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

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#280076: May 8th 2019 at 4:49:14 PM

Just make really sure you don't have schizoid genes. Because if you do... cannabis finds them and flips switches you'd rather weren't messed with.

In short; smoking anything is going to be rough on lungs, mouth and throat, because particulates be like that — though tobacco is particularly nasty with the tar. Both cannabis and nicotine mess with the head, though — and both are differently addictive, depending on the person.

And one can give you a full-on schizoid breakdown if you have the genes and neurology for that. Do you feel lucky with that toke? Is it skunk or glue? (Because discovering that was epoxy resin can be about as much fun as discovering you've just drunk antifreeze instead of vodka.)

Edited by Euodiachloris on May 8th 2019 at 1:01:49 PM

Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#280077: May 8th 2019 at 5:08:58 PM

Worth observing that smoking anything also has a negative impact on the lungs of other people. People with respiratory conditions (such as asthma)? Vaping is no better for them than smoking.

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#280078: May 8th 2019 at 5:11:28 PM

I'm convinced a lot of my allergies and general stuffiness are down to the fact that I live with both my mom and brother right now and they're both constant smokers.

Edited by AceofSpades on May 8th 2019 at 7:11:46 AM

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#280079: May 8th 2019 at 6:01:29 PM

When it comes to marijuana, there's no evidence one way or another. The federal government banned all study into the substance when they realized they could use it as a sledgehammer against black people.

People have interpreted the lack of data to mean it's completely harmless. Others have interpreted it to mean it's deadlier than gunshot wounds. But what the lack of data really means is simply that we don't have data. There are no definitive answers on the harmfulness of marijuana.

At least, none that aren't tainted by the bias of advocates and opponents.

Edited by TobiasDrake on May 8th 2019 at 7:02:04 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#280080: May 8th 2019 at 6:02:53 PM

[up]

Well, let's be fair here - the government classified Marijuana as a Title I drug because the hippies used it. They treated heroine the same because the Black Panthers used it.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#280081: May 8th 2019 at 6:29:20 PM

Yes, pharmaseutical companies also pay heavily to fight pot.

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.
#280082: May 8th 2019 at 6:40:09 PM

It's possible, if some studies are to be believed, that even recreational use of cannabis is linked to an increased risk of schizophrenia.

So maybe wait until you're 25 or so — that is, after your brain is fully developed — before rolling a blunt.

Disgusted, but not surprised
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#280083: May 8th 2019 at 6:42:47 PM

I support the idea that younger people whose brains are still developing shouldn't use substances.

Do not obey in advance.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#280084: May 8th 2019 at 6:48:18 PM

Schizophrenia is something that obviously needs more study to begin with. One of the recent discoveries is one of those Fridge Horror things that could be a The Ending Changes Everything re: schizophrenia. Basically, someone did a record search of the number of schizophrenics in Nazi Germany before and after the war.

They discovered that the Nazis had killed every identified one on record because fuck the Nazis.

Except numbers Post-War were back up to Pre-War levels.

It implies...something was at work.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#280085: May 8th 2019 at 8:49:25 PM

I am completely fine if Congress limits or bans predatory microtransactions in games.

Okay, now define "predatory" in legalese.

I'm on the side that this bill is being written by the demographic that only barely understands how to use email, and therefore they will have no idea what they're doing and accidentally ban WoW or RPGs in their entirety because they're games you pay for that also have random number generation for critical hits and item drops. That seems far far more likely than this bill actually doing what it's intended to do.

I'm not against the idea entirely, but this is definitely something that needs a close eye kept on it. Except none of the people involved have any idea how to do so.

Edited by Clarste on May 8th 2019 at 8:50:24 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#280086: May 8th 2019 at 9:16:15 PM

It's even worse considering the person behind this bill is mainly doing this because he thinks tech industries are too "liberal" — he's just trying to do anything and everything he can to cripple them one way or another.

It's not a bill being proposed in good faith, and the actual text will likely reflect that.

I'd bet good money that one of the reasons he hates videogames is because some of them have LGBTQ representation and romances.

Edited by M84 on May 9th 2019 at 12:17:43 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#280087: May 8th 2019 at 9:24:16 PM

What I'd like to see happen is a leftist politician hijack the bill and rewrite the text in such a way that it actually becomes useful.

i'm tired, my friend
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#280088: May 8th 2019 at 10:00:28 PM

That doesn't really require a hijacking. That just takes a bipartisan revision either in the Senate or the House.

You guys are trying to frame standard legislative procedure as a way to stick it to this asshole. And making a lot of assumptions about a bill we know very little about in the process.

Edited by TobiasDrake on May 8th 2019 at 11:00:53 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#280089: May 8th 2019 at 10:04:55 PM

No but we know a fair bit about the guy pushing it and he's not exactly the first person you want writing this type of legislation.

Oh really when?
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#280090: May 8th 2019 at 10:06:25 PM

Well, too bad, because he's the only person doing it.

What we should do is take his bill and build on it. Revise it where needed. What we should not do is just dump it in a fire, declare that guy can get f*cked, and then continue never legislating lootboxes.

It's not like we're sitting here with seven different politicians all giving their ideas for lootbox regulation. Right now, it's this bill or nothing.

Edited by TobiasDrake on May 8th 2019 at 11:09:10 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#280091: May 8th 2019 at 10:11:30 PM

Honestly I'm not sure that nothing is going to be the worse option.

Oh really when?
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#280092: May 8th 2019 at 10:25:22 PM

Building on an inherently toxic and unstable foundation isn't the best idea either.

That leads to the entire building ultimately falling apart and everyone inside getting lung cancer or something.

I'd be more willing to give this the benefit of the doubt and a fair shake if it weren't for that bit in the article about him whining about an "anti-conservative" bias. That was a huge red flag for me.

Edited by M84 on May 9th 2019 at 1:27:01 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#280093: May 8th 2019 at 11:17:35 PM

Its theoretically possible for a Republican to do non-evil things.

It's just been absent lately.

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.
#280094: May 8th 2019 at 11:21:31 PM

From what Burr said about this guy, we shouldn't expect this to be an exception either.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Wryte Since: Jul, 2010
#280095: May 8th 2019 at 11:36:34 PM

continue never legislating lootboxes.

I'd actually be fine with that. This is one rare occasion where I think government regulation of bad industry practices is more harmful than good, and the problem can be adequately handled by the free market.

Video games are a 100% luxury industry. No one's livelihood or quality of life depends on them, and no workers are being put in danger by the practice. Loot boxes have gotten a terrible reputation from games that implement them as skeevy pay-to-win mechanics, but I have absolutely no problem with games like Overwatch that keep their contents strictly to cosmetics. Loot boxes are not inherently bad; they're used badly by some games and developers, but anti-loot box legislation is more likely to be a hammer than a scalpel. Maybe you aren't inclined to lose any sleep over that, but consider this:

Most games that employ loot boxes are online multiplayer games that players expect to be constantly accessible, and regularly updated with balance tweaks and bug fixes. Both of these are ongoing costs for the developer: they need to maintain the servers that host the game, and retain programmers and designers to keep working on the game. As sales of the game inevitably decline, it's only a matter of time before the cost of keeping that game alive becomes greater than the profit it's generating. At that point, if the company is going to continue supporting the game (because they are a company, and their goal is to make money; not to throw money down a hole to keep the servers running out of the goodness of their hearts), they need some way for it to keep generating income.

Loot boxes are the solution that the industry has by and large seized upon to this problem. They provide an ongoing source of income that makes continuing to support the game worthwhile to its company. Without them, companies would either have to just come up with some other way to keep charging players routinely to play their game, or would just stop supporting the game before they start losing money on the deal as the game's retail sales dry up.

And again, I don't think there's anything inherently bad about loot boxes. There are two primary ways that companies acting in bad faith abuse them, and they should be punished for both: putting mechanical advantages in loot boxes (pay to win), and making it too easy for unsupervised kids to purchase them. The latter, I'd be okay with the government putting some regulations in place to prevent: guidelines on how easy it can be to purchase loot boxes, such as requiring the fact that the game includes microtransactions to be advertised on the box or website, requiring full card or account number to be input for every purchase, being required to send notifications about purchases to the account's email, etc.

The former, however, should be on players to fix, because this is one time that the consumers actually have power to vote with their wallets. Games are a pure luxury item. Unlike food, medicine, health insurance, etc., no one has to buy games that employ pay to win mechanics, and thanks to the internet, it's easy to learn which ones those are.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#280096: May 8th 2019 at 11:39:21 PM

Loot Boxes are gambling and should be treated as such. It's also gambling aimed at children.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Wryte Since: Jul, 2010
#280097: May 8th 2019 at 11:41:34 PM

No more than blindbag figurines or gachapan. And really? Think of the Children!?

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#280098: May 8th 2019 at 11:42:53 PM

One note on the tobacco thing, not everyone who consumes tobacco smokes cigarettes.

Cigars and Pipes are still a thing, among others. But nicotine addicts will not really go for those, because those afair deliver less and are more about taste and ritual. So those smokers (And the smaller makers) usually get the stick because the Big Tobacco companies founs

Fuck Big Tobacco with a rusty pipe, but remember "smoking" is more than a quest for nicotine.

"You can reply to this Message!"
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
#280099: May 8th 2019 at 11:51:13 PM

Loot boxes are gambling and should be regulated as such, the US allows some forms of online gambling right? So just force any game with loot boxes to follow the same regulations.

The problem with loot boxes isn’t even that they’re gambling, it’s that they’re gambling that pretends to not be gambling, it’s the same as tobacco and how for so long it’s pretended to not be addictive.

Over here tobacco packets must come with a warning about the dangers of lung cancer and are restricted in sale to adults, I’d be okay with making every game with loot boxes carry a similar warning about the dangers of gambling addiction and being similarly age gated.

If people make an informed choice to gamble they should be able to, but right now people aren’t making an informed choice.

I’d rather a game die than be supported by tricking people into engaging in gambling.

Edited by Silasw on May 8th 2019 at 6:52:30 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#280100: May 8th 2019 at 11:51:35 PM

No more than blindbag figurines or gachapan. And really? Think of the Children!?

Children shouldn't be allowed to gamble. This is not a strange position.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.

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