Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[MrWolf]

Yeah.  A relative works for the DOD cluster of agencies, and the comment was "Wow, the Army said that", which it never does.  Agreeing with the sentiments here.

 

I did not hear the part where the MPs were called, though prior to this thread.

 

That's... kind of important, I would think.  It's a bit more than "a mentally ill individual interfered with us"...

 

Um no sounds like your staff pushed an employee of Arlington National Cemetary (which is actually *assault* in some or most states, or battery, I think which or both depends on the state) and did something you're not allowed to do (photo op for political purposes in ANC) - which led to the *Military Police* being called?

 

Wow the spin on this is unreal.

 

Which is not to say I am surprised they are doing it.  Sadly.

[Clonus]

 

It's tricky to be the ruling party when a majority of your constituency don't actually agree with your policies.  

Edited August 30 by Clonus

[unclevlad]

He'll answer your hardest questions but is doing everything he can to ensure his answers don't get out?

 

Yeah, that'd raise my confidence..........

[unclevlad]

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/world/americas/brazil-elon-musk-x-blocked.html?unlocked_article_code=1.G04.WtMV.JRTXKCGH4fD-&smid=url-share

 

Elon Musk has an absolute TALENT for picking the worst possible fights...on generally ridiculous grounds.  Especially because many countries have strong exceptions to free-speech rights, where hate speech is concerned.

 

This is also turning into an interesting fight that may have extensive repercussions:

 

Quote

In his order Friday, Justice Moraes told Brazil’s telecommunications agency and major internet providers to block people in Brazil from using X. He also told Apple and Google to prevent downloads of X’s app in Brazil. The telecom agency was told to comply within 24 hours, while the companies have five days. X may remain accessible in Brazil until the agency and companies comply.

 

To get around such measures, users have turned to privacy tools known as virtual private networks, or VPNs, which make internet traffic appear as though it was coming from a different country. Makers of popular VPN apps said downloads have recently soared in Brazil.

 

Yet Justice Moraes also took an unusual approach to prevent such access. He said that anyone caught using a VPN to gain access to X in Brazil would face a fine of nearly $9,000 a day.

 

EDIT:  the block's been ordered.

 

Another aspect here...the judge froze the finances of SpaceX in Brazil, with the goal of using them to pay the fines from X.

[unclevlad]

Ohhhh no....................

 

I don't know how much I'll be able to watch college football...trying to watch Clemson-Georgia, but since it's gonna get ratings............

 

First ad was from a Republican PAC.  "Harris the DA let felons loose!"  The usual BS.

 

Just now, an obnoxious Trump ad about the economy and Bidenomics.  It looks like it might be AI-generated, but it isn't...it's just splicing bits and pieces together that were never connected.

 

It's gonna be a looooooooooonnnnnnnggggggggggggggggg 2 months...............

 

EDIT:  A variant on the Harris DA ad shown twice in the 2nd half...<sigh>  It says "Paid for by Make America Great Again"...which rather sounds like it's Trump, but with the fig leaf of being a PAC.

[Cygnia]

We've got Prime and I'm pissed they're now showing political ads there too.

 

Thankfully, I got adblock for YT.

[unclevlad]

I'm *hoping* that since this is Labor Day weekend, and the real kickoff for college football, that things will calm down somewhat.  Of course, the NFL games will almost certainly be deluged with em too....<sigh>

[assault]

On 8/31/2024 at 7:08 AM, unclevlad said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/world/americas/brazil-elon-musk-x-blocked.html?unlocked_article_code=1.G04.WtMV.JRTXKCGH4fD-&smid=url-share

 

Elon Musk has an absolute TALENT for picking the worst possible fights...on generally ridiculous grounds.  Especially because many countries have strong exceptions to free-speech rights, where hate speech is concerned.

 

This is also turning into an interesting fight that may have extensive repercussions:

 

 

EDIT:  the block's been ordered.

 

Another aspect here...the judge froze the finances of SpaceX in Brazil, with the goal of using them to pay the fines from X.

In the Good Old Days(tm), this would have been fixed by a coup in Brazil. But no, something something wokeism...

/s

[wcw43921]

That Librarian

 

Not all heroes wear capes.

[DShomshak]

Another look into the wackadoodle world of Christian Nationalism. This time, the "Bro" vbersion, with whiskey, cigars, and expensive boots.

 

https://www.npr.org/2024/08/31/nx-s1-5077780/extremely-american-explores-the-christian-theocracy-movement-in-the-u-s

 

My sister compares them to "Doomsday Preppers" and wonders if they are LARPing. These guys do seem to be having fun. It's just that their fun, if implemented IRL, would at the least reduce me to second-class citizenship and at worst see me burned at the stake.

 

As far as the possibility that they seriously believe their dogma and aren't just really, really deep in make-believe, my sister wonders, "Do they not remember the 16th and 17th centuries?" Because Christian Nationalism has been tried, and it got ugly in Europe's Wars of Religion. The Founders had a *reason* for adding the 1st Amendment.

 

Dean Shomshak

[unclevlad]

1 hour ago, DShomshak said:

Another look into the wackadoodle world of Christian Nationalism. This time, the "Bro" vbersion, with whiskey, cigars, and expensive boots.

 

https://www.npr.org/2024/08/31/nx-s1-5077780/extremely-american-explores-the-christian-theocracy-movement-in-the-u-s

 

My sister compares them to "Doomsday Preppers" and wonders if they are LARPing. These guys do seem to be having fun. It's just that their fun, if implemented IRL, would at the least reduce me to second-class citizenship and at worst see me burned at the stake.

 

As far as the possibility that they seriously believe their dogma and aren't just really, really deep in make-believe, my sister wonders, "Do they not remember the 16th and 17th centuries?" Because Christian Nationalism has been tried, and it got ugly in Europe's Wars of Religion. The Founders had a *reason* for adding the 1st Amendment.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

 

From the transcript:

Quote

If you recognize that voice, it's Pastor Doug Wilson, who's a featured speaker here. Fundamentalist thinkers have come from around the country to be here, nearly 1,500 people, according to co-founder Gabe Rench. And that's despite a per-person ticket well north of $400. 

 

Sign me up for that income stream!

[Cygnia]

Though he loathes Faux News, my father-in-law tends to hate-listen to them on the car radio.  Thus it was this morning when he drove me to a doctor's appointment.

 

And they were advertising a book for the kiddies to teach them all "the wonderful things Trump has done".

 

I didn't have enough caffeine in my blood and read the computerized chyron as "kid's grift book" instead of "gift".

[Old Man]

4 hours ago, Cygnia said:

Though he loathes Faux News, my father-in-law tends to hate-listen to them on the car radio.  Thus it was this morning when he drove me to a doctor's appointment.

 

And they were advertising a book for the kiddies to teach them all "the wonderful things Trump has done".

 

I didn't have enough caffeine in my blood and read the computerized chyron as "kid's grift book" instead of "gift".

 

So what you're saying is, there was a typo in the chyron.

 

But the libs are the ones "indoctrinating our youth" with library books, right?

[unclevlad]

Cyg:  I woulda lost my breakfast.  And tried...not too abrasively, hopefully...to get him to change the station.  At this point, I mean...we KNOW Trump.  I'm not so sure I buy hate-listening at this point.

[unclevlad]

This is now several weeks old, but still.  Deniers beware!

https://apnews.com/article/tina-peters-election-computer-breach-8a171657321dd595dfd2dd81e0a0a848

 

 

[Cygnia]

2 hours ago, unclevlad said:

Cyg:  I woulda lost my breakfast.  And tried...not too abrasively, hopefully...to get him to change the station.  At this point, I mean...we KNOW Trump.  I'm not so sure I buy hate-listening at this point.

I can confirm it's hate-listening.  He switched to spa music later on the ride (not my choice). Him and my MIL are very much voting for Harris.

 

https://www.emptywheel.net/2024/09/02/the-soft-bigotry-of-no-expectations-on-trump/

 

Quote

Trump has been running for 21 months; his campaign is more than 90% over. The Vice President has been running 43 days; her campaign still has almost 60% to go.

And yet they’re putting demands on the woman in the race, making no such demand on the white male former President.

The press has gone 21 months without throwing this kind of tantrum with Donald Trump. Given that, this column says more about the failures of journalists to hold Trump accountable than it does any shortcomings on Kamala’s part.

At some point, the traditional media needs to explain why it is so much more rabid about getting policy from Kamala than Trump.

Journalists need to come to grips, publicly, with why they apply this soft bigotry of no expectations to Donald Trump. Is it because they know he’ll deny them access if they make similar demands on him? Is it a (justifiable) fear he’ll sic a violent supporter on them, as he did the other night in Johnstown, with Trump observing, “beautiful, that’s beautiful, that’s alright, that’s okay, no, he’s on our side. We get a little itchy, David, don’t we? No, no, he’s on our side,” as the man was tased? Is it a resignation to the fact that Trump will just lie anyway?

Whatever the explanation for why the press applies so much lower expectations on the former President, who has been running for 21 months, than it does on Kamala Harris, just over a month into her campaign, the explanation is a far, far more important story to tell voters than precisely how the Vice President plans to restore the Child Tax Credit.

The only thing this comparison has done is make visible WaPo’s — and the press corp’s, generally — soft bigotry with Donald Trump, the double standard they are applying in their expectations for Kamala Harris as compared to none for Trump.

 

[Pattern Ghost]

IMO, Harris should give no interviews, and should have not given the prior one. The "press" is only interested in manufacturing a story to sell than covering the election with anything resembling journalistic integrity. They've repeatedly raised concerns about both Biden and Harris that they've left unaddressed regarding Trump, and repeatedly asked Harris questions straight out of Trump's talking points without giving any clarifying framework to let the viewer know that these are _Trump's claims_, not statements of fact. She's doing well enough with social media that she doesn't need to appease the corporate manufactured outrage machine.

[Old Man]

5 hours ago, Cygnia said:

I can confirm it's hate-listening.  He switched to spa music later on the ride (not my choice). Him and my MIL are very much voting for Harris.

 

https://www.emptywheel.net/2024/09/02/the-soft-bigotry-of-no-expectations-on-trump/

 

 

 

 

There's been a trend of corporate media trying to bring in conservative executives.  Licht at CNN.  Winnett at the Post.  Jones at MSNBC, brazenly hiring the former RNC chair as an analyst.  Fortunately these efforts have been so hamfisted that they at least call a lot of attention to what's going on--the MSNBC staff literally mutinied until Ronna McDaniel was fired.  Even so, coverage in the corporate media remains incredibly slanted to the point of misinformation in some cases (such as the New York Times' "scoop" about a Parkinson's doctor visiting the White House).  Harris hardly needs these media outlets and in fact should probably continue to avoid them, especially if the recent 'gotcha' interview with CNN is any indication of how these interactions are going to go.

Edited September 4 by Old Man

[Cygnia]

Evangelical broadcasters sue IRS for right to endorse candidates without penalty

Quote

A coalition of Christian ministries is suing the IRS because the groups want the ability to endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt statuses. The complaint, which was filed on Wednesday, pits the National Religious Broadcasters, Intercessors for America, and two random Texas-based churches against IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.

 

[unclevlad]

From NYT:

4 Dead in Georgia High School Shooting, Officials Say

At least nine people were hospitalized with injuries after gunfire at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., about 50 miles from Atlanta.

 

EDIT:  some good news...everyone who had to go to the hospital is expected to survive their injuries.

[DShomshak]

I heard on NPR that the Georgia shooter surrendered to police. Name withheld, at least at that time. Motive unknown.

 

But they did say the shooter was 14. Prosecutor says he will be charged as an adult.

 

I do not know enough to make a meaningful comment.

 

Dean Shomshak

[BoloOfEarth]

7 hours ago, DShomshak said:

I do not know enough to make a meaningful comment.

 

C'mon, this is the internet!  Since when has not knowing enough *ever* stopped anybody...  oh, you said "meaningful" comment.  Never mind.

[Simon]

The Internet? No.

 

THIS. IS. HERO!!!

[unclevlad]

8 hours ago, DShomshak said:

I heard on NPR that the Georgia shooter surrendered to police. Name withheld, at least at that time. Motive unknown.

 

But they did say the shooter was 14. Prosecutor says he will be charged as an adult.

 

I do not know enough to make a meaningful comment.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

Might not have been mentioned in the NPR story but NYT had it...wanna say midafternoon, maybe early evening last night.  Colt Gray.  

As for charging him as an adult, some of it might be this.  From NYT:

 

Quote

Law enforcement officers were led to the accused shooter, Colt Gray, more than a year ago after threats to “shoot up a middle school” were made on Discord, according to a report from the county sheriff's office obtained by The New York Times. The threats were reported by users as far away as Australia. Gray, who was 13 at the time and living in Jackson County, Ga., denied making them, and investigators could not definitively link him to the posts, the report said.

 

A big question is gonna be how the kid got the guns in the first place.

 

In a different way, this one sentence truly makes me ill.

 

Quote

The lockdown alert flashed on a screen in Stephen Kreyenbuhl’s classroom at Apalachee High School as the gunfire started.

 

 

[wcw43921]

Far-Right Trump Supporters Enraged After Trump Admits To 2020 Election Loss