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Master US Political Discussion Thread


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3 minutes ago, daveb said:

Well, he has more votes now, but still not enough. And sounds like he gave up a lot to get those votes. If he does get in he will be a weaker speaker by a squeaker.

Assuming he does what he promised the Reps.

This is getting beyond a joke though. The GOP can't even pick a speaker yet they expect voters to believe that they can handle the White House?

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Kevin may have won the vote, but Jefferies came out the winner of the voting. He won every time and democrats were unified behind him. The best McCarthy could do was convince some people not to vote against him. 

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I was kind of hoping that Gaetz would decide to just piss McCarthy off even worse than he had before, and vote for Jeffries.  That would have caused an actual fight on the House Floor, which would have been even more entertaining.  Unfortunately, none of the Republican voters care how stupid these people look.  They still support Trump after 4 years of idiocy. 

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It's a clown show, but not very funny.

 

I am worried about what they might pull - they could do a lot of damage. They could try to gut things like Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, etc. The could perform baseless investigations and impeachments. They could be very obstructionist (and that may be one of the better case scenarios - maybe better to do some harm by inaction than a lot of harm by active intent).

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Lysandre, the Star-Crossed
18 hours ago, ben8884 said:

The GOP can't even pick a speaker yet they expect voters to believe that they can handle the White House?

Their opposition is a guy who failed to clear the bar of "don't fuck it up worse than the last guy", it's not like they have to prove that much here.

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3 hours ago, daveb said:

It's a clown show, but not very funny.

 

I am worried about what they might pull - they could do a lot of damage. They could try to gut things like Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, etc. The could perform baseless investigations and impeachments. They could be very obstructionist (and that may be one of the better case scenarios - maybe better to do some harm by inaction than a lot of harm by active intent).

They will.  They've been talking about Medicaid/Medicare/Social Security for years, and they've announced they're going to "investigate" government.    (As though they aren't government.)  

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17 hours ago, Lysandre, the Star-Crossed said:

Their opposition is a guy who failed to clear the bar of "don't fuck it up worse than the last guy", it's not like they have to prove that much here.

See, that's the thing. All the GOP have to do is.prove that they are somewhat functional and in possession of a modicum of sanity. I wouldn't have thought that a high bar either and yet here we are. 

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Lysandre, the Star-Crossed

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna65351

 

 

The new governor of Arkansas banned the term "Latinx" from government documents on her first day in office. I'm willing to bet her motives weren't entirely admirable, but I love that she did this. That term seems good on the surface, but the history of it is problematic at best and the community it has been applied to largely rejects it.

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On 1/12/2023 at 7:04 AM, Lysandre, the Star-Crossed said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna65351

 

 

The new governor of Arkansas banned the term "Latinx" from government documents on her first day in office. I'm willing to bet her motives weren't entirely admirable, but I love that she did this. That term seems good on the surface, but the history of it is problematic at best and the community it has been applied to largely rejects it.

Seems the local Latinx community is upset about this executive order. Granted last week I would have been regarded as the worst kind of racist, and a word almost guaranteed to start a fistfight, now it would be rude not to use it.

 

https://www.4029tv.com/article/northwest-arkansas-community-reacts-to-executive-order-banning-latinx/42491753

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Lysandre, the Star-Crossed
5 hours ago, Jethro said:

Seems the local Latinx community is upset about this executive order. Granted last week I would have been regarded as the worst kind of racist, and a word almost guaranteed to start a fistfight, now it would be rude not to use it.

 

https://www.4029tv.com/article/northwest-arkansas-community-reacts-to-executive-order-banning-latinx/42491753

Did you even read that... and I'm using this term loosely... article you linked? It speaks nothing to the opinion of the local community, and quotes one person who doesn't seem to really oppose the change. Go look at actual polling of the community in question, the term is widely unknown and generally unpopular with those who have heard of it. Here's plenty of articles that actually speak to the issue 

 

https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2020/08/11/about-one-in-four-u-s-hispanics-have-heard-of-latinx-but-just-3-use-it/

 

https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/388532/controversy-term-latinx-public-opinion-context.aspx

 

https://nypost.com/2021/12/06/40-percent-of-hispanic-voters-are-offended-by-latinx-poll-finds/

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/many-latinos-say-latinx-offends-or-bothers-them-here-s-ncna1285916

 

 

 

 

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48 minutes ago, Lysandre, the Star-Crossed said:

Did you even read that... and I'm using this term loosely... article you linked? It speaks nothing to the opinion of the local community, and quotes one person who doesn't seem to really oppose the change. Go look at actual polling of the community in question, the term is widely unknown and generally unpopular with those who have heard of it. Here's plenty of articles that actually speak to the issue 

 

https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2020/08/11/about-one-in-four-u-s-hispanics-have-heard-of-latinx-but-just-3-use-it/

 

https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/388532/controversy-term-latinx-public-opinion-context.aspx

 

https://nypost.com/2021/12/06/40-percent-of-hispanic-voters-are-offended-by-latinx-poll-finds/

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/many-latinos-say-latinx-offends-or-bothers-them-here-s-ncna1285916

 

 

 

 

Lol, yep. My post was almost as bad as some saying:

 

Some good happened, but a republican did it , so its somehow bad.

 

 

Seriously though, Arkansas has a huge population of Latinos. due to our proximity to the boarder. When you live side by side with people you learn real quick how they want to be treated.  I don't need a poll to tell me its by and large treated as someone being disrespectful,

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hot take:  If Governor Desantis' objections to the proposed AP class on African American Studies truly were about the lack of educational value, he would be making suggestions about how to improve that educational value.

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Trump proposes genocidal national ban on transgender existence if he wins 2024

 

Quote

On Tuesday morning, Donald Trump released an anti-transgender tirade of a speech on his social media website Truth Social, outlining a genocidal plan against all transgender existence in the United States. Everyone on the right from mainstream Republicans to hardcore neo-Nazis are celebrating the video while Democrats and legacy news media outlets have so far largely ignored it. “So this is what we are up against,” tweeted legislative researcher and pro-transgender activist Erin Reed. She continues, “a national transgender ban in 2024. This is what they are planning. DeSantis is practicing this through executive actions in Florida. Trump is openly saying he will do the same.” This is unambiguously genocidal territory. Holocaust museums have warned that this rising anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric mirrors the hate that led up to the rise of Nazi Germany.

 . . .

Here are the proposals outlined in Trump’s genocidal three and a half minute rant:

  • Pass a bill that falsely claims there are only two genders, male and female
  • Reverse legislation for life-saving gender affirming healthcare 
  • Ban all education of transgender and non-binary issues in schools nationwide 
  • Ban transitioning for youth nationwide
  • Sign an executive order to end programs for gender transitioning for all ages nationwide
  • Criminalize and hunt doctors and educators who try to save transgender and non-binary lives 

Really probably worth its own thread on these forums but since I can't think where...

 

Anyway, kind of terrifying, right? Is it just me?

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14 hours ago, rebis said:

Anyway, kind of terrifying, right? Is it just me?

Definitely terrifying. What's maybe worse is it isn't something he came up with all by himself. If anything, he is just parroting what others have said and done (such as the Florida man, as you mentioned). And I think he does it, not so much because he believes it, but because he knows it will attract attention, get him free media coverage, and appeal to his base (and the base of the MAGA party). He isn't at all alone in that stance. And that is truly terrifying to me.

 

That's not to say he wouldn't try to make good on it if elected, just as many others in that party will.

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Lysandre, the Star-Crossed
22 hours ago, rebis said:
  •  
  • Ban all education of transgender and non-binary issues in schools nationwide 
  • Ban transitioning for youth nationwide
  • Sign an executive order to end programs for gender transitioning for all ages nationwide
  • Criminalize and hunt doctors and educators who try to save transgender and non-binary lives 
Quote

"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."

 

-Thomas Jefferson

 

 

Free men (and other folks) don't ask for permission. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, ben8884 said:

Tucker Carlson owes Canada an apology. 

I'm sure he does.

Get in line. :P 

 

(I don't know of any specifics, and probably won't unless some of the late night comedians talk about it, but I'm sure he did something) :P 

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10 hours ago, daveb said:

I'm sure he does.

Get in line. :P 

 

(I don't know of any specifics, and probably won't unless some of the late night comedians talk about it, but I'm sure he did something) :P 

He said that he was support the US sending the armed forces to Canada to liberate us from Trudeau. Now, I didn't vote for Trudeau this time around but he is my Prime Minister and was elected fairly. If a Canadian TV personality suggested we invade America to liberate Americans from Trump in 2016 you bet Carlson would have lost his...whatever he has instead of a mind. He literally, on TV suggested that America overthrow our democratically elected government. Yes, I know its just Tucker and hes an idiot but he is an idiot with a national TV show and supporters. 

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Lysandre, the Star-Crossed

Time to address the elephant in the room...

 

What's up with the balloon, what do we think it actually is, and was it worth the probably half a million dollars for an F-22 flight and an AIM-9 Sidewinder to shoot down.

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Probably not after it had already flown across the country. If it was collecting data, it had probably gotten everything it needed by the time it was shot down. 
Apperently there have been a lot of balloons over the US in recent years. I understand the concern, I don’t know how they concluded it was a Chinese spy balloon. If it was, it could be concerning that it was over Montana, since there are a lot of missiles under the state. 

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5 hours ago, Lysandre, the Star-Crossed said:

What's up with the balloon, what do we think it actually is

Probably a weather balloon or something. Definitely not a Chinese spy balloon, because China has satellites they can use to spy, and thinking they need to use balloons for that is bordering on uncomfortable territory.

 

5 hours ago, Lysandre, the Star-Crossed said:

and was it worth the probably half a million dollars for an F-22 flight and an AIM-9 Sidewinder to shoot down.

Definitely not, although the USAF did brag about that being the F-22's first air-to-air kill (shooting down a balloon, folks), so maybe some good press for the military-industrial complex.

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6 hours ago, Lysandre, the Star-Crossed said:

What's up with the balloon, what do we think it actually is, and was it worth the probably half a million dollars for an F-22 flight and an AIM-9 Sidewinder to shoot down.

It's a surveillance balloon.  China has satellites, but they are in fixed (thus, known) orbits and we know when they will be in range of sensitive locations.  They also orbit in "space" which is considered to be  100km above sea level.  Distance and fixed orbit limits their capabilities.  The balloons travel at about 18 km above sea level, are (somewhat) maneuverable, hard to detect, and operate between the earth and communications satellites in orbit at about 35 km above sea level.  A balloon can easily carry communications intercept equipment, which it the most likely use for them, though not the only one.

 

Worth shooting down?  I dunno.  If they retrieve the stuff hanging from the balloon they can see what electronic components are in it and where they were manufactured.  The equipment will also reveal what stuff it was collecting.   As for the plane and missile:  the pilots need the training time anyway and were happy to go after a target that wasn't going to shoot back.  As to why the intercept wasn't done over land:  They didn't want balloon and missile parts coming down over inhabited areas;  communications from the balloon were almost certainly jammed from the time it was spotted; and, a softer landing in water was more likely to keep the equipment intact. 

 

The rest is just politics.   Letting the balloon transit the continental USA without taking action (other than jamming) would appear weak even it it was the most sensible thing to do.  It's causing some embarrassment to the government of China, which has been doing its own saber-rattling in the last year.  And no lives were at risk in taking it down.   

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5 hours ago, Autumn ace said:

Probably not after it had already flown across the country. If it was collecting data, it had probably gotten everything it needed by the time it was shot down. 
Apperently there have been a lot of balloons over the US in recent years. I understand the concern, I don’t know how they concluded it was a Chinese spy balloon. If it was, it could be concerning that it was over Montana, since there are a lot of missiles under the state. 

Nah, having worked on the kind of missiles that are out there, I doubt there's much they would get from a balloon they don't probably already know.  A lot about the missile field has been functioning exactly the same for decades. But the sites have insanely (intentionally) redundant security measures, and are built to withstand literally any damage short of a direct hit with a nuclear weapon.

 

I mean, I don't know what the balloon was about, but unless it's magic, it shouldn't have any power to affect the ICBMs. Where and what they are isn't a secret.

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Seriously, all the GOP needed to do during the SOTU was two things-sit there and do nothing, and have a rebuttal that doesn't include the words socialist, woke and mob. The bar was so low that they tripped over it!  

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1 hour ago, ben8884 said:

Seriously, all the GOP needed to do during the SOTU was two things-sit there and do nothing, and have a rebuttal that doesn't include the words socialist, woke and mob. The bar was so low that they tripped over it!  

Woke socialist mob says what?

 

discourse

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Lysandre, the Star-Crossed
11 hours ago, ben8884 said:

Seriously, all the GOP needed to do during the SOTU was two things-sit there and do nothing, and have a rebuttal that doesn't include the words socialist, woke and mob. The bar was so low that they tripped over it!  

I'm always amazed at how low the bar both parties fail to clear is, I feel like a group of 7 year olds could run this country better.

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