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

Balmung Since: Oct, 2011
#183626: Apr 19th 2017 at 6:56:12 AM

What's that? Social media gives voice to racist shitbars? That's never happened before.

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#183627: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:21:59 AM

Texas The Hill: Poll shows Ted Cruz losing to Joaquin Castro and tying with Beto O'Rourke.

Purple Texas!!

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183628: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:25:27 AM

[up] Ah yes, Ted Cruz. Canada really lucked out when he left.

Disgusted, but not surprised
TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#183629: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:36:32 AM

[up] It seems to me like Canada screwed us by not keeping him. Would Cruz have managed to be at all influential in Canadian politics (let alone as influential as he became down here)?

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183630: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:39:24 AM

[up] You really want to live in the AU where Cruz is Canada's PM at the same time Trump is the POTUS?

edited 19th Apr '17 7:39:53 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#183631: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:41:52 AM

[up] I think the point is that he would've never risen into power in Canada, so if he stayed in Canada he would've just stayed in obscurity.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#183632: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:51:38 AM

What confuses me: If he was born in Canada, how was he even able to run in the primary? I thought the US had this weird law about candidates having to be born as citizens.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
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
#183633: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:54:47 AM

He wa born in Canada to American parents, so he was still born an American.

It's why the Obama birther thing was so absurd, even if he had been born in Kenya he'd still have qualified to run for president, because he was born to an American citizen.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#183634: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:55:05 AM

A "Natural Born Citizen" in the US, as it is in Argentina, is a term used to describe people:

A. Born in US soil.

B. Born to US citizens.

These people automatically qualify for citizenship and can run for President.

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#183635: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:55:27 AM

[up]Only for the presidency-other elected positions usually only require citizenship and a certain number of years of residency.

F@#$ing [nja]'d.

edited 19th Apr '17 7:56:04 AM by ViperMagnum357

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#183636: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:55:47 AM

There is some questions about the election that need answering though. A few days beyond the election, a towns voting machines were stolen, but were only reported to the appropriate people two days after. This should looked into as it is a potential security risk.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/wsbtv.relaymedia.com/amp/news/local/cobb-county/voting-equipment-stolen-days-before-special-election-sec-of-state-unacceptable/

edited 19th Apr '17 7:57:33 AM by megaeliz

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183637: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:56:18 AM

It's unlikely Cruz would have risen that far in Canada's political landscape, but not impossible.

edited 19th Apr '17 7:56:44 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#183638: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:57:17 AM

Cruz denies he was born in Canada and the one time he even close to acknowledged it he said he renounced his citizenship, which he claims to have had because his mother has Canadian citizenship. He didn't have enough traction to get anywhere anyway.

If he had grown up in Canada he probably wouldn't have ended up so crazy anyway, because his father, a pastor named Raphael Cruz, has been actively encouraging a demented messiah complex in his son. That kind of church is way less acceptable in Canada, if only because mega churches aren't common at all here. There's like five maybe.

edited 19th Apr '17 7:58:12 AM by Zendervai

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183639: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:59:32 AM

[up] Oh yeah, I've heard a few things about Raph, none of them good.

Disgusted, but not surprised
IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#183640: Apr 19th 2017 at 7:59:41 AM

Buzzfeed: Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz Will Not Seek Re-Election. Bye bye, you smug little shit.

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183641: Apr 19th 2017 at 8:12:10 AM

[up] Yeah, I'm not going to be the least bit sad to see the "smartphone = healthcare" asshole go.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#183642: Apr 19th 2017 at 8:20:00 AM

@M84, Cruz would struggle to get elected Premier in even the most right leaning of provinces with unpopular left/center governments, let alone Prime Minister. They wouldn't even let him near party leadership, social conservatism is a dead end in Canadian politics (those who care vote anyway, and its a great way to rally opposition to you) and the political right is acutely aware of this. Best Cruz could do is be an embarrassing backbencher or a mayor of a small town.

And that's not factoring in his unique special talent of pissing off everyone he's ever worked with, including those who largely agree with him.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#183643: Apr 19th 2017 at 8:57:15 AM

[up] This. I'm no expert on Canadian politics but Ted Cruz doing well there isn't something that I can easily imagine.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#183644: Apr 19th 2017 at 9:07:55 AM

And throw in the fact that most Canadians get creeped out when politicians say "God Bless Canada" (in a benign context). We wouldn't elect a guy with an obvious messiah complex, especially one raised to believe that he's the vanguard of a theocracy meant to herald in the second coming or whatever.

Hell, even our resident theocratic party might think that's a bit too much....

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183645: Apr 19th 2017 at 9:13:10 AM

Hmm, I guess that makes sense. I still think you guys lucked out when he moved to the USA.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#183646: Apr 19th 2017 at 9:23:47 AM

Wait. Cruz denies being born in Canada?

IIRC, there's this argument used by birthers- the more intellectual types base it on the writings of some Dutch guy from the 17th century who is important in International Relations (forget his name)- is that both parents need to be U.S. citizens, or at least the father does- and they either apply this in all cases or where someone is born abroad.

So the irony is that under this formulation (which note, there's no evidence the Founders adopted since it is from a Dutch guy who predated America by a century) Obama might be eligible for the Presidency, but Cruz wouldn't. That's part of why, besides the racism and Islamophobia people are so fixated on the born in Kenya idea, because under that (probably wrong) understanding of natural born citizenship, it makes a diference.

Of course, there's also people who think you have to be born on U.S. soil regardless of whether your parents are U.S. citizens, which leads to an interesting situation with John Mc Cain. While it sounds ridiculous that he wouldn't be eligible, there was a law (IIRC) passed after he was born that made a point of stating hat people born in the Canal Zone were natural born citizens, suggesting there was some doubt on that point.

edited 19th Apr '17 9:25:11 AM by Hodor2

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#183647: Apr 19th 2017 at 9:28:44 AM

See, I've considered the McCain situation as a counterargument when people try to claim that birtherism isn't racist: Both candidates of the 2008 election could have their eligibility contested on the grounds of not being "natural born citizens" (and in both cases, not very credibly so) but only one had a long running controversy about this.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#183648: Apr 19th 2017 at 9:33:04 AM

Obama was born to an American citizen in the U.S. State of Hawaii in 1961, two years after statehood had been ratified.; there was never any question as to his eligibility. It was pure racism.

"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."
Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#183649: Apr 19th 2017 at 9:37:16 AM

One thing I wanted to add/should have been clearer about is that I think the Dutch guy (sorry Dutch guy, forget your name) believed that both parents, or at least the father had to be citizens for someone to be a citizen of a country regardless of whether they are born on the country's soil. And obviously that is not at all how birthright citizenship works in America (and I think not in Mexico either). Although, I believe that is in line with how European countries treat birthright citizenship.

Although racist people hate it, as long as you are born on American soil, you are a natural born citizen. So, it's kind of ridiculous in the first place to cite a thinker whose understanding of citizenship is nothing like that used in the United States, but because of how birthright citizenship works, the controversies would only involve people who were not born on American soil- which is why ironically, it's the Republican candidates who should have birther controversies (if birtherism wasn't racist), not the Democratic one.

Edit- The guy was named Vattel and was Swiss, not Dutch. And actually was a contemporary of the Founders. I was confusing him with Hugo Grotius. So yeah, was mistaken with those details. From a bit of googling, it seems like he's mostly mentioned by birthers, but there's a site debunking birtherism that discusses the relevant passage.

edited 19th Apr '17 9:43:50 AM by Hodor2

CenturyEye Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign? from I don't know where the Yith sent me this time... Since: Jan, 2017 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
#183650: Apr 19th 2017 at 10:21:36 AM

In today's episode of things sure to go over well:
Trump order to target foreign worker visa programme I sure hope Canada can forgive us for burdening them with all those skilled researchers, IT professionals, and all those new graduates of the [big word here] sciences.

Trump orders Iran nuclear deal review despite compliance

Donald Trump has ordered a review of the Iran nuclear deal, even though it is complying with all its commitments.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson revealed the review, on the Obama-era decision to lift sanctions on Iran, in a letter to Congress.

He acknowledged the Iranians had met the terms of the 2015 deal, but raised concerns about the country as a "state sponsor of terrorism".

In January - a year on from the deal coming into force - Mr Obama noted that, as promised, Iran had reduced its uranium stockpile by 98%. It has also removed two thirds of its centrifuges, which can be used in uranium enrichment.

But in a statement, Mr Tillerson said: "President Donald J. Trump has directed a National Security Council-led interagency review of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that will evaluate whether suspension of sanctions related to Iran.... is vital to the national security interests of the United States.

"It remains a leading state sponsor of terror, through many platforms and methods."

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

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