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

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#49826: Feb 16th 2013 at 1:31:34 PM

Frankly I'd rather such a system not exist. It would be too easy for people to abuse it to remove politicians they don't like. I'd much rather tie the passage of certain legislation, such as a yearly budget, to the congressional pay as an incentive to get stuff done.

Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#49827: Feb 16th 2013 at 1:38:50 PM

In theory the public could use a state ratifying convention to pass something on the national level, but it's exceedingly difficult had has only happened once (repealing Prohibition). It would need a concerted and overwhelming majority effort from the general public.

My favorite solution is to tie congressional pay proportionally to the median income of the country. It gives them direct incentive to make everyone else's lives better instead of just shoehorning legislation that benefits the businesses they used to run. But of course, you'd have to convince a corrupt congress to overturn the previous Amendment that lets them earn whatever salary they want.

Which...well, I guess we could use a state ratifying convention >_>

edited 16th Feb '13 1:42:50 PM by Pykrete

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#49829: Feb 16th 2013 at 1:43:34 PM

[up][up]They could get universal background checks through. Over 90% support that.

I had a similar idea. The salary of the executives can only be so many times more than the lowest paid employee.

edited 16th Feb '13 1:44:05 PM by Kostya

Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#49830: Feb 16th 2013 at 1:49:43 PM

I'm not convinced background checks would do much good for Congress. The most crushing problems we have with them are skeezy but technically legal business, not overt criminal activity.

edited 16th Feb '13 1:50:06 PM by Pykrete

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#49831: Feb 16th 2013 at 1:51:54 PM

I actually meant in the context of guns. Sorry, I should have specified.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#49832: Feb 16th 2013 at 2:01:45 PM

I'm not convinced background checks would do much good for Congress.

...and more than likely, it's something they do already.

Keep Rolling On
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#49833: Feb 16th 2013 at 2:20:33 PM

Nope, background checks are not required to be in government.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#49834: Feb 16th 2013 at 2:44:13 PM

It also would probably be somewhat unjust to tell The People that they can't elect someone who's committed a crime. Eugene V. Debs ran a campaign from his prison cell, after all, so sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#49835: Feb 16th 2013 at 2:49:10 PM

...but, might they have to handle Classified Information?

Keep Rolling On
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#49836: Feb 16th 2013 at 2:53:49 PM

Yep, and if they're elected it doesn't matter what a background check says.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#49837: Feb 16th 2013 at 2:54:40 PM

[up][up]

Well the people should have thought of that before they elected him.

edited 16th Feb '13 2:54:54 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#49838: Feb 16th 2013 at 3:08:40 PM

[up][up]

So, you could have a known*

Chinese spy on the Senate Defence Sub-Committee, for example?

Keep Rolling On
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#49839: Feb 16th 2013 at 3:11:42 PM

[up]

Eeyup!

Luckily political elections involve so much mudslinging that something like that would likely be discovered.

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#49840: Feb 16th 2013 at 3:12:02 PM

Elected officials may still be removed from office and prosecuted for crimes. I think that would be pretty unanimous if it were revealed that a legislator was a spy.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#49841: Feb 16th 2013 at 4:47:36 PM

POSTED IN WRONG THREAD

edited 16th Feb '13 4:51:19 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
DevilTakeMe Coin Operator from Wild Wasteland Since: Jan, 2010
Enkufka Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ from Bay of White fish Since: Dec, 2009
Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ
#49843: Feb 16th 2013 at 5:33:06 PM

There actually was a man elected last year or so to a mayoral position in a town who was then denied the position because he had committed a felony. He had informed the local voters that he was a former felon, however they voted for him by popular vote.

Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#49844: Feb 16th 2013 at 5:45:26 PM

A large number of senators have come to a bipartisan agreement on something. This something is the fact that freshman Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is a jerk by his being aggressive.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#49845: Feb 16th 2013 at 6:10:44 PM

Rupert Murdoch Attacks Keystone XL Pipeline In Series Of Surprising Tweets

Holy Turncoat, Batman!

edited 16th Feb '13 6:11:17 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Balmung Since: Oct, 2011
#49846: Feb 16th 2013 at 6:16:33 PM

Did Ol' Rupert get replaced by an alien or something?

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
#49847: Feb 16th 2013 at 6:27:34 PM

Have they been up for long? Since if they are brand new or got taken down they could have been put up by hackers.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#49848: Feb 16th 2013 at 6:40:15 PM

Yeah, my first guess would be hackers.

I mean when you hear hooves you should usually think of a horse before a zebra, but this horse has what looks a hell of a lot like a zipper.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#49849: Feb 16th 2013 at 6:46:53 PM

Guys, remember: Murdoch's not a real conservative. He just realizes there's a shitload of money to be made in conservative media. He's only as conservative as any other super rich person.

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
#49850: Feb 16th 2013 at 6:53:00 PM

True, he pretty much owned both sides of the isle until recently in the UK.

{Insert inbound rant about how Labour are conservatives to here]

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran

Total posts: 417,856
Top