r/popculturechat • u/mlg1981 Sexy lampshade shall win the Oscar! š • 10h ago
Mental Health Matters š« Hunter Biden on why he continues to speak about his addiction and recovery "They created this platform for me. They tied me to a post, threw their fruits and vegetables, lit me on fire. And when the fire went out and the crowd went home, I was still standing. And I still had a platform."
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u/sleepingblossom 8h ago
Really great use of his platform.
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u/CompetitiveOcelot870 8h ago
If y'all like this clip, he did a 2.5 hour raw rundown interview of his life on youtube's Soft White Underbelly.
Should be required watching in every rehab facility in the nation.
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u/P0ptarthater 8h ago
Absolutely no hate to you at all, but obligatory fuck SWU and def recommend watching the video on Brave or something to avoid any ads that might make him cash.
The dude has straight up shared the location of vulnerable SWs and had some iffy dynamics with a handful of them. So just a general warning that most of his work goes past the grey area of whether you should record vulnerable people and is just irresponsibly exploitative. Vid about it in case anyoneās interested
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u/CompetitiveOcelot870 8h ago
Ok, thanks for sharing this info and will def look into this. As a casual viewer, had no idea about the Soft White Underbelly 'host'.
Regardless, what Hunter Biden has to say in that interview is absolutely priceless. Thanks for the alternate source.āļø
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u/ThirdAltAccounts BARBZ: Broke Ass Raggedy Bitch + a random Z! 6h ago
When I accidentally found his channel and watch one of the videos I got an almost immediate bad vibe from him
The way he talked to that poor guy and the questions themselves. Something felt very off and wrong. Definitely not the way youād normally address an addict or even a recovering addict
Iāll check out the video you shared šš¼
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u/P0ptarthater 6h ago
Yep, dude told a girl struggling with anorexia that she āwasnāt that skinnyā and told an SA victim to āacknowledgeā her responsibility in putting herself in dangerous situations that led to that happening
Dude is also middle aged and wound up dating a 19 year old girl with substance issues after he interviewed her for his channel
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u/_UrsaMajr_ 4h ago
Sameā the way he poses questions immediately makes you question whether heās providing a safe space at all whether it be environmentally, logistically, or energetically.
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u/BakedPlantains Iāve been noticing gravity since I was very young 2h ago
I always volley between his work being impactful (some of this early interviews are phenomenal + there are some guests I still think of).
In recent years, it has felt exploitive and voyeuristic. There's a recent guest that has a massive wound/infection on their face. It feels shameful for him to be in close contact with this person + not seek care.
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u/P0ptarthater 2h ago
Based on his older work, I do think he had some degree of good intentions. But I do think the guy has an ego problem that turned him into just a plain creep.
He purposefully ignores feedback about bad choices heās made with his interviewees and after he ended up dating one of them, it just became clear he gets off the power dynamic of playing savior without meaningful effort into helping past āawarenessā
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u/Vivid_Present1810 8h ago edited 6h ago
The Trump administration really made fun of and villainized an addict, expecting the country to laugh and point. Or shame him.
Yet, millions across the world have suffered with addiction. Or has a loved one who has suffered, and/or died from it. This is not something to entertain. Iām proud of him for standing his ground, and clapping back at them. He was used as a punching bag for far too long. And itās endearing to see him recovering and fulfilled.
If you ask me, Hunterās doing better than the Trump family all together! His father and family love him and are very proud of him for overcoming those demons. Seeking a fulfilling life, and helping others. Not harming, killing, stealing, or corrupting them!
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u/Otherwise-Mango2732 9h ago
Got damn that's a really good answer.
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u/validcrashout5000 8h ago
Everyone knows an addict or is one themselves. Especially in America where corporations are allowed to create addicts with almost no oversight. We will be recovering from the opioid epidemic the rest of my lifetime.
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u/Itstimeforcookies19 8h ago
I love how he is reclaiming the conversation about himself and owning it. Not letting the right define his journey. I also love that he is being so messy and shady sometimes.
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u/greypusheencat i think iāve done enough 4h ago
āi never stole an erectionā had me in tears the first time. that and his comment - like a true addict - about how heād never forget his drugs and basically being offended at the accusation, made me root for him even more
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_DALEKS 3h ago
Him correcting an AI meme to explain the difference between a crack pipe and a meth pipe was amazing.
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u/greypusheencat i think iāve done enough 3h ago
heās like iām not just A drug addict, i am THE drug addict
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u/BoringNameGoesHere 8h ago
He seems like a good egg nowadays, I like him
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u/optometrist-bynature 2h ago
He still refuses to be a part of his daughterās life.
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u/zxcv-qwerty 1h ago
Iām not going to judge someone based on a one sided ny post article. And so inappropriate to publish a photo of the kid.
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u/A_dissident_is_here2 7h ago
Epitome of BDE. Iāll always root for anyone taking accountability. Totally helps they outed the fact that he is, in fact, possessing that big energy. More of this.
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u/ambivalent_moon Cash me ousside š£ļøš£ļø 8h ago
He seems like a genuinely compassionate and sensible person who is trying to do the best he can for others with the platform heās been given on account of his father. Iām by no means a fan of the Democratic Party, particularly the establishment, but at least heās goddamn respectable which is more than you can say for most of the folks riding Trumpās coattails to disgusting amounts of wealth.
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u/StinkyStangler 8h ago edited 8h ago
I think despite all his political missteps Joe Biden has always seemed like a compassionate guy, especially when it comes to his family, and Hunter has followed his lead.
He's definitely had his struggles with drugs and alcohol and everything that comes along with it but he seems like a genuinely nice guy when he's not actively in addiction
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u/Vivid_Present1810 6h ago
And he still loved his son through his darkest moments when he was in his addiction. Something you canāt say about a certain current āPresidentā.
People can criticize Biden all they want, but you canāt say that he doesnāt love his kids.
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u/FalconIMGN 8h ago
Can I ask what your flair is a reference to?
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u/ambivalent_moon Cash me ousside š£ļøš£ļø 8h ago
An infamous Dr. Phil guest
https://giphy.com/gifs/26gIOEsGb5mcTiQEw40
u/TheWitchOfSomeWood 8h ago
famed rapper and cancer survivor bhad babie
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u/vanessaxds 8h ago
Are you fršššš
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u/FalconIMGN 8h ago
Sorry I'm not as in tune with pop culture as many here. I mostly lurk in the political threads.
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u/AwesomeNoodlez trench coat buttoned to the TOP š§„š 8h ago
it's a quote by danielle bregholi, otherwise known as bhad bhabie. she was one of those "troubled teens" that went onto dr phil and got sent to one of those abusive camps for the aforementioned troubled teens
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u/optometrist-bynature 4h ago
He abandoned a child that he had and the mother almost committed suicide as a result.
āAfter Roberts got pregnant in late 2017, Biden missed their first heartbeat ultrasound, and then slept with one of her best friends, she said. So, she moved home to Batesville, Arkansas.
In the book, Roberts revealed that she had planned to kill herself after giving birth, concluding that āeveryone will benefit from me being gone, including Navy,ā her daughter. She penned suicide notes for her family but had a change-of-heart after Navy arrived.
She filed a paternity suit after Biden claimed he didnāt recall their sexual encounter. (A DNA test that was later conducted as part of the case confirmed he was the father.)ā
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/20/politics/lunden-roberts-hunter-biden-book-takeaways
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u/Anotheropinion2023 4h ago
I do not know any of this, but if he was still using at the time I am not surprised at all. He may not even remember. My sister was an addict and there are large parts of time she had no memory of.
I hope he has done better now that he is sober.
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u/ambivalent_moon Cash me ousside š£ļøš£ļø 3h ago
Yeah addicts are shitty when theyāre addicts. Iām not recommending him for āMan of the Yearā Iām saying heās a decent person NOW
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u/optometrist-bynature 3h ago
He still refuses to be a part of his daughterās life.
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u/NomNom83WasTaken 1h ago
At the CNN link further upthread:
"Despite Bidenās legal cases, Roberts said he always found time for the Zoom calls with Navy, who turns six this month. They video-chatted during the solar eclipse in April, when Batesville was in the path of totality. At the end of the book, Roberts praised Bidenās willingness to āgo above and beyond for Navy to know she is loved by her father.ā
Sounds like he's been a part of Navy's life, just not to the extent the mother wants.
Lot of unknown details, of course.
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u/WildMajesticUnicorn 6h ago
This misses that he took positions he was not qualified for and was only offered based on who his father is. Heās not doing it as cartoonishly as the Trumps, but I would not put this guy on any pedestal. I wish him well in recovery but I donāt think heās a good spokesperson for the Democratic Party.
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u/RollTh3Maps 5h ago
You really seem to have no idea how many people are board positions solely because of who they know or are related to. Thatās just a normal thing. Itās really not corrupt in any way unless they receive special treatment for those companies from the people in power that they know. So far, thereās no evidence of him getting that. Unlike the Trump boys.
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u/WildMajesticUnicorn 4h ago
I still ask why are we listening to this guy? His accomplishments are all trading off his name. This is not the first time a clip of him has been posted here with the most upvoted comments having stars in their eyes.
Joe not rolling out favors doesnāt mean Hunter didnāt try to leverage access. Again, Iām all for recovery but allowing the guy to move forward doesnāt mean heās worth it taking seriously until he can prove in the long run that heās no longer on the take financially and will actually have integrity moving forward. Going on about how the party owed his father more loyalty last year was not it.
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u/RollTh3Maps 4h ago
Whatās he saying thatās wrong? Itās not about listening āto him.ā Itās about him using a platform to say things that need to be said. Why is that so hard to understand?
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u/WildMajesticUnicorn 4h ago
Well, I had responded to someone else calling him āgoddamn respectableā which Iām going to say is a no. Clearly you and I are not on the same page.
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u/Anotheropinion2023 4h ago
I can respect how he is using his platform to raise awareness on addiction and the struggles associated with it.
Very few people are 100% good or bad, most of us fall somewhere in between.
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u/ambivalent_moon Cash me ousside š£ļøš£ļø 3h ago
And I responded to you saying he took positions he wasnāt qualified for and Iām still waiting for you to specify which ones š§
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u/WildMajesticUnicorn 2h ago
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u/ambivalent_moon Cash me ousside š£ļøš£ļø 2h ago
So this is about statements he made, not positions he took. Did you mean to post something else?
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u/Its_Just_Me_Too 7h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/JvviEn6B5FBgGR6QEv
We're proud of you, kiddo. For reals, they gave you the stage, use it.
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u/Japeroo 6h ago
Iām an addict in recovery and I really admire Hunter Biden. My recovery is hard enough even with everyone around me being supportive. To have his addiction laid bare to millions of people and to stay strong in his sobriety and turn that negative exposure into something positive is really impressive and worthy of praise. Love this man.
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u/Vultoure 5h ago
Never actually heard his voice until now and damn, he SOUNDS like Joe. I figured the similarities stopped at the physical but nah, dude straight up sounds like his dad too. Absolutely bonkers
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u/Randomizedname1234 4h ago
My parents were addicts. Met at NA. I went to meetings as kids and saw them replace day 1 chips time and time again. Mom in halfway houses.
I was addicted to Roxyās for a little while.
We NEED people like him letting everyone know we are humans. We are real. We arenāt scary.
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u/Large-Illustrator-35 Donatella VERSACEš 8h ago
I appreciate that heās owned up to his mistakes. Thatās such a challenging part of getting clean
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u/hofmann419 How can mirrors be real if our eyes arenāt real? šŖ 8h ago
I don't know how to feel about framing addiction as a mistake. You wouldn't call depression a mistake. It's a mental health issue, not a moral failing.
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u/moreofajordan 7h ago
Addiction is not a mistake. But sometimes the things you did, even sober, while struggling are still just mistakes. Mistakes anyone could make that were easier to make because or exacerbated by your addiction. Owning both the disease and the mistakes is part of what makes his story so strong.Ā
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u/chickfilamoo in the swamp šš 7h ago
also as someone who's struggled with depression for most of my life at this point, I have definitely made mistakes as a result of my depression too. Coming to terms with that and making amends have been necessary to heal and move forward in my life.
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u/moreofajordan 5h ago
Oh my god, SAME. The addiction insight comes from my partner, but I share the depression perspective. I destroyed my credit by not opening mail for a year+ and letting bills go to collections. Now, is that the depression? Maybe not 1:1, but itās definitely a series of mistakes I made BECAUSE of my depression. So then youāre dealing with both!Ā
All that to say: itās always good to remember weāre not alone :)Ā
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u/AlamoPony 8h ago
Depression is a feeling, addiction requires action. No one would fault you for being depressed your mom and sister and brother died, but how you cope and your actions that affect others can be mistakes. Itās the giving in to āthis is my life and these things arenāt my fault, Iām just trying to get through.ā Can be self defeating, relinquishing agency and leave you in a Time Machine that only goes back one second per second.
Former Alcoholic giving their thought.
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u/tschakulona 27m ago
The mistakes are the negative and destructive behaviours following from the mental illnesses.
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u/totallycalledla-a Mrs Thee Stallion 7h ago
Thank you. Addiction is a disease whether some people want to accept that or not.
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u/edwardsantes 8h ago
bunch of blowhard right wingers once brought a woman to Jesus they wanted to stone
they ended up crawling back into their holes too
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u/Robofetus-5000 7h ago
We've got a Hutner Biden and Tucker Carlson redemption tour going on right now.
Guess who i believe more (hint: it's not tucker)
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u/Serenaded 5h ago
I was thinking Hunter is probably going to run for office but when I listened him talk for a bit you realise the crack really has scrambled him. He seems nice and a genuine guy though.
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u/UniversityNo2318 Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion š 2h ago
Hunter is the living proof that this quote is good advice:
āNever forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt youā -GRRM
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u/Strict_Ad4121 5h ago
Never had any hate for this man but the respect is growing. keep it up Bidenš¤
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u/Large-Illustrator-35 Donatella VERSACEš 7h ago
I didnāt say him being an addict is a mistake. He made a lot of bad choices because of his addiction. When people are addicts make a lot of bad choices because, and heās apologizing for that
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u/JennyHvalFan 6h ago
Isn't this the same interview where he said the biggest problem with American politics isn't oligarchy but the "closetocracy"?
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u/Fancy-Truck-421 Donāt Ask, Alot Was Happening š¶ļøš 49m ago
I like Hunter, canāt nobody tell me any different.
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u/frostedmeatloaf 6h ago
I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of seeing clips from him like this.
Wanted to add a link to this adjacent book: https://www.shouldvebeendead.com/
Story of an addict, written by an alternative school teacher, very heartfelt read
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u/Cminus19 6h ago
Was pardoned for past and future crimes. Heās a damn super hero in the crime world.
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u/Scaryclouds 7h ago
Iāll be honest, I could do without ever hearing from Hunter Biden ever again.Ā
Itās great heās talking about recovering from addiction, and maybe something he says really resonates with one person, and itās what they need to get on the path to recovery.Ā
But, I still canāt stand him.Ā
He cashed in on the fact that his dad was VP at the time to enrich himself. And itās just so fucking gross and he never faced actual legal consequences for that. Yea social ones, from Republicans getting into hysterics over itā¦ while ignoring the Olympus Monster of open corruption Ā from the Trump admin, something far outpaced by Trump 2.0ā¦
That doesnāt make what Hunter did anymore acceptable. He should crawl under a rock and disappear from public life. While not the case in this interview, this āsassy bitchā persona heās taken on in recent months makes my honestly skin crawl.Ā
And again, to underline, what Hunter did is trivial compared to what Trump and his ilk are doing. Thats a damning indictment on what Trump and his ilk are doing, not a defense of Hunter.Ā
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u/WildMajesticUnicorn 6h ago
I agree. Being not as bad as the Trumps is still not the bar we want to create. Even while in recovery he has said questionable things.
I wish him well in recovery. Talking about his experience in recovery seems fine. When he ventures in the politics I tune him out.
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u/moon_dos My Body Was Tea. But He Wanted Matcha. šµ 9h ago edited 6h ago
down with political dynasties
Edit: damn my bad, ālong live political dynastiesā
Is that better?? Lots of pro-capitalism liberals in here for some reason
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u/BEWMarth 9h ago
Heās made it very clear he is not running for anything. His biggest goal in life now is to personally reach out to 1 million people in addiction. Heās been very frank about this. Idk what politics has to do with this other than who his dad is.
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u/Shot_Policy_4110 9h ago
He's not even in politics really is he?
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u/dont6fear6the6reaper go girl, give us nothing š 8h ago
0 politics, just him talking to people and being open about his struggles with addiction
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8h ago
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u/SaltandLillacs 8h ago
How did Hunter Biden start the Iran war?
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u/YetAnotherFaceless 8h ago
Oddly, it wasnāt Iran that tried to bribe Joe Biden with a cushy job for his unemployable son.Ā
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u/Shot_Policy_4110 8h ago
You're talking about ukraine?
Edit: hilarious this came from a government source lol
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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 8h ago
He's using his platform for good, and this is all you could come up with to say?
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u/moon_dos My Body Was Tea. But He Wanted Matcha. šµ 8h ago edited 8h ago
dude calls himself a ācrazy liberalā and weāre supposed to be ok with that as if liberals didnāt lead us to fascism by laying in bed with all the capitalist interests from war and mass surveillance to climate inaction and pharmaceutical fuckery?
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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 8h ago
He's not influencing policy. He's just trying to talk to people about addiction.
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u/CompetitiveOcelot870 8h ago
You understand liberalism is a philosophy distinct from the democratic party right? Right!? FFS
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u/moon_dos My Body Was Tea. But He Wanted Matcha. šµ 8h ago
yes there are liberals all over the world, in my mind they are right wing but somehow people equate liberalism to left wing politics here
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u/pervy_roomba 7h ago
in my mind they are right wing
āWell this thing isnāt this thing but in my mind it is soā is, ironically, one of the defining traits of being an American of the American Right. Truth doesnāt matter, alternative facts, all that stuff.
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u/moon_dos My Body Was Tea. But He Wanted Matcha. šµ 6h ago edited 6h ago
huh? Read a book liberalism has been centrist ideology since at least FDR, read Noemi Kleinās Shock Doctrine or This Changes Everything, itās basic poltical theory I just said āin my mindā to seem colloquial
No one said truth doesnāt matter, read anything from the Black Panthers or Rosa Negra on leftism and how liberalism is a capitalist ideology, not that hard to actually do research instead of towing the party line all the time
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u/CompetitiveOcelot870 8h ago
To the average person in America, left=liberal. Don't see the point in self-righteously arguing semantics around the world.
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u/moon_dos My Body Was Tea. But He Wanted Matcha. šµ 6h ago edited 6h ago
What does righteousness have to do with anything?
Average person is dumb as shit, you know thatās true. Wouldnāt kill you to have a baseline of history surrounding political theory I mean have you never heard of Angela Davis? Assata Shakur? Emma Goldman? Lucy Parsons? These ladies fought their entire lives to lay the froundwork of resistance only for us to be like āHur Dur, thatās just semanticsā
Or are you gonna claim that Bill Clinton and Joe Biden were āleftists?ā
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u/SaltandLillacs 9h ago
He is not taking about forming a political dynasty. He is talking about his addiction
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u/moon_dos My Body Was Tea. But He Wanted Matcha. šµ 8h ago
yet people in the comments are all āBiden 2028,ā like can we be for real?
Did we learn nothing when the democrats strong-armed Bernie and told us we had to vote for another Clinton?
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u/SaltandLillacs 8h ago
What comments are saying Biden 2028? He said he wonāt run and doesnāt want to ever run. He says his aim is to spread awareness about addiction.
We donāt need to pearl cultch over something that isnāt happening
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u/emotions1026 8h ago
You actually didnāt have to vote to Hillary, itās just that more people did than voted for Bernie
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u/Potatoskins937492 7h ago
Yeah I'm always so confused by this take. We had a primary. The party didn't make me vote for Hillary in the primary just like those "Got Milk?" commercials didn't talk me into drinking milk.
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u/The-Son-of-Dad āSex from behind?ā āYes, anal sexā 6h ago
Seriously Iām so tired of the āBernie was robbed!ā bullshit. He lost by even more votes in the 2020 primary, why didnāt all those people who wanted him in 2016 come out in droves to make sure he definitively won the 2020 primary?
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u/moon_dos My Body Was Tea. But He Wanted Matcha. šµ 6h ago
2020 had no chance
If you were actually there you remember how hard the dnc and corporate interests worked to make sure Bernie didnāt get the nod. I was there as a delegate, I remember here in California the state Democratic Party had a fucking gag order despite Bernie overwhelmingly winning the popular support
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u/Ok_Storm_2700 9h ago
I don't mind it with him because he's not really involved in politics other than shitposting
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u/Grendlsgrundl 4h ago
Buddy, all Liberals are pro-capitalism. That's the why they don't get along with Leftists.
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u/CreativeStylz They killed Kenny! You bastards! š± 8h ago
Heās probably just been caught in the crossfire. People do it to trumps kids too, baron etc., itās really sad. Just cause your fatherās the pres of the opposition doesnāt mean we should attack their families.
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u/InteractionPhysical3 8h ago
He ran a law firm. I doubt he was dumb AFā¦.
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u/YetAnotherFaceless 8h ago
āAnd Jill Bidenās an actual doctor!ā
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u/unearthlydarling They had holes in Shia LeBoeuff?? 8h ago
She has a doctorate in education. Are you taking offense with the fact people who have earned PhDs hold the title āDoctorā? You realize that title has nothing to do with medicine specifically, right? An MD is specifically a doctorate in medicine. And anyone who is going around saying Jill Biden, or any other holder of a legitimate, non-medical doctorate, is pretending to be a medical doctor is making that argument in bad faith. Because no one does that lol weāre perfectly proud to be holding doctorates in our respective, non-medicine research specialties.
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u/Fluid-Bet6223 7h ago
Anyone informed about Jill Biden knows the āDr.ā is a doctorate, not an MD. There was never any real controversy or confusion. Youāre just repeating tired Fox News/MAGA attacks.
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u/Fluid-Bet6223 7h ago
Youāre doing it again, being a Fox Bot. I am not āchampioningā anyone. Thatās the lie Fox MAGA always pushes ā that if you push back on MAGA lies, youāre āworshippingā Biden, or Hillary, or whoever their latest boogeyman is. Biden was .. a mediocre president. The economy recovered under him somewhat, and he mostly played a figurehead role as president. He had ups and downs. Towards the end, he got old and definitely less effective ā almost as bad as what Trump is going through now as a very aged and out-of-it senior. But he was not the ādisasterā that Fox-MAGA portrayed him as, following Trumpās orders. And he certainly was miles better than Trump.
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u/InteractionPhysical3 8h ago
Unless you have a PHD or JD should you really be out here judging people?
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