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
Senator Manchin vows to continue fight to pass background check bill
House votes to avert a worldwide helium shortage
edited 28th Apr '13 4:07:49 PM by DeviantBraeburn
Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016Cuban American's relationship with Cuba appears to be quite complicated, but I don't see how Cuba can be considered a terrorist hotspot when we haven't had any terrorists from there... in forever. And the place we rent from there, through all this tumultuous relationship, remains unmolested by Cubans. Again, I think our policy regarding it is outdated.
Reps. Ellison And King Clash Over Whether Police Should Step Up Surveillance Of Muslim Community
Noam Chomsky: Obama’s Inexplicable ‘Attack’ On Civil Liberties ‘Goes Well Beyond Anything’ Imagined
edited 28th Apr '13 5:22:41 PM by DeviantBraeburn
Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016Dude, I went to a lecture on Hispanic art and the professor just flat out told us that we could go through Mexico or something and just receive a paper we'd have to return at the end of the visit. Them Cubans, they want our tourist money. You know, like thousands of other small island nations whose economies are dependent on tourism.
(Being from Texas, going to Cuba through Mexico would probably be more of a hassle than going through Mexico.)
Army doesn't want tanks: Army being forced into $436 million in tank upgrades by Congress
Yeah, that's pretty much what's been happening for a while now. The military is pretty good at getting bang for their buck (buying a bunch of game consoles in order get a functional.... something or other instead of ordering a whole entire machine be bought. Turns out the game consoles were a lot more versatile than the other option, and cheaper too.) and Congress is pretty good at spending money on the military that even the military doesn't want. They end up using the money because otherwise it just sort of sits there.
@helium storage: I actually heard about that earlier. And that it was an "unopposed bill" that could be "passed in ten minutes" and yet was scheduled to be debated for 2 days. This was from a House member who was saying that the public is right to say that nothing gets done in the House any more. (that is all I remember from the article—think it was on NPR)
Yu hav nat sein bod speeling unntil know. (cacke four undersandig tis)the cake is a lie!Gotta love that local pork. No Congressman with a Lockheed-Martin or Boeing plant in his district or state will ever look askance at the defense budget.
Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.These petitions about Cuba are pretty hypocritical. The US and anti-Castro forces have engaged in blowing up civilian airplanes too.
About the budget: Is there a way to convince Congress to install a rule that it may not spend more money on defense than the military has asked for?
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
No, Congress does what Congress wants.
Couldn't the government just order what they need to be produced in the amount it wants beforehand anyway? Cuz I'm pretty sure that's what they'd do. And the manufacturer continues on making an infinite amount of its product, limited only by demand of the public and the amount of resources they can afford to buy to make the ammunition.
Hell, if Congress really wanted to limit the amount of ammo, restricting access to the materials they're made of would make much more sense.
thought it was brass.
That is simply the most pants-on-head stupid thing I've ever heard the republicans suggest. Like, that goes beyond the normal veil of "how are you breathing" stupid, straight into "we don't actually care about policemen's lives" stupid. Like, goddamn, you're saying that they can't have more than x number of bullets because the populace needs bullets?
What in the actual fuckery.
Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry
Fixed. Brass is copper with tin and some other stuff.
Anyway, primary materials to make normal bullets are amazingly cheap, common, and available. If anything can be controlled, it's the manufacturing.
edited 29th Apr '13 1:21:29 AM by TheHandle
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.Never have I thought I'd see the day where a country's military establishment — let alone the US military — complains about its government forcing them to spend money on developing/building hardware that they don't actually need. Why don't we see such a thing used as part of the plot for some action movies?
Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.

Watching it on C-Span
starting at the "Biden 'Please have a seat' video and Awards".
And... Nothing Conan said stood out like Obama's one-liners. Obama wins!
As for quotes... There are a number of media articles that you can copy-paste the better ones from.
edited 28th Apr '13 3:59:17 PM by Belian
Yu hav nat sein bod speeling unntil know. (cacke four undersandig tis)the cake is a lie!