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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.

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

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323926: Aug 15th 2020 at 9:53:16 AM

You don't see how US teens practising for US politics by forming US-centric parties is related to US politics?

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#323927: Aug 15th 2020 at 9:56:15 AM

[up]It's just the debating clubs aka the Union Societies.

Nasty pieces of work, but literally centuries old and based on Jesuit models. Older (and spread wider) than frats, but nowhere near as bad.

In short: not exactly news — just ask Erasmus.

Edited by Euodiachloris on Aug 15th 2020 at 9:58:11 AM

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323928: Aug 15th 2020 at 9:57:13 AM

It's news that there is a documentary coming out about it.

I feel you are being deliberately obtuse now.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#323929: Aug 15th 2020 at 9:58:35 AM

I'm also siding with "not news related to actual politics".

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#323930: Aug 15th 2020 at 9:59:21 AM

It's more like US politics-related trivia than actual US politics material.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323931: Aug 15th 2020 at 10:02:52 AM

But these kids will be future US politicians, and how they treat politics could say something about the future of US politics.

And since when does this thread require topics to be hot off the press?

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#323932: Aug 15th 2020 at 10:03:02 AM

Huh?

Woot: a documentary about a debating club-thing and inherent issues within it that pretty much eveybody has known about gender segregation for over 100 years. Be still my beating heart.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323933: Aug 15th 2020 at 10:04:18 AM

It's a bit more involved than a debating club, from what I gather.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#323934: Aug 15th 2020 at 10:05:31 AM

Nate Silver has stated a few thoughts on the whole mail fracas, including two important points:

  • Thank the free press that the story of Trump manipulating the postal service in what looks like a blatant attempt to rig the upcoming election is on all front pages.
  • If the right wing "news" don't cover this, it could favour Democrats at the actual vote, e.g by making Republican voters less diligent and thus more likely to lose their votes, or by reducing the partisan bias in using mail ballots.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323935: Aug 15th 2020 at 10:08:39 AM

I really don't understand why you guys are so up in arms about me bringing up a documentary.

Edited by Redmess on Aug 15th 2020 at 7:08:30 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#323936: Aug 15th 2020 at 10:11:19 AM

[up] Nobody's "up in arms", they just don't think it's all that relevant. Just let it go dude.

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#323937: Aug 15th 2020 at 10:51:14 AM

I attended Boys' State, though in Massachusetts. It was a summer camp that tried to teach civics in place of what high school didn't, and it rapidly devolved into a popularity contest. So yeah, relevant to elections, certainly. It's just not really something new, or that unusual. I don't think there's too much to say about it.

It's been fun.
RainingMetal (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#323938: Aug 15th 2020 at 11:04:46 AM

Good thing my high school actually taught Civics. I don't like summer camp.

ASAB: All Sponsors Are Bad.
SeptimusHeap MOD from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#323939: Aug 15th 2020 at 11:14:54 AM

Summer camps are not the topic of this thread.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#323940: Aug 15th 2020 at 11:15:20 AM

Why are these events still segregated along gender lines? Seems rather old fashioned.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#323941: Aug 15th 2020 at 11:27:35 AM

Exclusive: UPS, FedEx warn they cannot carry ballots like U.S. Postal Service

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-ups-fedex-exclusive-idUSKCN25B00I

United Parcel Service and FedEx on Friday shot down social media calls that they step in to deliver mail-in ballots from the U.S. Postal Service, which is warning states of potentially “significant” delays.

“State ballots must be postmarked to be considered valid and only the USPS has lawful postmarking status. Therefore UPS, FedEx and other private parties cannot technically be involved in shipping ballots,” UPS told Reuters in a statement.

“FedEx does accept individual ballots, and we advise that customers planning to return their ballots via FedEx should closely review their state’s guidelines on absentee voting and deadlines for ballots or related election documents,” FedEx said.

Edited by sgamer82 on Aug 15th 2020 at 11:28:08 AM

Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#323942: Aug 15th 2020 at 12:10:40 PM

Among those supportive of having UPS, FedEx handle ballots, the Lincoln Project. Yet another indication that they are not as benign as they want to appear, as privatizing the USPS has been a longstanding right-wing goal.

Edited by Eschaton on Aug 15th 2020 at 12:11:39 PM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#323943: Aug 15th 2020 at 12:31:44 PM

Honestly, while screw those guys, if there's a way to make sure all the ballots reach their intended destination on time let it be so.

All that matters is destroying Trump, Mitch, and Barr.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#323944: Aug 15th 2020 at 12:58:26 PM

The problem being that this inherently supports the desire of the right to destroy the USPS, whilst also forgetting that private companies cannot postmark ballots as is sometimes required.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#323945: Aug 15th 2020 at 12:59:52 PM

What exactly is the Right's thing with USPS about, exactly? Just a desire to privatize literally everything, or does it go further than that?

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#323946: Aug 15th 2020 at 1:05:06 PM

@LSBK It probably depends. On one hand, there are certainly groups among the American right that want to privatize literally everything. On the other hand, I could also see some believe that Fed Ex and the like could be manipulated better than the government postal service.

Leviticus 19:34
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#323947: Aug 15th 2020 at 1:05:50 PM

Pretty much. It sucks business away from for-profit entities despite not costing the taxpayer a cent unless they purchase from it.

Also I take it it's 100% a coincidence that the areas seeing the biggest forced reduction in USPS capacity just happened to be primarily Democrat-voting areas in 2016.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#323948: Aug 15th 2020 at 1:12:52 PM

That's also pretty much a population density map, so giving it in terms of absolute reduction in mail sorting rather than percentage reduction in mail sorting isn't terribly helpful.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#323949: Aug 15th 2020 at 1:58:08 PM

Trump is telling people that mail-in voting is a sham and a hoax, which is discouraging Republican voters specifically from trying to obtain mail-in ballots.

Trump is sabotaging the USPS and FOX News is avoiding talking about it despite actual news services like CNN or CBS or Washington Post raising as many alarm bells as possible to inform everybody about what is happening.

Trump's activities seem like they have a very high chance of suppressing his own vote.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#323950: Aug 15th 2020 at 1:59:26 PM

Trump being his own worst enemy is more or less consistent throughout his entire life.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

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