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

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#131551: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:30:44 AM

@Fighteer: Be honest. It's more the difference between being shot by the Gestapo and starving in the street because you're on an employment blacklist.

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#131552: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:32:15 AM

[up][up][up] It's still a significant difference, and while I'd greatly prefer a left wing party supplanting the GOP as the opposition party, almost anything is an improvement over the modern Republican Party.

edited 22nd Jul '16 11:32:43 AM by CaptainCapsase

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#131553: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:32:53 AM

Or dying of food poisoning because there's no regulation saying that there can't be arsenic and dead rats in your breakfast cereal. Or having your house burned down by the firemen because you wouldn't pay for their protection. Etc., etc.

[up] Yeah, it's called the Democratic Party. Which apparently is worse than either because someone in it has a SuperPAC. WTF?

edited 22nd Jul '16 11:33:55 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
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
#131554: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:36:20 AM

Captain isn't after a replacement for the Dems, he's after someone to be an opposition to the Dems, as otherwise the US will see a state of near one party rule similar to Japan.

edited 22nd Jul '16 11:36:46 AM 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
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#131555: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:37:15 AM

The democrats are not the opposition party currently, and we've been over why I don't consider them a left wing party. The democrats are obviously better than the libertarians in pretty much every way, but that would stop being the case rather quickly if they had a one party monopoly on power for an extended period of time; you need a viable opposition party for better or worse to keep would be dictators and oligarchs in check.

edited 22nd Jul '16 11:38:05 AM by CaptainCapsase

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#131556: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:37:46 AM

Gary Johnson does not strike me as a bad man—not the way Trump does. But his policies are just as bad, albeit in different ways.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#131557: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:39:48 AM

Hmm. Well, if the Libertarian Party were to replace the Republican Party as our right-wing "opposition" to the dominant Democrats, they would by implication and necessity absorb the remainder of the GOP, which would immediately make it as bad as the GOP is currently. I don't see a way to get over the current split in our country, which is not along party lines so much as it is along social demographic lines.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
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
#131558: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:42:20 AM

The racist wing nuts could always be left out in the cold, they'd either have nobody to vote for, become a rump party or simply end up having to vote for someone who they don't control (as the left wing nuts have to).

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#131559: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:43:25 AM

the reason I dislike the libertarians is because if they came along and said to my state, "You're finally free of the tyranny of the federal government and able to choose your own path!"

Then my state would go, "cool" and immediately reinstate Jim Crow.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
megarockman from The Sixth Borough (Experienced Trainee)
#131561: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:50:14 AM

The impression I'm getting here is that libertarians are the right-wing equivalent of the Soviet Union's useful idiots.

The damned queen and the relentless knight.
Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#131562: Jul 22nd 2016 at 11:58:40 AM

[up][up]

Mississippi, the state where hope goes to die.

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#131563: Jul 22nd 2016 at 12:29:55 PM

Don't you mean Florida? Because that's where I live, and I just saw three people running for Congress advertising on TV today spouting a bunch of Islamaphobic transphobic crap.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#131564: Jul 22nd 2016 at 12:33:53 PM

[up]Could we not do the who lives in a worse place competition thing?

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#131565: Jul 22nd 2016 at 12:34:16 PM

Fair enough.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#131566: Jul 22nd 2016 at 12:36:30 PM

The point is that whole the libertarians might not be in favor of discrimination themselves their policies would likely make it fad easier for state governments to roll back the clock on Civil Rights. For this reason they're little better than the Republicans.

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#131567: Jul 22nd 2016 at 12:39:12 PM

[up][up]Plus everyone knows Jersey is the most terrible place in the world. Except for Ms. Marvel, she's awesome.

edited 22nd Jul '16 12:40:14 PM by TheHandle

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#131568: Jul 22nd 2016 at 12:49:40 PM

Donald Trump loves Vladimir Putin. Like loves loves. As in, he might dump our partnerships with our long-standing European allies and start backing Russia openly.

edited 22nd Jul '16 12:49:52 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#131569: Jul 22nd 2016 at 1:18:24 PM

He's already said he won't defend the Baltics from them. Might as well disband NATO and hand Putin the keys to East Germany while we're at it.

I hate to sound like some cold war relic but this is ridiculous. Russia is the closest thing to an existential threat we have.

Oh really when?
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#131570: Jul 22nd 2016 at 1:19:34 PM

How in the world can the Republicans justify voting for him? They hate Russia.

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#131571: Jul 22nd 2016 at 1:21:18 PM

Because they hate Mexicans and gays more.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#131572: Jul 22nd 2016 at 1:23:01 PM

[up]African-Americans and Muslims too.

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#131573: Jul 22nd 2016 at 1:25:33 PM

Or indeed anyone who's not White Christian.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#131574: Jul 22nd 2016 at 1:27:16 PM

They also hate Hillary Clinton more!

edited 22nd Jul '16 1:27:46 PM by GameGuruGG

Wizard Needs Food Badly
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#131575: Jul 22nd 2016 at 1:27:33 PM

They hate Russia but in general view Putin as a strong leader who gets things done, in contrast to those spineless Democrats and their love of bureaucracy. If Putin was the leader of any country save the traditional enemies/rivals/bogeymen of the US, they'd have nothing but praise for him.

When it comes to Democracy vs Strong Man, the people for whom democracy didn't produce the results they wanted gravitate towards Strong Man if said Strong Man shares their beliefs and says he/she will uphold them.


Total posts: 417,856
Top