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

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#342376: Dec 7th 2020 at 7:42:05 AM

Yes... Tom Clancy died in 2013, actually.

Edited by Redmess on Dec 7th 2020 at 4:42:27 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#342377: Dec 7th 2020 at 7:47:30 AM

Ghost writers are a thing you see..

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#342378: Dec 7th 2020 at 7:50:25 AM

Ghost Recon Writers.

:)

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Altris from the Vortex Since: Aug, 2019 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
#342379: Dec 7th 2020 at 7:51:50 AM

Guess I'm late to the news, then. I vaguely remember him writing political thrillers?

Yeah, uh, anyway, it's the anniversary of Pearl Harbor today in the US and there's a bit of a stink about Republicans being all "day that will live in infamy" while so many are dying of COVID.

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#342380: Dec 7th 2020 at 7:52:42 AM

Huh. That questionnare is so weird.

Anyways, about Barr...what's the worst that could happen between him and Trump? I am not quite sure what consequences can occur between the two positions.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#342381: Dec 7th 2020 at 7:56:12 AM

[up][up]Yeah, basically his niche is political/military thrillers, usually involving elite military units who act outside of the law.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#342382: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:00:17 AM

Tom Clancy just loved himself some unilateral military action by the pure-as-silk United States, hoorah aren't we so awesome and morally upstanding. I liked his earlier work but he devolved later in his career into straight-up conservative apologia. Heck, the Jack Ryan series is straight-up black ops with no accountability whatsoever.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#342383: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:13:50 AM

How's U.S ops with no accountability for them different from reality though tongue

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
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.
#342384: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:14:37 AM

[up]Well for starters trickle down economics work in fiction

"You can reply to this Message!"
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#342385: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:20:18 AM

So THAT'S the science fiction part of Tom Clancy books!

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#342386: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:26:43 AM

Yeah, it's kinda weird how some media franchises continue under its author's name even after their death. You see this in comics too.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#342387: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:30:25 AM

Full reveal of Biden's Health Team.

  • Secretary of Health and Human Services: Xavier Becerra, current AG of California, because apparently that's a step to higher office now. More seriously, he led the defense for the ACA when it came up before the Supreme Court and early in his career was an attorney for clients with mental health issue.

  • Surgeon General: Dr. Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General under Obama, so he'll hit the ground running. He's set up a number of organizations in the US and India to help train healthcare workers.

  • Director of the CDC: Dr. Rochelle Walensky. An infectious disease specialist currently serving as the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General.

  • COVID-19 Equity Task Force Chair: Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith. An Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine. "She is one of America's most distinguished and influential experts on persistent inequities in health care and health outcomes."

  • Chief Medical Adviser on COVID-19 to the President: Dr. Anthony Fauci. Who said "yes right on the spot" when Biden offered him this role.

  • Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response and Counselor to the President: Jeff Zients, former Director of the National Economic Council. Credited with fixing up Health Care.gov and overseeing the "Cash for Clunkers" program.

  • Deputy Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response: Natalie Quilian. A former senior staffer under Obama who coordinated Biden's campaign team Covid safety measures. She's also known for the interagency response to the Opioid crises.

ciyinwanderer Since: Dec, 2018
#342388: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:34:59 AM

It's sad just how relieved I am to see a list of competent people. Like, it's such a low bar to clear, but I genuinely breathed a sigh of relief looking at those names and their backgrounds.

This signature was thumped to preserve the dignity of the moderators.
FluffyMcChicken My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare from where the floating lights gleam Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare
#342389: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:40:15 AM

Sacramento Bee: Republicans took back four House seats in deep-blue California. How did they do it?

Key passages:

  • Republicans have clinched four of the seven competitive House races in California, proving wrong the dismal projections of their chances in 2020 and setting up the party for possible further success in 2022. Right now, California has seven congressional battlegrounds, and in the next session Republicans will control four of those, while Democrats control three.

  • While detailed data isn't yet available for California, political strategists on both sides expect California will show an under-representation of the Latino vote on the Democratic side - a disaster for the party in races that were decided by a few thousand, or even a few hundred, votes. Democrats also think the lack of a congressional deal on a COVID-19 pandemic stimulus money for more than seven months before the election hurt them in the battleground districts.

  • Republican strategists are emphasizing their recruitment successes across the country and in California. The four Republican candidates who won in California are Young Kim and Michelle Steel, the first two Korean women elected to Congress; David Valadao, a former representative of Portuguese descent who speaks fluent Spanish; and Rep. Mike Garcia, a Hispanic American and the son of Mexican immigrants who first won his district in a special election last year. NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, said from the beginning of the election cycle that they wanted to emphasize recruiting women, veterans and minorities.

  • "Voters punished the president and more or less favored a center-right direction for the country," Stutzman said. "The theory that Democrats could just tie Trump to these candidates did not work," he added. "Steel won her district and (President-elect Joe) Biden won her district."

  • There was a sense among Democrats that California Latinos would turn out in higher numbers in 2020 than polling showed, since Latinos turned out in high numbers in the 2018 midterms. But this year, Latino voting under-performed up and down the Democratic ballot around the country (California data on Latino turnout for 2020 is not available yet). Moderate Rep. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento, said he thought final vote counts might show that California Latinos did turn out, they just voted more for Republicans than expected.

  • The coronavirus pandemic also didn't help Democrats as they had anticipated. While Democrats hoped that Trump's politicization of masks and the increasing number of cases and deaths would make a case for down-ballot Democrats, the actual reception by California voters was more mixed.

  • Lockdowns, for example, which were mostly pushed by Democrats, have been controversial. Bera said Democrats needed to take a look at their messaging on coronavirus, emphasizing not just the health care aspect but more economic aspects.

TLDR: The GOP's best bet to recover from their defeats in the Trump era seem like following some kind of "California Model", where Latino and Asian candidates are made the new public faces of the party as to challenge the widespread perception that the GOP is the party of white people and the Democrats are the party of minorities. That way, conservative white people can do a 2008 and feel comfortable voting for non-white Republicans because it "proves that I'm not racist because I voted for a Latino/Asian!".

Edited by FluffyMcChicken on Dec 7th 2020 at 8:55:32 AM

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#342390: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:46:56 AM

California is one of the most diverse states in the U.S, deliberately so, no? The fact California which is a reputably very liberal place, gives republican seats via minority just makes me ponder if that whole concern about second generation immigrant's children being super vulnerable to the Republican message may be true.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
clemont107 Mega Togekiss?! from Land of Missed Opportunities (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Mega Togekiss?!
#342391: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:48:17 AM

[up][up]I cannot imagine any person in their right mind would vote for a party consisting of people working to dismantle racial equality and possibly bring back Jim Crow laws just because some members of it are of minorities.

Edited by clemont107 on Dec 7th 2020 at 11:48:26 AM

"Wow, no Mega Togekiss in Legends Z-A. Or any non-Froslass new Sinnoh Mega Evolutions. Round of applause, everybody." - Dawn
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#342392: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:51:31 AM

Your imagination needs work then, because we need those voters to switch back to us if we want to retake those four seats.

clemont107 Mega Togekiss?! from Land of Missed Opportunities (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Mega Togekiss?!
#342393: Dec 7th 2020 at 8:57:22 AM

[up][up][up]I feel that parts of Gen Z have been hijacked by the Alt-Right. Contrary to what Wikipedia says about the Alt-Right going downhill after Charlottesville I think it has been resurging among younger people.

I remember in 2008 some of my acquaintances (in elementary school) supported Obama, but in recent years did a complete 180 and now support Republicans for shits and giggles.

"Wow, no Mega Togekiss in Legends Z-A. Or any non-Froslass new Sinnoh Mega Evolutions. Round of applause, everybody." - Dawn
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#342394: Dec 7th 2020 at 9:04:17 AM

It was discussed before I think here and in the Racism thread: Second Generation immigrants (those born of immigrant parents) are being won over by the Republicans, and they're a noticeable voting bloc right now.

Noticeable enough the Democrats lose some sots. Not enough to cripple them, I guess, but enough that it was felt.

Edited by Aszur on Dec 7th 2020 at 11:04:33 AM

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#342395: Dec 7th 2020 at 9:12:31 AM

Looks like it is time for the 2020 edition of the World Freedom report. Some highlights:

  • Finland, Norway, and Sweden top the list with a perfect score of 100.
  • The Netherlands is fourth, with 99.
  • Canada scores 98 at spot 7.
  • Germany scores 94 at spot 19, the UK has the same score placing it 22.
  • France scores 90 at place 41.
  • The US scores 86 at place 52.
  • Israel scores 76.
  • Mexico scores 62.
  • Hong Kong scores 55.
  • Turkey scores 32.
  • Egypt scores 22.
  • Russia scores 20.
  • Iran scores 17.
  • China scores 10.
  • North Korea scores 3.
  • Perhaps surprisingly, there are worse places than North Korea. Eritrea and Turkmenistan score 2, Tibet scores 1, Syria scores 0, and South Sudan scores -2. I'm not sure how hard you have to suck to get a negative score, but it must be pretty terrible.

And there's more: internet freedom.

  • Iceland tops the list with a near perfect 95.
  • Scores quickly decline, with Canada 3rd at 87, followed by Germany at 80, the UK at 78, and France at 77.
  • The US is 9th at 76.
  • Russia scores 30.
  • China is at the bottom of the list with 10.
  • This list seems to leave out a lot of countries, though, which makes the list seem a bit bleaker than it probably is.

And then there is the Democracy Score, but it leaves out all Western countries. I'm not sure what to make of that.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
clemont107 Mega Togekiss?! from Land of Missed Opportunities (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Mega Togekiss?!
#342396: Dec 7th 2020 at 9:15:08 AM

[up]Surprised that the U.S. is still scoring relatively high given what Donald is trying to do with the "LameStream Media" and "Nasty Wackos" that criticize him.

Edited by clemont107 on Dec 7th 2020 at 12:15:19 PM

"Wow, no Mega Togekiss in Legends Z-A. Or any non-Froslass new Sinnoh Mega Evolutions. Round of applause, everybody." - Dawn
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#342397: Dec 7th 2020 at 9:24:14 AM

Not to mention the increased amounts of police arresting/assaulting journalists just for doing their jobs.

PointMaid Since: Jun, 2014
#342398: Dec 7th 2020 at 9:28:07 AM

Probably because, for all the attempt, our system makes it very, very hard to actually do things like silence people and censor news outlets.

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
#342399: Dec 7th 2020 at 10:05:13 AM

Keep in mind that most things are only graded on a 4 point scale. When you’ve got to cover everything from North Korea and Saudi Arabia up to Iceland and New Zealand, you’re going to have to have big scoring categories.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
RainingMetal (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#342400: Dec 7th 2020 at 11:52:32 AM

Strange to see Uruguay of all things among the top in the overall category. Guess that's South America's safe haven then.

ASAB: All Sponsors Are Bad.

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