Jace, Extat Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 4 minutes ago, ThinkerX said: I said it earlier, I'll say it again: Team Trump is far too corrupt, cowardly, and incompetent to pull off the 'dictatorship via national emergency' thing. Consider how badly Team Trump has botched past efforts like the travel ban, border abuses, and hurricane response. Now, Trump being Trump, and him getting rid of the few relatively sane types left in the Whitehouse, yes he might issue the order - but Trump wants to be liked above almost all else, and a stunt like this would draw immediate, massive negative response all but the most fringe of news groups. Likely, it would split his base and is probably one of the very few things that would prompt republican senators to go the impeachment route. I'll give you that they couldn't pull it off. I will not allow delusions of Republican intervention to persist without challenge. And the moment I hear something about conscientious Generals I'm gonna lose it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 32 minutes ago, Rorshach said: https://kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2018/12/concerning-yule.html Short version: no. That's actually fascinating reading, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martell Spy Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 Millions Could Lose Food Assistance If Government Shutdown Continues Does Donald Trump want a border wall badly enough to let struggling Americans go hungry? https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/government-shutdown-food-stamps_us_5c31070de4b0bcb4c25c4524 Quote WASHINGTON ― If the federal government remains partially shut down for several more months, as President Donald Trump suggested Friday, millions of people could lose food assistance. More than 38 million Americans receive monthly food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is often known as food stamps and is arguably the federal government’s most important anti-poverty program. If Trump keeps the government shut down through February, benefits could stop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture runs the program and is one of the federal agencies that shut down last month as part of Trump’s strategy to force Congress to pay for a giant wall on the Mexican border. It’s just one of dozens of programs ― including tax credit refunds for the working poor ― that will be disrupted if the shutdown continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dornishpen Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 16 hours ago, Which Tyler said: Surely the creation and abuse of a national emergency to grant himself dicatorial powers would (or certainly should) be grounds for an impeachment in and of itself. Surely even Republicans in Congress/Senate don't want to be bypassed by a lose-canom president; or set the precedent for a future Democratic president. Have you seen any evidence that the majority of the current crop of Senate Republicans are devoted to democracy or even republicanism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Arryn Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 7 hours ago, ThinkerX said: I said it earlier, I'll say it again: Team Trump is far too corrupt, cowardly, and incompetent to pull off the 'dictatorship via national emergency' thing. Consider how badly Team Trump has botched past efforts like the travel ban, border abuses, and hurricane response. Now, Trump being Trump, and him getting rid of the few relatively sane types left in the Whitehouse, yes he might issue the order - but Trump wants to be liked above almost all else, and a stunt like this would draw immediate, massive negative response all but the most fringe of news groups. Likely, it would split his base and is probably one of the very few things that would prompt republican senators to go the impeachment route. Worth remembering: a significant chunk of actual dictators were able to pull it off in part because they were considered such a joke to their contemporaries that many rolled their eyes at alarmists and even sometimes helped them along thinking that they were no real threat and their increased power would just make them more useful tools. These include Hitler and Mussolini. Honestly, when it comes to getting absolute power, it’s very often better to be more Claudius than Caesar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mormont Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 7 hours ago, Martell Spy said: Does Donald Trump want a border wall badly enough to let struggling Americans go hungry? Has Donald Trump ever in his life given the slightest indication that he cares a single jot if struggling Americans go hungry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThinkerX Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 1 hour ago, James Arryn said: Worth remembering: a significant chunk of actual dictators were able to pull it off in part because they were considered such a joke to their contemporaries that many rolled their eyes at alarmists and even sometimes helped them along thinking that they were no real threat and their increased power would just make them more useful tools. These include Hitler and Mussolini. Honestly, when it comes to getting absolute power, it’s very often better to be more Claudius than Caesar. Were Trump twenty years younger, possessed of a stronger personality, and had of competent advisors, I might be concerned. As it is, he doesn't have any of that, plus the US has a strong framework that will work against the state of emergency takeover scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThinkerX Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 22 minutes ago, mormont said: Has Donald Trump ever in his life given the slightest indication that he cares a single jot if struggling Americans go hungry? Trump does not care about hungry American's in the slightest. What he HAS to pay attention to is border security - one of the very things threatened by his shutdown. Mass layoffs of ICE personal hit the news, Trump's base freaks and he can't have that. I do find myself wondering...maybe Trump gets most of his five billion for the wall - along with a revamped DACA including pathways to citizenship shoved down his throat to go along with it and serious restraints on what ICE can do, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGimletEye Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 On 1/5/2019 at 6:24 PM, Ormond said: I agree with your main point, but "Christmas" did not come from "other ethnic groups or immigrants." Some of the common trappings of modern American Christmas, like Christmas trees, may have come from other countries than Britain, but Christmas was certainly celebrated in Virginia and most other English colonies in North America. Do not confuse the anti-Christmas sentiment of some Puritans in New England with the general way things were done in colonial British America. https://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement/a-colonial-christmas/ You're right. But, I don't think Christmas as we know it, would be the same without the influence of German or Dutch immigrants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorshach Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 9 hours ago, Darth Richard II said: That's actually fascinating reading, thanks. I thought so too. And you're welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGimletEye Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 On AOC being a couple cans short of a six pack. Uh, perhaps not really. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/05/opinion/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-tax-policy-dance.html Quote I have no idea how well Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will perform as a member of Congress. But her election is already serving a valuable purpose. You see, the mere thought of having a young, articulate, telegenic nonwhite woman serve is driving many on the right mad — and in their madness they’re inadvertently revealing their true selves. Quote The controversy of the moment involves AOC’s advocacy of a tax rate of 70-80 percent on very high incomes, which is obviously crazy, right? I mean, who thinks that makes sense? Only ignorant people like … um, Peter Diamond, Nobel laureate in economics and arguably the world’s leading expert on public finance (although Republicans blocked him from an appointment to the Federal Reserve Board with claims that he was unqualified. Really.) And it’s a policy nobody has every implemented, aside from … the United States, for 35 years after World War II — including the most successful period of economic growth in our history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 On 1/5/2019 at 1:44 AM, DMC said: That video was the highlight of my day. The idea that that should be damaging to her symbolizes how far apart our values are. Who, of note, has actually criticized AOC for the dancing video? I can’t find anyone who says or writes she was doing anything wrong. It is pretty charming, she dances very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 At least Chris Wallace is doing some work on the Sunday shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartofice Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 3 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said: Who, of note, has actually criticized AOC for the dancing video? I can’t find anyone who says or writes she was doing anything wrong. It is pretty charming, she dances very well. The news story today seems to be that there doesn't appear to be any real proof of anyone on the right having a problem with the video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gertrude Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 3 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said: Who, of note, has actually criticized AOC for the dancing video? I can’t find anyone who says or writes she was doing anything wrong. It is pretty charming, she dances very well. As far as I can tell it was the original tweet and that's about it. This is as hollow a media frenzy as I can remember, and I think that's saying a lot. This is all interesting for me to watch the AOC bashing. In Iowa we also elected a 29 year old woman in our district, but she's a relatively quiet, white farm girl, so she doesn't get the same age/gender based media frenzy following her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Bass Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 That 70% top rate is a good idea, for a couple reasons. If it stuck, it would at least raise some revenue and discourage further concentration of income at the top (although going up to 90% on the top rate would be better still for that latter part, albeit it wouldn't raise much revenue). But even if it doesn't stick*, it would be useful for getting a program passed ostensibly using the funding it would raise. * I generally think it won't stick, because Republicans will make it their obsession to repeal it - cutting taxes for rich people is the first and foremost priority of today's congressional Republicans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 6 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said: Who, of note, has actually criticized AOC for the dancing video? I can’t find anyone who says or writes she was doing anything wrong. It is pretty charming, she dances very well. Of note? Doubt anyone, but it was clearly dug up with the intent to smear. So, thanks internet trolls filled with resentment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fragile Bird Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 Oooooh, Trump just said the wall funding is necessary in order ‘to define who we are’. Imagine, you people are defined by a wall. I never knew that element was missing from your national identity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A True Kaniggit Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 14 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said: Oooooh, Trump just said the wall funding is necessary in order ‘to define who we are’. Imagine, you people are defined by a wall. I never knew that element was missing from your national identity. He's jealous of China's wall. He wants a Great Wall too. We'll call it the Ultra Mega Maga Wall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 The thing about that AOC dance video is that, true, it seems to go back to literally one person and basically no-one backed them up... but the republicans have acted so ludicrously towards her that they can hardly now blame people when it's assumed that they did something it'd be totally plausible for them to do. Coz sure it didn't actually happen that 'the GOP' got outraged over a video of her dancing... but we all know that it absolutely could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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