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

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#169151: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:01:16 PM

Rational: Can we please refrain from such hyperbolic statements like "democracy is a write off"? As dire as things are, it's also far from being over.

Again, a lot of the posters in this thread are wallowing in obsessive negativity. Which, while understandable, is not actually constructive. Also, the repeated jokes about secession and joining Canada remain unfunny, if only due to the fact that people keep making the joke.

edited 24th Jan '17 7:02:17 PM by AceofSpades

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#169152: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:03:28 PM

What Trump is doing, and what his cabinet plan on doing, are pretty much the exact things that could permanently drop the US down to the developing country level, if not worse. All the stuff they're cutting is pretty much the things that guarantee the devolution of American culture.

They're even cutting federal library funding. I mean, how petty is that? It's a minuscule fraction of the national budget, like so tiny it doesn't actually show up most of the time, and there are a ton of benefits that show up from having libraries around. They also help the publishing industry a lot.

Doing that won't even begin to offset the loss in revenue from the tax cuts they're planning. "Yay, we cut less than one percent of the budget, but we lost 20 percent of our tax revenue! ... wait, we can't afford anything anymore."

Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#169153: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:07:23 PM

[up] The US would be no better or possibly even worse than Mexico or Central America below them.

Balmung Since: Oct, 2011
#169154: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:13:32 PM

They have oil. The GOP loves oil.
So does Mexico, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, and many others. Mexico's even one of our main foreign sources of oil (Mexico is #4, while Saudi Arabia is #2 and Canada is #1 by far).

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#169155: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:30:06 PM

Trump is ordering the construction of the Mexican Border Wall on Wednesday.

You know as a Californian, I gotta say Calexit doesn't sound so bad now if it could be effective immediately.

edited 24th Jan '17 7:31:14 PM by MadSkillz

Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#169156: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:32:24 PM

[up] Hooray for massive wastes of money!

Skiller2 The Sun’s Firstborn from The Bay Area Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: Abstaining
The Sun’s Firstborn
#169157: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:33:22 PM

I'm surprised that he is actually going through with this plan.

[up][up] I'm going to assume that California is going to refuse to build their part of the wall. We already seem pretty defiant.

edited 24th Jan '17 7:33:31 PM by Skiller2

henry42 [REDACTED] from Western Hemisphere Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
[REDACTED]
#169158: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:33:34 PM

[up][up][up] Please link to the regular website (www.nytimes.com) not the mobile version (mobile.nytimes.com). For mobile browsers, the former redirects to the latter, but the reverse doesn't work for desktop browsers.

edited 24th Jan '17 7:33:49 PM by henry42

One does not shake the box containing the sticky notes of doom!
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#169159: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:35:51 PM

[up][up] You were really surprised he was stupid enough to do this when he was stupid enough to do everything else he promised?

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#169160: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:37:05 PM

Did we already go over how he's not even gonna make Mexico pay for it? instead it's coming out of American taxpayers' money.

i'm tired, my friend
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#169161: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:37:18 PM

Trump can't build the wall through an Executive Order: Because it costs money, Congress has to be the one to approve it. I don't think any Wall has enough votes to pass the Senate, even with the 52-46-2 Republican Majority.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#169162: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:38:15 PM

Hell, the GOP probably won't hop on board with this project anyway. Or they'll find a way to dodge it.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#169163: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:40:42 PM

Trump is also going to target sanctuary cities.

This is his plan too:

End Illegal Immigration Act: Fully-funds the construction of a wall on our southern border with the full understanding that the country Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such wall; establishes a 2 -year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering the U.S. after a previous deportation, and a 5-year mandatory minimum for illegally re-entering for those with felony convictions, multiple misdemeanor convictions or two or more prior deportations; also reforms visa rules to enhance penalties for overstaying and to ensure open jobs are offered to American workers first.

Our prisons are going to be filled to the brim.

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#169164: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:42:23 PM

Trump can't build the wall through an Executive Order: Because it costs money, Congress has to be the one to approve it. I don't think any Wall has enough votes to pass the Senate, even with the 52-46-2 Republican Majority.

The wall has already been approved back in 2006. He doesn't need Congress.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Fence_Act_of_2006

Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#169165: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:45:16 PM

And Republicans would approve it regardless. First, they just need to find something, anything that can be called Mexico's "payment."

Then, they start stealing your tax dollars and funnel them to whatever groups benefit them. Just like with Hurricane Katrina - which Pence literally wrote the playbook on exploiting - their goal isn't effectiveness, but profit.

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#169166: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:48:44 PM

Who wants to bet that the construction companies that are tasked with building the Wall are ones that Trump and Republicans have stock in?

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#169167: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:53:17 PM

Also worse and worse news:

Trump is threatening to send in the Feds into Chicago if it doesn't fix its carnage.

I can't wait until police states become the norm for big cities. Can you?/s

edited 24th Jan '17 7:53:50 PM by MadSkillz

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#169168: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:55:05 PM

The wall has already been approved back in 2006. He doesn't need Congress.

Not to be a jerk, but that says Fence, not Wall. It would be legal for Trump to finish the fence, but a wall is not necessarily the same thing. If Trump wants a Wall, he's going to have to get Congress to give him the money, but if he's just going to finish the Double Fence, then it's not as bad as we all were thinking (albeit it is still bad).

Trump narrows his Supreme Court list to 3 main Contenders: Neil Gorsuch (10th Circuit Court of Appeals, Colorodo), Thomas Hardiman (3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Pennsylvania), and William "Bill" H. Pryor Jr. (11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Alabama).

I gotta say, out of these 3, Bill Pryor is not that bad.

edited 24th Jan '17 7:55:36 PM by DingoWalley1

Journeyman Overlording the Underworld from On a throne in a vault overlooking the Wasteland Since: Nov, 2010
Overlording the Underworld
#169169: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:56:10 PM

I think Trump is going to keep his core supporters even without anime and stuff.

He wants to fight China. How did Hitler reverse things in his country? He attacked other nations.

Canada, build a wall. I get the feeling we'll be going full-tilt Fallout here and while we're in a low grade shooting war with China that creates military jobs, we'll probably be making noise about annexing our neighbors too . . .

TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#169170: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:58:18 PM

I want out of this horrific universe.

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#169171: Jan 24th 2017 at 7:58:51 PM

[up][up] Problem there is a majority of Americans, both Young and Middle Age, are against War at all cost. A War would keep his constituence, and the core Conservatives and Neo-Conservatives united, but the majority of Americans would be outright hostile to it, especially if we started it. We'd unite around an Anti-War candidate who would get us out of whatever country we invade, and would make Trump as hated as Bush Jr.

Also, Canada, don't build a wall. You'll need to keep your borders open for any American Refugee that needs to run up there for whatever reason.

[up] "You hear that, boys? He wants to get out!"

edited 24th Jan '17 8:00:24 PM by DingoWalley1

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#169172: Jan 24th 2017 at 8:03:44 PM

Any American refugees will be screened, with those who show Republican sympathies turned back. And those who get in....better be ready to man the barricades with the rest of us.

But seriously, a Canada/US war would be over in a week. Our population centers are a spitting distance from the border, our coasts are totally exposed to USMC landings, Quebec's allegiance is questionable (though they'll probably chose the rest of Canada over the US), the Western provinces in particular would be full of collaborators, etc. We don't have a prayer in a conventional fight. Best option would be going to ground, destroying as much infrastructure as possible out of spite, and starting an insurgency.

And if the US is radicalized enough to invade Canada and/or Mexico, it won't just be the US military prowling around. You'd have neo-Nazi/Oath Keeper/Evangelical "anti-partisan" units killing undesirables as well.

edited 24th Jan '17 8:08:14 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Journeyman Overlording the Underworld from On a throne in a vault overlooking the Wasteland Since: Nov, 2010
Overlording the Underworld
#169173: Jan 24th 2017 at 8:04:08 PM

He supposedly has the support of half the military. IF that's true, I don't think it much matters what most of us think or would vote for. If he can get us into a war, and enough people protest, he can declare martial law, suspend all elections until the end of that period, and pull off all the atrocities he wants until we outright revolt. In time to maybe get rolled over by power armored foot soldiers (DARPA's already got prototype exoskeletons they can weld armor onto) and tanks mounting anti-missile laser weapons (Navy's got prototype ship mounted versions. Both need a little work, but somehow I don't think Trump has suspended defense research spending like he has on everything else) that can double as anti-riot weapons. Hell, we've ALREADY got anti-riot weapons that make people feel extremely hot and unable to stand in place.

A military option on any of this is a nonstarter unless we have the military on our side.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#169174: Jan 24th 2017 at 8:06:49 PM

This is really starting to sound like we are living in a modern day Hearts Of Iron mod.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Journeyman Overlording the Underworld from On a throne in a vault overlooking the Wasteland Since: Nov, 2010
Overlording the Underworld
#169175: Jan 24th 2017 at 8:08:35 PM

There's plenty of problems plaguing the two weapons I listed, so probably not those for years or decades. But stuff like Metal Storm already exists. Trump really doesn't need future weapons, just enough military support with current gear.


Total posts: 417,856
Top