Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
from the the-votes-are-in dept
This week, our first place winner on the insightful side is an anonymous reply to a complaint about Biden sinking the ship of the US:
- lowest unemployment in 50 years
- producing highest amounts of US oil ever
- stock market closing with all-time record highs
- GDP expanding greater than forecast
- wages are rising
- employees are unionizing
- inflation is lessening more than any other G8 country
How is that a ship wreak?
Racking up the votes for second place, it’s an anonymous comment about lessons from the Vice Media collapse:
That’s the root of 90% of our problems as a nation. Quarter-to-quarter profit-seeking has created an overarching American cultural institution that rewards incompetent, fail-upward brunchlords to the detriment of broader society.
For editor’s choice on the insightful side, we start out with a comment from MrWilson in reply to another comment that was throwing a lot of terminology around in defense of social media laws in Texas and Florida:
First, you’re conflating antitrust with common carrier status.
Second, which antitrust case are you referring to? The Epic case that isn’t about all the different services you’re referring to and only about the mobile app marketplace? Or the United States v. Google LLC case that is still in progress?
Third, Google hasn’t been adjudicated as a common carrier. Ohio is trying to argue that in a case that hasn’t gone to trial yet.
You’re just throwing words together and hoping nobody else knows as little as you do about the topics you’re pretending to reference.
Next, it’s Rocky with thoughts on the language used in the AELP brief about Texas’s law:
It’s interesting how disingenuously they use the phrase “open-access” when in reality you can’t use a social media service without accepting a TOS/AUP and were the service reserves the right to decide what is acceptable.
Just like how you can’t place an ad in newsprint without first accepting a TOS/AUP and were the editor/news-org reserves the right to decide what is acceptable.
They are intentionally conflating “open-access” with “open-use” to muddy the waters, ie almost all social media allows open-access so the general public can read posts without logging in, there are some small social media sites that allows “open-use” as in posting anonymously or without accepting a TOS/AUP, but there is no social media with a larger userbase that allows that.
Over on the funny side, our first place winner is an anonymous clapback to another commenter:
It’s always funny when somebody comes here to proclaim how smart they are and how wrong everybody else is…
But then constantly looses the battle with a fucking spam filter.
In second place, it’s kallethen with a comment about the troubles of the guy who created a deepfake Biden robocall:
I think we found the next contestant for the F.A.F.O. olympics.
For editor’s choice on the funny side, we’ll start out with one more comment on that post, in which rimshot, please answered a question the post asked about just what consequences the guy would face:
I called him and asked. Biden said it wouldn’t be a problem.
Finally, it’s That Anonymous Coward with a message to one particular SCOTUS judge regarding the social media laws:
Dear Clarence,
Let me make this so simple even you can’t screw it up.
These laws are akin to Congress holding YOU in contempt of Congress & trying to impeach you for the wacky shit your wife says.
Get it? Got it? Good.
That’s all for this week, folks!


Comments on “Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt”
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it.
Here's the problem with Biden:
The problem is that those results are not because of Biden running the show but rather implementing the decisions of experts. So this is not to his credit.
In contrast, Trump would ignore all the experts and make decisions according to his stable genius, the genius that keeps employing people and firing them at unprecedented rate after always having known how incompetent they are compared to him. And because of their incompetence, anything good that may have happened is to Trump’s credit while everything bad is because of all the incompetents he keeps firing.
That is how Biden has a mottled record that just happens to randomly include a number of all-time-best metrics because he did not fire the incompetents responsible for them in a timely manner while Trump’s record is impeccable.
Get it? If so, you are one of a number of proud patriots likely to shape the future of the United States of America in the next election.
I think there is even a Unicode character describing that shape: let me look it up. Ah, here it is: 💩
Re: How is that a ship wreak?
How can you not recognize that things are going to hell in a hand-basket. Obviously, you haven’t been listening to Trump explaining about unions.
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just flag David’s comments so the filter can hide them
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Okay. So:
If Biden hires experts, implements their recommendations he doesn’t get the credit. If there are failures, then that’s on Biden.
Trump on the other hand hires incompetents, so any successes are Trumps, and all failures are the blame of the terrible people he decided to hire.
Heads you lose, tails I win. Smells like bullshit to me. Thanks for weighing in.
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Sure, but desensitizing is progressing rapidly. Maggots are the new upper class.
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hello magat clown 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
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You did understand that the post you were replying to was satire, right?
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just flag davids comments
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You sound like a deranged Democratic Party Operative (DPO), like the site owner.
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Better start getting used to your clitty cage, soy boy.
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Herman I know therapy is expensive, but replying to yourself isn’t helping with all of your numerous mental health issues.
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Joke’s on you, access to hormone therapy is only going to increase.
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Biden listening to experts is literally what the president should be doing. No individual can be an expert in everything. Trump is an expert in nothing but self-aggrandizement and bullshit. And Trump loses credit for having hired incompetent people in the first place.
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That gets him the vote of the white mansplainers. And they are a voting majority in the U.S. once they manage to sufficiently disqualify and discourage others from voting, and offset all of that evasive Democratic vote count cheating that the courts are turning a blind eye to just because of a lack of evidence.
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ok trump supporter
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laughs at majority trumpers are not majority that you think they are lmao
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flag this low life trumper until they are hidden
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shut the fuck up mega loser
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You forgot the word ‘arguable’. The evidence is there, just nothing that a court will accept as presentable.
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laughs at the word majority no way there majority
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just flag davids comments
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Actually, those results are not because of Biden running the show like a one-man band the way Trump tried to, but rather implementing the recommendations of experts the way any good leader does. So this is absolutely to his credit.
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You sound like a foreigner or expat or otherwise out of touch with the reality distortion field in the U.S. At any rate, your opinion may make sense but it doesn’t cast votes.
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At least I don’t sound like a detractor.
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Poe’s law in full effect on this thread here…
I’ll admit you had me until the emoji. Bravo.
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I simply cannot believe what it takes until people will stop taking me at face value or until people understand Trump is not joking.
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Sorry, David. I guess the regulars on here just don’t have sufficient reading comprehension to see the clear satire in your comment.
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Don’t worry, prog-tards: Big Daddy Trump will guide this nation forward with a strong hand starting next year!
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“ prog-tards”
Who’s you steal that from. Cause you sure as shit aren’t smart or clever enough to come up with it on your own.
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“…with a strong pussy grabbing hand starting next year!”
Fixed that for you.
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just flag them there a dumbass magat
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Release your grip on your dick and you can do that too!
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🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡 ok homophobe
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Please explain…or stfu
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ok troll 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
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can you help us flag davids comments
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I thought the acknowledged term was “lib-tard.” (At least that’s the one I’ve heard before.)
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“Proglodyte” also works.
To much, way to much.
As to Biden comment:
Unemployment? Gov. fakes those, has for YEARS, its Usually about 2-3 times those numbers. And mostly in Cities.
US OIL?? LMAO. WE CAN produce our own. But the excuse it that it has to much Sufer in it, so well SELL IT to other countries FOR PROFIT, Then (Until we pissed off S. America) we goto other countries(last I heard, before the war) it was Russia.(THATS A LONG STORY)(Starts in Afghanistan, 1980)
Stock Market? LMAO, Please dont make me laugh, Please STOP.. NO MORE PLEASE.
Hasnt been regulated for over 30 years, and the gov. is scared because the Corps have MORE lawyers.
Look this up. Most Current Stock give no Portion of ownership to the common purchaser. Only internal Stocks have ownership. And they LOVE raising Property taxes as then they can RE-ESTIMATE the value of the corp.(think about that)
GDP? When you make a Penny worth a penny again, I will Applaud. At this time we could save TONS by getting rid of the penny and nickle.
Wages? Based on the BLS, only 5% of the nation pays min wage. THAT IS FEDERAL min wage. they dont Count STATE min wage. More states are raising Min wage to LIVING wage, $10-15 per hour Min. Each state is different.
Unions? How to beat Unions? As a state, Pass Better working laws, and wages. STOMP THAT UNION IN THE GROUND. As a Company, SAME, Offer a few benefits better then the union (until the Union goes away). But do remember, retirement, seniority? and other features of unions ARE NOT THERE.
Inflation? You aint lived threw it more then 1 time, then you dont know how this works. They INFLATE the prices(not us) Then Slowly lower them, until they can find a Better profit point. Happens Most times when there is a LArge Wage increase.. NOW IF the Gov. riase wages YEARLY OR EVERY OTHER YEAR.. In the last 5 years, that $7 per hour SHOULD BE OVER $10 NOW.
Love the Internet fight. 1 side demands Freedom of ALL speech and the others want a regulation so THEY can control whats being said. then we have the old reg’s about Certain WORDS to be said, and certain Pictures NOT to be posted of Sent over the phones.
then the Congress would rather Yell and bitch, then LISTEN to the owners of the corps on the net.
Dear Clarence,
Take the Bribe from John Oliver. ITS WORTH IT.
had a nice post.
But I clicked Post, and it went poof.
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Next time click the back arrow and it will still be there.
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First place Insightful is a post with claims which are marginal. Unemployment rate is low but still very slightly higher now than the best Trump month, oil production is up like 2-3% from Dec 2019, the stock market is indeed at an all time high but that’s true most years, inflation-adjusted wages were lower in Jan 2024 than Jan 2020, unionization rate is slightly lower now than under any Trump year, and there’s been more inflation under Biden than Trump despite that it’s 3 years to 4.
Come on guys. Be a little skeptical. Don’t just believe someone because they’re saying what you want to hear. We’ve seen where that road leads.
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trump was mainly the reason it got worse magat troll
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The reason what got worse? There are like six claims there.
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trump doesn’t care about the civilians nor does he care about America he would rather sell America to putin and kill anyone who doesn’t worship this deranged person named trump
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That has nothing to do with whether the claims were true.
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technically both biden and trump made it worse
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we need someone other then trump or biden
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Watching Techdirt commenters say that inflation is lowering because a nebulous government-defined “basket of goods” is getting less expensive while I watch literally everything around me get more expensive due to inflation is lol.
The Techdirt commenters told you to ignore the evidence of your eyes and ears.
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I’m sorry facts hurt your magat feelings
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You’re supposed to capitalize the MAGA in MAGAt, or else the joke doesn’t make sense to people without Trump Derangement Syndrome. JSYK.
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Insight is not merely in the words on the screen, but in the point they make. And it seems you have tried to debunk a comment without factoring the context under which it was found insightful.
TL;DR: You have addressed a comment whose point is “Economic factors traditionally used by Biden’s opponents do not indicate a disastrous impact on the economy from presidential policy”, and complained “I think some of these are slightly exaggerated, and you all are stupid for falling for it.”. But since you didn’t address the point, the claim that biden is sinking America, the best interpretation we can give you is meaningless pedantry. But it will appear to many observers that you are acting in bad faith, whether in support of Trump or for your own ends.
The comment you take issue with was in response to a claim that biden’s policy is sinking the US economy. And in an election year, claiming the Democrat nominee is sinking the US economy is a clear call for a change in administration at the voting booth. The claim the Biden Admin is sinking the US should be seen as endorsement of the leading GOP candidate (the GOP being the party of fiscal responsibility). Those who voted insightful understand that, for your complaints to matter, you would need more than minor quibbles on details to evidence the claim being debunked. If you aren’t addressing the point being made, you are engaging in pointless pedantry. Factoring the context, your commentary reads as “biden maintained trends in the economy despite global slumps in economic activity but isn’t beating Trump, so clearly biden is an economic disaster.” Its not coherent.
Biden’s best month so far was February 2023. As evidenced by (this february 2023 announcement)[https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2023/02/news-unemployment-its-lowest-level-54-years] unemployment in Jan 2023 was a 54 year record low, being 0.1 percent lower than Trumps best month. Comparing Jan 2024 to Trump’s best month is not apples to apples. Biden’s best month to Trumps best month, Biden wins.
And even if you reworked your claim to be accurate, at worst Biden is maintaining the unemployment levels seen under Trump, not driving us to a fiscal cliff (unless of course, you want to claim both Trump had been doing so for 4 years and low unemployment is bad.) Burden of proof is on yourself (or others) to evidence the original claim.
In what will be a reoccuring theme, Biden’s numbers took a hit due to a global pandemic. Price per barrel of US OIL went negative in 2021. There was low demand. Oil production in 2021 and 2022 was negatively impacted. but as oil demand increased in late 2022 and 2023, production increased and passed 2020 production in Jan 2023. You could highlight that none of those changes are anything other than natural market movement. And I’d agree with you. But that means these metrics don’t evidence an economy sinking due to presidential policy and so the marginal increases do not dispute the point made. Burden of proof is on yourself (or other defenders) to evidence the original claim.
The claim is not that GDP is high, or rising, but that it is beating expectations. That is to say, the economy is doing better than expected under global and policy conditions.
This claim evidences that by another standard economic measure, Biden policy is not sinking the US economy. Trump ran on improved GDP as a measure of his economic success. To those claiming Biden is sinking the economy, This economic figure both matters and disputes that claim. Burden of proof has shifted to yourself (or the original commenter) to evidence the original claim. Dispute over details is insufficient.
The claim was that wages are rising (a comparison of wage growth), not that they are higher than in 2020 (a comparison of the value of the wages).
https://www.hiringlab.org/2024/01/17/january-2024-us-labor-market-update/
Wage growth is above pre-pandemic levels. Most who would consider this insightful likely understand that the pandemic overall suppressed wage growth and in fact led to an average decrease is wages. We see that that decrease began in 2020 under Trump, recognize that the decrease was caused by global pressures on both ends, and note that wages have recovered and are growing.
This standard economic metric does not evidence that Biden’s policy is sinking the economy. He might not be creating optimal growth, but the claim being disputed is that he is sinking the economy. Under this standard economic measure, Biden’s economy is afloat. Burden of Proof now moves to you (or the original poster) to evidence claims Biden’s numbers indicate a sinking economy, not simply that Biden’s economy isn’t optimal by your nebulous unstated metrics.
(Accurate based on the DOL reports) [https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf], however the unionization rate dropping from 10.3% in 2019 to 10.3% in 2021 to 10.1% in 2022 is not indicative of a sinking US econmy. (the 2020 spike being considered an outlier of the general trend by the DOL). Burden of proof is not on Biden defenders to evidence a rising economy, only to evidence an economy afloat.
Further more, various union actions in 2023 are likely not accounted for in the 2023 numbers. DOL measurements of Union Membership are based on surveys of individual households and various statistical issues could be in play. For instance, Union workers not under a union contract may choose to report themselves as not members of a Union for various reasons depending on how questions are asked.
Again, that is not the claim being made. Every G8 country had a massive rate ofinflation in late 2020-2022. The US saw the quickest reduction in the rate of inflation in the g8, and US inflation did not top G8 inflation over the period. At worst, this shows biden policy had no impact on inflation. At best, this shows biden policy was moderately successful of resisting global inflation pressure. That does not indicate a sinking economy.
No president can cause deflation. not in a free market capitalist economy. and no free market capitalist economy thinks deflation is positive. the best presidential policy can do is to serve as a check on the market to resist high inflation created in the market by capitalist urges to maximize investor returns by selling less for more. To this end, Biden’s 2021-2023 inflation numbers show a response to inflationary pressures that resisted the worst seen in other comparible economies. Burden has shifted to you, or other defenders, to evidence that the result of Biden’s policies, getting the rate of inflation back under control, is a sign of a sinking economy, but that would suggest inflation is good, and your complaint is that inflation is bad. So you somewhat self evidenced that Biden is not sinking the economy.
Your point was stupid, but thanks for giving me an opportunity to channel my manic energy to it.
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FTFY. YW.
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OK, look. I’m not defending the original claim. The poster was responding to a troll. When a troll claims they are “very excited for the rounding up of Democrats and especially transgender freaks” it doesn’t take a particularly insightful post to show them up. If a poster is making new claims the burden is still on them to have their claims be accurate.
There’s no evidence the troll meant this in an economic sense in the first place, to the extent they meant anything at all. Maybe they’re more concerned about “issues” like rounding up people they find undesirable – unlike the economy, at least they mentioned that in their post.
No, I didn’t address that particular claim in my post (because “expectations” are too nebulous to really evaluate the claim one way or the other.) The claim I was addressing there was “stock market closing with all-time record highs”.
Eh. Maybe the other countries were just worse. I’m not going to pretend to know the details of the economic policies of the other G8 countries. I do know that writing government checks to every member of the public doesn’t help inflation. I know massive deficits don’t help inflation. Especially in the wake of a supply-side shock caused by shutdowns.
They absolutely could (with the help of Congress, anyway, but most of what a President does needs the help of Congress.) The methods might put us in a recession, but if that were a goal for some reason it could be done.
Yes, I agree that these metrics do not show the ship sinking. The best argument that Biden is sinking America in an economic sense (and I am not making that argument) would probably revolve around the national debt rather than anything this poster mentioned. But, again, there’s no indication that it was meant in an economic sense in the first place. There’s even a 0.000001% chance that “fast-sinking ship” means they think Biden’s 2-3% increase in oil production will cause Florida to flood due to climate change.
They used “brunchlords” in a sentence? …must have been Karl.
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Nah, he would have said enshittilord thinking he had cleverly invented a new word.
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Like you did?
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No, I have no intention in trying to make that a common word
He could, and he did. That’s what the first impeachment had been about already.
And he’ll fucking do it again.
Trump isn’t a businessman, either.
Though he did play one on TV.
Actually, Trump is a businessman. His distinct lack of success in that endeavor doesn’t mean he’s not a businessman.