trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Underground

{{Sources needed}}{{conspiracy}}
'''Underground''' is a term used to denote a secret or hidden organisation, usually of a subversive nature, although the subversive character is often very point-of-view dependent. The term is obviously derived from the parallel with mining, and undermining of defences, both activities which proceed with minimal disturbance to the surface.

Some famous underground organisations were:
*The Underground Railroad ferried [[slave]]s to the nonslave states of the [[U.S.]] and [[Canada]] before slavery was outlawed.
*Homegrown resistance to occupying armies is often referred to as "the Underground," particularly in reference to the [[West]]ern [[Europe]]an countries in [[World War II]] under the [[Axis]], where the undergrounds with the covert support of the Allies initiated sabotage and recovery of Allied war prisoners and shot-down aircrew.
*The [[Weather Underground]] was a U.S. domestic [[terrorist]] group active in the 1960s and early 70s, who sought to overthrow the U.S. government.
*The London Underground is an underground train system in [[London]], [[England]], although it is 
seldom
 not at all affiliated with covert, revolutionary, or otherwise illegal operations.
*The "underground economy": pretty much anything that is not [[tax]]ed or regulated by the government, whether [[legal]] (yard sales and street vendors), of questionable legality (grey market importers, unlicensed contractors, [[Illegal immigrant|undocumented immigrant]] labor), or illegal ([[drug]]s, [[prostitution]]).

The term is not now commonly applied to specific groups, but is more often applied to suspected groups as a [[Moral panic|scare tactic]], as labelling the boogeyman an underground organisation means you don't actually have to present any evidence that they actually exist — in a reversal of logic, [[absence of evidence]] is considered evidence of how well organised the underground movement is. That is not to say that underground movements do not exist, just that the term ''underground'' is not normally used if they are known about — which stands to reason if you think about it.

[[Category:Neologisms]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Culture]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Categories: Neologisms, History, Culture, Organizations
Understatement

{{langnav}}
An '''understatement''' is a figure of speech that has the effect (and sometimes, [[Euphemism|the purpose]]) of making something appear to be less important than it actually is. In rhetoric, understatement used to draw attention to inverse is called '''''litotes''''' (from [[Greek]] for "simplicity".<ref group="note">In classical terms, it may be called "antenantiosis" or "moderatour".</ref> The opposite of understatement is '''embellishment'''.

It is a core feature of British humour and comedy.{{nofact}}

== What is an understatement? ==
An understatement is a ''figure'' of speech; the term 'figure' indicates that its ''form'' is more important than its content when it comes to communicating its meaning. Understatement is better interpreted as a holistic entity, which gains its meaning from its ''structural relations'' to other linguistic entities. This "holism" manifests itself, primarily, in the way in which the phonological (e.g., tone, amplitude), grammatical, semantical, and pragmatic features are combined. For instance, an understatement may be used in combination with other linguistic entities, to develop [[irony]] and [[sarcasm]]. For example, in situations where an ''intense'' response (either positive or negative) is expected, understatement offers contrast which can reduce the intensity of the situation; downplaying its seriousness and inducing humour.<ref>[https://literarydevices.net/understatement/ Understatement definition]</ref>

== Psychology ==
Understatement can be used in the psychological form of deception called "'''minimisation'''": involving the combination of ''denial'' and ''rationalisation'' in circumstances where complete denial would be implausible.

==Examples==
*[[Donald Trump|This guy is in the White House]]
* {{q|Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress.|Announcement on {{wpl|British Airways Flight 9|British Airways Flight 9}}, 1982}}
* {{q|Our [[Slavery|Peculiar Institution]]|Employed in the American South}}
* {{q|You must take a longer view. [[Holodomor|The present hunger]] is temporary. In writing books you must have a longer view. It would be difficult to describe it as hunger.|Maxim Litvinov, Soviet Foreign Minister<ref>http://www.colley.co.uk/garethjones/st_patricks/litvinov_famine_denia_oldl.htm</ref>}}
* {{q|Conversely, once tile is penetrated SOFI [Spray-On Foam Insulation] can cause significant damage.|NASA engineers to the officials, on potential sources of problems in Space Shuttle Columbia.<ref>[http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/caib Edward Tufte: Engineering by Viewgraphs]</ref>}}

==See also==

* [[Euphemism]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Euphemisms]]
[[Category:Language]]{{stub|language}}

Categories: Euphemisms, Language
United Church of Christ

[[File:United Church of Christ logo.svg|thumb|right|165px|UCC logo]]
{{Christianity}}
The '''United Church of Christ''' is an extremely [[liberal]] [[American]] [[Protestant]] [[Christian]] [[denomination]] that emphasizes worldwide faith and communion. While the UCC has a national organizational structure, each individual church is doctrinally independent. The precursors to the UCC were the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. The two bodies merged on June 25, 1957 to form the UCC.

[[United States]] President [[Barack Obama]] was formerly a member of this church, though he no longer identifies with it.

==Positions on political and social issues==
The UCC has a generally [[liberal]] stance, and maintains the following positions:
*[[Homosexuality]]: Homosexuality (and in some statements, [[transgender]]ism) are natural states of humanity and should therefore be treated without any discrimination on the part of the church or individuals. The UCC welcomes [[gay]] [[pastor]]s, and allows [[same-sex marriage]]s. In 2005 the Synod officially proclaimed that same-sex marriage should be legal.
*[[Abortion]]: The UCC has long supported a woman's free right to choose, especially in the first trimester. Like most churches, they place an emphasis on helping the woman, but in the case of the UCC do not push the idea that "help" means counseling a woman against abortion. Alongside the [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian Universalist Association]], the UCC has developed its own sex education program, OWL (standing for "Our Whole Lives") encouraging parents and schools to be open and upfront about sexuality in order to avoid both the emotional problems of becoming sexually active at too early an age, as well as unplanned pregnancy.<ref>[https://www.uua.org/re/owl Our Whole Lives: Lifespan] Unitarian Universalist Association</ref><ref>[https://www.uccresources.com/products/our-whole-lives-curriculum?variant=766210925 Our Whole Lives (OWL) Curriculum] UCC Resources</ref> [[Abstinence]] is only advocated in the context of "a great choice," rather than the only choice. 
*[[Religious leaders#Women in Clergy|Female ministers]]: Women have been encouraged to take equal roles in the UCC since its foundation.
*[[Evolution]]: The UCC's official position is that [[God]] used evolution as part of His plan (i.e. [[theistic evolution]]); there is no [[theology|theological]] conflict between evolution and Christianity; and evolution should and must be taught in schools as the best explanation for the diversity of life on Earth.<ref>[http://ncse.com/news/2008/02/united-church-christ-embracing-evolution-001802 NSCE]</ref>

These positions have earned the UCC the nickname "[[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarians]] Considering Christ" from some of their more [[conservative]] detractors.

==See also==
*[[Progressive Christianity]]
*[[Unitarian Universalism]]

==External links==
*[http://www.ucc.org/ UCC official website]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Christian denominations]]

Categories: Christian denominations
United States Department of Agriculture

[[Image:USDA logo.png|thumb|Their logo|right]]
The '''United States Department of Agriculture''' is the executive branch department that governs all policy on farming, agriculture, and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, work to assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities, and end hunger, in America and abroad. Ed Schafer was the department's secretary, following his nomination by [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] on October 31, 2007 and confirmation by the Senate on January 28, 2008.

Like most "regulatory" departments under modern [[Republican Party|Republican]] presidents, it wasn't really expected by the administration to do the job it was created by Congress to do.

==Organic program==
The USDA has maintained the United States's National Organic Program, which governs organic certification for the [[United States]], since 2002. Any food product sold in the United States that claims to be [[organic food|organic]] must have the "USDA ORGANIC" seal on it.

Beware of labels that will try and trick you by putting "organic" on the label and in some way (without being illegal) imply that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has "certified" the product as organic. Only the USDA certifies organic food.

==Relationship to capitalism==
One may argue that the premise of the Department of Agriculture is regulation of the free market, because of its regulation of the organic food industry. This prevents companies from misleading the public like many did in that "lactose...milk" labeling scare, and like many are doing today with the "0g [[trans fat|'''''trans''''' fat]]" label on products made with small amounts of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, which ''does'' contain ''trans'' fat. It might be argued that the authority of the USDA should be extended so food companies don't mislead the public in these ways, which may very well help reduce American [[obesity]].

The Department also administers billions of dollars in subsidies for farmers of various crops, which is in many ways the very opposite of the "free market".

==Under the Cheeto==
[[Donald Trump]] appointed Sonny Perdue, former Governor of Georgia, as the Secretary of Agriculture in 2017. He then changed the standards to allow school lunches to contain more [[sugar]] and refined grains, since American kids apparently weren't fat enough. In a strange [[Stopped Clock]] moment, he argued in favor of implementing carbon pricing for farmers believing that it would increase innovation for more carbon-neutral agriculture, breaking rank with the rest of the Trump administration.

[[Category:United States government]]
[[Category:Food]]

Categories: United States government, Food
United States presidential election

{{fork}}

* [[Dewey Defeats Truman|'''1948''' United States presidential election]]
* [[1960 U.S. presidential election conspiracy theories|'''1960''' United States presidential election]]
* [[1988 United States presidential election|'''1988''' United States presidential election]]
* [[1992 United States presidential election|'''1992''' United States presidential election]]
* [[1996 United States presidential election|'''1996''' United States presidential election]]
* [[2000 United States presidential election|'''2000''' United States presidential election]]
* [[2004 United States presidential election|'''2004''' United States presidential election]]
* [[2008 United States presidential election|'''2008''' United States presidential election]]
* [[2012 United States presidential election|'''2012''' United States presidential election]]
* [[2016 United States presidential election|'''2016''' United States presidential election]]
* [[2020 United States presidential election|'''2020''' United States presidential election]]
* [[2024 United States presidential election|'''2024''' United States presidential election]]

[[Category:United States presidential elections|*]]

Categories: United States presidential elections
Unity News Network

#REDIRECT [[David Clews#Unity News Network]]

[[Category:Anti-vaccination movement]]
[[Category:Brexit]]
[[Category:British right wing]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:COVID-19 denialists]]
[[Category:Far-right politics]]
[[Category:Global warming denialists]]
[[Category:Islamophobes]]
[[Category:Nationalism in the UK]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Webshites]]

Categories: Anti-vaccination movement, Brexit, British right wing, Conspiracy theorists, COVID-19 denialists, Far-right politics, Global warming denialists, Islamophobes, Nationalism in the UK, Right-wing activists, Webshites
Unsolved Mysteries

{{title-italics}}{{Film|2}}{{Sources needed}}
'''''Unsolved Mysteries''''' is an [[United States|American]] television show<ref>[http://unsolved.com/ Unsolved Mysteries]</ref> that dramatically presents unsolved mysteries. While mostly focusing on solving [[crime]]s or reuniting people, it was also known for presenting [[paranormal]] stories in a respectable way that made them seem plausible and, occasionally, frightening. The first few seasons had an epically terrifying theme song that perfectly set the tone for a night spent with the light on.

The show began as a series of specials in 1987 on the NBC network, then as a series from 1988 to 1997. It moved to CBS from 1997 to 1999, then to the cable channel Lifetime (2001-2002), then Spike (2008-2010), and back to Lifetime (2010-present).

== Cases ==

Cases usually fall into one of four categories:

*'''Wanted''' - murderers, [[rapists]], fraudsters, oh my.
*'''Missing''' - missing and kidnapped people
*'''Lost loves''' - people would appeal to the audience for any knowledge of lost loved ones (as in children given up for adoption, good samaritans that helped after an accident, etc.). Fortunately, almost every case had a happy ending.
*'''Paranormal''' - the (in)famous feature of Unsolved Mysteries. [[Bigfoot]], [[Loch Ness Monster]], [[UFO]]s, [[pseudohistory|lost history]], [[psychic]]s, [[ghost]]s, [[conspiracy theory|conspiracies]], and [[out of body experience]]s - to name a few.

==See also==
*[[Schlockumentary]]
==External links==
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094574/ ''Unsolved Mysteries'' (1987-2010)] and [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9642938/ ''Unsolved Mysteries'' (2020-)] on IMDb
*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/UnsolvedMysteries ''Unsolved Mysteries''] on [[TV Tropes]]
==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|woo}}
[[Category:Media-related stubs]]
[[Category:Television programmes]]
[[Category:Woo]]

Categories: Media-related stubs, Television programmes, Woo
Urban caveman movement

{{foodnav}}{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[Michio Kaku|the caveman principle]].}}

The '''urban caveman movement''', a  lifestyle fad from the 2010s, apparently involves:

* elements of the [[caveman diet]]
* elements of the early 1990's [[men's movement]]
* frequent [[fasting]] to mimic the long stretches paleolithic people might have gone between meals
* a lot of [[broscience]]

It is in part a bodybuilding and fitness fad.  Urban cavemen go so far as to frequently donate blood (to mimic the many injuries a caveman might incur), and engage in [[barefoot running]] and "hunting and gathering" in city parks. Because most live in industrialized society, most do not seem to show any inclination to give up their cars, computers, plumbing, electricity, access to modern medicine, nor the refrigerators in which they keep their raw venison and fresh berries (which are not the supermarket variety).<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/fashion/10caveman.html New York Times article]</ref>

Adhering to and using junk science to promote the [[paleo diet]] are also common.

"{{wpl|Modern primitive|Modern primitives}}" form a closely-related subculture which engages in extensive, ritual body-modification (piercings, tattoos, scarification, play piercings, flesh-hook suspension, etc) combined with a desire to emulate primitive cultures in an urban setting. It is highly advised to avoid this movement if you have a low tolerance for pain. (On the other hand, one must suffer to become hip.)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|food woo}}{{foodbox}}

[[Category:Bodybuilding woo]]
[[Category:Machismo]]

Categories: Bodybuilding woo, Machismo
Usenet

{{internet}}
'''Usenet''' is an online discussion system established in 1980. Users read and post messages to categories known as "newsgroups".

Usenet was the first widespread Internet forum system. Established in the days of dial-up modems, Usenet was strictly text-only (with binaries in their own ill-propagated subsection), a format which continued into the early 2000s, even as the World Wide Web came into more common use. {{wpl|ASCII art}} did exist, but was often scorned as a waste of bandwidth. (Small examples were sometimes tolerated as custom signatures for posts.)

It was host to an insane amount of [[crankery]], the reaction to which was the beginning of the modern [[skeptic]]al Internet.

What remains of Usenet these days is mostly binary pornography and [[Copyright|copyright]] infringement, with occasional remaining communities still camped out there.

[[Google]] attempted to absorb Usenet into the Googleverse through its "Google Groups" project, but ended Usenet support in 2024. However, Google Groups still maintains an archive of Usenet posts from 1981 through 2024.<ref>[https://support.google.com/groups/answer/11036538 Google Groups ending support for Usenet]. Google, 2024.</ref>

==Relevant newsgroups==
*'''alt.atheism''' is a newsgroup about [[atheism]] and related topics, such as [[skepticism]] and the [[creationism|creation-evolution "controversy"]]. Unfortunately it attracts a lot of trolls such as "Jahnu", "Joe Bruno" and "Zachy".<ref>[https://archive.ph/ggpAz alt.atheism's Trollpedia page]</ref> Other topics of discussion include politics, religion (obviously), [[social justice]], and miscellaneous topics not related to this wiki's mission.
*'''alt.folklore.urban''' was a fountain of snark, with a nominal focus on [[urban legend]]s. Today it is about as lively as one might expect — that is to say, not very.
*'''sci.skeptic''' was the ''first'' newsgroup on the [[Internet]] to discuss matters on skepticism. Its current incarnation has turned into a wasteland of spam and inane comment chains.
*'''alt.tasteless''' was an early source of internet [[trolling]] as well as a progenitor of sorts to the [[4chan]] [[/b/]] imageboard.<ref>[https://gizmodo.com/the-first-internet-troll-1652485292 The Birth of the Internet Troll] by Ashley Feinberg (10/30/14 3:36pm) ''Gizmodo''.</ref>
*'''[[talk.origins]]''' is a massive "[[evolutionist]]" newsgroup that, over the years, compiled massive amounts of evidence against [[creationism]], evidence for evolution, and rebuttals to creationist claims. Its archive is also the premier source on the evolution-creation controversy on the web.

==Not a newsgroup==
*'''[[Trueorigin.org|True.Origins]]''': True.Origins was the creationist counterpart to Talk.Origins, with (attempted) counter-rebuttals (and a mimicked Usenet-style website name).

==External links==
*{{wpa|Usenet}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
Utne Reader

{{media}}{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Utne Reader''}}
'''''Utne Reader''''' is an [[American]] magazine and website that republishes articles from [[leftist|left-leaning]] "alternate press" publications and websites.  ''Utne'' operates as a sort of ''Readers Digest'' for the left, but in a full-size format and without the meddlesome trimming that made ''RD'' what it is.  The goal of ''Utne'' is to collect essays on [[politics]] and [[sociology]] that the most popular [[mainstream media]] outlets ignore, then package them in a slick magazine that is shelved next to current events magazines like ''Time'', ''Newsweek'', ''The New Republic'', and ''The American Spectator''.  Unfortunately, ''Utne'''s reliance on "alternate press" publications will occasionally lead to the republication of articles that take favorable views of less-favorable topics like [[alternative medicine]], [[food woo]], and [[vaccine hysteria]].

The magazine is named after its founders, Eric Utne and Nina Rothschild Utne.
==External links==
*[http://www.utne.com/ Utne Reader Online]

{{stub|media}}
[[Category:Magazines]]

Categories: Magazines
Vaccine

{{fork}}
[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 041028-N-9864S-021.jpg|thumb|right|165px|A US sailor receiving a flu vaccine]]
*[[Anti-vaccination movement]] {{---}} anti-vaccination [[quack]]s and those that believe them
*[[Autism omnibus trial]] {{---}} the trial with plaintiffs trying to get money by claiming damages from the disproved claim that vaccines induced [[autism]]
*[[Herd immunity]] {{---}} the idea that when a certain percentage of a population is vaccinated, those within the population who are not vaccinated are protected from the disease
*[[HPV vaccine]] {{---}} the needlessly controversial vaccine for a [[sexually transmitted disease]]
**[[Conservapedia:HPV vaccine FAQ|HPV vaccine FAQ rebuttal]] {{---}} point-by-point rebuttal of [[Conservapedia]]'s HPV vaccine FAQ
*[[Hepatitis B vaccine]] {{---}} the not-as-controversial hepatitis vaccine
*[[COVID-19 vaccine]] — the coronavirus vaccine
*[[Flu shot]] {{---}} basic idea and principles
*[[MMR vaccine]] {{---}} covers [[measles]], mumps, and rubella; hysteria over it basically started the anti-vaccine movement
*[[Smallpox]] {{---}} smallpox and its vaccine
*[[Vaccination Information Network]] {{---}} a rabid anti-vaccination organization
Vagina

{{fork}}
[[File:Yoni2 (My Son).JPG|thumb|right|165px|A yoni statue at Mỹ Sơn, Vietnam]]
*''[[The Vagina Monologues]]''
*[[Vagina myths]]
*[[Vaginal steaming]]
*[[Female genital mutilation]]
*[[Yoni]]
*[[Cunt]]
*[[G spot]]
Valarie Hodges

{{uspolitics}}
{{cquote|Unfortunately it will not be limited to the Founders’ religion... We need to insure that it does not open the door to fund radical Islam schools. There are a thousand Muslim schools that have sprung up recently.|4=<ref>[http://m.livingstonparishnews.com/mobile/news/article_6c2da5fe-c1e5-11e1-ae3b-0019bb2963f4.html Livingston Parish News:Hodges now leery of Jindal reform]</ref>}}
'''Valarie Hodges''' (yes, that's really how it's spelled) is a member of the [[Louisiana]] House of Representatives, ex-missionary, and [[tea Party|tea partier]].

Hodges was an enthusiastic supporter of Governor [[Bobby Jindal]]'s [[school vouchers|school voucher]] program to fund religious schools. However, she failed to realize that "religious" included religions besides Christianity.<ref>http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/louisiana-revelation-school-voucher-funding-it-s-not-just-for-christians</ref> Now that [[Islam|Muslim]] schools can be funded with taxpayer dollars, she wants to call takebacks.
==See also==
*[[The United States as a Christian nation]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|United States politics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodges, Valarie}}
[[Category:Tea Party]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Islamophobes]]
[[Category:United States politicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Tea Party, Christians, Islamophobes, United States politicians, Living people