U.S. Politics

[bickster]

9 minutes ago, A'Villan said:

The U.S has plans to build a 2nd port in Darwin (Northern Australia) and spend 200 million in naval expenditure to occupy the region.

Fun fact, we already have a port in Darwin, and it's leased to China for 99 years. Safe to say China's not happy about the U.S developments..

To be quite honest 200mil of any currency seems about enough to build a jetty, a pedal boat and a toilet in terms of military expenditure

[A'Villan]

1 minute ago, bickster said:

To be quite honest 200mil of any currency seems about enough to build a jetty, a pedal boat and a toilet in terms of military expenditure

You're right.

The gun of a U.S warship costs $800,000 to fire.

[peterms]

What a shithole.

 

[A'Villan]

@peterms

It is criminal beyond belief. They belittle him and obviously have no regard for his well-being.

Police have a job I don't envy, I understand they have to make split second decisions.

For example, I was actually nearly shot by police in my teens.

I was being chased through a park and once I saw that I would soon be surrounded I turned to hand myself in..

In this moment I realised I had something in my pocket that I shouldn't, and reached to put it in my underwear, as I turned to face the officer chasing from behind.

The officer, unaware that I was a 16 year old who had been doing an illegal mural, assumed that I was pulling a gun from the front of my pants.

He was quite emotional throughout the hours that I remained in his presence and told my mother that he'd nearly shot me, she wasn't very impressed.

The police were out in force looking for a man who'd been breaking into houses, when I saw the police car I just ran, and they chased thinking I was that guy.

The officer asked  me what the hell I was doing putting my hands down the front of my pants, and I replied that I had itchy nuts.

Being 16 years old and this policeman's emotional state I got away with that suspect excuse.

Had he shot me, I'm not sure it would of been fair to charge him for it. Thing is he DIDN'T shoot me..

Thankfully he put his fear and paranoia aside for an extra moment, and opened dialogue, and learned very quickly I was no threat to him.

But all these cases in America are ridiculous. Negligent. Abusive. Cruel even.

 

[villakram]

16 hours ago, A'Villan said:

@peterms

It is criminal beyond belief. They belittle him and obviously have no regard for his well-being.

Police have a job I don't envy, I understand they have to make split second decisions.

For example, I was actually nearly shot by police in my teens.

I was being chased through a park and once I saw that I would soon be surrounded I turned to hand myself in..

In this moment I realised I had something in my pocket that I shouldn't, and reached to put it in my underwear, as I turned to face the officer chasing from behind.

The officer, unaware that I was a 16 year old who had been doing an illegal mural, assumed that I was pulling a gun from the front of my pants.

He was quite emotional throughout the hours that I remained in his presence and told my mother that he'd nearly shot me, she wasn't very impressed.

The police were out in force looking for a man who'd been breaking into houses, when I saw the police car I just ran, and they chased thinking I was that guy.

The officer asked  me what the hell I was doing putting my hands down the front of my pants, and I replied that I had itchy nuts.

Being 16 years old and this policeman's emotional state I got away with that suspect excuse.

Had he shot me, I'm not sure it would of been fair to charge him for it. Thing is he DIDN'T shoot me..

Thankfully he put his fear and paranoia aside for an extra moment, and opened dialogue, and learned very quickly I was no threat to him.

But all these cases in America are ridiculous. Negligent. Abusive. Cruel even.

 

So much of this is the unintentional side effect of processing 20yrs of your society through the military warzone machine.

[choffer]

I dunno why he cops so much criticism. I don’t see any other political leaders offering guarantees that they are soon going to cure AIDS and cancer. 

 

 

[villakram]

On 01/08/2019 at 22:23, peterms said:

What a shithole.

 

 

Can't even take your dog for a walk in Texas without getting killed 

https://www.freep.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/02/texas-police-officer-killed-woman-arlington-while-shooting-dog/1898825001/

Quote

 

The Arlington Police Department said that the officer saw an unrestrained dog near the woman when he arrived on the scene. The dog, said investigators, belonged to Brooks. The dog ran toward the officer as he called out repeatedly "concerning her welfare," officials said in the statement. As the dog continued to charge at the officer, he fired repeatedly as he retreated back. The woman, also unidentified, yelled out after the officer fired at the dog. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 

 

 

[Villaphan04]

This map is very interesting & helpful I think

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/02/us/politics/2020-democratic-fundraising.html

Edited August 3, 2019 by Villaphan04

[Keyblade]

 

[villakram]

AOC's chief of staff resigns on Friday and today it emerges that he's under federal investigation for monetary shenanigans related to a number of PACs he controlled.

The entire thing is dirty right to the core.

[Xann]

[snowychap]

 

[Straggler]

 

 

[villakram]

and the political leanings of the Dayton scumbag were... 

[blandy]

11 minutes ago, villakram said:

and the political leanings of the Dayton scumbag were... 

They should be somewhere way down the pecking order.

Surely there should be consistency. For example, when terrorists who are muslims have done attacks, the idea of "and the religious leanings of the  scumbag were... " is quite rightly called out as trying to pin blame on muslims generally.

So same with this. This latest terrorist bell end may have been Republican (or whatever) leaning, politically, but trying to pin blame on Republicans generally for this murdering whooper is not the way to go - is it?

Better to concentrate on radicalisation, extremism, prevention, monitoring, gun control and all the rest, surely?

It's true, I think, that right wing/republican types need to reflect on how what they say and do might influence people, how those in positions of responsibility need to not preach hate, but tolerance and how they might do well to pay more attention to the ones they see or hear talking about terror or hate or etc.  whether in real life or on the facebook etc. Maybe report more people to the police.

Perhaps the feds need to have a word with that fat fella - you know the one, a sort of blow-hard tangerine turd type - goes by the name of (something like)  "The Resident" or  "The Dim old", though I may have misheard.

 

[villakram]

1 hour ago, blandy said:

They should be somewhere way down the pecking order.

Surely there should be consistency. For example, when terrorists who are muslims have done attacks, the idea of "and the religious leanings of the  scumbag were... " is quite rightly called out as trying to pin blame on muslims generally.

So same with this. This latest terrorist bell end may have been Republican (or whatever) leaning, politically, but trying to pin blame on Republicans generally for this murdering whooper is not the way to go - is it?

Better to concentrate on radicalisation, extremism, prevention, monitoring, gun control and all the rest, surely?

It's true, I think, that right wing/republican types need to reflect on how what they say and do might influence people, how those in positions of responsibility need to not preach hate, but tolerance and how they might do well to pay more attention to the ones they see or hear talking about terror or hate or etc.  whether in real life or on the facebook etc. Maybe report more people to the police.

Perhaps the feds need to have a word with that fat fella - you know the one, a sort of blow-hard tangerine turd type - goes by the name of (something like)  "The Resident" or  "The Dim old", though I may have misheard.

 

pretty much... e.g., the Dayton scumbag appears to be a Sanders-esque supporting liberal. So much politicizing the event going on here right now rather than thinking about why it is, that it is only in this country that this happens with such regularity.

[Dr_Pangloss]

On 01/08/2019 at 17:53, Keyblade said:

It was glorious. But Biden also pulled another Biden. He's done, thank God.

No he really isn't. Firstly the 'ground game' arguably matters more than debates but he is certainly far more consistent with the polls on both health and broader issues. I don't particularly like him but there's a sense that he's the only one with the best shot of beating Trump. Sanders and Warren are frankly too left and will not be successful with the electorate, Warren I think at least has the best shot of selling her ideas into a wider audience, Sanders at this stage is a mess. Delighted to see the atrocious Kamala Harris get absolutely scorched by Tulsi Gabbard.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Dr_Pangloss

[Keyblade]

1 minute ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

No he really. Firstly the 'ground game' arguably matters more than debates but he is certainly far more consistent with the polls on both health and broader issues. I don't particularly like him but there's a sense that he's the only one with the best shot of beating Trump. Sanders and Warren are frankly too left and will not be successful with the electorate, Warren I think at least has the best shot of selling her ideas into a wider audience, Sanders at this stage is a mess. Delighted to see the atrocious Kamala Harris get absolutely scorched by Tulsi Goddard.

Yeah a sense from establishment lackeys and people who don't really follow politics. Predictably, he's only polling well with people above 50. He'd get his ass handed to him by Trump. Why would anybody vote for Republican-lite Biden when they can just vote for the real thing?

The idea that Warren and Sanders are too far left is what's going to lead to landslide of a second term. The electorate are massively in favour of their policies. 70% support for Medicare for All, 80% approval for paid maternity leave, 60% approval for tuition-free college etc etc. The idea that they're too radical for the public is a media concoction meant to prop up the likes of Biden.

[Dr_Pangloss]

1 minute ago, Keyblade said:

Yeah a sense from establishment lackeys and people who don't really follow politics. Predictably, he's only polling well with people above 50. He'd get his ass handed to him by Trump. Why would anybody vote for Republican-lite Biden when they can just vote for the real thing?

The idea that Warren and Sanders are too far left is what's going to lead to landslide of a second term. The electorate are massively in favour of their policies. 70% support for Medicare for All, 80% approval for paid maternity leave, 60% approval for tuition-free college etc etc. The idea that they're too radical for the public is a media concoction meant to prop up the likes of Biden.

But you will routinely find >40% not wanting to ditch their current (private) plans and the support for building on Obama care as opposed to Sanders' plan, which will effectively scrap Medicare all together, being generally more favourable. Lots of Americans do not want to lose their current plans, especially those in unions, Sanders' option, which I don't exactly disagree with, will mean just that and I'd wager at the crunch it won't be as big a hit with the voters.

Then you have the plans to decriminalise illegal entry into the US (putting it through civil instead of criminal courts), this will not wash at all with the electorate and Biden is playing those polls correctly. Ultimately this is about getting Trump out and Biden's policies generally are more popular.

Biden definitely isn't Republican-lite, that's preposterous and symptomatic of how the political compass is so skewed these days. He's a generally somewhat left of centre candidate by American standards. Sanders comes across as too radical, Warren will ultimately fail to sell her ideas in but is at least more capable.

[villakram]

3 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

Biden definitely isn't Republican-lite, that's preposterous and symptomatic of how the political compass is so skewed these days. He's a generally somewhat left of centre candidate by American standards. Sanders comes across as too radical, Warren will ultimately fail to sell her ideas in but is at least more capable.

** shudder **