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

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#274026: Mar 10th 2019 at 11:52:26 PM

[up][up]Looking at the way Mc Connell acts I sometimes get the impression they might be aware of it, they just don't care and are completely shameless.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#274027: Mar 11th 2019 at 12:12:55 AM

See, I had the same impression about Evil Turtle. Remember, they did turn the 115th Senate as an one party thing then upon losing the House majority demanded bipartisanship. Or how he was all critical about Obamacare being supposedly secretively written then wrote up a new bill in 2017 without any debate.

By the by, regarding last page's topic apparently the House voted on such a voting age change. 1 Republican and 125 Democrats in favour, 108 Democrats against and 197 Republicans against and 2 Democrats present.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#274028: Mar 11th 2019 at 6:09:03 AM

So apparently, some creepy stuff that Tucker Carlson said on Bubba the Love Sponge's radio show has emerged.
If this were any other time in TV history, Tucker's show would be gone. But after Pussygate, I remain skeptical that these quotes will do anything but boost his ratings.

Edited by speedyboris on Mar 11th 2019 at 8:09:59 AM

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#274029: Mar 11th 2019 at 6:42:38 AM

I'm on the fence re: the voting age thing. There isn't a really tangible difference between 16 and 18, and I know I didn't change much between those two ages, but there is value in letting Teens Are Monsters tendencies burn out of a person's personality before they ever set foot in a ballot box. For every teen that volunteers in Re. Pressley's campaign, there's five or six bullying a classmate to the brink of suicide. I'm not sure how much I'd trust a sixteen year old to cast a well-thought ballot if they had just stuffed a peer's head into a toilet bowl that day. I think there's an inherent sampling bias in the Pro- argument in that these Reps are seeing their young volunteers and thinking, "All sixteen year olds should vote!" What they want is for their young volunteers to vote.

On the other hand, our elderly are probably the most idiotic voters on the planet and we structure our entire election system to prioritize them, so maybe this is exactly the shot in the arm our democracy needs.

"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."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#274030: Mar 11th 2019 at 6:49:32 AM

I remember what I was like at age 16. I can honestly say it's a good thing I wasn't able to vote.

But who knows...maybe today's youth are more politically savvy.

It's worth noting that there are other countries that have a voting age of 16: Ecuador, Cuba, Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua...

...I'm not sure if that's a case for or against the idea tbh.

Disgusted, but not surprised
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#274031: Mar 11th 2019 at 6:57:42 AM

Not sure if this was mentioned yet, but Pete Buttigieg is also running for president (D). He had a town hall on CNN last night- I didn't have the sound on but some of the questions asked included how he would protect LBGTQ rights (he is openly gay himself) and what he means about guaranteed income. And here are some of his stances.

Edited by speedyboris on Mar 11th 2019 at 8:58:28 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#274032: Mar 11th 2019 at 6:59:12 AM

That anti-NAFTA stance is kind of iffy. Not a fan of protectionist bullshit.

Edited by M84 on Mar 11th 2019 at 9:59:27 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#274033: Mar 11th 2019 at 7:05:24 AM

There's a much stronger case for it in the UK, where you can start working and paying takes at 16 - making it a literal case of "taxation without representation" but I just looked it up and it seems you only start paying tax at 18 in the States. A lot of things seem to have a higher age requirement in the States by the looks of it...

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#274034: Mar 11th 2019 at 7:08:50 AM

Isn't the voting age already 16 in Scotland for local elections?

Disgusted, but not surprised
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#274035: Mar 11th 2019 at 7:15:08 AM

For the sake of clarification: in Brazil, voting when you're 16-17 y/o is only optional, when you reach 18 it is an obligation, as in not voting without proper justification gets you fined.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#274036: Mar 11th 2019 at 7:16:06 AM

For better or worse, mandatory voting isn't a thing in the USA.

Disgusted, but not surprised
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#274037: Mar 11th 2019 at 7:19:40 AM

I know, just putting all cards on the table, so to speak.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#274038: Mar 11th 2019 at 7:25:29 AM

No offence to the guy, but a gay man named Pete Buttigieg would have so many problems in a national election based on his name.

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#274039: Mar 11th 2019 at 7:50:00 AM

Honestly why he shouldn’t even be running. Too easy to mock.

"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."
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#274040: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:11:28 AM

Trump is going to make childish nicknames for anybody regardless. If we're going to disqualify candidates out of fear of what Trump and his cult might/will do, we're letting them win.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#274041: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:16:04 AM

Well, that's what all of their criticisms to expanding voting rights comes down to.

The stranger thing is how often they actually say it, but apparently don't realize how anti-democratic that sentiment actually is.

On some level, they do realize it, hence why they're often the ones who spread the whole "the US is a REPUBLIC, not a DEMOCRACY" nonsense. Because otherwise, their opposition to democracy becomes much less presentable.

"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
#274042: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:21:06 AM

[up] Because apparently people don't understand the difference between form of state and form of government.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#274043: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:24:18 AM

[up]x3 There's worrying about Trump making a stupid nickname for anyone, and having a name that invites ridicule or makes the mockery stick.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#274044: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:25:39 AM

I talk to people who try to justify the "rural Americans get more votes than urban Americans" thing by claiming that without it, they'd get no say in government. Then I ask them to explain how a democracy can function if some people have more say than others, and they are unable to answer coherently.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#274045: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:30:57 AM

[up] Some people try to turn that one around on you by arguing that in this case minority-friendly policies should also go.

Edited by DrunkenNordmann on Mar 11th 2019 at 4:31:23 PM

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#274046: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:43:40 AM

I remember seeing am image somewhere arguing against the 'California get 2 Senators for 39M people while Wyoming gets the same amount for 570k people' by responding along the lines of 'yeah, well, Texas gets 2 for 28M people while Vermont gets the same for 620k' - as if pointing out that it's unfair BOTH ways somehow made it ok.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#274047: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:45:01 AM

Isn't that exact issue what the House of Representatives is for, anyway?

DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#274048: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:47:20 AM

There's also the major flaw that people look at state borders when talking about a national election.

The president isn't the leader of California or Texas, he's the leader of the country.

So state borders shouldn't even matter.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#274049: Mar 11th 2019 at 8:52:41 AM

Part of me thinks that the Senator allocation was done partially to defend slavery, but I'm not sure if I'm misremembering or conflating something else in my mind.

Edit: Had a quick look on Quora for an answer tongue hoooo boy, the wingnuts are out in force over there.

"The Republic isn't 'fair' so get that thought out of your mind."

Then I ask them to explain how a democracy can function if some people have more say than others

"It's not a democracy, it's a constitutional Republic" - the Stephen Crowder school of logic.

Edited by GoldenKaos on Mar 11th 2019 at 3:57:14 PM

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
Bur from Flyover Country (Living Relic) Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#274050: Mar 11th 2019 at 9:02:23 AM

Trump proposes $4.7 trillion budget with domestic cuts, $8.6 billion in new funding for border wall

“Trump’s “Budget for a Better America” also includes dozens of spending cuts and policy overhauls that frame the early stages of the debate for the 2020 election. For example, Trump for the first time calls for cutting $845 billion from Medicare, the popular health care program for the elderly that in the past he had largely said he would protect.

His budget would also propose a major overhaul of Medicaid, the health care program for low-income Americans run jointly with states, by turning more power over to states. This would save $241 billion over 10 years.

Other agencies, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency, State Department, Transportation Department, and Interior Department, would see their budgets severely reduced.

[...]

More broadly, Tump’s budget would impose mandatory work-requirements for millions of people who receive welfare assistance while dramatically increasing the defense budget to $750 billion next year, a 5 percent increase from 2019.“


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