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

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#46976: Jan 12th 2013 at 1:51:52 PM

Fox News did a bit on it.

"Did you know that nearly 100% of families on welfare have REFRIGERATORS?"

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#46977: Jan 12th 2013 at 1:51:54 PM

So... Kerry for State, Hagel for Defense, Lew for Treasury and Brennan for CIA.

The latter two, I sure as hell don't like. The former two are fine.

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#46979: Jan 12th 2013 at 1:53:33 PM

@Tomu: Yeah, when you're living paycheck to paycheck, that means you don't have any "extra" money. I grew up poor, and even when we were on food stamps, we couldn't get enough money together to get a Sam's Club card. We were in the hole at the end of every month, no matter what.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#46980: Jan 12th 2013 at 1:56:00 PM

Did you have any credit at all?

For every dollar you spend on interest by borrowing funds, if that dollar is off-set by a dollar of savings by being able to shop at a discount, you're in a neutral position. Of course, if your savings outpaces your additional interest expense, then going into debt in order to save money on food is ideal.

edited 12th Jan '13 1:56:21 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#46981: Jan 12th 2013 at 1:57:58 PM

Lew doesn't think that deregulation caused the recession.

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#46982: Jan 12th 2013 at 1:58:06 PM

I'm getting an ad on this thread that says "opposing capitalism is UN-AMERICAN UNDERSTAND WHY" (that's the distribution of capital letters transcribed exactly). Eeeehhhhhhh

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#46983: Jan 12th 2013 at 1:59:22 PM

"Did you know that nearly 100% of families on welfare have REFRIGERATORS?"

The mini-fridge I took to college was like, $30. If that.

Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#46984: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:00:27 PM

Ive see pretty poor houses in other parts of the world, poor as in, no access to clean water, and they had fridges.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:14:35 PM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#46985: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:01:54 PM

@Tomu: I have terrible credit due to student loan problems. My parents have even worse credit due to taking out loans to buy used cars that died before the loans could get paid off. Also Mom has student loan debt, and so on. I know that when Mom got a better job, they looked into moving elsewhere, and couldn't get a loan to pay the first couple months of rent at a new place.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:02:06 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
thatguythere47 Since: Jul, 2010
#46986: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:04:13 PM

-is incredibly poor-

I spent, oh, four or five months on welfare back when I couldn't find a job. For reference I live in canada, a land so socialist our conservative government won't touch healthcare. So in the land of snow and handouts I got a whopping 99 dollars a month to live on. Even if you combine food banks and soup kitchens and know how to take advantage of the system good luck living on a hundred bucks.

They also give you 500 dollars for shelter. In a city where a 1 bed-room will fetch 750...

-next subject-

"John Stewart is just a comedian... why do people keep on taking him so seriously?"

Mostly because they expect him to be accurate. You might find that silly but he's often so uptight about being accurate in his mocking that he'll issue an apology when he's obviously fucked up.

"Yeah, I don't know. I think that if we're going to allow homeschooling, then the kids should at least learn the same curriculum as the public schools. And there needs to be some sort of regulations involved to make sure that parents aren't just being lazy and/or teaching their kids crap."

I think this would fall under some sort of violation of the constitution. Freedom of expression, maybe? You could argue that you have the right to teach any ol' crap to your kid. I honestly don't see any real issue with it. These kids tend to be smart and then they tend to realize all their parents taught them is crap once they hit the big open world.

"Obviously, if you can't get ANY credit (Even one of those ridiculous credit cards that have horrible rates), then certainly this doesn't apply."

ding ding ding! I tried to get a credit card once.

Terms to get a credit card when you and your parents are both poor and with no credit history.

1: 300 dollars upfront.

2: 15% interest rate

3: Need to be working for three months

"It's 50 dollars. Seriously, I get that people live paycheck to paycheck, but even with a 30% yearly interest rate, if you just borrow the 50 dollars, that's basically 65 dollars; if you save 65 dollars in food expenses over the course of the year, then it's better off than not buying at Sams, whether your budget is 100 dollars a month or a thousand."

See up there. 50 dollars is a lot when you don't have a 100. When my stepfather was alive we did manage to grab a costco card. Of course when he died we didn't have the money to renew it.

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#46987: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:05:29 PM

It's not even all that hard to build a rudimentary fridge. It's basically a box with a compressor, some pipes, and a valve, and some fancy liquid in it. There aren't all that many moving parts as far as machines go. I can see cruder models popping up in poorer countries seeing how it's a bit of a priority.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:07:37 PM by Pykrete

Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#46988: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:06:09 PM

[up][up]

They wont even give me a credit card and I am relatively well off.

And I owe 0 dollars. But I dont have a job...

edited 12th Jan '13 2:06:41 PM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#46989: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:06:21 PM

[up][up] Why build one? I see free refrigerators on Craigslist all the time.

Edit: Oh, you're talking about poorer countries.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:06:46 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#46990: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:08:52 PM

"John Stewart is just a comedian... why do people keep on taking him so seriously?"

The thing about John Stewart? His making fun of the trillion coin is not innacurate. In real life, he should be expected to back it, but he is a comedian, his job is to make fun of things, if he didnt make fun of a trillion dollar coin, he wouldnt really be doing his job.

Thats the difference between news and satire.

[up]

Well, they use fridges for like, 30 years. Something similar happens to cars.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:10:14 PM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#46991: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:10:33 PM

Why build one? I see free refrigerators on Craigslist all the time.

Yeah, it's also one of those things the first world is relatively good about handing down when we replace it.

DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#46992: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:12:41 PM

[up] Yeah, I edited when I saw your edit. Before I thought you were talking about the US.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#46993: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:13:47 PM

So... Kerry for State, Hagel for Defense, Lew for Treasury and Brennan for CIA.

Remember Obama still needs to pick a new Secretary of Labor and Chief of Staff.

And a new Deputy Chief of Staff as well

edited 12th Jan '13 2:14:43 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
#46994: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:14:06 PM

In the US, a single individual with no income qualifies for twice what you got for food, thatguythere. Still not much, but worth noting for reference. Also not sure when you were on it so inflation may be a factor.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:14:44 PM by EdwardsGrizzly

<><
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#46995: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:16:52 PM

[up] Depends on where you are. Out here, the upper limit is $120/month for food (per person), and you have to be practically homeless to get that much.

Also, if you're a student, it disqualifies you from getting anything.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:20:38 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#46996: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:19:06 PM

Grizzly, it varies from state to state I'm pretty sure. I know my mother and I qualified for a couple hundred a month when she was unemployed, but I've never PERSONALLY been able to qualify for any SNAP benefits.

#46998: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:22:45 PM

[up][up] I was going off this document (which states that the rules are the same for the 48 and DC, though some states have less stringent rules and Alaska, Hawaii, and the territories have their own system). According to that document someone whose income after deductions is 0 qualifies for $200 a month. If that is inaccurate, then I don't know.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:26:16 PM by EdwardsGrizzly

<><
DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#46999: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:22:55 PM

Isn't that a fifth amendment violation?

DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#47000: Jan 12th 2013 at 2:23:40 PM

[up][up][up] Yeeeeeah, I'm kind of not okay with that. The right to remain silent really shouldn't ever be used against you, even if your silence is really obvious like that.

There's just too many ways in which that can be abused.

edited 12th Jan '13 2:23:46 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

Total posts: 417,856
Top