Skip to content

Politics. The feel in your country.

1320321323325326635

Comments

  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    A woman with less baggage could have easily won the last election imo. The problem wasn't that it was a woman. The problem was that it was 'that' woman!
    ThacoBellFardragon
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    edited September 2017

    Just because person A calls person B a white supremacist (or any other adjective with negative connotations) doesn't mean that person B is actually what they are being labelled by person A. In other words, if I call @jjstraka34 a racist the burden of proof is on me to prove the accusation, not on him to defend himself or prove that he isn't. I think people are forgetting that these days--it is too easy to sit back and call someone something on Twitter and think you have made some sort of statement or that you have somehow nailed them with your insight when, in fact, all you did was tweet something that some people read. Sure, some people may agree with you but your 140 characters are meaningless and pointless so why even bother?

    @Zaghoul Yes, only Democrats for now, which is to be expected. Even if a Republican agrees with that sort of plan they can't very well *say* that they are for it or else they will lose their reelection bid next year.

    First of all, there is no burden of proof in regards to libel for someone as high profile as the President, this is settled Supreme Court precedent. Secondly, let's go back to the middle of Obama's first term. When a certain host of The Apprentice claimed the sitting President wasn't born in the US in racist smear campaign, did NBC reprimand or fire him, and did the White House Press Secretary call for him to fired?? The answer of course is no and no. Because both sides don't. The White House weighing in on this issue is an ACTUAL free speech issue, unlike the fake one's constantly pushed by the Alt-right. Notice how silent they are on this issue.

    As long as we're on the subject of sports, let's also talk about Colin Kapernick, who has clearly been blackballed from the NFL because of his protests. Unlike the Google engineer who made himself a martyr on purpose, doing the Alt-right circuit online within days, Kapernick has taken his consequences like a man, not speaking a single word in his own defense or whining about the fact he isn't on a team. Plenty of OTHER people are making that case, but not him. It's especially glaring after week 1 of the NFL season, in which no less than 4 QBs had atrocious games far worse than Kapernick has ever come close to having in his career. Point being, Kapernick was willing to walk the walk and accept what happened to him to make his statement, and still is. The Google engineer played a professional victim from the get-go.
    Grond0
  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811



    As long as we're on the subject of sports, let's also talk about Colin Kapernick, who has clearly been blackballed from the NFL because of his protests. Unlike the Google engineer who made himself a martyr on purpose, doing the Alt-right circuit online within days, Kapernick has taken his consequences like a man, not speaking a single word in his own defense or whining about the fact he isn't on a team. Plenty of OTHER people are making that case, but not him. It's especially glaring after week 1 of the NFL season, in which no less than 4 QBs had atrocious games far worse than Kapernick has ever come close to having in his career. Point being, Kapernick was willing to walk the walk and accept what happened to him to make his statement, and still is. The Google engineer played a professional victim from the get-go.

    Crap, I wish I could find the article or the quote, but there was allegedly (I don't follow Football) one outspoken (on political and racial issues) football player who said Kapernick isn't being blackballed, he just isn't good enough to be in this league and be a distraction to the team at the same time. He is at best a second string QB and the reason why he hasn't got a job (yet) is due to the media circus that will follow him. Think of the same lines as Tim Tebow here.

    ~

    Mexico has also withdrawn aid it promised for Hurricane Harvey due to the fact the federal government did not send it's condolences to them during Katia or their Earthquakes. Trump, after the disasters continued to attack Mexico on their crime rate over Twitter instead. Talk about horrible foreign policy to the point where another country rescinds aid to you because of how you are acting.

    Instead, Mexico is going to divert the aid to those regions by the earthquakes and Katia.
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    edited September 2017

    So, first off, I wouldn't trust a handshake deal with Trump as far as I could throw him, but if this is true.....haha, oh man alive. It would mean that not only did the hated Nancy Pelosi just save the DACA participants, but also just made Trump totally cave on his #1 promise of the campaign, the promise that got his most rabid supporters to BECOME rabid supporters. The White House is denying the report, I guess we'll see. My prediction is the right-wing media turns on Trump for a day or two until he backs out of whatever deal he may have struck with the Dem leaders. They won't stand for this. Breitbart has already started the friendly fire.
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    To bad Mexico is playing tit of tat and can't make the gesture it should have (looking better because of it in the eyes of the whole world) and sent aid anyway to people in need. Trump is not the people, he is just the puppet figurehead like any pres. is. Figures the pres. wouldn't have the decency to ring the man up on the darn telephone.
    Mexico can go scratch. (THe Pres. to for that matter) I get tired of seeing this kind of political behavior in global crisis management. People being used as pawns in the great political battles of those in power, nice. :s So everything is normal then at least, with regards to that anyway.
    semiticgoddessTakisMegasBalrog99
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    edited September 2017
    This is getting stupid now. Cleveland police protesting the National Anthem because of the protestors are protesting the National Anthem at the games.

    Like a bunch of young kids on the playground.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cleveland-anthem/cleveland-police-to-skip-browns-nfl-ceremony-in-protest-idUSKCN1BE14P

    EDIT: I guess I should really say childish instead, of the police. I can understand the sides of both, but just seems like it will not be that productive, but then again, some things I think won't be sometimes are, so guess we will have to wait and see. B) I think the footballer's protests make more since and takes more guts than the police's version.
    Post edited by Zaghoul on
  • TakisMegasTakisMegas Member Posts: 835
    edited September 2017

    Just because person A calls person B a white supremacist (or any other adjective with negative connotations) doesn't mean that person B is actually what they are being labelled by person A. In other words, if I call @jjstraka34 a racist the burden of proof is on me to prove the accusation, not on him to defend himself or prove that he isn't. I think people are forgetting that these days--it is too easy to sit back and call someone something on Twitter and think you have made some sort of statement or that you have somehow nailed them with your insight when, in fact, all you did was tweet something that some people read. Sure, some people may agree with you but your 140 characters are meaningless and pointless so why even bother?

    @Zaghoul Yes, only Democrats for now, which is to be expected. Even if a Republican agrees with that sort of plan they can't very well *say* that they are for it or else they will lose their reelection bid next year.

    First of all, there is no burden of proof in regards to libel for someone as high profile as the President, this is settled Supreme Court precedent. Secondly, let's go back to the middle of Obama's first term. When a certain host of The Apprentice claimed the sitting President wasn't born in the US in racist smear campaign, did NBC reprimand or fire him, and did the White House Press Secretary call for him to fired?? The answer of course is no and no. Because both sides don't. The White House weighing in on this issue is an ACTUAL free speech issue, unlike the fake one's constantly pushed by the Alt-right. Notice how silent they are on this issue.

    As long as we're on the subject of sports, let's also talk about Colin Kapernick, who has clearly been blackballed from the NFL because of his protests. Unlike the Google engineer who made himself a martyr on purpose, doing the Alt-right circuit online within days, Kapernick has taken his consequences like a man, not speaking a single word in his own defense or whining about the fact he isn't on a team. Plenty of OTHER people are making that case, but not him. It's especially glaring after week 1 of the NFL season, in which no less than 4 QBs had atrocious games far worse than Kapernick has ever come close to having in his career. Point being, Kapernick was willing to walk the walk and accept what happened to him to make his statement, and still is. The Google engineer played a professional victim from the get-go.
    I would investigate that Kapernick thing a bit more. He had choice words for his bosses, and his bosses' bosses.
    Post edited by TakisMegas on
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    In a major blow to voting rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled five-to-four along ideological lines on Tuesday to stay two recent lower court rulings that had ordered Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional and state House districts.

    Earlier this year, a panel of district court judges found that GOP lawmakers had intentionally discriminated against black and Latino voters in coming up with these maps, rendering them unconstitutional. But the high court's ill conceived conservative majority has now put the order to draw new maps on hold while it considers an appeal by Republicans, which could mean there won't be a final decision until next June.​
    semiticgoddess
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    And Trump did walk back his deal with Democrats about DACA. Of course he can't be trusted.
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    edited September 2017
    Bernie Sanders introduced a Medicare For All Bill. Cutting out the middlemen would reduce costs bigly.

    Then Trump called Bernie's proposal a "Curse on the American people" for reasons that are unclear and don't make sense like most things he says.

    I guess he really doesn't like people having health care.

    image
    semiticgoddesskillerrabbit
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    These days, I don't believe Trump has any real positions to begin with. Even on his most signature campaign issues like the wall, he has done nothing to implement them after 8 months in office and has even dropped hints that he doesn't plan on making the attempt. On top of that, we get mixed messages on everything from the reasons for Comey's firing to his position on DACA.

    I've decided to predict that the Trump administration is simply not going to do much of anything. Any major legislation will be passed without Trump's involvement.
    DreadKhankillerrabbitBalrog99ThacoBell
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    edited September 2017

    These days, I don't believe Trump has any real positions to begin with. Even on his most signature campaign issues like the wall, he has done nothing to implement them after 8 months in office and has even dropped hints that he doesn't plan on making the attempt. On top of that, we get mixed messages on everything from the reasons for Comey's firing to his position on DACA.

    I've decided to predict that the Trump administration is simply not going to do much of anything. Any major legislation will be passed without Trump's involvement.

    Professional con-men only have positions that suite them in the current moment. Trump is a snake-oil salesman. Any of his supporters who were clamoring for his wall who now still trust him are engaging in the sort of cognitive dissonance that is far beyond help.

    He promised to end Obamacare immediately. He and the Republicans bungled the attempt so badly that they not only ensured Obamacare would remain in place, but has now shifted the public debate and opinion towards Medicare for all. He promised that not only would there be a wall, but that Mexico would pay for it. Now not only is Mexico not paying for it, but he is now not going to build it, instead claiming that maintenance on existing fences counts as "building a wall". While at the same time striking a deal with Nancy Pelosi on DACA participants, a women who is slightly less popular than lung cancer to Republican voters.

    He isn't sending mixed messages. He is simply dangerously unstable and almost certainly a clinical sociopath. Of course he doesn't have any positions. There is nothing to him but authoritarian impulses and a pathological need to dominate and humiliate those he perceives as enemies. There is no there there. Donald Trump is nothing but a walking embodiment of selfishness and malice.
    DreadKhankillerrabbitOrlonKronsteen
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857

    These days, I don't believe Trump has any real positions to begin with. Even on his most signature campaign issues like the wall, he has done nothing to implement them after 8 months in office and has even dropped hints that he doesn't plan on making the attempt. On top of that, we get mixed messages on everything from the reasons for Comey's firing to his position on DACA.

    I've decided to predict that the Trump administration is simply not going to do much of anything. Any major legislation will be passed without Trump's involvement.

    A President thats been a lame duck since the day he won... completely (legislatively) impotent, I wonder how harshly history will treat him.

    I heard his planned tax break for the wealthy would amount to ~15m for the richest 400 americans apiece, which seems staggeringly incompetent; if you're hoping to kick start the economy, you give money to the poor/middle-class, who'll immediately spend it. Rich people are bad for squirreling away or investing, and while investment is important, so is having a consumer middle class.

    Heck, if he gave businesses tax breaks to invest (a very dubious practice!) he'd do more for the economy than giving the rich extra cash.
    killerrabbitjjstraka34smeagolheartOrlonKronsteen
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    edited September 2017
    DreadKhan said:

    These days, I don't believe Trump has any real positions to begin with. Even on his most signature campaign issues like the wall, he has done nothing to implement them after 8 months in office and has even dropped hints that he doesn't plan on making the attempt. On top of that, we get mixed messages on everything from the reasons for Comey's firing to his position on DACA.

    I've decided to predict that the Trump administration is simply not going to do much of anything. Any major legislation will be passed without Trump's involvement.

    A President thats been a lame duck since the day he won... completely (legislatively) impotent, I wonder how harshly history will treat him.

    I heard his planned tax break for the wealthy would amount to ~15m for the richest 400 americans apiece, which seems staggeringly incompetent; if you're hoping to kick start the economy, you give money to the poor/middle-class, who'll immediately spend it. Rich people are bad for squirreling away or investing, and while investment is important, so is having a consumer middle class.

    Heck, if he gave businesses tax breaks to invest (a very dubious practice!) he'd do more for the economy than giving the rich extra cash.
    There is no tax plan, just like there is no infrastructure plan, just like there was no health care plan. He doesn't have anyone in the White House either interested or competent enough to work with Congress on these issues. Meanwhile, he is so pissed off at Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan (for various reasons) that he has resorted to striking multiple deals with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi for the sole purpose of humiliating the Congressional leaders of his own party. At this rate, when and if Mueller comes heavy with the results of the Russia probe, it will be Republicans who throw him overboard.
    OrlonKronsteen
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    It's funny watching people like Sean Hannity tie himself in knots trying to defend Trump, as he is wont to do, while Trump goes around palling with Pelosi and Schumer.
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    So I was listening today to a report of a big training exercise Russia is holding with Belarus. Seems like it is in a strange position with Belarus not leaning totally to the side of Russia, but beholden to them for oil it looks like. Seems like these things are normal but NATO is a bit more on edge these days.
    I was thinking that since Belarus shares a border with Poland it could be a bit unsettling to residents there.
    @Artona or others in Poland. What is the feel in Poland during these and this one on particular, given the activities of Russia over the last few years?
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-zapad-2017-military-exercise-belarus-nato-europe-crimea-ukraine-putin/
  • TakisMegasTakisMegas Member Posts: 835
    Zaghoul said:

    So I was listening today to a report of a big training exercise Russia is holding with Belarus. Seems like it is in a strange position with Belarus not leaning totally to the side of Russia, but beholden to them for oil it looks like. Seems like these things are normal but NATO is a bit more on edge these days.
    I was thinking that since Belarus shares a border with Poland it could be a bit unsettling to residents there.
    @Artona or others in Poland. What is the feel in Poland during these and this one on particular, given the activities of Russia over the last few years?
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-zapad-2017-military-exercise-belarus-nato-europe-crimea-ukraine-putin/

    Belarus= White Russia. Or for some Beautiful Russia.

    Balrog99
  • MathsorcererMathsorcerer Member Posts: 3,037
    The DPRK fired another missile over Japan. The UN Security Council had already issued some new sanctions against the DPRK earlier in the week and now they are going to have another meeting based on this new test.

    Meanwhile....22 people were injured by a bomb which exploded at an Underground station in London.

    *laugh* Because of the on-again/off-again possible deal between Trump and Democrats in Congress, Brietbart News apparently had a headline encouraging readers to burn their "Make America Great Again" hats. (I will have to verify this for myself.) (No, apparently it is a story that they are doing it, not that Brietbart is encouraging them to do it.)

    Meanwhile, the Burmese military is engaging in a campaign of what many are calling ethnic cleansing against the minority Rohingya in that country (they are Muslims; the majority of the country are Buddhists).
    semiticgoddess
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    It's not the first time this has happened in Burma. We tend to think of Buddhism as an inherently pacifist religion, and that its followers are pacifists as well, but neither is strictly true. Even Buddhist monks have murdered Muslims in the past.

    The non-Muslim world can be just as hostile to Muslims as the Muslim world can be to non-Muslims.
    ThacoBellArtona
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    Huh. Where is Suu Kyi now? Just askin the question here.
  • bob_vengbob_veng Member Posts: 2,308

    It's not the first time this has happened in Burma. We tend to think of Buddhism as an inherently pacifist religion, and that its followers are pacifists as well, but neither is strictly true. Even Buddhist monks have murdered Muslims in the past.

    The non-Muslim world can be just as hostile to Muslims as the Muslim world can be to non-Muslims.

    religiously intolerant practice of buddhism seems to be a primarily burmese thing. a bit of tibet i guess, and a bit of some other SE asia, but that's it. on the other hand, islam... many more majority muslim countries are religiously intolerant. also islam is characterized by externally projected violence, violent sectarianism and terrorism. islam is simply worse.

    Balrog99TakisMegasFlashburn
  • TakisMegasTakisMegas Member Posts: 835
    The ancient peoples of the Bactria and Indian subcontinent where taught well. Protect your ways of life with an iron fist. Do not relent. Stay true to yourself. Know thyself and keep true.



    "Deities from the Greek mythological pantheon also tend to be incorporated in Buddhist representations, displaying a strong syncretism. In particular, Herakles (of the type of the Demetrius coins, with club resting on the arm) has been used abundantly as the representation of Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha.[2] Other Greek deities abundantly used in Greco-Buddhist art are representation of Atlas, and the Greek wind god Boreas. Atlas in particular tends to be involved as a sustaining elements in Buddhist architectural elements. Boreas became the Japanese wind god Fujin through the Greco-Buddhist Wardo. The mother deity Hariti was inspired by Tyche.
    Particularly under the Kushans, there are also numerous representations of richly adorned, princely Bodhisattvas all in a very realistic Greco-Buddhist style. The Bodhisattvas, characteristic of the Mahayana form of Buddhism, are represented under the traits of Kushan princes, completed with their canonical accessories."


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhist_art

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    I hardly see how the Rohingya, an ethnic minority, are threatening the Burmese way of life, or how the mass murder of Burmese Muslims is supposed to be self-defense.
    bob_vengThacoBellArtonaOrlonKronsteen
  • TakisMegasTakisMegas Member Posts: 835

    Murder of anyone is not OK. It is a Buddhist country though. They do not want anyone or any other religion interfering or trying to infiltrate their way of life. Kinda like how Semitic and middle east nations do not like it either.
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    Trump's sabotage of Obamacare is yielding results

    If you or someone you love uses obamacare you can thank Trump for directly causing premiums to rise.

    " the report names several policies the White House is pushing when explaining why average Obamacare premiums will increase substantially in 2018.

    Uncertainty about cost-sharing subsidies the government pays to insurance companies -- which Trump has repeatedly said he may withhold -- are mentioned by the CBO's report as a significant driver of higher costs for the insured. The failure to promise these payments, along with reductions in advertising by up to 98% are leading to failures to inform people about the markets and employees who sign-up enrollees, and can only "push enrollment down," the report says.

    For 2026, the agencies' projection of the number of people obtaining subsidized coverage through the marketplaces is now 4 million smaller, and the projected number of uninsured people 3 million larger, than they were in CBO's March 2016 baseline projections"

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/15/politics/20170915-cbo-insured-rate-uncertainty-premiums/index.html
    DreadKhanGrond0
  • ArtonaArtona Member Posts: 1,077
    @Zaghoul
    @Artona or others in Poland. What is the feel in Poland during these and this one on particular, given the activities of Russia over the last few years?


    Right now polish politics is absolutely fixed at internal affairs: deterioration of our democracy and conflict with European Comission are the hottest topics, so there is not much focus on our eastern border. Military maneuvers of that kind happen regularly, so people aren't very worried right now - at least from what I can see; media aren't even reporting much about them.
    Trump's visit was also a confidence boost for many Poles.
    ZaghoulTakisMegasThacoBell
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    Artona said:

    @Zaghoul

    @Artona or others in Poland. What is the feel in Poland during these and this one on particular, given the activities of Russia over the last few years?


    Right now polish politics is absolutely fixed at internal affairs: deterioration of our democracy and conflict with European Comission are the hottest topics, so there is not much focus on our eastern border. Military maneuvers of that kind happen regularly, so people aren't very worried right now - at least from what I can see; media aren't even reporting much about them.
    Trump's visit was also a confidence boost for many Poles.
    That's what I was kinda thinking given some of your other posts I remember on the political turmoil (for the worse seems like) going on there. I imagine that would seem common place after a while. I think perhaps it is the media here that starts calling 'fire, fire', whenever Russia does something. Russia made a big show of inviting journalists to watch cruise missile launches this week as well.
    This country seems dead determined it seems to keep Russia at arms length, no matter what.
    Artona
  • ArtonaArtona Member Posts: 1,077
    I'm glad I can serve as a messenger from Antemuralis Christianitatis* in here, @Zaghoul . ;) This thread is one of my sources of information on foreign news, and I'd like to contribute for other users.
    I'm pretty sure maneuvers would be big news *normally*, but right now there are too many HOT! topics. Too much fire, too few hands to put it out.
    Btw, IPN (Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation) released this little piece of propaganda:
    It's target are obviously foreigners, so I gotta ask: what do you think about Glorious Nation Of Poland after watching? ;)

    *...at least according to our megalomaniac right-wingers.
    ZaghoulTakisMegasBalrog99
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    Quite powerful stuff they have come up with. It got me to looking into an old book by Louis Norman written in 1907 'Poland, A Knight Among Nations'. It does seem like Poland has been through the ringer and back. The term Antemurale Christianitatis got me to remembering my studies during my first days of college when I was studying medieval church and state history of Europe.

    Hmm, In the same respect however, it seems be a quite effective form of propaganda, a field I am particularly interested in as it is plays a major part in conflict studies. It almost seems like it is a buildup for enacting major political changes. But that's just my first impression after watching.
    I remember hearing a while back of state TV changes, seeing PiS using TVP to broadcast whatever.

    I can see why you might be concerned over things as of late. This judicial reform business looks especially alarming, even with the two veto's out of three.
    I am sure I would find the upcoming conference INR is organizing for Hungary in Nov. to be quite interesting' Need to Know VII:The Hidden Hand of Intelligence'.

    Thanks for the info and keep it coming. :)
This discussion has been closed.