The General 'Murican Politics Thread

[SSF1991]

Every single thing that people expected Trump to do came true, and then some. Nobody listened because they thought "meh Congress will stop him". Then it turned out the GOP gained control of Congress and they have been absolutely god awful with controlling him. They've been encouraging him. It has been even worse than we thought. And he's only been in office for not even 5 months.

I feel like this is the worst president this country has ever had. It will take years to fix all of this.

[Nepenthe]

To be fair, not everything has come true. His three big things: job growth, repeal Obamacare, and ban the browns have been stalled/defeated to some degree. Besides, we can always look on the bright side in that he isn't Jackson going on a fuckin' genocide mission.

[KHCast]

Oh btw trump won't be acknowledging or celebrating pride month, so yeah, totally there for the community like he said awhile back while holding our flag...wait.

[Tani Coyote]

15 hours ago, Nepenthe said:

Most Americans weren't alarmed about the election because we had statistical analysts from both sides of the aisle telling us that it would be near-impossible for pussy-grabbing, xenophobia-spouting, no-tax-paying Trump to win because we both had the demographics and the moral fiber to just pull the fucking lever for Hillary. Most of the public also didn't seem aware of the extent of Russia's antics on the outcome aside from a few rogue comments here and there about Trump's business interests.

Really, the case for compulsory voting has never been stronger.

Though, the funny thing is, national polls were actually fairly close to guessing the Clinton-Trump victory margin. The issue is they didn't seem to be quite as effectively gauging the state by state margin, and that's what matters.

16 hours ago, Volphied said:

Putin views my country as one of the many colonies Russia lost after 1989. Without NATO and EU, we would be stuck fighting in a brutal war like the Ukrainians are right now, and that's only considering my government wouldn't be just outright hijacked by a Yanukovich-like puppet.

And guess what Trump wants to destroy? The two organizations that are guaranteeing that my country remains part of the Free World.

He can want it however much he wants, but it will take at least a majority in both Houses to pull out of NATO. And while the House might be inclined to back him, the GOP Senate has enough moderates who have stood up to him to make the difference. Even McConnell's annoyance with Trump's words and behavior is well-documented.

Now, Trump could in theory refuse to honor a war declaration on the behalf of NATO by Congress. But by the same token, Congress can threaten impeachment, Pence can declare him incapable, or the Supreme Court can issue an injunction against Trump to enforce the law.

The last option is the most likely, given judges become fairly independent once they're actually on the bench. Nixon appointed several of the judges who ended up ordering him to hand over his tapes.

Really though, the idea of isolating the USA is just as counterproductive as when Americans propose it. We are big enough that we're going to have influence on a global stage with or without close relations, and it is ultimately in both parties' best interests to maintain as many ties as possible. Trump's term will eventually pass, and the key to making sure his successor isn't a populist, isolationist idiot is to make sure the world stage remains a place America wants to participate in. It's easy to double down when faced with outside hostility.

43 minutes ago, KHCast said:

Oh btw trump won't be acknowledging or celebrating pride month, so yeah, totally there for the community like he said awhile back while holding our flag...wait.

Being LGBT and backing Trump in the first place is privilege in a can. He may not aggressively go after gay rights, but he sure as Hell isn't going to be making a point to defend them either.

If you're a more well to do LGBT person, it's perfectly easy to push your disagreements with Trump aside (looking at you, Caitlyn Jenner). If you're not so well to do, this becomes more and more difficult unless you have some really strong reason to keep backing him.

13 hours ago, Dizcrybe said:

On an unrelated note, someone on another forum linked a pretty interesting article on how Dems can net big gains for 2018. Specifically, it means instead of focusing exclusively on Trump voters who previously went for Obama, trying to win over Cvbjqwdfwgdj3t voters that previous went for Romney

Really, it's not a bad idea. It is worth remembering Romney passed an expanded healthcare bill in his state. There is room for a bipartisan coalition on healthcare, one that proposes expanding and simplifying the system as opposed to rolling back Obamacare. Moderate GOP Senators are on board with preserving Planned Parenthood and expanding Medicaid, and therein lies an opportunity for a Democratic majority or increased minority to bridge the gap and ultimately "replace" Obamacare with something far better. It may just be expanded Medicaid and a lowered age of eligibility for Medicare, but there is room for courting mostly conservative voters on a few key issues.

My suggestion: new faces for the Party. Nancy Pelosi is a lightning rod for conservative critics, and really has no business staying as a party leader given most of her term was filled with failure; it's unusual even in American politics for a party leader to stay in power for 14 years when her Party has only had the majority for 4. Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, has controversial votes like voting against the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, and that means he's hardly the type you want to be associated with if you want to get conservatives on board.

While Sanders and Biden are both very popular in their own right, they're old and I wouldn't want to bank on them. Never mind the polls saying Democratic voters quite frankly want someone new entirely in the 2020 race.

2018 would be the perfect time for Presidential hopefuls to really make waves.

[Volphied]

http://www.politico.eu/article/schulz-to-trump-dropping-paris-agreement-means-no-trade-talks/

Quote

Schulz to Trump: Dropping Paris agreement means no trade talks

Germany’s challenger for the chancellorship, Martin Schulz, vowed Thursday to retaliate against U.S. President Donald Trump’s potential withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement by refusing to engage in transatlantic trade talks.

Referring to trade negotiations with the U.S., which ran until the end of last year but are now on ice, Schulz said it would be impossible to grant better market access to the U.S. if it did not respect climate protection rules.

“If the U.S. drops out of the climate agreement … for European trade policy, this means that American production sites don’t need to abide by the climate goals,” said the Social Democratic candidate, who was speaking at the WDR Europa Forum in Berlin. “That is a competitive distortion against which we can only protect ourselves by saying: Whoever wants to have access to our market, and the European market is the biggest market in the world, needs to respect the European standards.”

Schulz, who hopes to beat Chancellor Angela Merkel in federal elections in September, said this logic of ensuring the enforcement of European standards was the reason why he supported free trade agreements in general.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/02/european-leaders-vow-to-keep-fighting-global-warming-despite-us-withdrawal

Quote

The European Union’s top climate change official, Miguel Arias Cañete, said Trump’s decision to leave the Paris accord made it “a sad day for the global community” and predicted that the EU would seek new alliances from the world’s largest economies to the most vulnerable island states, as well as US businesses and individuals supportive of the accord.

Fiji’s prime minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, who in November will chair an annual climate summit in Germany, said the decision was a grave disappointment for places such as his Pacific island nation and US coastal cities such as New York and Miami that are vulnerable to climate change.

Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea also regretted the US move and reiterated their commitment to implement the agreement. Former Mexican president Vicente Fox, who has often clashed with Trump, said on Twitter the US president was “declaring war on the planet itself”.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-germany-idUSKBN18T0L1

Quote

The head of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office on Friday dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's call to renegotiate a landmark 2015 global agreement to fight climate change.

Trump said on Thursday the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate deal, a move that fulfilled a major campaign pledge but drew condemnation from global leaders and executives. He said his administration would begin talks either to re-enter the Paris accord or to have a new deal with better terms for the United States.

Peter Altmaier, head of the German chancellery, said that Trump's decision was a disappointment, adding: "It's sad that one of the most important allies in climate protection is pulling out with a single stroke of the pen."

But the United States would not be in a position to reverse international efforts to fight global warming, Altmaier told ARD public broadcaster, adding that reopening negotiations on a new climate deal would be wrong.

"That's why I'm convinced that this path will continue, that the deal will survive," he said.

In the end, the U.S. government will damage its own economy by supporting the illusion that climate change can be ignored, Altmaier added.

China and the European Union are expected to make a show of unity over the fight against global warming at a summit in Brussels on Friday.

The meeting between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and top EU officials will end with a joint statement, backed by all 28 EU states, committing the European Union and China to full implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

 

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Honest question: Do you believe that this was all inevitable?

More specifically, was the GOP/conservatives showing the true extent of their insanity and trying to destroy our country out of a deluded belief that they're bringing it back to their version of the glory days something that would have happened eventually?

[Dizcrybe]

It looks like there's some good news in all of this: apparently multiple US governors are giving the middle finger to Trump, essentially saying that if the Administration won't uphold the Paris Agreement, they will.

Quote

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, Governor Jerry Brown of California, and Governor Jay Inslee of Washington announced the formation of the United States Climate Alliance after the announcement, stating that they would convene states committed to upholding the Paris Agreement and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"The White House's reckless decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement has devastating repercussions not only for the United States, but for our planet. This administration is abdicating its leadership and taking a backseat to other countries in the global fight against climate change," said Governor Cuomo in a statement emailed to Business Insider. "New York State is committed to meeting the standards set forth in the Paris Accord regardless of Washington's irresponsible actions. We will not ignore the science and reality of climate change which is why I am also signing an Executive Order confirming New York’s leadership role in protecting our citizens, our environment, and our planet."

 

[Patticus]

6 hours ago, Nepenthe said:

To be fair, not everything has come true. His three big things: job growth, repeal Obamacare, and ban the browns have been stalled/defeated to some degree. Besides, we can always look on the bright side in that he isn't Jackson going on a fuckin' genocide mission.

Speak of the devil...

Quote

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to revive travel ban

President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive his ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations after it was blocked by lower courts that found it was discriminatory.

The administration filed two emergency applications with the nine Court justices seeking to block two different lower court rulings that went against Trump's March 6 order barring entry for people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days while the U.S. government implements stricter visa screening.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-idUSKBN18T09Z

We're well past 90 days into his presidency, and beyond 90 days past his first attempt to enact a travel ban with the very same reason given. Exactly what would a 90 day ban do at this point, other than stir up his opposition at home and drive his poll numbers down even further?

 

MEANWHILE, NBC have published a story that might put Jeff Sessions, Jared Kushner and one Donald J. Trump in a private room with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, back in April 2016.

Quote

The FBI and Congress are examining a campaign event last spring during which Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions and Jared Kushner were in a small gathering with Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak and other diplomats at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, multiple U.S. officials told NBC News.

Five current and former U.S. officials said they are aware of classified intelligence suggesting there was some sort of private encounter between Trump and his aides and the Russian envoy, despite a heated denial from Sessions, who has already come under fire for failing to disclose two separate contacts with Kislyak. Kushner also denied through a spokesman that he met privately with Kislyak that day.

The officials acknowledged to NBC News that the evidence does not amount to proof, and they have declined to provide details about it.

...

In a little noticed portion of a March congressional hearing on the Russia investigation, Rep. Mike Quigley, a Chicago Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, accused Sessions of having committed perjury about an alleged undisclosed third meeting in April.

He noted that Sessions had failed to disclose meetings with Kislyak in July and September, during a time the Russians were "hacking and dumping" stolen emails in the election campaign.

He added, "Unfortunately, what we're reading now is that there was a third meeting as early as April of last year in Washington, D.C., a meeting at which Candidate Trump was present and the Russian ambassador was present. At some point in time, this goes well beyond an innocent, under the best of circumstances, 'Oh I forgot' sort of thing, or `That doesn't count.' When you correct your testimony in front of the United States Senate, you're still under oath and you're swearing to the American people that what you're saying is true. Well, the third time is well beyond that and is quite simply, perjury."

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/did-trump-kushner-sessions-have-undisclosed-meeting-russian-n767096

[Tani Coyote]

Those Governors are evidence as to how important 2018 (as well as the Governor races later this year and in 2019) really is. A swarm of Democrats (if not centrist Republicans) will be able to direct their states in such a way as to undermine Trump's insane agenda as well as pave the way for mass redistricting that eliminates the GOP's grip on the House.

13 minutes ago, Patticus said:

We're well past 90 days into his presidency, and beyond 90 days past his first attempt to enact a travel ban with the very same reason given. Exactly what would a 90 day ban do at this point, other than stir up his opposition at home and drive his poll numbers down even further?

My assumption is that if the old order is able to withstand court scrutiny, he'll proceed to draw up another 90 day ban, if not go even further, now that lower courts have no leg to stand on.

Of course, he's banking heavily on the Supreme Court finding error in the lower courts' logic, and given the number of lower judges who have ruled against it, it's a longshot. The Court, as part of preserving its legitimacy in the eyes of the masses, is not prone to making dramatic reversals on a whim without a serious change in circumstances. It's why, for example, the gay marriage ruling is unlikely to change during Trump's term.

It has become a routine frustration for the Supreme Court to send highly contentious cases back to the original court rather than issue rulings, it should be noted. They may not even grant the ban a hearing.

[Volphied]

2 hours ago, Dizcrybe said:

It looks like there's some good news in all of this: apparently multiple US governors are giving the middle finger to Trump, essentially saying that if the Administration won't uphold the Paris Agreement, they will.

 

EU officials have already declared that they will cut out the White House and instead deal directly with the US states and major corporations.

The world will ignore and skip the White House. It's not like we have another choice, when Trump is doing hostile shit like this:

All of this is the work of Bannon who views the US as some empire that only has vassals and enemies, and no allies or equals. The US leaving Paris is not surprising if we consider that Trump and co. don't believe in things like "global community", and only view diplomacy as a cut-throat competition where the strong bully the weak.

[Apollo Chungus]

(This post contains some slightly depressing introspective rambling, so if you aren't up for reading that, then don't. Your peace of mind is more important than whatever I want to get off my chest. Thanks.)

So I read about the climate news yesterday, and I'm just sick of it. I'm sick of the fact that the only people with the power to do anything to stop enabling this moron choose not to, for their own selfish, despicable reasons. I'm sick of living with the fear that we're all going to die at some random point (I know it's irrational, but the man himself is irrational, so can you blame me?). I'm sick of being reminded that there's nothing I can do, and how that makes me feel so damn useless. Some months ago, I wondered out loud on this thread as to whether he would die or be impeached first, and then realized how awful it was for me to say out loud if another human being should die. But now? I don't care, anymore. The sooner something happens, the better. And I will loudly celebrate that fact, maybe by watching a Peter Cushing movie with a name that I imagine most people will agree with: "The Man Who Finally Died".

I admit that I'm in a bad mood at the moment, and there's a good chance I'll regret writing this in an hour or two. Otherwise, I'd like to ask a question of everyone who regularly comes to this forum: can you give me a mantra for positivity, or let me know about something amazing that I've never heard of before? I tend to upbeat most days (usually by avoiding this sort of shitty news these days, for the most part), but I'd like to have something to look to on the days when I feel down or redundant. If you have something to offer, send me a PM if you can; I'd rather not go back to this thread for your answer and stumble onto more bad news.

Thank you for listening to my rambling, and I'm sorry if this came off as depressing.

-Jim McGrath/FrDougal9000

[Meta77]

27 minutes ago, Apollo Chungus said:

(This post contains some slightly depressing introspective rambling, so if you aren't up for reading that, then don't. Your peace of mind is more important than whatever I want to get off my chest. Thanks.)

So I read about the climate news yesterday, and I'm just sick of it. I'm sick of the fact that the only people with the power to do anything to stop enabling this moron choose not to, for their own selfish, despicable reasons. I'm sick of living with the fear that we're all going to die at some random point (I know it's irrational, but the man himself is irrational, so can you blame me?). I'm sick of being reminded that there's nothing I can do, and how that makes me feel so damn useless. Some months ago, I wondered out loud on this thread as to whether he would die or be impeached first, and then realized how awful it was for me to say out loud if another human being should die. But now? I don't care, anymore. The sooner something happens, the better. And I will loudly celebrate that fact, maybe by watching a Peter Cushing movie with a name that I imagine most people will agree with: "The Man Who Finally Died".

I admit that I'm in a bad mood at the moment, and there's a good chance I'll regret writing this in an hour or two. Otherwise, I'd like to ask a question of everyone who regularly comes to this forum: can you give me a mantra for positivity, or let me know about something amazing that I've never heard of before? I tend to upbeat most days (usually by avoiding this sort of shitty news these days, for the most part), but I'd like to have something to look to on the days when I feel down or redundant. If you have something to offer, send me a PM if you can; I'd rather not go back to this thread for your answer and stumble onto more bad news.

Thank you for listening to my rambling, and I'm sorry if this came off as depressing.

-Jim McGrath/FrDougal9000

Careful on the hope someone dies talk . Usually that's fine but threats even subtle can be easy fbi bait. 

The world is not as doom and gloom as many echo chambers like huff post and Yahoo make it seem. Wake up go outside.  suns still here. Birds still pooping on my car. Businesses still running. Gay friends ate still joking aroubd. No travwl ban on "4" small areas. Kids still playing at school and goofing around YouTube. The deal while it feel through stops no business whining about it from taking steps themselves to cut back on emissions.  if anything if they don't shows they just wanted small business out of their way.

If anything. Go buy a game and just live and enjoy yourself

[Volphied]

1 hour ago, Apollo Chungus said:

(This post contains some slightly depressing introspective rambling, so if you aren't up for reading that, then don't. Your peace of mind is more important than whatever I want to get off my chest. Thanks.)

So I read about the climate news yesterday, and I'm just sick of it. I'm sick of the fact that the only people with the power to do anything to stop enabling this moron choose not to, for their own selfish, despicable reasons. I'm sick of living with the fear that we're all going to die at some random point (I know it's irrational, but the man himself is irrational, so can you blame me?). I'm sick of being reminded that there's nothing I can do, and how that makes me feel so damn useless. Some months ago, I wondered out loud on this thread as to whether he would die or be impeached first, and then realized how awful it was for me to say out loud if another human being should die. But now? I don't care, anymore. The sooner something happens, the better. And I will loudly celebrate that fact, maybe by watching a Peter Cushing movie with a name that I imagine most people will agree with: "The Man Who Finally Died".

I admit that I'm in a bad mood at the moment, and there's a good chance I'll regret writing this in an hour or two. Otherwise, I'd like to ask a question of everyone who regularly comes to this forum: can you give me a mantra for positivity, or let me know about something amazing that I've never heard of before? I tend to upbeat most days (usually by avoiding this sort of shitty news these days, for the most part), but I'd like to have something to look to on the days when I feel down or redundant. If you have something to offer, send me a PM if you can; I'd rather not go back to this thread for your answer and stumble onto more bad news.

Thank you for listening to my rambling, and I'm sorry if this came off as depressing.

-Jim McGrath/FrDougal9000

Not sure if it helps, but you should keep in mind that Trump is right now feeling much more miserable. He's ‘gaining weight’ and ‘emotionally withdrawing’ as Russia probe swamps White House.

Quote

CNN’s Gloria Borger reports the president was already “in a pretty glum mood” when he set out for a multi-day blitz through Europe and the Middle East. But now he faces even more legal woes after reports revealed Kushner tried to establish a backchannel line of communication between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin. He’s even brought on his longtime personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz, who will “supervise” the president’ legal team.

The culmination of distracting and damaging scandals at the White House have caused the president to withdraw from others, a source told CNN.

“He now lives within himself, which is a dangerous place for Donald Trump to be,” a confidante said. ”I see him emotionally withdrawing. He’s gained weight. He doesn’t have anybody whom he trusts.”

And as the president receives conflicting advice from aides and officials, there’s concern over whether the president will even listen to the information. “No one is giving him the landscape—this is how it works, this is what you should do or not do,” a friend told Borger. “And no one has enough control—or security—to do that.”

Instead, the president hopes for a magic bullet to quell the Russia scandal.

“He’s sitting there saying, like he does with everything, ‘You guys work for me. Fix this,’” a source said.

There's a non-zero chance that he'll die of a stroke before his first term ends. People already thought that the "covfefe" tweet was him dying on the shitter.

57 minutes ago, Meta77 said:

Careful on the hope someone dies talk . Usually that's fine but threats even subtle can be easy fbi bait. 

The world is not as doom and gloom as many echo chambers like huff post and Yahoo make it seem. Wake up go outside.  suns still here. Birds still pooping on my car. Businesses still running. Gay friends ate still joking aroubd. No travwl ban on "4" small areas. Kids still playing at school and goofing around YouTube. The deal while it feel through stops no business whining about it from taking steps themselves to cut back on emissions.  if anything if they don't shows they just wanted small business out of their way.

If anything. Go buy a game and just live and enjoy yourself

Kinda funny for you to call out "echo chambers" before admitting that you live in one. How sheltered and privileged one's life must be to be able to completely tune out this political crisis?

EDIT: Being black doesn't mean one can't be privileged and blissfully unaware. Ben Carson is proof of that.

[Meta77]

19 minutes ago, Volphied said:

Not sure if it helps, but you should keep in mind that Trump is right now feeling much more miserable. He's ‘gaining weight’ and ‘emotionally withdrawing’ as Russia probe swamps White House.

There's a non-zero chance that he'll die of a stroke before his first term ends. People already thought that the "covfefe" tweet was him dying on the shitter.

Kinda funny for you to call out "echo chambers" before admitting that you live in one. How sheltered and privileged one's life must be to be able to completely tune out this political crisis?

 

I'm black and far from privileged so pull that poll out your bum. I'm 28. I chose how to live and view the world. I refuse to sit behind my keyboard crying or fuming 24/7. I make change myself. the guy asked to be cheered up that's what I tried .  If the USA is that much a pain move.

I'm not arguing with you. My post was for him. You can go back to ranting about covefve

[Apollo Chungus]

13 minutes ago, Volphied said:

Kinda funny for you to call out "echo chambers" before admitting that you live in one. How sheltered and privileged one's life must be to be able to completely tune out this political crisis?

Please don't provoke someone like that, especially when they're trying to help (normally wouldn't do this, but since I was the one that brought this up, I feel I should). I'd like you and Meta to not get into an argument, when I know that the both of you mean well and want to help me out. So please don't yell shit at each other; there's enough of that going around as is.

I won't try to assume what Meta77's life is like, but I do understand what they're trying to say. As someone who identify as an existentialist more than anything, I've understood over the last few years that while you might not be able to change what goes on in the world or with the people around you, you do have the power to change your outlook on these things. You can choose to take a positive stance, to get angry and try and do something; even ignoring the things you can't control can be seen as a valid solution depending on the circumstances (like I said, I tend to ignore the news most days).

As for how 'sheltered/privileged' one must be to ignore this? Well, living out here in the Irish countryside at least makes tuning most of it out fairly easy. I can't imagine what it must be like to actually be living in America right now; and yes, I'm aware that maybe I shouldn't be so terrified if I'm so distant from what's going on, but I tend to worry easily. That's just how I am.

Anyway, that's my take on the above. Just please don't fight each other over this; I simply want people to help each other, not hurt each other. Thank you for both your thoughts on the matter, regardless.

-Jim McGrath/FrDougal9000

[Tani Coyote]

8 hours ago, Meta77 said:

Careful on the hope someone dies talk . Usually that's fine but threats even subtle can be easy fbi bait.

I would have to echo this, particularly if it involves Trump. The Secret Service can take the slightest comment seriously, and so it's good to proceed with caution.

7 hours ago, Volphied said:

Not sure if it helps, but you should keep in mind that Trump is right now feeling much more miserable. He's ‘gaining weight’ and ‘emotionally withdrawing’ as Russia probe swamps White House.

I'd feel sorry for him if not for remembering the misery he's trying to force on millions and the fact he chose this life.

He's a child in a man's body, not a politician. He really shouldn't be in that office. But he's too proud to just leave.

There's no shame in admitting you are in over your head. Part of being human is realizing that we all have our flaws.

7 hours ago, Volphied said:

Kinda funny for you to call out "echo chambers" before admitting that you live in one.

7 hours ago, Meta77 said:

I'm black and far from privileged so pull that poll out your bum.

While there is some wiggle room for pointing out a person's identity characteristics in a political discussion given the nature privilege and intersectionality (e.g. a male poster might feel differently about abortion than a woman), I still think this is getting a little too personal. It's good to avoid insults or accusations in general.

This being said, I will note for the sake of future discussion that Volphied was right when they said being black and privileged are not mutually exclusive. Intersectional analysis. I am gay, but I am also white, male and for the most part middle class. I won the lottery in terms of minority groups to be part of.

"Privilege" is ultimately about power rather than the identity per se. A privileged person has effective choice to be themselves, pursue their dreams and choose who they surround themselves with. We associate privilege with whiteness but there will still be places and times when being non-white would be more advantageous.

7 hours ago, Meta77 said:

I'm 28. I chose how to live and view the world.

That's fantastic that you're able to be optimistic, but it's not that easy for most people. A lot of people are honestly scared where their next bill payment is coming from, or fearful of expressing their gender identity without being attacked or even killed, or worried that if a local corrupt cop shoots them, there will be no federal review that ensures their family and community see justice for it. The list goes on. People have plenty of reasons to be terrified of someone like Trump who has very few redeeming qualities. We don't even have the reassurance that he's a moderate Republican who won't destroy everything.

7 hours ago, Meta77 said:

I refuse to sit behind my keyboard crying or fuming 24/7.

I don't think any of us are doing this either. We're going about our lives and periodically coming to this thread to discuss politics, which understandably often amounts to frustration.

7 hours ago, Meta77 said:

If the USA is that much a pain move.

Okay, you said that you aren't privileged, but this is a very privileged position to take. In fact, I'd say this is the most privileged position to take because of the assumption people can pack up and leave the moment things look bad. Unless you're a guy with a knapsack over his shoulder who hitches rides on trains, moving is expensive, dude.

Never mind the question of why we need to be the ones that move. If I grew up somewhere, if my whole family is there, if I love the local culture, why do I need to move because I don't like the way the politics are? That's ridiculous.

Can you imagine telling blacks in the Jim Crow South to "move?" How about the parents in the early factories who saw their kids get fingers and entire limbs mangled by unsafe machinery? How about second and third-generation Japanese immigrants who were born and raised here but had their property confiscatend and sold to white families during internment?

"Love it or leave it" is quite frankly nonsense. If I'm a part of a community, I have every right to call for it to improve for the better rather than being obligated to move elsewhere. Human rights don't follow borders; they remain true everywhere, and I can call on every society to adhere to them and rightly slam that society when it fails to do so. I will criticize Iran for executing people for being gay, just as I will criticize Trump for sweeping transgender rights under the rug or compromising a liberal world order that has done much to benefit both Western interests and world peace.

7 hours ago, Meta77 said:

You can go back to ranting about covefve

This really wasn't necessary. Just as we don't allow comments like "fuck Republicans" we really need to avoid belittling people for having different opinions or focusing on different topics. Covfefe may be more of a meme than anything of real political significance but it still has relevance to this topic.

Anyway, if a remark like this happens again I think a strike is in order.

[KHCast]

14 minutes ago, Lord Liquir (Ogilvie) said:

A privileged person has effective choice to be themselves, pursue their dreams and choose who they surround themselves with

I wouldn't say being gay totally allows this privilege(if you were relating your previous sentence about being in a lucky position and being in the best minority group regarding things), especially in more masculine communities and careers going from my own experience(plus, I mean look at Hollywood and athletics for blatant examples of LGBT people struggling to come out, be equally treated). But I'm black and gay, so maybe that's part of it.

[Tani Coyote]

3 minutes ago, KHCast said:

I wouldn't say being gay totally allows this privilege(if you were relating your previous sentence about being in a lucky position and being in the best minority group regarding things), especially in more masculine communities and careers going from my own experience(plus, I mean look at Hollywood and athletics for blatant examples of LGBT people struggling to come out, be equally treated). But I'm black and gay, so maybe that's part of it.

Quite possibly. The black community has historically had an interesting relationship with the LGBT because of respectability politics.

I moreso meant, however, that I can hide being gay as needed. It's generally harder to hide being non-white (as "white" is commonly understood) or one's sex and gender. It's an invisible identity as opposed to a visible one.

[KHCast]

Yeah my thoughts on the LGBT communities treatment of black people(and minorities in general) is a whole other topic in itself lol.

But gotcha. Yeah that makes sense what you said about the ability to hide being gay

[Patticus]

It looks like a number of US states, as well as large companies like Ford, Microsoft, Apple etc, have stated that they will ignore Turmp's Paris withdrawal and abide by the terms of the Paris agreement. Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has even decided to put $15m of his own money toward footing the bill. Silver linings and all that. If enough states, companies and wealthy types choose to follow the agreement's rules, maybe the impact of withdrawal, assuming a Democratic victory in 2020, can be even further mitigated?

In other news, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) may soon wind up on the chopping block, after delivering scathing reports on the impacts of multiple versions of the AHCA- the GOP's healthcare bill.

Quote

A good rule of thumb in sports is that the team that’s complaining about the referees isn’t the team that’s winning the game. So what should we make of it when one team suggests abolishing referees altogether?

The “referee” in this analogy is the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan agency tasked with evaluating the fiscal and policy impacts of proposed legislation. Republicans, both in Congress and the White House, have loudly criticized the CBO in recent months over its analysis of their health care plan. White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney took that criticism to a new level this week, however, when he implied that it might be time to kill off the CBO, at least in its present form. “At some point, you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Has the day of the CBO come and gone?’” Mulvaney said to the Washington Examiner.

The source of Mulvaney’s frustration is the CBO’s report last week estimating that the health care overhaul passed by the House would increase the ranks of the uninsured by 23 million people by 2026, among other effects. Republicans dispute those findings, although they are generally consistent with estimates from outside analysts (including, reportedly, those of the agency Mulvaney runs, the Office of Management and Budget).

There is a long, bipartisan tradition of complaining about the CBO. And the agency’s analyses have been far from perfect. It initially overestimated how many people would sign up for the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces, for example. Overall, however, the CBO’s analysis of Obamacare turned out to be pretty good and better than most private estimates. And despite their carping over specific estimates, congressional leaders of both parties have historically seen an advantage to having an agreed-upon scorekeeper.

In his Washington Examiner interview, Mulvaney implied that the CBO had strayed from its bipartisan roots and was trying to make the Republicans’ health bill look bad. What he didn’t mention is that the CBO’s director, Keith Hall, served in the George W. Bush administration and was chosen by Republican leaders in Congress. Among those leaders was Tom Price, then the chairman of the House Budget Committee, who at the time praised Hall’s “impressive level of economic expertise.” Price, of course, is now secretary of health and human services and is President Trump’s point person on health care reform.

More at the link: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumpbeat-if-you-dont-like-the-officiating-fire-the-refs/

 

[Volphied]

12 minutes ago, Patticus said:

It looks like a number of US states, as well as large companies like Ford, Microsoft, Apple etc, have stated that they will ignore Turmp's Paris withdrawal and abide by the terms of the Paris agreement. Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has even decided to put $15m of his own money toward footing the bill. Silver linings and all that. If enough states, companies and wealthy types choose to follow the agreement's rules, maybe the impact of withdrawal, assuming a Democratic victory in 2020, can be even further mitigated?

Indeed, it seems that the Trump White House will now be treated with open contempt by the rest of the world.

And Trump is now preparing to lash out once again

 

Nixon must be rolling in his grave over how blatant Trump is.

[Patticus]

Can Trump actually do that? Is it even legal to use an executive order to gag someone's congressional testimony?

I would assume that the courts will probably weigh in, as they have with some of his other EOs, and if not, Comey's testimony will probably end up being "leaked" to the press regardless. He seems eager to get his side of the story out there into the public domain.

[Tani Coyote]

4 hours ago, Patticus said:

Can Trump actually do that? Is it even legal to use an executive order to gag someone's congressional testimony?

I would assume that the courts will probably weigh in, as they have with some of his other EOs, and if not, Comey's testimony will probably end up being "leaked" to the press regardless. He seems eager to get his side of the story out there into the public domain.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-factbox-idUSKBN18T1OB

This covers a lot of key points. It really doesn't look good on Trump's end.

For starters, US v. Nixon ruled executive privilege is only valid to preserve national security and to preserve confidential communications in the Executive Branch. Trump's claim to confidentiality has been undermined by Trump's public statements about the sort of conversations he and Comey would have.

For two, executive privilege is primarily used against government employees; by firing Comey, Comey is now a private citizen who Trump can't apply pressure to.

Thirdly, if Comey was indeed pressured by Trump to end the Flynn investigation, that makes Trump blatantly guilty of obstruction of justice.

There's really no way to win for Trump in this, and it just makes him look all the more guilty, just like his decision to not release his tax returns.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-not-planning-to-invoke-executive-privilege-to-block-james-comey-testimony-report/article/2624870

Official statement is he will not invoke executive privilege. I guess one of his advisers told him how nuts it would be to follow in Nixon's footsteps on this issue.

[Tani Coyote]

http://www.newsweek.com/georgia-special-election-latest-polls-ossoff-handel-619856

More than 24,000 ballots cast this week for the Georgia 6th race. Polls show a tight race with Ossoff ahead by 1.5 points. Unsurprisingly, Ossoff is more popular with non-whites, women, and the young.

June 20th is going to be a very interesting day. The Dems might see not just one, but two House seat pickups.

That will be a sign the GOP is REALLY in trouble.

 

[Volphied]

Trump berates London mayor over response to terror attacks

 

Quote

Donald Trump has criticised the mayor of London, hours after seven people were killed and 48 injured in a terror attack in the centre of the city.

“At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack,” the president wrote on his personal Twitter account, “and Mayor of London says there is “no reason to be alarmed!”

The mayor, Sadiq Khan, did not use the phrase “no reason to be alarmed” in a statement overnight or when he spoke in a television interview earlier on Sunday.

In the statement, Khan said “Metropolitan police are responding to the horrific terrorist attack at London Bridge and Borough Market,” and added: “My thoughts are with everyone affected, and I’d like to thank the brave men and women of our emergency services who were first on the scene and will be working throughout the night.

“This was a deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night,” he said. “I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. There is no justification whatsoever for such barbaric acts.”

[...]

A spokesperson for Khan said after Trump’s tweet: “The mayor is busy working with the police, emergency services and the government to coordinate the response to this horrific and cowardly terrorist attack and provide leadership and reassurance to Londoners and visitors to our city. He has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not to be alarmed when they saw more police – including armed officers – on the streets.”

In another tweet, Trump wrote: “Do you notice we are not having a gun debate right now? That’s because they used knives and a truck!”

He added: “We must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people. If we don’t get smart it will only get worse.”

Trump was widely criticised for his first reaction to the news from London, in which he retweeted an unsubstantiated headline from the conservative Drudge Report website and then said: “We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!”

The White House this week asked the supreme court to reinstate its bar on entry from six Muslim-majority countries. The measure has been blocked repeatedly by lower courts.

The Drudge retweet was later removed from the president’s personal Twitter account.

I miss Obama so much.

I dread what will happen if an attack happens in the US. Trump is completely shameless and amoral.