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There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.

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

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#163126: Dec 18th 2016 at 10:41:28 AM

Goldwater was not a bigot, but his philosophy (strong state's rights, for example) was a huge boon to actual bigots.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#163127: Dec 18th 2016 at 10:46:46 AM

[up][up][up] Especially frustrating to the people who understood the email thing was more or less bullshit.

Disgusted, but not surprised
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#163128: Dec 18th 2016 at 11:36:03 AM

@Kostya: Trump lost California badly. I think it's a coping mechanism to that factoid.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
SciFiSlasher from Absolutely none of your business. Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#163129: Dec 18th 2016 at 11:39:52 AM

[up] Did they not know that California is blue as hell? That's some ginormous Willfull Ignorance there (and a pretty inexcusable from of it).

edited 18th Dec '16 11:40:31 AM by SciFiSlasher

"Somehow the hated have to walk a tightrope, while those who hate do not."
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#163130: Dec 18th 2016 at 11:43:20 AM

They do, but 61-31% defeat is hard to admit to. That's the margin one usually has in Vermont or other deep blue places.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#163131: Dec 18th 2016 at 12:43:39 PM

Sad part, is, with Trump in office, California is going to become even MORE blue. It wouldn't surprise me that the California general Assembly, within ten years, almost mirrors Hawaii.

New Survey coming this weekend!
Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#163132: Dec 18th 2016 at 1:08:12 PM

Andrew Anglin of The Daily Stormer has sicced his readers on Jewish people in a Montana town, ostensibly in defense of a helpless white woman..

A white supremacist website called The Daily Stormer has posted a call to “TAKE ACTION” against Jewish people in Whitefish, providing personal contact information and urging a “troll storm” against them. The story claims the “vicious, evil race” has harmed the Whitefish business of Richard Spencer’s mother. It quotes a story from the British newspaper Daily Mail that said Sherry Spencer “said she is being forced to sell a building she owns in the small town because residents are rebelling against her son.” The site posted phone numbers, email addresses, and Twitter handles for the Whitefish residents it alleges are harassing Sherry Spencer, along with a disclaimer that it opposes violence.

In the era of Trump, the warnings scum like Anglin are going to be emboldened?? Well, those turn out to be more and more true every day. These people now think they have support at the highest echelons of society.

Furthermore: Trump is doubling down on his lie from the campaign concerning the murder rate in this country.

Why is Trump continuing to tell egregious lies about such easily verifiable facts annd why is he being allowed to get away with this? Imagine if Hillary Clinton had made comparable statements at some point during the campaign. If she had, I have little down the mainstream press would've clucked their tongues about how insane she was on every Sunday show.

edited 18th Dec '16 1:08:56 PM by Lightysnake

Tbone511 Since: Dec, 2014
#163133: Dec 18th 2016 at 1:59:38 PM

@Silasw Reagan was indeed an admirer of Barry Goldwater, his endorsement speech of Barry Goldwater was perhaps Reagan's first step into politics as after that speech he was encouraged to stand for Governor of California. When Reagan assumed leadership of the modern American conservative movement that Goldwater founded, he not only put a friendly face on it but even intensified it to a degree. Near the end of his political career and life, Goldwater lamented that the movement he began classified him as a liberal in his own party.

As Septimus wrote, Goldwater was not a racist but he placed such a high premium on state rights that they would supersede individual rights. I consider myself a conservative Republican and a supporter of state rights but the concept of American federalism must be respected by all sides.

edited 18th Dec '16 2:01:16 PM by Tbone511

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#163134: Dec 18th 2016 at 2:22:48 PM

What really separated Reagan from Goldwater was the former's embrace of the religious right, which the latter despised.

And Goldwater was lightyears ahead of the curve on gay rights.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#163135: Dec 18th 2016 at 2:29:07 PM

[up][up]But what about democratic-republicanism?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Tbone511 Since: Dec, 2014
#163136: Dec 18th 2016 at 2:42:44 PM

[up] Can you elaborate as to what area of Democratic-Republicanism? Are you referring to Jeffersonianism? Jefferson and Madison founded that party principally in opposition to Hamilton's centralization policies in the Treasury.

I support decentralization as I believe there are many areas where the private sector and state governments are more capable and efficient than the federal government. However, I think there needs to be reasonable restriction in order to prevent abuse.

Ingonyama Since: Jan, 2001
#163137: Dec 18th 2016 at 3:16:58 PM

Huh...so I just learned something I didn't know. While I was correct in stating Hoover was from Iowa, not California (my boyfriend is a native Iowan so he made sure to tell me this tongue), he ended up moving to and becoming a legal resident of California later. Learn something new every day!

edited 21st Dec '16 11:50:39 PM by Ingonyama

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#163138: Dec 18th 2016 at 3:17:19 PM

I kind of feel like it should be my personal mission to defeat Stormfront.

I wonder who provides their webhosting, so we could boycott the shit out of them until they force Stormfront off somewhere else...

As i've pondered action these last few days, i really think the "no platform" movement is the place for me, the movement to suppress white nationalism to GUARANTEE that they cannot enjoy their first amendment right to free speech because private actors will suppress them any time they try to open their damned mouths. Same tactic rightists used to use against labor unions and feminists and such. Get out there with airhorns and bullhorns, with boycotts, lawsuits, naming and shaming and make sure they are never heard from again outside of the deep web.

edited 18th Dec '16 3:17:55 PM by Ogodei

Madrugada MOD Since: Jan, 2001
#163139: Dec 18th 2016 at 5:19:33 PM

~Ogodei has left the building. He will NOT be coming back. That level of toxicity is something we do not want and will not tolerate. If you have any questions, go read the posts in the Edit-banned thread. This is not open for discussion, and any questions or comments about it in this thread will be thumped for being Off-topic.

AngelusNox Warder of the damned from The guard of the gates of oblivion Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Warder of the damned
#163140: Dec 18th 2016 at 5:28:14 PM

@ Daily Stormer

Figures they'd call for an internet Troll Storm, they for the most part are spineless and too meek to do anything outside their chairs and away from their computer screens.

Still, the DS under most anti-bigotry laws and anti-discrimination laws wouldn't be allowed to publish anything. The guys on their front page are calling Microsoft and IBM traitors for not supporting Trump's Muslim database.

Inter arma enim silent leges
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#163141: Dec 18th 2016 at 6:39:34 PM

I'm curious to what magazines/websites you guys are subscribed too/read every day.

For me in the morning its:

  • New York Times

  • Washington Post

  • Wall Street Journal

  • Economist

  • Vox

  • Guardian

  • Huffington Post (Stay away from Opinion pages)

  • Forbes (Also stay FAR away from contributors)

New Survey coming this weekend!
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#163142: Dec 18th 2016 at 6:53:05 PM

[up]...

<_<

>_>

Uh... none of them? {Retreats into the corner.}

Honestly, I get most of my news from this little thread right here. I actually didn't know about most of those sites you mentioned until I started getting linked to them in this thread, and it still tends to be such a reliable and informative source of information that I don't see the need to go to most of those sites on my own. Which is why I get a bit worried whenever a mod comes in and threatens to shut this place down, because this is basically my main source of news. What can I say? It's just so damn convenient.tongue

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#163143: Dec 18th 2016 at 7:00:26 PM

I get BBC breaking news alerts but beyond that it's mainly here and whatever trustworthy stuff pops up on other aggregators.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#163144: Dec 18th 2016 at 7:02:58 PM

I mostly use this site and Facebook shares from trustworthy friends. I'm probably going to get a subscription to the New York Times once I graduate though.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#163145: Dec 18th 2016 at 7:03:50 PM

[up][up][up][up] Those are mostly the ones I read, yes, along with BBC.

There was an infograph posted some pages back about which news sites are reputable and what political direction they lean towards, and those are basically within the "reputable" to "great sources" margin, except for Huff Po which was marked as "questionable journalistic value".

This sort of reminds me of an article I read by NPR. It posited that we don't necessarily live in a post-facts era, so much as a post-trust era.

There are good news sources that try to report things with minimal partisanship, but it's hard to know what's true and what isn't these days. You're likely going to be influenced by your enviroment and the people around you more than anything else.

It doesn't really help that the Republican party in particular has been very adamant about denying certain scientific facts like climate change and evolution, neither of which has any business being part of the left-right spectrum of politics since both have been accepted as scientific fact for decades now (more than a century for evolution at this point). Perhaps the Democrats and other parties have also not helped in that regard, but if they have contributed in any significant fashion I'm not entirely sure what it is.

edited 18th Dec '16 7:05:55 PM by Draghinazzo

Mio Since: Jan, 2001
#163146: Dec 18th 2016 at 7:06:56 PM

My primary sources are NPR and the BBC. I used to check in a lot on Aljazzera America when it still a thing, and now I think I'm going to pick up more of my info from The Guardian and Politifact.

Tbone511 Since: Dec, 2014
#163147: Dec 18th 2016 at 7:07:21 PM

@Tactical Fox

I'm subscribed to Wall Street Journal, Breitbart, and Newsmax.

Runs for cover

edited 18th Dec '16 7:09:06 PM by Tbone511

Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#163148: Dec 18th 2016 at 7:08:05 PM

I mostly hang around The Guardian, but the Internet leads me everywhere, really.

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
Yinyang107 from the True North (Decatroper) Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
#163149: Dec 18th 2016 at 7:13:48 PM

I mostly just rely on this thread to distill the news and mention the important parts.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#163150: Dec 18th 2016 at 7:36:30 PM

For me, my news sources are a mix of this thread and Reuters, AP, and NPR apps on my phone. I also keep my local newspaper, the Idaho Statesman, on it in case something of interest pops up there.

Finding relatively neutral sources is important to me. Way back when I even had a thread around this forum asking about where folks got their news.


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