team politics talking points.

[fallout]

This is not in any way an excuse for what he did

No, not at all..

Ironic. He was pardoned by the same governor who thought it was funny to dress in blackface, not that I remotely care. Imagine if a politician you didn't agree with did the same?

I wonder if they won the best costume contest?

 

[JohnRoberts]

Please......

If I was king (sadly I am not), I would extend the prohibition against ad hominem to even non-forum members. Tolerating ugly speech about non-members (like celebrities, and politicians) just normalizes such ugly speech and unkind thinking. This drags us all down to the level of street politicians.

We are better than that, or should be. Tomorrow is MLK day, let's try to be nicer to everybody in his honor.

JR

 

[iturnknobs]

I would assume the moderator could put an end to the nastiness, but it's always a member leaning right directly attacking members leaning left. Typical Republican behavior.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I would assume the moderator could put an end to the nastiness, but it's always a member leaning right directly attacking members leaning left. Typical Republican behavior.

I asked nicely...

While I have the ability to delete posts (or people), I don't have the right unless they repeatedly break rule #4, and ignore repeated warnings. I have only disappeared a small handful of trolls and miscreants over the years, and they all earned it.

For those who don't remember or don't know, Ethan sez.

4. You will find that the members of this community are courteous and respectful of each other, so please reciprocate those gestures. Leave the flame-war mentality at another forum. Personal attacks and generally hateful comments (regarding race, religion, gender, sex, etc...) will not be tolerated.

To reinforce my earlier comment I suspect the ugly language we tolerate when directed at non-member celebrities or politicians, normalized and lowers the level of civility we use with each other.

JR

PS: Team politics is not a positive force in the world. It's mainly about accumulating power in a zero sum game strategy.

 

[fallout]

Liberals are the biggest cry babies.

Anyway.. This is frightening.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/18/economy/price-controls-inflation/index.html?
Be careful what you wish for.

 

[JohnRoberts]

come on Man... all politicians are hyperbolic....

If you can't be nice be nice(r) than now .....

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

trying to keep the politics in only one steaming pile....

The IRS is pushing taxpayers to start using a facial recognition service (ID.me) for filing tax returns. It isn't mandatory yet but it is the IRS default option.

Alternately TSA has started to accept arrest warrants for identification when illegal aliens freely move about the country. If that doesn't sound odd, think about it, presenting an arrest warrant to a government TSA agent.
===
Always the optimist, maybe the IRS is onto something here... How about using facial recognition for voting***? Knowing the government they might prefer arrest warrants for voter ID (kidding, only half kidding).

JR

PS: For years I have suggest giving walk-up new voters an opportunity to share a finger print and smart phone photo... Let everyone vote, just reveal who you are, in case you aren't authorized.

 

[shabtek]

maybe I got the spiked 'red vax' but, JR where do you stand on the surveillance state continuum? It is kinda a thing now, but there is an irony of 'freedom' and all...facial recog is too brave new world, and since this is about politics;ixne the irs tax avoidance/voting conundruum--I propose if you dodge taxes you lose voting rights.
won't fix anything but it sounds good
brew-on!

 

[JohnRoberts]

maybe I got the spiked 'red vax' but, JR where do you stand on the surveillance state continuum? It is kinda a thing now, but there is an irony of 'freedom' and all...facial recog is too brave new world, and since this is about politics;ixne the irs tax avoidance/voting conundruum--I propose if you dodge taxes you lose voting rights.
won't fix anything but it sounds good
brew-on!

Wow, in political questions people usually tell me what I think not ask me... Thank you.

Having to pay taxes to vote sounds a little too much like the early days of our nation when only property holders could vote. That was rejected long ago and unlikely to be embraced today. Of course people should pay their taxes even when the government is such a bad manager spending those taxes and our money they borrow in our name.

Yes, government seems to be expanding themselves into everything, less (smaller) government would be better.

The congress needs to return to regular order. When is the last time they passed a proper budget? Almost everything for the last several years have been passed using continuing budget resolutions under threat of government shutdowns (which turn out to be even more expensive than government staying open). Passing important legislation using reconciliation (effectively a budget adjustment to existing legislation) limits the scope and bipartisan negotiation in important legislation. At least the parliamentarian has stopped them from using reconciliation improperly a couple times recently.

I am pleased that they*** failed to blow up the filibuster rule recently, even though the pendulum of majority power looks about to swing over toward the right. All legislation should be bipartisan not one sided and forced through by either one party alone. The filibuster rule protects the minority party. We are all in this together and there is always a minority party that deserves a say in legislation.

JR

**** I would speculate that Schumer is worried that AOC could primary him in NY if he appears moderate.

 

[shabtek]

I mean if you avoid your tax obligation (many ways that cat is skun'd) your voting rights will be suspended--or, since corps. don't vote directly, their lobby dollars could be forfeited.

 

[JohnRoberts]

For the crowd who like to say "this is bigger than watergate" the latest release from the Durham investigation shows more complicity with Clinton campaign, while ex-President Nixon's plumbers broke into DNC offices at the namesake Watergate building. Hillary's campaign funded spying on ex-President Trump's server traffic.

In a court filing submitted on Friday, Feb. 11th, related to “potential conflicts of interest arising from the representation of the defendant [Sussmann] by his current counsel,” Durham offered new details on how exactly the “evidence” was uncovered.

“Tech Executive-1 exploited his access to non-public and/or proprietary Internet data. Tech Executive-1 also enlisted the assistance of researchers at a U.S.-based university who were receiving and analyzing large amounts of Internet data in connection with a pending federal government cybersecurity research contract,” the filing reads.

“Tech Executive-1 tasked these researchers to mine Internet data to establish ‘an inference’ and ‘narrative’ tying then-candidate Trump to Russia. In doing so, Tech Executive-1 indicated that he was seeking to please certain ‘VIPs,’ referring to individuals at Law Firm-1 and the Clinton campaign.”

The specific Internet data that was mined included the Internet traffic of “(i) a particular healthcare provider, (ii) Trump Tower, (iii) Donald Trump’s Central Park West apartment building, and (iv) the

Edit- the left is still calling this a right wing conspiracy. I am pleasantly surprised that the investigation has not been shut down. So far the indictments have been for process crimes (lying to the government). These are typically used to flip indicted player against who they were working for.

 

[fazer]

Im following this and kind of surprised this is allowed to go on under the present administration and justice department.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I still can't read minds, but I don't see this blowing back on the current POTUS and VP.. If anything making Hillary weaker reduces any threat of her trying to challenge them in '24 (the recent Biden/Harris polling has her getting excited about her chances).

Most of the high level FBI and DOJ types suspected of misbehavior related to these incidents have already left office.

Of course a rigorous investigation into Hunter (laptop, art sales, Chinese, Ukraine business deals, etc) might be embarrassing to POTUS, but so far media has suppressed and declined to report news about this.

Many layers to this onion yet to be peeled back. I don't feel lucky about seeing a proper historical record in my lifetime.

update- This latest Durham revelations about spying on the Trump campaign is looking like "the dog that didn't bark" being ignored by mainstream media. /update

JR

 

[fallout]

LOL

https://news.yahoo.com/texas-professor-sues-university-being-210942916.html

 

[Matador]

LOL

What's so funny?

 

[JohnRoberts]

What's so funny?

I can't read his mind, but I suspect the claim that music theory is a function of white supremacy.

This might be amusing if they weren't trying to rip this country apart.

JR

 

[hodad]

This might be amusing if they weren't trying to rip this country apart.

JR

ABSOLUTELY!!! And Republican legislators are working SO HARD to pass laws that would ban the teaching of anything that might hurt the feelings of their precious White babies!! It's ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL we make sure those other people understand that the only CORRECT way of thinking in America is the WHITE, CHRISTIAN way of thinking!!! And we must protect our children from the very possibility that White Americans have ever done anything wrong!! Well, except those woke White Democrats, and we all know who's pulling their strings.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Opinions vary... I am a huge advocate of (real) history and we are far from perfect as a nation, but the modern revisionist history promoted by the left (like 1619 project) seems intent on teaching our children to hate each other and hate their own country.

At least you are consistent pushing your team's world view. This is arguably supporting international efforts to weaken our nation internationally.

I can't read your mind but your written words are ugly enough.

JR

 

[fallout]

What's so funny?

The ridiculousness of it all.. Not really funny, sad actually.

 

[fallout]

Women can't even be proud to be women anymore without MEN (crossdressers) spouting their transphobia bullshit. Society is at an all time low.

https://www.newsweek.com/adeles-i-l...ards-speech-sparks-transphobia-debate-1677505