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Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#125651: Jun 11th 2016 at 5:19:24 PM

I kind of respect them, buuut I their strong anti-state rhetoric reminds me of a typical Right-Wing Militia Fanatic (for example, many of them support the confederate side of the civil war since they were the "rebels") and they also tend to come across as a bit hipsterish and egotistical (they constantly refer to themselves as spiritual successors to Washington, for example, and constantly talk about how "left wing and right wing are part of the same bird"). And, a few things they reject are things are areas I almost find the GOP to be too moderate on already (namely, abortion and drugs).

edited 11th Jun '16 5:48:12 PM by Protagonist506

Leviticus 19:34
Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#125652: Jun 11th 2016 at 6:47:27 PM

A jury has convicted Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard on 12 charges of violating the state ethics law.

So for those not in the know:

Alabama's Speaker of the House has been convicted.

Alabama's Chief Justice of the Supreme court Roy Moore has been suspended.

Articles of impeachment against Governor Robert Bentley, who has been embroiled in a phone-sex scandal since March, are likely starting soon.

And now 100,000 north Alabama customers have been advised not to drink local water due to chemical contamination.

Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#125653: Jun 11th 2016 at 6:56:47 PM

So basically the state of Alabama is more or less figuratively on fire, lovely.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#125654: Jun 11th 2016 at 6:59:54 PM

That reminds me, is Kansas still doing terribly?

Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#125655: Jun 11th 2016 at 7:36:54 PM

[up] The Kanas legislature is currently in a special session trying to figure how to fund their schools.

They need to raise 38 million dollars, and Brownback is suggesting cuts to other programs to get the money.

The Legislature faces a June 30 deadline set by the court. Many fear that, without action, the justices will order a halt to education spending, effectively shutting down schools.

As his administration has previously hinted, Brownback made it clear the $38 million likely will mean further cuts to other programs. Officials previously have floated the possibility of cuts to higher education or Medicaid — both programs that already have seen reductions this year.

He just won't quit.

edited 11th Jun '16 7:58:30 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.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#125656: Jun 11th 2016 at 7:55:46 PM

Wow. It's too bad they passed up the chance to get another governor because the other guy went to a strip club or something.

edited 11th Jun '16 8:15:01 PM by LSBK

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#125657: Jun 11th 2016 at 8:13:45 PM

And the sad part is that these people will still vote Republican.

edited 11th Jun '16 8:14:26 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#125659: Jun 12th 2016 at 12:32:41 AM

Is that "strip club" statement about Kansas or Alabama?

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Perian Since: Jun, 2016
#125660: Jun 12th 2016 at 12:55:50 AM

from the Hillary whining

Yeah, sure, when people point out an issue in politics that literally affects human lives, it's whining? I really can't believe that people become so hostile if you point out that this amount of lobby money in politics is a huge problem. Let me explain my point of view once more: imagine that you're a super-progressive politician who gets elected on the basis of fossil fuel lobby money (and, for simplicity's sake, let's assume that it is the only important source of money in politics). You have a highly ambitious plan, that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly, but will hurt the oil and gas industry (as it should). And, before someone points it out, let's assume that you have a friendly Congress and Senate. What are you going to do? If you carry the plan through, your fossil fuel donors will simply start backing the Republican guy, they will win the next election, you'll be out of office, and they will reverse any progress you've made.

This is simply how the system works. Of course there is no evidence of you being influenced by lobby money in this case, how would you ever prove it? This doesn't mean that this influence is non-existent - saying that there needs to be evidence is absurd, normally the simple existence of this money is enough proof. You are quick to admit that this is the case with Republicans, so why do you think Democrats are so above it? If donating to Democrats would have no effect, why would these guys still be donating to them, instead of, you know, throwing their full support behind the Republicans? Sure, Democrats enact some progressive changes, but these are simply breadcrumbs. Fighting income inequality requires hard measures against Wall Street, fighting climate change requires hard measures against the fossil fuel industry, ever going to a system of nationalized healthcare requires hard measures against health insurance companies, and so on. And this will simply not happen as long as these amounts of money stay in politics.

Perian: Super PAC money isn't going away, and both Clinton and Sanders have had getting rid of Citizens United on their platforms (Clinton from before Sanders announced, and she has more reason than almost anyone to hate that decision)...and unless we have evidence of them coordinating (which is against the law), then I don't see a reason to count or qualify it, any more than I'd call Sanders a liar for at leas tone PAC working on his behalf.

These are enormous contributions, so why should they be discounted? Whether Clinton hates Citizens United as much as I do is irrelevant. The point is that she takes the money. And again, you are assuming that I want to vilify Clinton and consider Sanders to be a saint. I'm not blaming her (plenty progressives also think that they have to 'play the game' to avoid the Republicans reverting their changes). Also, you didn't mention that this 'PAC' of Sanders is a Union of Nurses, so this is entirely unrelated to the problem.

edited 12th Jun '16 6:11:09 AM by Perian

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#125661: Jun 12th 2016 at 1:03:10 AM

[up] So, about political funding, do you want Federal funding of political parties and election campaigns and a ban on all donations?

edited 12th Jun '16 1:03:46 AM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#125662: Jun 12th 2016 at 1:21:58 AM

[up] Oh, man. You could write an entire thesis of why that's a terrible idea, not to mention incumbency advantage would grow exponentially.

New Survey coming this weekend!
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#125663: Jun 12th 2016 at 2:33:29 AM

[up]It's how they do it in Sweden, though...

state's rights,

So, wait, libertaians are against intervention in private life by the Federal State, but are okay with the Member States doing it? Shouldn't their individualism go all the way down?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#125664: Jun 12th 2016 at 2:36:20 AM

If they were proper libertarians, yes. But a great many of them are just Lost Cause types using the name libertarian.

Oh really when?
Perian Since: Jun, 2016
#125665: Jun 12th 2016 at 2:41:50 AM

[up][up][up] Why would this favour incumbents? I would say the opposite is the case: small parties like the Greens and the Libertarians could finally compete with the giants, since the differences in campaign money would be much more proportional. In our country we have complete federal funding and we've had prime ministers from four different parties the last decade (of course, no first-past-the-post system), so I hardly see why this is the case.

However, I don't know if this will work in such a large country, and I don't think many Americans would like the idea, seeing that it would involve raising taxes. Also, I don't think all private donations are bad: if an environmental organization would like to donate to the Greens, I don't see much of a problem, since it won't influence their platform anyway. Which is why a hard cap on the amount of money that can be given as campaign donations might be a better idea. But I don't know enough about the matter to have a clear picture which effects that would have.

edited 12th Jun '16 2:57:56 AM by Perian

carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Collector Of Fine Oddities
#125666: Jun 12th 2016 at 4:33:49 AM

[1] News reports a terrorist attack on a gay club in Florida. Currently 20+ dead including the attacker, with reports of bombs also possibly being involved.

edited 12th Jun '16 4:34:24 AM by carbon-mantis

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#125667: Jun 12th 2016 at 4:36:05 AM

Finally calling them terrorists...

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
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
#125668: Jun 12th 2016 at 4:37:13 AM

CNN just said shooting on my alert, didn't mention that it was a gay club either.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Irene (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Crazy Cat Lady
#125670: Jun 12th 2016 at 4:42:08 AM

[up] That's goddamn awful.

And they said it may be a terrorist attack. It has to be international related to count as that. It may be domestic(as in in-country). It's not like terrorism is really the term we need to use when it's bigotry that's the problem anyway.

Regardless, that's awful too. :c

Shadow?
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#125671: Jun 12th 2016 at 4:46:14 AM

I believe at least one local police official played the Domestic Terrorism card.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Irene (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Crazy Cat Lady
#125672: Jun 12th 2016 at 4:51:43 AM

Ah, I thought Terrorism was still defined as "something attacking others from another country". Well, regardless, the bigotry and mass murdering is the issue, not the specific term used.

Shadow?
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
#125673: Jun 12th 2016 at 5:02:03 AM

Nope, terrorism is about the desire to cause terror, otherwise the IRA wouldn't be terrorists, ISIS attacks in Iraq and Syria wouldn't be terrorism and more.

Now it's often split between domestic terrorism and international terrorism, but they're both terrorism.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#125674: Jun 12th 2016 at 5:02:12 AM

Nope. Keep in mind that 9/11, 7/7 and Boston were all carried out by citizens of the country in question.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#125675: Jun 12th 2016 at 6:15:41 AM

Do we know if the club was attacked because it was a gay club, or if that was just coincidence?

[up] Was that also true of the Paris attacks?

edited 12th Jun '16 6:16:57 AM by sgamer82


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