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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#134851: Aug 9th 2016 at 6:40:56 PM

Everybody makes weird faces if you record them at the right time.

Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#134852: Aug 9th 2016 at 6:42:01 PM

[up] True, I mean if a google search of Trump is any indication, he does it whenever he's got a camera in front of him

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#134853: Aug 9th 2016 at 6:52:00 PM

I saw an article claiming that Trump has Alzheimer's. It's all hearsay.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#134854: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:01:12 PM

Well, yes, obviously :-P I didn't claim it wasn't I was just saying there's more than one crazy on that bandwagon.

JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#134855: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:13:14 PM

@ Silas also costs of living are significantly higher in NYC and the Bay area, and these areas tend to vote Democrat so naturally their regional concerns are a party priority. Plus what politician in their right mind would say no to "giving the American people a raise."

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#134856: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:14:09 PM

Trump is on FOX right now, talking about how Hillary "wants to get rid of the second amendment."

What a load of shit.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#134857: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:15:33 PM

Has Hillary even said anything about guns?

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#134858: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:16:35 PM

During the primaries, yes, and there's definitely comments that could be taken the wrong way made some years in the past. Not that this would be any different if this was a typical GOP candidate.

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#134859: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:16:37 PM

[up]Actually, yes. She's very pro-gun control.

Leviticus 19:34
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#134860: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:17:37 PM

Quite a lot, but nothing about getting rid of the Second Amendment. Though frankly I'd be surprised if it survives the century. It's supporters are older, whiter ,and rural, not the type of people who vote Democrat. And since the Republicans have run themselves into the ground that means the Democrats have free reign to do basically whatever the fuck they want in the medium to long term.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#134861: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:18:39 PM

Gun control does not mean removing the second amendment even though it's probably a good idea.

smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#134862: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:19:43 PM

She's talked about gun control for a while, but never going so far as repealing the second amendment. She's in favor of more background checks, fixing the loopholes in the current ones, and banning the sale of certain types of guns. Considering the fact that even quite a few republicans are getting on board with gun control measures after Pulse, Trump is being ridiculous in saying we shouldn't have any restrictions.

Edit: oh good lord. When asked about his plans for the military, Trump's response was, practically word for word "I'm gonna build up out military, because it's so badly depleted. It's so depleted, so I'm gonna build it up. It's never been this badly depleted, our military, so I'm gonna build it up. There's nothing we can really do about that, but I'm gonna build it up. We need a big military, it's never been this badly depleted, so I'm gonna build it up. There's nothing we can really do about it, but I'm gonna build it up, and for half the cost. That's called negotiation."

edited 9th Aug '16 7:26:08 PM by smokeycut

ZeroL *Vague plotting intensifies* from a dimension with 700 too many of me Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
*Vague plotting intensifies*
#134863: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:27:42 PM

Really, now, it's a question of how much gun control. What kinds of guns are allowed, how extensive background checks should be, etc. And of course people on both sides are taking it too far, because that always happens.

My new plan is so secret that even I cannot understand its full scope!
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#134864: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:30:31 PM

[up][up]And I thought Bush was ineloquent.

Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#134865: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:36:02 PM

[up][up][up] The US already has the current strongest military in the world. They don't need any more building up.

edited 9th Aug '16 7:36:12 PM by Bat178

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#134866: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:41:37 PM

Many parts of the US military need to be modernized, but that's already in progress. And cutting procurement has both capability and industrial consequences.

But simply expanding the military isn't what's needed.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#134867: Aug 9th 2016 at 7:47:52 PM

[up]They could also use more money and attention on the veteran's side of things but that's probably not what Orange Hitler has in mind.

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#134868: Aug 9th 2016 at 8:10:51 PM

Trump needs to construct a narrative of gross mismanagement. Part of that is tearing down the military by saying it's a shambles. I'm actually glad he's saying this, because then Democrats can just say, "OUR MILITARY IS A NATIONAL TREASURE! <hand over heart> <solemn gaze of patriotic zeal>" and instantly, we're the party of standing up for our troops, without actually having to anything or say anything of substance.

So we should align the Dem platform to be veteran-friendly. Pour funding into keeping the military properly supplied and veterans well cared for. It's a good opportunity that should be seriously pursued.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#134869: Aug 9th 2016 at 8:30:14 PM

[up] No state in history has regarded their veterans as anything more than a liability to be disposed of (one way or the other once they no longer serve the state's ambitions. The story of the common soldier is that of a Tragic Villain, in many ways.

edited 9th Aug '16 8:32:47 PM by CaptainCapsase

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#134870: Aug 9th 2016 at 8:33:31 PM

Even the post-WWII GI bill era?

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#134871: Aug 9th 2016 at 8:38:36 PM

[up] The goal of what efforts are made to aid veterans is to prevent soldiers from rebelling the state in contexts (or time periods) where they can't simply be killed en masse or forcibly resettled far, far away from one another. Plus occassionally to undo the economic damage that conscripting ~10% of your population inflicts.

States are not altruistic. Quite the opposite in fact.

edited 9th Aug '16 8:46:42 PM by CaptainCapsase

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#134872: Aug 9th 2016 at 8:51:01 PM

It doesn't have to be altruistic but there are great shades of different between efforts like the GI bill and, say, post-Vietnam (a war where respect for the returning soldiers was severely blunted by how much of an embarrassment Vietnam was).

smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#134873: Aug 9th 2016 at 8:51:53 PM

Or people realized veterans were being treated like shit and needed help. Not everyone is in it for themselves, Cap. Quite a few people genuinely try to do what they think is right.

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#134874: Aug 9th 2016 at 8:54:21 PM

[up]Unless they're the GOP.tongue {Ba-dum!}

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#134875: Aug 9th 2016 at 8:54:46 PM

And again you're going into the very much overly cynical view of the world and governments. It gets hard to discuss things with you seriously like that.

In any case, no, it's not one hundred percent governments seeing veterans as a liability. For one thing, several of our politicians have been veterans (and ARE) with close personal ties and interest in seeing their fellow soldiers treated well after their service, as well as being from military families with the same interests. This view of the government completely ignores that little fact. For another, considering that respect for military service is deeply ingrained in several places in America (no use in pretending it's universal) the idea that they should be treated well is also deeply ingrained and part of the reason that issues with the VA are shocking is that it goes against that idea.

Not everything the government does is fueled purely by one hundred percent cynicism, and your claims that it does is getting tiresome. To the point of it being useless to talk to you. Also, ours is not a conscript army currently, it's entirely volunteer. That little tidbit is kind of not useful in our current reality.

edited 9th Aug '16 8:56:59 PM by AceofSpades


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