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

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#331526: Oct 5th 2020 at 7:30:57 AM

Yeah, the "stealing from Star Trek" meme is a little off. Kind of like people accusing Warhammer of stealing the design for Orcs from Warcraft. Space Force may seem like a joke but it is mostly taking over the space launch responsibilities from the Air Force. There's talk of fielding troops to orbit, but this is just speculation at the moment. There is value in "defending our space infrastructure" against potential future threats, but that's more reasonably thought of as red meat for the "U.S.A.!" crowd.

As it stands, the energy this administration is putting into the U.S. space program is one of the few good things it's done, even though this comes down as much to Congress as to the White House. After all, Congress appropriates the funds for NASA and tells it what it can spend them on. Much of the current wasteful boondoggle of the Artemis program — specifically its reliance on Boeing's SLS rocket — can be laid squarely at the feet of a few Senators, although the push for a 2024 Moon landing is all about Trump's ego.

Jim Bridenstine is one of the only Trump officials who's actually doing a competent job at running the agency he's assigned to. Political differences aside, Bridenstine has earned excellent marks for his juggling of the political and engineering sides of NASA and for promoting its mission to the public.

None of this excuses or mitigates the rest of the awful things the administration has done.

Edited by Fighteer on Oct 5th 2020 at 10:46:53 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
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
#331527: Oct 5th 2020 at 7:31:33 AM

Yeah the US miltiary ‘borrowed’ the Star Trek logo decades ago. As for Space Force violating treaties, unless it’s been given nukes while I wasn’t looking it doesn’t, there’s no rule against having weapons in space.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#331528: Oct 5th 2020 at 7:33:42 AM

If only "might have plagiarized the logo of a popular science fiction franchise" were the worst crime laid at this administration's feet.

It would also be nice if national space programs were more about science and commerce and less about dick waving contests, but hey ho. That isn't a unique invention of Trump and Pence.

Edited by Fighteer on Oct 5th 2020 at 10:47:31 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#331529: Oct 5th 2020 at 7:36:09 AM

Tobias is right, but at the same time I don't feel we can really trust anything from either the White House or Twitter on his health right now. It would be completely in line with this administration, and frankly leadership in general, to cover up how severe the situation is until they absolutely cannot deny it any more (and sometimes even then).

I also notice that this distorts foreign news reports a bit as well. Our news tends to just report statements from the White House press releases, basically, so it tends to paint a rosier, stabler picture than what we are getting from leaks elsewhere. If anything, that shows the limited reliability of short news segments for public radio.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#331530: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:34:28 AM

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested positive for COVID. Link to her twitter

Edit: Apparently she was talking to reporters yesterday with no mask?

Edited by nova92 on Oct 5th 2020 at 8:55:13 AM

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#331531: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:37:11 AM

Seriously concerned the White House staff may actually be all infected.

Regardless of where we stands on this, I think the WH being infected is a national security crisis.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#331532: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:38:55 AM

Especially since a lot of them are the equivalent of a Punch-Clock Villain insofar as there must be at least a few other employees other than the Secret Service who are there for reasons other than necessarily liking Trump or his fascism.

TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#331533: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:39:48 AM

They may be short-staffed, but there's continuity of government going down multiple levels. This is unfortunate, but not crippling, at least not yet.

Edited by TheRoguePenguin on Oct 5th 2020 at 8:40:08 AM

Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#331534: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:41:22 AM

Who would have thought that one day, the White House would become a Plague House.

Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#331535: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:45:20 AM

So many people have tested positive that, statistically, someone is probably dying from this mess.

TitanJump Since: Sep, 2013 Relationship Status: Singularity
#331536: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:45:29 AM

I for one never expected that "The Masque of Red Death" would transcend fiction and turn into nonfiction in our actual reality.

The idiom of "Reality is stranger than fiction" is actually true

TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#331537: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:45:34 AM

If her temp replacement walks up to the podium without a mask, once of those reporters needs to straight up ask "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you trying to infect us?"

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#331539: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:49:28 AM

[up][up] They could just not do the briefings. IIRC after Sarah Huckabee Sanders left the Press Sec. job was open for some time. After all, most of their time is spent lying or dodging questions.


[up] Saw that - absolutely bonkers.

Edited by nova92 on Oct 5th 2020 at 8:49:57 AM

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#331540: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:52:08 AM

Credit for making lemonade out of lemons, at least.

Or would these be lemon grenades?

SatoshiBakura (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#331541: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:55:26 AM

Trump is still having first hand experience.

Isn’t he supposed to be discharged today? I doubt he has been treated at all.

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#331542: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:56:05 AM

Trump should next accuse Biden of draft dodging.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#331543: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:56:14 AM

And once again I feel a twinge of sympathy for The Onion writers who are finding their jobs increasingly obsolete

Someone did tell me life was going to be this way.
Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#331544: Oct 5th 2020 at 8:56:50 AM

These tweets on Trump's Twitter account seem designed to take advantage of whatever Twitter's keyword algorithm is. They Also coincide with several other politicians asking people to make sure they're registered to vote

Do we have any actual updates on Trump's health? There's been no news on whether he's actually being moved out of Walter Reed

HighCrate Since: Mar, 2015
#331545: Oct 5th 2020 at 9:00:59 AM

So many people have tested positive that, statistically, someone is probably dying from this mess.

Odds of someone in Trump's situation— obese, in generally poor health, over 70— actually dying are estimated as somewhere around 1 in 25.

While a lot of the others in his circles being infected aren't exactly the pictures of youth and health, many if not most of them still have better odds than he does.

It would have to keep spreading before it becomes a statistical likelihood that someone in Trump's immediate circle dies of it.

Edited by HighCrate on Oct 5th 2020 at 9:02:26 AM

ScubaWolf from South Carolina Since: Feb, 2020
#331546: Oct 5th 2020 at 9:04:00 AM

[up] Considering how they're still not taking it seriously, the odds keep going up.

"In a move surprising absolutely no one"
MichaelKatsuro Since: Apr, 2011
#331547: Oct 5th 2020 at 9:11:59 AM

[up] You mean "going down." High odds equals a low chance of something happening. It's super confusing.

But anyway, yeah, this won't end well.

Edited by MichaelKatsuro on Oct 5th 2020 at 6:12:11 PM

PointMaid Since: Jun, 2014
#331548: Oct 5th 2020 at 9:19:01 AM

[up] ?

As long as they meant "the odds of someone dying from this", I'm pretty sure they described it correctly, as the odds going up: definition of odds

Edited by PointMaid on Oct 5th 2020 at 12:21:31 PM

TitanJump Since: Sep, 2013 Relationship Status: Singularity
#331549: Oct 5th 2020 at 9:19:24 AM

Out of curiosity, how long are people, even by being suspected to have Covid, supposed to stay quarantined or in hospital until they are deemed "safe"?

Because today or tomorrow, is way too soon in Trump's case.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#331550: Oct 5th 2020 at 9:20:49 AM

In fairness, Trump can isolate (well, if he and his staff weren't idiots, but I digress) just fine in the White House. He only needs to be at Walter Reed if he requires advanced medical care. Most people who are not seriously ill from COVID-19 recuperate in their homes.

Edited by Fighteer on Oct 5th 2020 at 12:21:18 PM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

Total posts: 417,856
Top