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

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#274452: Mar 15th 2019 at 2:50:57 PM

[up][up][up][up][up]Usually, it's similar to the concept of an "apolitical technocrat." That actually tends to mean centrist liberal conservatism in practice.

Edited by Ramidel on Mar 15th 2019 at 1:51:15 AM

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#274453: Mar 15th 2019 at 2:51:58 PM

[up][up]To clarify, I'm stating that morality is intrinsically not something factual-I loathe racism, but that is an opinion.

Leviticus 19:34
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#274454: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:02:46 PM

Empiricism simply cannot substitute subjective values

That's correct, but where I believe you are incorrect is in your assumption about how much about our world is truly subjective. Here's an example of a minimalist values system: When it comes down to it, a human being is a chemical process, and nothing more. For no reason other than our own subjective ego, we assign value to the phenomena known as consciousness that occurs in these chemical processes and most likely in other substrates, and then arbitrarily assign value to the experiences associated with consciousness that we judge to be positive, and collectively label them as "utility", along with a negative value to experiences that we judge to be negative and collectively label that as "suffering". We next have to weight these experiences according to how important they are relative to one another to determine the proper course of action when these values come into conflict with one another.

The judgement calls going into constructing that basic set of principles is the only part of the overall decision making process that absolutely needs to be subjective; everything else is capable of being optimized for at least in principle. In practice, there's need for additional subjectivity or shortcuts al over the place, but I still argue that we should seek to minimize the subjectivity that comes with ideological preconceptions.

[up][up] I wouldn't appreciate an economist telling me how to purify a protein or interpret mass spectroscopy data. I believe we should strive to extend the same courtesy to all domains of specialized knowledge so long as their prescriptions remain consistent with the fundamental values.

Edited by CaptainCapsase on Mar 15th 2019 at 6:07:11 AM

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#274455: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:05:13 PM

I think this is getting beyond US politics.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#274456: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:15:42 PM

That AR-15 nonsense is inaccessible from over her (GDPR reasons), mind copying some of it? I want to know what the hell they're thinking.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#274457: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:24:12 PM

The same thing "tough guys" drunk on Toxic Masculinity always think: that there wouldn't be any mass shootings if every American was carrying a gun all the time.

There is a school of thought in this country that literally thinks that the way we end gun violence is through the proliferation of more guns. That there is a gun saturation point where everybody is armed and therefore nobody will ever commit an act of violence again.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Mar 15th 2019 at 4:25:02 AM

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PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#274458: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:24:44 PM

Andrew Mc Daniel (R-Deering) introduced House Bill 1108 late last month. The bill would establish the Mc Daniel Militia Act, “which requires every person between 18 and 35 years of age who can legally possess a firearm to own an AR-15 and authorizes a tax credit for a purchase of an AR-15.”

According to the proposed bill, any person who qualifies as a resident on Aug. 28, 2019 who does not own an AR-15 would have a year to purchase one. In addition, anyone who becomes a state resident after Aug. 28, 2019 would have no later than a year to purchase an AR-15.

The bill was introduced for the first time and read on Feb. 27.

In addition, Mc Daniel filed a bill that would require every person 21 years of age and older to own a handgun if they are legally able to. That bill, House Bill 1052, was introduced two days prior to House Bill 1108.

According to the Missouri House of Representatives website, neither bill is currently scheduled for a hearing or on a House calendar.

It's not explained why; presumably an explanation doesn't exist.

i'm tired, my friend
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#274459: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:25:40 PM

Someone check if some AR outlet is donating to his office or something.

Oh really when?
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#274460: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:28:48 PM

"The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun" is just someone trying to sell two guns.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#274461: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:31:30 PM

They're just introducing a bill to make it a requirement that anyone between eighteen and thirty five who can legally own a gun is mandated to buy an AR 15. They're also introducing a mandatory buy a handgun bill. Neither is up for the vote, because laws that force you to spend money you wouldn't otherwise spend is going to be massively unpopular.

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#274462: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:31:37 PM

[up][up][up]I'm almost certain the NRA is funding him.

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Mar 15th 2019 at 6:31:50 AM

i'm tired, my friend
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#274463: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:37:23 PM

My guess is that it's a completely symbolic move intended to make that politician look good to the gun-nut crowd, but not actually pass.

To be fair, laws mandating weapon ownership actually can work in certain niche situations (a small town surrounded by polar bears, for example), none of which apply to Missouri.

Leviticus 19:34
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#274464: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:39:36 PM

I know there's like a town in Finland or something that has that requirement, but they use regular rifles, I believe, a weapon in proportion to the actual problem they're dealing with. Not fucking military gear meant to tear shit up.

And aren't AR 15s among the more expensive things to buy?

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#274465: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:41:55 PM

I know that Churchill, Manitoba doesn't require that. Though they do ban locking your car doors in certain months, in case someone needs to barricade themselves in it.

He's definitely just pandering to the gun lobby.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#274466: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:43:16 PM

[up][up]Supposedly they are relatively cheap, which is why the military uses them. Or they are cheap because the military uses them, meaning there's already a mass-production machine in place. Probably both.

Edited by Kayeka on Mar 15th 2019 at 11:43:46 AM

HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#274467: Mar 15th 2019 at 3:47:50 PM

Yeah, but "cheap for the military" and "cheap for your average joe" are two different things.

Also, such a law would open up a lot of questions: what about training? Or people with criminal records? Are there gonna be some manner of supervision over the maintenance?

I'm guessing some of this stuff is already in place, granted, but how can you justify making people cash out hundreds in the first place, over something that is by all rights completely non-essential to anyone?

He's just trying to give a stiffie to the NRA shitheads,this isn't going anywhere.

Edited by HailMuffins on Mar 15th 2019 at 7:49:40 AM

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#274468: Mar 15th 2019 at 4:07:59 PM

@Aceof Spades: The AR-15 is not a military weapon per se. It's a semi-automatic rifle, whereas its (already heavily regulated) military counterpart (the M 4 A 1) is a fully automatic assault rifle (and is far deadlier for it).

Leviticus 19:34
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#274469: Mar 15th 2019 at 4:13:02 PM

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/03/15/day-785/

    Day 785: Dangerous and reckless 
1/ Trump warned that his "tough" supporters – the police, military and "Bikers for Trump" – could turn violent against Democrats and things could get "very bad, very bad" if they feel either they or Trump have been wronged by the political process. Trump made the comments in an interview with Breitbart in which he argued that the left "plays it cuter and tougher. Like with all the nonsense that they do in Congress." Trump tweeted out a link promoting the interview Thursday night, raising concerns by several Democrats and political commentators that the comments amounted to a threat of violence. (ABC News / CNN / Washington Post / The Hill / Toronto Star / New York Magazine)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/15/politics/trump-breitbart-interview-tough-supporters-democrats-violence/index.html

2/ Trump later deleted the tweet to his Breitbart interview that he posted as news was breaking about two mosque shootings in New Zealand, which left 49 people dead. In a manifesto posted online before the shooting, the suspected gunman praised Trump as a "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose." The White House did not explain why Trump deleted the tweet, but called the shooting a "vicious act of hate." Trump called it a "horrible massacre," but doesn't think white nationalism is on the rise, saying "I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems." (USA Today / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Reuters / Business Insider / Daily Beast)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-shootout-usa/trump-condemns-new-zealand-mosque-attack-as-horrible-massacre-idUSKCN1QW1M8

Remington can now be sued for marketing the semiautomatic rifle used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The 4-3 decision, which reversed a lower court's ruling, will permit a lawsuit on behalf of the parents and relatives of the victims to proceed against the gun manufacturer of the AR-15-style rifle used to kill 20 young children and six adults in 2012. (Axios / Vice News)

https://www.axios.com/remington-sued-marketing-rifle-sandy-hook-shooting-2b05f0cb-1bd8-49e8-b3b0-b0787162d466.html

3/ Trump insisted that "there should be no Mueller report" a day after House unanimously voted to make the report public. Trump called Mueller's probe "an illegal and conflicted investigation in search of a crime," complaining that the probe was only started as an excuse for Democrats losing the 2016 election. (Politico / CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/15/trump-tweets-there-should-be-no-robert-mueller-russia-probe-report.html

Robert Mueller's office said that Rick Gates "continues to cooperate with respect to several ongoing investigations" and isn't ready to be sentenced. Mueller and Gates' attorney asks a federal judge for 60 more days before providing the next update on Gates' status. In February 2018, Gates struck a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to two criminal counts including conspiracy and lying to FBI agents. (CNN / CNBC / Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-gates-idUSKCN1QW1ZT

4/ Lindsey Graham blocked a non-binding resolution calling for Mueller's report to be made public after the House unanimously voted in support of the measure. Chuck Schumer asked for unanimous consent for the resolution in the Senate. Graham asked that the resolution include a provision calling on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate the handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email use and the Carter Page Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications. Schumer declined to include the proposed amendment, saying he was "deeply disappointed" in Graham for "blocking this very simple, non-controversial resolution." Under Senate rules, any senator can try to pass or set up a vote on a bill, resolution or nomination. But, in turn, any one senator can block their request. (USA Today / The Hill / Washington Post)

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/434124-graham-blocks-resolution-calling-for-mueller-report-to-be-made-public

5/ Trump issued the first veto of his presidency, rejecting a congressional resolution overturning his national emergency declaration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump called the resolution "dangerous" and "reckless" a day after 12 Republicans joined Senate Democrats to rebuke his decision to declare a national emergency last month in order to redirect funds to build a wall on the southern border. Trump's veto sends the resolution back to the House, which isn't expected to have the two-thirds of the chamber's support needed to override the veto. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Bloomberg / NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-issues-first-veto-rejecting-measure-overturn-border-declaration-n983676

6/ The Trump administration is considering sending a volunteer force to the southern border. Trump has been "casting about" for novel ways to direct additional resources to the border to stop people from crossing illegally. One DHS official said the move "makes eminent sense for a hurricane," but not for border security. "All of this is just to buttress the administration’s claim that there’s an emergency," they added. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/14/trump-border-national-emergency-volunteers-1271346

poll/ 21% of taxpayers expect to pay less income tax this year under the GOP Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. 29%, however, said they would pay more, and 27% said there would be no impact, with 24% unsure what they'll pay. (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tax-survey-idUSKCN1QW1BY

    Notables 
North Korea threatened to suspend denuclearization negotiations with the Trump administration and resume its nuclear and missile testing programs because Trump's national security adviser and Secretary of State had created an "atmosphere of hostility and mistrust." Kim Jong-un's Vice Foreign Minister said Kim's personal relationship with Trump was "still good and the chemistry is mysteriously wonderful," but members of Trump's team had spoiled the two leaders' negotiations in Hanoi, Vietnam last month. As a result, North Korea said it might end its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. Choe Son-hui said the decision to end the moratorium is up to Kim, and that "he will make his decision in a short period of time." (New York Times / NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-may-suspend-nuclear-talks-u-s-diplomat-warns-n983586

Foreign countries are turning to lobbying firms to try and curry favor with Trump and influence U.S. policy. Some of the countries employing lobbying firms are U.S. allies, while others include countries with deeply stained human rights records such as Zimbabwe, Kosovo, Georgia, Turkey and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Foreign countries have turned to lobbying firms in the past, but the number of countries with ties to the Trump campaign has gone up sharply. The lobbyists with Trump ties have also been charging exorbitant fees in exchange for representing companies that need help overseas, such as Chinese telecom giant ZTE. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/15/trump-lobby-firms-foreign-governments-1222197

The Trump administration is planning to expand rules that would disqualify more visa applicants living abroad, as well as those in the U.S. the administration believes are using too many public services. (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-deny-visa-applicants-whove-public-assistance/story?id=61656543

Trump administration reduced the fines for nursing homes found to have endangered or injured residents. The average fine dropped from $41,260 to $28,405. (NPR)

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/15/702645465/trump-administration-cuts-the-size-of-fines-for-health-violations-in-nursing-hom?

archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#274470: Mar 15th 2019 at 6:11:51 PM

[up][up][up] An AR could be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Military ones generally run towards the more expensive end of things.

Looking for any sort of logic here is a fools errand though. This is just meant to be something he can put in ads later.

They should have sent a poet.
Imca (Veteran)
#274471: Mar 15th 2019 at 9:01:39 PM

is a fully automatic assault rifle (and is far deadlier for it).

Not exactly, automatic fire is rarely used, and makes the weapon less lethal, with the point being to make the enemy keep there heads down so that you can move without being shot yourself.... even with the AR series low recoil, real life isn't a video game and your not going to hit any thing at combat distances on auto.... just use all your ammunition in 3 seconds.

Its why you get statistics like 250,000 rounds of ammunition fired by the military for every kill.

Edited by Imca on Mar 15th 2019 at 9:02:59 AM

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#274472: Mar 15th 2019 at 9:08:52 PM

[up] In the context of a terror attack, firing an automatic weapon into a crowd can be devastatingly effective.

Imca (Veteran)
#274473: Mar 15th 2019 at 9:12:48 PM

Thats fair, though its also worth noting that there has been no illicit use of a fully automatic weapon in the united states in decades, modified semi-automatics had one recently.... but an actual fully automatic weapon, no.

The system for tracking and restricting there purchase does its job pretty well, for as many jokes are made about how it is legal to own a machine-gun in the untied states, its actually quite hard to do so... with the licensing process being very strict, the weapon itself costing 10,000+, and them consuming hundreds of dollars of ammunition a minute.... and so there owners tend to use them to impress every one else on the range, rather then for criminal activity.

Edited by Imca on Mar 15th 2019 at 9:20:18 AM

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#274474: Mar 16th 2019 at 2:26:30 AM

It sounds like automatic weapons are locked behind the effort-wall. Obtaining a fully-automatic weapon takes an awful lot of effort, while any aspiring bad actor can just grab an AR-15 instead and accomplish basically the same goal easier.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Mar 16th 2019 at 3:26:51 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#274475: Mar 16th 2019 at 2:44:16 AM

The town of Kennesaw, Georgia has a local ordinance which states: "The head of every household must keep an operable firearm and appropriate ammunition in his or her home." In short, it's illegal to not own a gun there. (Although residents can get an exemption for reasons of religion or pacifism, subject to examination and confirmation by local officials.)

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.

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