The General 'Murican Politics Thread

[Chili Dawg]

It's a pretty colossal fuck up. Better hope Hawaii reevaluates some shit and replaces whoever caused this. God knows if I saw an alert like that I would have completely lost my shit. Cannot even fathom what Hawaii must have been like, especially with so much missile talk in the news. Jesus, I miss the good old days of 2015.

[Dark Qiviut]

Under our noses, there was a vote to expand Trump's and Session's spying powers.

https://theintercept.com/2018/01/12/the-same-democrats-who-denounce-trump-as-a-lawless-treasonous-authoritarian-just-voted-to-give-him-vast-warrantless-spying-powers/

Top Democrats such as Pelosi, Eric Swalwell, and Adam Schiff have been leaders of "The Resistance" and responded very critically of Trump and his administration since it began. Swalwell has accused Trump of being a puppet for the Kremlin. On CNN last week, Schiff accused Trump of abusing his presidential powers to punish Secretary Clinton. Two days after Schiff's interview, Schiff and Swalwell voted for warrantless FBI spying and, thus, display hypocrisy on their xenophobic collusion accusations. Pelosi, a pro-surveillance Democrat who singlehandedly killed a bipartisan bill to limit spying powers after Snowden's heroism revealed how much America spied on its own people, also led the charge in passing the Trump-favored bill.

Quote

As the American Civil Liberties Union put it bluntly about the bill supported by Pelosi and Schiff: “The House just passed a bill to give the Trump administration greater authority to spy on Americans, immigrants, journalists, dissidents, and everyone else.” The privacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation echoed that sentiment: “The House just approved the disastrous NSA surveillance extension bill that will allow for continued, unconstitutional surveillance that hurts the American people and violates our Fourth Amendment rights.”

While Trump, as president, is the head of the executive branch, the official with the greatest control over the FBI they just empowered is his attorney general, Jeff Sessions. In other words, Pelosi, Schiff, and their allies just voted to vest great, unchecked power in an official the Democrats have (with good reason) long denounced as corrupt and deeply racist. As Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (who has vowed with Rand Paul to filibuster the bill when it reaches the Senate) put it yesterday: “This Section 702 bill would give AG Jeff Sessions unchecked power to use this information against Americans. This bill prevents his decisions from EVER being challenged in court.”

But more significantly, the Amash amendment containing the proposed reforms (including a warrant requirement) was defeated by a much smaller margin: 233-183. While 125 Democratic House members were joined by 58 GOP members in voting for these reforms, 55 Democrats — led by Pelosi and Schiff — joined with the GOP majority to reject them, ensuring defeat of Amash’s amendment by a mere 26 votes.

This means that Trump’s bill to ensure his FBI’s ongoing power to spy on the communications of Americans without warrants was saved by Pelosi, Schiff, and Swalwell abandoning the large majority of their own Democratic caucus, and instead joining with Ryan and the GOP majority to ensure defeat of all meaningful reforms. Here are the 55 Democrats who not only voted in favor of the Trump-endorsed spying bill, but who also voted against the reform amendment to require a warrant. Beyond Pelosi, Schiff, and Swalwell, it includes the second most-senior Democrat Steny Hoyer and former Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz

If the leading Democrats want to actually show resistance against Trump, then actually show it by not giving him and Sessions unlimited spying powers. By expanding their powers (and rejecting the warrant requirement), they help prove how they genuinely don't give a shit about resisting Trump, enforce the Fish Hook Theory, and reveal the movement to be a complete fraud.

Debbie Wall Street tweeted this after voting for the bill:

And has called him a tyrant. Well, Debbie, you ain't practicing what you preach by voting against the Constitution's spirit.

---

The Grifter keeps on grifting. After Geoff Campbell revealed Scott Dworkin used his Super PAC to swindle The Resistance, he blocked the author, the people who share the article, and accused Geoff of being a Kremlin mole (Yeah, sure, great work further discrediting the xenophobic "connection" ). Well, Campbell followed it up with an article revealing that a person sued the Democratic Coalition for defamation (here, accused to work with Qaddafi for TDC to commit racial profiling). The suit was settled.

Guess who wasn't a fan?

---

^ My sentiments.

Chelsea Manning is an American hero for revealing the disgusting corruption of American politics to WikiLeaks, and how the Obama administration and the government at large treated her was absolutely evil.

Today, she filed as a Democrat to run for the U.S. Senate in Maryland against Benjamin Cardin. Cardin has a recent history of aligning more with Trump on votes, is allegedly against single-payer Medicare for All and introduced the Anti-Israel Boycott Act to the Senate. Chelsea, go get 'em!

[TailsTellsTales]

 

On 1/12/2018 at 9:44 AM, Tornado said:

That's certainly interesting to hear. How so?

Generally over the decades since the 80s a widening wealth gap has formed, and in addition to stagnant wages, and the rise of cost of living including housing, people are going through deep struggles.

On 1/12/2018 at 9:44 AM, Tornado said:

That theoretical money wasn't being used to do so before the tax cuts. There's no reason to act like that theoretical money would have automatically done so had the tax cuts died in Congress; nor that the tax cuts preclude the ability to do so until 2026 or whenever the tax cuts ultimately expire.

Of course it would not have been used for those purposes. The main point was that instead of giving massive tax cuts to people who do not need them, that could have been used for something better and college was the example.

On 1/12/2018 at 9:44 AM, Tornado said:

"How about this: You want to call it "downright evil" or "vicious", instead of "probably unsound economic policy following extensive investigation that suggests it would be" let's put a number on it. What are the sliding scales of "Evil"? Are 1950s levels of (largely cosmetic) taxation the gold standard; where all of a hundred people probably actually paid the 91% marginal tax rate, the country went through three recessions in a decade despite effectively controlling the world's industrial base, the lowest income tax rate was still 20% and the income tax laws were written so even moderately well-to-do people could create actual legitimate tax shelters?"

On 1/12/2018 at 9:44 AM, Tornado said:

Quote box I could not delete.

PS: On mobile which means this stupid quote thing does not work the way it supposed to.

Being highly taxed is not the gold standard. There is big difference between recessions back than and the major long lasting recession that happened few years ago. People recovered back than, today the recovery is to many still going on slowly. Sorry it took me long to respond. I be busy.

[SSF1991]

Quote

Top Democrats such as Pelosi, Eric Swalwell, and Adam Schiff have been leaders of "The Resistance" and responded very critically of Trump and his administration since it began.

They haven't been the leaders of anything. They haven't fought anything. They don't even do really anything for "The Resistance". Pelosi, especially.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. As much as I trust Democrats in power more than Republicans in power, Democrats need to actually give a shit about what's happening and need to quit playing the same failed tactics. They have voters everywhere wanting to support them, and they keep giving in to shit that their voters clearly don't want them to do because "we need to work together". This bill better not pass the damn Senate...

3 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

By expanding their powers (and rejecting the warrant requirement), they help prove how they genuinely don't give a shit about resisting Trump, enforce the Fish Hook Theory, and reveal the movement to be a complete fraud.

They don't reveal the movement to be a fraud. As I said, they have done virtually nothing in relation to "The Resistance". It has been voters and activists doing all the work. The Democrats in office don't fight at all, and it showed yet again yesterday. They're not as bad as the GOP, but they need to quit this shit and stop giving people reminders of why they lost in 2016.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Or maybe the Dems need some of their incumbents voted out in favor of fresh blood that is less likely to do that kind of shit?

[KHCast]

Honestly, this kinda does basically sum up the situation between the bases pretty well as extreme as an example it is

[Dizcrybe]

I'm... not sure what that image is supposed to say. "Liberals are pompous sometimes"?

[KHCast]

It’s not related to the current argument. It’s regarding social media and the way in which a lot of the arguments tend to go. (Reps supporting or defending, while dems usually just try taking the higher moral ground approach and don’t attempt real arguments and instead attack trump or the base without kick actual arguing) Should have been more clear. 

I’m all for public humiliation when it’s warranted regarding trump, but when republicans bring better more constructive arguments to the table, and democrats just bring, “hes a racist shit”, “lol he’s a fat old baby” over and over, and attack those in his base calling them racist or assholes,barely actually arguing, it doesn’t exactly paint them as the reasonable group.

[Tani Coyote]

With a court throwing out a request for a new election in one district and the Democrat not contesting the random drawing that gave a seat to a Republican, Virginia's House of Delegates is now split 50-49 towards the GOP, with the GOP to take the 51st seat shortly.

With a 51-49 GOP House and a 21-19 GOP Senate, Virginia will be an interesting state to watch. One of Governor Northam's priorities is expanding Medicaid in the state, something that might be done if he can work out terms with the moderate Republicans in each chamber. Alternatively, he could be sneaky and appoint Republicans from key seats to his state government, thus forcing special elections that would give Democrats a shot at a full majority.

Phil Murphy will be taking office as the Governor of New Jersey this Tuesday. It's expected a legal marijuana bill will become law within months. It's also likely that bills Christie vetoed will be revived for passage by Murphy.

16 minutes ago, Conquering Slay-bell Storm said:

Or maybe the Dems need some of their incumbents voted out in favor of fresh blood that is less likely to do that kind of shit?

The next few months and their primaries will be interesting to watch for this reason. If a groundswell of leftism erupts, we could see a lot of establishment Democrats tossed out.

What we really need on top of that is a surge of activism in picking DNC delegates to push the DNC further left as well, or at least more responsive to voters. While the superdelegates have had their power curbed, they can still influence elections.

[Dark Qiviut]

1 hour ago, SSF1991 said:

They haven't been the leaders of anything.

Politicians like Pelosi, DWS, Schumer, Swalwell, and Cardin have been fiercely critical at Trump from the beginning. They put themselves on the front line of the movement, even though they're politicians. But many of them don't practice what they preach and have sometimes helped Trump from behind the scenes. For example, Trump accepted Senator Schumer's advice to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital. If politicians that helped push The Resistance turn their backs on the movement, then they're using them and helping delegitimize the movement.

And this doesn't count the "Resistance" bigots from Neoliberal Twitter (i.e., Peter/Leela Daou, Scott Dworkin, Joy Reid, Joan Walsh) that tokenize the working-class, minorities, and use right-wing talking points to belittle and demonize the left (including people of color from the left) and progressives at large.

38 minutes ago, Conquering Slay-bell Storm said:

Or maybe the Dems need some of their incumbents voted out in favor of fresh blood that is less likely to do that kind of shit?

Indeed. If Dems keep pushing for shit that contradicts what they claim, don't ignore it. Call them out. And if they're bad, primary them. One West Virginian (Paula Jean Swearengin) is in the middle of primarying Senator Manchin, one of the more conservative Democrats. Dianne Feinstein, who's anti-Single-Payer and anti-marijuana, is being primaried by two progressives.

[Candescence]

The problem with spying powers and such is that for the longest time since 9/11, giving intelligence and enforcement agencies more power has been a bipartisan issue. Even Obama seemed to change his tune majorly when it came to civil liberties when he came into office, either because his advisers convinced him otherwise or he was informed of something that convinced him such powers were necessary. These people genuinely believe that such powers are needed, and that allowing Trump to have them is a necessary evil, because they think the alternative is worse (of course, available information indicates not only is such huge surveillance not necessary, the sheer amount of data being collected might actually be counterproductive - there's having one haystack, and then there's having fucking dozens to sift through at a time). There's also a pragmatic issue involved in their view, as national security is something conservatives are very good at whipping up scare campaigns about.

Case in point, Senator Dianne Feinstein, while I gave her kudos before, is absolutely dreadful when it comes to surveillance and civil liberties, and also dreadful when it also involves technology - she has openly raged against the mere existence of encryption because it makes it a bit harder for law enforcement to access information, privacy protections be damned.

Fortunately, there are people on both sides of the partisan divide who recognise the excesses of the surveillance state (even if some of them hate it for the wrong reasons), and pushing to fillibuster the fuck out the bill when it comes to a vote in the senate.

 

Long story short, national security policy in terms of anti-terrorism is something the Dems and the GOP are rather bipartisan on, for various reasons, and that's going to be harder to shift than other policy areas, because the "more security is good" view is so entrenched in both parties, and actively going against that runs the risk of being accused of being weak on terrorism.

[Tornado]

2 hours ago, Dizcrybe said:

I'm... not sure what that image is supposed to say. "Liberals are pompous sometimes"?

It's saying that popular Democrat rebuttals to Trump (in the face of still-nervous GOP members acquiescing) haven't evolved much from when Hilary spent most of the election cycle doing the same thing even though Trump has only made it easier and easier to do so.

[KHCast]

So just wondering as it’s a topic that’s been discussed a bunch, especially after that Norway comment by trump, do you think Healthcare/Education is a right or a privilege, and is Norway a better off country than America?

also how accurate is this?

[Dizcrybe]

Manning's first campaign ad and it pretty much boils down to "fuck Dems, vote for me because I'm better than them". After the defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016, I would hope she knows better than to run her campaign on "i'm better than the other guys", but if this is a sign of things to come like I fear it is, she's gonna get slaughtered.

[KHCast]

That comes off like one of those “hipster anarchist” fear inspired videos made to rally people against the system. 

Yes, we can do better, we know that. Tell us how you’re better. Don’t just regurgitate to us the shit situation we know we’re in.

[Dark Qiviut]

As much as I support Chelsea, @KHCast and @Dizcrybe are on point. If you're going to connect with people, give them something to fight FOR, not against. Her commercial is empty.

[Dark Qiviut]

15 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

If you're going to connect with people, give them something to fight FOR, not against. Her commercial is empty.

To add more, she has posted on issues a lot on Twitter and wrote an article for The Guardian, notably regarding LGBT+ rights, single-payer, government overreach, government reform, 1st Amendment protections, and police reform. That isn't enough. She needs to release a concrete, easy-to-locate platform for everyone to see. Talk to people who need help and come up with a clear, concise plan to fix their issues. Senator Sanders may not be an eloquent talker, but he's a hell of a listener and gave people a voice. Hopefully, she makes improvements during her campaign, push Cardin to the left, and advance the progressive/leftist conversation.

[KHCast]

I mean I’m appreciative that lgbt issues are getting brought up at all nowadays(outside transgender issues), but while I think there’s definitely a need for much discussion and attention to the problems there, it’s only one groups issues, and the well goes deeper than us and the few other groups she’s reaching to. It’s a starting point sure, and if she can get things moving forward in those categories, great, but don’t end there.

_______

Trump and his supporters today: we're not racist. That’s just the fake media. We’re the least racist people ever actually 

 

Found this today and man, really profound. And this was just against obama. (The end part though I’m eh on since his base has increasingly gotten smaller. Now is it a problem our society’s aggressive apathy, normalization of shitty behavior, misplaced anger, and hypocritical tendencies? Sure, but that’s not just a trump supporter problem.) like I can see them still posing SOME kind of threat I guess if they’re given legit platforms to spread and normalize their views, but I can’t see that happening despite all the “1st amendment” talk. Just look at all the pushback despite who’s in office 

also, to celebrate MLK day, this is going around 

[Dark Qiviut]

2 hours ago, KHCast said:

I mean I’m appreciative that lgbt issues are getting brought up at all nowadays(outside transgender issues), but while I think there’s definitely a need for much discussion and attention to the problems there, it’s only one groups issues, and the well goes deeper than us and the few other groups she’s reaching to. It’s a starting point sure, and if she can get things moving forward in those categories, great, but don’t end there.

Indeed.

And although it's unrelated to Manning's run, there's a good tweet regarding Medicare for All's spread:

^ Seriously. Single-payer would be crucial to America's progress.

Now, I don't know what Manning's direction in her campaign will turn to, but something like fighting for single-payer and explaining logically why it'll help the marginalized significantly will be a great starting point.

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Now, criticizing Manning for her campaign commercial, potential policy positions, not showing a blueprint for what you're going to do now is fine. Smearing her as a Kremlin puppet is classist, xenophobic, and reeks of privilege.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

It says a lot about people smearing her as a Kremlin puppet when our own intelligence agencies think the Kremlin may have conspired in favor of Trump and those same people either deny or are perfectly fine with it.

The moral bankruptcy is astounding here.

[Tani Coyote]

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/15/us/hawaii-false-alarm-sirens/index.html

Meanwhile, in Hawaii...

An emergency alert went out today saying that a ballistic missile was headed towards the state. 38 minutes later, it turned out it was accidentally sent out by the state's alert system.

This is a serious mishap.

[KHCast]

I thought that was yesterday 

[Tornado]

Since the current in thing in Hollywood is now to publicly shame anyone who has ever had anything to do with someone accused of a sexual crime until they renounce working with that person (because #metoo), even if the accusations was a he-said/she-said decades ago and have been known for decades as well, I wonder if Hollywood types will finally stop jumping to the defense of actual-convicted-statutory-rapist Roman Polanski .

[KHCast]

This Samantha bee episode was seriously lit. Sucks that she doesn’t get as much time as guys like Trevor Noah. Great points all around. Especially the last vid

 

[Kevin]

I love Samantha Bee's Full Frontal. Her biggest strength is her sharp humor.

Also, the government has officially shut down since a 4 week continuing resolution could not pass the Senate. Two thing to note is that this the first shutdown to ever happen under one party controlling all 3 branches of government and it's exactly been a year since Trump has been inaugurated as President.