Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[unclevlad]

A total waste.  Senseless and tragic.

 

It's cases like this where I'm glad I *don't* understand how it happens, I think...

[Lord Liaden]

This is one more thing that brings me back to that legal case involving Tucker Carlson, in which lawyers for Fox argued that no reasonable person would take what he says seriously. It's become abundantly clear that there are a great many unreasonable people in this world, and those who target them with inflammatory propaganda need to be held responsible for the consequences.

[Pariah]

I go through suicide prevention training every year as part of my job, and the thing that sticks out to me every year is how big a factor mental illness is—and how ill-prepared most of us are to deal with that. 

 

We've got to do something about mental illness in this country.

 

For a bunch of people, acknowledging that it's real would be a good start. 

[Lord Liaden]

13 minutes ago, Pariah said:

I go through suicide prevention training every year as part of my job, and the thing that sticks out to me every year is how big a factor mental illness is—and how ill-prepared most of us are to deal with that. 

 

We've got to do something about mental illness in this country.

 

For a bunch of people, acknowledging that it's real would be a good start. 

 

That's the Catch-22. American right-wing politicians loudly proclaim after every mass shooting, that it's an issue of mental health care, not guns. Then they vote against every bill to finance expanded access to mental health care.

[TrickstaPriest]

58 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

That's the Catch-22. American right-wing politicians loudly proclaim after every mass shooting, that it's an issue of mental health care, not guns. Then they vote against every bill to finance expanded access to mental health care.

 

Not a surprise - the media apparatus behind them preys on mental illness.

[Pariah]

58 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

That's the Catch-22. American right-wing politicians loudly proclaim after every mass shooting, that it's an issue of mental health care, not guns. Then they vote against every bill to finance expanded access to mental health care.

 

Exactly my point. The GQP and its lackeys loudly scapegoat "mental health" for gun atrocities, because mental health advocates don't have the same political influence (or budgets) that gun rights activists have. 

[Pariah]

Hey, Margie, I have a solution to both problems....

 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene complained about her low salary and said that working in Congress has made her 'miserable'

[Cygnia]

AI-generated Seinfeld parody banned on Twitch over transphobic standup bit

[TrickstaPriest]

Biden's playing politics to try and boost himself while everyone else watches the other likely candidate talk about destroying the trans community (and if you pay attention, wrapping up any and all gay/bi people in his statements as well)

 

Next few years are going to be just great.

[Lord Liaden]

Could you elaborate on what particular game you think Biden is playing?

[TrickstaPriest]

Just now, Lord Liaden said:

Could you elaborate on what particular game you think Biden is playing?

 

The DNC change to put South Carolina first in the primary indicates to me that Biden wants to run again 😕

[Lord Liaden]

Do you consider that bad?

[TrickstaPriest]

4 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

Do you consider that bad?

 

I know a number of people who won't be voting during the presidency this time around because of Biden (and the DNC).  They'll only vote for candidates that might help impoverished people more significantly 😕

 

So in the shadow of a country starting a war because of a major politician wanting to build his reputation and base of power as he dies... I watch another one risk allowing a literal insurrectionist and openly anti-trans genocidal leader winning because he feels he's the best candidate.

 

Is he?  Maybe, maybe not.

 

But to me it looks like a race to the bottom fostered by politicians seeing opportunity in disaster. 

 

I don't have any faith in Biden to garner a lot of votes.  If only because the Fox News machine has had its time to work on him.

[Lord Liaden]

I don't believe Joe Biden gets enough credit for what he's accomplished in two years, and the circumstances under which he's accomplished them. Here's an excerpt from the recent departure speech by his outgoing chief of staff, Ron Klain, making that point. You can just watch for a little over two minutes after the point where I start the video.

 

 

[TrickstaPriest]

Unfortunately the perception of him might be more important for re-election.  Propaganda works.  😕

 

I also know people who've been struggling and honestly did better financially under Trump.  They may not like Trump, but they admit that.  I'm not about to tell them 'their experience is wrong' any more than I'd tell someone else that.

 

I don't really believe MSNBC's opinion of it because, unfortunately, they are propaganda on 'our side', but at least the jobs report seems to suggest an improvement.  I'm not sure I know any people who have been financially desperate who've been doing better now, though.  So much like polling, I have to take it with a grain of salt.

 

My concern is that Biden is just going to depress the Dem vote (particularly the young or impoverished vote) at a time when it could literally get a lot of people killed.  The DNC could try and build up a new candidate, but this move makes it pretty clear to me they aren't going to do so.

[Simon]

I've been giving this thread a pretty loose rein for a while...that appears to be something I need to change, unless folks start REMEMBERING THE RULES.

I don't care what you believe, what you think, or what your opinions are.  This is not the site for that.

[archer]

4 hours ago, Pariah said:

Hey, Margie, I have a solution to both problems....

 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene complained about her low salary and said that working in Congress has made her 'miserable'

 

You want to put all the mentally-ill people into Congress then raise their salaries???

[Lord Liaden]

Edited in case I crossed a line.

[Old Man]

(deleted)

[Simon]

Did I stutter...or do I just need to start with infractions and banning?

[TrickstaPriest]

I know I've earned my fair share

[wcw43921]

Any Constitutional scholars want to weigh in on this?

[Pattern Ghost]

I'm not a Constitutional scholar, but it doesn't seem any more of a stretch than the contortions the Commerce Clause has been twisted into, so maybe it'll work? Probably won't work with the current SCOTUS lineup though.

 

[Cygnia]

 

[Lectryk]

11 hours ago, Pattern Ghost said:

I'm not a Constitutional scholar, but it doesn't seem any more of a stretch than the contortions the Commerce Clause has been twisted into, so maybe it'll work? Probably won't work with the current SCOTUS lineup though.

 

I don't think even that contortion would work.  On it's face, it comes down to an argument between the rights of the prospective mother, and the right of the unborn to be be born.  We know which way that the current bench would rule, with that logic.

 

Any prospective case would face the hurdle of proving that bearing to term is involuntary servitude/slavery when there is an option to adopt out the baby.  If there was case law/laws in general requiring 'proper pre-natal care' (even a definition of that) at the federal level let alone the state level, there would be a level of invasiveness and control of the individual's actions that could be read as servitude/slavery, but there isn't precedent for that (that I know of, anyway).