TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker

Go To

deathjavu This foreboding is fa... from The internet, obviously Since: Feb, 2010
This foreboding is fa...
#451: Apr 17th 2011 at 5:51:57 PM

But how would you know if there are or aren't meaningful actions to be taken unless you do the research?

Adopting that policy as the de-facto stance is just too damaging. And unless you look into it you can't know which subjects you can't affect.

Look, you can't make me speak in a logical, coherent, intelligent bananna.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#452: Apr 17th 2011 at 5:52:50 PM

On the other hand, the default position of "I can affect everything" seems equally naive, and more costly in terms of mental energy.

Besides-it doesn't matter if the position is rational or not, it only matters if it's an accurate representation of Bury-Head-In-Sanders thought processes. What's more relevant is figuring out how to counter that thought process.

edited 17th Apr '11 5:53:29 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#453: Apr 17th 2011 at 5:56:12 PM

What do you suggest I do about politics? It's not like I can even vote on the national government until 2012 and it almost certainly won't make any difference then. Meanwhile, writing a letter or something is both costly in terms of time and equally useless.

edited 17th Apr '11 5:56:51 PM by storyyeller

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#454: Apr 17th 2011 at 6:05:37 PM

The thing with ignorance is this:

The society you live in affords you many benefits. But they do not come for free. It's your responsibility to keep the crazy people out of power. One way to do that is to make sure you vote, and that you vote for the sane people.

^ Where do you live? What state and district, assuming that you're in the United States?

edited 17th Apr '11 6:06:07 PM by GlennMagusHarvey

GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#455: Apr 17th 2011 at 9:31:49 PM

Also, there are lots of local elections.

For example, we just had this (regularly-scheduled) election in Wisconsin, for Supreme Court Justice, as well as for at least two County Executive positions and a bunch of Democratic and Republican primary elections.

In other news, watch out for ads for "Energy Citizens"—they're just another right-wing group trying to be apologists for oil companies. I've been seeing their ads around.

Dracomicron Since: Jan, 2001
#456: Apr 18th 2011 at 9:10:42 AM

The Wisconsin State Supreme Court election had the chance to up-end the balance of power in Wisconsin and put it on a track towards fixing the severe problems that are going on there.

You know that old environmental saying, "Think global, act local"? That applies to politics, too. One of the strategies that the Republicans have used in the past was to take over state assemblies and re-district the states so that Republicans have an easier time controlling Congress.

Now they've dispensed with the pretenses and are going after the core mechanics that allows non-Republicans to compete on a national level by dismantling Democrats' biggest support structure, the unions. They're putting "financial managers" in place of duly elected local and school governments. Local government has become vitally important, because one of the national parties is putting effort behind taking over the country by changing the rules from local government up (because they're stalled on a national level by only having The House of Representatives).

Writing one letter might seem like a waste of time, but writing a lot of letters, attending rallies, and getting the word out to sign recall petitions for legislators or executives who have gone well off of the reservation in service to national Republican agendas adds to a growing wave of resistance. Remember how Obama matched and exceeded his opponents' money in the 2008 election with the average contribution being a hundred bucks or something? That was a lot of people working together to fight the inertia of apathy and resistance to change.

That's basically what solidarity is: working together to make something important happen.

"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygax
NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#457: Apr 18th 2011 at 9:45:57 AM

Those cheating bastards! I shall have no peace ever again with a supporter of the Republican Party.

Dracomicron Since: Jan, 2001
#458: Apr 18th 2011 at 9:53:37 AM

[up] Not all supporters of the Republican party are themselves bad people. A lot of especially older folks are lifelong Republicans and don't really understand what's happened to them over time. Others are one issue wonks who don't really care about anything but their one issue, which Republicans may support. The majority of the rest are simply people who believe that they will one day be rich and qualify for the special treatment that the Republican party affords rich folks.

Most people just don't pay attention to the national agendas of our political parties. If they did, they would realize that the Republican agenda is cynical in the extreme, and panders to the worst natures of humanity.

"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygax
GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#459: Apr 18th 2011 at 10:22:42 AM

"The majority of the rest are simply people who believe that they will one day be rich and qualify for the special treatment that the Republican party affords rich folks. "

Are you saying this just because Major Tom once said this, or because you've seen this elsewhere?

Ratix from Someplace, Maryland Since: Sep, 2010
#460: Apr 18th 2011 at 10:41:19 AM

[up] Given the belief in the American Dream which is to basically make it big, I think you'll find this viewpoint more common than you think; we all want to be rich, people just think they can actually look forward to it instead of being one of the lucky few.

blueharp Since: Dec, 1969
#461: Apr 18th 2011 at 10:58:58 AM

It's certainly a widespread idea. The truth of it may be in doubt, but the concept of people being convinced to vote against their own interests is not without some substance.

rjung He's just some guy, you know? from Fifth and Main (Five Year Plan) Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
He's just some guy, you know?
#462: Apr 18th 2011 at 11:19:20 AM

People end up with the government they deserve.

...which is always annoying for those of us who do pay attention and do worry about where things are going.

—R.J.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#463: Apr 18th 2011 at 11:35:42 AM

Well, rjung, you're a person. Ergo, you end up with the government you deserve.

Dracomicron Since: Jan, 2001
#464: Apr 18th 2011 at 2:18:21 PM

Glenn Magus Harvey: I don't really follow Tom's posts all that much, but it's pretty common with conservatives I've talked to. One guy I correspond with is currently unemployed, but he plans on making upper bracket dollars someday, and wants a libertarian government who won't touch his big money when that happens (while, currently, he's recieving unemployment and loathing himself for doing it).

"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygax
ninjaclown Since: May, 2009
#465: Apr 18th 2011 at 2:24:48 PM

The number of people who live under delusion is unsettling.

Enkufka Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ from Bay of White fish Since: Dec, 2009
Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ
#466: Apr 18th 2011 at 2:27:34 PM

I would like to blame the Randians, but it can't all be their fault. Their economic theory assumes that working hard will yeild a vast amount of money, but that assumes that the system in place isn't actively working against them.

Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry
GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#467: Apr 18th 2011 at 2:43:04 PM

Dracomicron, have you tried asking him how he plans on making it big?

Dracomicron Since: Jan, 2001
#468: Apr 18th 2011 at 2:52:17 PM

Yes. His plan involves:

  • 1. Get an engineering job.
  • 2. Invest money from engineering job.
  • 3. ???
  • 4. Million$!

It's about that time that I stop talking to him.

"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." - E. Gary Gygax
GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#469: Apr 18th 2011 at 3:10:04 PM

Next time, try challenging his reasoning. Go through calculations with him and stuff.

Many people who go along with this faux populism from Republicans like Scott Walker don't realize that benefits they've taken for granted without even knowing it come from difficult struggles endured by their predecessors.

Enkufka Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ from Bay of White fish Since: Dec, 2009
Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ
#470: Apr 18th 2011 at 3:56:15 PM

...Seriously? Prosser is saying that a recount would be "Frivolous," unwarranted and costly. The vote came well within the .5% margin where a free recount is allowed, and there is significant controversy in this election! Calling it Frivolous is completely unwarranted!

Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry
Ratix from Someplace, Maryland Since: Sep, 2010
#471: Apr 18th 2011 at 4:35:56 PM

See, I wanna get a Computer Science degree so I can make video games. I almost certainly won't make millions, nor do I have delusions otherwise. But if I can make even a few games that people enjoy, I'll be happy. And maybe get a software engineering position that pays well enough to support a family.

None of which would put me in brackets where I'd face the taxes of the ultra rich anyway.

GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#472: Apr 18th 2011 at 5:34:43 PM

^ You mean that none of that would put you in brackets where you could avoid the tax burden of the middle class?

^^ That is, at least from my point of view, completely expected behavior from a politician.

Ratix from Someplace, Maryland Since: Sep, 2010
#473: Apr 19th 2011 at 4:27:56 AM

[up] My point is, taxes aren't even on the radar of what I wanna do with my life.

Driscoll Are you frustrated? from Mit meinem Kaiser! Since: Nov, 2010
Are you frustrated?
#474: Apr 19th 2011 at 7:18:33 AM

One of the strategies that the Republicans have used in the past was to take over state assemblies and re-district the states so that Republicans have an easier time controlling Congress.
There is a term for that. It's called gerrymandering, and the Democrats have done it before as well. It's been a long time tactic of all major political parties that have ever existed in the United States.

WHAT A HORRIBLE NIGHT TO HAVE A DIALOG BOX INTERRUPT GAMEPLAY.
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#475: Apr 19th 2011 at 7:31:33 AM

Fun fact: in the 2010 midterm elections, Florida passed state constitution amendments making gerrymandering illegal. I was fucking floored because I didn't realize it wasn't already illegal. They passed... and then our fucktard governor backpedaled about implementing it. God I hate Rick Scott.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.

Total posts: 1,740
Top