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

CassidyTheDevil Since: Jan, 2013
#118026: Apr 1st 2016 at 12:41:46 PM

And the shootings were duels. Duels are a terrible set-up, but they were legal and allowed. They are no longer legal.

Yeah, wasn't that one of many not-so-good things America inherited from the British Empire? Saying "America" loves violence because of dueling isn't exactly accurate, was a broader European thing.

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#118027: Apr 1st 2016 at 1:29:15 PM

Mathematically, it is extraordinarily implausible for Sanders to win the nomination at this point, regardless of what any particular press outlet wants to believe.
That wasn't Reich's point. He was saying more people in the Beltway news system are incapable of grasping frustration of the voter base because it fails to comply to their preconceived narrative. And that they'll likely try to blow off Sanders' campaign as a one off thing that isn't the result of a movement. (Sanders is a hydra's head representing a larger issue with frustration with the government and its perceived failure to protect the average American and biasing things like Oil and Wall Street over Joe and Jane Average)

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#118028: Apr 1st 2016 at 1:38:28 PM

I just have to share this thing. Trump "honest" - really?

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#118029: Apr 1st 2016 at 1:55:13 PM

Even on the 1st of April, you still can get Trumped. tongue

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#118031: Apr 1st 2016 at 2:25:12 PM

Well, yeah, borrowing the money to pay for that spending is by far the superior option now.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#118032: Apr 1st 2016 at 2:33:12 PM

I'm confused about our debt and deficit. From what I've heard most of our government spending goes to paying interest on the thing,but I've also heard ours is low for an advanced country, mind you most of the "advanced countries", especially the European ones aren't doing so well right now.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#118033: Apr 1st 2016 at 2:39:07 PM

National debts tend to work more like mathematical artifacts than like true things in practice.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#118034: Apr 1st 2016 at 3:09:22 PM

most of our government spending goes to paying interest on the thing

I'm curious where you heard this, because it's completely false. Google doesn't return any immediate numbers, but you can impute some things.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/ has the current U.S. national debt at 19.2 trillion. The U.S. Treasury's long-term composite interest rate on bonds is 2.34 percent. That puts debt service at $381 billion per annum; however, the U.S. Debt Clock has a much lower figure of 239 billion. U.S. federal tax revenue is 3.3 trillion, so debt service is 7.2% of our revenue. The federal budget (all expenditures) is 3.8 trillion, so debt service represents around 6.3% of total expenses.

edited 1st Apr '16 3:11:47 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#118035: Apr 1st 2016 at 3:34:22 PM

Krugster is getting tired of Bernie.

waii

edited 1st Apr '16 3:34:33 PM by Achaemenid

Schild und Schwert der Partei
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#118036: Apr 1st 2016 at 3:51:27 PM

Heh. He's not telling Bernie to drop out, but he is telling him to start acting like a person who wants the Democratic Party to win in November.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#118037: Apr 1st 2016 at 4:08:37 PM

Sanders does well in very white states and in caucuses, not so much elsewhere

Didn't he just win in Hawaii where it's two-thirds non-white?

It's really the African-American vote where Bernie gets blown out.

I think Bernie is winning among Hispanics too but I can't be too sure.

edited 1st Apr '16 4:08:53 PM by MadSkillz

Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#118038: Apr 1st 2016 at 4:15:22 PM

Bernie's only chance to win the nomination is if Hillary gets indicted by the FBI. If that doesn't happen, he's screwed.

I agree with Krug though, that the Dem Primary is getting ugly.

Hillary Clinton hit Bernie Sanders on Thursday for suggesting her repeated condemnations of Donald Trump's comments on abortion were a distraction from "a serious discussion about the serious issues."

edited 1st Apr '16 4:23:37 PM by Demonic_Braeburn

Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#118039: Apr 1st 2016 at 4:20:14 PM

[up]x7 America isn't doing too well either, what with Trump in the lead for the Republicans and everything.

edited 1st Apr '16 5:05:07 PM by Bat178

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#118040: Apr 1st 2016 at 4:45:02 PM

Didn't he just win in Hawaii where it's two-thirds non-white?

It's also a caucus, where Sanders outperforms

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#118041: Apr 1st 2016 at 4:47:14 PM

Not to mention one of their favorite daughters publically went to bat for Sanders and resigned her position in the DNC....

Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#118042: Apr 1st 2016 at 5:08:31 PM
Thumped: Please see The Rules . This is a warning that this post is the sort of thing that will get you suspended.
Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.
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
#118043: Apr 1st 2016 at 5:19:33 PM

It's 1am here... Honestly I was expecting the prank to be from his campaign, not you.

edited 1st Apr '16 5:20:27 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#118044: Apr 1st 2016 at 5:23:00 PM

Is this the part where I remind you rickrolls are technically a forum rules violation?

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#118046: Apr 1st 2016 at 5:33:49 PM

Is this the part where I remind you rickrolls are technically a forum rules violation?

It's not a technicality. Rickrolling is banned by name in the rulebook.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#118047: Apr 1st 2016 at 6:07:56 PM

@Bat: I was referring to financially and economically, not socially or politically. Most of Europe, baring the Nordics of course, but even their Finland is kind of having problems, has a higher unemployment rate than the US, and is growing much slower than the US, and in some cases their economies are actually contracting. I remember hearing that Spain bragged about reaching 10 percent unemployment, a rate that was considered a national crisis in the US. Sorry for not being clearer.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#118048: Apr 1st 2016 at 6:12:40 PM

I just hope that Sanders and Clinton remain on good terms; so that if Clinton doesn't get charged/go into an unprecedented tailspin, Bernie can go to bat for her in the General. If he can get youth to the polls, the Democrats should win by default thanks to Trump being toxic.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#118049: Apr 1st 2016 at 6:28:26 PM

[up][up] Europe were doing much better before the 2008 economic crisis, but when that struck coupled with the refugee crisis, it created a lot of the problems that are now inflicting Europe.

Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#118050: Apr 1st 2016 at 6:35:19 PM

Is this the part where I remind you rickrolls are technically a forum rules violation?

Won't happen again. smile

John Kasich said he wants to see a pro-Kasich super-PAC ad referring to presidential rival Ted Cruz as “Lyin’ Ted” taken off the airwaves.

The Ad:

Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.

Total posts: 417,856
Top