Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[BoloOfEarth]

1 hour ago, Ternaugh said:

Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg pleads guilty to multiple charges of tax fraud.

 

As part of the plea agreement, Weisselberg agreed to testify in the tax fraud trial of the Trump Organization. 

 

It should be noted that his agreement does NOT require Weisselberg to cooperate in the case against Trump himself, just the Trump Organization.

[Pariah]

4 hours ago, unclevlad said:

The lack of it shows, IMO, that the real goal is to punish sexual activity outside of marriage, and consequences be damned.

 

...until one of these philandering lawmakers knocks up his mistress, at which point the whole affair will be handled swiftly and quietly — and in another state, if need be.

[Ternaugh]

52 minutes ago, BoloOfEarth said:

 

It should be noted that his agreement does NOT require Weisselberg to cooperate in the case against Trump himself, just the Trump Organization.

 

That's right, the Trump Organization is charged with 10 counts related to the tax avoidance on the compensation scheme. Somehow, Trump managed to avoid charges, even though he personally signed checks, and purportedly ordered the keeping of two sets of books so that Weisselberg and others wouldn't be overcompensated.

[death tribble]

I am putting this in the politics thread as I have no idea where this will go. It is about Scott Morrison who is the ex-PM of Australia and certain things he did while not illegal are a bit questionable as he took on portfolios of some of his other colleagues.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-62586531

[TrickstaPriest]

On 8/15/2022 at 4:33 AM, Tom said:

That bridge is burned. It’s long past time to put up or shut up. 

 

On 8/13/2022 at 6:45 AM, MrWolf said:

However, what I was trying to say was more along the lines of "A former President or his employees taking TS/SCI documents and storing them at his house in a locked room instead of in a SCIF" is a really really big deal.

 

My concern with ignoring this event, or pardoning it, is that Trump was holding this information at the same time as Kushner got a 2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia... and then Trump was paid 100 million to host that golfing tournament.

 

May be a coincidence.  May be cover for transference of documents.  Take your pick.

[Pariah]

"If Florida truly believes we live in a post-racial society, then let it make its case," Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote. "But it cannot win the argument by muzzling its opponents."

 

Judge blocks Florida 'woke' law, saying it violates the First Amendment

[unclevlad]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/chicago-police-officer-charged-after-kneeling-on-14-year-old-boy-s-back-in-arrest-video/ar-AA10QxC6?cvid=3820a810c19b442984a1fb45f590bfcc

[Iuz the Evil]

13 hours ago, Pariah said:

"If Florida truly believes we live in a post-racial society, then let it make its case," Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote. "But it cannot win the argument by muzzling its opponents."

 

Judge blocks Florida 'woke' law, saying it violates the First Amendment

I thought this was an excellent summation of the opposing position: “Conservatives see critical race theory less as academic inquiry into truth and history and more as the imposition of a divisive ideology stemming from Marxism that assigns people into the categories of oppressor and oppressed based on their race.”

 

I will be interested to see how this plays out on appeal, as noted in the article. It’s a complex area and this law is a particularly ham fisted effort to redress negative effects of these trainings when done badly. There can be problems associated with this material in the workplace, I don’t know that this is the way to deal with them (and rather suspect that is not actually Desantis’ motive).

[pinecone]

On 8/18/2022 at 7:00 AM, wcw43921 said:

Actions have consequences.  Who knew?  Certainly not this guy.

Too little too late. The time to stand was when he cast his vote. He acted not as a shepard, but as a sheep.

[Cygnia]

 

US political violence is surging, but talk of a civil war is exaggerated – isn’t it?

Quote

Dr Garen Wintemute used to laugh off warnings of a civil war coming to America as “crazy talk”. Then the emergency room doctor in California saw the figures for gun sales.

Wintemute, who founded a centre to research firearms violence after years of treating gunshot wounds, had long observed that the rush to buy weapons came in waves, often around a presidential election. Always it fell back again.

“Then in January of 2020 gun sales took off. Just an unprecedented surge in purchasing and that surge continued,” he said. “We were aware that, contrary to prior surges, this one wasn’t ending. People are still buying guns like crazy.”
Many were buying a weapon for the first time.

Wintemute wanted answers and they stunned him. A survey for his California Firearm Violence Research Center released last month showed that half of Americans expect a civil war in the United States in the next few years. One in five thought political violence was justified in some circumstances. In addition, while almost everyone said it was important for the US to remain a democracy, about 40% said that having a strong leader was more important.

“Coupled with prior research, these findings suggest a continuing alienation from and mistrust of American democratic society and its institutions. Substantial minorities of the population endorse violence, including lethal violence, to obtain political objectives,” the report concluded.

Suddenly Wintemute didn’t think talk of a violent civil conflict was so crazy any more.

 

[Pariah]

If there is only one thing for which I blame the Trump administration — and believe me, there is more than one thing — it is the normalization of crazy.

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, Cygnia said:

 

US political violence is surging, but talk of a civil war is exaggerated – isn’t it?

 

 

This is a popular topic in the internet corners I frequent.  The main problem is that no one is working off the same definition of civil war.  We're almost certainly looking at an increase in stochastic terrorism, sectarian violence, and armed disruptions of democracy.  Secessions and pitched battles between uniformed armies seem much more improbable... but then again we can't entirely rule them out.

[unclevlad]

13 hours ago, Iuz the Evil said:

I thought this was an excellent summation of the opposing position: “Conservatives see critical race theory less as academic inquiry into truth and history and more as the imposition of a divisive ideology stemming from Marxism that assigns people into the categories of oppressor and oppressed based on their race.”

 

I will be interested to see how this plays out on appeal, as noted in the article. It’s a complex area and this law is a particularly ham fisted effort to redress negative effects of these trainings when done badly. There can be problems associated with this material in the workplace, I don’t know that this is the way to deal with them (and rather suspect that is not actually Desantis’ motive).

 

Oh, I think it's part of Desantis' motive, to quash the storyline anywhere and everywhere he can, so his side's propaganda has no forum for counter-arguments.  The fact that he's trying to dictate what a workplace can say to its employees feels like it's a serious overreach of state power.  

 

But I think where it'll get hit hardest is in the vagueness, but that's more problematic to overturn, most of the time, than overreach.

[Cygnia]

Lobby group wants LGBTQ+ kids in separate classrooms ‘like children with autism, Down’s syndrome’

[Lord Liaden]

Fascists need to target some group for their followers to kick down at, so they won't notice the boot on their own necks.

 

Looks like they made a sale.

[Tom]

20 hours ago, Cygnia said:

 

US political violence is surging, but talk of a civil war is exaggerated – isn’t it?

 

 

Whenever gun control, especially 'assault weapon' bans, become a prominent topic in the  media there is a spike in sales of that category of firearms.  This is likely a factor in the continuing surge in sales past the election itself.

 

However, as someone who works in the shooting industry, in addition to the increased demand for AR-type rifles/pistols, I've been seeing a lot more interest in personal carry handguns and people worrying about their their ability to defend themselves.

[Ragitsu]

All I know is that "Don't worry: things will be better than you expect." rarely draws as much attention and/or generates as much advertising revenue as "We're going to hint that things will worsen or are worsening.".

 

F.U.D.

[Dr. MID-Nite]

14 hours ago, Cygnia said:

Lobby group wants LGBTQ+ kids in separate classrooms ‘like children with autism, Down’s syndrome’

 

 

And people wonder why I've considered leaving the country. Sigh....

[Pariah]

Apropos of a conversation elsewhere:

 

In Jesus' time, he was an existential threat to the religious and political leaders of the day. If the common people were to study and live this teachings, it would shake the foundations of power in that society their very core.

 

It's much the same in American politics today.

[Ragitsu]

Pariah, do you agree with my previous comment?

[Pariah]

Which comment?

[Pariah]

Strategically, it's a solid move. Control what future voters are allowed to hear, and you can lock down power for a generation.

 

Gov. Ron DeSantis charts new political path for GOP as he takes the unusual step of endorsing school board candidates that vow to back his education plans

 

"We are not going to surrender to woke," said DeSantis, whose political committee donated to the school board candidates. "We are going to prevail and Florida is the state where woke goes to die."

[Ternaugh]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

Strategically, it's a solid move. Control what future voters are allowed to hear, and you can lock down power for a generation.

 

Gov. Ron DeSantis charts new political path for GOP as he takes the unusual step of endorsing school board candidates that vow to back his education plans

 

"We are not going to surrender to woke," said DeSantis, whose political committee donated to the school board candidates. "We are going to prevail and Florida is the state where woke goes to die."

 

So, "woke" is doubleplusungood oldthink?

[Dr.Device]

On 8/20/2022 at 7:39 PM, Cygnia said:

Lobby group wants LGBTQ+ kids in separate classrooms ‘like children with autism, Down’s syndrome’

 

As an autistic, queer trans woman, my response to this group is not suitable for this board.

[Ragitsu]

4 hours ago, Pariah said:

Which comment?

 

The one concerning attention-grabbing headlines/titles ->