US Politics the Biden's age a nothing burger edition

[kissdbyfire]

A very interesting listen if you're into podcasts. They don't talk exclusively about Trump and the terrifying prospect of a 2nd presidency, but there's a lot about it this episode of Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes and guest Rachel Maddow.

https://www.podbean.com/ea/dir-8md34-1c087b90

Quote

"If you, on your first day in office, give yourself the power to use the US military against US civilians on US soil, do you think it matters whether or not there is a protest anywhere in the country that day or any subsequent day? 
It is the Chekhovian loaded gun sitting on the table in the first act of the play that will be used by the end of the play. It is accruing power to himself in a way that... it's not like he'll do it for 12 hours and then give it back, right? The idea of the authoritarian project is to gather all power to the leader, both inside the government and outside the government. You're not allowed to be a political opponent, you're also not allowed to be a media critic, and you're not really allowed to be civic society if that civic society entails any sort of opposition or criticism of the leader. [I mean], this is what fascism is, this is how it works."

 

[Zorral]

"Powerful influence of wealthy lobbyists": Right-wing group pressures lawmakers on pro-Israel bills
ALEC, the group behind a wave of bills to crack down on Israel boycotts, urges states to unconditionally back war

https://www.salon.com/2023/11/24/powerful-influence-of-wealthy-lobbyists-right-wing-group-pressures-lawmakers-on-pro-israel-bills/

Quote

 

The American Legislative Exchange Council, a right-wing lobbying group, is securing commitments of unconditional support for Israel's attack on Gaza from state legislatures across the country, The Guardian reported Monday.

The group, which spearheads many conservative state legislative efforts, is now promoting a model resolution that declares “support for Israel’s right to pursue without interference or condemnation the elimination of Hamas,” the outlet reported. This resolution has been adopted by legislatures in at least eight states, including Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and North Dakota.

The resolution claims that Hamas receives “support and funding from foreign state sponsors of terror, namely Iran” and uses civilians as “human shields.”

ALEC has played a crucial role in mobilizing political influence by advocating for local legislation and resolutions endorsing the Jewish state. This includes the enactment of laws aimed at hindering and penalizing support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, which pressures Israel to stop its abuses against Palestinians. ....

 

Rightwing group pressures states to pass pro-Israel resolutions
The American Legislative Exchange Council is promoting a model resolution for state legislatures to support Israel’s Gaza offensive

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/20/alec-state-leglislatures-pro-israel-resolution

Under these circumstances putting this reporting in the US politics threads is appropriate.

[kissdbyfire]

13 minutes ago, Zorral said:

"Powerful influence of wealthy lobbyists": Right-wing group pressures lawmakers on pro-Israel bills
ALEC, the group behind a wave of bills to crack down on Israel boycotts, urges states to unconditionally back war

https://www.salon.com/2023/11/24/powerful-influence-of-wealthy-lobbyists-right-wing-group-pressures-lawmakers-on-pro-israel-bills/

Rightwing group pressures states to pass pro-Israel resolutions
The American Legislative Exchange Council is promoting a model resolution for state legislatures to support Israel’s Gaza offensive

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/20/alec-state-leglislatures-pro-israel-resolution

Under these circumstances putting this reporting in the US politics threads is appropriate.

How interesting and not contradictory at all that red states want to fund Israel AND sue the mean people who called poor fElon out on his antisemitic crap.

[ThinkerX]

This is depressing. And conservative reactions in the comments...yikes! It's almost like a literal death cult - even the ones who admitted the democratic policies helped prolong life expectancy joined the others in condemning them as evil. (Most thought the article to be delusional or filled with misinformation.)

If Democrats ran red states fewer people would die (msn.com)

[AncalagonTheBlack]

 

[kissdbyfire]

57 minutes ago, ThinkerX said:

This is depressing. And conservative reactions in the comments...yikes! It's almost like a literal death cult - even the ones who admitted the democratic policies helped prolong life expectancy joined the others in condemning them as evil. (Most thought the article to be delusional or filled with misinformation.)

If Democrats ran red states fewer people would die (msn.com)

As good an example of chopping off one's nose to spite one's face as I've seen in a while.

[A True Kaniggit]

2 hours ago, kissdbyfire said:

As good an example of chopping off one's nose to spite one's face as I've seen in a while.

What’s sad is that many Republican states in the south have significant black populations, and a large reason for this death imbalance is the far lower life expectancy of the black population due to Republican policies. 
 

A quick check shows that the White population has a life expectancy of 77 years. For the black population it is 72 years. 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by A True Kaniggit

[kissdbyfire]

7 minutes ago, A True Kaniggit said:

What’s sad is that many Republican states in the south have significant black populations, and a large reason for this death imbalance is the far lower life expectancy of the black population due to Republican policies. 
 

A quick check shows that the White population has a life expectancy of 77 years. For the black population it is 72 years. 

That is sad and horrible. I remember reading a few months ago about the water crisis in Jackson, MS caused by years and years of neglect, and how that got to the point it did b/c the population is +80% black. All the while the rich & powerful white people are stealing welfare money, including a former NFL player. Disgusting. 

[LongRider]

4 hours ago, ThinkerX said:

If Democrats ran red states fewer people would die (msn.com)

And more people would vote.

[Zorral]

1 hour ago, LongRider said:

And more people would vote.

Snap!!!!!!!! 

[Zorral]

Struggling to reach lawmakers about Gaza, Americans try faxing
Struggling to reach their representatives on the phone, voters are rediscovering how to send faxes

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/11/22/fax-congress-israel-gaza/

Quote

 

.... A fax, suggested activists on social media, was another pathway for constituents to make their voices heard.

“What originally tickled me about the idea was that there was this physical piece of paper they couldn’t ignore,” said Kendra Appe, 37, a therapist in Seattle who has been asking for a cease-fire. “I like the idea of invading their space a little more. You can’t ignore me.”

If you were born before 1995, you can skip the next paragraph. ....

 

 

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

On 11/24/2023 at 8:50 PM, LongRider said:

And more people would vote.

The 4-Time indicted, twice impeached, losing one term former President who lives in Florida and loves the Russian dictator showed up at my Alma Mater’s rivalry football game escorted onto the field at halftime by SC Gov. Leghorn.  

Many SC alumni are very angry about this.  I had one jackass crow about those of us who oppose Trump being a minority in SC and that as such our votes are “neutralized”.  I told him he supports a fascist and he shames us all… he went silent after that.

[Zorral]

Hmmmm. Did he miss this?

As Trump visits Carolina-Clemson game, billboards taunting him await. Here’s what they say

https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article282315208.html

Seven electronic billboards around the Midlands are rotating an anti-Trump message: “You Lost. You’re Guilty. Welcome to Columbia, Donald.” The billboards go on to say they are “Sponsored by League of Radical Leftists Vermin - Jay Bender Instigator.”

9 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

he went silent after that

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

11 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

The 4-Time indicted, twice impeached, losing one term former President who lives in Florida and loves the Russian dictator showed up at my Alma Mater’s rivalry football game escorted onto the field at halftime by SC Gov. Leghorn.  

Many SC alumni are very angry about this.  I had one jackass crow about those of us who oppose Trump being a minority in SC and that as such our votes are “neutralized”.  I told him he supports a fascist and he shames us all… he went silent after that.

Now I can't help to thing of some weird Space Jam like cross over universe, in which the SC Governor is Foghorn Leghorn, who escorted the formger guy onto the field.

[kissdbyfire]

HA, found a tweet of the man I mentioned a few times saying he’s a republican but in a Biden Trump rematch he’d vote for a dead Biden.

https://x.com/noliewithbtc/status/1728982005055148262?s=61&t=e0wBLSqN7GCnoATx0iX76w

[Zorral]

Can you believe anyone (Kevin McCarthy) in the House could, with straight face, announce,

"In every single war American has fought, we have never asked for land afterward -- except for enough to bury the Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom."

One wonders if The French and Indian War, the War for Independence, the War of 1812, the Mexican American War, the Indian wars from the git go until early into the 19th C, among some others, might have some words. Watcha think?

[timmett]

16 minutes ago, Zorral said:

Can you believe anyone (Kevin McCarthy) in the House could, with straight face, announce,

"In every single war American has fought, we have never asked for land afterward -- except for enough to bury the Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom."

One wonders if The French and Indian War, the War for Independence, the War of 1812, the Mexican American War, the Indian wars from the git go until early into the 19th C, among some others, might have some words. Watcha think?

Hails from California; never heard of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Fascinating.

[Zorral]

1 hour ago, timmett said:

Hails from California; never heard of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Fascinating.

What was that thing, the Gadsden Purchase about? Or the Northwest Territory? 

[mormont]

Folks, in those cases, you didn't ask.

[Phylum of Alexandria]

Just to follow up on something that was posted earlier. A couple dying in a crash on the way to a casino was turned into fear fodder by the Fox News spin cycle:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/23/us/us-canada-border-rainbow-bridge-explosion-thursday/index.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rainbow-bridge-niagara-falls-closed-explosion-vehicle-reportedly-enter-rcna126397