Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[Hermit]

8 minutes ago, TrickstaPriest said:

 

This administration has driven me, my parents, my brother, to all look to moving.  We can't afford it, but to do it anyway.

 

I'm not exaggerating to say it'll become more expensive and more dangerous to stay here over the next five years.  The way people are talking about the coronavirus crap is just icing on the cake - an administration literally does nothing in preparation for six weeks and I have friends saying "well I guess he did an okay job.  And him putting his signature on the check was genius!"

 

I'm done with this country.

 

If I won a small lottery I'd be real tempted to move to a blue state, not that I'd agree with  ALL things any state's governments, but it would be nice to have my vote count for more than school board. Beyond that? I've heard lovely things about Nova Scotia, Canada or Queensland, Australia. 

 

[TrickstaPriest]

2 hours ago, Hermit said:

If I won a small lottery I'd be real tempted to move to a blue state, not that I'd agree with  ALL things any state's governments, but it would be nice to have my vote count for more than school board. Beyond that? I've heard lovely things about Nova Scotia, Canada or Queensland, Australia. 

 

It's going to have to be Canada.  Not for the least of Australia being on fire a lot...  But Canadian homes cost x3 as much as USA homes.  Soo.... my parents are going to go from homeowners to renting.

 

This isn't just about a red/blue thing, and I have no doubt you can get screwed in a blue state.  The general attitude of this country has pretty much entered the idea of reckless disregard - and here I can state some things that I couldn't state in the Coronavirus thread.

 

I find it pretty unbelievable that people have completely forgotten the only reason this closure has been so complete and total is our administration couldn't handle a wet paper towel, let alone figure out how to handle a possible pandemic.

 

So yes, a total closure may have been unreasonable for very small locations.  You can thank your federal government and your leadership for that.

 

The analogies I've heard don't do this justice.  The country is a mess because no one is even trying to run it.  The cynic in me says that these 'expensive actions/solutions' only happened because no one with any authority wants to do anything.  Do anything but exploit the situation, so when they realize someone has to actually do anything to have a situation to exploit, it's a complete mess.

 

This country is going to probably destroy/collapse/destabilize/delibertify/bankrupt teaching itself how to swim when it literally had months to figure it out.  It's not an overreaction or hysterics, it's procrastination and outright aversion of responsibility. 

 

Only after all that mess is history, the politically convenient excuses can come out to let more authoritarian actions take hold - we've talked about expense a lot, but it's very clear the authority doesn't actually care about expense.  Everything is loyalty now, it doesn't matter if you are wrong or can't even hold up a job to clean dishes.  This is something that at least appears to have started blatantly with Trump, but I'm sure existed before him.  But now it's everything.

 

This is functionally why dictatorships don't work.  Capitalism only functions because it creates a reward system and depends on individuals figuring out how to obtain that reward system.  When that reward system is 'be successful and make money', individuals get good at it.  The government then has to act to make sure 'make money' doesn't mean 'pillage everything to the ground'.  (see hedge fund managers).  And when that reward system is 'kiss up to me or backstab your boss to advance', your government/company self-sabotages itself into ruin.

 

It has nothing to do with running a country, and unfortunately it won't do anything to help you when your leadership cares only about loyalty above anything, and everyone is spinning basic facts to keep above the mayhem.  Our leadership is already taking that spin as legitimate truth, and that informs how it behaves and acts.  It's literally lying to itself and doesn't care.  That's the very system that annihilates a government or country when it faces a disaster.

 

You can't say "it'll end with the election", because I highly doubt the people that this government has enabled will give much of a care.  It's created an entirely new system of political body out of this.  I seriously thought these kind of people were behind us, and that maybe this country had a better future than McCarthyism and so much worse.

 

edit:  To be clear.  I'm saying that I think this country's politics is being horribly damaged by the politics used by this administration.  I'm sure this is only exasperated by the country's prior politics.  But this pandemic event in particular, I think has permanently damaged this country's ability to work with itself.  People in this country won't unite over anything if not this, and from what I've seen this people's reflections on it have only made it worse.

 

So I'm leaving because this country doesn't have a future.  It will take years to get there, but it will take years to move four people living in three places into another country in a way that won't bankrupt us all. 

 

Lord.  Out of all of them, I am the only person able to earn money, and I'm not even married/with kids.

[Cygnia]

My husband refuses to move.  Which sucks for me because that means I'm stuck in Ohio.

[TrickstaPriest]

3 hours ago, Cygnia said:

My husband refuses to move.  Which sucks for me because that means I'm stuck in Ohio.

 

A big part of the move is financial - social security, pension, disability, I'm the only person among my direct kin and parentage not on these things.

 

But it's also pretty unfortunately clear that 'we are not welcome'.

[Satbunny]

Have a look at migrating to the UK or Ireland..

[Badger]

18 hours ago, Hermit said:

 

If I won a small lottery I'd be real tempted to move to a blue state, not that I'd agree with  ALL things any state's governments, but it would be nice to have my vote count for more than school board. Beyond that? I've heard lovely things about Nova Scotia, Canada or Queensland, Australia. 

 

 

being in VA, I am living in a red district stuck in a blue state.  My vote doesn't matter beyond my Congressman to the House.  (and the Dems are bothering with a contender this time.  I was going to vote for him, but I like competition, at least so the other side can have something to cling to)

 

I did prefer VA when it was a red state.  But, I do prefer a state more reddish-purple to be honest.   Both sides of the spectrum leave flustered too often.

 

Note: Course, I guess I could vote for the school board, but I don't have kids, so I don't have the energy to get involved with it.

[TrickstaPriest]

2 hours ago, Badger said:

I did prefer VA when it was a red state.  But, I do prefer a state more reddish-purple to be honest.   Both sides of the spectrum leave flustered too often.

 

Yep.  If there's no political competition, politicians can do whatever the heck they want...

[Lord Liaden]

I remember a line from, IRRC, Frank Capra's classic political satire/commentary movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: "Of course there's graft. If we didn't have graft we couldn't attract the best people."

[Badger]

Well, I question the best people in politics thing.

 

I was joking elsewhere about having all bad rolls in those character creation rolls of old.  Most politicians rolled a brilliant Charisma score, and botched everything else.**

 

**Or they definitely botched the INT roll, if nothing else.

[Lord Liaden]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Well, I question the best people in politics thing.

 

 Pretty sure Frank Capra was being sarcastic with that line.   The character who uttered it was a political fixer.

[TrickstaPriest]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Well, I question the best people in politics thing.

 

I was joking elsewhere about having all bad rolls in those character creation rolls of old.  Most politicians rolled a brilliant Charisma score, and botched everything else.**

 

**Or they definitely botched the INT roll, if nothing else.

 

I think it's to their political advantage to not demonstrate good INT.  They (typically) have the skills they need for what they need... which has nothing to do with their job

[csyphrett]

The paper is saying Burr's brother in law sold off his stock too before the corona virus hit the market.

CES 

[wcw43921]

Why Trump Is Back To Normal--And You're Not

[TrickstaPriest]

1 hour ago, wcw43921 said:

Why Trump Is Back To Normal--And You're Not

 

Yeah.  Available testing would have made a big difference.

[Badger]

21 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

 

 Pretty sure Frank Capra was being sarcastic with that line.   The character who uttered it was a political fixer.

 

Yeah, I've never gotten to see the whole movie before, to be fair.

[Badger]

My mother's invalid niece (well they were near in age, mother being youngest of 11 kids) died.   No, not from the virus, but from a long bout of Parkinson's (been kind of expecting it the last 6 months, to be honest)

 

It just sucks with the current situation, we cant have a proper funeral, as my mother would've really like to have properly said goodbye in that way.

[Hermit]

Damn.

 

Condolences, Badger.

[Badger]

40 minutes ago, Hermit said:

Damn.

 

Condolences, Badger.

 

Thanks, like I said, it was expected.  But, it is unfortunate under our certain circumstances.  We are a big family on my mother's side.

[Lawnmower Boy]

On 5/7/2020 at 8:49 PM, Hermit said:

 

If I won a small lottery I'd be real tempted to move ------I've heard lovely things about Nova Scotia 

 

Not angry, just deeply, deeply disappointed.

[Hermit]

11 minutes ago, Lawnmower Boy said:

Not angry, just deeply, deeply disappointed.

 

What? It surprises you an ocean side province might appeal?

 

 

[Lawnmower Boy]

1 minute ago, Hermit said:

 

What? It surprises you an ocean side province might appeal?

 

 

Well, I can think of at least one other very nice oceanside province you could have chosen. But don't worry, I'm not offended. You do you.

 .....

Okay, maybe a bit offended.

[Hermit]

4 minutes ago, Lawnmower Boy said:

Well, I can think of at least one other very nice oceanside province you could have chosen. But don't worry, I'm not offended. You do you.

 .....

Okay, maybe a bit offended.

 

OH. I don't speak French.

 

I Mean, I don't speak Scotts Gaelic either but I hear the Quebecois are fussy...

[Hermit]

Teasing aside... maybe I should start a thread where Canadians suggest provinces/cities to Americans to visit/tour or move to long term. 

 

I have noticed some Canadians RELISH telling we Americans where to go

[Lawnmower Boy]

5 minutes ago, Hermit said:

 

OH. I don't speak French.

 

I Mean, I don't speak Scotts Gaelic either but I hear the Quebecois are fussy...

British Columbia, you darn hillbilly!

And you should work on your French. It's the language of love.

 

[Hermit]

4 minutes ago, Lawnmower Boy said:

 

 

British Columbia, you darn hillbilly!

 

 

Oh yeah... little man with the great coffee and the donkey. I remember those commercials!

 

 

(This observation brought to you by the American Education system)