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

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#193276: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:34:10 PM

"The right wing twitterverse is calling this incident "left wing terrorism", and using it to claim that the left encourages violence."

Ugh, I was afraid of that.

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#193277: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:35:25 PM

I'd argue that many of our problems started because States have too many rights. It started with slavery and it continues to this day with abortion restrictions, voter ID laws, "religious freedom" laws, etc.

Yep but I'd say it's a little bit of both right now especially when you have Trump at the helm.

I liked that Canadian system someone just mentioned

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#193278: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:37:12 PM

[up][up][up] That seems an insufficiently significant reason with all the other problems that come with the territory—and in and of itself is neutral as the exact same defiance can go the opposite direction (true regardless of your perspective on a law). And that cannot be the only stopping point in a terrible law being implemented.

edited 14th Jun '17 3:37:23 PM by RainehDaze

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#193279: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:40:53 PM

I would like to local cities and counties be given more sovereinty so that they could check their states much the way states check the federal level.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#193280: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:45:24 PM

If anyone's curious, this is how the Constitution Act describes the separation of powers.

Turns out that it isn't originally from the Constitution Act of 1982, instead being from the British North America Act of 1862.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#193281: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:47:35 PM

[up][up] That's a terrible idea. There's nothing more hidebound and idiotic than a local council, in part because local elections garner so little public interest. What you get out of such an arrangement is a schizophrenic patchwork of local ordinances that throw commerce and even daily life into chaos.

edited 14th Jun '17 3:48:13 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#193282: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:48:46 PM

[up] They seem to work well enough over here. Their scope is pretty limited, on the legislative front, though.

edited 14th Jun '17 3:49:17 PM by RainehDaze

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#193283: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:51:40 PM

[up][up]Plus, you'd have all sorts of local municipalities trying to become islands unto themselves, in defiance of federal and state laws...

edited 14th Jun '17 3:51:53 PM by pwiegle

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#193284: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:51:47 PM

You'd have to apply the same "but not to step on people's rights" restriction to the local level as well.

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#193285: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:52:01 PM

[up][up][up]Probably because Scotland is small enough that the national government is already not much bigger than a lot of US states, making cities the next tier of administration.

edited 14th Jun '17 3:52:49 PM by AlleyOop

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#193286: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:54:29 PM

[up] UK population: 65 million people (estimated). 650 M Ps. It's probably substantially bigger than you were thinking. [lol]

It goes Westminster -> devolved administration -> local councils. In England, it's just Westminster to local councils, unitary authorities, whatever the hell London and Manchester have... but yes, there's no need to split into big states. But still, the scale of councils is small.

edited 14th Jun '17 3:55:45 PM by RainehDaze

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#193287: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:55:17 PM

Can you step back for me and explain how the federal government can have too much power, without making the default assumption that the states should individually have the level of autonomy they already do?

Imagine giving someone like Trump even more power. He's about one death or two away from controlling the Supreme Court. And these are octogenarians.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#193288: Jun 14th 2017 at 3:56:38 PM

Imagine giving someone like Trump even more power. He's about one death or two away from controlling the Supreme Court. And these are octogenarians.

But with less power there would be less of an obstacle to better representation.

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#193289: Jun 14th 2017 at 4:03:20 PM

Special counsel is investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, officials

Trump had received private assurances from former FBI Director James B. Comey starting in January that he was not personally under investigation. Officials say that changed shortly after Comey’s firing.

[lol][lol][lol]

Fucking moron

New Survey coming this weekend!
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#193290: Jun 14th 2017 at 4:04:16 PM

A slight, interesting tangent, from the NY Times

Not a single state supports the House health care bill.

https://t.co/VeGrQMoDuW

It’s no secret that the American Health Care Act is unpopular. In recent national polls, only about 29 percent of Americans support the bill. It is the most unpopular piece of major legislation Congress has considered in decades — even more unloved than TARP (“the bailout”), and much more unpopular than the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Will Republican senators vote yes on a bill this unpopular? To hang on to their jobs, senators have to keep only voters in their own states happy, not the whole nation. Perhaps red-state senators, or even some senators in swing states, might think their states are friendlier to the bill than the nation as a whole.

Our research indicates that is not the case. To get a sense of support by state, we combined recent polls to estimate support for the A.H.C.A. in every senator’s home state. Our estimates indicate that not one state favors it.

Even though very few state polls have been conducted on views of the A.H.C.A., we are able to estimate views on the bill in each state using a statistical method called M.R.P. (multilevel regression and postratification) and eight national polls that the Kaiser Family Foundation, You Gov and Public Policy Polling shared with us on people’s views on the A.H.C.A.

edited 14th Jun '17 4:05:32 PM by sgamer82

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#193291: Jun 14th 2017 at 4:04:21 PM

But with less power there would be less of an obstacle to better representation.

I'm thinking more along the lines of legislation. States would make their own laws and the federal government would provide a guiding hand and make sure they don't oppress people.

Besides it's easier to deal with an oppressive state government than it is to deal with an oppressive federal government.

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#193292: Jun 14th 2017 at 4:05:58 PM

[up]x3 It's looking to me that Trump's wick is starting to get shorter and shorter. Any month now and the whole bomb that is his administration will explode.

[up]x2 Considering 60+% of the Population, and Trump himself apparently, doesn't like the AHCA, I don't blame any state for not liking it either. It was a terrible bill and should have never passed the House.

edited 14th Jun '17 4:07:40 PM by DingoWalley1

Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#193293: Jun 14th 2017 at 4:08:12 PM

Personally, as someone living in the Deep South, I don't feel like my life has ever been improved by the states having more power. My states history is basically just human rights violations followed by the federal government forcing them to stop.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#193294: Jun 14th 2017 at 4:11:26 PM

The only reason Trump was elected was because the way in which we distribute electoral power in this country gives disproportionate weight to smaller states. If we did away with that, he wouldn't be here.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#193295: Jun 14th 2017 at 4:16:24 PM

The merits and pitfalls of the Electoral College seems like a related, but still distinct, discussion from how the composition of the Congress should be determined, and the ratio of state to federal power.

edited 14th Jun '17 4:20:34 PM by LSBK

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#193296: Jun 14th 2017 at 4:23:05 PM

California's President Governor was just named special advisor to the UN climate conference after the US pulled out of the Paris Accords.

Another article about it.

As the president of this year’s United Nations conference on climate change, Fiji’s prime minister is responsible for rallying countries to battle global warming.

But on Tuesday, that effort drew him not to a national capital but to Sacramento, where he endorsed Gov. Jerry Brown’s ambitious plans on climate change.

Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama signed an international agreement that California has spearheaded with states and provinces around the world to set tougher targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a symbolic step intended to help counterbalance President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris deal on climate change.

“If there’s one thing we have all learned over the last two weeks, for every action, there is a reaction,” Bainimarama said during a ceremony in the governor’s mansion. “People of all walks of life across America have spoken very loudly, telling the world that America will continue to tackle climate change.”

He announced that Brown will be a “special advisor for states and regions” at the November conference in Germany, where countries will flesh out more details on the agreement reached in Paris.

While only national governments have had a formal seat at the table during United Nations negotiations, the announcement comes at a time when there’s talk of finding a larger stage for state and local leaders like Brown. He’s spent the last few years promoting the “Under 2 MOU,” a coalition aiming to reduce emissions enough to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius.

“We’re going to be there [for the climate negotiations]. We’re going to play an important role,” the governor said on Tuesday while joined by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.

West Coast the best coast!

Brown has traveled widely to talk about climate change in recent years, and he’s gaining a higher profile for his work on the topic in contrast to Trump. He recently returned from China, where he sat down with the Chinese president, and last week he met with Germany’s environmental minister in San Francisco.

Also:

The only reason Trump was elected was because the way in which we distribute electoral power in this country gives disproportionate weight to smaller states. If we did away with that, he wouldn't be here.

Just noting that I'm all for doing away with the electoral college and fixing how little states get as much power as big states in the Senate.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#193297: Jun 14th 2017 at 5:04:16 PM

Personally, as someone living in the Deep South, I don't feel like my life has ever been improved by the states having more power. My states history is basically just human rights violations followed by the federal government forcing them to stop.
Ditto. I am very skeptical of state's rights. It's just been used to many times to deny other's their human rights and if the Federal government truly became repressive I highly doubt State's rights would stop them especially well.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#193298: Jun 14th 2017 at 5:05:36 PM

That might be a stupid question but why exactly wasn't Trump under investigation beforehand? Not only did he openly encourage Russia to hack the democratic party during his speeches, there was also one incident in which he hinted a reveal which happened shortly after. It was also already known that the one point Trump really fought for when he put together his agenda was lifting the sanctions on Russia. There was ample reason to investigate him months ago, even if you ignore the way he is openly funnelling tax payer money into his businesses, or how political meetings often end with favourable business deals for his family.

TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#193299: Jun 14th 2017 at 5:06:16 PM

I'd rather leave the Senate be and focus on removing the "population cap" on total House seats, in addition to electoral college removal/fixing.

Make the House do what it's supposed to actually do - properly favor larger states.

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#193300: Jun 14th 2017 at 5:07:06 PM

And now Travis Air Force Base in California has an active shooter alert as well.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."

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