Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[Joe Walsh]

Hard to believe companies can get away with such blatant abuse now almost as easily as they did 150 years ago.

 

 

 

[Old Man]

4 hours ago, Sociotard said:

Russia is bolstering its ranks with prisoners offered suicide-squad-style sentence reductions. Everybody knows that.

 

Russia is bolstering its ranks with a dad-bod army of men in their 50s and 60s. Old news. Chechens? Mercenaries? Same.

 

So what is new? The possibility of 100,000 North Koreans.

https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/100000-north-korean-soldiers-could-be-sent-to-bolster-putins-forces-fighting-ukraine/news-story/1126782c8c5e6fe08a8ad2d9fa38dff0

 

Fresh, well trained troops are known for changing the course of a war. This is North Korea. How fresh, well trained?

 

They could be clones of Rambo and Russia would still have nothing to arm, transport, or feed them with.  It'd be like Stalingrad, where you issue one Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle to three guys and they take turns picking up the rifle as each one gets killed.

[unclevlad]

5 minutes ago, GM Joe said:

Hard to believe companies can get away with such blatant abuse now almost as easily as they did 150 years ago.

 

 

Not really.  Far too often, it's all about the cost.  Especially if the common culprit is that big square-box brown van we all recognize?  That's sheet metal walls...painted a nice, heat-absorbing dark color?  With NO windows?  How many of those are on the road, and what would be the cost to retrofit each one?

 

It is somewhat surprising this has gone on as long as it has;  it's not new:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ups-drivers-heat-exhaustion-death/

 

But the managers' reactions are pretty typical.  I remember issues with back injuries with, IIRC, the package companies and Wal-Mart, at different times.  Quite similar.  Managers are going to do everything possible to minimize the issue;  workmen's comp claims look bad on their record, and probably tend to draw unwonted attention from OSHA.  Not just one claim, but multiples.  

 

One also has to wonder...if it does come to OSHA's attention, how diligent are their people with their investigation?  Especially in a situation like this.  It's quite plausible to me that the legal demand for every i to be properly dotted, every t to be properly crossed, every one of the 217 blanks filled in properly, makes it exceptionally burdensome for the inspectors to actually DO anything...and that the companies KNOW this.

[Joe Walsh]

59 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

Not really.  Far too often, it's all about the cost.

 

Like during the Gilded Age?

 

59 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

It is somewhat surprising this has gone on as long as it has;  it's not new:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ups-drivers-heat-exhaustion-death/

 

But the managers' reactions are pretty typical.  I remember issues with back injuries with, IIRC, the package companies and Wal-Mart, at different times.  Quite similar.  Managers are going to do everything possible to minimize the issue;  workmen's comp claims look bad on their record, and probably tend to draw unwonted attention from OSHA.  Not just one claim, but multiples.  

 

One also has to wonder...if it does come to OSHA's attention, how diligent are their people with their investigation?  Especially in a situation like this.  It's quite plausible to me that the legal demand for every i to be properly dotted, every t to be properly crossed, every one of the 217 blanks filled in properly, makes it exceptionally burdensome for the inspectors to actually DO anything...and that the companies KNOW this.

 

I'm confused. Doesn't that sound like "almost as easily as 150 years ago?"

[unclevlad]

2 minutes ago, GM Joe said:

I'm confused. Doesn't that sound like "almost as easily as 150 years ago?"

 

OK, fair enough.  Flip side:  when we know that any efforts to interfere with the pursuit of every last buck, are made as difficult as possible, why is it surprising that so much does get by for so long? 

[tkdguy]

That attitude was why I walked out on my job last year and turned down repeated attempts to get me back.

[Pattern Ghost]

6 hours ago, Sociotard said:

Fresh, well trained troops are known for changing the course of a war. This is North Korea. How fresh, well trained?

 

We need to send MREs. They'll likely defect to Ukraine for them.

[Ternaugh]

1 hour ago, unclevlad said:

 

Not really.  Far too often, it's all about the cost.  Especially if the common culprit is that big square-box brown van we all recognize?  That's sheet metal walls...painted a nice, heat-absorbing dark color?  With NO windows?  How many of those are on the road, and what would be the cost to retrofit each one?

 

It is somewhat surprising this has gone on as long as it has;  it's not new:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ups-drivers-heat-exhaustion-death/

 

But the managers' reactions are pretty typical.  I remember issues with back injuries with, IIRC, the package companies and Wal-Mart, at different times.  Quite similar.  Managers are going to do everything possible to minimize the issue;  workmen's comp claims look bad on their record, and probably tend to draw unwonted attention from OSHA.  Not just one claim, but multiples.  

 

One also has to wonder...if it does come to OSHA's attention, how diligent are their people with their investigation?  Especially in a situation like this.  It's quite plausible to me that the legal demand for every i to be properly dotted, every t to be properly crossed, every one of the 217 blanks filled in properly, makes it exceptionally burdensome for the inspectors to actually DO anything...and that the companies KNOW this.

 

Companies count on this. There's a woeful shortage of compliance officers, and it's often not possible to inspect each workplace in a timely manner before incidents happen.

 

From the OSHA webpage:

 

Quote

Federal OSHA coverage

Federal OSHA is a small agency; with our state partners we have approximately 1,850 inspectors responsible for the health and safety of 130 million workers, employed at more than 8 million worksites around the nation — which translates to about one compliance officer for every 70,000 workers.

 

Put another way, that's about 4324 worksites for each compliance officer. 

[TrickstaPriest]

https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/08/the-rights-rising-authoritarian-ally-viktor-orban/671059/

[unclevlad]

Jury reached a number on the punitive damages in the Sandy Hook case.

 

$45,000,000.

 

Yes indeed.  Victims asked for $146M, to make the whole thing $150M....but $50M total feels pretty good to me.

[Lord Liaden]

Note that there are more suits against Jones coming to trial.

[Sociotard]

5 hours ago, Pattern Ghost said:

 

We need to send MREs. They'll likely defect to Ukraine for them.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Varolampi_Pond

[wcw43921]

Erm--I don't think governors have the power to declare war like that, ma'am.

 

(And once again--if you voted for Trump, this is what you voted for.)

[unclevlad]

This is Fox News today.

https://news.yahoo.com/fox-host-women-must-married-155244605.html

 

Kari Lake might be the best shot the Democrats have to win in Arizona.  She's a disaster waiting to happen.

[wcw43921]

And here I thought Fox News was dialing back the insanity.

[Ternaugh]

49 minutes ago, wcw43921 said:

And here I thought Fox News was dialing back the insanity.

 

Unfortunately, that is dialed back.

[DShomshak]

Local update: Unfortunately, it looks like Washington Rep Jaime Herrerra-Beutler, one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, is going to lose her seat after all. Because of Washington's all-vote-by-mail system, ballots trickle in over several days. As they've come in and been count4ed, Herrerra-Beutler's lead over Total Trumpist challenger Joe Kent has steadily shrunk -- and there are thousands of ballots left to be counted. If Kent overtakes her, he moves on to the finals in the Top Two main election.

 

Herrerra-Beutler and Kent are both behind the Democrat, but only because the Republican vote was split at least three ways. This district is deep red: Any Dem who runs is a sacrificial lamb. So it looks like Washington is going to send at least one hard-core Trumpist to the next Congress, and Trump will get his revenge on Herrerra-Beutler.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Ragitsu]

On 8/5/2022 at 12:12 PM, GM Joe said:

Hard to believe companies can get away with such blatant abuse now almost as easily as they did 150 years ago.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to The Jungle.

[Joe Walsh]

This board needs a laugh-cry reaction option.

[Old Man]

Senate passes Inflation Reduction Act despite usual Republican obstructionism (though they did manage to block a cap on the price of insulin)

[Lord Liaden]

Because everyone knows diabetics vote Democrat.

[Ragitsu]

2 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

Because everyone knows diabetics vote Democrat.

 

Of course: they're so sugary, sweet and nice.

[unclevlad]

I am extremely glad I'm type 2 and therefore not on insulin.  Less about the cost, more about the basic aspect that monitoring is MUCH more of an issue, and swings are more severe.  Insulin prices are...tricky, in that the amount a patient needs varies quite a bit.  And in the last few years, there've been multiple synthetic, cheaper alternatives.  Some brands offer essentially co-insurance, so the cost drops;  my test strips had these.  A box of 200 lists for $180;  I think my net was $45.  

 

That said, anything related to drug prices can be a tipping-point issue for the people involved.  Medical costs generally, and thus drug prices specifically, are huge for us older folk.  A flat refusal will be grounds for voter pushback against the 'pubs...but those who vote that way, probably vote anti-'pub regardless.  It's not that likely to change that many votes.  

 

 

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, Lord Liaden said:

Because everyone knows diabetics vote Democrat.

 

A popular misconception.  Diabetics are just as likely to watch Fox News which will blame insulin prices on the Democrats.

[MrWolf]

Only thing I have to add is something that was kind of terrifying: a Georgia candidate who lost his Primary wanted to bring back the House Unamerican Activities Committee.  I was stunned that anyone would want to resurrect that.  I can't even come close to overstating my objection to something like this.