about mass shootings in malls and stores, Target was, in my opinion, correct in deciding the possibility, if not probability of risk was far greater than the reward.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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JeffB1959 wrote: Mon Jun 05, 2023 12:54 pm To be honest, I can’t blame Target one bit for their actions which I don’t at all see as cowardly, rather, a preemptive measure to protect their employees from potential physical harm. The lunatic fringe out there, emboldened by homophobic, right wing politicians drafting anti-LGBTQ bills with assembly line rapidity feel they can go in a store to harass, perhaps even assault employees because they don’t like seeing Pride material displayed. Taking into account the scores of stories about mass shootings in malls and stores, Target was, in my opinion, correct in deciding the possibility, if not probability of risk was far greater than the reward.
I agree, but it just sucks because I'd bet anything that had these threats have come from a certain middle eastern religious sect, the United States government would crack down on this.

If a Muslim calls in a bomb threat over a social issue, he's a terrorist.

If Joe Six Pack calls in a bomb threat over a social issue, he's a patriot and a hero.

It shouldn't be this way.
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Re: Target Forced to Discontinue Products

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moonshadow wrote: Mon Jun 05, 2023 10:56 pm
JeffB1959 wrote: Mon Jun 05, 2023 12:54 pm To be honest, I can’t blame Target one bit for their actions which I don’t at all see as cowardly, rather, a preemptive measure to protect their employees from potential physical harm. The lunatic fringe out there, emboldened by homophobic, right wing politicians drafting anti-LGBTQ bills with assembly line rapidity feel they can go in a store to harass, perhaps even assault employees because they don’t like seeing Pride material displayed. Taking into account the scores of stories about mass shootings in malls and stores, Target was, in my opinion, correct in deciding the possibility, if not probability of risk was far greater than the reward.
I agree, but it just sucks because I'd bet anything that had these threats have come from a certain middle eastern religious sect, the United States government would crack down on this.

If a Muslim calls in a bomb threat over a social issue, he's a terrorist.

If Joe Six Pack calls in a bomb threat over a social issue, he's a patriot and a hero.

It shouldn't be this way.
And if Jamal from da ‘hood calls in a bomb threat, it’s literally DEFCON-1. Yeah, it shouldn’t be like this.
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