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
@Krieger: Well, okay, not all of the media. I'll admit I may have been doing some confirmation bias.
To elaborate further on what I mean, though, it seems to me that regardless of the myriad of other problems Trump is creating, the United States seems like one of the last countries on Earth that he could turn into an honest-to-God dictatorship, as some people have been concerned about. I know it's probably very naive to say 'it could never happen there', but my point is it that it seems that the majority of the American people can see Trump's attempts at authoritarianism from a hundred miles away.
That, and it also seems that America places such high cultural importance on things such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, etc, that no politician could ever get away with openly disavowing these things. Instead, they have to use Loophole Abuse or Exact Words to manuever around them. Or just deny everything.
Then again, politicians (including actual dictators) have been doing that for thousands of years - but I think it holds extra significance in the modern-day when people in democracies tend to at least know what having rights feels like and can't imagine what life would be like without them. As opposed to, for example, a medieval peasant who just takes it for granted that they don't talk above their station for the same reason - it's been like that for generations and they can't imagine doing any different.
edited 2nd Jun '17 1:13:27 PM by PresidentStalkeyes
Those sell-by-dates won't stop me because I can't read!![]()
![]()
Perhaps they should have just shown him episodes of Dinosaurs during the White house briefings. I mean, he does pay attention to the TV, right? And the last episode might, just might, have stuck with him (and remember, that one aired 1994 - freaking 23 years ago!!!!. Hopefully it doesn't become truth in television).
edited 2nd Jun '17 1:12:43 PM by Swanpride
Not really sure I agree. The current situation was brought about in large part because so many people where convinced all politicians are the same, and nothing can be done about it ever. Voter apathy seems much more akin to the belief that you can't make things better rather than things will work out no matter what, and that's been a problem for how long now?
Or they agree with it. Wholeheartedly.
I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiotNicaraguans are planning on asking Ortega to sign the Paris Accord just to avoid being associated with the US: https://twitter.com/ananavarro/status/870406930614898719
edited 2nd Jun '17 1:24:43 PM by FireCrawler2002
I am not giving that piece of vermin (the senator whose website is the list of the senators who sent the letter) any pageviews. I am guessing, it's mostly midwest/deep red state senators?
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard FeynmanYeah, I kind of feel sorry about Nicaragua, next to no of the pundits goes through the effort to explain why they didn't sign. They really don't deserve this!
I actually believe that Syria is under some kind of sanctions, so they aren't able to sign, even if they wanted to. I don't think that Assad is in a position to make any long term agreements for the country. But I doubt they care, they are more worried about breathing in poison from one moment to another.
edited 2nd Jun '17 1:30:43 PM by Swanpride
I guess that's fair, but you have to admit the two are related, and with the current events, it's a bit hard to tell the two a part. Bringing it back, a number of posters here certainly come off as if nothing good is ever going to happen ever again, and paint it as being realistic. That's not much better.
I don't think that anyone is seriously expecting Russia to do much. The world moving away from fossil fuel is not in their interest since their economy is entirely based on the oil price. But Putin knows exactly that not signing would made Russia even more a pariah state and that he can wriggle out of doing anything substantial quite easily.
China on the other hand is quite serious about this. They just cancelled a number of coal projects and look into not just into green energy but also green cities. Partly because the pollution in China is so bad, they are already feeling the impact of not treating the environment right quite keenly. But they have also noticed that it is a lucrative business. They are big in solar energy. It is also a way for them to move closer to Europe, despite the cultural and political differences. Now that the USA is pulling back, they will most likely surge forward, trying to get ahead of India. Both countries are very interested in trade relationships with the EU (the main reason why there isn't a trade deal with either of them is because the EU attaches those pesky human rights and fair market rules to those agreements), hence Merkel meeting with both the Indian and the Chinese leader last weak, in order to push them in the right direction.

Are these anyone's senators? Several senators actually sent Trump a letter advising him to leave the Paris Accords.
https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/download/?id=E1E34574-5655-42AA-92E8-0D23DC8C33BA&download=1