Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[Lord Liaden]

In modern history, everyone's willing to call themselves oppressed, when they see it as to their advantage.

[unclevlad]

2 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

In modern history, everyone's willing to call themselves oppressed, when they see it as to their advantage.

 

Generally, it requires some historical justification...often rather stretched, perhaps well in the past, but recognizably present.

[Iuz the Evil]

34 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

 

Generally, it requires some historical justification...often rather stretched, perhaps well in the past, but recognizably present.

You can identify historical justification for most groups at some point in their history. Humans have not been very nice to one another.

[Lord Liaden]

Russia today is basing its claim to Ukraine on precedent from nine hundred years ago.

 

 

6 hours ago, Cygnia said:

North Carolina Judge Convicts Journalists Of 'Trespassing' While Covering Eviction Of Homeless Encampment

 

One of the first moves of autocratic regimes is to muzzle the independent press.

Edited April 23, 2023 by Lord Liaden

[unclevlad]

The US has evacuated the Sudan embassy.  The capital is a battleground between military factions attempting to seize control of the government.  

 

 

Oh my.  This is one that slid under the radar.  Caught it in an NYT editorial about that Florida person.  Full story:  

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/20/politics/death-penalty-ron-desantis-florida-parkland-shooting/index.html#:~:text=Florida once required a simple,and impose the death penalty.

 

I'm actually in favor of the death penalty as an option...Timothy McVeigh is a prime example.  I'm more than willing to limit it to some degree, retaining it for relatively egregious circumstances only.  But, I think I want more than 8-4 to impose it, but I may have more of an issue with the criteria and general frequency for which the death penalty is imposed.

[Lord Liaden]

There are two reasons for the death penalty, deterrence, and revenge. Research has shown that deterrence almost never works. Most murders are crimes of passion, or impulse, or committed by people who believe they'll never be caught or held accountable. Revenge, I leave for each person to consider for themselves.

 

On the negative side, by now we've all heard the stories of people convicted for some degree of murder, who were later exonerated due to new evidence or recanted/discredited testimony. Execution eliminates the chance for a mistake in justice to ever be rebalanced.

Edited April 23, 2023 by Lord Liaden

[DShomshak]

Most of what turns up in my newsfeed is clickbait garbage, but this article reports some interesting academic research on regional differences in US gun vilence, and their deep historical roots.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-surprising-geography-of-gun-violence/ar-AA1adq3s?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=388234b9276540efbe820e19775b6af7&ei=17

 

Dean Shomshak

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, DShomshak said:

Most of what turns up in my newsfeed is clickbait garbage, but this article reports some interesting academic research on regional differences in US gun vilence, and their deep historical roots.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-surprising-geography-of-gun-violence/ar-AA1adq3s?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=388234b9276540efbe820e19775b6af7&ei=17

 

Dean Shomshak

 

Jesus that's a long read.  Good one, though.

[Joe Walsh]

Yep, good article! The final paragraph is so key.

[Joe Walsh]

I wish we could upload photos here, but at the moment AP's "Top Stories" headlines are an incredible look at America in a nutshell:
"Ex-officer who fatally shot Breonna Taylor hired as deputy"
"Officer who mistook her gun for taser and killed Duante Wright released"
"Jury selection begins over 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue attack"
"Foreigners airlifted out; Sudanese seek refuge from fighting"
"Probe ordered after shots fired at errant Instacart driver"
"Biden's 2024 campaign has been hiding in plain sight"
"For this Black mom, Ralph Yarl could have been her son"
"Did Ed Sheeran hit pilfer Marvin Gaye classic? Trial to tell"
"'Gender Queer' tops library group's list of challenged books"
"NFL Draft Guide: As usual, QBs are coveted in first round"

Edited April 24, 2023 by GM Joe

[Joe Walsh]

In matrimonial news, Tucker Carlson and Fox News have agreed to go their separate ways.

https://deadline.com/2023/04/tucker-carlson-out-at-fox-news-1235334983/

 

[Lord Liaden]

I did not see that coming, at least not yet.

[Old Man]

31 minutes ago, GM Joe said:

In matrimonial news, Tucker Carlson and Fox News have agreed to go their separate ways.

https://deadline.com/2023/04/tucker-carlson-out-at-fox-news-1235334983/

 

 

 

 

[unclevlad]

11 hours ago, DShomshak said:

Most of what turns up in my newsfeed is clickbait garbage, but this article reports some interesting academic research on regional differences in US gun vilence, and their deep historical roots.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-surprising-geography-of-gun-violence/ar-AA1adq3s?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=388234b9276540efbe820e19775b6af7&ei=17

 

Dean Shomshak

 

To echo GM Joe:  a very good read.

[unclevlad]

This has nothing to do with politics, but is entirely political at the same time.

 

Tucker Carlson is leaving Fox News.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3966300-tucker-carlson-and-fox-news-part-ways/

 

That it's related to the Dominion case, I have little doubt.  What's not at all clear is how it's related.  It's also unclear if this is part of an internal policy shift, or nothing more than cutting ties as Carlson becomes too toxic.  The statements are all saying "it's a mutual decision"...but as late as Friday, according to the story, Carlson wasn't expecting it.  

 

Flip side, Don Lemon's out at CNN.  Involuntarily, according to him.

 

Curious days in Medialand...

 

EDIT:  from NYT story on Lemon.

 

Quote

Mr. Lemon had asserted on-air that Nikki Haley, the 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate, “isn’t in her prime, sorry,” adding, “A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.” He dismissed the objections of his female co-hosts by responding, “I’m just saying what the facts are — Google it.” He later apologized to the CNN newsroom and agreed to a corporate training program to address his on-air behavior.

 

And things didn't get much better.  Yeah, that...was pretty stupid.

[Old Man]

Tucker's firing was so abrupt that Fox was still advertising the interview he was supposed to do tonight.

 

I decided it was time for a peek into the conservabubble, and it did not disappoint.  They're calling Fox News woke.  For cancelling Tucker Carlson.

 

Schadenfreude.

[Lord Liaden]

1 hour ago, Old Man said:

 

 

 

 

[Cygnia]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1650536938951122949

[unclevlad]

3 hours ago, Old Man said:

Tucker's firing was so abrupt that Fox was still advertising the interview he was supposed to do tonight.

 

I decided it was time for a peek into the conservabubble, and it did not disappoint.  They're calling Fox News woke.  For cancelling Tucker Carlson.

 

Schadenfreude.

 

Yes, if you want to see some:

https://www.businessinsider.com/maga-reaction-to-tucker-carlson-split-from-fox-news-2023-4

 

There's also this little tidbit

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tucker-carlson-fox-news-exit-162319291.html

 

It's quite likely that substantial numbers of their current viewers will bail as the quotes from Business Insider suggest.

[Hermit]

I suspect Tucker will go to Newsmax or OAN or something and get snatched up quickly. He'll take a lot of followers with him. Sad to say.

[Cygnia]

Allegedly, Russia Times made overtures to him once his termination dropped...

[Old Man]

2 minutes ago, Cygnia said:

Allegedly, Russia Times made overtures to him once his termination dropped...

 

There's no 'allegedly', it was a public tweet.

[BoloOfEarth]

It seems to me his name would be better spelled starting with another letter, probably from earlier in the alphabet than "T"

[Iuz the Evil]

 

The confused Tucker memes are going to be lit.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Iuz the Evil

[Pattern Ghost]

6 hours ago, unclevlad said:

And things didn't get much better.

 

I recently saw some clips someone compiled of him laying into his female co-host on air that were pretty inappropriate. It's apparently been a while in coming for him on this issue.