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

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#48026: Jan 24th 2013 at 9:56:21 AM

[up][up][up]

well, really. The problem isn't the fifties itself. Its that the republicans want a certain fictitious 1950's where everyone was white, devoutly christian, middle class, and lived in a suburban home with a white picket fence.

the poor of the 1950's can go sod off.

edited 24th Jan '13 9:56:42 AM by Midgetsnowman

Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#48027: Jan 24th 2013 at 9:57:10 AM

For those who weren't aware of what happened in Virginia just recently:

The state legislature is tied between the Republicans and the Democrats. The Republicans decided to vote for a redistricting plan that favors them... after waiting for ONE of the Democrat votes to attend the president's inauguration ceremony. With the votes then 19 to 20, they were able to pass it.

It also has to go through the House of Delegates - which is GOP controlled - and the governor, who is also Republican. So there's really nothing stopping the Republicans from handing themselves more political power except their own shoulder angels. Barring massive public outcry, it seems unlikely that they'll go against their own party in a fit of wounded consciences.

It bears an interesting contrast to 2011's little Democrat version of a legislative 'dirty trick,' wherein Wisconsin's Democrats actually fled the state to avoid having to vote on something and successfully stalled the process for some time - albeit still losing in the end, IIRC.

edited 24th Jan '13 9:58:32 AM by Karkadinn

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
TheStarshipMaxima NCC - 1701 Since: Jun, 2009
NCC - 1701
#48028: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:25:43 PM

So there's really nothing stopping the Republicans from handing themselves more political power except their own shoulder angels. Barring massive public outcry, it seems unlikely that they'll go against their own party in a fit of wounded consciences.

We can hope.

It was an honor
DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#48029: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:31:31 PM

I've found hope to be far less useful than trying to raise a public outcry. So do try to raise some awareness of this.

The world's kinda a bastard like that. Anytime you say "I hope" rather than "So, let's do X," it tends to say "Ahaahahahha....no."

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#48030: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:38:45 PM

So you need another anti-SOPA-style mass demonstration?

edited 24th Jan '13 12:38:57 PM by MarqFJA

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#48031: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:51:13 PM

For example, our military operates by rules of war that vilify the typical "rape, pillage, and burn" tactics favored historically. I don't get the sense that Islamic nations have really made that leap yet.

Islamic nations may well have been better about that during the Crusades than they are now — they were relatively progressive during their Golden Age. Actually, the series of massacres perpetrated by the Crusaders and Mongols *

are a huge part of why it started turning bad, and why the Islamic nations of today saw the fundamentalist revivals of the last century or so take such strong hold.

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#48032: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:53:07 PM

[up]Bingo: we did a really good job helping a whole culture turn inward and fundamentalist. Go, us! tongue

DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#48033: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:53:25 PM

Maybe not so drastic, as we're far more touchy about our internets than our sacred democratic process. wink

However, doing the old cliche (Petitioning your friends, contacting your congresscritters) does have a slow, cumulative effect.

At the very least, you get to be all smug and "I told you so."

edited 24th Jan '13 12:56:39 PM by DrTentacles

TheStarshipMaxima NCC - 1701 Since: Jun, 2009
NCC - 1701
#48034: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:54:25 PM

[up][up] White people fucking shit up as always. [lol]

edited 24th Jan '13 12:54:38 PM by TheStarshipMaxima

It was an honor
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#48035: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:55:11 PM

[up][up][up] Yeah, the Crusades were wrong from most viewpoints. It's blatantly obvious that they were politically motivated, and they obviously weren't mandated by God, considering that most of them failed miserably. And one of them sacked the second main center of Christianity.

edited 24th Jan '13 12:55:48 PM by Zendervai

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48036: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:58:16 PM

And they explain why, six centuries later, the Islamic version of honor on the battlefield is strapping bombs to children and sending them to blow up schools? Yes, I get it. Perfectly understandable reaction to the Crusades. Carry on, noble suffering warriors.

edited 24th Jan '13 12:58:51 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
TheStarshipMaxima NCC - 1701 Since: Jun, 2009
NCC - 1701
#48037: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:58:31 PM

And one of them sacked the second main center of Christianity.

Harsh, but true.

EDIT: [up] Snarky. But true.

edited 24th Jan '13 12:58:56 PM by TheStarshipMaxima

It was an honor
DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#48038: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:58:59 PM

Yeah, but it was Orthadox rather than Catholic, so it wasn't real Christianity.

I think what we did to the Ottoman Empire after WW 1 was the real breaking point. We kinda carved up the region, enforced artificial boundaries, pretty much everything Europe did to Africa, except it didn't last quite as long, so they just got violent rather than downtrodden and hopeless. We disolved the Ottoman Empire, Britain and France propped up their own puppets, and exploited the land for oil.

Anyway, it's much easier to blame the US and Britain for their poverty and general fucked-up-ness than it is to blame ourselves. Though we do deserve part of the blame.

edited 24th Jan '13 1:01:14 PM by DrTentacles

Lascoden ... from Missouri, USA Since: Nov, 2012
...
#48039: Jan 24th 2013 at 12:59:12 PM

@Starship: Those Mongols weren't white. tongue

edited 24th Jan '13 12:59:31 PM by Lascoden

boop
TheStarshipMaxima NCC - 1701 Since: Jun, 2009
NCC - 1701
#48040: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:02:15 PM

Lasco, you wise ass! [lol][tup]

It was an honor
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#48041: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:10:41 PM

And they explain why, six centuries later, the Islamic version of honor on the battlefield is strapping bombs to children and sending them to blow up schools? Yes, I get it. Perfectly understandable reaction to the Crusades. Carry on, noble suffering warriors.
More of a reaction to the vast technological, military, economic, and/or political-influence gap that the various world powers more or less actively enforced on the Third World in general (which includes all of the Arab/Muslim world), plus the post-WW 2/decolonization puppet governments that were installed/propped up by said powers and which pretty much paralyzed any possible chance for a legitimate widescale mobilization of the common peoples in conventional warfarenote , IMO.

Long story short, a lot of factors are involved in the adoption of suicide bombing as a legitimate tactic by them, most of which were byproducts of the great powers' own meddling. We're basically dealing a case of "backed to the wall, running out of options, got nothing to lose" mentality. Not that it justifies using children as suicide bombers (though honestly speaking, I never heard of such a thing on the news, and I regularly do my best to stay up to date), but it at least makes the whole suicide bombing thing understandable.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#48043: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:28:05 PM

A new era of big government?

I can only hope. Although Obama has a tendency of liberal rhetoric with centrist reality, (how much of this is his fault is a debate best left to others), I'm tentatively optimistic. At the very least, it's a definite shift away from horrible lack of faith in government which is frankly, anathema for a functioning democracy.

New director of SEC shows Obama might not be done taking banks and wall street to task

I can only hope. We need moar regulation, FDR style regulation, the sort of regulation that will take at least 30 years to roll back.

Lascoden ... from Missouri, USA Since: Nov, 2012
...
#48044: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:29:04 PM

[up]x4 I try. tongue

[up][up]Ok, that New Mexico thing is fucked up. If DNA is the issue, can't they just preserve the embryo afterwards?

Also: Are there any real disadvantage to getting rid of the Electoral College?

boop
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#48045: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:29:48 PM

That New Mexico one scares the crap out of me.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Trivialis Since: Oct, 2011
#48046: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:30:35 PM

The main disadvantage is that most campaigning will be done in urban centers where votes are concentrated. Places with sparse population won't get attention.

Lascoden ... from Missouri, USA Since: Nov, 2012
...
#48047: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:31:40 PM

[up]Isn't that already the case?

boop
Trivialis Since: Oct, 2011
#48048: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:33:20 PM

Not exactly. Even if there's a lot of votes, like California or Texas, presidential candidates won't campaign there because the outcome is foregone unless there's a potential for a major upset. This is due to the winner-take-all system.

Swing states, where you don't know which way the state will go, are the center of attention.

johnnyfog Actual Wrestling Legend from the Zocalo Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Actual Wrestling Legend
#48049: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:33:24 PM

Can a living person be called evidence?

The stupid, it burns.

I'm a skeptical squirrel
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#48050: Jan 24th 2013 at 1:38:25 PM

Dammit Taoist you beat me to posting that New Mexico bill.

Urge to murder...rising.

[up]I suppose but if she had sex around the time she was raped it would be useless.

edited 24th Jan '13 1:38:56 PM by Kostya


Total posts: 417,856
Top