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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

ShadowWingLG Since: Dec, 2013
#323851: Aug 14th 2020 at 10:49:48 AM

In KS they mailed out applications to everybody for both Primary and General elections with an option to change your party when you returned the ballot application.

My roommate and I filled ours out and mailed in for the Primary and we got our primary ballots, we should be getting ones for the general as well. If not we have really early voting in our area so we can pick a day to safely vote and if we do get them we can drop them off at the polling place JUST IN CASE

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323852: Aug 14th 2020 at 11:15:18 AM

In case you doubted that the DOJ is being corrupted and disenfranchised under your very eyes, a story by Lowering the Bar:

DOJ Says It Could Take Bribes in Court and the Judge Could Do Nothing

The case in question is, of course, that of Michael Flynn, and how he literally handed the Attorney General a briefcase full of cash, in front of witnesses (nuns and bishops, even!), and the judge was still forced to grant the motion to dismiss the case. Not because the judge is corrupt, mind you, but because the law allows it to happen.

The writer notes that the Democrats aren't entirely off the hook in this either:

This idea that the executive branch has vast if not absolute authority, and that it must in order to do its job, has been percolating for a while now. One of its biggest proponents is John Yoo, who once wrote a memo saying the executive branch could torture people and yet seems surprised that the current executive is completely out of control. The Democrats were more squeamish about torture, but didn’t do much to rein in the executive branch when they controlled it, as evidenced by (for example) that time President Obama dropped a bomb on a U.S. citizen. I guess in view of stuff like that, it shouldn’t be too shocking that the executive branch is saying it could accept bribes in full view of the judiciary and the only remedy is to ask it to police itself. And yet it still kind of is.

Optimism is a duty.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#323853: Aug 14th 2020 at 11:22:24 AM

Democrats were more squeamish about torture, but didn’t do much to rein in the executive branch when they controlled it, as evidenced by (for example) that time President Obama dropped a bomb on a U.S. citizen.
The time he did what-now?

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#323854: Aug 14th 2020 at 11:26:40 AM

I believe the article is talking about the bombing of Anwar al-Awlaki in 2011 and his son two weeks after.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#323855: Aug 14th 2020 at 11:27:34 AM

[up]x2 When Obama bombed a former US Citizen who became a member of ISIS. Calling that an abuse of power, on par with either the Torture in Guantanamo or this "We can out and out bribe people and you can't prosecute them", is an absurd Republican Talking Point that tries to paint Obama as a tyrant.

[up] If they're talking about him, then both were still former Citizens who joined a terrorist organization, and again lumping that in with what Republicans are doing is absurd.

Edited by DingoWalley1 on Aug 14th 2020 at 2:30:05 PM

Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#323856: Aug 14th 2020 at 11:28:38 AM

Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in a Drone Strike authorized by Obama. He had both US and Yemeni nationality. DOJ under Obama administration justified it as a necessary act of war, while critics called it an extrajudiciary execution.

[up] If they're talking about him, then both were still former Citizens who joined a terrorist organization, and again lumping that in with what Republicans are doing is absurd.

There's no "former" He most definitely was a US Citizen.

Edited by Ghilz on Aug 14th 2020 at 2:30:57 PM

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#323857: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:03:06 PM

was the guy am the primary target or collateral damage?

[up][up] At the very least the phrasing seems actively misleading.

Edited by sgamer82 on Aug 14th 2020 at 12:03:47 PM

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323858: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:07:29 PM

Has this never been discussed on this thread before?

Optimism is a duty.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#323859: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:08:29 PM

It probably was, but that was years ago.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#323860: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:09:40 PM

First I've heard of it. Also, the incident was nine years ago and the guy was apparently a terrorist. What was there to take talk about until now, when someone tries to use it to bothside?

Edited by sgamer82 on Aug 14th 2020 at 12:09:53 PM

NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#323861: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:11:47 PM

Also, Trump's violent rhetoric and actions has gotten more Americans harmed and killed. Like Obama should get flack for bombing one American, Trump is a stochastic terrorist.

RainehDaze Figure of Hourai from Scotland (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Serial head-patter
Figure of Hourai
#323862: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:16:07 PM

Should you not harm a terrorist operating in a paramilitary group just because they're a citizen of your own country?

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NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#323863: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:18:25 PM

There's a legitimate legal question as to whether the federal government is allowed to treat US citizens as military enemies. Doubly so because of the weird legal grey area where terrorism falls under in terms of "is this war or law enforcement" in general.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
PresidentStalkeyes The Best Worst Psychonaut from United Kingdom of England-land Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
The Best Worst Psychonaut
#323864: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:19:09 PM

Republicans believe in capitalism, not in democracy.

I'm not even sure they believe in that much. I've already pointed out how they're all too willing to give aid and loans to rich corporations that are being sunk because they're peddling obsolete or unfashionable products (which, in a way, is a subversion of democracy if you believe that consumers 'vote with their wallets'), which you'd think would go against a strictly meritocratic, Social Darwinist worldview.

I'd assume they're making shallow justifications for keeping power at all costs (much in the same way that the Divine Right of Kings came about), but for all I know they might just be oblivious to their hypocrisy. It's become increasingly hard to tell the difference. :V

"If you think like a child, you will do a child's work."
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#323865: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:20:49 PM

[up]Eh, this kind of support for capitalism has always involved grift and corporate welfare. Sure it's hypocritical from a "Pure" social Darwinist perspective but social Darwinism has always been an excuse to subjugate the poor more thoroughly. It's not really contradictory with how the ideology is in practice.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323866: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:21:35 PM

I don't think this is a case of bothsiding, but rather a technical legal question over who has authority over killing citizens under what circumstances.

Optimism is a duty.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#323867: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:23:20 PM

The article you quoted was equating it to the Republicans' rampant, blatant corruption. That's what struck me about the claim, because it made it sound like Obama dropped a bomb in some Americans lap like the cartoon villain the GOP has become.

Edited by sgamer82 on Aug 14th 2020 at 12:23:59 PM

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#323868: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:25:53 PM

A forum search brings up nothing of Anwar al-Awlaki assassination around the time in this thread (when it was originally the 2012 Election thread) since there was a dedicated thread and the Arab Spring thread was up at the time, but it was mentioned when discussing Bush's attack on wiretappers vs Obama's drone strikes in 2012 and during a discussion on political assassinations made by the US in 2014.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#323869: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:26:14 PM

I can see the logic behind criticizing Obama's bombing of the citizen, though I don't agree.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Ultimatum Disasturbator from Second Star to the left (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Disasturbator
#323870: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:26:16 PM

> Should you not harm a terrorist operating in a paramilitary group just because they're a citizen of your own country?

There are people who would argue that being a terrorist means they should automatically lose their citizenship,I'm not necessarily one of those people though

New theme music also a box
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#323871: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:27:31 PM

Very least an American citizen who joins an enemy terrorist group then goes to said terrorist group's territory suggests they aren't too concerned with their citizenship.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from Second Star to the left (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Disasturbator
#323872: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:29:05 PM

Its normally brought up when they bring their family along,the argument being it should apply to all of them and not just the one fighting

New theme music also a box
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#323873: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:32:13 PM

While looking at Anwar al-Awlaki Wikipedia page, US forces killed his 8 year old daughter in the botched Yemen raid a couple of weeks after Trump's inauguration. I forget if anyone was actually outraged when he killed an American citizen then.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323874: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:33:59 PM

And that is very thorny, because those family members did not necessarily go voluntarily. Children can't really refuse such a move, and wives are often forced along.

Optimism is a duty.
NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#323875: Aug 14th 2020 at 12:35:05 PM

Also, if Obama didn't bomb the guy, but he managed to get away and still planned an attack, the GOP would then cry that Obama should have done something? Legal obscurity be damned.

[up][up]LOL of course not

Edited by NoName999 on Aug 14th 2020 at 12:35:17 PM


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