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

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#237101: Mar 30th 2018 at 4:54:51 PM

This is great:

GOP tax message hits a snag [1]

More than three months after the passage of the GOP's tax-cut law, new surveys suggest that many people don't think they are getting bigger paychecks, which could cut into support for Republicans in this fall's midterm elections.

A CNBC poll this week stated that just 32 percent of working adults reported having more take-home pay due to the new law, a problem for Republicans hoping to run on the measure and the health of the economy in November.

The GOP has made the tax-cut law the centerpiece of its campaign message, arguing that Republican control of Congress and the White House led to legislation that is putting more money in people's pockets and stimulating an economy with low unemployment.

Yet the CNBC poll suggested that many people aren't noticing much of a change from the law, a sentiment that could feed into Democratic arguments that it is helping the rich while doing little for the middle class.

Imagine, most working class people not feeling that effects of the GOP Tax Scam. Who would have thought?

edited 30th Mar '18 4:55:35 PM by megaeliz

BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#237102: Mar 30th 2018 at 5:08:35 PM

[up] Combined with Oklahoma having to raise taxes, hopefully this will at least wound the idea that "lower taxes = better economy".

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#237103: Mar 30th 2018 at 5:12:19 PM

[up][up][up]The conservative focus on punitive measures, rather than preventative ones, is an absolutely massive factor with deep roots and an intersection with far too many issues to ever completely address here.

A key part of it is the obsession with the "individual," and the notion that only the individual - and no one else - is responsible for themselves. Hence, whatever their failures are, they are entirely of their own fault.

The only way to maintain this perspective, of course, is through a constant rejection of any concept of systemic, institutional problems. Racial inequality is by far the most prominent example to meet that stonewall, and gun violence is another one (trying to orient the debate around stopping "bad guys," for instance).

edited 30th Mar '18 5:12:53 PM by Eschaton

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#237104: Mar 30th 2018 at 5:37:43 PM

[up][up] as much as we may dislike them, Taxes are necessary.

In fact, the inability of the Federal Government to impose taxes under the Articles of Confederation, is one of the reasons we now have the constitution they claim to love so much.

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#237105: Mar 30th 2018 at 6:55:17 PM

[up][up]the obssesion with the individual Is racially charged as well: white people are seen as máster oficial their own which means every Time the do something wrong the focus on their motives while non white focus in what they did wrong.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
Kakuzan Let memes die. Kill them, if you have to. from Knock knock, open up the door, it's real. Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Let memes die. Kill them, if you have to.
#237106: Mar 30th 2018 at 7:44:35 PM

People like the showrunners of South Park always like to put on an air of "boundary pushing" or some other shite, but the thing is, they really are not. They are critical of everything except when it relates to them, and even if they do make a joke at their own expense, it isn't even scathing compared to the other "jokes". They are never critical of their own cynicism, apathy, or pessimism. They and all like them are just "enlightened" or some other crap. They are afraid that if they were to look honestly at themselves, they will see miserable pretension.

Don't catch you slippin' now.
Kaiseror Since: Jul, 2016
#237107: Mar 30th 2018 at 7:52:11 PM

[up] Not that I don't agree with you but why are you posting this on the politics thread?

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#237108: Mar 30th 2018 at 8:17:01 PM

The topic of conservative "humor" came up earlier, and the showrunners of South Park are Republicans.

Disgusted, but not surprised
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#237109: Mar 30th 2018 at 8:28:14 PM

Or, at bare minimum, libertarians

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#237110: Mar 30th 2018 at 9:04:48 PM

They are never critical of their own cynicism, apathy, or pessimism.

Actually, they did take a shot at that with South Park S15 E7 "You're Getting Old" - Stan gets isolated because he became so cynical, to the point that Kyle's new best friend became Cartman. It eventually got reset, but Stan briefly became an alcoholic over it.

edited 31st Mar '18 8:57:44 AM by ironballs16

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#237111: Mar 30th 2018 at 9:09:27 PM

And there was an episode where they kinda took shots at bothsidesism with a family called the Whites, ardent supporters of the show's Trump stand-in, who would repeat the same old "Hillary would've been just as bad" non-defense, only to have other characters point out its irrelevancy.

i'm tired, my friend
TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#237112: Mar 30th 2018 at 10:39:23 PM

Laura Ingraham is going on vacation next week. Supposedly pre-planned, but that seems awfully coincidental. The article points out this is very similar to how Bill O'Reilly was shown the door.

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#237113: Mar 30th 2018 at 11:52:54 PM

@Star Outlaw: Speaking as something of a card-carrying conservative, I will say that you're right-punishment is a major part of conservative ideology. As pointed out, conservatives in general tend to believe the blame for wrongdoing should be on that individual specifically rather than social institutions.

Mind you, I'll totally admit society has institutional problems, and so will most conservatives-though they might disagree on what those problems are and what the source of them is.

The basic issue a lot of conservatives has is a sort of Pavlovian reaction to things. For example, with political correctness, a lot of conservatives have slid down the slippery slope from "not everything is racist" to "everything is not racist".

Leviticus 19:34
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#237114: Mar 31st 2018 at 5:00:11 AM

He's also absolutely correct that she only apologized because her sponsors began to pull out.

It's not even an apology.

Any time someone says they're apologising for the hurt someone felt in response to their words, they're quite noticeably not apologising for having said the words in the first place.

Plus, she began the 'apology' by pointing to Holy Week, so she's openly patting herself on the back and saying 'I'm being a good Christian by saying this'. That's an entirely self-serving, blatant attempt to look good, which is the exact opposite of the purpose of an apology.

edited 31st Mar '18 5:01:39 AM by Wyldchyld

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#237115: Mar 31st 2018 at 5:11:19 AM

In good news, Vermont is on the verge of raising the gun-buying age to 21 and expands background checks for person-to-person sales (though no details in the article) as a result of a Vermont teen getting arrested for plotting a school shooting 2 days after Parkland.

Vermont, a largely rural New England state with a passion for hunting, is one of two dozen states where efforts to curb gun violence have gained momentum since the Feb. 14 shooting rampage that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The Vermont bill raises the age for gun purchases to 21 and expands background checks for private gun sales. It also bans magazines of more than 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for pistols as well as rapid-fire devices known as bump stocks.

Vermont Public Radio reported that the Senate would take up two more gun-related measures next week. Both are aimed at removing guns from homes in cases of domestic violence or when someone is at risk of imminent harm from firearms, it said.

Gun control advocates say the turnaround in Vermont and other states has been propelled in part by the groundswell of student-led lobbying efforts and protests calling for firearms restrictions.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#237116: Mar 31st 2018 at 5:30:13 AM

So recently some idiot teenager from Taiwan attending high school in Pennsylvania made a "joke" about committing a school shooting on May 1.

He came to the U.S. for high school, then acquired an arsenal to attack it, police say

I have zero sympathy for this moron.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Kakuzan Let memes die. Kill them, if you have to. from Knock knock, open up the door, it's real. Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Let memes die. Kill them, if you have to.
#237117: Mar 31st 2018 at 6:31:35 AM

Don't people ever learn to just be quiet sometimes? I mean, are people incapable of thinking about what they are about to say and/or do? I know there are those that will spin this saying that consideration of consequences is fearmongering or some other migraine inducing trite. But I don't really care about persecution complexes anymore.

People think of fear being this terrible thing, but obviously some people believe reckless abandon to be a good thing. It is almost like some believe the very notion of "stopping and thinking before making an ass out of myself" to be either offensive, or some alien concept that they can't hope to comprehend.

And even if one doesn't agree with the response/punishment, there comes a time where we as a collective must stop painting the perpetrator as some hapless victim that just didn't know any better. You can't witness how these things turn out over and over and then feign ignorance. And for a society that likes to go on about personal responsibility, nobody actually wants anyone to be held accountable for their actions in these kinds of situations (unless it involves whatever or whoever is demonized/marginalized).

Edit: And yes, I know the kid is a foreign exchange student, but I was speaking more broadly. Besides, I somehow doubt this would fly in Taiwan, but what do I know.

edited 31st Mar '18 6:34:41 AM by Kakuzan

Don't catch you slippin' now.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#237118: Mar 31st 2018 at 6:37:41 AM

Don't people ever learn to just be quiet sometimes? I mean, are people incapable of thinking about what they are about to say and/or do? I know there are those that will spin this saying that consideration of consequences is fearmongering or some other migraine inducing trite. But I don't really care about persecution complexes anymore.

Depends on the maturity level of the person - we know Trump can't help himself, we know that teens can rarely keep things under wraps, and social media has been the (thankful) downfall of a lot of criminals who couldn't resist the temptation to share their crime on video.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Ominae Since: Jul, 2010
#237119: Mar 31st 2018 at 7:48:30 AM

Taipei Times mention that the kid’s parents are Taiwanese actors and the mom/defense insist that he just had some mistakes made to cultural differences that he knows between America and Taiwan, given that the kid is a military otaku, it’s an airsoft legal country and his aspirations is to be a cop in Taipei...

Though with the arrest...

TroperOnAStickV2 Call me Stick from Redneck country Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Call me Stick
#237120: Mar 31st 2018 at 8:10:02 AM

@South Park discussion: Yeah, y'all triggered my memory, and I'm pretty sure Parker and Stone are libertarians.

Hopefully I'll feel confident to change my avatar off this scumbag soon. Apologies to any scumbags I insulted.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#237121: Mar 31st 2018 at 8:14:53 AM

They're now libertarian Republicans,the horror!

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#237122: Mar 31st 2018 at 8:15:09 AM

[up][up]Which really should explain everything, Libertarians live off of #bothsides because otherwise their choice to be libertarian would be unconscionable.

[up]You may be joking but unironically this, that's double the awful.

edited 31st Mar '18 8:15:41 AM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#237123: Mar 31st 2018 at 8:17:40 AM

I have no sympathy for libertarians. If you ask me it falls into the category of “stupid person’s idea of a smart idea”.

They should have sent a poet.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#237124: Mar 31st 2018 at 8:27:10 AM

To me, the idea that a nation as large as the United States could get by on a minimalist government, which I understand to be the core principle of Libertarians, strikes me as woefully naive. That past discussions have also centered on increased privatization being likely to work because the private businesses will have incentives to not screw people makes it even more so.

edited 31st Mar '18 8:27:42 AM by sgamer82

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#237125: Mar 31st 2018 at 8:36:45 AM

Yeah the very best a Libertarian can be is woefully naive and privileged, at worst they're just happily bigoted or collaborators of those who are.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang

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