Political Ocean's 11

[Bartimaeus]

There isn't a nickel's worth of difference between the two parties anymore. It's the greatest con in the history of the country now. The only thing they are really fighting over now is comittee chairmanships. No matter who wins the government gets bigger, the deficit and debt go up, taxes go up on some things, down on others but spending goes only up. No programs get cut, the states lose power, the people lose liberty and the bombs never stop falling overseas. Exactly what the f--k are we fighting over here that is so important?

 

If you really want to get new blood in Washington step one is Don't Vote For Republicans or Democrats. You do have other options. Everyone says Third Party candidates can't win. You just end up empowering the "other side". Then one day you realize there is no "other side" and hasn't been for a very long time. 

 

This kind of thinking would've flown better with me (and likely others) pre-election - now, after over half a year of the utter clown show that is Republican control of every branch of our government, not so much. Yeah, they're disturbingly similar on a lot issues as well as their general characteristics as groups (such as a despicable loyalty to party over country and fellow citizens), but I'm pretty sure some of us are starting to notice some differences at this time...

Edited October 25, 2017 by Bartimaeus

[redneckdevil]

This is a slow year having Trump as a president. I was gonna ask if our debt has gone down, taxes lowered or axed, etc etc but it hasn't even been a year yet lmao.

[Guard Dog]

In terms of personality Trump is an abberation. We're going to get them from time to time. There have been others. Franklin Pierce comes to mind. But going back to 2004 and beyond, other than the Supreme Court is there anything that would have been done differently the the Presidential election had gone the other way? A few things, small things, yes. But in general, no. 

[Guard Dog]

I've said this before but it bears repeating. I want the US Government to do as little as possible and just leave us alone. So far Trump and the 115th Congress have done nothing. I'm pleased. 

[Pidesco]

How about normalizing and legitimizing racism and white supremacy?

 

Also that leaving people alone sure is working wonders in Puerto Rico.

[Gfted1]

If only we had some tool to look stuff up:

 

Puerto Rico aid is trapped in thousands of shipping containers.
 

[Guard Dog]

36.5 Billion Dollars in aid, four US Navy vessels, the Florida National Guard, 60% of all FEMA's assets, to say nothing of the billions of dollars in private aid. Yeah, we're not doing a damn thing to help Puerto Rico. 

 

Oh and Pidesco as to your first dumb comment, the US government and the people in it are not responsible for the words or actions of demonstrators who happen to support the current President. They are not agents of the government so the government could hardly be said to be "normalizing" anything. The downside of free speech is you are going to hear a lot of dumb s--t. Of course the media makes it a bigger deal than it is when the less than 2k people show up for a statue are painted as a representative sample of the 63 Million who decided Trump was the lesser evil. 

Edited October 25, 2017 by Guard Dog

[Malcador]

Hm, not sure normalizing behaviour comes with responsibility for it. Managers set the tone for their team and all but not like they make you do stuff. Certainly has normalized making **** up and living in an RDF (Jobs was first) more than normal.

 

Twitter is to blame, really. Also not quite 36 billion for PR, almost 19 is for FEMA, seems in general? Headline in my local paper was off, as always

Edited October 25, 2017 by Malcador

[Volourn]

"How about normalizing and legitimizing racism and white supremacy?"

 

L0L How so? People get fired when they  loudly proclaim their racism (only if they happen to be white for the most part). 'Racism' and 'white supremcy' has not been 'normalized' in the US. That is utter  nonsense. If any 'racism' has been 'normalzied' it is anti white racism.  (but even that has led to people being suspened at least from their jobs) 

Edited October 25, 2017 by Volourn

[Pidesco]

36.5 Billion Dollars in aid, four US Navy vessels, the Florida National Guard, 60% of all FEMA's assets, to say nothing of the billions of dollars in private aid. Yeah, we're not doing a damn thing to help Puerto Rico. 

 

Oh and Pidesco as to your first dumb comment, the US government and the people in it are not responsible for the words or actions of demonstrators who happen to support the current President. They are not agents of the government so the government could hardly be said to be "normalizing" anything. The downside of free speech is you are going to hear a lot of dumb s--t. Of course the media makes it a bigger deal than it is when the less than 2k people show up for a statue are painted as a representative sample of the 63 Million who decided Trump was the lesser evil. 

 

Those 36,5 billion were approved yesterday. I wasn't aware.

 

 

Trump can certainly be considered culpable in the normalizing of such behaviors. His words regarding the Charlottesville incidents are the most egregious example of this. Refusal to distinguish peaceful demonstrators from openly racist, violent white supremacists definitely carries a burden of guilt as far as normalization is concerned.

[Chilloutman]

what, that he said that there are bad people on both sides? Yeah horrible :/

[Pidesco]

^See? Normalizing.

[Guard Dog]

 

36.5 Billion Dollars in aid, four US Navy vessels, the Florida National Guard, 60% of all FEMA's assets, to say nothing of the billions of dollars in private aid. Yeah, we're not doing a damn thing to help Puerto Rico. 

 

Oh and Pidesco as to your first dumb comment, the US government and the people in it are not responsible for the words or actions of demonstrators who happen to support the current President. They are not agents of the government so the government could hardly be said to be "normalizing" anything. The downside of free speech is you are going to hear a lot of dumb s--t. Of course the media makes it a bigger deal than it is when the less than 2k people show up for a statue are painted as a representative sample of the 63 Million who decided Trump was the lesser evil. 

 

Those 36,5 billion were approved yesterday. I wasn't aware.

 

 

Trump can certainly be considered culpable in the normalizing of such behaviors. His words regarding the Charlottesville incidents are the most egregious example of this. Refusal to distinguish peaceful demonstrators from openly racist, violent white supremacists definitely carries a burden of guilt as far as normalization is concerned.

 

 

That 35.5 is in addition to the 15 already expended. Combined that is more money for aid in two months than the annual GDP of all but sixty some odd of the 200 some odd nations of the world. And that does not even cover the operational costs of the military and guard assets working on the ground. To say nothing of American Red Cross, United Way associates and other privately funded groups. Despite the political axe grinding of certain politicians here and in Puerto Rico their government is not ignoring them.

 

Trump is a j-----s. No one here has suggested otherwise. Hell I didn't vote for him and it galls a little that I am defending him (somewhat) right now. But if you are suggesting him saying there were no good guys in the Virginia thing is normalizing racism and white supremacy you are off base. That was two groups of a------s who showed up looking for a fight. One was less repugnant than the other but they didn't have any real claim on the moral high ground either.  

[Chilloutman]

^See? Normalizing.

 

Geez, lucky you didn't heard Churchill

[Pidesco]

Thankfully I have the Daily Stormer on hand to explain why Trump's words were a massive problem:

 

[Guard Dog]

I have no clue who the daily stormer is. But whatever.

 

In other news it seems the Reoublicans in Congress are coming up with a tax reform bill that

 

1. Eliminates deductions the middle class count on
2. Cap the tax free 401k contribution
3. Raises rates 

Very.... democrat... of them. So based on what I've read my tax rate will go from 28% of adjusted to 25% of adjusted but I lose all my deductions so I pay more after my tax cut than before. And now my tax deferred retirement saving is not so tax deferred. 

 

So the democrats want to raise my taxes and I get to pay more. The Republicans want to cut my taxes but eliminate my deductions and I get to pay more. Oh, and the government spending is only going up so.... 

 

Explain to me again the difference between Republicans and Democrats?

[Chilloutman]

I don't care what daily stormer take on is. I can judge it on my own, do you having problem forming your own opinions?

[Pidesco]

 

 

I have no clue who the daily stormer is. But whatever.
 
In other news it seems the Reoublicans in Congress are coming up with a tax reform bill that
 

    
1. Eliminates deductions the middle class count on
       
2. Cap the tax free 401k contribution
       
3. Raises rates
   

Very.... democrat... of them. So based on what I've read my tax rate will go from 28% of adjusted to 25% of adjusted but I lose all my deductions so I pay more after my tax cut than before. And now my tax deferred retirement saving is not so tax deferred.
 
So the democrats want to raise my taxes and I get to pay more. The Republicans want to cut my taxes but eliminate my deductions and I get to pay more. Oh, and the government spending is only going up so....
 
Explain to me again the difference between Republicans and Democrats?

 

One group openly denies established science, and aligns itself with fundamentalist christians. The other one doesn't.

 

I don't care what daily stormer take on is. I can judge it on my own, do you having problem forming your own opinions?

 
I have a problem with the message white supremacists get from a sitting US president's statements.

[smjjames]

@guard dog: Funny how that works out for you.....

 

Also, I thought Trump didn't want them to touch the 401(k) stuff?

 

The tax reform has nothing to do with spending, that's all decided in the budget, but they seem to be making a budget shortfall in the tax stuff without doing anything about spending, thus the debt keeps going up (because they aren't making as much money). They still have to deal with a debt ceiling, except it's been postponed to March next year I believe.

Edited October 25, 2017 by smjjames

[Volourn]

"One group openly denies established science, and aligns itself with fundamentalist christians. The other one doesn't."

 

One group denies established science and aligns itself with fundamentalist muslims.

 

Next.
 

[Malcador]

I don't care what daily stormer take on is. I can judge it on my own, do you having problem forming your own opinions?

That was evidence of his point, though, not seeing how that in itself has much to do with forming his opinion. Didn't you link an article once from Daily Stormer ?

[Chilloutman]

 

I don't care what daily stormer take on is. I can judge it on my own, do you having problem forming your own opinions?

That was evidence of his point, though, not seeing how that in itself has much to do with forming his opinion. Didn't you link an article once from Daily Stormer ?

 

 

Not sure, I am not US citizen and I really don't follow US media, I might have linked it once

 

Not sure what evidence it was, that some jerk was happy about what Trump said? Don't go there, or I will use some jerk who murdered someone cheering about BLM...

[smjjames]

"One group openly denies established science, and aligns itself with fundamentalist christians. The other one doesn't."

 

One group denies established science and aligns itself with fundamentalist muslims.

 

Next.

 

 

Which 'denies established science' are you aiming at the Democrats?

 

I know it's a political jab, but at least try to make some sense.

[Volourn]

Unborn not being thought of as human (even though it clearly is hence justifying abortion no matter the reason),  the 'gender is a social constrcut' nonsense. These all fly in the face of established science that they have managed to get people to  believe in through  brainwashing and propaganda and fake intellectual dishonest 'pseudo' social science.

 

 

P.S. republicans also are not innocent because along with what mentioned above, the fact they often don't believe in evolution is asanine.

Edited October 25, 2017 by Volourn

[Malcador]

 

 

I don't care what daily stormer take on is. I can judge it on my own, do you having problem forming your own opinions?

That was evidence of his point, though, not seeing how that in itself has much to do with forming his opinion. Didn't you link an article once from Daily Stormer ?

Not sure, I am not US citizen and I really don't follow US media, I might have linked it once

 

Not sure what evidence it was, that some jerk was happy about what Trump said? Don't go there, or I will use some jerk who murdered someone cheering about BLM...

Well I am just guessing it is meant to show how Trump is emboldening them and presumably he doesn't mind it all. Dude is too weasely, the vague mentions of plans or general statements so he can't really be pressed. Does at least have his surrogates treat him like an Oracle though