Random Politics Thread

[Virtual ghost]

India to overtake China as world's most populous country: UN

 

[The Cat]

If queer people had been allowed to openly serve when I was in, I would have been able to retire there...​

 

[FemMecha]

It wouldn't surprise me if Andrew Lester the 84-year-old man who shot that young man has dementia. I've noticed a higher number of elderly shooters in the news. It occurred to me that with the Baby Boomers aging, and the population fully armed, we are going to have a notable percentage of people descending into dementia fully armed.

"Guns don't kill people", but guns are created to facilitate killing people and people with irrational hate, paranoid psychotic breaks, certain kinds of dementia, psychologically radicalized, psychopathic, toddlers, young children, and even a few narcissistic with guns are not exactly a safe combination.

Also "nuclear bombs don't kill people. It's the people who launch them that kill people." Hey, if you want to really be able to act out the second amendment and be able to fight the government, then individuals need nuclear bombs. Hey - individuals with biological weapons. Why draw the line anywhere?

And yes I'm being facetious just in case an AI online text analysis doesn't understand my meaning. (Although robots are better at humor that people originally thought.)

 

[ceecee]

It wouldn't surprise me if Andrew Lester the 84-year-old man who shot that young man has dementia. I've noticed a higher number of elderly shooters in the news. It occurred to me that with the Baby Boomers aging, and the population fully armed, we are going to have a notable percentage of people descending into dementia fully armed.

"Guns don't kill people", but guns are created to facilitate killing people and people with irrational hate, paranoid psychotic breaks, certain kinds of dementia, psychologically radicalized, psychopathic, toddlers, young children, and even a few narcissistic with guns are not exactly a safe combination.

Also "nuclear bombs don't kill people. It's the people who launch them that kill people." Hey, if you want to really be able to act out the second amendment and be able to fight the government, then individuals need nuclear bombs. Hey - individuals with biological weapons. Why draw the line anywhere?

And yes I'm being facetious just in case an AI online text analysis doesn't understand my meaning. (Although robots are better at humor that people originally thought.)

Stand your ground laws or castle doctrine laws are a much bigger issue in shootings like this one

In charging documents, Lester told police he picked up his .32 Smith & Wesson, walked to his door and saw a Black male pulling on the locked exterior storm door handle. Yarl told police he did not pull on the door handle and was just waiting patiently outside the front door, charging documents said.

Not to mention the racial component of this crime, which the prosecutor has also indicated. This is all about guns and a population that's gone around the bend since 2001, consumed with paranoia and fear of the "other". Media and politicians continue to reinforce every horrible urge these people have. I'm betting that this guy sat home all day long consuming right wing media. And the neighbors that refused to help this kid...

 

[The Cat]

 

[Stigmata]

I've been kinda going back and forth on this one: On one hand, DeSantis has the full power of the Republican establishment behind him, yet time has shown repeatedly that the establishment is often out of step with their constituency.

I'm just not sure DeSantis has what it takes to make it in a general, especially if other candidates actually challenge him and just not move out of the way for him to go head to head with Trump in the primaries -- DeSantis, despite being the fiercest culture warrior the right has championed thus far, has like negative charisma. At least with Trump, despite how terrible of a person and the obvious conman that he is, you can see the appeal of a supposed Billionaire outsider going against the establishment (despite substantively governoring as the ultimate establishment pawn), targeting an audience of Americans that have largely felt ignored by and left behind by the American political machine, and have had jobs outsourced and their local industries rendered all but obsolete. If you go back and watch the 2016 Republican primaries, it is easy to see how Trump won.

That said, all DeSantis has is posturing and being ornery with reporters, all while seemingly being outmatched anytime he is effectively challenged (even Charlie Crist, who was the most milquetoast candidate ever, left DeSantis speechless several times throughout their debates when he gave him pushback), all while having none of the charisma or showmanship that helped Trump cultivate his cult of personality. DeSantis has also now formally taken a side in the wrong direction of the abortion issue with Florida's recent passing of a 6-week abortion ban (don't think it has been signed into law but there is no indication that he isn't going to sign it), coupled with his anti-marijuana stance, and all of his authoritarian, discriminatory laws he has passed. Trump, for all his faults, still knows how to work the media circuit and keep the attention on him, one way or the other, whereas anytime the spotlight is on DeSantis he just comes across as an unlikable asshole.

Ultimately I think the Trump cult is loyal to Trump himself and not necessarily the Republican party, and DeSantis doesn't have the social acumen to galvanize them in the opposite direction from Trump.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/19/ron-desantis-trump-2024-election-polls/

‘So unnecessary’: Republicans pile on DeSantis over Disney

“I don’t think Ron DeSantis is a conservative, based on his actions towards Disney,” Chris Christie said.

www.google.com

DeSantis is in a rut. His trek to D.C. didn’t help.

At a big moment for him, the Florida governor was overshadowed by rival Donald Trump’s string of endorsements.

www.politico.com

Is it "I told you so" time yet for DeSantis? Dude flamed out before he even formally declared. Any Republican is unelectable in a national election in the post-roe political landscape for the foreseeable future, especially any one that doubles down on the bad political position the Right currently has on the issue of abortion.

 

[The Cat]

 

[The Cat]

 

[Virtual ghost]

Which 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Has The Most Endorsements?

 

[Totenkindly]

One of Scholastic's Best-Selling Authors Tells Publisher: "I Need You To Be Braver"

Following the news that Scholastic tried to censor fellow children's book author Maggie Tokunda-Hall, Kelly Yang shares important messge.

www.themarysue.com

As one of your top authors, I’m asking you to have more courage. You cannot be quietly self-censoring. Whatever pressure you may be facing, know that your authors are facing even more pressure. And we’re still out here writing these books. Risking our lives. Bleeding to make you millions. Trying to write the books for the next generation that will hopefully improve the world...

 

[Red Herring]

This is getting ever more ridiculous (and dangerous)...

Man allegedly shoots girl, six, and her parents after ball rolls into his backyard

 

[The Cat]

Secure your fucking weapons or you damned well shouldnt have them. If you have a gun and kids, fire arm safety is NOT optional.​

 

[The Cat]

 

[Virtual ghost]

 

[The Cat]

 

[ceecee]

Trump is going to be the only choice and the GOP will back him no matter what they say now. They are sheep, they'll do what they're told.

 

[Stigmata]

Trump is going to be the only choice and the GOP will back him no matter what they say now. They are sheep, they'll do what they're told.

To be fair we are witnessing DeSantis crash and burn in real time -- even the Florida Republicans are abandoning him for Trump.

DeSantis has the charisma of dried dog turd sitting on the sidewalk on a hot summer day; dude just exudes overzealous middle school Assistant Principal energy.

The only push we saw from him was a manufactured, coordinated effort by the Republican establishment to once again break away from the Trump train, yet, as has been shown many times, the establishment is ultimately beholden to the whims of the Republican base and not the other way around. The Republican establishment holds a great deal of disdain for their base/constituency, yet is at least self-aware to realize that going against the base results in them losing power, which is why you see this begrudging pivot back to Trump for the Republican politicians. Trump was and still is their best means of regaining control of the White House, yet I also just don't see it happening.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

To be fair we are witnessing DeSantis crash and burn in real time -- even the Florida Republicans are abandoning him for Trump.

DeSantis has the charisma of dried dog turd sitting on the sidewalk on a hot summer day; dude just exudes overzealous middle school Assistant Principal energy.

The only push we saw from him was a manufactured, coordinated effort by the Republican establishment to once again break away from the Trump train, yet, as has been shown many times, the establishment is ultimately beholden to the whims of the Republican base and not the other way around. The Republican establishment holds a great deal of disdain for their base/constituency, yet is at least self-aware to realize that going against the base results in them losing power, which is why you see this begrudging pivot back to Trump for the Republican politicians. Trump was and still is their best means of regaining control of the White House, yet I also just don't see it happening.

I'm glad. Biden beat Trump before, when he didn't have this indictment baggage (yes, this appeals to evangelicals with a bullshit persecution complex, but who else?). And I'd rather have incompetent Republicans running, because that limits the damage they can do if they win. DeSantis was a Trojan horse of a "respectable Republican" that would have been much more effective at implementing the same policies or, I'd argue, even worse ones. I think the move with Disney shows what the "sane Republican" alternative to Trump is and it's pretty clear to me what that is.

So much for me steering away from political stuff.

 

[The Cat]

 

[Virtual ghost]

You know what ?

To be honest I am getting kinda the feeling that the Dems indicted Trump in order to boost his numbers. Since they think that DeSantis is much more dangerous opponent in the general. If this is true it is a gamble but thus far it seems to be working pretty well. This really knocked DeSantis off the course.