The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

This forum is for talking about non-music-related stuff that the DBT fanbase might be interested in. This is not the place for inside jokes and BS. Take that crap to some other board.

Moderators: Jonicont, mark lynn, Maluca3, Tequila Cowboy, BigTom, CooleyGirl, olwiggum

chuckrh
Posts: 3000
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:16 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by chuckrh »

The warped genius of Sacha Baron Cohen:

https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/06/ ... ght-rally/

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

chuckrh wrote:
Sun Jun 28, 2020 1:29 pm
The warped genius of Sacha Baron Cohen:

https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/06/ ... ght-rally/
:lol: :lol:

Note to organizers: If an offer seems too good to be true it probably is ;)
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

Cross posted from FB because I think it's important and explains a lot about why we're always feeling so exhausted and frazzled:

n reference to the Russia Bounty Revelations, Jeff Cox asked, "If the Orange Feller actually didn’t get briefed on this, why isn’t he cutting off the heads of the people who didn’t brief him?" To which TC responded "Excellent question." To which I responded:

An excellent question but imho the wrong question. The right question is “so what?” Anything else plays into the lunatic alternative world that trump constantly tries to create; the one in which we think we have to respond to irrelevancies and nonsequiturs which require us to ignore all that our lifetimes on the planet are screaming at us. In this case that would be something like this: These events happened, there doesn’t seem to be any doubt about that. They happened on your watch. You are responsible. Period. Full stop. End of story. Arguing about who said what to whom and when in circumstances like these is to surrender the very ideas of leadership, responsibility, accountability and the way we know the world works and to replace them with a third grade playground view of the world. We must RESIST this assault on reality.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

I'm working on a theory. It's not fully formed and more important, depending on how currently pending events turn out, they could destroy the whole thing before I even finalize it. But here it is and you can all say you were present at the creation, and if you wish, contribute to its development.

I'm thinking that John Roberts is on a quest to singlehandedly save the Republic. I think he hates Mitch McConnell for the institutional harm he has done to the 'judiciary and the way he has dragged the Court into the swamp; he's pissed at Congress and the Administration for punting to the Court on so many issues that they're just to gutless and incompetent to handle, making the Court the arbiter of issues it was never intended to handle, to the detriment of the Court's prestige and legitimacy; and he despises Trump in the way that pretty much everyone who's not a Trumpist despises Trump. So he's set out to (a) teach all those folks a lesson and (b) save the country while he's at it.

To those who think they can "pack a court" by manipulating procedure (think Merrick Garland) or by appointing idealogues, he's made clear that it still takes 5 to tango. To those who look to the Court for cover on tough issues like abortion and immigration, he says be careful what you wish for and how you abdicate your responsibilities. And to those evangelicals who make up such a stalwart important bloc of Trumpists, he says, vote for him if you want to but you're going to have to do it w/out the fig leaf of getting the federal courts you want and let's see how that looks in your mirror.

He's not motivated by any particular judicial philosophy, he's not searching for objective truth in something called "The Law," he is trying to steer this country back on course and restore the checks and balances the Constitution mandates.

If I'm right, 50 years from now, Roberts will be seen as a hero, one of this country's greatest jurists, statesmen and politicians; probably the greatest since FDR, perhaps since Lincoln. Professors of law, history and politics will make their careers (and tenure) trying to weave a coherent philosophy out of his opinions or explaining what he was really up to and how he did it. If I'm wrong, there are still plenty of big decisions upcoming in which he can continue the destruction begun by McConnell, Trump, et al. Interesting times.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

User avatar
Flea
Posts: 4132
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 12:33 am
Location: Underneath the veneer

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by Flea »

beantownbubba wrote:
Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:35 pm


I'm thinking that John Roberts is on a quest to singlehandedly save the Republic. I think he hates Mitch McConnell for the institutional harm he has done to the 'judiciary and the way he has dragged the Court into the swamp; he's pissed at Congress and the Administration for punting to the Court on so many issues that they're just to gutless and incompetent to handle, making the Court the arbiter of issues it was never intended to handle, to the detriment of the Court's prestige and legitimacy; and he despises Trump in the way that pretty much everyone who's not a Trumpist despises Trump. So he's set out to (a) teach all those folks a lesson and (b) save the country while he's at it.


Supporting evidence, Counselour?
Now it's dark.

User avatar
whatwouldcooleydo?
Posts: 13693
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 3:44 pm
Location: Desolation Row
Contact:

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by whatwouldcooleydo? »

Image
Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

Flea wrote:
Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:45 pm
beantownbubba wrote:
Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:35 pm


I'm thinking that John Roberts is on a quest to singlehandedly save the Republic. I think he hates Mitch McConnell for the institutional harm he has done to the 'judiciary and the way he has dragged the Court into the swamp; he's pissed at Congress and the Administration for punting to the Court on so many issues that they're just to gutless and incompetent to handle, making the Court the arbiter of issues it was never intended to handle, to the detriment of the Court's prestige and legitimacy; and he despises Trump in the way that pretty much everyone who's not a Trumpist despises Trump. So he's set out to (a) teach all those folks a lesson and (b) save the country while he's at it.


Supporting evidence, Counselour?
Wait. Isn't this the internet? Isn't this 2020? What is this "evidence" concept of which you speak? No, actually...

The evidence consists almost exclusively of Roberts's decisions and my interpretation of them. Of most immediate interest are the 3 arguably surprising decisions in the abortion, DACA and transgender rights cases. I'd also add the now old but still relevant original decision upholding the ACA. There is no grand judicial philosophy or outlook compelling these decisions or tying them together. What there is is a practical result, in each case avoiding results that can easily be anticipated to be bad for the country, bad for the institutions Roberts cares about (the Court most of all but not exclusively) and bad for the Republican Party and its electoral prospects. What I'm describing is sometimes called results oriented decision making and I think that's what's happening here and the "results" are less the specific, immediate result of each decision to the parties in the case and even other interested parties but to big picture concerns.

This morning I saw that Paul Waldman of the WaPo made some very similar observations. His conclusions are similar to mine but different in one imprtant respect: Waldman sees less high-mindedness and more political craftiness motivating Roberts but the dynamic he describes is somewhere between quite similar and identical to what I'm trying to describe. The whole column is worth reading but here's the key quote:

"Roberts has an ideology, but he is not an ideologue. He is an extremely savvy political operator, one who carefully sides with liberals when he determines that it is necessary to save the Republican Party from itself. Which is what he just did.

Roberts knows that the timing could not be worse for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe, or even to gut it without explicitly overturning it, as conservatives wanted to do with this case. The party that nurtured and raised him up is in a position of extraordinary peril, and if it is not restrained, it could destroy its political prospects for years or even decades, which would dramatically undermine the conservative legal project to which Roberts is devoted. He isn’t going to let that happen."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... ty-itself/
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

User avatar
Clams
Posts: 14850
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:16 pm
Location: City of Brotherly Love

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by Clams »

Really interesting and insightful, bubba. Keep up the good work.
Everyone needs a friend, everyone needs a fuck

Zip City
Posts: 17313
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 5:59 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by Zip City »

While I’d like to buy into that theory, I’d have to ignore some truly horrible decisions he’s made in the past.
And I knew when I woke up Rock N Roll would be here forever

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

Zip City wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:55 am
While I’d like to buy into that theory, I’d have to ignore some truly horrible decisions he’s made in the past.
The theory is a work in progress and admittedly has some big holes in it (and the whole thing blows up if, for example, he rules against Trump releasing tax/financial info) but actually, no, I don't think it depends at all on forgiving him for the bad, even terrible decisions, we probably agree he made. Times are different, stakes are different, the makeup of the Court is different, the president is different. While I threw in ACA because I believe his motivations were very similar that time, we're really mostly talking about a very specific current moment in history and to repeat, I don't think his actions have anything to do w/ judicial philosophy or how he might rule in a more perfect world (however defined). The LA abortion decision is to me the best example (as can be understood in any number of op-eds today). He already voted on the other side of this one in the TX case. His opinion virtually invites further challenges to abortion . Nothing in his prior jurisprudence compelled him to rely on stare decisis in this particular case. Yet he did, and he achieved a very specific outcome w/ very specific political implications.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

Clams wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:34 am
Really interesting and insightful, bubba.
Thanks, clams. More musings:

We are watching one of the great ironies of modern political history play out in real time and, oh, the schadenfreude is absolutely delicious. So sweet and delicious it should probably come w/ a health warning.

It turns out that there is a "deep state" but it is not the deep state of the paranoid fantasies or tin hat conspiracies described by the likes of Bannon, Trump and QAnon. It is the deep state of concerned American citizens who have had enough of the dangerous and incompetent man in the White House, to the point where they are willing to risk firing and even prison to make sure that he is not re-elected. Oh yes, the knives are out and the leaking has probably only just begun (the Administration has leaked like a sieve from day one but I'm talking about this new, increased level of more serious and damaging disclosures). I don't know whether it's the recent public comments of the likes of Mattis, Bolton, et al, that have loosened lips and stiffened spines or if its more personal fear and anger, but either way it seems pretty clear that there are some pissed off people who feel the need to protect important interests they have worked to protect their entire careers and who have had enough and aren't going to take it any more. Good.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

User avatar
pearlbeer
Posts: 1444
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2015 1:56 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by pearlbeer »

beantownbubba wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 1:06 pm
Clams wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:34 am
Really interesting and insightful, bubba.
Thanks, clams. More musings:

We are watching one of the great ironies of modern political history play out in real time and, oh, the schadenfreude is absolutely delicious. So sweet and delicious it should probably come w/ a health warning.

It turns out that there is a "deep state" but it is not the deep state of the paranoid fantasies or tin hat conspiracies described by the likes of Bannon, Trump and QAnon. It is the deep state of concerned American citizens who have had enough of the dangerous and incompetent man in the White House, to the point where they are willing to risk firing and even prison to make sure that he is not re-elected. Oh yes, the knives are out and the leaking has probably only just begun (the Administration has leaked like a sieve from day one but I'm talking about this new, increased level of more serious and damaging disclosures). I don't know whether it's the recent public comments of the likes of Mattis, Bolton, et al, that have loosened lips and stiffened spines or if its more personal fear and anger, but either way it seems pretty clear that there are some pissed off people who feel the need to protect important interests they have worked to protect their entire careers and who have had enough and aren't going to take it any more. Good.
I hope you are on the right track, btb. It feels like the tide may be slowly turning. But, I'm not optimistic about optimism these days. Having even a modicum of faith in anyone remotely affiliated with the letter "R" is something that I've been burned on too many times.
Love each other, Motherfuckers!

User avatar
cortez the killer
Posts: 15456
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:22 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by cortez the killer »

beantownbubba wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 1:06 pm
Clams wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:34 am
Really interesting and insightful, bubba.
Thanks, clams. More musings:

We are watching one of the great ironies of modern political history play out in real time and, oh, the schadenfreude is absolutely delicious. So sweet and delicious it should probably come w/ a health warning.

It turns out that there is a "deep state" but it is not the deep state of the paranoid fantasies or tin hat conspiracies described by the likes of Bannon, Trump and QAnon. It is the deep state of concerned American citizens who have had enough of the dangerous and incompetent man in the White House, to the point where they are willing to risk firing and even prison to make sure that he is not re-elected. Oh yes, the knives are out and the leaking has probably only just begun (the Administration has leaked like a sieve from day one but I'm talking about this new, increased level of more serious and damaging disclosures). I don't know whether it's the recent public comments of the likes of Mattis, Bolton, et al, that have loosened lips and stiffened spines or if its more personal fear and anger, but either way it seems pretty clear that there are some pissed off people who feel the need to protect important interests they have worked to protect their entire careers and who have had enough and aren't going to take it any more. Good.
I imagine as we near November, more and more will leak. Good things come to those who wait.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

cortez the killer wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:52 pm
I imagine as we near November, more and more will leak.
Agreed.
pearlbeer wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:43 pm
I hope you are on the right track, btb. It feels like the tide may be slowly turning. But, I'm not optimistic about optimism these days. Having even a modicum of faith in anyone remotely affiliated with the letter "R" is something that I've been burned on too many times.
Mr. Beer, I think you misunderstand me, at least at the margins. I don't think my post was at all optimistic in the sense that to me it feels simply like factual reporting, not interpreting or spinning. This IS what's happening.

And it's not about having in faith in people w/ an R next to their name, at least not in the way we usually mean that. I think the people who are driving the Russian bounty and other stories now, who are in fact "resisting" the further desecration of this government and our country, are closer to traditional British civil servants than they are to American political operatives or politicians. Some may literally be in the British mold of career non-partisans who view themselves as working for their permanent country not the temporary government in place at a particular time. (Others may be the negative flip side of that, i.e. the folks we'd normally disdainfully call "bureaucrats," the ones who gum up the works because they can and/or because it benefits their personal situation but also sometimes because it's the right thing to do and right now I'll take whatever I can get).

Even the ones who came up through the "party system," who got their jobs through party affiliations or connections, are not your typical hacks; they see the 2 parties as part of one system, that system is "the government" and that's who they work for. If party hacks are leaking it's because they see personal advantage and that may be happening too, but that's not what I think I'm seeing and describing. I think that it is hard to retain any personal honor and integrity while working for a government that essentially rewards foreign governments for assassinating our soldiers and that is the bright line those folks have finally come up against.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

chuckrh
Posts: 3000
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:16 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by chuckrh »

I've noticed something interesting lately. Most of the big pizza companies are owned or were started by seriously scummy right wingers. Dominoes, Papa John's et. al. The big exception is Little Caesar's. Still owned by the Ilich family who started it who have consistently been on the front lines of social causes. The founder is dead now but the family continues. The dad actually moved Rosa Parks up to Detroit & paid for her to live in her old age. Lots of stuff like this with them. Anyway, on my Google newsfeed there have been lots of negative stories about them the past few weeks & nothing about the competition. By bad, there was one about a rat infestation in a store & another where some employees made a swastika out of pepperoni "accidentally" that got delivered. I'm thinking the Ilich family pissed someone big off. The media (social & traditional) have way too much power especially when you consider how it is all controlled by very few parties. They can destroy someone at the snap of a finger. I used to be a fan of "Meet the Press" but after the way they treated Bernie Saunders I can't watch it anymore. It was obvious the powers that be wanted Biden. These are the same idiots who thought Hilary was bullet proof. Anything positive about Bernie was belittled & anything about Biden etc was hyped up. I don't think if Tim Russert was still alive he would've put up with it. Anyway, sorry for the med induced mini rant. Little Caesar doesn't have the best pizza in the world but it is ok for what it is. I hope the Ilich family comes out of this ok. They do a lot of good work.

User avatar
pearlbeer
Posts: 1444
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2015 1:56 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by pearlbeer »

I've seen similar headlines floating around after the "upset" in CO-03. Headlines similar to: "QAnon/Gun Rights Activist Supporter Upsets CO Incumbent in Primary"

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-qanon- ... 97091685a3

IMO this simply is not news. This isn't a third party upset, this isn't an 'outsider'. This IS the face of the modern Republican Party. It isn't surprising, it isn't shocking, this is just another Republican candidate in the field.
Love each other, Motherfuckers!

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

pearlbeer wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:03 pm
I've seen similar headlines floating around after the "upset" in CO-03. Headlines similar to: "QAnon/Gun Rights Activist Supporter Upsets CO Incumbent in Primary"

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-qanon- ... 97091685a3

IMO this simply is not news. This isn't a third party upset, this isn't an 'outsider'. This IS the face of the modern Republican Party. It isn't surprising, it isn't shocking, this is just another Republican candidate in the field.
Agree. The only potentially interesting aspect is whether it's an indication that Trump is losing his grip on the party or, IOW, can't intimidate incumbents or candidates with his influence the way he did as recently as a few months ago. I don't know enough about this particular situation to say, but I do know that Trump endorsed the incumbent (and loser) in this race.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

beantownbubba wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 1:03 pm
Zip City wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:55 am
While I’d like to buy into that theory, I’d have to ignore some truly horrible decisions he’s made in the past.
The theory is a work in progress and admittedly has some big holes in it (and the whole thing blows up if, for example, he rules against Trump releasing tax/financial info) but actually, no, I don't think it depends at all on forgiving him for the bad, even terrible decisions, we probably agree he made. Times are different, stakes are different, the makeup of the Court is different, the president is different. While I threw in ACA because I believe his motivations were very similar that time, we're really mostly talking about a very specific current moment in history and to repeat, I don't think his actions have anything to do w/ judicial philosophy or how he might rule in a more perfect world (however defined). The LA abortion decision is to me the best example (as can be understood in any number of op-eds today). He already voted on the other side of this one in the TX case. His opinion virtually invites further challenges to abortion . Nothing in his prior jurisprudence compelled him to rely on stare decisis in this particular case. Yet he did, and he achieved a very specific outcome w/ very specific political implications.
Two things:

First, sorry zip, I read your comment too narrowly. To the extent you're saying that there is a real question whether a later good deed(s) can overcome earlier misdeeds, I'd say you're right and that's a pretty individual determination. I guess I am addressing the more limited issue of judging only his current actions as I've described them.

Second, another similar but different take on the same set of facts. Olsen is generally considered to be on the conservative side of the spectrum and as recently as a few months ago I think I said that he had written a column that was in the running for stupidest ever or words to that effect (it asserted that the government needed to prop up oil prices). But fwiw, here are his thoughts on Roberts's recent realpolitik style of judging.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... c-packing/
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

Swamp
Posts: 2732
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:31 pm
Location: the swamps of northern Florida

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by Swamp »

I may get to be a "special deputy"

He is running for re-election.
and the rest as they say is uh er uh, well somebodies history somewhere?

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

Y’all be careful out there!!
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

User avatar
cortez the killer
Posts: 15456
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:22 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by cortez the killer »

Swamp wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:11 pm
I may get to be a "special deputy"

He is running for re-election.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM

User avatar
whatwouldcooleydo?
Posts: 13693
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 3:44 pm
Location: Desolation Row
Contact:

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by whatwouldcooleydo? »

Swamp wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:11 pm
I may get to be a "special deputy"

He is running for re-election.
Every day the bucket goes to the well
But one day the bottom will drop out
Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing

chuckrh
Posts: 3000
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:16 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by chuckrh »

Image

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

For a very good, and very different from my posts above, take on Justice Roberts and the just concluded Supreme Court term, see Linda Greenhouse's column in today's NYT.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/opin ... 029039208a
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

The slings, arrows and outrages are coming too fast to keep up. It's like the old image of trying to drink water from a fire hydrant, or in this case maybe more like being sprayed w/ a water cannon on a daily basis.

Anybody even remember the Russian bounty scandal?

Those Goya food pics will surely be swept away in the flood, but they are unbelievably outrageous and in any other Administration would constitute a major scandal in which heads will roll. But how many times have we said that in the past 3.5 years?

The most consequential of the recent outrages may turn out to be the White House taking control of hospital coronavirus data. Controlling and manipulating (i.e. lying about) information is the heart of corrupt governments. The damage they can do w/ this information is truly profound, both with respect to the pandemic and to what's left of our democracy.

It's impossible to keep track of the daily lies and manipulations coming from the White House. It is astonishing to me that the sycophants are still hanging in there and not jumping overboard. I guess we're left w/ only the true sycophants, the ones w/out redeeming skills or talents so they know this job is "it" for them. WH Press Secy Kayleigh McEnany is a particular trip in this regard.

Say, whatever happened to Kellyanne Conway? Not only is she never heard from (that I am aware of, anyway) but it turns out that being a lawyer gadfly spouse is more powerful and more influential than being a senior advisor to the President. Who knew?

Perhaps most surprising to me is the insistence of some Republican governors on going down w/ the ship. Perhaps they took a look at what happened to Jeff Sessions and decided that sticking w/ Trump is the safer course, but I don't see it. Most aren't up for re-election this year and the dynamics of state elections are different than federal ones. The electorate tends to get pissed when they start dying in large numbers and when they can't even get treated at their local hospital, and that's literally what's happening. In the face of those documented facts which are available to people on the ground even if they choose not to believe the media what could possibly be gained by blaming the media for the outbreak (DeSantis in FL) or prohibiting localities from enforcing mask wearing ordinances (Kemp in GA)? I'm talking about the political costs and benefits, not the health and science (although these guys must know at this point that they are literally causing unnecessary deaths which is its own insanity). I would say that I don't get what these assholes are thinking but I guess the plain fact is that they're not thinking at all. Until recently DeSantis at least seemed capable of thought even if he's often often wrong, but Kemp appears to be a hopeless case. Not merely a political hack and sycophant but fundamentally and deeply stupid as well. Wishing my many friends in GA good luck in fighting your own government in addition to the virus. Insane.

I could go on, but all this shit is dated even before I can type it. it's truly getting more difficult to keep any kind of rational perspective on events. I'm trying to be disciplined and not mention the CA Starbucks lady but it's tough. Between her and the FL (where else?) lady who killed her immunocompromised daughter by purposely exposing her daughter to the virus and then not seeking appropriate treatment, it is not at all clear to me what the phrase "our common humanity" even means anymore.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

chuckrh
Posts: 3000
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:16 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by chuckrh »

^^^^^^then on the other hand here in Seattle the liberal nazis have taken over the city council. I'm fairly liberal & was a big Bernie supporter but things have gone too far here. The council is demanding that the budget for the police force be slashed by half & they have a large enough majority that they can override a veto. The main one (Sawant) is owned by some socialist party to the point where they are dictating hirings & firings. She has the rest of the council terrified as she has said that "we are coming to get you". She was a driving force in the occupied zone & take over of a police precinct. The mayor let this shit go on so now she is totally empowered. The occupied zone was in the "not that there's anything wrong with that" neighborhood. If the BLM action had taken place in the hood, the death star would've been called out. I digress. So, the police chief (who is a very competent & reasonable black woman who has her hands tied) pointed out to cut the budget by half a real lot of officers were going to have to be let go & sadly due to collective bargaining agreement it would have to be done by seniority which would affect many minority hires. So, another 1 of our brainiac council members said well just lay off white officers. Police chief pointed out that it's against the law. Oy vey! It's shit like this that got Trump elected in the first place. When you totally disenfranchise the majority you end up with the Trump monster. Ma & Pa Kettle in the flyover states are scared shitless. Seattle politics are a cesspool of corruption & zany ideas. I could go on but it's endless. On getting rid of the police force, I wonder what these geniuses are going to say when the gangs (yes, we have a problem here) figure out they can get away with just about anything. The city is becoming unlivable.

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

On the other other hand, we have Portland, just down the road from you. I can't say w/ certainty what's going on there because nobody seems to be able to, but there appear to be armed unidentified federal officers (troops? law enforcement? anti-terrorism? mercenaries?) prowling the streets in rented non government cars and randomly purportedly arresting citizens and taking them to some federal building. This is insane. If this is allowed to stand or continues or, God forbid, spreads, it might well be the end of this country. Scary as fuck.

It would be interesting (but even more scary) to see what would happen if the self-proclaimed freedom loving, government oppression opposing, gun waving Oregonians came out and actually opposed government oppression and protected citizens from the government. That's not going to happen of course, but if it did, the potential for violence and who knows what kind of craziness is obvious. It would be hard to tell the players w/out a scorecard, especially those feds roaming the streets w/out identification of any kind. What. The. Fuck???

Meanwhile, as Sundance said to Butch, who ARE those guys? And as Butch said to Sundance, next time I say let's go to Bolivia, let's GO to Bolvia!
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

chuckrh
Posts: 3000
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:16 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by chuckrh »

beantownbubba wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 2:58 pm
On the other other hand, we have Portland, just down the road from you. I can't say w/ certainty what's going on there because nobody seems to be able to, but there appear to be armed unidentified federal officers (troops? law enforcement? anti-terrorism? mercenaries?) prowling the streets in rented non government cars and randomly purportedly arresting citizens and taking them to some federal building. This is insane. If this is allowed to stand or continues or, God forbid, spreads, it might well be the end of this country. Scary as fuck.

It would be interesting (but even more scary) to see what would happen if the self-proclaimed freedom loving, government oppression opposing, gun waving Oregonians came out and actually opposed government oppression and protected citizens from the government. That's not going to happen of course, but if it did, the potential for violence and who knows what kind of craziness is obvious. It would be hard to tell the players w/out a scorecard, especially those feds roaming the streets w/out identification of any kind. What. The. Fuck???

Meanwhile, as Sundance said to Butch, who ARE those guys? And as Butch said to Sundance, next time I say let's go to Bolivia, let's GO to Bolvia!
The same thing would be going on here if the protests hadn't slowed down. This is the Trump response. The government has way more surveillance capability than we know about especially since 9/11. It has come out here that there was extensive surveillance by the feds here too during the CHOP. Nothing about vans has come out but I wouldn't be shocked. The big media only shows what the overlords want them to show. 1 issue in Portland is Eugene OR is a hotbed for anarchists & they travel to where they can make the most trouble. There has been trouble here from that contingent going back several years to the WTO riots, probably further back too. It's a hot mess. If by some "miracle" Trump wins this is only going to get worse. The big corporations don't want Trump going anywhere which scares the hell out of me. We used to get hit by that propaganda constantly when I was working at Bxxxxg. It's been rape & pillage time for them the last four years. I was in a meeting when a senior was talking about space force. This guy was splooging in his trousers about the potential of that. Probably had to send a sycophant out for some Depends. People think I'm crazy (or did) but I think we are living in what the Germans envisioned pre WW2. The total marriage of state & business. If you read history you'll see I'm not totally full of shit on this. There are a lot of shenanigans going on now under the cover of the pandemic & BLM. Such as cashless society being pushed. Much easier to track an electronic transaction. Orwell was just a bit off on the timeline...

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by beantownbubba »

chuckrh wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 3:46 pm
The total marriage of state & business.
The very definition of fascism. It's totally crazy. Between the outright corruption, the wink and nod favors and the steering of government money to favored contractors, it's as bad as it's ever been, probably the worst in my lifetime. My recent favor is the Admin taking over coronavirus data collection (itself an outrage) and then outsourcing the data processing to a company owned by Peter Thiel. Just unbelievable. But nobody will stop them.

In a similar vein I don't know which was funnier: Ivanka holding up a can of Goya beans which she has undoubtedly never eaten in her life or Ivanka rolling out her new hashtag, #trysomethingnew, which sounds to me like an endorsement of Biden. :lol:
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

chuckrh
Posts: 3000
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:16 pm

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Post by chuckrh »

beantownbubba wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 4:19 pm
chuckrh wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 3:46 pm
The total marriage of state & business.
The very definition of fascism. It's totally crazy. Between the outright corruption, the wink and nod favors and the steering of government money to favored contractors, it's as bad as it's ever been, probably the worst in my lifetime. My recent favor is the Admin taking over coronavirus data collection (itself an outrage) and then outsourcing the data processing to a company owned by Peter Thiel. Just unbelievable. But nobody will stop them.

In a similar vein I don't know which was funnier: Ivanka holding up a can of Goya beans which she has undoubtedly never eaten in her life or Ivanka rolling out her new hashtag, #trysomethingnew, which sounds to me like an endorsement of Biden. :lol:
I sure hope Biden picks a good running mate. I think I'd take the bet that he doesn't make it through a whole term intact. My choice would be Elizabeth Warren but I don't know if that can/will happen. Funny thing this week: some big corporations aren't giving out change in coins now. Have had it happen a few times & I try not to frequent those types. Smaller businesses don't seem to be having an issue.

Post Reply