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

Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#238376: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:49:45 PM

he's the Governor of Missouri. He was embroiled in a sex scandal recently that spiraled out when his mistress revealed some....frightening details alleging he tied her up and took photos of her for blackmail, according to her ex-husband.

I posted an excerpt last page from the report. He stopped her from leaving physically and forced her to give him oral sense, complete with rather violent physical abuse.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238377: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:51:14 PM

[up]Yeah he rather blatantly raped her, hopefully he'll face the deserved legal consequences.

edited 11th Apr '18 3:51:25 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#238378: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:53:19 PM
Thumped: Please see The Rules . This is a warning that this post is the sort of thing that will get you suspended.
i'm tired, my friend
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#238379: Apr 11th 2018 at 4:05:57 PM

Take this one with a huge grain of salt, but allegedly there's one GOP Congressperson who wants Trump out because he's hurting their chances of winning the 2018 midterms.

That said, it means nothing if they keep refusing to denounce him in public because they're afraid of angering the base.

edited 11th Apr '18 4:06:31 PM by speedyboris

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238380: Apr 11th 2018 at 4:07:43 PM

That GOP congressman is the only sane man for his party, though I wouldn't be surprised if a not-insignificant number of them are thinking that but just don't saying anything.

Ugh, I despise the insane Republican base.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#238381: Apr 11th 2018 at 4:08:55 PM

Unfortunately, I wouldn't even call him sane. He wants Pence as president because it would piss off "the right people".

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#238382: Apr 11th 2018 at 4:09:09 PM

Heh heh heh.grin This is great. If they try and hobble or even impeach him, they lose his base and get crushed. If they refuse to leash him, they get crushed as moderates leave and the Democratic base is rallied.

Rock, meet hard place.

[up]Remember that Pence isn't a particularly good politician, and was about to lose in his deep red state most likely. He has little support among Trump's base, his culture warrior attitude wins him few friends and a lot of enemies in a general (relatively), and his political capital would be zero after Trump is gone. His reactionary social views are certainly troubling to say the least but those will be put in place as long as Republicans control DC.

edited 11th Apr '18 4:11:11 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#238383: Apr 11th 2018 at 4:22:17 PM

And in somewhat good news from Ajit Pai's corrupt FTC: the FTC has warned several companies it is illlegal to condition warrenty coverage on the use of specified parts or providers.

note 

The letters warn that FTC staff has concerns about the companies’ statements that consumers must use specified parts or service providers to keep their warranties intact. Unless warrantors provide the parts or services for free or receive a waiver from the FTC, such statements generally are prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a law that governs consumer product warranties. Similarly, such statements may be deceptive under the FTC Act.

Each company used different language, but here are examples of questionable provisions:

  • The use of [company name] parts is required to keep your . . . manufacturer’s warranties and any extended warranties intact.
  • This warranty shall not apply if this product . . . is used with products not sold or licensed by [company name].
  • This warranty does not apply if this product . . . has had the warranty seal on the [product] altered, defaced, or removed.

“Provisions that tie warranty coverage to the use of particular products or services harm both consumers who pay more for them as well as the small businesses who offer competing products and services,” said Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

FTC staff has requested that each company review its promotional and warranty materials to ensure that such materials do not state or imply that warranty coverage is conditioned on the use of specific parts of services. In addition, FTC staff requests that each company revise its practices to comply with the law. The letters state that FTC staff will review the companies’ websites after 30 days and that failure to correct any potential violations may result in law enforcement action.

edited 11th Apr '18 4:22:28 PM by tclittle

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#238384: Apr 11th 2018 at 4:28:38 PM

Pai heads the FCC, not the FTC.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#238385: Apr 11th 2018 at 4:56:36 PM

The Missouri Governor now claims he is the victim of a "Witch Hunt"

Calls for the governor, Eric Greitens, to resign — even among fellow Republicans — intensified after the release of the detailed, salacious report. But in a blunt news conference before the report was released, Mr. Greitens, who took office in January 2017, insisted that he was the victim of a political witch hunt. He said he would not step down.

“We fully expect that the report being released tonight will include lies and falsehoods,” he said from the State Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. “I want to say again what I’ve said from the beginning. This is a political witch hunt.”

He added: “I will continue to serve the people of Missouri as their governor and to work for you every day. And they know, they need to know, that fake charges and falsehoods aren’t going to stop us.”

The investigative committee released its report even as the governor’s defense team tried feverishly to delay it. Defense lawyers argued that the report could taint a potential jury pool in the coming criminal trial, which is scheduled to start next month.

A public relations firm representing Mr. Greitens sent out statements on Tuesday making the point that the judge in the criminal case had issued a gag order, even though the judge declined to prevent lawmakers from releasing their report.

The fact that the Republican-controlled Legislature went ahead with its report despite the governor’s objections is an indication of how strained his relationship is with members of his own party. The governor’s affair and the subsequent criminal case have been an embarrassment to state Republicans. Some consider it a damaging distraction that could hurt the party’s chances in the midterm elections this fall, which include a crucial United States Senate race against the longtime Democratic incumbent, Claire Mc Caskill.

edited 11th Apr '18 5:01:00 PM by megaeliz

MorningStar1337 The Encounter that ended the Dogma from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
The Encounter that ended the Dogma
#238386: Apr 11th 2018 at 5:16:22 PM

Hope the guy leaves. A homophone of "Misery" shouldn't on the list of "names to be lived up to".

edited 11th Apr '18 5:17:32 PM by MorningStar1337

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#238387: Apr 11th 2018 at 5:21:50 PM

and this article is interesting as well.

Putin, or the World? Sanctions May Force Oligarchs to Choose

MOSCOW — Compared to the sunny, palm-lined offshore tax havens where Russians typically stash their fortunes — think the British Virgin Islands or Cyprus — two chilly, windswept Russian islands would seem to offer little.

Yet October Island, a glorified swamp in Russia’s European exclave of Kaliningrad, and Russian Island, a former cow pasture facing the far eastern port of Vladivostok, were highlighted by Moscow this week as potential alternatives.

Washington’s imposition of unexpectedly tough sanctions against several leading oligarchs is in many respects a game changer for Russia, with repercussions that are only slowly coming into view. Establishing tax havens within the country was just one reaction by the Kremlin, seemingly caught off guard as aftershocks rippled through currency and financial markets.

“Russia has no strategy on how to react to this situation, to these new economic circumstances,” Evgeny Gontmakher, a prominent opposition economist, said.

The most immediate effect is being felt by Oleg V. Deripaska and his aluminum giant, Rusal, which has lost about one-third of its value on the Moscow stock exchange. “This is a new stage,” Mr. Gontmakher said. “This is targeting for isolation a very big, export-oriented company. That is very painful.”

The ramifications could also be felt by wealthy Russians in London, as Washington warned British banks on Tuesday that they could face severe penalties if they continued dealings with any of 24 Russians named in the sanctions, including seven oligarchs.

Paradoxically, the sanctions could help President Vladimir V. Putin to accomplish a long-held goal of putting more of the economy under state control and pressuring billionaires to bring their money home.

Yet the sanctions might also work against Mr. Putin’s interests, forcing some of the wealthiest Russians to decide just how closely they want to be identified with the Kremlin by financing militias, political organizations or other adventures abroad. “Anyone who wants to help the Kremlin outside will think twice,” said Konstantin Gaaze, an analyst and frequent contributor to the Moscow Carnegie Center website.

In a larger sense, the sanctions are expected to have a limited overall effect after the initial shock wears off, because they ultimately targeted just a handful of companies. But the virtual sequestering of a critical Russian commodity producer has introduced a strong element of uncertainty into dealings with all Russian raw materials, the taproot of the country’s income, which is likely to further isolate Russia from the world.

The initial government response was muted, with Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesman for Mr. Putin, telling reporters that “it would be wrong to make hasty decisions” and predicting that the value of the ruble and the Russian stock market would bounce back once emotions settled down.

Given the tiny size of the Russian economy — around 2 percent of global G.D.P. — and its limited trade with the United States, there was little expectation of economic retaliation. Any Russian response was likely to come in places like Syria or Ukraine, analysts said, where the Kremlin might ratchet up tensions in order to leverage any solution on ending the sanctions.

....Habitually, tycoons have feared falling afoul of the Kremlin and having their assets in Russia seized, but any oligarch cut off completely from international financial markets might be more amenable to shifting funds home. Still, it would be only a short-term fix, noted several analysts, because Russia is not a big enough or attractive enough market for significant, sustained investment.

edited 11th Apr '18 5:26:23 PM by megaeliz

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#238388: Apr 11th 2018 at 5:30:34 PM

I've been wondering for a while if Trump really does have something to hide and is just terrible at not looking suspicious, or if he genuinely isn't personally incriminated in whatever is discovered (or at least genuinely thinks he isn't) but reacts the way he does just because he absolutely hates the idea of being questioned or held accountable by anyone on principle.

Obviously it can both that he's guilty and hates being questioned, but between the two I wonder which is more likely.

edited 11th Apr '18 5:30:50 PM by LSBK

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#238389: Apr 11th 2018 at 5:33:03 PM

[up] Given that we've racked up like 17 indictments so far, I'd say that it's both.

actually it's 19, and that's with the 13 Russian Nationals and 3 Russian Entities.

edited 11th Apr '18 6:17:46 PM by megaeliz

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238390: Apr 11th 2018 at 5:37:29 PM

[up][up][up]Beautiful, it's very nice to see America moving decisively and in a strong manner.

edited 11th Apr '18 5:37:45 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#238391: Apr 11th 2018 at 5:39:45 PM

Arizona Supreme Court Denies DACA Students In-State Tuition:

Arizona students protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will no longer be eligible for in-state college tuition, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The 7-0 ruling upheld an earlier decision in the Court of Appeals last year that said DACA recipients, often called DREA Mers, who have been granted "lawful status" but not "legal status" do not qualify to pay resident rates.

Monday's decision will affect more than 2,000 students enrolled in Arizona's community colleges and three public universities.

The fee changes will take effect immediately and in some cases more than triple the annual cost of attendance. The Associated Press estimated community college students who currently pay $2,580 a year will now pay $8,900. Four-year universities will charge DACA students who graduated from a state high school 150 percent of in-state tuition. That will increase annual costs from about $10,000 to $15,000. Those who do not meet the requirement could pay up to $27,618, according to AZ Central.

Arizona DACA students are also ineligible for federal or state financial aid.

"This is exactly why we need a permanent solution," Karina Ruiz, president of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, told NPR.

"Congress needs to pass the Dream Act and give us a permanent pathway to citizenship, otherwise DACA recipients will continue to be under attack," she said.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#238392: Apr 11th 2018 at 5:50:55 PM

A reporter asked Sanders if Trump had any intention of resigning. Now she's getting death threats.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/04/11/april-ryan-press-briefing-question-threats-wolf.cnn

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
danime91 Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#238393: Apr 11th 2018 at 6:38:43 PM

[up][up]Don't taxes that DACA recipients still pay go toward stuff like in-state financial aid and scholarships? I've always believed that illegal immigrants are actually being leeched from, not being leeches, because they still have to pay taxes on things, but can't benefit from many of the programs those taxes pay for.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#238394: Apr 11th 2018 at 6:48:07 PM

[up] Yep. They contribute to the economy in a lot of crucial ways.

Disgusted, but not surprised
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#238395: Apr 11th 2018 at 6:55:06 PM

I'm not really sure you're going to win anyone over with that line of reasoning...

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#238396: Apr 11th 2018 at 7:03:00 PM

Yep, that too. I'm pretty sure plenty of people have tried to convince xenophobes and bigots by pointing out the contributions undocumented immigrants make. But that's not how xenophobia and bigotry work.

I say bigotry because most of the hostility directed at undocumented immigrants specifically targets the ones from Mexico, as opposed to people who fly to the USA and let their visas expire.

edited 11th Apr '18 7:04:50 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#238397: Apr 11th 2018 at 7:07:34 PM

[up]That's definitely true, but that wasn't the point I was making. I'd figure the counter to an argument like that would be that no one asked them to come here illegally, so they don't get to complain about things like that.

There are things wrong with that if you think about it, but on the face of it I don't think most people would really argue.

edited 11th Apr '18 7:21:20 PM by LSBK

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238398: Apr 11th 2018 at 7:19:19 PM

Yeah while we certainly should say that undocumented immigrants are not leeches and provide many benefits to our nation I am extremely uncomfortable with suggesting that being taxed is being leeched on, not to mention that they chose to come here so being taxed is hardly unfair.

edited 11th Apr '18 7:19:43 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
danime91 Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#238399: Apr 11th 2018 at 7:22:49 PM

I'm specifically mentioning the point of "being taxed and not being able to benefit from the things those taxes pay for" such as the case of Arizona DACA kids not being eligible for tuition assistance.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238400: Apr 11th 2018 at 7:25:15 PM

The DACA thing is rather different from normal undocumented immigrants in that they did not choose to come over, adults who decided to come over via informal channels will have to pay taxes and while they are underground will not receive formal benefits. That is rather fair from my POV.

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

Total posts: 417,856
Top