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

DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#280376: May 11th 2019 at 5:47:43 PM

Oh wow, Shapiro's on the receiving end of one of those 'X gets DESTROYED/SHUT DOWN' videos for once. :V

Pretty sure these videos were always tongue in cheeck, as Shapiro's "debating" boiled down to finding random young people not well-versed in rethorical trickery and talking fast so they couldn't get a word in.

People like him fall apart as soon as they're not going up against an easy mark.

Edited by DrunkenNordmann on May 11th 2019 at 2:49:23 PM

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
PresidentStalkeyes Eats moldy bread and flies into windows from United Kingdom of England-land Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: Do you like me? (Yes ⎕ Definitely ⎕ Absolutely!!! ⎕)
Eats moldy bread and flies into windows
#280377: May 11th 2019 at 5:51:54 PM

I figured. I tend not to watch those videos, I only know about them because YouTube kept forcing them up onto my video feed. If they are tongue-in-cheek they're clearly falling victim to Poe's Law in a big way.

Edited by PresidentStalkeyes on May 11th 2019 at 1:52:13 PM

Those sell-by-dates won't stop me because I can't read!
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#280378: May 11th 2019 at 5:54:31 PM

No, Ben Shapiro is 100% sincere in his being an evil faux-intellectual douchebag.

They based Ben Lockwood on him as the villain of Season 4's Supergirl.

It's just that this (conservative) journalist tore him a new one because, well, he wasn't getting the usual Fox News puff piece.

It was also just basic journalism.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#280379: May 11th 2019 at 5:57:28 PM

[up] I didn't say Ben Shapiro was being tongue in cheek - but the whole "Ben Shapiro DESTROYS x" meme pretty much is, as the guy is basically doing the rhetorical equivalent of shooting dead fish in a barrel.

That he completely flounders when somebody presses him even so slightly kinda proves my point.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
Oruka Since: Dec, 2018
#280380: May 12th 2019 at 1:05:37 AM

Alabama bill would make false rape allegations a crime. After failure to convict (which apparently is the case in 90% of rape accusations because it's hard to provide evidence beyond reasonable doubt), the accuser may be accused in turn of lying, which involves a whole separate trial, where the prosecution must prove that they lied "willfully, knowingly, and with malicious intent". While this sounds like a hard bar to clear as well, it all just seems designed to make rape victims hold back from accusing.

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.
#280381: May 12th 2019 at 1:17:46 AM

"seems to"? This is the state where the pedophile was a Senate contender and judge <.<

Edited by 3of4 on May 12th 2019 at 10:17:59 AM

"You can reply to this Message!"
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#280382: May 12th 2019 at 1:44:09 AM

Also, you can sue someone for libel, right? Aren't false rape accusations basically libel? So why is there a need for a separate law?

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.
#280383: May 12th 2019 at 1:51:05 AM

Libel is civil law, this would be criminal law. Meaning instead of having to hire a lawyer to drag the woman you raped through the dirt, you now get to have your tax dollars do it.

"You can reply to this Message!"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#280384: May 12th 2019 at 2:06:03 AM

False rape accusations do exist and are primarily used against black men.

And I can tell you with 100% certainty, this would not protect rape victims or victims of false rape accusations—PARTICULARLY black men.

Jesus Christ, is no one in the Red States making non-evil laws anymore? I mean even Sauron had to have written safety bills for the orc forges on some occasion.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on May 12th 2019 at 2:50:20 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#280385: May 12th 2019 at 2:14:20 AM

[up]

Jesus Christ, is no one in the Red States making non-evil laws anymore?

Why would they? Trump's election was sign for them that they didn't have to pretend anymore.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#280386: May 12th 2019 at 2:24:00 AM

I mean, False Rape Accusations are no joke.....but yeah, the agenda behind it is questionable, to say the least.

Edited by Forenperser on May 12th 2019 at 12:13:13 PM

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
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
#280387: May 12th 2019 at 2:50:44 AM

Also filling a false police report is already a crime, this bill just makes it so that the moment an accused is found not guilty the accuser is automatically put on trial. It’s purely about making women more afraid to report rape.

“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
#280388: May 12th 2019 at 2:52:12 AM

https://nypost.com/2019/05/11/trump-says-it-would-be-appropriate-to-discuss-biden-probe-with-ag-barr/

Trump believes Barr should investigate Joe Biden and his son.

This has multiple terrible implications but is another sign Barr should be arrested now.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
DarkPaladinX Since: Sep, 2009 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
#280389: May 12th 2019 at 4:46:04 AM

[up]Considering Joe Biden is one of the top Democratic contenders for the 2020 election, it's very likely that Trump wants to start his own Special Counsel investigation to discredit Biden even though there is little to no basis on an investigation on Biden across from trying to silence and arrest his political opponents.

Edited by DarkPaladinX on May 12th 2019 at 4:46:23 AM

singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#280390: May 12th 2019 at 5:43:08 AM

You know, I'd almost want him to do it. If he did, I would like to think it would dispel any reluctance on the part of the Democrats to start impeachment proceedings. I'd also like to think that one investigation won't be the equivalent of the lifetime of targeted investigations that Hillary suffered through, and that the media will see this for what it is. Not so sure on the second one however.

Zanthype from The Tardis Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#280391: May 12th 2019 at 6:51:59 AM

Sharing this from the parenting thread by recommendation.

"Am I a bad parent?" Why one woman didn't take her daughter to the ER after poison control said to.

A mother tells the story of her young daughter bypassing the child safety lock and getting into some pills. She called poison control and then parked outside of the emergency room while treating her inside their car with activated charcoal (what poison control recommended). Multiple parents share similar experiences in the article, where parents parked near hospitals and ER's but didn't go inside because they feared financial ruin due to the insane cost of care, like a $670 bandaid (100% serious about this, happened to me when I had gallbladder removal surgery).

It's extremely controversial for obvious reasons ("It's your kid, why would you risk it?"), but many parents feel that they have no choice, because treatment from a doctor could literally leave them out on the streets.

"In 900 years of time and space I've never met anyone who wasn't important."
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#280392: May 12th 2019 at 7:24:58 AM

That's an issue with hospitals in general. Since the patience in their care don't really have a choice, they can put all kind of treatments on the bill, even stuff they didn't even do...ie when my mother brought me to the hospital for really high Temperature and they immediately send me to another one specialized on meningitis, I later got to see the bill which included them giving me something to lower my fever per infusion, and I knew for a fact that they gave me a pill instead. Thankfully I don't have to worry about stuff like this, because it's between the hospital and the insurance, I basically only get the bill to check it in the German system. Hence the hospitals keep they "cheats" small, stuff nobody would bother to protest about. But I can imagine that in a system where you have basically the hospitals vs the patient, the patient will end up getting screwed over every single time.

But this might be a good time to compare the possible plans for the healthcare system the different candidates intend to push...are there any information about it? And I mean more than the "medicare for all" buzz phrase.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#280393: May 12th 2019 at 8:13:20 AM

... Such cheating should be easy to successfully sue the hospitals over, right?

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#280394: May 12th 2019 at 8:16:02 AM

If you can afford to sue them you could try (your average person can't probably can't though)

Edited by Ultimatum on May 12th 2019 at 3:23:30 PM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#280395: May 12th 2019 at 8:24:53 AM

I was more thinking of organizations that are concerned with patients' rights... or do those not exist in the US?

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#280396: May 12th 2019 at 8:26:25 AM

Yeah, that's kind of the problem with consumer justice. Sure, there are laws in place, and you have the right to sue, but a good attorney costs a lot of money and success is not guaranteed. The system is hilariously lopsided in the favour of corporations.

HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#280397: May 12th 2019 at 8:28:42 AM

Isn't that waht public defenders are for?

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
#280398: May 12th 2019 at 8:33:25 AM

You can’t use a public defender to sue someone, only when you’re accused of a crime.

Helping sue someone is what legal aid groups are for and they don’t have anywhere near the money that the ‘healthcare’ industry has.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#280399: May 12th 2019 at 8:33:59 AM

[up][up] They have a deserved bad rep however. I would NEVER use one.

Edited by Forenperser on May 12th 2019 at 5:34:10 PM

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
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
#280400: May 12th 2019 at 8:38:26 AM

I can’t speak about German public defenders but in the US their bad rep comes down to them not having the time needed to handle the massive workload put upon them. That’s no their fault.

Also being able to choose to not use one is a privileged position, for many people it’s a public defender or nothing.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran

Total posts: 417,856
Top