Comments by "Ash Roskell" (@ashroskell) on "PragerU"
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The only problem that I have with this pro Republican values outlet, at the moment, is that Donald Trump, one of the world's most infamous bullies, also promising to expand his governments remit, so as to settle scores, is at the the tip of their spear. I would like to see a PragerU short on their thoughts about him BEFORE the election? It's not like they haven't had time to think about it. & surely, it would be socially irresponsible for them not to, if they believe in what they are telling us? Stop talking around the issue & deal with Trump!
Oh, & BTW, small government is not a unique idea; it originated with British Conservatism.
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OR . . . perhaps . . . You could eliminate the "free market" altogether, like they do in civilized countries? In the UK people can get private health insurance, IF THEY CHOOSE, or use the government funded NHS, which is paid for through taxation. This is why health care in the UK costs ONE QUARTER of what it costs in the USA. We Brits look at the US and, on this issue, we are bemused by two main things:
1) Your mean spirited refusal to share the burden of healthcare is both short sighted and barbaric.
2) What thinking person would risk placing the best interests of their HEALTHCARE into the hands of one of the most VENAL, SELF INTERESTED & UNTRUSTWORTHY industries as INSURERS? Are you all MAD?
I understand that these PragerU vids are meant to put forward the arguments of the "right", but by failing to even address most of the REAL issues related to the costs of healthcare, this particular video is not up to the usually quite good educational, PragerU standard at all. This was simply propaganda for the insurance and drug companies.
C minus:
Cover the WHOLE issue, rather than cherry picking favorable aspects of the ones you address / at least TRY to address the alternative points of view and state your views against them (they do occur to your viewer, you know) / take care not to paint negative outcomes as the "desired effects" of the opposition (no one will believe that Obama WANTED drug prices to go up, as you imply) / Unless you are seeking a career with Breitbart or Infowars, you must try harder
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***** That is one of the most transparently insecure, fuzzy logic responses I have ever read. You cannot vote for right & wrong; fact or fiction. What difference does it make, how many thumbs up anyone gets? Really? Do you decide everything one the basis of whether others approve of it? That was a very Trumpesque thing to say. But FYI, if you really want to know about a person, topic or any subject, it is important to research all spectrums of opinion, fact & history, then to cross reference your findings so as to establish the truth, whether you like what you hear or not, with respected, reliable sources. I am sure Hitler made himself the hero when he wrote Mein Kamph, but his books weren't considered reliable sources by most right minded people after 1945
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Z-Statistic
Thank you, Z, I was starting to worry that this channel was not reaching the intellectual bench mark it set out for. I am wondering, now, about the libertarian candidate, even though it might be a waste & I haven't done any research on him. I feel irresponsible just sitting on my hands & not voting & I am not disrespectful enough to write "none of the above", & Trump looks like he doesn't need my help anyway, given what the FBI just did for him.
I have really enjoyed the output from PragerU & I have learned things I didn't know before, which, upon cross-referencing, stand up to scrutiny. I want the institution to do well, if this material is consistent with the rest of their vision.
I still want to see them take on Donald, head on, as it seems the socially responsible thing to do. For or against; or somewhere in between, PragerU has looked at Bush's presidency & is there to influence the political landscape. So give us a short, PragerU, & show us your heart? Fair question?
More to follow on your critique of my criticism, but not enough room here. One last thought though. I was recently admonished by a 14 year old sofa more girl for calling her "hyperbolic nonsense" out. She pointed out that a lot more get's said & people listen better (if you actually wanna persuade that person) if you make your points without name calling.
I am not offended in the least, but I think it would be good for PragerU if we can discuss the issues & not rant? You call. But so far, I have earned & given more respect from & to a little girl than any of you guys.
If, on the other hand, you just want to show off in some way, that's just masturbating for your friends. & I don't do that
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Z-Statistic
1 I merely responded to the standard proffered to me, not set by me. So, if you were not happy about that, you should have said you were planning on getting all legalistic about it, don't you think?
& no one said anything about the courts with regard to this issue other than Trump himself.
He is convicted, right or wrong, in the court of public opinion because he said he did things like that. If he was telling the truth, then HE IS guilty of sexual assault WHICH IS a felony. If he was lying about it, he is demonstrating that he thinks that getting away with sexual assault is in some twisted Trumpette reality, A GOOD THING!?!?
2 I doubt, from all of the facts & evidence I have been able to gather, that there was any INTENTION on Hillary's part to break the law. That doesn't mean she is not an idiot & unfit for office, so indict her! Be my guest!
However, if Trump was convicted (BY YOUR STANDARD, NOT MINE) for sexual assault, he would be a felon & in jail. The Oval Office just aint that big.
3 I must apologise here, I did not have a clue as to your point? It got lost, for me, in all that shouty, righteous indignation, without their being a discernable point or question that I could make out. It felt like being interviewed by Bill O'Reilly.
As to your alphabetical sub-categories; mostly wholly "wrong" as Trump likes to Trump. I was not referring to "defaulting" at all when he stiffed his staff, though I don't doubt that there are plenty of examples we could trawl through there too.
You say I have no idea how business works, but I've done pretty ok for myself, without going bankrupt & there are a raft of Billionaire's who have come forward to say that they don't go bankrupt & do not know of ANY WAY that doing so can be described as a good business model. Which states of the Union will he break up & sell off if he is going to run the country in the same way as his businesses, when the country is bankrupt?
The rest of your stuff was simply factually inaccurate & I recommend proper research.
Your commentary on my style of argument was uncomplimentary; that's a thread I wouldn't pull too hard on, friend, you wouldn't last 2 minutes with my guys.
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Z-Statistic
Calm down kiddo, you'll strain something. . . but not your brain, it seems. Speaking of "willfully ignorant," may I quote an authority, by the name of Z-Statistic:
"Everyone involved is trying to cover it up" Hmmm . . . Let's see, that would be the FBI department who wrote to congress yesterday to inform them, inaccurately as it happens, (but that's just an interesting aside) that they are reopening the Email Inquiry, would it? They, I'm sure, would have to be included in that definition of "everybody," right? They were a couple of days ago?
You conspiracy nut-jobs (may I call you "nut job"? I feel I'm getting to know you now) tickle me pink. The more shaky your argument, the more legalistic & abusive you get. You're not ACTUALLY Bill O'Reilly, are you?
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Z-Statistic
Look. On the whole "should Hillary be tried" thing, you are preaching to the choir, OK? You'll get no argument from me. But, when I hear this; "the whole prevailing theory . . ." stuff, I think, "theory schmeory!"
I have been involved in a lot of situations like this (not with the FBI, I hasten to add) & you MAY BE RIGHT, but you are not looking at it from the "humans are just a bit rubbish" standpoint. You half said it yourself. There are guys & their spouses, all inappropriately close in their professional & personal interests, with blurred ideas about where the line is, until people from the outside see what's happening & shout, "You guys are way over the line!"
Bear with me while I run a scenario past you. & I will weigh your view equally carefully:
Comey, despite his wife's job, is a paid up republican. Did you know that? silly Q I guess, you're pretty up on all this.
His reputation in law enforcement is as a straight arrow, down the line &, before all of this, that was also the view on both sides of The House. Not just squeaky clean, but Kevin Costner in The Untouchables kinda guy.
Then he's being thrown to the wolves by both sides & did not come out of his congressional meeting smelling of roses, so he's furious.
The one thing a cop relies on (particularly a senior cop, in charge of one of the most prestigious policing organisations IN THE WORLD) is his reputation & his was exceptional, until he got tainted by the politicians. He did his best, that wasn't good enough.
THEN: 2 days ago, he's handed this evidence (whatever it is; damning, suspicious or just don't know) & thinks to himself, "Chrissakes!"
"After getting burned last time, I am not sticking my neck out for anyone. I could sit on it, so as not to be seen trying to influence an election? The right will, quite correctly, say that my decision DID influence the election. But, if I notify congress right away, the left will cry "sabotage!" Well, to hell with all of them! I'll do my job & let the chips fall where they may. They took my good name so I don't owe anybody anything! But I'll be damned if I ever give them good cause to try!
That's the more realistic, human reality that I see. & HE probably has no clue as to whether the stuff he has is even important. How could he? There are thousands of emails to go through. I think he did the right thing. But I don't believe that there was EVER a cover up. The FBI is way past its J Edgar Hoover days, thankfully.
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Z-Statistic
I could see that. Or something like that. Guys like Comey, trust me I know about this, would rather take a silenced 22 to the brain stem on a dark night, or spend a year having their 'nads tazed in Guantanamo Bay, before they would let the public see their painstakingly built reputation (their live's work) torn to shreds.
Maybe they pressured him, his family? They are capable of anything. But I feel for him, really. He has won no friends on either side, & he has let both sides know that he's not a, ehem, "team player," & when I look in his eyes, what I see is an honest man, hurting.
He's thinking, "I have my conscience dammit!" you're not taking that.
Fox read out the memo he sent round the FBI today, which more or less said, "We are the God Damned FBI & we will do our GOD DAMNED jobs! Even if they do crucify me for it!" Actually it was nothing like that at all, but that was what I read between the lines.
Maybe it's just me, but not everyone is IN the conspiracy. Otherwise, against whom would we conspire?
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Z-Statistic
You'll have a tough time selling me on Comey. If so, why burn every last bridge? Could he have not been gamed? I said he was honest, not bright, & a lot of the duller tools do have a way of getting kicked upstairs. They're a crafty bunch who could have said anything to him? Pull the National Security card on a guy like that & he'll salute you & jump into the lions den. Remember Olly North? Everyone remembers him as a criminal because they lost interest in the story half way through, but it turned out he was a dumb-ass patriot, following orders for his country's interests. He was even prepared to take the bullet for Reagan in Congress, he was so loyal, bless him. They both turned out to be the exposed players at opposite ends of a CIA conspiracy.
Unless they used the ". . . or you'll never see your child again." variety of pressure, which is hard to imagine, even in this day & age, I really struggle with Comey.
The truth will out. Have no doubt about it, & I would bet real money on Comey being clean as the driven snow, if not necessarily the best judge under pressure.
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Z-Statistic
Oh well, you don't need to be Robert Ludlum to come up with a scenario; more pure guessery here but, off the top 'o my head; Clinton, or her lawyer, or whom-ever says, "There was a classified CIA operation going on at the time, & we had reason to believe the regular lines of communication were compromised." Or you could say, "Some of the emails concerned have been destroyed under the Homeland Security Act because, if we gave them to you, you would produce them for Congress, & an ongoing operation of major Putin, China, Iran, Iraq, Syria proportions will expose every operative in the field." Sounds ludicrous on YouTube, but make the lie big enough & it wouldn't cross Comey's mind that they might be lying to him.
Besides, you can classify stuff & then classify that classification (Super-Injunction style) & then Comey may find himself in the position where he cannot legally expose the lie! It aint that plausible but it wouldn't be unprecedented. I just think, what's more likely, even than all of the above, is that Comey buckled under pressure. Maybe he was told he was having undue influence on politics at the outset of the inquiry a year or so ago? Maybe he blanched when his reputation was threatened & did what so many guys like that do & blinked in the face of a 30+ year player against whom he never stood an intellectual chance?
I just think that he is either on the make in SUCH a big & subtle way that he is outsmarting Congress, the FBI, both parties his family & the public, or he's an honest man who is gonna get fricked 6 ways from Sunday after the election. He may be the Republican's darling now, but come the 9th, they will know they can't trust him because he tried to let Hillary go, & Hillary sure can't trust him. Do you think he will get his contract renewed by the next administration? Whoever that is?
Worst case scenario, he has been looking for a way to make good after, as you said, taking part in shady dealings. But my gut is pretty reliable on these things & he's not one of those kinds of players. He's a cop's cop, respected by his men & women; difficult, stubborn & with a tendency to speak up politically on matters that would traditionally be left off the FBI talking points list. No saint. But not a sinner, either.
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FretboardFrenzy
Yup. That was me, hoping to encourage the University to bight the bullet, though, FYI, I did alter each one accordingly, keeping the essential question of, "yeah, but how the hell do you explain Trump?" alive. I want to see the video.
I'm sorry, I just don't agree with you. He has no credentials & has blatantly demonstrated his incompetence, impulse control issues an inability to mask his vile personality, even for state occasions. PragerU's inability to address the issue of Trump, directly, is a demonstration of what an embarrassment he is to our cause.
I frankly don't want scum like Trump on our side.
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Chloe Woodell
I honestly did not believe, nor do I now, that I was being any more careless about my language than you were. You are clearly offended & I am sorry if that is the case, but take a moment to think about what you said. Your words were chosen in a manner that makes HRC look like an intentional serial killer, & that is unhelpful hyperbole. The real way to bring about change in the world, speaking as a diplomat, is to get along side people, talk with them & demonstrate that you GENUINELY care about their concerns. You do not have to agree with them, but you must respect them. Statements like the one you made about Hillary, either preach to the converted or offend those whom you want to change. What have you achieved but the entrenchment of your opponents?. Find out more about what your opponent believes & why they believe it. & be open minded enough to compromise without sacrificing your beliefs.
&, if you are sensitive to personal remarks, this is probably not the correct medium for you. Some people will attack you on YouTube simply for letting them know that. Finally, politicians are human too & I doubt that HRC would agree that it is OK to accuse her of the responsibility for 3000 deaths a day. But what does she believe? Do you know? Are you able to challenge her view?
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Chloe Woodell
Hey Chloe, I am glad that you are interested in politics & I hope you will pursue it further in your your career.
To clarify, I am an old fashioned, middle aged, republican who believes in traditional values, small government & old style discipline.
The fact is, you did reach out & publish your thoughts on YouTube, which is why we are talking. Is it possible that your passion for public affairs is greater than you realized, or give yourself credit for? You obviously cared enough about babies to speak up for them. . .
I genuinely believe that this election is a poor example for your generation, in some respects at least, as it has become something of a fact-free zone for both parties & both of the candidates are so unpopular & unpleasant.
But I am also aware, from history, of how tyrants get into power & how hard it is to remove them. I am conservative to the core, but I personally believe that Trump is a monster who would eat his own children if he thought it would get him into the White House. I know that is extreme language, but simply being on the right side, doesn't make you right.
I like this PragerU stuff & I have been nagging them to do a video on Trump, because I know it would be a challenge to fit a man like him into the republican picture without showing glaring inconsistencies or simply ignoring a lot of the truth. PragerU have done some excellent videos on controversial topics, telling people things that they may never have heard before & casting a light on difficult topics. So I am honestly hoping they can say something meaningful about Trump, without compromising true republican values. Now I have gone on too long, but I thank you for taking the time to engage with an old man & I wish you every success with your education & beyond: politics or not, I have a feeling that your future is bright.
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