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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
There's of course the running note that "Latin America" encapsulates a gigantic number of cultures and countries, so it's also a case-by-case basis.
To my understanding the Catholic Church in Latin America is basically a political Wild Card in that sense. Like in the Brazilian Dictatorship the Catholic Church went back and forth between being complicit in the Dictatorship's crimes, actively opposing them, or covertly sabotaging them in varied ways, varying by member and by period.
Comparatively, though, the Catholic Church (at least in Brazil) tends to be ahead of the American-esque prosperity gospel Evangelical movements by veritable nautical miles but also a lot more conservative compared to the mainstream left (namely in the topics of reproductive rights and LGBTQ issues).
Edited by Gaon on Aug 31st 2020 at 5:56:53 AM
"All you Fascists bound to lose."Does that really helps?
I feel like Oliver is putting the carts before the horses here, or however that's supposed to go: poking at every single deficiency Biden has as a candidate before he's even elected doesn't strike me as a winning strategy, I think people should try to put pressure on him after he wins, no?
If voter apathy is the issue here, constantly criticizing Biden, regardless of how valid those criticisms are, feels very unpragmatic and not exactly the best way to deal with the problem.
I mean, if you don't have anything good to say about him, maybe it's better to not say anything at all? And just focus on tearing down the other guy?
I dunno, I won't pretend I'm any sort of expert or anything even remotely close, but I feel like the Usonian Left has a really big problem with choosing its battles. The time to tear Biden down has already passed, shouldn't we all just try to make the best out of the situation instead of constantly focusing on What Could Have Been?
Edited by HailMuffins on Aug 31st 2020 at 10:16:14 AM
That's more or less my feeling. It's Biden or Trump now, and there's nothing about Joe Biden so awful it makes a second term of Donald Trump the better alternative, so now's not the time to get on his case over whatever-it-is-this-time.
Today's What the Fuck Just Happened Today?
Day 1320: "Recklessly encouraging violence."
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/how-to-vote-2020/
https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/plan-your-vote-state-by-state-guide-voting-by-mail-early-in-person-voting-election/index.html?cid=bc_npd_nn_ms_np-1_200816
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-vote-by-mail-in-every-state-11597840923
U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~6,024,000; deaths: ~184,000
Source: Johns Hopkins University
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
💻 COVID-19 Live Blogs: Washington Post / New York Times / CNN / Bloomberg
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/31/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-08-31-20-intl/h_9ab6b9dd910c900a9c0a26fa178d70f8
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-30/n-y-state-faces-outbreaks-u-s-cases-ticking-up-virus-update?srnd=premium
https://apnews.com/9f4d40fec7f0289941c510200794c2b2
2/ Trump’s newest coronavirus task force member is urging the White House to embrace “herd immunity” as U.S. coronavirus case count topped 6 million. The controversial strategy would require lifting social distancing restrictions and allowing the coronavirus to spread through the population. The World Health Organization, meanwhile, urged countries to continue implementing safety measures to control the spread of the coronavirus, such as limiting public gatherings and protecting vulnerable groups as they try to reopen businesses and services, saying “No country can just pretend the pandemic is over.” Scott Atlas, who does not have a background in infectious diseases or epidemiology, joined the White House earlier this month as a pandemic adviser. He has advocated that the U.S. adopt Sweden’s model, which public health officials and infectious disease experts have called reckless. The U.S. has recorded more than 183,000 deaths from the virus. (Washington Post / Politico / NBC News / CNBC)
3/ FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said he’d be willing to fast-track emergency use authorization for a coronavirus vaccine before phase 3 trials are over, but insisted he wouldn’t rush approval to please the Trump administration. “We have a convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic with the political season,” Hahn said, “and we’re just going to have to get through that and stick to our core principles.” Hahn’s comments come a week after he granted emergency authorization of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients. Hahn was immediately criticized
for overstating its benefits and apologized a day later. That announcement came a day after Trump accused
the FDA, without any evidence, of moving too slowly to hurt him politically. (Financial Times / CNBC / Axios / Bloomberg)
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/31/white-house-warned-red-zones-406211
4/ The Justice Department never fully investigated Trump’s relationship with Russia and secretly narrowed the investigation into Russian election interference. When then-deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel in May 2017, he instructed Mueller to only conduct a criminal investigation of possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, which curtailed an FBI counterintelligence probe into Trump’s ties to Russia. Rosenstein concluded that the FBI didn’t have enough evidence to investigate Trump’s ties to a foreign adversary, and he suspected that the acting FBI director, Andrew McCabe, had conflicts of interest. McCabe had approved the counterintelligence investigation out of concerns that Trump’s decades of personal and financial dealings in Russia posed a national security threat. Rosenstein never told McCabe about his decision. (New York Times / Axios)
https://www.axios.com/rod-rosenstein-trump-russia-c005394f-1fc5-4097-9e1f-04b3c99b831f.html
Trump reportedly considered the idea of “settling” with Robert Mueller. According to the new book, Donald Trump v. The United States
, Trump told White House counsel Don McGahn “that there was nothing to worry about because if it was zeroing in on him, he would simply settle with Mueller. He would settle the case, as if he were negotiating terms in a lawsuit.” (Axios)
5/ Trump offered John Kelly the FBI director job a day after firing James Comey, but demanded that he “be loyal to him, and only him.” At the time, Kelly was the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and reportedly “immediately realized the problem with Trump’s request for loyalty, and he pushed back on the President’s demand,” saying he would be loyal to the Constitution and the rule of law. Kelly went on to serve as White House chief of staff. (Axios / CNN)
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/30/politics/john-kelly-fbi-director-trump/index.html
6/ Former White House counsel Don McGahn sent a two-page memo in February 2018 to then-Chief of Staff John Kelly arguing that Jared Kushner’s security clearance needed to be downgraded. Kelly was concerned about giving Kushner a top-secret clearance after receiving a briefing about a routine FBI investigation into Kushner’s background. McGahn wrote to Kelly that Kushner’s background check “raises serious additional concerns about whether this individual ought to retain a top security clearance until such issues can be investigated and resolved.” McGahn instead recommended that Kushner be given interim secret clearance “until further information is received.” Ultimately, Trump intervened to ensure Kushner received top-secret security clearance. (Axios)
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/31/politics/democrats-mcgahn-appeals-court-subpoena/index.html
7/ Trump praised a right-wing caravan of supporters in Portland who had fired paint and pellet guns at protesters. A day after a man was shot and killed during a clash between demonstrators at a pro-Trump vehicle rally, Trump shared a video on Twitter of the “Trump cruise rally,” calling them “GREAT PATRIOTS!” In another tweet, Trump referred to protesters in Washington, D.C., as “Disgraceful Anarchists” and said his administration is “watching them closely.” Trump also said the “big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected,” called the mayor of Portland “a FOOL,” and called on the state to “Bring in the National Guard!” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, meanwhile, said “I’d appreciate that either the president support us or stay the hell out of the way.” He added: “Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It’s you who have created the hate and the division.” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, meanwhile, claimed Trump had not seen the video of his supporters using paintballs and pepper spray against Portland protesters, which Trump himself tweeted out this weekend. The caption of the video reads: “Trump people unload paintballs and pepper spray. They shot me too.” (NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News / Axios / The Guardian)
8/ The governor of Wisconsin urged Trump to “reconsider” his planned trip to visit Kenosha amid ongoing protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to the White House warning that Trump’s presence “will only hinder our healing” and “delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.” Evers also said he was worried that having Trump in town would require “a massive re-direction of these resources to support your visit at a time when it is critical that we continue to remain focused on keeping the people of Kenosha safe and supporting the community’s response.” A White House spokesperson said Trump still plans to visit on Tuesday. (Washington Post / USA Today / Associated Press / CNN / Politico)
https://apnews.com/0f8b184872f489a75548914049e41b13
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/kenosha-militia-facebook-reported-455-times-moderators
9/ Biden condemned the violence in Portland and accused Trump of “fanning the flames of hate and division in our society” by “recklessly encouraging violence.” Biden criticized Trump as having “long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country” and argued that Trump “can’t stop the violence” that has arisen in the United States “because for years he has fomented it.” Biden also responded to Trump’s accusations that he would be soft on crime, saying Trump has been “incapable of telling us the truth, incapable of facing the facts. Incapable of healing.” During his speech in Pittsburgh, Biden repeatedly asked: “Do you really feel safer under Donald Trump?” (NBC News / CNN / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / Washington Post)
poll/ 96% of Biden and Trump supporters say they have decided how they will vote — up 2% from late July. 8% remain undecided. (Yahoo News)
poll/ Biden leads Trump 50% to 44% among likely voters following the Republican National Convention. Prior to the convention, Biden lead Trump 52% to 42%. (Morning Consult)
https://morningconsult.com/2020/08/29/post-rnc-poll-trump-bounce/
poll/ 49.9% of active-duty service members have an unfavorable view of Trump, compared to 38% who view Trump favorably. 42% said they “strongly” disapprove of Trump’s time in office. 43% said they would vote for Biden if the election was held today, and 37% said they plan to vote to re-elect Trump. (Military Times)
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/31/politics/house-committee-subpoena-dejoy/index.html
A Trump-appointed federal housing official tricked four public housing residents into appearing in a video that was used during the Republican National Convention. Three of the tenants said they were never told that their interviews would be edited into a video clip that aired during the RNC, and all three said they opposed Trump and were misled about the video. Lynne Patton is a longtime Trump associated and is head of the New York office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Under the Hatch Act, Patton is barred from using her government position to engage in political activities. (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/nyregion/nyc-tenants-rnc-video-trump.html
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf claimed he didn’t know the naturalization ceremony he participated in at the White House would be broadcast during the Republican National Convention. Wolf’s comments came after DHS employees received an email reminding them not to engage in “partisan political activity.” Democrats have also called for an investigation into Wolf’s potential violation of the Hatch Act. (Politico / uffPost)
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/30/chad-wolf-naturalization-republican-convention-405214
A group of Voice of America journalists accused the parent agency’s new CEO of “endanger[ing] the personal security of VOA reporters at home and abroad, as well as threatening to harm U.S. national security objectives.” The group alleges that Michael Pack’s remarks in an interview prove he has a damaging agenda for the international broadcasters he oversees. Pack was nominated by Trump in 2018 to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media. (NPR)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/politics/trump-protests-violence-coronavirus.html
How Trump Sowed COVID Supply Chaos: “Try Getting It Yourselves.” In a March 16 conference call, President Trump told governors that the federal government would try to help, but that for “respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment—try getting it yourselves.” (Wall Street Journal)
Edited by sgamer82 on Aug 31st 2020 at 6:21:16 AM
I watched the segment and it read to me as less a criticism of Biden, and more just an acknowledgment of even if Biden wins, and he was super progressive, and the Democrats steamrolled everything else things wouldn't be over.
Because the kind of change that needs to happen takes years to happen, and one election season isn't the end of things (even if it is still very important).
Edited by LSBK on Aug 31st 2020 at 8:22:31 AM
Seems like a bit of a Captain Obvious Aesop, but I might be giving people too much credit.
God knows there has been enough people who treated Bernie as the second coming of Jesus.
Also, I don't think we should be scared of discussing criticisms of Biden here. It's not like this little forum of ours is going to decide the election. Discussing Biden's weak points is not going to somehow jinx the election.
I mean really, sometimes you guys are talking like the outcome of the election hinges on what we are saying in this thread.
Hope shines brightest in the darkest times![]()
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Ousting Trump and the rest of the GOP from power would only be the first step. A crucial first step sure, but only a first step.
And make no mistake, it's very necessary. Reform of police institutions can't even begin as long as there's a President and a party in charge who will resist every attempt to even acknowledge the problems with the police.
Disgusted, but not surprisedI feel like Trump has basically shown the rest of the country what it's like to be in Kentucky.
Here the racism isn't a problem that's being ignored. It is a vital part of their ideology and something to be celebrated.
Trump thrives by exalting racism and white supremacy.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.@Hail Muffins Yeah, I've been screaming myself hoarse saying just this for weeks.
Honestly, the US kind of deserves this. Tik Tok may be problematic, but this sort of opportunistic market grabbing is not the right solution.
This comment is particularly interesting:
Economically dominant economies demand strong intellectual property rights because they produce a ton of the valuable intellectual properties. The developing economies typically tend to steal intellectual property as part of its development. Once the developing economy transitions to a dominant economy, their stances on intellectual property tends to flip since now they have more to lose and favor stronger intellectual property rights.
If you want a historical example, in the late 18th and 19th century, England (the dominant economy) viewed the US as a country of thieves because of the persistent American practice of printing bootleg books from popular British authors (notably Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde) as well as infringing British patents.
However, the US' views on intellectual property flipped as the US became increasingly dominant in the economy towards the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.
Edited by Redmess on Aug 31st 2020 at 7:51:22 PM
Hope shines brightest in the darkest timesWhat do you view as the right solution? If you think something is a security risk because of data leaks and being based in another country, you can either tell it to get screwed or locate domestically.
This applies universally, regardless of how authoritarian a government is; VPNs and other techniques are common for a reason.
Either ban it outright, or demand stricter enforcement of local privacy laws. Selling off, especially to the country making the demands, just seems like opportunism. It is basically giving US competitors a freebie by forcing the company to sell off their IP.
I don't think the US would be jumping for joy if China decided to pull something similar on Apple, for example.
Edited by Redmess on Aug 31st 2020 at 8:00:30 PM
Hope shines brightest in the darkest timesTrump Had One Good Response to Covid-19. His Party Killed It
. Well, not necessarily "his" good response and he helped kill it too, but still. Yet another demonstration of how bad the Republican Party as a whole is.
A couple days ago someone posted about MA governor Baker activating 1000 National Guard members for unknown reason. Today he ended the order, with still no word on why they were activated
. I don't know what was special about this weekend, which was pretty much the duration for when they were activated.
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Well, CCP have already kind of doing that sort of thing with no foreign business can access the Chinese market if it doesn't have a least one Chinese corporation owning a stock in it that is one of the main reasons Tencent is fucking everywhere now.
Welp, tomorrow night I'll get second-hand anecdotal info on how covid and mail-in voting are impacting voter turnout. Dad is working the polls for the primary, from opening to closing. Hopefully it won't be too much of a zoo as there's only one contested race and applications for mail-in ballots were automatically sent to all registered voters. On the other hand, he's also gonna be working the general election in two months' time, and that's very likely to get plenty of traffic.

We do have left wing Christian parties, but they are moderate Christians who are willing to look beyond their faith. The orthodox ones are very conservative, though. And I mean really orthodox, the "we don't really accept universal suffrage, but we kind of have to" variety.
Hope shines brightest in the darkest times