USA Politics Thread |OT| Cleaning up the town

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/GBalloutine/status/1603152891816050689

[Tasty]

He can barely even speak.

[Occam]

Running isn't exactly his forte, either.

[Nintex]

It is not out of the question that the man who once declared himself to be Batman might get to a point where he jumps from Trump Tower with a cape and then finds out for a brief moment that he's actually not a super hero.

[james]

Isn't the guy who has his own tower usually the villain in those comic books?

[benjipwns]

I agree. But I'm not sure what the solution is.

I guess one consideration in light of our non American friends here is that America can't possibly complain about China spying on our citizens when we've done the same to the rest of the world for the last decade through our own social media companies.

Therefore, for egalitarianism, despite whatever ills TikTok has maybe we should leave it alone lest we prick our own toe and have our own look in the mirror.

Potato and Jorma are absolutely correct that this is America Spider-Man pointing at China for doing absolutely the same exact fucking thing. Internet imperialism for me not for thee.

Government truly is awful but sometimes I don't know what to think about threats of other nations' governments. Do we need government to supercede the prostrations of other governments? But that just results in more government. I don't know, Benji.

The solution is pretty simple. The government doesn't oppress its own people out of fear that foreigners might have good ideas so persuasive that the people decide to change their minds about how they want to run their own government. It's not consent of the governed if the people are forced to "consent" in only one way.

[james]

Finally conservatives pass a good law

The Indiana law that lets citizens shoot cops

The Hoosier State now allows people to use deadly force to keep public servants from illegally entering their homes or cars. Police, of course, are not pleased

It authorizes people to protect themselves or their property by using deadly force in response to "unlawful intrusion" by a "public servant." The measure is essentially just a public-servant-specific amendment to the state's 2006 so-called Castle Doctrine bill, which allows people to do whatever they have to to stop someone from illegally entering a home or car. Indiana is reportedly the first state to specifically allow the use of force against police. The new rule was passed with a nudge from the National Rifle Association, which has pushed permissive gun laws around the country. 

https://theweek.com/articles/474702/indiana-law-that-lets-citizens-shoot-cops?amp=

[Occam]

There's an interesting article about Chinese disinformation, and how successful it is:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/12/taiwan-china-disinformation-propaganda-russian-influence/672453/

[james]

There's an interesting article about Chinese disinformation, and how successful it is

Is it? Nobody takes the Benji account seriously

[Occam]

The article is about China trying to free speech Taiwan into wanting to give up democracy and join the mainland.

[Nintex]

He's right, they trapped us all into thinking lockdowns would work against their bio weapon.

[james]

The article is about China trying to free speech Taiwan into wanting to give up democracy and join the mainland.

Im not going to click the link to a fascist magazine

[Phoenix Dark]

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1603155305671565313
 

[BIONIC]

Lady G’s way of saying he wants to bone.

[Potato]

There's an interesting article about Chinese disinformation, and how successful it is:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/12/taiwan-china-disinformation-propaganda-russian-influence/672453/

The Chinese government has had to run its own people over with tanks and put millions into concentration camps to ensure they are not deposed by people demanding democratic rights. A whole island of 23 million people is willing to fight a nation of 1.5 billion to not be subsumed into the communist system. I'd say the Chinese aren't that great at propaganda to be honest.

[benjipwns]

The progenitors of Taiwan had to leave the "mainland" for the island in part because they were authoritarians who oppressed people. Rolling back the liberal democracy they've built since then would only assist China in their goal of "liberating" them from fascist disinformation for the warm embrace of people's democracy.

[Himu]

Really good points from Benji and Potato

[zomgee]

https://twitter.com/GBalloutine/status/1603152891816050689

The major announcement? Digital trading cards.

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1603426780974665730

[BIONIC]

I thought zomgee was joking 

[james]

 

[Pissy F Benny]

He should have commissioned Ben Garrison to do the artwork

[Pissy F Benny]

theyre mostly half arsed photoshops

[Nintex]

"One of the prices is a dinner with me, I'm not sure if that's an amazing price but that's what we have"

The Trump Digital Trading Cards are randomly generated and delivered, so you won't know which card you receive until you check your wallet after purchase. There are hundreds of different cards featuring President Trump, each with its own rarity. No more than 20 copies exist of any single card. Only 45,000 total cards exist in this series.

NFT lootbox

[Joe Molotov]

These are sure to be as valuable as my Desert Storm cards some day.

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1603438724200558592

Trump outs himself as a champion of free speech. 

[james]

You can win a diner with Trump

Or you can win golf...without Trump lol

[Joe Molotov]

You can win a diner with Trump

Eric and Don Jr should enter.

[jorma]

"One of the prices is a dinner with me, I'm not sure if that's an amazing price but that's what we have"

The Trump Digital Trading Cards are randomly generated and delivered, so you won't know which card you receive until you check your wallet after purchase. There are hundreds of different cards featuring President Trump, each with its own rarity. No more than 20 copies exist of any single card. Only 45,000 total cards exist in this series.

NFT lootbox

so if you have a spare 4.5 million dollars lying about you could either buy

a) 45.000 digital images of donald trump
or
b) resetera.com

seems like two equally great opportunities and james investing ltd is probably already out there trying to secure the funding

[james]

Unfortunately my biggest financial client had his tulip farm seized by his government

[Occam]

Almost twice as many Republicans died from Covid than Democrats, study says
https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7vjx8/almost-twice-as-many-republicans-died-from-covid-before-the-midterms-than-democrats

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/WhaleChart/status/1603732034656276480

[Pissy F Benny]

I bet Pillow Mick bought them all

[benjipwns]

Trump outs himself as a champion of free speech. 

I ain't watching nearly seven minutes from a guy who never has supported free speech before to find out a "policy proposal" from a guy who has never done policy proposals before.

[Nintex]

Trump outs himself as a champion of free speech. 

I ain't watching nearly seven minutes from a guy who never has supported free speech before to find out a "policy proposal" from a guy who has never done policy proposals before.

I agree, it seems very off brand for the MAGA hat guy to do 7 minute policy videos 

[Uncle]

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1602723204207886342

https://twitter.com/NancyMace/status/1603051111757250560

[benjipwns]

Also good is later the Democratic chairman gives Caraballo, well known Twitter disinformation poster, a chance to explain the "context" then after the terrible answer that explained nothing says that's an example of why they need to bring better witnesses instead of this garbage.

[Nintex]

How you should get out of this jam.

"Allow me to provide the context m'lady *tips fedora*, it was obviously just a minecraft role play"

[Potato]

Lol, freedom of speech, not freedom from consequences.

[Himu]

Almost twice as many Republicans died from Covid than Democrats, study says
https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7vjx8/almost-twice-as-many-republicans-died-from-covid-before-the-midterms-than-democrats

Shooting your foot. Probably played out against them in the midterms and since their biggest voting bloc is old ..well...

[Himu]

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1602723204207886342

https://twitter.com/NancyMace/status/1603051111757250560

FUCKK YESSSS

Humble the gender cult yesss

[Himu]

Saw this on r/centrist.

Title: The Left’s Fever Is Breaking

It’s no secret that many left-wing activist groups and nonprofits, roiled by the reckonings over sexual harassment and racial justice of the past few years, have become internally dysfunctional.

In June the Intercept’s Ryan Grim wrote about the toll that staff revolts and ideologically inflected psychodramas were taking on the work: “It’s hard to find a Washington-based progressive organization that hasn’t been in tumult, or isn’t currently in tumult.” Privately, I’ve heard countless people on the professional left — especially those over, say, 35 — bemoan the irrational demands and manipulative dogmatism of some younger colleagues. But with a few exceptions, like the brave reproductive justice leader Loretta Ross, most don’t want to go on the record. Not surprisingly, many of Grim’s sources in the nonprofit world were anonymous.

That’s why the decision by Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the progressive Working Families Party, to speak out about the left’s self-sabotaging impulse is so significant. Mitchell, who has roots in the Black Lives Matter movement, has a great deal of credibility; he can’t be dismissed as a dinosaur threatened by identity politics. But as the head of an organization with a very practical devotion to building electoral power, he has a sharp critique of the way some on the left deploy identity as a trump card. “Identity and position are misused to create a doom loop that can lead to unnecessary ruptures of our political vehicles and the shuttering of vital movement spaces,” he wrote last month in a 6,000-word examination of the fallacies and rhetorical traps plaguing activist culture.

More here: https://archive.ph/6DwjS#selection-551.0-575.65



On a more positive note, despite this I truly feel that this could be the Democratic Party's decade. They've already won 2020 and turned around a red wave in 2022. If GOP runs Trump they'll win that too and probably take the House and Senate in a greater margin. This could very much be a decade of Democratic rule. I can very much see Dems taking the house in 2024. Thing is, they could take these victories and see them as "people like what we are doing and want us to go more left!" or "by God people really hate Trump, let's take advantage of that and go to the center to keep moderates".

Meanwhile the left seppuku's themselves like they always do because leftism is inherently broken and morally bankrupt. The question is: who will the Dems run in 2028 if they win 2024? Biden has to run in 24. Can't be Kamala and Biden's victories for his flock should give him the case he's the only option for re-election.

Everybody wins!

Except leftists.

And Trump. Dudes poll numbers were already low before he met up with Kanye Nazi West and Nick Nazi Fuentes or "lets suspend the constitution" and we are only two years into this decade.

Here's a link to the 6000 word excellent essay she references in her article.

https://forgeorganizing.org/article/building-resilient-organizations

Activist culture. Patooey.

[Himu]

Rolling Stone has a scoop on black men trending (albeit in small numbers) towards the GOP. The article speaks to many things I've talked about such strength vs weakness, Malcolm X, a culture self sufficiency which leads to skills you can bring back to your community rather than a culture of victimhood.

https://archive.ph/bSiiE

Unfortunately the journalism quality is C or D at best. They'll have some shuck and jive black Democrat chair make a claim with authority but don't present the black Republican counter to that Democrats words and claims. Still worth a read for perspectives.

[Nintex]

It doesn't matter how they trend Himu. I've seen his brought up only a few times but the political divide boils down to the polarization men and women.
The voting data shows that married couples vote Republican/Conservative, nearly all single women vote Democrat and single men tend to be Republican/Conservative.
However the edge the Democrats have in the single women bracket is much bigger than the Republicans do among single men.

Let's say we have Malcolm a 33 y/o software engineer who is dating a 29 y/o teacher called Taylor.

"Babe, the mail-in ballots just came in"

"Ok...." *call of duty noises*

"ARE YOU PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AGAIN?"

"Just a sec babe, I'll be down in a minute"

"MALCOM GET DOWN HERE NOW WE NEED TO SAVE DEMOCRACY"

This is the second piece of the puzzle. The WAPO/NYT news rooms consist almost entirely of women. When you read the drivel they write they almost read like Netflix shows or have this focus on how everybody felt as opposed to more practical things.
The idea that Democracy is under Attack or the Climate is dying resonates with them. To them it's more scary than a terrorist with a gun or not being able to afford gas.
They will lose their ability to vote and to make decisions or the climate dies which means all the cute animals are gone?
Women drive 70-80% of all consumer purchasing decisions. For cars for example it's 65%. They usually decide based on things like color, space and safety too. Not horse power and loud engine noises. Elon masterstroke was to design a car that's both sustainable and cool. "If we buy this car we save the planet baby" is a powerful argument. Let's continue our story.

"Sorry babe... I'm here, how can I help"

"We MUST vote Malcolm"

"Oh yeah, I'm voting next week for sure. I'll head to the ballot box as always after work"

"WE MUST VOTE NOW MALCOLM. REMEMBER WHEN YOU FORGOT TO VOTE IN 2016?"

With mail-in ballots people living together in a house can no longer vote anonymously. Not voting is also a real issue. Something might come up on voting day. That's another vote lost.
On the flip side Malcolm may have voted for Trump in 2016, there's no way for his girlfriend to know because he voted in person on election day. 2020 and 2022? Very different stories.

"Ok... I voted... THANK GOD. I'm taking them to the ballot box tommorow! Make sure that WE are the first! So who did you vote for Malcolm?"

For women, being the first is usually important too. So early voting and mail-in voting is a very powerful tool that the Democrats have. Just look at birthdays. Who is there first? The couples or the single women. Seldom will you attend a birthday and find that the single men invited showed up first. They usually show up last. The only time men do show up first is when there is instant gratification. For example being the first to watch a movie premiere or being the first to pick up a deal on Black Friday. Something abstract like voting that won't 'pay out' until 3 months later when the new congress or house or whatever is in session is not something men will rush for. They will show up eventually but they don't care if they're the first or last voter. Look at voter lines too, late in the day voting lines are almost all men. Voting because they had other shit to do earlier that day. The first voters on the scene? Especially when the candidate is voting too? Nearly all women.

"Well.. you know... I was kinda thinking it over. I mean, I like both candidates but I'm worried that if these gas prices keep...."

"WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING TO VOTE FOR A RACIST NAZI?"

"No? What? Me? Haha, of course not. I'm just saying that I also think Democracy is important and we have these choices but I'm voting a straight blue ticket as always"

"THANK GOD, my friend Suzy, you know her right? She was like dating this guy and it all went well and [blah blah blah] and then he listened to Joe Rogan and he totally RADICALIZED"

You even see this effect with co-workers. Women don't feel safe among 'gamer culture' or whatever else they call it.
"I won't talk to person X anymore if they vote Y" is a thing mostly women say. Men usually say something like: "LOL that dumbass voted for Y"
Remember how the boss of PlayStation was nearly cancelled for just celebrating his cats birthday during the Roe v. Wade controversy?

The Republicans are consistently barking up the wrong trees. The Hunter Biden laptop for example isn't going to stick because guys don't care about that type of celebrity gossip, the son's President doing drugs, making money and banging a bunch of prostitutes ultimately is just that. Democrats on the other hand just feed their voters the comfort food. Putting Obama back on the stand who their female voters adore for example.

So why doesn't the Hunter story works to repel female voters? Simple. First they find that he's attractive and second a lot of women are attracted or interested in bad boys and Hunter Biden fits that description. He's sort of like the dreamy rebel prince at Biden's court.

[Himu]

The divide being between men and women is true but eh.

I'm well aware of news rooms and jschools being full of women.

The good news is that conservatives will win the game in the end. Democrats aren't procreating and will be even more single in ten years while being pathetic enough to say,"I don't want to have children because of climate change" while traditional people are all about continuing the human race and passing on our line. Thankfully feminism could die out simply because they got independent enough to not have children. Whoopsies.

Thankfully many women are coming off the birth control pill too. So things might balance out eventually.

[Nintex]

The divide being between men and women is true but eh.

I'm well aware of news rooms and jschools being full of women.

The good news is that conservatives will win the game in the end. Democrats aren't procreating and will be even more single in ten years while being pathetic enough to say,"I don't want to have children because of climate change" while traditional people are all about continuing the human race and passing on our line. Thankfully feminism could die out simply because they got independent enough to not have children. Whoopsies.

Thankfully many women are coming off the birth control pill too. So things might balance out eventually.

Conservatives won't win the game because a lot of people know that the 'culture' issues aren't resolved at the ballot box. On that front Trump didn't move the needle one bit. It only started to move after he was out of office.
As long as Democrats have the people on lock that are highly motivated to vote and vote early there isn't much the Republicans can do to make up for it.

Trump vindicated on Russiagate, Hunter's laptop, Putin invading Ukraine, high gas prices, insane inflation, supply chains in tatters, COVID lockdowns and insane corruption. All not enough to win an election.
Conservatives also make things too convoluted. The Democrats are saying it openly: "People didn't know what inflation was and suddenly it's a thing"
Meanwhile Biden keeps things very, very simple. He just goes to open up a factory and says that the economy is doing great and that Putin will regret whatever it is he is doing.
In most of his appearances the basic message is the same: "This is all too difficult for you just let uncle Joe handle it"

For a lot of people the conservative arguments are simply too exhausting and complex. The Democrats make things easy because they learned from Trump 2016 and Obama that's how you win.
Trump's 2024 campaign seemingly convinced him to read out 7 minute policy videos that no one will care about. Likewise this is why January 6th doesn't stick. It's too difficult for the masses.

I don't know what the GOP policy on Ukraine is. It's a mixture of support but also negotiation and having other countries step up the plate blah blah blah.
The position of the Democrats is easy to understand: "Send more weapons to defeat Putin".

[Himu]

You're focusing too much on Trump and short term. I am literally talking of generations in the future, something Democrats aren't creating by the way.

[benjipwns]

https://twitter.com/BadLegalTakes/status/1604607385523589120

Free with purchase:
https://twitter.com/BadLegalTakes/status/1604672592119361536

[benjipwns]

omg
https://twitter.com/MuellerSheWrote/status/1603123298530779139
https://twitter.com/MuellerSheWrote/status/1603413524427874304

[Himu]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/nyregion/george-santos-ny-republicans.html

NY GOP Representative elect falsified his resume lmao

[Occam]

Jan. 6 Committee Refers  Former President Trump for Criminal Prosecution

The committee accused the former president of inciting insurrection and other federal crimes as it referred him to the Justice Department, which does not have to act on its recommendations.
(NYT)

[Cauliflower Of Love]

Time to bring mueller

[Nintex]

If only Trump had done the right thing and started wars in the middle east or Europe, forced people into lockdowns and called in the troops to shoot unarmed protestors

[Nintex]

https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1604924447210688512

Trump -> Climate Change -> Putin -> COVID -> ISIS -> Dick Cheney -> Saddam -> Al Qaida -> 9/11 -> Serb Nationalists -> Islamic Republic of Iran -> Richard Nixon -> Communist China ->  The Vietcong -> Lee Harvey Oswald -> Nuclear Missiles in Cuba -> The KKK -> Soviet Union -> The Imperial Japanese fleet commanded by Admiral Yamamoto -> Literally the Nazi's -> Kaiser Wilhelm II -> The plague

[Phoenix Dark]

We literally just had an election where the black male vote did what it always does...vote overwhemingly for democrats, including female democrat candidates. Instead of focusing on statistical noise or finding ways to spin an argument beyond "we've gone from universal democrat support to near universal support" there's a bigger story here that no one is talking about: how come white women still vote predominantly for republicans, and why won't anyone bring that up?

The vast majority of black men voted for Stacy Abrams whereas nearly 70% of white women voted for Kemp. Yet pre-election, there were at least two articles a month claiming black men were refusing to support a black woman due to misogyny. We even got this gem:
https://twitter.com/WokePreacherTV/status/1589653707838615552

We are now weeks past the election. Despite black men voting overwhelmingly for Abrams there hasn't been a single apology from chaos peddlers who pit black men against black women on purpose to sow discord. And no one is saying shit about the white women who rejected Abrams? Why? Because white women fund all of this shit. Most of these activists, "professors" and influencers are directly tied to white intersectional feminism funding. They won't call out white women because white women sign the checks.

Black men are the most liberal, progressive, "woke" voters in this country by a mile. Yet every 2-4 years the same black people - mainly black women activists - are trotted out to shit on black men and suggest we're the problem. And when we vote the way we always vote - and white women vote the way they always vote - these activists suddenly disappear into the shadows. Funny how that works.

[benjipwns]

https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1604924447210688512

This is interesting framing because when I think of the Civil War in the context of an "attack on democracy" I think of all those people Lincoln had held by the military without trial for criticizing him despite the continued functioning of the courts along with conscription.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'd argue a President murdering Americans without trial while spying on Americans (not to mention Congress) then lying about all of this would be more of an attack on democracy any of this nonsense she's talking about.

[close]

[Himu]

We literally just had an election where the black male vote did what it always does...vote overwhemingly for democrats, including female democrat candidates. Instead of focusing on statistical noise or finding ways to spin an argument beyond "we've gone from universal democrat support to near universal support" there's a bigger story here that no one is talking about: how come white women still vote predominantly for republicans, and why won't anyone bring that up?

The vast majority of black men voted for Stacy Abrams whereas nearly 70% of white women voted for Kemp. Yet pre-election, there were at least two articles a month claiming black men were refusing to support a black woman due to misogyny. We even got this gem:
https://twitter.com/WokePreacherTV/status/1589653707838615552

We are now weeks past the election. Despite black men voting overwhelmingly for Abrams there hasn't been a single apology from chaos peddlers who pit black men against black women on purpose to sow discord. And no one is saying shit about the white women who rejected Abrams? Why? Because white women fund all of this shit. Most of these activists, "professors" and influencers are directly tied to white intersectional feminism funding. They won't call out white women because white women sign the checks.

Black men are the most liberal, progressive, "woke" voters in this country by a mile. Yet every 2-4 years the same black people - mainly black women activists - are trotted out to shit on black men and suggest we're the problem. And when we vote the way we always vote - and white women vote the way they always vote - these activists suddenly disappear into the shadows. Funny how that works.

I see you're anti-black woman activists trashing the black community too. We've finally found something in common again. This is also the first time I've seen you take a go at intersectional feminism, "professors", and influencer activist grifters. I like this. I like this a lot. More of this, PD. More!

Why can't we talk to see what have in common anymore?

What are your thoughts on activism becoming en vogue? In NY, when I left I gave tours to my apartment so they could take it over after my lease expired. I gave several interviews along with my roommates. Everyone, particularly women, without fail mentioned some social activist activity they were doing and how much they cared even though it had nothing to do with them taking my room. Has activism, especially among a certain type of black woman, become a personality trait to you? This is overwhelmingly on the Democratic side of things. What are your thoughts on it?

[Phoenix Dark]

I have no issue with feminism and would consider myself one. However I think intersectional feminism is brain poison that's directly behind a lot of shit over the last decade. The result has been people (mainly white women) collecting identities to claim the mantle of victimhood, and extremism (obesity, disabled, etc). While using that to denigrate, battle, and belittle others who they deem less victimized. From a black perspective it has led to a deliberate attempt to slander and demonize (straight) black men. It is how you get to black men being called "the white men of the country." Black men being told they cannot lead because black women are more worthy. The asinine concept of black men benefiting from a "patriarchy" despite black men historically not even being seen or treated as men by society. The erasure of issues or topics that point to the victimization black men go through as well (most likely to deal with homelessness, less likely to have access to healthcare, etc). Not to mention the refusal to acknowledge black men as victims of sexual assault/harassment.

[Cauliflower Of Love]

I stand with PD

[Himu]

I've considered myself a feminist my whole life but intersectional feminism has taken up the core message of feminism for the past decade that I'm not sure it's worth labeling oneself as a feminist without push back. To be true, women's rights are important, but when it morphs into some radical behavior of hierarchy that displaces straight black men - a historically denigrated group - as oppressors I'm going to question my ties to it. Yes, I've experienced feminists not caring about your tales of sexual harassment and abuse and not caring and it's partly why I'm so anti-feminist at this point. The movement has transitioned into a disdain for all men regardless of circumstances and trains men into being self loathing people who view our sex as inferior and animalistic.

I was talking to a lady (not black) the other week about how I was in black teen organization as an adolescent and how routinely disregarded black men were. Here we have an organization called Jack and Jill and fathers weren't a part of the organization, only mothers. This was a middle class organization, by the way, which means the vast majority of us had fathers in our lives. In fact, every single person in my chapter except one had fathers married to their mothers, and that one person's mother had a divorce and he was still involved in her life. One year we had our annual conference during father's day weekend. Imagine being a boy and being told you have a diminished role within your own community. I told her this and she said black men are absentee fathers and all this sexist, racist mess despite me telling her that's a class issue and I'm not of that class. Jack and Jill never got fathers involved as part of their org and still hasn't: it's just a giant woman's club.

To me intersectional appears to be the end game of feminism and if it is, why continue to identify as a feminist when it has done catastrophic harm? Feminism tends to grow in waves. Do you think the next wave of feminism will be more moderate? It seems to be getting only more extreme thanks to social media. So how do you reconcile still identifying being a feminist when intersectional is the definition of feminism these days? This isn't the feminism of our youth which was pretty reasonable and rationale. Do you expect them to moderate or do you think this is a trend that will dissipate? No feminist has managed to precisely curate how I, as a black man, benefit from a patriarchy.

Black men being told they cannot lead because black women are more worthy.

I hate this so much.