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

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#156826: Nov 19th 2016 at 10:02:28 AM

The saddest part about all of this is that millions of people in the U.S.A. alone can see where all this is headed — we know we're screwed — and we're more or less unable to stop it from happening. The people that could stop this want it to happen, or at least are beholden to the millions who think this is what they want.

I take cold comfort in the increasingly likely outcome of most Trump voters experiencing buyer's (well, voter's) remorse after Trump is inaugurated. At least, I hope it's enough to prevent enough of them from re-electing him.

[up][up][up] Again, nothing about this is normal.

edited 19th Nov '16 10:14:50 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#156828: Nov 19th 2016 at 10:39:26 AM

Hopefully Trump doesn't go Nixon on everyone that's ever crossed him.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#156829: Nov 19th 2016 at 10:41:30 AM

If Trump starts messing with the GOP establishment, Pence will become President. You know, just like with Nixon.

Ironically, Nixon would not have been impeached today, he'd have been lauded by the current breed of Republican.

carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Collector Of Fine Oddities
#156830: Nov 19th 2016 at 10:51:08 AM

I dunno, I think they'd disown him first for being to liberal for their liking.

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#156831: Nov 19th 2016 at 12:15:45 PM

Oh, and btw, Trump is going to have access to the drone program started under Obama too.

Think he'll care about collateral damage?

lmao. Yeah...right

New Survey coming this weekend!
TheWanted Since: Oct, 2013
#156832: Nov 19th 2016 at 12:33:05 PM

Not sure how much it matters but I think Trump was mocking the ones who use that phrase.

I love the irony of someone here making fun of somebody supposedly being shielded from an opinion they don't like in a special zone.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#156833: Nov 19th 2016 at 12:36:14 PM

Yeah Trump's a complete and utter hypocrite, because he's one of the thinnest-skinned people I've ever seen. Anytime someone makes fun of him he barrages them with petty insults.

MonsieurThenardier Searching from Murika Since: Nov, 2016 Relationship Status: Getting away with murder
Searching
#156834: Nov 19th 2016 at 12:59:01 PM

[up][up][up]The President doesn't personally order every strike, they have a subset of officers for that. He usually just lets the military do whatever. I don't think Trump is going to LBJ on them, he seems a very hands-off person (i.e. he doesn't seem to want to do the President's job, let alone pile extra work on). He'll just let them keep doing what they're doing, which so far has proven successful in eliminating insurgent HV Ts (the ones that actually matter- killing 100 Pashtun farmers with rifles in Kandahar is worth less than killing a single high level organizer hiding in Pakistan) while keeping collateral damage very low and keeping Americans out of the line of fire.

edited 19th Nov '16 1:02:01 PM by MonsieurThenardier

"It is very easy to be kind; the difficulty lies in being just."
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#156835: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:02:19 PM

Keeping collateral damage very low? Maybe the military, but the CIA's another story.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
MonsieurThenardier Searching from Murika Since: Nov, 2016 Relationship Status: Getting away with murder
Searching
#156836: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:02:52 PM

[up]Evidence? Statistics and figures? The ones I've found for Somalia and Yemen put the civilian death tolls very low, possibly sub-10%. Pakistan's figures are more disputed, but range from 5% to 25% civ-cas ratio, which is still low.

edited 19th Nov '16 1:05:53 PM by MonsieurThenardier

"It is very easy to be kind; the difficulty lies in being just."
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#156837: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:03:32 PM

Lengthy discussion in the drone thread. I think FF Shinra would be the person to ask.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#156838: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:11:54 PM

[up][up] That's in part because the military changed the criteria for what is counted as a civilian death to downplay the number of deaths.

edited 19th Nov '16 1:12:51 PM by CaptainCapsase

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#156839: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:12:11 PM

Short version, IIRC, is that the military's actually very careful and precise when using drones, applying them like a surgeon's scalpel, while the CIA carelessly cuts through swaths of people to get to their targets.

edited 19th Nov '16 1:12:31 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#156840: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:17:15 PM

[up]Well, they need to maintain their bread'n'butter, don't they?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#156841: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:18:04 PM

[up][up][up] The Last Week Tonight segment on drones covered that bit of Moving the Goalposts.

edited 19th Nov '16 1:18:16 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#156843: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:21:06 PM

Kleptocracy here we go.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#156844: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:23:52 PM

Man, American voters were the easiest marks Trump ever met so far.

Disgusted, but not surprised
TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#156845: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:24:51 PM

Since the joke isn't going to wear itself out: how many conflicts of interest does President Trump have?

All of them.

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#156846: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:26:05 PM

Would it surprise anyone if, by the end of next year, Trump ends up selling all of our national parks to the Koch brothers?

Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he put the WH on Airbnb.

edited 19th Nov '16 1:26:39 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#156847: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:27:14 PM

[up][up]And he's exempt from the law.

edited 19th Nov '16 1:27:32 PM by TheHandle

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#156848: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:28:08 PM

[up] He gets away with enough crap as it is. That would just make it official.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Proglottid Since: Mar, 2010
#156849: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:33:11 PM

We're never getting rid of him, Might as well just dig our trenches and watch the world slowly burn

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#156850: Nov 19th 2016 at 1:35:23 PM

Oh we'll be getting rid of him eventually.

Nobody's immortal.

The question is, who's next?

If illiberal democracy is our future I can only hope the next autocrat isn't as much of a stupid or malicious buffoon as Pence or Trump.


Total posts: 417,856
Top