US Politics Thread |OT| THE DARKEST TIMELINE

[DCharlieJP]

It's a shame there aren't a load of fire arms in the US - it would have been handy to have those rather than have to create 30k guillotines....


or is this Obama creating more jobs ?

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

do the guillotines need replacing after every five-ten uses or so.  30K just seems excessive, are there even thirty thousand McDonalds in this country?

[Dickie Dee]

do the guillotines need replacing after every five-ten uses or so.  30K just seems excessive, are there even thirty thousand McDonalds in this country?

typical wasteful gov't spending 

[Eric P]

big guillotine has it's boot on the neck of the gov't

[Brehvolution]

meanwhile in GOP minority outreach
(Image removed from quote.)
 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/jim-allen-resigns_n_3475551.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Jim Allen stepped down from his post as Mongomery County Republican Party chairman after an email he sent about former Miss America and GOP congressional candidate Erika Harold was published by Republican News Watch. Illinois Republican Party Chairman Jack Dorgan, who called the email "offensive and inappropriate," accepted Allen's resignation on Thursday.

[Joe Molotov]

big guillotine has it's boot on the neck of the gov't

Prolly cheap chinese-made guillotines too, you can't even buy a good Made-in-America guillotine these days.

[Joe Molotov]

So basically House Democrats voted against the Farm Bill because it hurt the poor, and House Republicans voted against it because it didn't hurt the poor enough. And then Eric Cantor said this was proof that Democrats can't govern.

 

[Great Rumbler]

Cantor blames minority Democrats for majority Republicans being unable to pass a bill crafted by Republican leaders.

[Joe Molotov]

One of the amendments added to the bill was that it would allow states to force adults receiving SNAP benefits to have a job, but of course there was no provision to help people find jobs or provide job training. If you can't find a job, you can literally just starve to death. Oh yeah, and the state gets to keep half of the money for kicking you off SNAP to do anything they want with (probably use it ban Sharia Law or something).

[Phoenix Dark]

I wouldn't mind getting rid of some subsidies farmers receive.

Food stamp...no. That's a program that actually works and is run well overall. It also stimulates the economy more than giving tax cuts to the rich. And it feeds poor people.

[Great Rumbler]

Can we just call it what it was, the Welfare And Increased Debt Bill?

compassionate conservatism

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Oh wait, I forgot. It's called "libertarianism" now!

[close]

[Great Rumbler]

Can we just call it what it was, the Welfare And Increased Debt Bill?

Alternatively:

You talking about the bill to authorize the war in Iraq or the bill to reduce taxes on the wealthy? I always get those confused!

[Steve Contra]

I wouldn't mind getting rid of some subsidies farmers receive.

Food stamp...no. That's a program that actually works and is run well overall. It also stimulates the economy more than giving tax cuts to the rich. And it feeds poor people.

Fun fact, I just saw the second "I was standing in line behind a woman using food stamps and her kids had new Air Jordans and she was driving an Escalade" on Facebook this year.  I was too lazy to even point out that she was lying and a a racist.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

it's true, though. if you can eat the muffler at the dealership they'll let you buy the rest of the Escalade with food stamps

[Human Snorenado]

And hdtvs and spinner rims with their unemployment checks

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/texas-rep-says-poor-people-are-buying-king?ref=fpb

[Rufus]

One of the amendments added to the bill was that it would allow states to force adults receiving SNAP benefits to have a job, but of course there was no provision to help people find jobs or provide job training. If you can't find a job, you can literally just starve to death. Oh yeah, and the state gets to keep half of the money for kicking you off SNAP to do anything they want with (probably use it ban Sharia Law or something).

Look to Germany and the UK for what happens. If you don't show enough "will" or don't show up to appointments scheduled at the most inconvenient of times or dare to show up with a doctors certificate or have other valid reasons, you might just end up getting sanctioned down to nothing by the Jobcentres. And if that wasn't bad enough, there are rumours (confirmed by former employees) that there are sanction quotas. No jobs available? Tough. Go beg, filth. Can you believe these shirkers. The gall! 
Meanwhile, we're bailing out failing banks left and right and the rich pull up the ladder behind them, while the media scares what's left of the middle classes to kick downwards, lest the poors invade paradise as well. The really, really funny thing is that, in Germany at least, a lot of these divisionary policies (which ballooned the number of working poor massively) were introduced by the social democrats. The worker's party.
And yet they are surprised that a) nobody votes for them any more and b) the number of people that don't vote at all continues to grow.

Can you tell I'm bitter?

[Great Rumbler]

You're very bitter, and rightfully so.

[Great Rumbler]

More tax breaks for the wealthy, less food stamps for the poor!

[Tristam]

I'm pretty sure JayDubya is aware on some level that food stamps prevent millions of Americans from becoming malnourished or starving to death; on the other hand, the national debt is a Big Number that makes him vaguely uncomfortable, and when inconvenienced by something you really have to look out for numero uno.

[Steve Contra]

Also some black people use food stamps, which is more damaging than slavery

[Joe Molotov]

And hdtvs and spinner rims with their unemployment checks

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/texas-rep-says-poor-people-are-buying-king?ref=fpb

"Poor people are fat so I guess they can afford plenty of food, hoho! Also I don't know how food works or what things cost or how I got to be in the Congress and can someone please just kill me, kthx."

[Phoenix Dark]

I wouldn't mind getting rid of some subsidies farmers receive.

Food stamp...no. That's a program that actually works and is run well overall. It also stimulates the economy more than giving tax cuts to the rich. And it feeds poor people.

Fun fact, I just saw the second "I was standing in line behind a woman using food stamps and her kids had new Air Jordans and she was driving an Escalade" on Facebook this year.  I was too lazy to even point out that she was lying and a a racist.

He may very well have had Jordans, but he didn't buy them with food stamps. Maybe the mom bought them after saving up money she earned, or maybe she bought them at the expense of a late rent payment. There's a general assumption among conservatives (and dumbass libertarians) that people on food stamps don't work and somehow cash them in for cars. Most people on food stamps have some type of job, they're just below the poverty line. SNAP also requires people to search for jobs, work on a secondary education, be employed, etc. Do people take advantage of programs? Sure. But overall food stamps buy what they're supposed to buy.

Which brings up an issue we debate all the time: should you be able to purchase fast food with food stamps? In a perfect world I'd say no. But I can drive through Detroit for miles without running across a single grocery store, whereas the blocks are full of fast food places. That plus the general lack of transportation access to many poor people would lead to a pretty shitty situation. Personally if I could revamp the program I'd instead focus on what types of groceries can be bought. I'd restrict sugary juices, super sugary cereals, and other unhealthy items. Obviously a person could still buy those items with their own money, I just see no point in allowing government funds to fill a kid's mouth with cavities, put them on a path towards diabetes/obesity, etc and then use government funds to treat them. Prevention seems like the best way to avoid some of this stuff.

[Steve Contra]

The story never happened, PD.  It's the same story from 2 different people, almost verbatim and it's the same story that's been told by white folk since at least the mid-nineties.  And who wears Air Jordans and drives Cadillacs?

[Joe Molotov]

The story never happened, PD.  It's the same story from 2 different people, almost verbatim and it's the same story that's been told by white folk since at least the mid-nineties.  And who wears Air Jordans and drives Cadillacs?

But what about the strapping young bucks buying t-bone steaks with foodstamps; that really happened, right? 

[Steve Contra]

The story never happened, PD.  It's the same story from 2 different people, almost verbatim and it's the same story that's been told by white folk since at least the mid-nineties.  And who wears Air Jordans and drives Cadillacs?

But what about the strapping young bucks buying t-bone steaks with foodstamps; that really happened, right? 

Only if they were black

[Joe Molotov]

The story never happened, PD.  It's the same story from 2 different people, almost verbatim and it's the same story that's been told by white folk since at least the mid-nineties.  And who wears Air Jordans and drives Cadillacs?

But what about the strapping young bucks buying t-bone steaks with foodstamps; that really happened, right? 

Only if they were black

Well, that goes without saying, right?

[Phoenix Dark]

The story never happened, PD.  It's the same story from 2 different people, almost verbatim and it's the same story that's been told by white folk since at least the mid-nineties.  And who wears Air Jordans and drives Cadillacs?

Ah I thought you meant a friend "saw" it, not a story of it.

welp, I guess we won't be discussing SNAP policy now  :'(

[Great Rumbler]

MITCH MCCONNELL: Last June I stood here and warned of a grave and growing threat to the First Amendment. That threat has not let up at all. Our ability to freely engage in civic life and organize in defense of our beliefs is still under coordinated assault from groups on the left that don't like the idea of anyone criticizing their aims. And from a White House that appears determined to shut up anybody who disagrees with it.

Now on the outside there is a well-documented effort by a number of left wing groups like Media Matters to harass and to intimidate conservatives with the goal of scaring them off the political playing field and off the airwaves as well. An internal Media Matters memo from January 2010 showed the extent to which these tactics have been turned, literally, into a science. In it, we learned of the group's plan to conduct opposition research into the lives of on-air news personalities and other key decision makers over at Fox News. And to coordinate with 100 or so partner groups to pressure the network's advertisers and shareholders to, get this, by the threat of actual boycotts, rallies, demonstrations, shame, embarrassment and other tactics on a variety of issues important to the progressive agenda.

They call themselves progressives these days. They had to make up a new name after the Reagan era because the term liberal is rather pejorative to most Americans these days. Now it's multiple databases could also be used, the memo said, to remove what it describes as chronically problematic media figures. Chronically problematic media figures. Or to preempt programming all together.

[Phoenix Dark]

wait, what is unconstitutional about food stamps?

[AdmiralViscen]

MITCH MCCONNELL: Last June I stood here and warned of a grave and growing threat to the First Amendment. That threat has not let up at all. Our ability to freely engage in civic life and organize in defense of our beliefs is still under coordinated assault from groups on the left that don't like the idea of anyone criticizing their aims. And from a White House that appears determined to shut up anybody who disagrees with it.

Now on the outside there is a well-documented effort by a number of left wing groups like Media Matters to harass and to intimidate conservatives with the goal of scaring them off the political playing field and off the airwaves as well. An internal Media Matters memo from January 2010 showed the extent to which these tactics have been turned, literally, into a science. In it, we learned of the group's plan to conduct opposition research into the lives of on-air news personalities and other key decision makers over at Fox News. And to coordinate with 100 or so partner groups to pressure the network's advertisers and shareholders to, get this, by the threat of actual boycotts, rallies, demonstrations, shame, embarrassment and other tactics on a variety of issues important to the progressive agenda.

They call themselves progressives these days. They had to make up a new name after the Reagan era because the term liberal is rather pejorative to most Americans these days. Now it's multiple databases could also be used, the memo said, to remove what it describes as chronically problematic media figures. Chronically problematic media figures. Or to preempt programming all together.

But Fox News is fair and balanced, not right wing. wtf mitch

[AdmiralViscen]

Can we just call it what it was, the Welfare And Increased Debt Bill?

compassionate conservatism

At some point you'd think you would have realized that was George W. Bush code for "I'm going to spend like a leftist," and then he did, hugely increasing domestic and foreign social spending.

I'm pretty sure JayDubya is aware on some level that food stamps...

Are an unconstitutional and unconscionable waste of taxpayer dollars performing a task best left to charities like food banks?  Because I couldn't "be aware" of anything else, what with it being false and all.

What was the last Republican president that did not "govern like a leftist?" Coolidge?

[Great Rumbler]

wait, what is unconstitutional about food stamps?

Show me "food stamps" in Article I, Section 8.

[AdmiralViscen]

And what the fuck was Jefferson doing buying the Louisiana territory? History has shown that he was a Marxist all along.

[Mandark]

wait, what is unconstitutional about food stamps?

Show me "food stamps" in Article I, Section 8.

For that matter, show me "crop insurance" or "fixing the price of milk."

Show me "presumption of innocence." 

[AdmiralViscen]

Or black people as 5/5ths of a person

[Phoenix Dark]

show me the Emancipation Proclamation in the Constitution.
 

[Mandark]

I think it's more "teach a man to fish and he'll have a hobby, but teach him a glib proverb and he'll have lame analogies for life!"

[Great Rumbler]

re: "hurt the poor"

So the lesson here is "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Give him a fish every day and he'll hate you and pretend you're hurting him and you're evil when you still want to give him some fish tomorrow, just not an entire fish."

No, the lesson here is that Republicans would like to end all benefits for the poor in favor of tax cuts for the rich, with food stamp cuts in the farm bill being step #1,102 of a long walk.

[Mandark]

show me the Emancipation Proclamation

I'm sorry, I don't listen to hip hop.

This week's episode of White Guy Thinks He's Being Clever But In Actuality...

[Great Rumbler]

South Park reference,

What is this, 2003? Get outta here.

[Phoenix Dark]

I thought it was a Lemony Snickets reference. In hindsight I will rescind the "like" I gave your post.

[Mandark]

No way man, it's BITING SATIRE!

Remember that episode where they repeated a joke 47 times, while incorporating tropes from an afterschool special or other easily-spoofed melodramatic genre?  Fuckin genius, man.

*Listens to Limp Bizkit, grows patchy, adolescent facial hair*

[Mandark]

I'm sure in context that's hilariously clever.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

The context is the viewer being 14 years old.

[close]

[AdmiralViscen]

show me the Emancipation Proclamation in the Constitution.
 

Unconstitutional liberal madness. Not like you'd ever hear it in this MediaMatters-dominated world we are living in.

[Joe Molotov]

Media Matter is the ACORN of our generation.

[Great Rumbler]

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/vp/52257275#52257275

There's your precious charity helping people in need, Dubya! But they should be THANKFUL to make 22 cents an hour, instead of being shoved out into the streets to starve to death for having the audacity to be mentally or physically disabled!

[DCharlieJP]

Look to Germany and the UK for what happens. If you don't show enough "will" or don't show up to appointments scheduled at the most inconvenient of times or dare to show up with a doctors certificate or have other valid reasons, you might just end up getting sanctioned down to nothing by the Jobcentres. And if that wasn't bad enough, there are rumours (confirmed by former employees) that there are sanction quotas. No jobs available? Tough. Go beg, filth. Can you believe these shirkers. The gall! 
Meanwhile, we're bailing out failing banks left and right and the rich pull up the ladder behind them, while the media scares what's left of the middle classes to kick downwards, lest the poors invade paradise as well. The really, really funny thing is that, in

yeah, the biggest thing that makes me go  about all this is that the last time i was home -everyone- was blaming a mixture of benefit cheats, eastern europeans and asians - especially with the "they come over here with their XX kids and take our jobs" etc.

It's not only garbage, but as you point out - the economic state has nothing to do with any of these factors and, as far as i can tell, not one of the people involved in hurting the global economy is serving real jail time for it.

For the Uk, benefit fraud costs the country a fraction of what is being handed out elsewhere - but it's an easy card for the government to play. People should be marching together, instead they're fighting each other.

[Mandark]

Adhering to your philosophy would inadvertently harm the unemployable disabled

...said the libertarian.

[Great Rumbler]

At $8.80 per 40-hour work week, they might as well be unemployed!

[Rufus]

Yet nonetheless you've shown me people voluntarily agreeing to work for less than minimum wage; people who have handicaps that would make requiring paying them current minimum wage (I say current, because this is a figure you no doubt want to be larger) would lead any manager to reconsider having them on staff and paying them anything at all.  So in typical, presumably well-meaning (?) liberal fashion you seem to want all of these people to have no employment and thus no income aside from whatever they may get from the government (which no doubt you want to be larger).

So eat shit or die. Gotcha.

[Phoenix Dark]

 

[Joe Molotov]

Yet nonetheless you've shown me people voluntarily agreeing to work for less than minimum wage; people who have handicaps that would make requiring paying them current minimum wage (I say current, because this is a figure you no doubt want to be larger) would lead any manager to reconsider having them on staff and paying them anything at all.  So in typical, presumably well-meaning (?) liberal fashion you seem to want all of these people to have no employment and thus no income aside from whatever they may get from the government (which no doubt you want to be larger).

So eat shit or die. Gotcha.

You fail to consider the third option, eat shit AND die.

[brawndolicious]

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/vp/52257275#52257275

There's your precious charity helping people in need, Dubya! But they should be THANKFUL to make 22 cents an hour, instead of being shoved out into the streets to starve to death for having the audacity to be mentally or physically disabled!

Hrm, it's like you think you're making a point, somehow.

Yet nonetheless you've shown me people voluntarily agreeing to work for less than minimum wage; people who have handicaps that would make requiring paying them current minimum wage (I say current, because this is a figure you no doubt want to be larger) would lead any manager to reconsider having them on staff and paying them anything at all.  So in typical, presumably well-meaning (?) liberal fashion you seem to want all of these people to have no employment and thus no income aside from whatever they may get from the government (which no doubt you want to be larger).

You're arguing that it's more beneficial for a person with severe disabilities to have the satisfaction of earning some money but that obviously, that 22 cents an hour would also need to be supplemented by an altruistic society that takes care of people who have severe disabilities....is that right?

Please, don't be a dick.

[AdmiralViscen]

Couldn't we solve the plight of the hungry and the disabled by simply feeding the disabled to the hungry?

[Human Snorenado]

We could also solve the problem with entitlement funding by driving old people out into the desert and leaving them there.

[Phoenix Dark]

Better yet, if we had a WPA style program to build a giant rocket, with a major piece being constructed in each state. After completion every person 60 and older would be put into the rocket and shot to Mars. Seems like the most effective way to lower unemployment and cut health care spending.

[Human Snorenado]

That sounds like a bunch of... SOCIALISM!  Instead, we'll contract it out to companies that are only bound by the rational machinations of the free market, surely they'll be able to perform this noble project cheaper and more efficiently!

[Great Rumbler]

Better yet, if we had a WPA style program to build a giant rocket, with a major piece being constructed in each state. After completion every person 60 and older would be put into the rocket and shot to Mars. Seems like the most effective way to lower unemployment and cut health care spending.

And would solve the problem of finding people willing to be part of the first wave of Martian colonists.

[Human Snorenado]

Snowden got away

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/hong-kong-snowden-has-left-for-a-third-country.php?ref=fpa

[Joe Molotov]

Snowden needs to keep running. His pale, cool young dude ass won't even last 10 minutes in the line to get fingerprinted.