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

Balmung Since: Oct, 2011
#256901: Oct 6th 2018 at 1:46:17 AM

That's the extra funny thing - the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 and the 25th Amendment did clarify a lot of things, at least some of which there was no precedent for being necessary, and yet it still omits so many possible cases and leave a lot of ambiguity.

For example, all these people live and work in Washington DC. There is no provision whatsoever for if the entire line of succession is simply wiped out in an nuclear/biological/chemical attack, save for the infamous Designated Survivor during the State of the Union. There's no serious effort to geographically separate some part of the line of succession or establish specific, dedicated successors to be kept geographically separate and actually expected to hold the qualifications for the Presidency like the VP is. There's also the fact that many people in the line of succession who have no real relevant expertise, like the two legislators (and especially the Senate President pro Tempore (extra terrifying fact Strom Thurmond was 4th in the Line of Succession from January to June of 2001), who is just the most senior Senator of the majority party and holds no particular authority) and many Secretaries like the Secretary of Agriculture.

SteamKnight Since: Jun, 2018
#256902: Oct 6th 2018 at 3:22:12 AM

So, uhh... I have a real weird story for you guys. I live in Indonesia and I just met with a friend of mine. After a while, we ended up talking about American politics and things got weird. Not in a way that you think it would even. My friend apparently believe that American election is using some sort of point system.

Like an American's vote don't count as one, but is counted as points, depending on said American's standing. Poor and stupid American's vote has less points while rich and smart American's vote has more points. Not to mention that he thinks that is a good thing. (How the f*ck any of that crap sound like a good thing!?)

I don't think I need to tell you why such system is f*cked up. He is just so wrong on so, so many level like how can he be that wrong in the first place. I have corrected him and fortunately he accepted it (I think). He claimed that is what he got from the news. I kinda doubted that, though. I mean this is just so eh...

So... is there some sort of brand new disinformation campaign running around or my friend is just really that dumb?

I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#256903: Oct 6th 2018 at 3:24:41 AM

If you plumb the depths of the Internet you can find all kinds of weird fucked up (usually racist) fever dreams.

Some of it may indeed by Kremlin Reddit shitposters, but I doubt all of it is.

Edited by M84 on Oct 6th 2018 at 6:24:35 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
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
#256904: Oct 6th 2018 at 3:26:28 AM

That sounds like a really bad and confused interpretation of the electoral college, where people vote to decide which presidential candidate their state (which has a number of votes roughly connected to population but favouring low population states) votes for.

Because of uneven state populations and electoral college votes this does mean that a voter in one state may represent a bigger share of a single electoral college vote than a voter in another state.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#256905: Oct 6th 2018 at 3:29:15 AM

And even then that doesn't necessarily take the American's educational background or tax bracket into account. Rural states do have poor and uneducated people whose votes count for more due to the EC than the vote of a rich and educated person in, say, California.

Edited by M84 on Oct 6th 2018 at 6:28:55 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
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
#256906: Oct 6th 2018 at 3:30:27 AM

Yeah someone would have to have misinterpreted it several times to get to that idea, but I can kinda see the chain of illogicalness.

Edited by Silasw on Oct 6th 2018 at 10:36:11 AM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
SteamKnight Since: Jun, 2018
#256907: Oct 6th 2018 at 3:32:29 AM

[up][up][up][up] I am still mind-boggled at his version of American election system. I mean that system is practically begging for people to go on a riot during election time.

[up][up][up] I hope you are right. Bad and confused is an understatement of what happened with my friend back there.

I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#256908: Oct 6th 2018 at 3:36:25 AM

BTW, I just mailed in my overseas ballot. I should be able to find out in a week or two if it was received.

Anyone who is registered in a state where voting early and/or by mail is an option, I'd suggest you do so. You never know if something might happen to make going to the polls on the actual vote day a hassle.

Edited by M84 on Oct 6th 2018 at 6:36:19 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#256909: Oct 6th 2018 at 6:27:43 AM

He was warned, he was given an explanation, neverless, he persisted...

Trump Foundation engaged in 'persistent illegality,' New York attorney general says

"Persistent illegality," not politics, is why the New York State attorney general’s office sued President Trump’s charitable foundation, the office said in a new court filing.

The Trump Foundation is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit that alleged the foundation’s money was misused "numerous times" in ways that ran afoul of New York charities laws and denies engaging in any illegal activity.

In response, Attorney General Barbara Underwood's office disagrees and asserts the Trump Foundation "coordinated extensively" with the Trump campaign.

"Donald J. Trump used his control over the Donald J. Trump Foundation for his benefit to advance his personal, business, and political interests in violation of federal and state law governing charities," the filing said.

The lawsuit accused President Trump — along with his children, Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka — of conflating charity with politics, repeated and willful self-dealing and failure to follow basic fiduciary obligations.

Filed in state Supreme Court by the attorney general's Charities Bureau, the suit seeks to dissolve the private New York-based foundation and prevent the Trumps from serving as directors of any nonprofits in the future.

When the lawsuit was filed in June, President Trump attacked it.

"The sleazy New York Democrats, and their now disgraced (and run out of town) A.G. Eric Schneiderman, are doing everything they can to sue me on a foundation that took in $18,800,000 and gave out to charity more money than it took in, $19,200,000," the president said in a tweet referencing the former state attorney general.

The attorney general’s office denied it was singling out the Trump Foundation for political reasons

"The Respondents’ conduct here fits squarely within the types of cases for which injunctive relief is required and with respect to which the Attorney General has obtained such relief in the past."

Oral arguments on the motion to dismiss are scheduled later this month.

A reminder that the Trump Organization is in hot water in New York State.

Edited by megaeliz on Oct 6th 2018 at 9:27:33 AM

BigMadDraco Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#256910: Oct 6th 2018 at 6:38:30 AM

@Steam Knight That honestly sounds only marginally more stupid and broken than the actual electoral college.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#256911: Oct 6th 2018 at 6:39:04 AM

[up][up]"Persistent illegality"...pretty much Trump's entire life in a nutshell.

[up]Eh, having your vote count more because you're rich seems way worse than the EC.

Edited by M84 on Oct 6th 2018 at 9:39:22 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#256912: Oct 6th 2018 at 6:49:40 AM

Recently, a guy who impersonated a Saudi Prince for ten years and got away with it was brought to justice.

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/he-actually-believes-he-is-khalid-the-odyssey-of-a-counterfeit-saudi-prince

His life reminds me of Trump, but only after he escaped an actually shitty life versus one with a silver spoon.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#256913: Oct 6th 2018 at 7:04:32 AM

[up]It's not really US Politics though.

I do find it hilarious that he was caught because he ordered prosciutto — pork — at a restaurant when he was pretending to be a Muslim.

Disgusted, but not surprised
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#256914: Oct 6th 2018 at 7:16:31 AM

... I am honestly speechless. He just kept doing it over and over and over... WTF is wrong with the US law enforcement/justice system that it would allow such a man to repeat the same crime several times so frequently?!

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#256915: Oct 6th 2018 at 7:18:08 AM

Well, he was rich.

I mean, yes, he was a rich because he was criminal but he's rich.

So, there's nothing the law can do.

I mean that's what US law exists to protect.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#256916: Oct 6th 2018 at 7:22:04 AM

The real problem was that people kept falling for the act. Well educated savvy rich business people all fell for his con. Because it turns out a lot of those people are shallow magpies who are easily mesmerized by ostentatious displays of wealth.

And it didn't help that this guy was so driven to be a bullshit artist that multiple stints in prison did nothing to dissuade him.

I still think the most hilarious bit is that this guy put so much effort into his act as a Saudi Prince but forgot that Muslims don't eat pork.

The not so funny bit of course was that one guy who got wrapped up in the con tried to hang himself when the house of cards fell apart and died of his injuries.

This asshole Gignac helped to destroy a man.

Edited by M84 on Oct 6th 2018 at 10:25:48 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#256917: Oct 6th 2018 at 7:24:38 AM

Multiple stints of prison are not going to dissuade a guy who has been starving before and living like Nero otherwise.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#256918: Oct 6th 2018 at 7:29:00 AM

And again...what does this have to do with US politics?

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#256919: Oct 6th 2018 at 7:53:16 AM

Talking about the US legal system, the justice system, and the fact that the Trump empire is built on similar complete bullshit?

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#256920: Oct 6th 2018 at 8:04:16 AM

He's not impersonating anyone though,that's the thing

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#256921: Oct 6th 2018 at 9:00:35 AM

Trump's empire is based on fraud, fake wealth, and investing other people's money.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#256922: Oct 6th 2018 at 9:07:28 AM

Right but he's not impersonating anyone while he's do it,which is what the other guy was doing

Edited by Ultimatum on Oct 6th 2018 at 9:06:49 AM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#256923: Oct 6th 2018 at 9:07:37 AM

[up][up]With more than a little assistance from The Mafiya.

Edited by Rationalinsanity on Oct 6th 2018 at 1:07:26 PM

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!
#256924: Oct 6th 2018 at 9:15:19 AM

Yes we all know that Trump is a cheat, that's almost literally preaching to the choir.

It still doesn't make that news about the fraudster any less off-topic and irrelevant to US politics.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#256925: Oct 6th 2018 at 9:37:26 AM

Double post but I think this deserves its own post.

Matthew Yglesias has a wonderful article on Vox about the Supreme Court and Kavanaugh, Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation will delegitimize the Supreme Court — and that’s good

I would strongly recommend that anyone who's interested read the article. Essentially the point being made is that for the last decades the Supreme Court has been chipping away at our democracy and various rights crucial to the American people and yet there is still a common view amongst the public that it's even-handed and moderate when in reality it's been steadily going to the Right for years.

Thus Kavanaugh ascending to it will likely trigger a controversy on the legitimacy of the court and that's not a bad thing, the court has far more legitimacy then it actually deserves based on its actions. And we all should critically examine it and decide what the proper actions will be to curb its undemocratic and reactionary impulses.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang

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