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Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#55851: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:02:24 PM

[up][up]

Christie/Huntsman 2016?

That'd be a tough ticket to beat.

Schild und Schwert der Partei
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#55852: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:02:47 PM

[up][up]It's somewhat better than going "civil, consumer and voters' rights? Who needs 'em, anyway!". tongue Which the Republican Party seems to do depressingly often. <_<

[down]Especially not from his own party: he's not afraid to call them out on bullshit — which precious few within it are, these days — more's the pity. More with his attitude and willingness to voice it are needed.

edited 6th Jun '13 12:04:40 PM by Euodiachloris

TheStarshipMaxima NCC - 1701 Since: Jun, 2009
NCC - 1701
#55853: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:03:11 PM

I'd vote for Christie. Dude's a character and takes no shit.

[up] No offense Euo, but that sounds like "We sell our civil liberties violations better than those guys do."

edited 6th Jun '13 12:03:54 PM by TheStarshipMaxima

It was an honor
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#55854: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:14:38 PM

Maybe they're trying to catch the Joker?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#55855: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:35:51 PM

Both parties seem to want civil liberties gone and a lot of rights along with them. It seems to be the one thing both parties agree on is that the population needs to be under surveillance at all times.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Wildcard Since: Jun, 2012
#55856: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:44:05 PM

I'm a little disturbed that both parties reaction to the internet is "Yeah it's okay to censor it. Why aren't we doing that already?"

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#55858: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:47:36 PM

Um... maybe I should have qualified... As a Brit, well... surveillance, smurveillance... whatever. You guys are waaaay too picky about that, imo. [lol]

But, the right to decent, equal access to healthcare, equality in the work place and in the law? Trumps being snooped on by criminal investigation authorities. <_< Particularly if the right to a fair trial (which you guys seem to have become rather lax in) is a thing.

One of your parties is more involved with that lot than the other. Even if it doesn't go as far as I wish it would. The other seems to love undermining them every chance it gets. Personal opinion. tongue

edited 6th Jun '13 12:49:17 PM by Euodiachloris

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#55859: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:48:47 PM

About the Internet: They are all old folks without much idea how the Internet works, and Silicon Valley is only recently making its way into K Street.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Barkey Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#55861: Jun 6th 2013 at 12:56:02 PM

Trumps being snooped on by criminal investigation authorities.

No reason we can't have a good measure of both(privacy, that is).

Though I would rather keep my civil liberties and freedom not to be under lock and key over the other stuff. Civil Liberties are my #1 political concern as a voter. I don't trust the government to tell me what civil liberties are acceptable for me to have and I WORK for the Government.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#55863: Jun 6th 2013 at 1:10:25 PM

@Maxima: Here is how I divide the political parties. The Democrats are cowards, and the Republicans are bullies.

It's as simple as that. To achieve political* progress, you need:

  1. To elect Democrats
  2. To make sure that the Democrats are more scared of the people than they are of the Republicans or the extremely wealthy
If you do the first without the second, you get the bullshit people associated with the Clinton administration. If you get both, you get FDR staving off a communist revolt by implementing Social Security. You get the Civil Rights Act. Democrats accomplish amazing things when the people have them scared shitless.

The Republicans have not shown a willingness to adapt to the public will and serve the long-term good since Eisenhower, and Eisenhower was an oppressive murderer. According to the Republican establishment, you adapt the public will to your political goals, not the other way around. There was no clearer example than when millions in the States alone protested the invasion in Iraq, and the W administration doubled down. The Republican establishment has broken down, and now a grassroots used to bully politics controls the party without oversight. They do not compromise and believe that it's better to have a government that does not govern at all than one that governs without conceding their every demand.

I don't think I can scare that into making political* progress happen. So, for the time being, I encourage people to vote Democrat and then terrorize their elected representatives such that they're frightened into doing what needs to be done. And note that I've noted political with an asterisk* twice, each time it came before progress. There's a lot to progress that comes from the people, and has to happen outside and around the boundaries of government. Strikes and civil action are the two best examples.

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
#55864: Jun 6th 2013 at 1:16:50 PM

If you get both, you get FDR staving off a communist revolt by implementing Social Security. You get the Civil Rights Act.

I'd like to mention that the Civil Rights Act happened because LBJ and cooperating Democrats went against their party and promptly lost their seats to the voters they pissed off. That's kind of why the Dixies left and Nixon was able to get the parties practically reversed within a single election cycle.

edited 6th Jun '13 1:29:15 PM by Pykrete

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#55865: Jun 6th 2013 at 1:22:23 PM

To make sure that the Democrats are more scared of the people than they are of the Republicans or the extremely wealthy

How do you do that? Literally stick a gun to their heads?

Keep Rolling On
Barkey Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#55866: Jun 6th 2013 at 1:27:42 PM

At the very least then you need to keep the Democrats away from their slow push to annihilate the second amendment.. grumble grumble...

When Democrats stop doing that, I'll double down and call myself a Democrat. Until then, I am never, under any circumstances, voting for a Democratic candidate who is anti-gun and hasn't explicitly said they are pro-gun. I'll "waste" my vote on an independent instead.

edited 6th Jun '13 1:28:38 PM by Barkey

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#55867: Jun 6th 2013 at 1:28:40 PM

Well, in the 30s and the 40s it happened because of strong socialist sentiments scared FDR shitless making him think a socialist revolution would happen if he didn't do something, so he did the New Deal.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#55868: Jun 6th 2013 at 1:39:32 PM

What counts as pro-gun here? Voting record, that is.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#55869: Jun 6th 2013 at 1:55:07 PM

[up][up] Well, that will not happen now due to The Fall of The Soviet Union.

edited 6th Jun '13 1:55:48 PM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
IConfuseMe from Washington, DC Since: Jan, 2010
#55870: Jun 6th 2013 at 1:59:37 PM

The way I see it, both parties have a track record of civil liberties violations. Quite a few questionable overreaches in government authority are legacies from previous presidents of both parties. That's one area you can expect to stay the same regardless of who you put in power.

I'm not saying it's not a mark against the democrats. It is. But it's certainly not democrat exclusive. Or even something the one could claim the democrats do more than republicans. So if that makes you not want to vote for democrats, you also shouldn't want to vote for republicans.

For the republican party to get my vote, they'd have to tone down the rampant and blatant racism, xenophobia and homophobia. They have to cull 95% of their current party leadership, remove their collective tongue from the anus of big business. Be more strict when it comes to enforcing the line between religion and state. Cut the disdain for the impoverished and stop screwing over of the working class. Also-

You know what, I'm just going to stop there. I honestly can't think of a single redeeming factor about them. If there was ever a time when the Democrat candidate was somehow as bad as or worse than the republican one, I'd just abstain from voting and apply for citizenship in Canada.

Or self-immolate in indignation. Either one works.

RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#55871: Jun 6th 2013 at 2:07:25 PM

@Greenmantle: Remember the Civil Rights Movement?

@Barkey: I still think it should be down to the municipalities to decide.

Some sad news from Jefferson County, Alabama.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#55872: Jun 6th 2013 at 2:11:25 PM

[up] Not particularly. I didn't study it at School. Not on this side of the Atlantic.

And right now I'm off to Bed.

Keep Rolling On
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#55873: Jun 6th 2013 at 2:22:33 PM

Worth reading up on; people got rather vocal.

Scott Walker. Again. Dammit.

EDIT:

Montana Republicans announced the start of a campaign to eliminate anonymous third-party spending in political campaigns. See I'd like more of this from the Republican Party.

Someone forged the signature of a Utah Supreme Court Justice in order to get her recused from hearings on a legislative ethics law. The forgery apparently was traced back to the Utah House of Representatives. That is some ballsy corruption.

Senate Republicans filibustered the following bill.

Republicans have offered legislation, modeled on President Obama’s own proposal, to tie student loans rates to the yield on the 10-year Treasury bill. (Obama’s plan has more safeguards to provide certainty and cushion the blow for low-income students.) But Senate Democrats went in a different direction, bringing up a bill to freeze the 3.4 percent interest rate for two more years and paying for it by closing unpopular tax loopholes for oil and gas, offshore tax havens and tax-deferred retirement accounts.
"Yes, we voted to protect oil and gas tax loopholes and offshore tax havens instead of reducing the amount you will pay on your student loans." How do you get elected with this bullshit?

edited 6th Jun '13 2:48:50 PM by RadicalTaoist

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#55874: Jun 6th 2013 at 2:50:54 PM

There's a market for bail bonds? What the fuck? I knew the US were capitalist but this is quite shocking.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#55875: Jun 6th 2013 at 2:54:07 PM

[up][up]

"Yes, we voted to protect oil and gas tax loopholes and offshore tax havens instead of reducing the amount you will pay on your student loans." How do you get elected with this bullshit?

Because they don't give a fuck what happens to young people and their voters just go along with it.

[up]How else does one pay bail?

edited 6th Jun '13 2:54:27 PM by Kostya


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