TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

The General US Politics Thread

Go To

Nov 2023 Mod notice:


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.

If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines before posting here.

Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.

If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules when posting here.


In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.

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

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#252551: Aug 19th 2018 at 2:09:58 AM

There's a decent argument Mithrasism and Christianity have a lot of similarities because of Zorastranism and coming from the same region. However, the similarities are one of those things were you say, "Listen, Odin is a old bearded patriarch and so is Zeus so CLEARLY they are the same god."

But boiled down to it, Maher is a guy who has a lot of the stereotypes of what we in rural America call the limousine liberal. The idea of supposedly progressive people who actually have very little sympathy for the poor and destitute save in the abstract. It's a tool by the Right to discredit them but actually has a basis of truth unlike the majority of their claims.

At least in the context of Maher being one of the many people who couldn't care less now that he's a millionaire.

Re:

I knew the moment I stopped liking Maher was when a snake handler died after being bitten by poisonous snakes. He said, "If it's to prove God exists, maybe you should take that as a sign."

Me: While no friend of what I considered to be superstition and challenging God for a miracle...a man just died. Maybe show some basic human decency.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Aug 19th 2018 at 2:11:21 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#252552: Aug 19th 2018 at 2:35:00 AM

Freedom of speech just means the government can't arrest you for what you say. It doesn't mean that other people are obliged to listen to you if they don't want to. Nor does a privately-owned media company have to host you in their forum, or publish your writings, or allow you airtime. If people try to silence you, it doesn't mean you're right, nor does it mean you're being unfairly suppressed.

As the XKCD webcomic once said, "It just means they think you're an asshole, and they're showing you the door."

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#252553: Aug 19th 2018 at 2:56:58 AM

[up][up][up] And he tried to protect/shield Milo. I was done with Maher long before that, but he was nothing but a smug, increasingly minor asshole long past his sell by date and seemingly likely to continue a gradual sink into obscurity. Then his trans hatred and his attempt to protect Milo when that little prick tried to make light of child molestation happened and it was a solid Moral Event Horizon for me.

Long story short, Maher used to be a standup comedian who then started doing talk shows on various TV channels, (I think he was on ABC and then HBO when ABC canned him, more on that later) but he started getting his head stuck way too far up his own ass about a dozen years ago or more. He's smug about what he sees as his own cleverness and superior insight, he became practically a cliche of the brain addled stoner, he's a misogynist and openly Islamophobic, (he's the sort of smug new atheist who says "Look, all these religions with their made up sky fairies are bullshit and dangerous... but those Muslims are the most dangerous, and we should either civilize them or turn the Middle East into a parking lot") and his documentary lambasting religion supposedly features Manipulative Editing, Quote Mining, and just plain making shit up or lying along the lines of wht you;d expect from Fox News.

Maher probably feels sympathy for Jones because he sees himself as having been treated wrongly by the public. Very shortly after 9/11, Maher was talking on his show at ABC about the Al-Queda terrorists and pointed out, rather fairly, that the talk from Bush calling them cowards was kinda dumb, since you can say a lot of thing about people carrying out a Suicide Attack, but "cowardly" isn't exactly a fair characterization, and ordering cruise missile strikes from thousands of miles away isn't exactly a profile in courage. The outraged conservatives and general public of the time called for Maher's head, (he also got an ominous mention or two from the Bush White House, IIRC) and ABC was quick to give it to them. (He then soon afterward was picked up by HBO, and his martyrdom and rants against the Iraq war and Bush policies in general endeared him to part of the country for a couple of years until his assholishness gradually wiped that away.)

With the way that Maher got treated and the way the tides are turning and his brand of douchebaggery is going way out of style right now, I'm not surprised he's trying to fall back on the whole "All speech is sacred and shouldn't be infringed in any way" card. Man's got an expensive drug habit, an overgrown ego that needs constant validation, and he doesn't want to lose the means to satisfy both all at once.

Edited by TheWanderer on Aug 19th 2018 at 9:35:06 AM

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#252554: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:11:24 AM

HBO should ditch his ass

Do not obey in advance.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#252555: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:22:04 AM

After people said Alex Jones should be banned, Republicans countered so should Maher.

And the reaction was, "Yeah, good call."

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#252556: Aug 19th 2018 at 6:38:47 AM

So they went after James Gunn instead.

And now they're still trying to go after Gunn because the court of public opinion declared, "Yeah, he said some awful shit, but come on. He's not actually a pedophile. You've got no proof of that." Which didn't really satisfy their narrative of "THE LEFT DEFENDS PEDOPHILES AND RAPISTS TOO."

The Right has been trying really hard to find heinous left-leaning people that the Left is willing to rally around and defend despite their crimes, but they keep coming up short because we legitimately don't want awful people in our party. They can't conceive the notion of a moral stance that isn't a political ploy to win votes.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Aug 19th 2018 at 7:38:48 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#252557: Aug 19th 2018 at 6:39:42 AM

He's also made some rather awful statements about people with autism (so much so my father sent him a letter, though it wasn't answered, calling him out on it) and may or may not support autism speaks.

Steven (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#252558: Aug 19th 2018 at 7:18:38 AM

Speaking of Jones getting banned from most social media, some people are afraid that said platforms may start censoring people over anything not matching their political views, but I find that as a load of BS.

Remember, these idiots drive, fuck, and vote. Not always in that order.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#252559: Aug 19th 2018 at 7:41:13 AM

[up] Frankly that is along the same line of "if we take down Confederate Statues, where will it stop?" argument. Or "if we allow weapon control laws it will soon become anti-weapon laws". It's BS. A lot of things in life happen in a grey area or have a fluid red line one shouldn't cross. We just have to figure it out case by case instead of being dogmatic about it.

tryrar Since: Sep, 2010
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#252561: Aug 19th 2018 at 8:49:14 AM

[up]I have, it's a consequence of Trump treating his subordinates like trash while being unable to silence them reliably.

He's such a fucking moron.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#252562: Aug 19th 2018 at 9:13:29 AM

@Imca with "Its bad enough over here that I am legitimately surprised its been this long since the last school shooting"

Unfortunately, the reason for that is simple - summer vacation. Hard to commit a school shooting when school's closed.

And in ICE-related news, they arrested 36-year-old Joel Arrona while he was driving his pregnant wife to the hospital, and did jack-all to help her get there afterward. She wound up driving herself. While they say that it's due to an outstanding warrant in Mexico for a murder charge, they didn't present any details regarding it. Due to ICE's recent antics, I find it genuinely hard to believe them, even in a situation that's entirely possible.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#252563: Aug 19th 2018 at 2:58:06 PM

I've heard that an attempt to impeach trump would only ensure his reelection, does this sound probable?

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#252564: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:01:19 PM

That's Republican logic, yeah.

I'd be willing to believe it's more likely to lead to acts of domestic terrorism. However, that goes to show that he should be impeached. He's a criminal and he's guilty of countless impeachable offenses.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Aug 19th 2018 at 3:01:34 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#252565: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:29:58 PM

[up][up]It's the Bill Clinton theory. They assume that if Democrats took control, tried to impeach, and failed, then Trump's popularity would get a boost and his reelection chances along with it, just like Clinton got.

Edited by TheRoguePenguin on Aug 19th 2018 at 3:29:55 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#252566: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:31:45 PM

Impreach him and you get Pence

Do.Not.Want

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#252567: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:32:50 PM

Let's stop the Nazis first then worry about the Soviet Union.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Aug 19th 2018 at 3:33:02 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#252568: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:34:06 PM

[up][up][up]Which ignores the difference in perception between what the two of them would be charged with.

[up][up]Said as if Pence would be worse than Trump or doesn't already have a lot of influence.

Edited by LSBK on Aug 19th 2018 at 5:34:06 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#252569: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:35:51 PM

Pence would be as bad domestically, better in terms of foreign policy, and doesn't have Trump's cult of personality. If his position survives whatever brings Trump down, he'd still be tainted and likely easy prey in 2020.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#252570: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:38:12 PM

Pence would be way worse than Trump. That's not implying Trump is fine, that's just how bad Pence is.

[down] Well, for starters he's really big on an apocalyptic "clash of civilizations" between Christianity and Islam, to the point of advocating pre-emptive war against Muslim majority countries. He would also go absolutely nuts on culture war stuff at home just like he did in Indiana, and given that he's a much smoother political operator than Trump he'd likely succeed.

Edited by archonspeaks on Aug 19th 2018 at 3:48:52 AM

They should have sent a poet.
Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#252571: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:43:18 PM

What exactly do you imagine that Pence would do if he was president that he's not doing already? What do you imagine that Trump is preventing him from doing?

Edited by Gilphon on Aug 19th 2018 at 6:43:19 AM

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#252572: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:46:34 PM

"With the way that Maher got treated and the way the tides are turning and his brand of douchebaggery is going way out of style right now,"

Pretty much, he was famous in the 2000 because it atack what was consider aceptable targets just like many new atheist a decade before, it was easier to see him taking pot shot at radical islam and bush goverment but eventually once things move out he didnt.

In general is a good aseop about being a little bit watchfull of people who atack aceptable target because that dosent mean they are good people in general, sometimes they are just assholes in waiting.

But on Maher inviting Milo..I dislike him being so soft on Milo since he was a troll and everyone was expecting he rip him a new asshole, and yet it was the moment Milo overstep itself and finally got what he deserved.

So I got a bit of mix feeling about it.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#252573: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:52:16 PM

> What exactly do you imagine that Pence would do if he was president that he's not doing already? What do you imagine that Trump is preventing him from doing?

What would a christian Fundamentalist do if they became president? All the power of the United States at their beck and call,there's congress sure,but they can still do a lot even with them

And unlike Trump,this guy isn't a raging buffoon.For now he's biding his time,he knows he can't make waves while Trump is in office

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#252574: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:57:22 PM

Trump tried to start a war with Iran and Venezuela.

Again, people who think Pence is worse miss that Trump and Pence are entirely on the same page.

Both need to be removed but Trump is every bit as bad as Pence.

Arguably Pence is just as bad and worse in some areas but that's not a defense of Trump.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#252575: Aug 19th 2018 at 3:57:41 PM

I have lived in Indiana my whole life. Mike Pence scares the ever loving shit out of me. He is a genteel, friendly, well liked among local conservatives, religious fundamentalist nightmare. I do NOT want him to have literally any power whatsoever.

That being said, depending on timing, by the time Trump was impeached and Pence became president, it would be time for the 2020 election. So…

Edited by wisewillow on Aug 19th 2018 at 6:59:48 AM


Total posts: 417,856
Top