No! I’m treating it as an ethics issue. If she’s serious, she need to mocked, derided and defeated. If she’s joking, we need to give her a break. and if she’s this big an idiot and has been in Congress this long…..
Don’t think they are morons. But I do think many of them need to consult a qualified Physician on how to manage early onset Alzheimer’s. Both parties have too many people that really don’t know what day-to-day life is like for the average basket of deplorables. Rep Waters likely doesn’t know what she is saying. Being a Senior I believe I understand their capabilities.
I’m tending that way too. It’s a Trumpish tweet, no? If one thinks she’s that much of an idiot, then it is plausible that she means this. If not, it pretty much has to be a joke. The problem is that her impeachment chants are almost as unmoored to reality, and she isn’t kidding with those.
Alright, so I’m going to go a little off P.C. for a moment because I think it’s necessary.
Ever notice how individual women sometimes say “Women are…” and then make vast generalizations about their fellow women. Did she get elected spokesperson for all women?
Men rarely do this. I would never say “Men are sick of Maxine Walters.” How would I know? I didn’t poll them all. I assume she didn’t either.
I’m not sure it goes all the way to an ethics violation, but it seems both arrogant and disrespectful.
It’s totally unfair, because we get in trouble when we say things like “Women are more fit to prepare meals, keep house and engage in secretarial work”.
I wasn’t even really focusing on the double standard, but taking the language and analyzing it on its own.
Even if there weren’t an example of a double standard, it’s hard to see an individual with character making such broad general statements as Ms. Waters. It reeks of arrogance and narcissism.
I can speak for all women because I am smart enough to understand what all women are thinking, and I am important enough to nominate myself as their spokesperson.
There probably should have been a choice on the poll for “Maxine is an arrogant narcissist.”
Also, I hate exclusive language, which probably comes from working two years with the intellectually disabled. While there, two of the individuals I worked for were husband and wife, and the husband (now deceased) who had suffered a traumatic brain injury while very young was a 10x better husband than I could ever be. It took the agency I worked with about five years to get him to learn to write his name, but his character for compassion and caring had an awesome depth to it. So, I don’t like “every” statements based on that experience. When we say, everybody can learn to read and write, we’re saying, whether we mean to or not, that individuals like the deceased husband who I worked for are not part of “everybody.” I know that’s not our intent, but I do wish people would just stop to think about what they’re actually saying in that scenario. (And it doesn’t take a very long time working with the intellectually disabled population to realize that such statements do, in fact, cause emotional pain for those members of the population who can make the connection.)
Similarly, here, Ms. Waters is excluded, whether she means to or not, women who support or supported Trump from the term “women.” I don’t think that’s fair, and I don’t think it’s right. Maxine Waters doesn’t get to choose who belongs to that class, and even if there weren’t a double standard, that is even if society didn’t bat an eye if men would say things like “all men hate Hillary” or “all women are better served to be pregnant and in the kitchen, Ms. Waters’ statement still wouldn’t sit right with me. It’s too arrogant; it’s too narcissistic.
Of course, it won’t be roundly condemned because society has become so arrogant and narcissistic itself, that there is, unfortunately, a decent argument that our culture can’t even recognize these characteristics as vices anymore, but that’s beyond the scope of this comment. (Although I expect we could talk about it for days).
Point well made! The other day I was trying to persuade some people that the language that we use to make statements about reality and to describe other people matters a great deal, because if we let ourselves make sweeping generalizations, we get in the habit of thinking that way as well, and we forget about all the ways in which people don’t conform to our assumptions. I think the majority of people do that, because they can’t spare the effort to model reality more accurately, or aren’t comfortable with admitting they may be wrong sometimes. It scares me.
If you don’t mind, I’d like to use the outline of the scenario you described to illustrate the point. I hope people can learn to say things like, “Almost everyone can learn to read, and everyone deserves the opportunity to learn.” The more people become comfortable with nuance instead of soundbites, the better off the world will be.
I not only voted, which I never do, but I read the comments, too, which were comforting me, seeing hints that so many voted the same as I. Does that mean most of your Saturday morning readers are idiots with a sense of humor? Hmmmm…don’t poll on that, please.
In all honesty, I seriously think Twitter is a blotch on society. Nothing of substance can be gathered in so few characters. It is a poster board of bumper sticker slogans. There has been too many instances of Twitter causing an uproar simply because so little can be said.
That being said, Rep Maxine Waters has proven time and time again to be seriously short on gray matter. Her lunch box seems to only contain flies. Her lightbulb burst and not a glimmer can be seen.
Twitter should be banned for public officials. If they need to make a statement to their constituents, they can make a public notice via news or other outlets more appropriate for public discourse.
Right there with you about Twitter. Social media companies seem to keep adding features in the name of “convenience” and anticipating what people want to do, but it ends up adding limitations and rails that restrict people’s communication, while the features themselves are just distractions. I’m glad there are still more freeform social platforms out there. Like this one, for example.
Ethics Alarms 
“Auntie” Maxine is simply playing to her base. Much like a certain president.
Wait: BOTH bases are morons???
You’re treating this as news?
No! I’m treating it as an ethics issue. If she’s serious, she need to mocked, derided and defeated. If she’s joking, we need to give her a break. and if she’s this big an idiot and has been in Congress this long…..
Pffft, she’s the only rep recently that they were going to present the mace of the House on. They should have bonked her on the head with it.
See, now you’re inciting violence from the Angry Right!
She’ll be depositing her money in the First National BONK!
I gotta go back to my desktop…keyboards are too expensive for a laptop…besides, I wasted good coffee.
Don’t think they are morons. But I do think many of them need to consult a qualified Physician on how to manage early onset Alzheimer’s. Both parties have too many people that really don’t know what day-to-day life is like for the average basket of deplorables. Rep Waters likely doesn’t know what she is saying. Being a Senior I believe I understand their capabilities.
I’m fairly sure she’s joking, though she is a moron for other reasons.
I’m tending that way too. It’s a Trumpish tweet, no? If one thinks she’s that much of an idiot, then it is plausible that she means this. If not, it pretty much has to be a joke. The problem is that her impeachment chants are almost as unmoored to reality, and she isn’t kidding with those.
You have to be a little bit smart to make a sarcastic joke. There’s no evidence she’s even a little bit smart.
Sense of humor but still stupid.
Maxine Waters has to be the stupidest Rep. ever elected. And that is saying something. She has stiff competition, but still the standard.
She is considered a hot leader of the Democratic Party! Let’s see: Biden, Bernie, Warren, Kamala Harris and Maxine. Wow.
She’s an idiot, and has a sense of humor in a sophomoric, dim-bulb sort of way.
By all means she should “explore exile” — for herself, to Patagonia.
Leave her in southern California. Please. Why mess the Argentina?
Why did she make “women” the subject of her first sentence?
Corsica is quite the tourist destination these days. The Donald may even have a naming deal with a resort there? I’m sure it’s a beautiful resort.
The poll won’t accept multiple answers. So yes to everything but #5 and #6.
It actually doesn’t matter to me if she meant this as a joke, she’s still an idiot for posting it for general public consumption.
Alright, so I’m going to go a little off P.C. for a moment because I think it’s necessary.
Ever notice how individual women sometimes say “Women are…” and then make vast generalizations about their fellow women. Did she get elected spokesperson for all women?
Men rarely do this. I would never say “Men are sick of Maxine Walters.” How would I know? I didn’t poll them all. I assume she didn’t either.
I’m not sure it goes all the way to an ethics violation, but it seems both arrogant and disrespectful.
It’s totally unfair, because we get in trouble when we say things like “Women are more fit to prepare meals, keep house and engage in secretarial work”.
Double standards galore!
“Ever notice how individual women sometimes say “Women are…” and then make vast generalizations about their fellow women.”
But seriously though, it isn’t a woman based double standard. It’s a left-winger based “I’m speaking for our ‘oppressed’ group” double standard.
I wasn’t even really focusing on the double standard, but taking the language and analyzing it on its own.
Even if there weren’t an example of a double standard, it’s hard to see an individual with character making such broad general statements as Ms. Waters. It reeks of arrogance and narcissism.
I can speak for all women because I am smart enough to understand what all women are thinking, and I am important enough to nominate myself as their spokesperson.
There probably should have been a choice on the poll for “Maxine is an arrogant narcissist.”
Also, I hate exclusive language, which probably comes from working two years with the intellectually disabled. While there, two of the individuals I worked for were husband and wife, and the husband (now deceased) who had suffered a traumatic brain injury while very young was a 10x better husband than I could ever be. It took the agency I worked with about five years to get him to learn to write his name, but his character for compassion and caring had an awesome depth to it. So, I don’t like “every” statements based on that experience. When we say, everybody can learn to read and write, we’re saying, whether we mean to or not, that individuals like the deceased husband who I worked for are not part of “everybody.” I know that’s not our intent, but I do wish people would just stop to think about what they’re actually saying in that scenario. (And it doesn’t take a very long time working with the intellectually disabled population to realize that such statements do, in fact, cause emotional pain for those members of the population who can make the connection.)
Similarly, here, Ms. Waters is excluded, whether she means to or not, women who support or supported Trump from the term “women.” I don’t think that’s fair, and I don’t think it’s right. Maxine Waters doesn’t get to choose who belongs to that class, and even if there weren’t a double standard, that is even if society didn’t bat an eye if men would say things like “all men hate Hillary” or “all women are better served to be pregnant and in the kitchen, Ms. Waters’ statement still wouldn’t sit right with me. It’s too arrogant; it’s too narcissistic.
Of course, it won’t be roundly condemned because society has become so arrogant and narcissistic itself, that there is, unfortunately, a decent argument that our culture can’t even recognize these characteristics as vices anymore, but that’s beyond the scope of this comment. (Although I expect we could talk about it for days).
Point well made! The other day I was trying to persuade some people that the language that we use to make statements about reality and to describe other people matters a great deal, because if we let ourselves make sweeping generalizations, we get in the habit of thinking that way as well, and we forget about all the ways in which people don’t conform to our assumptions. I think the majority of people do that, because they can’t spare the effort to model reality more accurately, or aren’t comfortable with admitting they may be wrong sometimes. It scares me.
If you don’t mind, I’d like to use the outline of the scenario you described to illustrate the point. I hope people can learn to say things like, “Almost everyone can learn to read, and everyone deserves the opportunity to learn.” The more people become comfortable with nuance instead of soundbites, the better off the world will be.
All time most votes in an Ethics Alarms poll!
I not only voted, which I never do, but I read the comments, too, which were comforting me, seeing hints that so many voted the same as I. Does that mean most of your Saturday morning readers are idiots with a sense of humor? Hmmmm…don’t poll on that, please.
I registered a few dead people to vote for a particular candidate.
Ostracism. Keeping democracy exciting since 470 BC.
In all honesty, I seriously think Twitter is a blotch on society. Nothing of substance can be gathered in so few characters. It is a poster board of bumper sticker slogans. There has been too many instances of Twitter causing an uproar simply because so little can be said.
That being said, Rep Maxine Waters has proven time and time again to be seriously short on gray matter. Her lunch box seems to only contain flies. Her lightbulb burst and not a glimmer can be seen.
Twitter should be banned for public officials. If they need to make a statement to their constituents, they can make a public notice via news or other outlets more appropriate for public discourse.
Grey matter matters…
Right there with you about Twitter. Social media companies seem to keep adding features in the name of “convenience” and anticipating what people want to do, but it ends up adding limitations and rails that restrict people’s communication, while the features themselves are just distractions. I’m glad there are still more freeform social platforms out there. Like this one, for example.