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

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#163951: Dec 23rd 2016 at 10:27:51 AM

""North Carolina does so poorly on the measures of legal framework and voter registration, that on those indicators we rank alongside Iran and Venezuela."

As a Venezuelan I must said....damn, NC is so Fuckling,fuckity,FUCK

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
daltar (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#163952: Dec 23rd 2016 at 10:51:43 AM

Yeah, you know you messed up in electoral matters when people compare you to us, Venezuelans.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#163953: Dec 23rd 2016 at 11:01:13 AM

I love how all the obedient little fascists are justifying this in the comments by puling the old "Republic, not Democracy" card. As if a republic can't be democratic....

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#163954: Dec 23rd 2016 at 11:09:30 AM

Republicans want to be ruled, Democrats want to be governed.

New Survey coming this weekend!
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#163955: Dec 23rd 2016 at 11:10:17 AM

Speaking as someone who lives within 20 miles of multiple important counterforce nuclear targets (and as a member of humanity as a whole, but especially that first bit), I would very much appreciate it if Trump stopped rattling that nuclear saber because I rather prefer my constituent particles where they are.

I live right near Hanscom AFB. If the exchange happens, I'm probably going to end up with a nuke landing in my backyard.

Gotta start building those Vaults.

[up][up]The "Republic, not Democracy" meme is the point where a political discussion, any political discussion is completely unworkable and daft as soon as it's introduced. The definition of a Republic as a polity where there's a certain equality between the members of the ruling body is archaic, and is insufficient to describe any non-monarchical government made in the last four hundred years.

edited 23rd Dec '16 11:14:37 AM by CrimsonZephyr

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#163956: Dec 23rd 2016 at 11:19:04 AM

The academic definition I've seen of a Republic in recent years is a government where the head of state is a non-hereditary position, ideally one who is elected. That's it. A government where there is only one choice for each elected position is clearly not a functional democracy, but it is a republic, even if there's only ever been one guy in the head of state position.

To simplify things a bit. While the US is a Republic, Canada is not. And it has basically no bearing on the day to day lives of the people. (There are big differences in culture, but basically none of them come from having the Queen as our head of state. We pretty much treat the Prime Minister, culturally speaking, like a president anyway.)

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#163957: Dec 23rd 2016 at 11:34:58 AM

I also live very close to a bunch of counterforce targets, and while I've never been prone to existential worry, I've lost sleep over it already. The idea that I and my family could just disappear in an instant due to some idiot manchild antagonizing the entire world is not a comforting one.

It's been fun.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#163958: Dec 23rd 2016 at 11:39:37 AM

They're not just denying. They're also saying "well we got subjected to hate crimes during the election so it's OK".

Yeah. A key point of white supremacist philosophy is that they see any gains by other races as a deliberate attack on them. That's where the whole stupid "White Genocide" thing comes from. So far as they're concerned, everything was going great until all those other races started stirring up trouble.

This gives them a terrible sense of self-righteousness in their efforts to tear everyone down. They're not just going, "Imma stick it to all you non-whites!" They're going, "I didn't WANT to make it a race thing but y'all and your n——r President MADE it a race thing so now it's a race thing and we're gonna win!"

And ignoring the fact that the race thing has been ongoing since literally the country's inception.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#163960: Dec 23rd 2016 at 11:58:12 AM

It is deeply distressing that he's asking for these kind of lists

Oh really when?
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#163961: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:00:07 PM

[up][up] That's what we get for putting a pussy-grabber in the Oval Office.

Disgusted, but not surprised
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#163962: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:02:56 PM

So all that time when conservatives were worried about Obama establishing martial law, and putting people into FEMA camps it was just projection?

New Survey coming this weekend!
RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#163963: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:03:01 PM

Re: NC no longer being a democracy.

The worst part is, NC is just the first one. It's the canary in the coal mine. Now the GOP have seen that they can get away with this, and they will try to implement the same tactics in other states, and eventually on a national scale.

If they aren't stopped, then the entire U.S. is going to end up on par with Indonesia and Sierra Leone. That's their endgame.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#163964: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:09:18 PM

[up][up]they are more worry that it would be democrat who would do it and not them, as I said the party only rule is "defeat is bad, win is good"...that it

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
Antiteilchen In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good. Since: Sep, 2013
In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good.
#163965: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:09:55 PM

The academic definition I've seen of a Republic in recent years is a government where the head of state is a non-hereditary position, ideally one who is elected. That's it.

Except for the Vatican not being considered a republic. But otherwise it's correct. Germany is a democratic republic, Sweden is a democratic monarchy, China is an authoritarian republic and Saudi Arabia is an authoritarian monarchy. Both, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were republics. It's not a good thing in and of itself. Whoever brings up the "Republic, not Democracy" thing is basically outing themselves as an authoritarian anti-democrat (small d).

edited 23rd Dec '16 12:14:45 PM by Antiteilchen

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#163966: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:14:03 PM

On the entire "Republic, not Democracy" thing, I'm reminded of someone (I think on twitter) saying that when fascists state something as a fact, it's a declaration of their goals.

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#163967: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:15:11 PM

So on top of worrying about finding a job I now have to worry about my two top locations (NYC and DC) being hit with nukes? Fuck you Trump.

edited 23rd Dec '16 12:15:26 PM by Kostya

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#163968: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:17:37 PM

Trump wants to build up the nukes because Putin wants to build up his nukes, and Trump is nothing if not a devote follower of Putin.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#163969: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:22:50 PM

It is deeply distressing that he's asking for these kind of lists

He's also alarmingly careful about it. It's one of the points about his impending Presidency that I'm hesitant to bring up as a point against him in conversation, because as a former Republican, I can already see its potential for interpretation.

When Trump asks a department to name names of those working on progressive systems

  • A Democrat sees Trump preparing for a Red Scare-esque purge of progressive policies.
  • A Republican sees Trump wanting to identify areas of interest for important policies that he needs to learn more about.

We have no definitive proof that Trump isn't asking for these names just so he can talk to those people and learn more about what they do and how it benefits the country he's now expected to govern. Without that proof, someone who has been effectively inoculated to all his behavior prior won't see anything wrong with what he's doing.

An effective tyrant is one whose behavior does not look tyrannical if you don't already know he's a tyrant.

edited 23rd Dec '16 12:23:53 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#163970: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:28:33 PM

Then why isn't he asking for a list of people involved in every department? Trump has zero political experience.

Aprilla Since: Aug, 2010
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#163972: Dec 23rd 2016 at 12:57:42 PM

@934, couldn't the Vatican be classified as an elective monarchy?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
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
#163973: Dec 23rd 2016 at 1:09:28 PM

[up] I believe that is what it's classified as.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Balmung Since: Oct, 2011
#163974: Dec 23rd 2016 at 1:40:58 PM

The Vatican is generally considered an elective absolute monarchy, yes.

Because of things like the Vatican and various independent bishoprics in past ages, governments are often categorized as monarchies, theocracies, or republics, though if one system is omitted, it's usually theocracy, which gets lumped as a form of monarchy.

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#163975: Dec 23rd 2016 at 1:44:16 PM

"Republic, not democracy" seems to pop up a lot whenever you point out Trump lost the popular vote. It's pretty much interchangeable with "illegal voters" as a deflection.

"Yup. That tasted purple."

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